David Bassous - Rabbi
Ray Morris - President
Visit our Website at http://etzahaim.org for the latest news
Friday
- Shacharit 6:30am
- Shir Hashirim: 4:50pm
- Mincha: 5:07 pm
- Candle lighting 5:07pm
Saturday - Parashat Mishpatim (Shekalim)
Make a special effort to attend and hear Parashat Shekalim
Full Range of Children's Groups: 9:45am - 11:30am
- Boys 6 and up in the Library.
- Girls 6 and up upstairs left classroom.
- Boy’s tefila group meeting at 9:30am
- Children 3 - 5 upstairs right classroom.
- Parasha with Rabbi Ben Hakakian: 8:00am
- Shacharit: 8:45pm
- Latest Shema: 9:03am
- Kiddush sponsored by David and BJ Simon and Family
in memory of his mother, Miriam Bat Rachel
- Kiddush Sponsorships available for Shabbatot March 10 and beyond.
- To sponsor a Kiddush, go to our Kiddush Sponsorship Page
- Tehillim group for women: 3:10pm
- Class: 3:55pm: What can We Look At?
- Mincha: 4:45pm
- Seuda sponsored by: Sari and Doron Shalmon & Family Le'ilui nishmat for her father Yaakov Ben Ephraim Zalman ve'Bracha Rosenblum.
- Class: The Yetzer Hara - Evil Inclination
- Arvit and Shabbat Ends: 6:07pm
Sunday
- Shacharit: 8:30am
- Women's Class: The Thirteen Principles of Faith: 10:00am
- Shulchan Aruch: 4:40pm
- Mincha and Arvit: 5:10pm
- Followed by a Safrut Training Course
- Women in Tanach: 8:00pm
- Rav Kook's Orot Teshuvah class: 9.00pm
Monday - Thursday
- Shacharit: 6:30am
- Mishna a Day: 7:30am
- Shulchan Aruch: 7:00pm
- Arvit: 7:30pm
- Monday: Jewish Meditation: 8:00pm
- Tuesday: Talmud: 8:00pm
Next Friday
- Shacharit: 6:30am
- Mincha: 5:15pm
- Candle lighting 5:15pm
Synagogue News
The following news items are on our webpage under the news section. Keep up what's going on with Etz Ahaim and our community!
- Synagogue Fundraiser for new Sanctuary Seating We're trying to raise $50,000 to replace the old wooden sanctuary bench seats.
- Purim Costum Gemach Choose from over 1,000 costumes for yourself or your kids.
- Jewish Sewing Circle for Quilters and Other Hand Crafters: Meet every Tuesday from 7:00pm to 9:00pm in the lower social hall of Congregation Etz Ahaim. Please bring your own project and associated supplies. All levels are welcome but please note this is not a class.
- Minyan Map and Shiur List updated. Download the latest listings from our website!
Upcoming Events on our Webpage
The following events are on our webpage under the events section. Keep up what's going on with Etz Ahaim and our community!
- February 10: Park Mikvah Melava Malka Keynote Speaker: Judge Ruchie Freier at 8:30pm at Congregation Ohr Torah. event, please email The Park Mikvah or call 516-526-0941
- February 11: Bikur Cholim Annual Breakfast Guest Speaker will be Rabbi Ephraim Eliyahu Shapiro. Couvert of $50 per person.
- February 11: Sofer is coming to Judaica Gallery Have your mezuzot and tefillin checked.
- February 28: Our Annual Purim Celebration Come join us as we celebrate Purim. Dress up and celebrate with us! We are having a Children's Costume Parade and Prizes.
- March 16: Edison/Highland Park Chai Lifeline Shabbaton Chai Lifeline is sponsoring a Shabbton for approximately 25 boys who are battling cancer. We are looking for high school boys and girls to volunteer for this event.
- April 25: Join the annual NORPAC Mission to Washington. Each year NORPAC selects different issues to present to Members of Congress related to legislation in the U.S. House and Senate.
- 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 on Shabbat and Chaggim) make sure all the lights are out
- If you are celebrating a simcha or want to remember a loved one, sponsoring a kiddush is one of the best ways to mark the occasion. To sponsor a Shabbat Kiddush, please go to our [Kiddush Sponsorship Page] on our website and fill out the on line form. We'll get in contact with you as soon as possible. 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, 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 email Rahel Baruh or call her at 732-672-4673
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.
The congregation extends get-well wishes to:
- Avishai ben Esther
- Linda Balavram (Emuna bat Sarah)
- Donna Bardy
- Mary Belsky
- Galina bat Riva
- Bradley Greenberg
- Lita Greenberg
- Millie Hakim (Miriam bat Sarah)
- Viktorya Koen
- Yvonne Levy (Rivka Miriam bat Gittel)
- Benny Mayo
- Mary Naar
- Clara bat Rachel
- David ben Farha
- Perla bat Leah
- Yehudah Reich
- Lilas Saltiel
- Marcelo Schor
- Abraham ben Sarah
- Sheva bat Merel
Community News
The ACTT (Achieving Change Through Torah) program helps individuals succeed in making meaningful and lasting changes in their lives. Source book: Artscroll’s Living Simchah: Finding the joy in everything by Rabbi Hadar Margolin. Serve Hashem with Joy: Can we work on being happier?, speaker Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Weinberg, can be downloaded or listened to from the Audio page of the ACTT Website. For more info, email ACTT or call Phil Rosen (732) 572-8762.
Bikur Cholim Annual Event: Bikur Cholim of Raritan Valley Annual Event to be held Sunday, February 11, 2018 at 9:30 AM at the Pines Manor in Edison. Guest speaker: Rabbi Ephraim Eliyahu Shapiro. Guests of Honor: Moshe and Debbie Schneider. Gomlei Chesed: Shalom and Yardena Cohen. For more info, please go to the Bikur Cholim website.
The Edison/Highland Park gown Gemach, L'iluy Nishmas R' Yitzchok Ben Binyomin, is open for business! The Gemach houses a wide selection of gowns for children, pre-teen, teens and adults. Please note the Gemach is still looking for donation of gowns in very good condition. Tax deduction is given and pick up of the gowns can also be arranged. For more information and/or to schedule an appointment please call Sara Scott at 516-526-0941.
Collecting Sheitels: Keren Kol Kallah - established to provide orphan and destitute kallahs in Israel with essential needs. Donated custom sheitels, some brand-new, some gently worn, are sold to women in Israel who would not otherwise have the funds to buy a quality wig. All the money raised at the sale goes towards a hachnasas kallah fund which helps needy brides in Eretz Yisrael. Sheitels can be dropped off by Aviva, 16 Edgemount Road, Edison. For more info, please see email Aviva Siegel or call (732) 572-4408.
Shovavim presents the 26th annual community wide Taharas Mishpacha review
For Women: Rebbetzin Aviva Wasser will be speaking on halachos and hashkafos of Taharas Mishpacha on Sundays 2/18 and 2/25 at Congregation Ohr Torah Torah at 8:00 PM. Please submit questions to be answered by Rebbetzin Wasser.
Park Mikvah Hours
- Sunday - Thursday: 8:00pm - 10:30pm
- Friday by appointment only. To make an appointment, leave a message at 732-249-2411, go to our website, or text 732-249-2411.
- Motzi Shabbat in February: 7:45pm - 10:15pm.
- February 28 (Megilot Esther): By appointment only
- March 3 and March 10: 8:00pm - 10:30pm
Rebbitzen Eichenstein’s Classes for Women: No class on Sunday, February 11; Parsha class on Monday, February 12 at 8:00pm at Congregation Ohr Torah. For more info, please contact Aviva at 732-572-4408.
Women's Learning Initiative Shimiras Haloshon class by Mrs. Leah Drillman: Monday, February 12 at 7:30 PM at Ellen Smith's house, 407 North 8th Ave, Edison For more info, please call Ellen at 201-410-1893 or 732-777-6787.
Women's Learning Initiative Parsha Class by Mrs. Miri Cohen: No class Tuesday, February 13. For more info, please call Leah at 917-763-1848.
Tiferes: DVD for WomenMotzai Shabbos, March 10 at 9:00 PM at the Siegel house. Weekly teleconferences with topics such as shalom bayis and parenting are available to Tiferes members. Current teleconference: All Different, All Mine*. Speaker: Mrs. Mindy Blumenfeld. For more info or to become a member, please contact Aviva.
The Highland Park/Edison group of Tiferes is zecher l'nishmas Malka bas Shalom.
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.
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.
The Diaper Gemach: Donations of diapers, pull-ups, and wipes are currently being accepted for the new HP/Edison Diaper Gemach. Please email The Diaper Gemach for more information.
Rabbi Yisroel Weiss Shiur, Living with Parsha, for men and women: Wednesday evenings at 8:30 PM at the Eiserman's home, 154 North 10th Ave, Highland Park. For more info, please call Marsha at 732-503-8675.