Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, is a metropolis of contrasts: glass skyscrapers alongside ancient temples, and vibrant night markets interwoven with the scents of incense and local flavors. Within this urban landscape, an extraordinary building has emerged that seems to have been taken from another world—the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center, an architectural and spiritual gem in the heart of East Asia.
For many years, Taiwan was considered an almost inaccessible destination for observant Jewish tourists, mainly due to the lack of community infrastructure and kosher food. This reality changed dramatically with the establishment of the center, the brainchild of Jeffrey D. Schwartz, a Jewish-American entrepreneur who has lived in Taiwan since the 1970s, and his Taiwanese wife, Na Tang. Together, they built an impressive 2,000-square-meter structure at a cost of $20 million, which has become one of the most surprising Jewish success stories of the 21st century.
A Vision of a Golden Tallit#
The building is impressive from first glance. Its white facade is designed like a giant tallit (prayer shawl), with a golden Star of David emblazoned in the center bearing the word “Chai” (life). A rear wall covered in Jerusalem stone provides a sense of physical and spiritual connection to Jerusalem.
The interior design is breathtaking, creating an atmosphere of a classic European synagogue. The carved doors of the Holy Ark, the golden bimah, and the vaulted ceiling create a magnificent and inspiring prayer space. The women’s section, separated by a stylish wooden partition, overlooks the main area. The center serves as an active house of prayer for the local community, which numbers about 50 to 70 worshipers on a regular Sabbath and hundreds on holidays.
Much More Than a Synagogue#
The center is a world of its own. It includes a gourmet kosher kitchen, a lavish ballroom for events, a mikveh (ritual bath) with a gold-leaf ceiling, a Judaica museum, and even a Chabad house run by Rabbi Shlomi Tabib. The museum displays an impressive collection of Judaica that Schwartz and his wife have collected over the years, including a rare 600-year-old Torah scroll from Tunisia and an ornate ‘Elijah’s Chair’ from Iran.
The center does not only serve the Jewish community. It opens its doors to the general public in Taiwan, hosting educational tours and school students who come to learn about Jewish culture and history. “I wanted to give something back to Taiwan,” Schwartz explains. “I thought, what can I do that no Chinese person will do? I decided to build a Jewish center.”
The project also changed Schwartz’s own life, bringing him closer to his Jewish roots. From a distant Conservative Jew, he has become a man who puts on tefillin daily and wears a kippah.
The Jewish Community Center in Taipei is more than just a beautiful building; it is a symbol of cross-cultural connection, a testament to one man’s vision, and a beacon of thriving Jewish life in an unexpected corner of the world.
What It Means for the Community Here#
For the Israel–Taiwan relationship, the center is quietly significant infrastructure. It gives the small but growing community of Israelis in Taiwan — students, tech professionals on semiconductor secondments, diplomats attached to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office’s counterpart mission — a reliable anchor for Shabbat, kosher food, and lifecycle events. Before it existed, observant travellers often skipped Taiwan altogether. That barrier is now gone.
It also runs the other way. The center’s educational tours for Taiwanese schoolchildren and the public function as soft diplomacy: thousands of young Taiwanese encounter Jewish history and Israeli culture in person, not through headlines. In a period when Israeli lawmakers and Taiwanese officials have been actively deepening parliamentary and civic ties, that grassroots familiarity matters.
Practical Notes for Visitors#
The center sits in central Taipei (Lane 24, Section 3 — Da’an District) and houses an active synagogue, a kosher kitchen, a mikveh, and the Judaica museum. It is run by the Jeffrey D. Schwartz & Na Tang Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association (JTCA), which offers English-language guided tours; tours and Shabbat attendance should be arranged in advance through the JTCA (jtca.org.tw). Although the building quietly opened in 2021, COVID-era restrictions delayed its formal dedication ceremony until 2023 — so much of its public programming is, in practice, only a few years old and still expanding.
The source of information and inspiration for this article is an article published on JewishTraveler.co.il. Visitor and timeline details verified against the JTCA and Chabad.org.
