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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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Mishloach Manot 2026

Help us bring the simchah of Purim to every Etznik! The tradition of Mishloach Manot (sending gifts of food) dates back to the Book of Esther and is one of the most cherished ways we connect as a community. A Mishloach Manot bag assures that everyone in our community will have sweet food and drink for Purim. To celebrate Purim and sponsor Mishloach Manot for your friends, class, or the entire community, please click here.

Happening at Etz

All Events
  • Monday ,
    FebFebruary  9 , 2026
     
     
    Back to the Future: The Day Moshe Failed His Torah Class with Gila Fine (Lbrary)
    Monday, Feb 9th 7:00p to 9:00p
    Is Torah a product of divine revelation or human innovation? What happens when the receptivity of Moses meets the creativity of Rabbi Akiva? And why is Moses told to "turn back" when going into the future? A postmodern reading of Menakhot 29b in the Babylonian Talmud. Gila Fine is the author of The Madwoman in the Rabbi’s Attic: Rereading the Women of the Talmud, winner of the 74th National Jewish Book Award and the 2024 Rabbi Sacks Book Prize.
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  • Sunday ,
    MarMarch  1 , 2026
     
     
    Purim ETZtravaganza (Whole building and parking lot)
    Sunday, Mar 1st 9:30a to 12:00p
    Join us for our annual family-friendly Purim carnival! We’ll play our way through the story of Purim, with activities ranging from visiting queen Esther in her chambers to pony rides. Baked goods will be available for purchase at the Shushan bakery market stall. Cash, Venmo and Zelle only! This free event is open to the community. Children in Kindergarten or younger must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Contact Rabbi Z with any questions.

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  • Sunday ,
    MarMarch  8 , 2026
     
     
    Etz Talk - Hidden Heretics: Jewish Doubt in the Digital Age
    Sunday, Mar 8th 10:00a to 12:00p
    What would you do if you questioned your religious faith, but revealing your doubts would cause you to lose your family and the only way of life you had ever known? Anthropologist Ayala Fader shares the heart-wrenching dilemmas of married ultra-Orthodox Jewish men and women in New York who secretly explore the outside world, in person and online, in English and Yiddish, while remaining in their communities to protect those they love.
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  • Sunday ,
    AprApril  26 , 2026
     
     
    ETZ Talk: The Jewish South: Race, Religion, Region with Professor Shari Rabin
    Sunday, Apr 26th 12:00p to 2:00p
    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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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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Learn More

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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Mon, February 9 2026 22 Shevat 5786