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Sending Holiday blessings heavenward with Sky Lanterns in Pingxi, Taiwan! |
In Jewish numerology, gematria, the number 101 can mean "extended
" This auspicious number kept appearing for me when I read that the Taiwan Jewish Community extended "101 Reasons to Join Us for Rosh HaShanah This Year 5780". My wife, Hilary, and I took up the invitation at the behest of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) and traveled over 10100 km each way to assist their long time rabbi of a half century, Rabbi Dr Ephraim F. Einhorn, who turned 101 years young. 
We held a Rosh Hashanah Seder dinner with record 101 community members at the luxurious W Taipei Hotel, just a quick blast of the shofar from Taipei 101--one of the tallest buildings in the world.
We shlepped 101 pounds of gently used "Gates of Repentance" machzorim generously donated by Temple Emanuel Denver where I have the privilege of serving as the Associate Rabbi to preside over a Reform High Holy day experience for this small, but active community of business people, expats, diplomatic staff, students, travelers and curious locals.
Typhoon Mitag with 101 mph mile winds caused all schools and business to close on Rosh HaShana day which necessitated an abbreviated Tashlich experience (Casting Off of Our Sins) with horizontal rains by the pond adjacent to the Sun Yat Sen National Memorial before we hunkered down to wait out the storm equal in strength to a Category 2 hurricane. |
| Tashlich by the pond at Zhongshun Park |
Hilary led the dozen or so children in 101 crafts of chalah covers, tsadaka boxes, Rosh Hashana prayer flags, and miniature luluvs and sukkas.
In addition to the 101 yummy dishes like wok fried lily bulbs with black fungus and red yeast glutinous rice, wrapped in lotus leaf and vegetable dumplings served from steaming bamboo bowls at the W hotel, we dined on 101 culinary delicacies of Taiwanese street food, including for shabbat shuva "traditional" round pizza with pineapple and corn, a pre fast meal with sushi (second best in the world after Japan) and noodles and a break fast with Israeli food eaten with chopsticks, rice and green peach tea.
On Yom Kippur following services with a tour de Torah reading, we had a magical interactive text study on the nature of sin, the road to repentance, God’s forgiveness and the Day of Atonement and then after a break explored bibliodrama "Nineveh Needs A Rabbi...Living in a Wicked Society” where the bible comes alive in the form of improvisational role-playing for a contemporary interpretation and then contemplative and guided Yizkor meditation which were well received by many members trained in Buddhist meditation.
After break fast we celebrated a baby naming for Simcha, the daughter of a young couple of diplomats at the American Institute of Taiwan with 101 blessings from the joyous throng of guests in the synagogue--such a simcha to welcome the New Year 5780 with celebration and a literal rebirth of participation and enthusiasm for the Taiwan Jewish Community!
I would like to thank Rabbi Nathan Alfred and the WUPJ for their shidduch and flight subvention, the dedicated lay leaders of the TJC, Benjamin Schwall, Glenn Leibowitz, Brett Aaron, Don Shapiro, Mig Morena and Yarom Ahrony, my distinguished centenarian colleague, Rabbi Dr Einhorn for his spiritual leadership, Temple Emanuel Denver for giving me the time to serve and the prayer books to donate, and most importantly, my beloved wife, Hilary, for her crafts, companionship, and support in serving another inspiring international High Holy Day pulpit.
