David Bassous - Rabbi
Ray Morris - President
Visit our Website at https://etzahaim.org for the latest news
Important Notices
Your RSVP Inventations for the Gratitude Dinner are due. Please mail them them back to Congregation Etz Ahaim ASAP. If you need another invitation, please go to our webpage and request a second copy.
Due to increase security concerns, the front door of the synagogue is now locked on Shabbat. We have posted a security guard inside the Kiddush room by on the side door by the parking lot. Knock on that door, and you'll be let in.
- This Shabbat Beshallach February 8th, Detective Palumbo and Officer O'Mara of the Highland Park Police Department will address the congregation between Musaf and Adon Olam about safety and security in Etz Ahaim and the Highland Park/Edison community at large. Please make sure to attend and give them your undivided attention. There will be an opportunity to ask them questions one-on-one afterwards at Kiddush.
Friday
- Shacharit: 6:30am
- Mishna-a-Day: 7:20am
- Mincha: 5:04pm
- Candle lighting: 5:04pm
Saturday -- Parashat Beshalach
We now have a complete Shabbat Children's Program with our new Youth Directors: Please bring your children
- Rabbi Hakakian's Parasha Class: 8:00am
- Shacharit: 8:45am
- Important Safety Lecture by Detective Palumbo and Officer O'Mara of the Highland Park Police: Before Adon Olam
- Latest Shema: 9:04am
- Kiddush sponsored by
- Rabbi Shmuel and Venessa Shimoni
- In honor of their son Aharon's Birthday
- To sponsor a kiddush, go to our Kiddush webpage.
- Class: The Importance of Joy when Serving Hashem with Rabbi Bassous: 3:55pm
- Mincha: 4:55pm
- Followed by Seuda Shelishit
- Sponsored by Doron & Sari Shalmon & Family
- On the yarzeit of his father, Meir Chai Tzion ben Rivka
- Class: Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch
- Arvit: 6:06pm
- Shabbat Ends: 6:06pm
Sunday
- Shacharit: 8:30am
- Women's Class: Boosting Your Prayers: 10:00am
- Shulchan Aruch: 4:30pm
- Mincha and Arvit: 5:00pm
- Orchot Tzaddikim: 5:40pm
- Have a Tu Bishvat Seder: After Dark
Monday - Thursday
- Shacharit: 6:30am
- Mishna-a-Day: 7:20am
- Shulchan Aruch 4:30pm
- Mincha and Arvit: 5:00pm
- Tuesday: Talmud for Men: 8:00pm
- Thursday: Kabbala for Married Men: 8:00pm
Next Friday
- Shacharit: 6:30am
- Mishna-a-Day: 7:20am
- Mincha: 5:12pm
- Candle lighting: 5:12pm
News and Events From our Webpage
The following events and news items can be found on our webpage at http://etzahaim.org
- Help Us Welcome New Members to Our Community - We are looking for people to host new community members.
- February 9 Learn to Tie Tzitzit
- February 10 Antisemitism: The Evil in Our Midst - Lecture by Mark Weitzman of the Simon Weisenthal Center
- February 23 Gratitude Dinner Honoring Rabbi David and Clara Bassous
- February 29 Park Mikvah Melave Malka for Women
- March 1 Bikur Cholim Annual Breakfast
- Etz Ahaim Youth Program Needs Your Help
Bikur Cholim of Congregation Etz Ahaim
- Contact Rose Reiss at (732) 828-7415 in order to volunteer.
- Seeking volunteers to visit the Regency Nursing home on DeMott Lane in Somerset. For more info, contact Rahel Baruh.
- Drivers and coordinators needed. Call (732) 572-7181 for more information.
The congregation extends refua shelema wishes to:
- Avishai ben Esther
- Avraham ben Sarah
- Linda Balavram (Emuna bat Sarah)
- Clara bat Rachel
- Cochavit bat Victoria
- David ben Farha
- Esther bat Liba
- Galina bat Riva
- Gittel bat Leah
- Bradley Greenberg (Yehuda Dovid ben Tzvia Sarah)
- Lita Greenberg (Tzvia Sarah bat Golda)
- Keren bat Orly
- Liba Shaindel bat Chava
- Lidia bat Paulina
- Millie Hakim (Miriam bat Sarah)
- Mary Naar (Miriam bat Yitzchak)
- Miriam Devorah bat Bracha
- Penina Rachel bat Bracha
- Perla bat Leah
- Rosa bat Rachel
- Shaul ben Regina
- Velvel ben Chana
- Yehuda Reich (Yehuda ben Hermina)
- Lilas Saltiel (Leah Saltiel)
- Sheva bat Merel
- Yaakov Chaim ben Sarah
- Zimbul bat Vida
Community News
Diabetic Supplies Gemach: Providing diabetic Supplies- Insulin, test strips, meters etc. for those who ran out/waiting for insurance approval or guests who left supplies at home. Please text Deutsch family at 646-683-7394
Lefkovits Family Park Mikvah
- February Hours
- Sunday – Thursday: 8:00pm – 10:30pm
- After Shabbat: 7:30pm -- 10:00pm
- March Hours:
- Sunday – Thursday: 8:30 PM – 10:30 PM
- Monday, March 9 (Megilas Esther): 9:00 PM – 10:30 PM
- Tuesday, March 10 (Purim): 9:00 PM – 10:30 PM
- Motzai Shabbos, March 7: 8:00 – 10:30
- Motzai Shabbos, March 14, 21, 28: 9 – 11
All Friday night appointments should be made online.
Highland Park/Edison Connects is proud to present a free parenting workshop Please join us on Tuesday, February 11th at 8pm at the home of Shira Shenkman (26 Leslie St, Edison) for the second half of this amazing 2 part parenting series, How to Respect - Not Control - Your Teen (and Others!")*
No need to have attended part one, but there will be a makeup class of part one this Sunday at Devorah Weiss’s home, 41 Hamlin, Edison.
Devorah Weiss, LMSW, certified parent- teen coach, will present tips, tools, and techniques to strengthen all parent/teen relationships! This workshop is being given l'zecher nishmas Harav Gershon Weiss, ZT"L, beloved father of Chanie Zeilberger. To RSVP for part 1 makeup class or part 2 class, please email Rachelle_stern@yahoo.com
Parlor Meeting for Yeshiva Mishkan HaTorah: Wednesday, February 12 at 8:00pm at the home of Aviva and Barry Siegel (16 Edgemount Road, Edison) on behalf of Yeshiva Mishkan HaTorah in Yerushalayim. Mishkan HaTorah is a unique program for boys who wish to remain learning in Eretz Yisroel after their gap year, while pursuing their academic and career goals. Rav Michoel Feder, the Rosh Yeshiva, will speak briefly on the topic of Learning and earning in Eretz Yisroel For more info, please contact Aviva or Barry.
May Mission to Israel: Join Congregation Ahavas Achim from May 19 to June 1, 2020 for a Mission to Israel. The mission will include
- Roundtrip nonstop flights on El Al Israel Airlines from Newark
- 8 nights at the Leonardo Plaza Hotel
- 3 nights at the Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv
- 3 day touring excursion with experienced guides
- Full Israeli breakfast daily
- Three dinners in Tel Aviv, Friday night and Shabbat lunch on both Shabbatot
- Lunch and dinner meals on Shavuot
- tips, transfers, and handling.
The cost per person (based on double occupancy) is $4858. Registration is now open. Prices guaranteed through February 17.
Krav Maga self-defense classes: Tuesday nights in Edison for ages 13 and up: Women: 7:15pm: Men: 8:30 PM.
Please call Yisroela Joran for details at 917-834-6665.
Shovavim Shiur for Married Women: Lefkovits Family Park Mikvah and Irgun Shiurei Torah present a two part shiur given by Mrs. Debby Selengut, premier Kallah teacher, on Monday, February 10 at 8:30pm in the YFM room at Congregation Ohr Torah.
Rebbitzen Eichenstein’s Classes for Women
- No class on Sunday, February 9
- No class on Monday, February 10
For more info, please call/text Aviva at 732-672-7104 or siegelmom@gmail.com
ACTT (Achieving Change Thru Torah)
- Module: Kiddush Hashem
- Source Book: Artscroll’s A Life Worth Living - Stories and Ideas for Constant Kiddush Hashem by Rabbi Shraga Freedman
- Module Packet: Rabbi Staum’s Kiddush Hashem: the kiddush that never ends
- Talk: http://www.actt613.org/6.html
For more info, e-mail or call Phil Rosen (732) 572-8762.
Women's Learning Initiative offers customized Torah learning partners/ chavrusas! For a personalized study program of your choice, email your contact information.
- Parsha class by Mrs. Miri Cohen: Class on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 9:30 AM at the home of Leah Epshteyn, 253 Lawrence Avenue, Highland Park. Please call / text Leah at 917-763-1848 to confirm for status of class on Tuesday, February 4.
Tiferes DVD for Women: Motzai Shabbos, February 15 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 building blocks of Shalom Bayis with Mrs. Zehava Lefkovitz.
For more info or to become a member, please contact Aviva at siegelmom@gmail.com. The Highland Park/Edison group of Tiferes is zecher l'nishmas Malka bas Shalom.
Rabbi Weiss's shiur on Tehillim for men and women: Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm at 154 North 10th Avenue, Highland Park. For further information, please contact Marsha Eiserman at 347-203-7906.
The Women's AMEN Group meets monthly on the Sundays following the Shabbos in which one bensches 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 diapergemach@gmail.com for more information.
The Highland Park Eruv has a webpage which includes a map and the most recent status of the eruv. You can even use the webpage to find out if someone’s house is inside the eruv. You can get automated notifications of the eruv’s status each Friday via Twitter, text, Facebook, or email. Go to http://hperuv.org/status for more information.
Gemachs Abound in Highland Park: A Gemach is sometimes thought of a free loan organization, but these organizations can lend way more than just money. For example, if you have a large simcha at your house and need tables, center pieces, and tablecloths, a gemach can help you out. Etz Ahaim has a complete listing of all local area gemachs.
Collecting Sheitels: Collecting Sheitels: 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 Sheitels can be dropped off by Aviva, 16 Edgemount Road, Edison. For more info, please see contact Aviva Siegel (732) 572-4408 siegelmom@gmail.com