| Congregation Etz Ahaim Sephardic | |
|---|---|
Hebrew:קהילת קודש עץ החיים | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Rite | Sephardi |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi Eliyahu Tal |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 230 Denison Street,Highland Park,New Jersey |
| Country | United States |
  Location nearNew Brunswick | |
| Administration | American Sephardi Federation |
| Coordinates | 40°29′58″N74°25′45″W / 40.49944°N 74.42917°W /40.49944; -74.42917 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Synagogue |
| Style | Mid-century modern |
| Funded by | Harry A. Naar |
| Established | 1921(as a congregation) |
| Groundbreaking | May 15, 1960 |
| Completed | 1962 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | Northwest |
| Materials | Brick, wood |
| Website | |
| www | |
Congregation Etz Ahaim Sephardic (Hebrew:קהילת קודש עץ החיים,lit. 'The Tree of Life') is aSephardicOrthodoxsynagogue located on Denison Street inHighland Park,New Jersey, in the United States. The congregation is a member of theAmerican Sephardi Federation,[1] the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America (La Ermandad Sefaradi)[2] and the Raritan Valley Orthodox Jewish Community Organization (ROCNJ).[3] It is the only Sephardic congregation in Highland Park/Edison area.[4]
The congregation consists of approximately 125 families.[5] Its members and supporters have roots in Israel, Spain,Greece,Turkey,Syria, Europe, North Africa,Persia,Iraq and the United States. Prayers are offered inHebrew, English andLadino. It is the oldest Sephardic Jewish congregation inNew Jersey.[6]
Jewish immigrants fromSalonika, Greece,[7] Turkey and theBalkans settled in theNew Brunswick, New Jersey area in the early 20th century.[8] The congregation was originally organized in September 1916 and incorporated on June 27, 1921. However, the original congregation apparently dissolved. In the late 1920s, the congregation was reorganized into "Congregation Es Ahaim Sepharedith" (The Tree of Life), named after theoldest synagogue in Salonica, Greece, Ets ha Chaim. The Congregation was re-founded on March 12, 1927, and incorporated on April 3, 1927.[9] In 1928, whenground was broken for the original synagogue building on July 1,[10] it was the only Sephardic synagogue in New Jersey.[8] The synagogue was on Richmond Street,[10] in the Hiram Market neighborhood of New Brunswick.[11] The name of the congregation was later officially changed to Congregation Etz Ahaim.[9] The congregation moved to its current location in Highland Park[12] in 1962.[13]
The current synagogue was built in 1962, mainly of brick. The building is beautified withJewish motifs, such as theTree of Life carved into the wooden front door, two metal seven-branchedmenorahs on the front wall of the mainsanctuary and theTorah Ark היכל with wooden doors carved with a Tree of Life.Tiffany-stylestained glass windows in the dome above the main sanctuary bathe the space in rich, radiant colors. The windows form two themes:Jewish Holidays andThe Tribes of Israel.[14] It seats 88 in the men's section, and 60 in the women's section, with a woodenmechitza topped with glass. OnHigh Holy Days, the seating is expanded to accommodate 240 people.
Daily prayer services are heldmornings andevenings.[15]Minyans onShabbat number 100 people on a weekly basis.[16]ShabbatShacharit services are followed by a sit-downkiddush.[17]
Child care and a children's program are offered on Shabbat andYom Tov.[18] Congregation Etz Ahaim organizes community outreach, philosophy classes and adult education.
It also has an active Sisterhood, the Daughters of Etz Ahaim, as old as the congregation itself.[19] The Sisterhood has organized a cookbook,[10]fundraising activities for the Congregation, food onYom Tov,Purim baskets, and other activities which support and enhance life in the community.
Highland Park has New Jersey's firsteruv.[20][21] Congregation Etz Ahaim is located inside theeruv. Highland Park has amikvah.[22]
The Congregation maintains twocemeteries. One, shared withCongregation Poile Zedek, is in New Brunswick.[23] The other,Floral Park Cemetery, is inSouth Brunswick, New Jersey.
Some members of the congregation are buried at the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood section atElmwood Cemetery inNorth Brunswick, New Jersey.[24]
In January 2008, almost 500gravestones in the cemetery which Congregation Etz Ahaim shared with Congregation Poile Zedek were damaged in an incident of vandalism.[25]
Founded at the start of theGreat Depression, the congregation was unable to afford arabbi. They relied on the uncompensated services of Rabbi Benjamin Naar[26] of Salonica, and on unordainedlay leaders Eliyahu Nahama and Elie Saporta until 1955. After that, Congregation Etz Ahaim was led by Rabbis Ishmael Cohen, Murray Greenfield, Rafael Wizman,[citation needed] David Glicksman, and Yamin Levy.[19]
Starting in 1991, Rabbi David Bassous was its spiritual leader. Prior to joining Etz Ahaim, Rabbi Bassous was spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Hamidrash inVancouver, Canada.[8] Born inCalcutta and ofIraqi descent, Rabbi Bassous studied in London for an engineering degree and in Israel for his religious training.[27] He led Congregation Etz Ahaim for almost 30 years.[28] Rabbi Bassous retired in 2020 and madealiyah.[8]
The congregation's current spiritual leader is Rabbi Eliyahu Tal (Hebrew:רב אליהו טל). He was born in London and lived most of his life inIsrael.[29] Before joining Congregation Etz Ahaim in 2020, he had served since 2017 as the rabbi of the Sephardic Orthodox Congregation Beit Mordechai[30] inWest Hartford, Connecticut.[31]
Trenton (capital) | |
| Topics | |
| Society | |
| Regions |
|
| Counties | |
| Major cities and towns | |
