Ephraim Einhorn

Rabbi Ephraim Ferdinand Einhorn (Hebrew: אפרים פרדיננד איינהורן; Chinese: 艾恩宏; Pinyin: Ài Ēnhóng; born 12 September 1918) is a British Orthodox rabbi and one of out of the only two rabbis living in Taiwan.

Early years

Einhorn was born in Vienna, Austria.[1] Einhorn moved to the United Kingdom at age 14 and later to the United States. Einhorn's parents were killed in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.[2][3]

Synagogue services in Taiwan

Einhorn arrived in Taiwan in January 1975 from Kuwait[4][5] and started administering Jewish prayer services five years later. Einhorn now operates one of Taiwan's of 2 Synagogues in room 577 of the Sheraton Taipei Hotel[6] in Taipei.

The other Synagogue,which caters mainly to the younger crowd and the overseas guests is at the new Taipei Jewish Center[7]

Although Jews in Taiwan never had a constant Synagogue built (Unlike fellow communities such as China, Hong Kong and Singapore), the first temporary synagogue had been created in the 1950s at the United States military chapel when U.S. soldiers had been stationed there. After the breakdown in the Republic of China–United States relations and the Taiwan Relations Act passed, prayer services were moved to the President Hotel, which no longer exists, then for many years to the Landis (formerly Ritz) Hotel,[8][9] and from February 2008 to its current location.[10][11]

Other career highlights

Along with religious duties, Einhorn has helped achieve and promote diplomatic relations between the Taiwanese government with the Eastern and Central Europe countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania as well as the Republic of Macedonia and Ukraine.[12][13] He is also the chairman of the Republicans Abroad Taiwan.[14]

In 2009 the Austrian government awarded him the Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria.[15]

See also

References

  1. "Einhorn Coat of Arms / Einhorn Family Crest". Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  2. "Ceremony - Grand Decoration of Honour to Rabbi of Taiwan". Austrian Foreign Ministry. October 26, 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  3. "Taiwan Jewish Community". Jewish Times Asia. April 2006. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  4. Luxner, Larry (2007-09-30). "Overshadowed by China, a few Jews hold on in Taiwan". Luxner News. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  5. Berkman, Jacob (2007-10-11). "Overshadowed by China, a few Jews still hold on in Taiwan". The New Standard. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  6. No. 12, Chung Hsiao East Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei 100.
  7. Jay, Phillip (2011-10-01). "Taipei officially opens a Jewish Community Centre". Jewish Times Asia. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  8. Yiu, Cody (2005-02-14). "Taipei's Jewish". Taipei Times. p. 2. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  9. Steinberg, Neil (2002-08-09). "A down-home davening in Taiwan". Jewish World Review. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  10. "Jews of Taiwan". Haruth Leichter's Resource Page. 2008-04-26. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  11. "Taipei Jewish Services". Go Daven: The Worldwide Minyan Database. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  12. "Ceremony - Grand Decoration of Honour to Rabbi of Taiwan". Austrian Foreign Ministry. October 26, 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  13. "How Taiwan's sole rabbi keeps the faith". Jerusalem Post. 2007-06-24. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  14. 曹宇帆 (2008-07-06). "駐以代表:上半年台灣赴以旅客成長1.18倍". Central News Agency (Republic of China). Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  15. "Ceremony - Grand Decoration of Honour to Rabbi of Taiwan". Austrian Foreign Ministry. October 26, 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2012.

External links