︎

Jewish Taiwan Archive

台灣猶太檔案

Telling the story of Taiwan's Jewish present, past and future

報導台灣猶太社會現在，過去和未來的故事

Jewish Taiwan Archive

Beginnings: 1954-1979


In 1954, shortly after the Republic of China relocated its government to Taiwan, the United States Taiwan Defense Command was established on the island  after the signing of a mutual defense treaty between the two nations. American military headquarters were in Taipei with bases at Chiayi, Kaohsiung and Taichung; along with military defense came a massive flow of financial support from the United States, with Taiwan becoming “the single largest recipient of American foreign aid.”1 It was at the Taipei military base’s chapel, located at Zhongshan North Road, where Taiwan’s first sizable Jewish community took shape. Cities outside of Taipei had smaller, lay-led congregations, but Taipei was the only city where a traveling rabbi from the Philippines would visit about every five weeks.2 Families across the island would often travel to Taipei for the high holidays. Servicemen from Vietnam would also visit on rest and relaxation, and other residents of Taipei were invited to participate, creating a community always large enough for a minyan.

The building was not a dedicated synagogue, but a nondenominational chapel; “Someone took the picture of the cross and Jesus down on Fridays,” recalls Fiona Chitayat, who had come to Taipei from New Zealand when her husband found work at an electronics factory.3 The Catholic altar was on wheels and could be easily moved out and replaced by an ark and Torah scrolls. The traveling rabbi’s seniority was able to acquire kosher foods as well as matzoh and kosher Manischewitz wine: “Without their assistance it would have been rather difficult for members of the civilian community resident in Taipei to acquire the basic necessities for a Passover Seder.”4 In the 1960s, a sisterhood was formed by a group of military and civilian Jewish women “which with ‘the material help of the Chaplaincy organized Sunday School classes for two groups in the Taipei American School,’ as well as ‘occasional get-togethers in the Officers’ Club’ and holiday dinners.”5

By the early 1970s, another congregation of Jews had formed at the President Hotel, mostly made up of traveling business people from the U.S. and Syria; attendance at the lay-led services varied every week, and the hotel kitchen was able to provide challah.

The 1970s saw the influx of the founding members of who became the Taiwan Jewish Community; perhaps most significant was Yaacov Liberman, a Harbin Jew who also spent time in Shanghai and Korea as he grew up. Throughout his time in Harbin, Liberman became a devout Zionist and member of Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s Revisionist Betar movement for which he later worked; he was so dedicated that he wore his Betar uniform on his wedding day. Liberman was also remembered as an “energetic and charismatic” leader dedicated to the preservation of Jewish life.6 After having made a brief stop on the island in 1947, its economy at the time in shambles and its roads unpaved, Liberman had noted his return 30 years later as an “interesting postscript.”7

Members recall Liberman searching for Taiwan’s Jewish community from the moment he got off his plane in 1975; he had worked in Japan for 10 years, and now came to work for Shaul Eisenberg’s company in Taiwan, which was pursuing weapons sales at the time:8 “When he landed, the first thing he said was, how come we don’t have a Jewish community? We must make a Jewish community.”9 There was also some urgency to founding a legally recognized community within a few years: members sensed a coming end to the Treaty of Commerce, Friendship and Navigation between the United States and Republic of China as U.S. talks with the People’s Republic continued. It would mean an end of support by the military, who had provided religious necessities and the chapel. Moreover, the treaty allowed Americans to establish houses of worship in Taiwan. With the help of Michael Friedman, a lawyer working at a Taiwanese firm, and his colleagues, community members filled out the paperwork to apply as a registered nonprofit with the Taipei city government.10 But a few factors were to be considered first: religious sensitivity and the Republic of China’s international relationships.

At the time, Taiwan was still under martial law, first implemented by the KMT government in 1947 after an anti-government uprising that became known as the February 28 incident, or 228 massacre. While citizens still had a relative degree of religious freedom in comparison to the total bans of religion in the People's Republic, religious groups were under constant surveillance. Writes Laliberte, “the GMD was concerned over infiltration and espionage by the CCP and was suspicious of religious societies and monks that were coming from the Mainland without proper registration.”11 Most religious organizations therefore had to register under a national umbrella organization that was monitored by the state. Religious leaders were occasionally banned from traveling internationally or jailed without due process if they were suspected of being engaged in political or anti-government activity.12 The government was also hostile toward new religious sects that could be seen as disruptive; religion was still a sensitive issue after events like the Taiping rebellion -- a Christian-led revolution in mainland China in the mid-19th century that caused tens of millions of deaths -- though the KMT treated Christians more liberally due to Taiwan’s need to impress the west, and likely because Taiwan’s first two presidents were themselves Christians.13

Taiwan at the time also had close relationships with the Kingdom of Jordan and Saudi Arabia, then-hostile neighbors of the new State of Israel. According to Friedman, who was tasked with registering the Taiwan Jewish Community, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was concerned about those relationships and the nature of Judaism:

Some of the questions that were asked of us were: “where are your missionaries?” “If you don’t have missionaries why do you need to incorporate here?” “Do you know, we have very good and long-standing relationships with the kingdom of Jordan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?” It became clear to us that much of what we anticipated concerning the apprehensions of the government were correct.14

The Jews weren’t given too much trouble, though, particularly after Friedman explained that Jews were not a proselytizing religion and had never caused trouble in China. The Chinese also had a positive impression of Jews; Chiang Kai-Shek had endorsed Zionism in 1920 and “the Jewish people came to be considered symbols of national independence and salvation in China” as the KMT strived to create a new national identity.15

Accordingly, our approach was to remind the authorities that the Jewish community had a long presence in China and presented no threat to the Republic of China...I bluntly told him that we were a nonpolitical religious community -- all we wanted was a place to gather to pray and support the religious education of our community’s children.16

The Taiwan Jewish Community (hereafter referred to as TJC) was registered with the Taipei city government as a nonprofit organization on March 13, 1978, with assets of $219,991.45 NTD ($32,453.48 in 2021 U.S. dollars) donated by Michael Friedman, the cost of keeping the organization registered, and a total of 52 families.17 The first board of advisors was made up of Friedman, Morris I. Morris and Harry Eisenbaum.18 Other donations were used to pay rent on the community’s building, located at 358 Shipai Road, Section 2, in Beitou,19 and to fund the opening of a Sunday school, hire a cook, and hold events. Members were also charged dues of $40 USD per month.20 Remembers Chitayat, “About 80 percent of the donations came from outside,” with the largest donor being one Ellis Safdeye, a Syrian Jew and owner of a shoe company.21 Safdeye donated $10,000 USD under two conditions: that the Jewish community remain kosher, and that it hold a Sunday school. The TJC’s kosher policy was “not 100 percent kosher,” as getting kosher meat at the time was impossible; the center instead had only dairy meals.22 Another account from Jonathan Goldstein cites S. N. Eisenberg, honorary chairman of the Tokyo Jewish Community, as also having made a donation of $10,000 USD “which underwrote new premises for a community center.”23 While fluctuating attendance and Jewish population in Taiwan has made the ability of a Sunday school precarious in some years, the kosher policy stands today. Writes Shapiro, “At a time when Taipei offered few Western restaurants outside the international hotels and relatively little English-language recreational opportunities, the Center became a vital part of the social lives of many Jewish families.”24

As was anticipated, the United States shifted official recognition to the People’s Republic of China in 1979, leading to the closure of the military chapel and making the President Hotel and the TJC the island’s only Jewish congregations. The TJC was allowed to take the chapel’s Torah and use it as its own. Liberman was a passionate leader, writing a monthly news pamphlet about happenings within the community which Bijo’s company would print and mail to members. Unfortunately, these pamphlets have not been recovered. He was granted ‘honorary lifetime chairman’ of the Taiwan Jewish community upon his departure in 1985, of which he later wrote, “we all collect a variety of accolades throughout our lifetime...yet, from all of these tokens of peer recognition, I value none more than this heartwarming expression by a tiny Jewish community on the faraway island of Taiwan.”25

The government kept a close eye on the Jewish community; officers were regularly sent to services and large holiday events that were advertised in the local newspaper, members recall: “We called [our officer] the spy,” Chitayat said.26 But members were largely unbothered by the police presence and were understanding of their status as a religious community under martial law who were still able to celebrate freely.

Only once did politics get in the way of the community’s activities. As detailed above, the ROC at the time had close ties with Saudi Arabia -- a primary supplier of oil and by this time the only Arab state that recognized Taiwan27 -- and worried the establishment of a Jewish community may offend the Saudis. The Taiwan Jewish Community rented a house at 358 Shipai Road, Section 2, in Beitou, which happened to be just down the street from the Saudi embassy. This did not become a problem until three years after the community was established, in 1981, apparently when cars had parked from the TJC building all the way up to the embassy building. The Saudis saw this as potential evidence that Taiwan was cooperating with Israel secretly, and as a potential security risk to confidential dealings between Taiwan and Saudi Arabia.28

The ROC government established a “specialist team” that reported to the Legislative Yuan and comprised members of Taiwan’s security, information and foreign affairs departments. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs memo notes that “Some people have interfered with the cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia. These people may be Israelis, so they are very concerned,” and stressed that the situation “could lead to severe consequences, so should be taken care of properly by the government.”29

Taken as a serious matter by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the matter was resolved quickly and seems to have been but a blip that only came close to threatening Taiwan-Saudi ties. MOFA documents show it paid close attention to the freedom of religion ensured in the ROC constitution (though this freedom was only granted to religious organizations that were non-political) and apparently sent officers to pressure the community center’s landlord to not renew the lease for another term. The Jews moved to a different location by the end of 1981. In promises to the Saudis detailed in MOFA memos, MOFA also assures the Saudis that it will label the TJC as a Jewish “church” rather than a “club,” and limit Israeli entry into Taiwan.30 MOFA could not confirm nor deny that these actions were actually taken as a result of the matter, though Israelis living in Taiwan at the time recall having to leave the country frequently to get a new visa.31 The ROC also repeatedly reassured the Saudis that it had no dealings with Israel, though this was not true; Taiwan cooperated with Israel on weapons, defense and nuclear deals since at least the 1960s, but these deals were unofficial and details were largely kept secret.32


Sources

  1. Goldstein, Jonathan. “Taipei: An Oasis of Tranquility for Americans, 4 Europeans, and Israelis.” Essay. In Jewish Identities in East and Southeast Asia: Singapore, Manila, Taipei, HARBIN, Shanghai, Rangoon, and Surabaya, 82. Berlin, Germany: De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2015.
  2. Chitayat, Fiona (former TJC vice president and founding member). Interview with the author. June 24, 2021.
  3. Ibid.
  4. Friedman, Michael (former TJC founding member). Personal communication with Don Shapiro. October 16, 2018.
  5. Shapiro, Don. Ms. Taipei: Survival of a Jewish Community without Deep Roots. Haifa University, n.d. 6.
  6. Ibid., 8.
  7. Liberman, Yaacov. My China: Jewish Life in the Orient 1900 - 1950. Jerusalem, Israel: Gefen Publishing House Ltd, 1998: 207.
  8. Goldstein, Jonathan. “A Quadrilateral Relationship: Israel, China, Taiwan, and the United States Since 1992.” American Association for Chinese Studies 12, no. 2 (October 2005): 177–202.
  9. Bijo, Jacques (former TJC secretary and founding member). Interview with the author. May 10, 2021.
  10. Friedman, Michael (former TJC founding member). Personal communication with Don Shapiro. October 16, 2018.
  11. Laliberté, André. “The Regulation of Religious Affairs in Taiwan: From State Control to Laisser-Faire?” Journal of Current Chinese Affairs 38, no. 2 (2009): 62. https://doi.org/10.1177/186810260903800203.
  12. Kuo, Cheng-Tian. Religion and Democracy in Taiwan. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2008: 11.
  13. Ibid.
  14. Friedman, Michael (former TJC founding member). Personal communication with Don Shapiro. October 16, 2018.
  15. Gao, Bei. “The Chinese Nationalist Government's Policy toward European Jewish Refugees during World War II.” Modern China 37, no. 2 (March 2011): 204. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23053323.
  16. Friedman, Michael (former TJC founding member). Personal communication with Don Shapiro. October 16, 2018.
  17. Liberman, Yaacov. My China: Jewish Life in the Orient 1900 - 1950. Jerusalem, Israel: Gefen Publishing House Ltd, 1998: 207.
  18. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Act of Endowment and Organization of the Taipei Jewish Community as a Foundation/Juristic Person (translation). Taiwan National Archives.
  19. Ibid.
  20. Goldstein, Jonathan. “Taipei: An Oasis of Tranquility for Americans, 4 Europeans, and Israelis.” Essay. In Jewish Identities in East and Southeast Asia: Singapore, Manila, Taipei, HARBIN, Shanghai, Rangoon, and Surabaya, 87. Berlin, Germany: De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2015.
  21. Chitayat, Fiona (former TJC vice president and founding member). Interview with the author. June 24, 2021.
  22. Bijo, Jacques (former TJC secretary and founding member). Interview with the author. May 10, 2021.
  23. Goldstein, Jonathan. “Taipei: An Oasis of Tranquility for Americans, 4 Europeans, and Israelis.” Essay. In Jewish Identities in East and Southeast Asia: Singapore, Manila, Taipei, HARBIN, Shanghai, Rangoon, and Surabaya, 86. Berlin, Germany: De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2015.
  24. Shapiro, Don. Ms. Taipei: Survival of a Jewish Community without Deep Roots. Haifa University, n.d.: 9.
  25. Liberman, Yaacov. My China: Jewish Life in the Orient 1900 - 1950. Jerusalem, Israel: Gefen Publishing House Ltd, 1998: 207.
  26. Chitayat, Fiona (former TJC vice president and founding member). Interview with the author. June 24, 2021.
  27. Hammond, Kelly Anne. “Islam in Taiwan: The Unlikely Story of an Important Global Partnership.” The Caravan Notebook. Hoover Institution, August 25, 2021. https://www.hoover.org/research/islam-taiwan-unlikely-story-important-global-partnership.
  28. Correspondence Regarding the Matter of a Jewish Church Established Near the Saudi Embassy in Taipei, November 22, 1976-November 14, 1986, A303000000B/0065/152.11/90001, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Archives Administration, Taipei, Taiwan.
  29. Ibid.
  30. Ibid.
  31. Aharony, Yoram (Israeli member of the Taiwan Jewish Community). Personal correspondence with the author. August 26, 2021.
  32. Shichor, Yitzhak. “Ernst David Bergmann and Israel's Role in Taiwan Defense.” The Asia Papers, no. 2 (2016). 

© CARGO/U