March 16 - Parashat Vayikra - Shabbat Hachodesh & Rosh Chodesh

David Bassous - Rabbi
Ray Morris - President

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

Friday

  • Shacharit 6:30am
  • Shir Hashirim: 5:25pm
  • Mincha: 6:47pm
  • Candle lighting 6:30pm

Saturday - Parashat Vayikra - Shabbat Hachodesh & Rosh Chodesh

There is a special Torah reading this week. Everyone should attend

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: 9:30am
  • Kiddush sponsored by Rabbi Moshe Silver and Reza Gren in memory of Reza Green's mother, Rivka Mirel ban Bentzion Alter
  • Tehillim group for women: 4:40pm
  • Class: 5:30pm - Prophet Amos - Prophecies of Mashiach
  • Mincha: 6:30pm
  • Seuda sponsored by: Ibeth in memory of her son. Come & Sing and learn some new Shabbat pizmonim with us.
    • Class: Kitniyot: A Sephardic Perspective
  • Arvit and Shabbat Ends: 7:47pm

Sunday

  • Shacharit: 8:30am
  • Women's Class (Dedicated in the memory of Sorah Rosen): The Thirteen Principles of Faith: 10:00am
  • Shulchan Aruch: 6:20pm
  • Mincha and Arvit: 6:50pm
    • Followed by a Safrut Training Course
  • Rav Kook's Orot Teshuvah class: 9.00pm

Monday - Thursday

  • Shacharit: 6:30am
  • Mishna a Day: 7:30am
  • Shulchan Aruch: 7:00pm
  • Mincha and Arvit: 6:50pm
  • Monday: Jewish Meditation: 8:00pm
  • Tuesday: Talmud: 8:00pm

Next Friday

  • Shacharit: 6:30am
  • Mincha: 6:54pm
  • Candle lighting 6:54pm

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!

  • 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:

  • Abraham ben Sarah
  • Avishai ben Esther
  • Linda Balavram (Emuna bat Sarah)
  • Donna Bardy
  • Clara bat Rachel
  • Galina bat Riva
  • Bradley Greenberg
  • David ben Farha
  • Lita Greenberg
  • Millie Hakim (Miriam bat Sarah)
  • Yvonne Levy (Rivka Miriam bat Gittel)
  • Benny Mayo
  • Mary Naar
  • Perla bat Leah
  • Yehudah Reich
  • Lilas Saltiel
  • Marcelo Schor
  • Sheva bat Merel

Community News

Park Mikvah

  • Hours
    • Sunday - Thursday: 8:00pm to 10:30pm
    • Friday Night - By Appointment Only 732-249-2411
    • March 17 and March 24: 9:15pm to 11:15pm
    • March 31 (Pesach) By Appointment Only

To make an appointment, visit The Park Mikvah Website or call 732-249-2411.

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 – postponed due to weather and will be rescheduled after Pesach. Please submit questions to be answered by Rebbetzin Wasser.

There are no Rebbitzen Eichenstein classes until after Pesach. For more info, please call/text Aviva at 732-672-7104

Women's Learning Initiative Shimiras Haloshon class by Mrs. Leah Drillman: Classes will resume after Pesach. For more info, please call Ellen at 201-410-1893 or 732-777-6787.

Women's Learning Initiative Parsha class by Mrs. Miri Cohen: Classes will resume after Pesach. For more info, please call / text Leah at 917-763-1848.

Tiferes: DVD for Women Weekly teleconferences with topics such as Shalom Bayit and Parenting are available to Tieret members. Current teleconference: Raising Happy Children – The Myths, The Reality. Speaker: Mrs. Debbie Selengut. 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 Shabbot in which one blesses Rosh Chodesh, at 9:30am 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.

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 8:30pm at the Eiserman's home, 154 North 10th Ave, Highland Park. For more info, please call Marsha at 732-503-8675.

Appeal from an OE Member Family: Update - Thank you to all who have contributed to raise funds for a community member to attend a rehab program. This person has completed the first and most expensive part of the program, and is, thank G-d, doing well.

Even with the generous donations shared by community members, the family was forced to borrow thousands of dollars each month to pay $6,000 monthly for the program. They are struggling with significant accumulated debt, and our help is still needed. Please help this local family recover from extreme financial burden. They have generously supported our community in the past and never though they would need to ask for themselves.

Please visit their chesed fund webpage to donate by credit card or if you wish to make out a check instead of contributing online, please make it out to Congregation Ohav Emeth and in the memo write Rabbi’s Charity Fund. On a separate note (**not in memo), write that it is for the rehabilitation campaign.

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, e-mail ACTT or call Phil Rosen (732) 572-8762.

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 contact Aviva Siegel at (732) 572-4408.