By Danny Bloom
TAIPEI, Taiwan — On a bright sunny Sunday afternoon in tasty, tantalizing and terrific Taipei, a group of around 200 people, Jews and non-Jews, marched through the city streets celebrating the arrival of a Hebrew-language Torah scroll donated by an Israeli businessman who flew in for the occasion as well.
The festive parade, comprised of overseas Jews working or studying in Taiwan along with staff from the Israeli trade office in Taipei and local Taiwanese supporters of Israel, marched from the iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper — the world’s tallest building — to the newly-opened Taipei Jewish Center.
Rabbi Shlomi Tabib, director of the Chabad-affiliated center, led the parade, and of course there was plenty of singing and dancing of traditional Hebrew songs. A set of drums, specially brought over to Taiwan from Israel for the parade, escorted the marcher as they made their way through the city streets.
The guest of honor was Avi Netanel of Israel, who flew over to Taiwan with the Torah scroll to donate it to the local Jewish community. In addition, Israeli trade office representative to Taiwan, Simona Halperin, together with the trade office’s press and media coordinator Anna Shen attended the event.
Since Israel does not recognize Taiwan (The Republic of China) as a formal nation, following the same “One China” policy that most United Nations member countries follow, including the USA and Canada, there is no formal Israeli Embassy in Taipei, and the Israeli trade office services as the de facto embassy instead. Still, relations between the
ROC and Israel are great and getting better year by year, according to diplomatic observers.
Others attending the parade and dinner that evening included the US-born president of the Taipei Jewish community, Don Shapiro, the treasurer, Yoram Aharoni, and Ohad Hirsch from the Jewish community in Taichung. The longtime rabbi of Taiwan, Rabbi Ephraim Einhorn originally from Poland – who just turned 93 years old – was the keynote speaker at a post-parade dinner later that evening. He spoke about the recent opening of the Chabad center and the important role that Rabbi Shlomi and his wife Rachel can play for the small
congregation of Jews from around the world working and living in Taipei, some of whom have married Taiwanese spouses and are raising bilingual and bi-cultural children within their families.
The Taipei Jewish Center provides religious services and religious counselling for local Jews and their families working and living in Taiwan — and for overseas guests who visit the island
nation for business and travel excursions.
The center is also the only place in Taiwan where one can find kosher food, a service which has become popular due to the increasing numbers of Jewish travelers visiting Taiwan.
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Bloom is Taiwan bureau chief for San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted at dan.bloom@sdjewishworld.com
UPDATE: Avi Netanel said in Taiwan after going there for the torah parade: “I have traveled all over the world, but never did I encounter such a small and inviting community like the community in Taiwan.”