Ephraim Einhorn
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Ferdinand Einhorn ' onMouseout='HidePop("32837")' href="/topics/Pinyin">Pinyin
: Ài Ēnhóng; born 12 September 1918) is a British Orthodox rabbi and the only rabbi
living in Taiwan
.
, Austria
.
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
.
and started administering Jewish prayer services five years later. Einhorn now operates Taiwan's only synagogue
in room 577 of the Sheraton Taipei Hotel
in Taipei
.
The first Taiwanese 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,
and from February 2008 to its current location.
The synagogue mainly serves the small local Jewish community, mainly including expatriate foreigners and businessmen on relocation assignments. While High Holidays' services are packed, Einhorn is ecstatic if a minyan
arrives for the regular Shabbat
services.
, Hungary
, Latvia
, Lithuania
, Poland
and Romania
as well as the Republic of Macedonia
and Ukraine
.
He is also the chairman of the Republicans Abroad Taiwan
.
Dr. Einhorn is also an active Rotarian
, a long-time member of American Chamber of Commerce
(AmCham) Technology Committee in Taiwan, and standing Editor of the weekly newsletter the Typhoon.
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Ài Ēnhóng; born 12 September 1918) is a British Orthodox rabbi and the only rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
living in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Early years
Einhorn was born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Einhorn moved to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
at age 14 and later to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Einhorn's parents were killed in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May, 1945. After World War II, when Oranienburg was in the Soviet Occupation Zone, the structure was used as an NKVD...
.
Synagogue services in Taiwan
Einhorn arrived in Taiwan in January 1975 from KuwaitKuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and started administering Jewish prayer services five years later. Einhorn now operates Taiwan's only synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in room 577 of the Sheraton Taipei Hotel
in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
.
The first Taiwanese synagogue had been created in the 1950s at the United States military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
when U.S. soldiers had been stationed there. After the breakdown in the Republic of China–United States relations and the Taiwan Relations Act
Taiwan Relations Act
The Taiwan Relations Act is an act of the United States Congress passed in 1979 after the establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and the breaking of relations between the United States and the Republic of China on the island of Taiwan by President Jimmy Carter...
passed, prayer services were moved to the President Hotel, which no longer exists, then for many years to the Landis (formerly Ritz) Hotel,
and from February 2008 to its current location.
The synagogue mainly serves the small local Jewish community, mainly including expatriate foreigners and businessmen on relocation assignments. While High Holidays' services are packed, Einhorn is ecstatic if a minyan
Minyan
A minyan in Judaism refers to the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. According to many non-Orthodox streams of Judaism adult females count in the minyan....
arrives for the regular Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
services.
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 CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
as well as the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
He is also the chairman of the Republicans Abroad Taiwan
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Dr. Einhorn is also an active Rotarian
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
, a long-time member of American Chamber of Commerce
United States Chamber of Commerce
The United States Chamber of Commerce is an American lobbying group representing the interests of many businesses and trade associations. It is not an agency of the United States government....
(AmCham) Technology Committee in Taiwan, and standing Editor of the weekly newsletter the Typhoon.
External links
- Neil Rubin, A Taiwanese Shabbat, Baltimore Jewish TimesBaltimore Jewish TimesThe Baltimore Jewish Times is a subscription-based weekly community publication serving the Jewish community of Baltimore.-History:Baltimore's oldest and largest Jewish publication, it has been described as "the largest weekly in Maryland and one of the most respected independent Jewish...
, May 5, 2007. - Tsao Yu-fan and Ruth Wang, Taiwan hoping for direct flights with Israel, Central News Agency (Republic of China)Central News Agency (Republic of China)The Central News Agency is the state news agency of the Republic of China. It was founded in Guangzhou, China on April 1, 1924 and was relocated to Taipei, Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War when the Republic of China government relocated to Taiwan....
, July 7, 2008. - Taiwan opposition pulls Hitler ad, BBC News OnlineBBC News OnlineBBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
, March 12, 2004. - The Virtual Jewish History Tour: Taiwan, Jewish Virtual LibraryJewish Virtual LibraryJewish Virtual Library is an online encyclopedia published by the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise . Established in 1993, it is a comprehensive website covering Israel, the Jewish people, and Jewish culture.-History:...
, September 13, 2006. - Tea break with Taipei's only Rabbi, eRenlaiErenlai-eRenlai:eRenlai is a monthly internet magazine concentrating on the cultural, social and spiritual concerns of contemporary Asia and throughout the world. Each edition is published in English, traditional and simplified Chinese...
, July 5, 2010.