December 24 - Parashat Vayeshev

David Bassous - Rabbi
Ray Morris - President

Visit our Website at http://etzahaim.org for the latest news

Friday

  • Shachrit: 6:30am
  • Shir Hashirim: 4:00pm
  • Mincha and Arvit: 4:17am
  • Candle Lighting: 4:17pm

Shabbat Day

Full Range of Children's Groups: 9:45am - 11:30am

  • Boys 6 and up in the Library
  • Girls 6 and up upstairs left classroom.
  • Children 3 - 5 upstairs right classroom
  • Class with Rabbi Ben Hakakian: Weekly Parsha and Halacha: 8:00am
  • Shachrit: 8:45am
  • Latest Shema: 8:50am
  • Simcha Kiddush: After Shachrit Services
    • Sponsored by see below.
  • The History of Chanukah -- Rabbi Bassous: 3:00pm
  • Mincha: 4:00pm
  • Seuda Shelishit after Mincha
    • Sponsored by Ari Goldring and Family imo his grandmother.
  • Arvit and Shabbat Ends: 5:12pm

Sunday

  • Halacha/Parasha Class with Rabbi Ben Hakakian: 8:00am
  • Shacharit: 8:30am
  • The Divergence Between Judaism & Christianity 10:00am SPECIAL PROGRAM PLEASE ATTEND
  • Shulchan Aruch Class: 3:45pm
  • Mincha and Arvit: 4:15pm

Weekdays

  • Shacharit: Monday 8:00am Tuesday - Friday 6:30am
  • Shulchan Aruch Class: 3:45pm
  • Mincha and Arvit: 4:15pm
  • Shulchan Aruch Class (Monday - Thursday) 7:00pm
  • Arvit (Monday-Thursday): 7:30pm

Next Week - Friday

  • Shacharit: 6:30am
  • Shir Hashirim: 4:00pm
  • Mincha: 4:22pm
  • Candle lighting 4:22pm

Classes

  • Parsha and Halacha: Shabbat and Sunday: 8:00am
  • Nach: Shabbat: 3:00pm
  • Woman's Class: Happiness: Sunday: 10:00am
  • Mishna-a-Day: Monday to Friday: 7:20am
  • Halacha-a-Day: Monday - Thursday: 7:00pm
  • Bitachon: Mondays: 8:00pm
  • Talmud Berachot: Tuesdays: 8:00pm - Starting Chapter Two

Simcha Kiddush on December 24

We like to thank the following people for sponsoring:

  • Diamond Sponsors
    • Reza Green and Moshe Silver - Hanukkah Sameach!!!
    • David, Elon, Daniel, and Noam Weintraub - In honor of Rachel's 55th Birthday
    • Richard and Liba Shakarchi - For our son Reuven's birth
  • Gold Sponsors
    • David and Heidi Stokar - For our amazing, wonderful children
    • Anonymous - To Shalom Bayit for All of B'nei Yisrael
    • Rivka and Malcolm Greenberg and the entire Greenberg/Goldstein family - For the health and well being of all the members of the shul and of our family
  • Silver Sponsors
    • Eli and Chana Bishburg - To the good health of the congregation
    • Ray and Gloria Morris - To Rachel Teicher and Uri Yarmush
    • The Rushefsky Family - To the Wedding of Rachel & Mitchell Palacios
    • Albert Levy Mitzner and Dr. Leora Mitzner - HaKarat HaTov
    • Abraham and Vicky Cohen - For the Good Health of the Congregation
    • BJ and David Simon - For the Good Health of the Congregation and For the Good Health of Our Grandchildren.
    • Rivka and Martin Himmel - To our Sons' Engagements and Weddings
    • Rabbi and Mrs. David Bassous - In Honor of All the Very Special Members of our Congregation
    • Audrey & Spencer Rockman - In Honor of the good deeds of Daniel & Corrine Rushefsky
    • David and Yehudit Tawil - In Honor of the Birth of of Daughter, Mazal bat Yehdit, Michelle Rose
    • Sorah Rosen - In Honor of having Rabbi Bassous as the Rav of the Kahillah
    • Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Wyszynski - B"H for the Good Health and Parnassah of the Family.
    • Sofia and Shmuel Fils - For a Successful Year
  • Deluxe Sponsors
    • Tzippy and Elisha Russ-Fishbane - For he Rabbi and the Community
    • Aaron Epstein and Leora Wenger - For the Good Health of the Congregation
    • Dovi and Adi Yarmush - In Honor of Our Children, Idan and Omri and the Engagement of Uri and Rachel.
    • Rose and Nat Reiss - For our friendly Etz Ahaim Community
    • Ze'ev Feldman - In Honor of Our Congregation
    • Mr. and Mrs. Israel Maya - For the Good Health of the Congregation
    • Joey Maya - Cora and Sheila -- For Their Good Health and the Whole Maya Family
  • Sponsors
    • Dina and Leo Horowitz - Everyone
    • Alex & Liz Kemeny - To Our Wedding Anniversary
    • Jacob Oslick and Alisa Pinkhasik - Kahal Kadosh Etz Ahaim
    • Haim and Rahel Baruh- In Honor of Our Congregation
    • Stuart and Linda Balavram - In Honor of Stuart's Mom's 80th Birthday
    • Kay Burin - In Memory of My Father on his Yahrzeit
    • Phyllis Pollak - In Honor of My Husband Bill's 70th Birthday
    • Steven and Ann-Sheryl White - In Honor of Rachel and David Weintraub - Just Because
    • Arlene and Shai Goldstein - In Honor of David Making Aliyah and joining the IDF
    • The Hakakian family - Happy Hanukkah

Weekly Bulletin

The Orthodox Forum of Edison/Highland Park presents David Greenfield discussing,

  • What Jews Want in the New Political Order: An Insider's View* on Saturday night January 7 at 8:00 at Congregation Etz Ahaim.
    David Greenfield, a New York City Councilman who represents more Jews than any other local elected official in the world, is a rising star in New York politics.

He is unabashedly supportive of the State of Israel and is a champion of many issues of importance to the Jewish community. He will share his perspective on the current national political scene and his experiences as one of the highest ranking officials in New York City government. The program is free of charge.

The Orthodox Forum gladly accepts season sponsorships, as well as program sponsorships.

For more information go online to www.orthodoxjewishforum.org

  • Bikur Cholim of Raritan Valley is thrilled to announce the new hospitality room at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital! It is located on the main floor. Go through the main entrance and bear left towards the gift shop. Turn right through the double doors. Follow hall and turn right. The room is located opposite the surgical intensive care unit. You will find it fully stocked with food and any items that you might need. There is a microwave, urn, sink, table & chairs, For inquiries, please call the helpline at 732-572-7181

  • If you have an outstanding balance with Etz Ahaim, please send in your payment to help the Synagogue. Your help is appreciated.

  • If you are the last person to leave the building (except for Shabbat and Chaggim) make sure all the lights are out

  • If you are celebrating a simcha or want to remember a loved one, sponsor a kiddush is one of the best ways to mark the occasion. Please contact Yvonne at 908-227-5194. To sponsor a seuda, call the shul at 732-247-3839.

Bikur Cholim of Congregation Etz Ahaim

  • Our Congregation has its own Bikur Cholim Committee. If you know of a congregant who is in the hospital or a nursing home and would like a visit, please let us know. If there is a Home-bound congregant who is in need of a visit or assistance, we can help. We may also be able to make contact with a Jewish Agency which may be able to provide additional services. Please call Rose Reiss at 732-828-7415.

  • Nursing Home Visitation: Seeking volunteers to visit Mollie Reuben, Esther Tucker, Red Mordoh, and Shirley Cohen and others at the Regency nursing home on DeMott Lane in Somerset. For more info or an updated list of residents requesting visitors, please call Rahel Baruh at 732-672-4673 or email rbaruh@yahoo.com

  • Transportation Committee: Drivers and coordinators needed. Coordinate rides to and from medical appointments - match requests with an available driver. Each coordinator serves for two weeks at a time. To volunteer to coordinate or to drive, please call Bikur Cholim hotline at 732-572-7181 or fill out the volunteer form on the website bikurcholimrv.com

The congregation extends get-well wishes to:

  • Al Benzilio
  • Soroh Rosen
  • Viktorya Koen
  • Avishai ben Esther
  • Galina bat Riva
  • Joey Cenci (Yoseph Michael ben Yael Rut)
  • Linda Balavram (Emuna bat Sarah)
  • Esther Tucker
  • Red Mordoh
  • Nancy Reich
  • Yehudah Reich
  • Benny Mayo
  • Mary Belsky
  • Esther Arouh
  • Lilas Saltiel
  • Donna Bardy
  • Mary Naar
  • Lita Greenberg
  • Bradley Greenberg
  • Marcelo Schor
  • Sarah bat Naava
  • Perla bat Leah

Community News

Women's Learning Initiative

  • Women's Learning Initiative: Mrs. Miri Cohen's Parsha class: No class on December 27. For more info, please call 732-966-6503.

  • Women's Learning Initiative: Mrs. Leah Drillman's Shimiras Haloshon class will meet on Monday, December 12, 19, and 26 at 7:30 PM at the home of Ellen Smith, 407 North 8th Ave., Edison. For more info, please call Ellen at 201-410-1893 or 732-777-6787.

The Women's AMEN Group meets monthly on the Sundays following the Shabbos in which one bensches Rosh Chodesh, at 9:30 AM in a downstairs classroom at Congregation Ohr Torah. The group meets in the zechus of a refuah shelaimah for Menachem Mordechai ben Ophira and the other Cholim in the community.

SemPlus evening shiur for post seminary girls: Please call the hotline to confirm at 732-966-6503.

Highland Park Mikvah

  • The Highland Park Mikvah now has Tzedakah boxes! Please contact Aviva at siegelmom@optonline.net to obtain one.
  • If you are purchasing from Amazon, please consider signing up with http://www.amazonsmiles.com. A donation will be made to Park Mikvah.
  • Hours
    • Sunday through Thursday until March 8: 8:00pm - 10:30pm
    • All Motzai Shabbos in December and January: 7:30 - 10:00 PM.
    • Friday nights by appointment only. Please arrive with enough time to be out before closing time.
  • We are excited to announce that Park Mikvah will be undergoing renovations! We are looking forward to our new State of the Art mikvah!
  • Please check the mikvah website and/or call our phone message, before coming, for any updates as to when the mikvah will be closing.

Bikur Cholim OWLS (Overnight Women Labor Support): A complimentary service for maternity situations whereby volunteers will come to stay with your kids during the night. For more info on receiving this service or becoming a volunteer, please contact Rikki at 732-249-5116. Thank you.

Tiferes

  • Tiferes is free to all women in Kislev. Come watch DVD or listen to teleconferences
  • Tiferes DVD for women: Motzai Shabbos, Jan. 21 at 8:30 PM, at the Siegel house. Weekly teleconferences with topics such as shalom bayis and parenting are available to Tiferes members. Current teleconference:
    • The Jewish Home - Maximizing my Role with Mrs. Chana Leah Rapaport. 212-444-9898; pin 1001. For more info, please contact Aviva siegelmom@optonline.net.

The Highland Park / Edison group of Tiferes is zecher l'nishmas Malka bas Shalom.