I need human help to enter verification code (office hours only)

Sign In Forgot Password
  • 		                                		                                    <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>

Happening at Etz

All Events
  • Sunday ,
    JanJanuary  18 , 2026
     
     
    Etz Chayim Annual Community Service Day (Beyt Knesset, Kitchen & Room 18)

    Sunday, Jan 18th 10:00a to 12:00p
    Join other Etzniks at Etz Chayim in Tikkun Olam projects. We'll be decorating matzah covers for patients in the hospital during Passover, making dog biscuits for rescue dogs, and creating soothing eye pillows to donate to staff and clientele in high-stress environments such as hospitals, hospice centers, shelters, grief retreats, and summer camps. Please register by January 16. Open to all Etz Chayim members and friends.

    MORE INFO

  • Friday ,
    JanJanuary  23 , 2026
     
     
    Family Musical Sulam Shabbat Experience with Special Guest Musician Lior Ben-Hur

    Friday, Jan 23rd 6:30p to 8:00p
    ๐Ÿ• 5:30 pm โ€“ Pizza Dinner ๐ŸŽค 6:30 pm โ€“ Musical Service Join us for an unforgettable evening filled with music, community, and joy! Come early to enjoy a delicious pizza dinner at 5:30 pm, then stay (or arrive) at 6:30 pm for a lively, family-friendly musical service featuring both beloved favorites and uplifting new melodies. โœจ Led by Rabbi Chaim, with Robin Kohn on guitar and Dave Rosen on djembe, this interactive service will have you clapping, singing, and smiling all night long! Please RSVP [here] so we can plan accordingly โ€” we canโ€™t wait to celebrate together!

    MORE INFO

  • Friday ,
    JanJanuary  30 , 2026
     
     
    Stevie Wonder Fifth Friday Service

    Friday, Jan 30th 7:30p to 9:00p
    Whenever there are five Fridays in a month an Etz Chayim pop-up band comes together to create a unique musical experience. There is a remarkable depth of spirit and social conscience within the musical creations of Stevie Wonder. We will join together to sing several of these songs within the context of our traditional liturgy. We have replaced some of our traditional prayers with Stevie Wonder's songs and we will sing some traditional prayers to his melodies as well. For example, in place of the traditional Vโ€™Ahavta prayer, we will sing, I Just Called To Say I Love Y0U: I just called to say I love Y0u And I mean it from the bottom of my heart. And if youโ€™ve never sung Adon Olam to the tune of Sir Duke, prepare to be uplifted!

    MORE INFO

  • 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 Rabinโ€™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.

    MORE INFO

 

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.

ืงื”ื™ืœืช "ืขืฅ ื—ื™ื™ื" ื”ื™ื ื” ืžืงื•ื ืžื™ื•ื—ื“ ื‘ืžื™ื ื•. ื‘ื™ืช ื—ื, ืคืชื•ื— ื•ืžืงื‘ืœ ืืฉืจ ืื™ื ื• ืžืฉืชื™ื™ืš ืœื–ืจื ื“ืชื™ ื›ืœืฉื”ื• ื•ืžื•ืจื›ื‘ ืžื—ื™ืœื•ื ื™ื, ืžืกื•ืจืชื™ื™ื, ืจืคื•ืจืžื™ื ื•ืงื•ื ืกืจื‘ื˜ื™ื‘ื™ื, ืžืฉืคื—ื•ืช ื™ื”ื•ื“ื™ื•ืช ื•ืžืขื•ืจื‘ื•ืช, ื™ืฉืจืืœื™ื ื•ืžืงื•ืžื™ื™ื ื”ืžื ื”ืœื™ื ื‘ื™ื—ื“ ื—ื™ื™ ืงื”ื™ืœื” ื™ื”ื•ื“ื™ืช ืขืฉื™ืจื™ื

BECOME A MEMBER

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 Judaismโ€™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).

 

READ MORE

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

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 lifeโ€™s joys and sorrows. We invite you to become part of this community.

READ MORE

Wed, January 14 2026 25 Tevet 5786