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  • <a href="/about" target="_blank"> <span class="slider_title"> Welcome </span> </a> <span class="slider_description">Etz Chayim is an independent congregation located in the heart of Silicon Valley</span> <a href="/about" class="slider_link" target="_blank"> Learn More </a>

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Happening at Etz

All Events
  • Wednesday ,
    MarMarch  18 , 2026
     
     
    SERJIC Book Club (Library)
    Wednesday, Mar 18th 7:00p to 9:00p
    Feb 18 - SERJIC BOOK CLUB Heschel and Interfaith Why do we want to talk about Interfaith? How did Heschel impact Iboo Patel and others - Wednesday, February 18, Zoom and in-person Heschel's speech itself was a call for interfaith dialogue and cooperation, emphasizing that "no religion is an island" and that different faiths should find common ground in addressing shared moral and spiritual concerns. Read the full lecture here: https://utsnyc.edu/wp-contenSt/uploads/Heschels-No-Religion-is-an-Island.pdf March 18 - SERJIC BOOK CLUB How to build a liberal democratic society for the future, Eboo Patel – We Need to Build – Field Notes for a Diverse Democracy, 2022 eBook Patel extends Heschel’s ideas to today’s world. We Need to Build is a call to create those institutions and a guide for how to run them well.

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  • Sunday ,
    AprApril  26 , 2026
     
     
    ETZ Talk: The Jewish South: Race, Religion, Region with Professor Shari Rabin (Online Only)
    Sunday, Apr 26th 10:00a to 12:00p
    Shari Rabin’s The Jewish South: An American History (Princeton University Press, 2025), is the first narrative survey of southern Jewish history. Exploring dynamics of race and religion, it features a wide range of Jewish southerners whose stories complicate popular understandings of their region. In this presentation, Rabin will offer an overview of the book, with a focus on some of the most intriguing finds from her research. Shari Rabin is an historian of modern Judaism and American religions. Her first book, Jews on the Frontier: Religion and Mobility in Nineteenth-century America (NYU Press, 2017), won the National Jewish Book Award in American Jewish studies. She is associate professor of Jewish studies, religion, and history at Oberlin College and serves as vice-president of the Southern Jewish Historical Society.
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  • Wednesday ,
    MayMay  13 , 2026
     
     
    Communings of the Spirit with Alan Marcum (Online)
    Wednesday, May 13th 7:30p to 8:30p
    Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, one of the intellectual luminaries of 20th century Jewish thought, was a prolific diarist. Comprising 27 volumes, his journals spanned over 60 years, recording his thoughts and his observations on topics ranging from two World Wars to the nature of God, from his teaching at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) to his sermons, from liturgy and ritual to Jewish peoplehood.

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  • Sunday ,
    MayMay  17 , 2026
     
     
    ETZ Talk: Gardening for Pollinators: The Philosophy at the Roots of our Etz Chayim Native Habitat Garden with Juanita Salisbury and Judy Serebrin
    Sunday, May 17th 10:00a to 12:00p
    This talk delves into the art of creating a vibrant, living garden that buzzes with life. We will explore how to design a resilient, year-round habitat that provides essential food and shelter for native bees, butterflies, and other vital pollinators. Learn the key principles of plant selection and garden ecology to transform any space into a beautiful, thriving ecosystem that supports local biodiversity. In addition to sharing her deep knowledge of local garden design, Juanita and Etz Chayim member Judy Serebrin will discuss how Juanita's teachings have informed the choices and recommendations Judy made regarding our new Etz Chayim Native Habitat Garden along Alma. Juanita Salisbury is an expert in landscape architecture and ecological design dedicated to reconnecting communities with their natural heritage. As the visionary founder of the Primrose Way Pollinator Gardens and a board member for the Friends of the Palo Alto Parks, she leverages her unique academic background—a PhD in Psychology and a degree in Landscape Architecture—to create gardens that are both ecologically resilient and profoundly resonant. Through her public design work, hands-on leadership, and popular talks, she champions a deeper understanding of our landscapes, one rooted in the beauty and biodiversity of California's native plants.
    Register Now

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Everyone is welcome!

We are Jews who were raised Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Orthodox, or Secular. We are Jews who have or have not been Bar/Bat Mitzvah. We are Jews by choice or part of an interfaith family. Our common thread is that we are all interested in furthering our spiritual life, singing, Jewish education and community participation.  We invite you to come to a service or one of our activities.

קהילת "עץ חיים" הינה מקום מיוחד במינו. בית חם, פתוח ומקבל אשר אינו משתייך לזרם דתי כלשהו ומורכב מחילונים, מסורתיים, רפורמים וקונסרבטיבים, משפחות יהודיות ומעורבות, ישראלים ומקומיים המנהלים ביחד חיי קהילה יהודית עשירים

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About Us

Located in Palo Alto California, Congregation Etz Chayim is a vibrant Jewish community, participatory and egalitarian, independent and inclusive, which melds elements from Judaism’s different branches to create our own practices. Together with our spiritual leader, Rabbi Chaim Koritzinsky, our congregants are exploring what it means for each of us to identify as a Jew (or a part of a Jewish family).

 

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If you seek a spiritual experience within a diverse Jewish community that emphasizes worship, singing, learning, service and community, Etz Chayim may be a good fit for you. If you want to talk to someone, simply stop by or phone or office at 650-813-9094.


CONTACT US

Mimouna 2024(27 Photos)

Trip to Spain(62 Photos)

Kol Israel and Standing Together Lunch with David Waksberg, Sally Abed, and Alon-Lee Green(8 Photos)

Sofer Repairs the Torah 2024(11 Photos)

ETZ Talks 2024(7 Photos)

Tikkun Olam 2024(15 Photos)

Etz-Spark Superbowl Watch Party(17 Photos)

Flametacular 2023(25 Photos)

The Torah Remembers Gift Book(33 Photos)

Purim Spiel 2022(8 Photos)

ETZtravaganza 2022(13 Photos)

Food in Israel(17 Photos)

"Food, glorious food!" Israeli food is glorious because of it diverse roots. We were pleased to recive so many strong images from the members of Etz Chayim. These images are on display in our building and you can take a virtual tour through this album.

Flametacular 2024(8 Photos)

Sukkot 2025(28 Photos)

Experience Etz

Shabbat Services

Shabbat evening services are held every Friday at 7:30 p.m. and last about an hour. Shabbat morning services are held every Saturday at 10 a.m., and with Torah reading, last about two hours. Everyone is welcome to attend either service, including services that celebrate a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

Adult Learning

At Congregation Etz Chayim, we view adult learning as a stepping stone to deeper knowledge and understanding of the rich Jewish tradition. We offer diverse intellectual, creative and spiritual programming to strengthen connections among congregants and help us integrate Judaism into our lives.

Teens

Are you a teenager looking for ways to broaden your involvement with Jewish life in the Bay Area or to make new friends or lend a hand in your community? Are you a parent thinking about the next steps of Jewish engagement for your teenager? There are many opportunities for teens, and we can help you identify the right one for you.

Youth & Family Education

We offer learning opportunities for families with children as young as two years old through high school. Building community is a cornerstone of our philosophy and mission, and our youth learning programs reflect that value.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah

We are exceptionally proud of our Bar/Bat Mitzvah program and how students and families experience the process of preparing for and celebrating this important life event. Our program is rigorous, meaningful and individualized, and serves to build community and connections among the students and families.

Community Responsibility

What inspires you to get up in the morning? What keeps you up at night? Could you answer these questions about the person you live with? Work with? Pray with? When we ask what we as a congregation wish to do in the area of Tikkun Olam, a first step is to have one-on-one conversations to strengthen relationships with one another.

Interest Groups

Etz social groups are member driven. We currently have groups who hike together, read together, sing together, and knit together, among many other activities. Have another interest? Members are always free to start their own groups.

Next Gen

Next Gen is a Jewish community of adults in their 20's and 30's affiliated with Congregation Etz Chayim. We participate in the life of the Etz Chayim community by holding member led events to explore our connections to Judaism and each other. Everyone is welcome. 

BECOME A MEMBER

Since 1995, our diverse Jewish community has gathered to worship, celebrate, learn, and share life’s joys and sorrows. We invite you to become part of this community.

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Thu, March 12 2026 23 Adar 5786