Ephraim Einhorn

Rabbi Ephraim Ferdinand Einhorn (Hebrew: אפרים פרדיננד איינהורן; Chinese: 艾恩宏; Pinyin: Ài Ēnhóng, 12 September 1918 – 15 September 2021) was a British Orthodox rabbi and one of two rabbis who lived in Taiwan. Rabbi Einhorn was affiliated with the Taiwan Jewish Community.

Early years

Einhorn was born in Vienna, Austria.[1] He 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 operated a Synagogue service with the Taiwan Jewish Community. Although Jews in Taiwan never had a physical synagogue built (unlike fellow communities such as China, Hong Kong, and Singapore), the first temporary synagogue was created in the 1950s at the United States military chapel when U.S. soldiers were stationed there. After the breakdown in Republic of China–United States relations and the Taiwan Relations Act passed, prayer services were moved to the President Hotel, which no longer exists, and then for many years at the Landis (formerly Ritz) Hotel.[6][7] The Taiwan Jewish Community services are now held in a dedicated space funded by the community.[8][9]

Other career highlights

Along with religious duties, Einhorn helped to achieve and promote diplomatic relations between the Taiwanese government and the Eastern and Central Europe countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania as well as North Macedonia and Ukraine.[10][11] He was also a former chairman of the Republicans Abroad Taiwan.[12]

In 2009 the Austrian government awarded him the Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria.[13]

Personal life

He married Ruth Weinberg in 1953, and they had two daughters, Daphna and Sharone.

Einhorn died in Taipei on 15 September 2021, three days after his 103rd birthday.[14]

See also

References
  1. "Einhorn Coat of Arms / Einhorn Family Crest". Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  2. "Ceremony - Grand Decoration of Honour to Rabbi of Taiwan". Austrian Foreign Ministry. 26 October 2009. Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  3. "Taiwan Jewish Community". Jewish Times Asia. April 2006. Archived from the original on 7 June 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  4. Luxner, Larry (30 September 2007). "Overshadowed by China, a few Jews hold on in Taiwan". Luxner News. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  5. Berkman, Jacob (11 October 2007). "Overshadowed by China, a few Jews still hold on in Taiwan". The New Standard. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  6. Yiu, Cody (14 February 2005). "Taipei's Jewish". Taipei Times. p. 2. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  7. Steinberg, Neil (9 August 2002). "A down-home davening in Taiwan". Jewish World Review. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  8. "Jews of Taiwan". Haruth Leichter's Resource Page. 26 April 2008. Archived from the original on 3 July 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  9. "Taipei Jewish Services". Go Daven: The Worldwide Minyan Database. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  10. "Ceremony - Grand Decoration of Honour to Rabbi of Taiwan". Austrian Foreign Ministry. 26 October 2009. Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  11. "How Taiwan's sole rabbi keeps the faith". The Jerusalem Post. 24 June 2007. Archived from the original on 26 June 2007. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  12. 曹宇帆 (6 July 2008). "駐以代表：上半年台灣赴以旅客成長1.18倍". Central News Agency (Republic of China). Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  13. "Ceremony - Grand Decoration of Honour to Rabbi of Taiwan". Austrian Foreign Ministry. 26 October 2009. Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  14. Haime, Jordyn (15 September 2021). "Ephraim Einhorn, longtime Taiwan rabbi with history of international intrigue, dies at 103". Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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