Gaddafi and the Jews

An interesting story in Tablet about Libya's Jewish community and Gaddafi.

Talmud Business Hotel

Yes, there is really a hotel in Taiwan called the Talmud Business Hotel, check out the description:

Talmud Business Hotel Taichung is a Business hotel that is named after a holy book contains a collection of ancient rabbinic writings on Jewish law and traditions. The word Talmud has the following meanings: “Instruction, Learning, Teach and Study”. Inspired by the Talmud theory, the owner uses red interior to add a splash of fashion and professionalism. In each room, there’s also a copy of “Talmud-Business Success Bible” for anyone who would like to experience the Talmud way of becoming successful.

Jewish PR

There was an interesting article in the Jpost about Jewish Ricans, and Jewish Puerto Rican cuisine.

Black and Jewish

Black and Jewish (Black and Yellow Parody) from Kat Graham

Jewish cowboys ride into the sunset

WaPo has a good article about demise of the Jewish gaucho in Argentina.

Gospel Pessach, luv it

The Jews of Taiwan

On the sweet potato-shaped island of Taiwan, there is a small but established and functioning Jewish community.  The community started to take root on ihla Formosa in the 1950s with the U.S. military presence that was based on the island.  The present community began to take shape in the 1970s as the Asian Tiger’s growing economy brought international entrepreneurs to its shores. 

Today, the Jewish community is overwhelmingly found in Taipei, and meets on a weekly basis at the Sheraton Hotel. After fighting through the daily foreignness of life in Taiwan, there is a comforting feeling to coming entering the suite that doubles as the synagogue and entering a decidedly Jewish world.  The golden-hued synagogue room is filled with books of Jewish learning, and pictures of Jewish life.   

If you are in Taipei and plan on attending services, be sure to bring your business cards.  The rabbi of the community, Rabbi E.F. Einhorn, will request it and respond with a plethora of his own cards.  The grandfatherly Rabbi Einhorn leads the traditional services in a pleasant, meandering manner.  He directs the services, and offers a weekly sermon reading, often a passage from the words of his favorite sage, Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.  After the services conclude, the congregants go around to introduce themselves and mention from where they hail.  The services conclude with kiddush of the sweet wine, and delicious fluffy challah and honey.  After eating heaps of rice all week, there is nothing better than some good soft challah.

There is a regular weekly congregation for Sabbath services that stands at a dozen to twenty persons.  For the high holidays, the congregation swelled to more than 60 people.  I spent the high-holidays in Taiwan, for a pleasant series of services that packed the little synagogue to the brim. 

The congregants are a mix of Americans, Canadians, Israelis, Russians and all other diasporic assortments.  Congregants range from businessmen to students learning Chinese to those traveling in the region and looking for a little Sabbath welcome. 

There are also a number of Taiwanese who attend the services. “Made in Taiwan,” as Rabbi Einhorn says.   Those like Tony Lin, who while living in San Francisco became interested in Judaism and now studies the faith, or Grace, whose grandfather was Jewish and she is reconnecting with the faith.  Some come because of their connection with Israel like Daniel Hu, who spent time researching at the Technion in Israel, or Anna Shen— the press officer at Israel Economic and Cultural Office (ISECO), the Jewish State’s de facto embassy.

Interestingly, there is even a holocaust museum in the central city of Tainan, run by a Taiwanese priest named Chou Chou An of Messianic Jewish extraction.  There is also a burgeoning Christian population in Taiwan.  I met a number of Taiwanese Christians who said with fervor that they pray for Israel.  Unfortunately, Israel is one of the many countries that do not recognize Taiwan.  Recognized by only 23 countries, most being small, poor and on the fringes of international society, Taiwan faces greater diplomatic isolation than the Jewish state.  With nearly a million Christians in Taiwan, and given the island’s affluence, Taiwan would be a ripe market for tourism to Israel and a receptive audience for cultural diplomacy.

Although small, the Jewish community of Taiwan remains a pearl in the crown of the Jewish communities of Asia.

PS: I received a note from Shlomi that there is another synagogue in Taiwan at the new Taipei Jewish Center
www.jewish.tw
Kosher food is also available there.

Thanks for letting me know, Shlomi.

Light a Fire

A great blog and a great video by Matisyahu for Hanukkah.  TY K.  Happy Chakka Khan!

E-Bar Mitzvahs, Indonesian tolerance

Brilliant piece on brilliant tutoring for Bar Mitzvahs online. Toda Harry.

As I sit in a cafe in Jakarta, speaking with an Indonesian Christian and Muslim about how we are all children of God, I find an article on a Jewish community in Indonesia.

AJWS PSA- best ever!

Atone Phone

Thanks Harry, but I'm still not sorry for having wronged you by kicking your puppy....

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Atone Phone - Emmy Awards
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

and the phone call....

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Atone Phone - Jon Stewart Calls to Apologize
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

Yom K at Sea

At great piece by a Jewish lobsterman about Yom K in Maine and at sea.

l'shana tova!

Going to Shul in Beirut

My friend John Nahas has an article about the restoration of the Beirut Synagogue.

No wonder he signed with NY

NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire is Jewish::

The former NBA Rookie of the Year and current New York Knick recently disclosed that his mother was Jewish, and has publicly embraced his roots – peppering his Twitter updates with Hebrew and now visiting the country with his girlfriend Alexis.

Marranos in Medellin

Interesting piece on Sephardic crypto-Jews in Colombia, gracias Che Miles.

Hava Nagilah

Check out this cute video on the origins and meaning of Hava Nagilah:

Hava Nagilah, What Is It? from Katahdin Productions on Vimeo.

Kaifeng Jews

Shey-shey Naomi for this piece on Kaifeng Jews.

Twilight in Calcutta

Interesting piece on the twilight of Calcutta's Jewish community. Merci Tala.

Reconquista

An interesting piece on Spain's returning Jews in GlobalPost.

Kosher Chinese

Interesting article on Chinese-Israeli burgeoning ties in line with the Shanghai Expo. TY Naomi.

Hineni

There is an article about my uncle in the website for his synagogue.

Janukkah Rap

This is the HipHop Hoodios video on Janukkah. Gracias, Ché Miles.

Whitefish, Montana; Shalom on the range; Paulianity

“If you live in New York or any other big city, you are Jewish. It doesn’t matter even if you’re Catholic; if you live in New York, you’re Jewish. If you live in Butte, Montana, you’re going to be goyish even if you’re Jewish.”
-Lenny Bruce

Well apparently Mr. Bruce was wrong. Check out this interesting piece on Jews and an Israeli dog in Montana.

There is also a good piece in Harper's about Crypto-Jews in the American Southwest.

Meanwhile, I stumbled on an interesting piece on whether Paul (as in the Wandering Paul of Tarsus) remained more Jewish than previously thought.

7 Years of good luck

Check out this article about Jewish girls as sex symbols. Thanks Yael. Oy. Image above is from Details, as is the story. Meanwhile, from the story comes the Year of the Jewish Woman calendar including the image below:

                                                               Those are matzah balls!