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Event Recap: BBQ & Kashrut Lesson w/ Rav Natan
For 20’s & 30’s – In Partnership w/ Moishe House Arlington In partnership with Moishe House Arlington, Rav Natan prepared and grilled a variety of chicken, turkey and beef cuts that he shechted (kosher slaughtered) himself…
Families with Young Children Gathering
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Sunday, August 21st Pasch House: RSVP for the Address Want to meet other expectant parents and families with children 0-3? Come join us for a casual hang and some yummy cocktails! This…
A Message from the Rav Natan
There’s No Holiness Without Preparation Rav Soloveitchik, a prominent 20th century Modern Orthodox scholar, used to share widely his favorite credo or mantra, ” אין קדושה בלי הכנה – there’s no holiness without preparation.” – and I…
Thank You Morah Laura!
Last Sunday, we welcomed soferet Alexandra Casser into our Sanctuary where we joined her in the process of writing a Sefer Torah. It was a blast! “Thank you all for your generosity and for making Sunday’s event a great success! For those of you who were able to come in person, I hope you enjoyed the experience of helping to repair our Torah while learning a bit about the process from our Soferet. It was great seeing so many of you there.” -Dan Rosman, VP of Fundraising
Taste of Etz Hayim
A Sneak Peak at the Amazing Year Ahead! 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Sunday, August 14th Come meet our new Director of Jewish Learning and Programming and get a taste of what Etz Hayim has coming up…
Outing to MLB Nationals Games
Sunday, July 31st, 3:00 PM and Sunday, August 28th, 1:35 PM. Join us for the following sports outings for which we will purchase group tickets: Sunday, July 31st to watch the Washington Mystics vs. the Seattle Storm (tip off at 3:00 PM), tickets about $20 each. Sunday, August 28th to watch the Washington Nationals vs. the Cincinnati Reds (game time at 1:35 PM), tickets about $40 each for The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s annual Grand Slam Sunday: Jewish Community Day.
Capital Pride Festival
Sunday, June 12th, Noon – 5:00 PM. We are proud once again to participate in the Capital Pride Festival. Come visit our booth! We also need volunteers to staff our table! Sign up at the link in this post to volunteer. No prior experience needed. Teens and families welcome. Event organizers will contact you with all the info you need for your timeslot.
Omer Learning 2022 – Thanks and a Recap
This past Sunday and Monday we celebrated the holiday of Shavuot, which marked the completion of the counting of the omer. It has been a true joy using this year’s count to study Shemitah; learning how we…
Omer Learning: Day 49: A More Restful Shabbat
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 49 days, which is 7 weeks of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The topic of today’s…
Omer Learning: Day 48: Improving our Environment
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 48 days, which is 6 weeks and 6 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 47: About Shemitah
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 47 days, which is 6 weeks and 5 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 46: Striving for Equity
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 46 days, which is 6 weeks and 4 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 45: About Shemitah
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 45 days, which is 6 weeks and 3 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Expecting Parents & Families with Young Children Social
Sunday, June 5th, 1:00 - 2:30 PM. Want to meet other expectant parents and families with children ages 0-3? Bring the family for this informal social & play time. Location at a private Home in S. Arlington. Contact office@etzhayim.net for details.
Board of Directors Installation
Saturday, June 11th, 10:00 AM – Noon. At services on June 11th, we will have our board of directors and officer installation ceremony. Those leaving the elected leadership are recognized and thanked for their service; those elected/re-elected at our May membership meeting are welcomed and charged with their responsibilities for the coming year. The officers and directors of Congregation Etz Hayim are volunteers who give freely of their time to make sure that the shul is well-run and responsive to the needs of our members. Please join us in thanking the outgoing members and welcoming the latest slate.
Tikkun Leil Shavuot
Saturday, June 4th, 8:00 PM – Midnight. In-person. One of the most famous traditions of Shavuot is to dedicate a night of study to prepare ourselves to receive Torah again. This is called a Tikkun, an enhancement, an upgrade on our spiritual software to be better partners with God in creating a better world. Amazing speakers, teachers, musicians, and food!
Omer Learning: Day 44: Improving our Environment
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 44 days, which is 6 weeks and 2 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 43: Improving our Environment
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 43 days, which is 6 weeks and 1 day of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 42: A More Restful Shabbat
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 42 days, which is 6 weeks of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The topic of today’s…
Omer Learning: Day 41: Improving our Environment
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 41 days, which is 5 weeks and 6 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 40: Assisting Animals
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 40 days, which is 5 weeks and 5 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 39: Improving our Environment
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 39 days, which is 5 weeks and 4 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 38: Improving our Environment
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 38 days, which is 5 weeks and 3 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 37: Striving for Equity
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 37 days, which is 5 weeks and 2 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Walking and Biking Groups
Join us for our new walking and biking groups on Sunday mornings. We travel to a local coffee shop for snacks and shmoozing; check the CEH calendar page for times.
Last Day of Religious School and Congregational Party
Sunday, May 22nd, 12:30 PM. In-person. The entire congregation is invited to celebrate the last day of Religious School. Join us for Family Minyan at 11:45 AM. Stay for make-your-own ice cream sundaes and shmoozing.
Sisterhood Meeting
Sunday, May 22nd, 11:00 AM. In-person and online. Join us to discuss the future of the sisterhood! More than 30 people recently responded to our survey about potential interest in the Etz Hayim Sisterhood, with ideas on its future name and scope. Come to a kick off meeting in the library upstairs to help select events and begin planning its future. Please register to get the Zoom link if you prefer to attend remotely.
Omer Learning: Day 36: About Shemitah
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 36 days, which is 5 weeks and 1 day of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 35: Striving for Equity
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 35 days, which is 5 weeks of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The topic of today’s…
Family Shabbat Service Celebrating Yom Haatzmaut
Friday, May 20th, 5:15 PM. In-person. Congregation Etz Hayim invites you to a family Shabbat service celebrating Yom Haatzmaut (Israel Independence Day) for families with young children (age 6 and younger). Don’t forget to RSVP. Masks are required for this event due to multiple recent COVID cases in the CEH Preschool. Sponsored by the David Schwartz Fund.
Omer Learning: Day 34: Improving our Environment
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 34 days, which is 4 weeks and 6 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 33: About Shemitah
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 33 days, which is 4 weeks and 5 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Torah Study with Rabbi Bash – May 17th
Tuesday, May 17th, 2022, 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM. Online. Join CEH Rabbi Emeritus Marvin Bash for an ongoing series. Future sessions may meet in person.
Omer Learning: Day 32: A More Restful Shabbat
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 32 days, which is 4 weeks and 4 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 31: Assisting Animals
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 31 days, which is 4 weeks and 3 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 30: Improving our Environment
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 30 days, which is 4 weeks and 2 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 29: Assisting Animals
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 29 days, which is 4 weeks and 1 day of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Spring Membership Meeting
Sunday, May 15th, 10:15 AM. In-person and online. Get updates. Get involved. Join us for our state of the congregation meeting to hear from synagogue leadership and committees. There will be plenty of time for Q&A. It is time for the election of our Board of Directors for 2022-2023. Pre-registration is required in order to vote, whether you are coming in-person or joining online. Each member participating must sign up to vote with an individual email address. The registration deadline is Friday, May 13th at 12:00pm. Zoom information is provided upon registration.
The Jews of Tin Pan Alley
Saturday, May 14th, 2022, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. In-person. An exploration of the lives and music of celebrated Jewish songwriters, whose achievements would come to dominate that body of work known as the "Great American Songbook.” We’ll discuss the lives, careers, and music of such luminaries as the Brothers Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, and more. Live performances from Seth Kibel will make this program as exciting as the music itself.
Omer Learning: Day 28: A More Restful Shabbat
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 28 days, which is 4 weeks of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The topic of today’s…
Omer Learning: Day 27: Striving for Equity
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 27 days, which is 3 weeks and 6 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 26: Assisting Animals
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 26 days, which is 3 weeks and 5 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 25: Striving for Equity
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 25 days, which is 3 weeks and 4 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 24: Assisting Animals
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 24 days, which is 3 weeks and 3 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Tenement Museum Virtual Tour
Monday, May 9, 2022, 6:30 - 7:30 PM. Online. Step back in time with a tour of the Tenement Museum on New York’s Lower East Side. Learn the story of the Rogarschevsky family, a Lithuanian Jewish family who lived in the Museum’s building in the early 1910s. This is the final event in this year's Book Club, which focused on the Jewish immigrant experience in New York City’s Lower East Side.
Omer Learning: Day 23: A More Restful Shabbat
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 23 days, which is 3 weeks and 2 days of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 22: Assisting Animals
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 22 days, which is 3 weeks and 1 day of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The…
Omer Learning: Day 21: Striving for Equity
The Count Tonight we count the following day of the Omer: Today is 21 days, which is 3 weeks of the Omer See: The blessings and procedure for counting the Omer. Today’s Learning The topic of today’s…
Lunch & Learn with Mike Stein: Facing Holocaust Deniers
Saturday, May 7th, 12:00 – 1:00 PM. In-person. Michael Stein traveled as a volunteer to Auschwitz-Birkenau to gather evidence to be used in a trial to discredit Holocaust deniers. Mike will describe his trip, what he found, and what resulted from his participation.
Spirits Tasting Recap
We learned the difference between “whiskey” (used in the US and Ireland) and “whisky” (used in Canada and Scotland) as 21 of us joined Brett Drucker on Sunday, April 24th to gain some knowledge about whisk(e)y and taste a bourbon, a rye, a malted scotch, and a peated scotch. It was a great inauguration of the bar cart donated by Jeanne and John Howard (see it going forward after Shabbat services).