A new Jewish community center has opened in Taipei, Taiwan that will act as a cultural “hub” for the Jewish community as well as serve to host cultural exchanges between Taiwanese people and the nation's Jews, CNA reported.
"We wanted to share Jewish culture, traditions, education and religion" in Taiwan and also have a “space to call home for Jewish people in Taiwan," said Jeffrey D. Schwartz, a Taiwan-based businessman who founded the Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association (JTCA), speaking at the center’s opening ceremony.
"This goes beyond cultivating Jewish culture in Taiwan," Schwartz added.
He explained that started working on the project in 2018. "Our goal was to integrate the strengths of Taiwanese people and the fortes of Jewish people."
"We also want all Jewish people around the world to see the value and beauty of our Isle Formosa and to facilitate opportunities for global exchanges for Taiwan,” said Schwartz, the CEO of Four Star Group.
The Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center is 22,500 square feet and contains a synagogue, a mikveh, a kosher restaurant, banquet halls, a kindergarten, and a museum housing Jewish art and relics.
"The community center is located at the center of Taipei City, providing citizens with an opportunity to access and understand the Jewish culture with ease," Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je said during the ceremony.
The event was also attended by Taiwan’s Vice President Lai Ching-te who said it would “build a bridge for communication and interaction between Taiwanese and Jewish culture."
Lai added that the center will increase the bond between the Taiwanese people and the Jewish community.
Omer Caspi, the representative of Israel’s Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, spoke at the event, describing the community center as "a significant and exciting milestone in the development of Jewish life in Taiwan."
He noted that Jews have always been welcomed in Taiwan, and hoped the new center would encourage additional cultural exchange.