February 16 - Parashat Terumah

David Bassous - Rabbi
Ray Morris - President

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


Friday

  • Shacharit 6:30am
  • Shir Hashirim: 5:00pm
  • Mincha: 5:15pm
  • Candle lighting 5:15pm

Saturday - Parashat Terumah

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: 8:57am
  • Kiddush sponsored by Rabbi & Mrs. Shmuel Shimoni in Honor of the Bar Mitzvah of their son Aharon.
    • 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: 4:05pm The Period Between Temples - The Book of Daniel - a Precursor to the Events of Purim'
  • Mincha: 5:05pm
  • Seuda sponsored by: Daniel Rushefsky and Family upon completing masechet nedarim
  • Class: The Most Effective Way to Learn Torah
  • Arvit and Shabbat Ends: 6:15pm

Sunday

  • Shacharit: 8:30am
  • Women's Class: The Thirteen Principles of Faith: 10:00am
  • Shulchan Aruch: 4:45pm
  • Mincha and Arvit: 5:15pm
    • Followed by a Safrut Training Course
  • Women in Tanach: 8:00pm
  • Rav Kook's Orot Teshuvah class: 9.00pm

Monday - President's Day

  • Shacharit: 8:00 am
  • Shulchan Aruch: 4:45pm
  • Mincha and Arvit: 5:15pm
  • Jewish Meditation resumes next week at 8:00pm

Tuesday - Thursday

  • Shacharit: 6:30am
  • Mishna a Day: 7:30am
  • Shulchan Aruch: 7:00pm
  • Arvit: 7:30pm
  • Tuesday: Talmud: 8:00pm

Next Friday

  • Shacharit: 6:30am
  • Mincha: 5:23pm
  • Candle lighting 5:23pm

Synagogue News

Fundraiser for New Seating in our Sancutary

Our goal is to raise approximately $50,000 for new seating in the sanctuary. The new seating will be ordered from Kibbutz Lavi in Israel and hopefully installed in our sanctuary before the High Holidays.

With your help and generosity we believe we can make it happen. In order to secure the required delivery date in the USA we would like to see the money raised before June 30, 2018. All donations of $2000 or more will be recognized with a plaque in the sanctuary.

Go to our Webpage and make your donation today!


The following news items are on our webpage under the news section. Keep up what's going on with Etz Ahaim and our community!

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:

  • 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

Park Mikvah says Thank you!

Thank you to all the sponsors and attendees for making the February 10th Melave Malka with the Honorable Judge Ruchie Freier so successful! One can download Judge Freier’s talk from the events page on the mikvah website.

  • 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

  • Tefillah class on Sunday, February 18 at 11:00am at the Aguda Synagogue.
  • 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

  • No Shimiras Haloshon class by Mrs. Leah Drillman: on Monday, February 19.
  • Class on Monday, February 28 at Janet Rivenson's house, 19 Price Drive, Edison NJ. This will be the last class until after Pesach.

Tiferes: DVD for Women Motzai Shabbos, March 10 at 9:00 PM at the Siegel house: Speaker – Rabbi Daniel Glatstein and Mrs. Miryam Swerdlov. Topic: Simcha: How to Find it?

Weekly teleconferences with topics such as shalom bayis and parenting are available to Tiferes 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 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.