Taiwan’s Jewish Community Grows as Island Opens First Jewish Cemetery

Taiwan’s Jewish community has opened its first dedicated cemetery, marking another step in the rapid growth of Jewish life on the island.

Until this summer, Jews who died in Taiwan generally had to be flown abroad for burial in a Jewish cemetery. The new burial ground, located on a forested hillside outside Taipei, held its first funeral on June 23 and was formally consecrated in late August.

The cemetery adds to a growing network of Jewish institutions established in Taiwan in recent years.

Taipei is now home to a synagogue, school, mikveh, kosher restaurant and the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center. The $16 million complex spans around 22,500 square feet and also includes classrooms, a Judaica museum and a 300-seat ballroom.

Rabbi Shlomi Tabib, who leads Chabad of Taiwan, estimates that around 1,500 Jews currently live in the country.

When Tabib and his wife arrived in Taipei in 2011 to establish the local Chabad House, they knew of only around 70 Jews living there.

Much of the community remains transient, with businesspeople and professionals often spending several years in Taiwan before moving elsewhere. However, the expansion of permanent Jewish infrastructure reflects a growing community capable of supporting Jewish life throughout the entire life cycle.

Need for a local cemetery gained urgency several years ago when a dying member of the community asked Tabib to ensure that Jews would eventually be able to receive a Jewish burial in Taiwan.

The cemetery was not completed in time for that man’s death, but Tabib later described the request as a turning point that convinced him the project could no longer be delayed.

The first person buried at the new cemetery was an Israeli man who had lived in Taiwan for more than two decades. Jewish burial volunteers from Hong Kong traveled to Taiwan to assist with the funeral and preparations.

The cemetery was formally consecrated during a regional Chabad gathering that brought around 75 emissaries from 15 countries to Taipei.