Congregation Etz Chayim

Mark's Israel mission in February 2025 combined participation in the American Jewish Committee Solidarity Mission with senior government and military leaders, solo days in Tel Aviv and the Gaza Envelope, and culminated in a volunteer week with Sar-El on an IDF logistics base in Southern Israel. This Etznik talk will dig deeper into details beyond including photos and video from the Druze community in the Golan, Tel Aviv, the Knesset, the Nova memorial, Kibbutz Be'eri, and more. In-person and online.

Prepare to be surprised by the Talmud! This ancient text, written by our Rabbis nearly 2,000 years ago, is filled with stories that still resonate with us today. You'll find inspiring, thought and heart provoking tales of love, jealousy, pride, competition, shaming, kindness, courage, relationships, and more.We will go on an interactive journey through some Talmud: we will explore some stories together and discuss their implications for our lives today.

What should you eat if you have a fever? When should you not eat fish? And, what are the health benefits of beer, or undiluted or diluted wine? From the preposterous (to us) to the home remedies you may be using, the sages of the Talmud have a great deal to say about food and drink and remedies for illness and ailments. Come and hear some of their most remarkable medical advice and consider the broader implications of how our concepts of food, health and medicine are rooted in the scientific systems and biases of the times in which they arise.