David Bassous - Rabbi
Ray Morris - President
Visit our Website at http://etzahaim.org for the latest news
Friday
- Shachrit: 6:30am
- Shir Hashirim: 6:45pm
- Mincha and Arvit: 7:00pm
- Candle Lighting: 7:17pm
- Don't forget to count the Omer after dark! 4 days of the Omer
Saturday
Shabbat Chol Hamoed
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
- Parasha Class with Rabbi Ben Hakakian: 8:00am
- Shacharit: 8:45am
- Latest Shema: 9:02am
- No Kiddush this week
- Rabbi Bassous' Shiur: 6:00pm
- Mincha: 7:05 pm
- Seuda Shelishit after Mincha
- Sponsored by Alex and Carol Kotlyar and family in memory of his uncle, Semyon ben Beri
- Guest Speaker: Rabbi Elon Weintraub -- The History of the Passover Seder
- Arvit and Shabbat Ends: 8:18pm
- Don't forget to count the Omer after dark! 5 Days of the Omer
Sunday April 16
- Shacharit: 8:30am
- Mincha and Arvit: 7:00pm
- Candle lighting 7:19pm
- Don't forget to count the Omer! -- 6 Days of the Omer
Monday
- Shaharit: 8:45am
- Rabbi Bassous on Rabbi Don Yitzchak Abarbanel Life and Works Part 1: 6:15pm
- Mincha and Arvit: 7.15 pm
- Candle Lighting: After 8:16pm
- Don't forget to count the Omer! -- 7 Days, which is 1 Week of the Omer
Tuesday
- Shacharit: 8:45am
- Yizkor 10:00am
- Rabbi Bassous on Rabbi Don Yitzchak Abarbanel Life and Works Part 2: 6:15pm
- Mincha: 7:20pm
- Guest Speaker: Adin Bodzin
- Arvit and Festival ends: 8:24pm
- Don't forget to count the Omer! -- 8 Days, which is 1 Week and 1 day of the Omer
- Please wait at least an hour after Pesach ends before taking out your chametz.
- Please see our guide about purchasing Chumetz after Pesach
Wednesday - Thursday
- Shacharit: 6:30am
- Shuchan Aruch: 6:55pm
- Mincha: 7:25pm
- Don't forget to count the Omer!
- Wednesday Night: 9 days which is 1 week and 2 days of the Omer
- Thursday Night: 10 days which is 1 week and 3 days of the Omer
Friday
- Shacharit: 6:30am
- Shir Hashirim: 6:45pm
- Mincha: 7:00pm
- Candle lighting: 7:24pm
- Don't forget to count the Omer! -- 11 Days, which is 1 Week and 4 day of the Omer
Classes
No Regular Classes This Week
New Class
Rabbi Bassous has started a new class STUDYING THE BOOK Eye to the Infinite Mondays at 8:00 pm at Congregation Etz Ahaim. Everyone is welcome and admission is free.
Please join Rabbi Bassous on the NORPAC trip to Washington DC
Israel and the US-Israel relationship face increasing challenges and uncertainty. With ever-mounting pressure at the UN to impose a peace settlement on Israel, continued threats and ballistic missile testing by Iran, the need to authorize over $3.8 billion in aid each year, BDS bullying its way onto more American college campuses, and the numerous new Members of Congress to inform about our issues, this will be an extremely important year for us. Please join Rabbi Bassous on the NORPAC trip to Washington DC on Wednesday, May 17th, 2017 for the single most important day of US-Israel relations advocacy!
See our website for more information.
Help Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of United Jerusalem
The Afikim Foundation in cooperation with the Israel Ministry of Diaspora Affairs has commissioned the writing of this unique and historic Torah and invites Jews across the globe to acquire its 304,805 letters, share via social media, and reveal hundreds of thousands of ways that goodness can elevate lives and give honor to Jerusalem.
Congregation Etz Ahaim has reserved a block of 200 letters for members of the congregation. Select your letter, and make a pledge to do an act of kindness/chesed for this letter. Fulfill your act, and mark your act as complete. That's it.
You can win a trip to Israel in order to attend the special ceremony on Yom Yerushalayim, May 24, 2017.
For more information, visit our webpage.
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 or a Sunday morning breakfast, 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, 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)
- Stuart Balavram
- Esther Tucker
- 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
The Park Mikvah
The Highland Park mikvah is ready to be transformed into a most beautiful, inviting facility, one which the entire community can be proud of! Please continue to check Park Mikvah website www.parkmikvah.com or call 732-249-2411 for any updates regarding the reopening date.
The Young Israel of East Brunswick will be extending their hours throughout the duration of Park Mikvah renovations: Saturday – Thursday: 8:00 – 11:00 PM. Please check their website for more info regarding fees, and for changes in schedule due to inclement weather. YIEB: 193 Dunhams Corner Road, East Brunswick, 732-257-4121 or http://www.yieb.org/mikvah.html
The YIEB mikvah strongly encourages women to prepare at home, due to the expected high volume of patrons. Pending volunteer availability, Park Mikvah will endeavor to provide transportation to or from the YIEB mikvah, as a free service. Please email Aviva at siegelmom@optonline.net to volunteer as a driver, or 2 days prior to your visit, to request a ride to the mikvah.
Fundraising campaign to finance the renovations has begun! Dedication opportunities are now available! To make a donation, checks can be mailed to Park Mikvah, 36 Skyview Terrace, Highland Park, NJ 08904 or payment by credit card or PayPal via PayPal.Me/parkmikvah or at www.parkmikvah.org. For more info, email hpmikvah@gmail.com or www.parkmikvah.org.
Tiferes: Weekly teleconferences with topics such as shalom bayis and parenting are available to Tiferes members. Current teleconference: Smile- A Happiness Plan for You and Your Family with Mrs. Chani Juravel, LCSW. For more info, please contact Aviva siegelmom@optonline.net. The Highland Park / Edison group of Tiferes is zecher l'nishmas Malka bas Shalom.
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.
Donations of diapers, pull-ups, and wipes are currently being accepted for the new HP/Edison Diaper Gemach. Please email diapergemach@gmail.com for more information.