Congregation Etz Chayim

Run for Their Lives is a global movement founded by Israelis in the Bay Area. Their mission is to raise awareness for the hostages held in Gaza. Each week, groups worldwide come together for family-friendly walks or runs lasting 18 (ח"י) minutes. Participants wear red shirts and carry flags representing the 28 nationalities of the hostages. So far there are 70+ groups across the globe, with new ones joining daily. Our Palo Alto group walks every Sunday at 12:30pm. People can join the silent WhatsApp group for location updates and to participate: https://chat.whatsapp.com/BeEgTk1MGlcDTJb6f5DqLX.

Maybe you heard rumors about an expansion? Perhaps you saw some signs with some renderings? Come and learn about the vision for our planned facility improvements and the Capital Campaign! All sessions are the same and will be held at Etz. Please sign up here https://forms.gle/t7MYjxAFzNDtyiWdA. Of course, we'll have snacks!

The Jewish Ethics of War: A Complex Guidance for Challenging Times. Israel's current war with Hamas again raises vexing questions regarding ethical conduct in wartime. What is morally permissible and what is not? In this session, we'll explore what Jewish tradition can--and can't--tell us about the ethics of war. This will be an in-person only event facilitated by Louis Newman.

Talk with Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan and Rachel Biale, co-sponsored with New Lehrhaus. Tu BiShvat (the 15th of the month of Shvat) appears in the Talmud as one of four new years in the calendar, dedicated to trees. It fits the climate in Israel (and Northern California!): the almond trees bloom, blanketing orchards in “a white dress.” The 16th century Safed Kabbalist Isaac Luria instituted a Tu BiShvat Seder and the Zionist movement’s Jewish National Fund (remember that little blue JNF box?) and kibbutz movements made planting trees in Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) central activities. We will learn about the mystical meaning of the holiday and hear about tree planting as a formative experience of a childhood (Rachel) and an emerging young adult (Peretz) on kibbutzim, and explore how a minor agricultural task become the symbol of Jewish Spiritual and National revival. For more information and to register, copy this link: https://newlehrhaus.org/program/rabbi-peretz-wolf-prusan-rachel-biale-what-really-happens-on-tu-bishvat-from-the-kabbalah-to-the-kibbutz-zoom-only/

Join us in celebrating the New Year of Trees! We will be reading and discussing questions in the Haggadah. Contact Laura for more information and to RSVP if you are not yet on the list serve.

All Etz Women are invited for an afternoon of learning, singing, and fun with other Etz women. The theme is "Our Bodies, Our Souls: Joining Body and Spirit Together." In this time of great upheaval, how do we carry the weight of the world in our bodies? Jewish tradition offers copious tools and resources for resilience, many of which focus on the connection between our bodies and our thoughts, feelings and spirituality. In fact, Jewish mysticism or Kabbalah considers the greatest spiritual achievement “not as transcending the body, but as joining body and spirit together.” Join the women of Etz Chayim for an afternoon of exploring these traditions. Led by Rabbi Mychal Copeland – the dynamic leader of Congregation Sha'ar Zahav in San Francisco – we will focus on our embodied selves through activities including yoga (with chair or floor options), music, chanting and text-based learning. We’ll kick off the afternoon with a potluck lunch after services, and conclude our explorations with an optional wine-and-cheese schmooze. It will be in multiple locations, including Beyt Knesset, Patio, Library, and Doubletree. Think of it as a mini-retreat, with no overnight stay needed! Cost is $18 per person. Everyone who identifies as a woman or is non-binary is welcome to participate. It will be in multiple locations, including Beyt Knesset, Patio, Library, and Doubletree.