A Modern Sanctuary in Asia: The Story of the Jewish Community Center of Taiwan

The Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center of Taiwan is a welcoming cultural and religious center dedicated to serving Taiwan’s Jewish community while promoting greater understanding of Judaism and Jewish culture among the wider public.

Established by the Jeffrey D. Schwartz & Na Tang Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association (JTCA), a registered non-profit organization founded by Jeffrey D. Schwartz and his late wife, Na Tang, the Center was funded, designed, and built to provide a space for worship, education, cultural exchange, and community engagement.

It is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds, it reflects a commitment to fostering inclusion, dialogue, and cross-cultural understanding in Taiwan.

I would like to thank the esteemed founder of the Jewish Community Center of Taiwan, Jeffrey D. Schwartz, for his guidance.

Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center

Officially opened in Taipei on December 29, 2021, the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center of Taiwan is a 22,500 square-foot cultural and religious landmark built at a cost of $16 million. The facility features a synagogue, kosher restaurant and culinary lab, a 300-seat ballroom, classrooms for children and adults, a library, a Judaica museum housing more than 400 rare artifacts, and a luxurious mikvah with a gold-leaf ceiling.

Designed as a cultural hub for Taiwan’s Jewish community and the broader public, the Center’s architecture is inspired by Albrecht Dürer’s Praying Hands, with parabolic arches and suspended curves shaping its interior spaces, including Taiwan’s first purpose-built synagogue. Its “Eternal Light” façade, inspired by a candle flame and the Western Wall, symbolizes the Center’s mission of preserving Jewish heritage while promoting cultural exchange.

The Center has received international recognition for its architecture and lighting design, earning the iF Design Award, the A’ Design Award & Competition, a Taiwan government design award, a Gold MUSE Design Award, and recognition from the LIT Lighting Design Awards. Together, these honors celebrate the Center’s exceptional blend of architectural excellence, cultural symbolism, and contemporary design.

Schwartz Synagogue

The Schwartz Synagogue is the spiritual heart of the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center of Taiwan. Entered through a beautifully landscaped Moroccan-inspired Temple Plaza, the sanctuary seats more than 100 worshippers for religious services, festivals, and community gatherings.

Inspired by the classic synagogues of Europe, the sanctuary features elegant wooden pews, comfortable seating, and a traditional Orthodox layout. At its center stands the bimah, where the rabbi leads prayers and Torah readings, while the ark houses the Center’s Torah scrolls. The soaring ceiling is designed to draw the eye upward, symbolizing a spiritual pathway to heaven, and the synagogue also includes a library for Jewish learning and study.

Following Orthodox Jewish tradition, the sanctuary includes a partition separating the men’s and women’s prayer areas. Above the women’s section, a skylight displays the four Hebrew letters representing the phrase “Nes Gadol Haya Sham“ or “A great miracle happened there”, a reference to the Hanukkah miracle. Jeffrey D. Schwartz and his late wife, Na Tang, incorporated this feature to symbolize what they consider the miracle of establishing a permanent Jewish synagogue and community center in Taiwan.

Ballroom 

The Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center features a grand 300-seat ballroom that serves as the Center’s primary venue for Jewish holiday celebrations, banquets, weddings, lectures, and community events. The facility also includes adult classrooms, a library, a child care center, and an outdoor Mediterranean-style courtyard, providing flexible spaces for education, cultural programs, and social gatherings.

The ballroom is home to one of the Center’s most significant works of art, a large-scale painting by renowned Chilean Jewish artist Mauricio Avayu. The artwork depicts classic stories from the Torah, particularly the Book of Genesis, adding a rich artistic and cultural dimension to the Center’s gathering space.

Jeffrey D. Schwartz Museum of Jewish Art & Judaica

The Jeffrey D. Schwartz Museum of Jewish Art & Judaica permanently exhibits a private collection of nearly 500 rare Jewish art objects and historic artifacts, curated over more than 30 years by Jeffrey D. Schwartz and his late wife, Na Tang. Featuring antique Torah scrolls, ceremonial crowns, and biblical artworks from around the world, the museum represents the first public presentation of this extensive personal collection.

Located within the Jewish Community Center in Taipei, the museum serves as an educational and cultural resource for the Taiwanese public, Jewish community, students, and visitors, with guided tours available in both Chinese and English. Through its exhibitions, the museum aims to deepen understanding of Judaism and promote cultural awareness, fostering dialogue and reducing prejudice through education and shared heritage.

Culture and Religious Life

The preservation of culture is a vital legacy for the world, and Jewish community centers play an important role in safeguarding and passing down Jewish wisdom and heritage across generations. This mission is reflected in religious traditions, prayers, rituals, and major annual holidays such as Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Hanukkah. Through its programs and initiatives, the JTCA supports the preservation of Jewish culture and provides opportunities for people in Taiwan to meaningfully engage with the Jewish community.

 Education

Education is a core mission of the JTCA, which is dedicated to cultural preservation and sharing the teachings of traditional Judaism and Jewish history in Taiwan. The Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center includes a children’s classroom where students learn Hebrew and explore Torah stories. In 2019, the JTCA also launched the Taiwan Student Israel Study Tour Program, offering talented Taiwanese students opportunities to broaden their global perspectives through direct educational experiences in Israel.

Culinary Club

The Culinary Club at the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center features Taiwan’s first kosher restaurant and a specialized kosher culinary lab, offering certified gourmet dining for both locals and visitors. Operated by the Jeffrey D. Schwartz & Na Tang Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association (JTCA), it uses food as a bridge for cultural exchange and introduces guests to the traditions of kosher cuisine.

In addition to restaurant service, the Culinary Club provides flexible event spaces suitable for intimate gatherings of fewer than 12 people to larger functions of several hundred, making it a unique venue for both dining and community events in Taiwan.

Historical Background

The history of Jews in Taiwan dates back to the mid-20th century, with the first notable presence emerging in the 1950s. During this period, Jewish individuals and families arrived alongside American military and defense personnel stationed in Taiwan during the Korean War, forming a small but active community that held religious services at a U.S. military chapel in Taipei.

In the decades that followed, additional Jewish residents came for business and professional opportunities, drawn by Taiwan’s growing economic development and international trade.

In the mid-1970s, as the U.S. military presence in Taiwan declined, the Jewish community gradually evolved into an expatriate-led population composed of foreign corporate executives, diplomats, and international investors.

The arrival of Rabbi Ephraim Ferdinand Einhorn in 1975 played a key role in strengthening and organizing Jewish community life in Taiwan. By 1978, the growing congregation formally registered with the Taipei City Government as the Taiwan Jewish Community (TJC), marking an important milestone in establishing a structured Jewish presence on the island.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Taiwan saw an increased influx of Jewish business professionals. Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Ferdinand Einhorn served as the community’s spiritual leader, guiding weekly Shabbat services and providing religious support for decades. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 104. In honor of his lifelong dedication, a memorial library was established at the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center’s Temple Plaza.

In conclusion, Jeffrey D. Schwartz and Na Tang, together with the JTCA, planned, designed, and built the Center with a clear vision: to create a sanctuary where the Jewish community can find peace and belonging while strengthening connections between Jewish communities in Taiwan and around the world. Officially opened in Taipei on December 29, 2021, the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center of Taiwan stands as the realization of that mission.

Contact Information:

Jewish Community Center of Taiwan, No. 6 Alley 1 Lane 24 Ren-Ai Rd. Sec. 3, Taipei, Taiwan

Phone: +866 02-27000366

Email: jdschwartz@fsgroup-inc.com

Website: https://www.jtca.org.tw/en