Congregation Etz Chayim

Your Relatives may be closer than you think! Jewish Genealogy Lecture and Workshop Speaker: Janice M. Sellers Facilitators: Preeva Tramiel and Joanna Zimmerman Janice M. Sellers will come to Etz Chayim to tell us how to research family histories. Her talk will be followed by a workshop in which participants will search the Web to find their own family history and facts. Janice M. Sellers is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, Genealogical Speakers Guild, California Genealogical Society, California State Genealogical Alliance, and Gesher Galicia. She is also the editor of numerous genealogical newsletters. Sunday, November 6, 1:00-3 p.m. Additional sessions will be scheduled if there is interest. This is a follow up to Preeva’s talk on Yom Kippur.

Meet our Israeli trip coordinator, Danny Ehrlich of Keshet Tours (http://www.keshetisrael.co.il) who will also be our tour guide. Please feel free to contact him with any questions: danny@keshetisrael.co.il

All Etz women are welcome to come help plan future It's a Women's Thing events which focus on learning, spirit and song. Our meetings are efficient, heartfelt, and funny.

Etz Handworkers is resuming its monthly evening meetings at a new time and day of the month. We are now meeting the first Monday of the month at 7 pm. The next meeting is on Monday November 7, 2011 at 7 pm. We will be starting a half hour earlier to accommodate more people's schedules. Bring your quilting, knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, embroidery, tatting, beading, sewing, scrapbooking project, or any other hand work or just come and schmooze and kibbitz with your fellow Etznikim. It is always interesting to see everyone else's project. If you haven't come before, it is an excellent opportunity to get to know your sister congregants in an informal atmosphere. . Even if you don't do handwork, come anyway and chat. And if you don't want to bring your own project, we have quilts in progress for the Jewish Vets at the VA that need a helping hand or 2. We can show you what to do on each project. Please be sure to RSVP to Jessica if you are coming.

Coordinator: Joan Sperans Join Rabbi Cartun and interested Etznikim for Jewish-themed film viewing preceded by a light dinner. Sometimes we screen movies at Etz. Sometimes we go out to see first-run movies of Jewish interest, especially to the Jewish Film Festivals. Bring yourself, friends, and your questions. Let Rabbi Cartun know if you wish to participate in selecting films. 11/08/11 – S’rugim (knitted Kippot often worn by hip and religious Israeli and American Jews), a smash-hit Israeli television series described as a modern orthodox Friends, revolves around five young Jewish men and women – Yif’at, Re’ut, Hodaya, Amir, and Nati – searching for emotional and spiritual fulfillment and, of course, love. It defies boundaries and has spread in popularity to the United States.

Instructor: Joanna Zimmerman Learn the basics of engaging in a modern Hebrew dialogue, emphasizing vocabulary, useful phrases, practical grammar, and trying to acquire an “Israeli accent.” Weekly on Tuesday nights, beginning October 25, 7-8:30 p.m. Class length and curriculum will be determined by the interests of the attendees.

Join It's a Women's Thing for some cozy late afternoon Torah study with tea and cookies as the sun sinks and the days get shorter and shorter. As we see three stars in the sky, we'll celebrate Havdalah together, marking the end of Shabbat and the beginning of a new week. If it's nice enough, we'll sing outside. Please bring a can of food for the second harvest food barrel and $5.00 to cover costs (we'll collect it after Shabbat).