The Passover Seder should the moment of the year when we gather with the right people, in the right place and say the right words. I want the young people of our congregation to grow up looking forward to Passover. I want the adults of the congregation to see Passover as an anchor of our lives. Read more here.   

• Yom HaShoah- Our annual Yom HaShoah service will take place this year on Saturday, April 6th at 7:30 PM. During the service there will be a series of readings, songs and prayers. Read more here. 
• Shabbat Greeters Program is seeking some new members to assist with this very valuable program. Read more here.
• Passover-  Don't forget Passover begins March 24th! Please come shop at the gift shop for your Passover needs. We have hostess gifts as well as seder plates, matzah covers, accessories, Miriam cups and haggadot.  Don't go to a Seder empty-handed, stop by and see us first! 

• Food Drive- Social Action Committee is sponsoring a food drive Wednesday, March 13th- Friday, March 22nd. Read more here. 
• A New Opportunity to Learn with Rabbi Bob- Rabbi Bob invites you to join a new study group, "Jonah and the Meaning of our Lives." The Book of Jonah raises key questions about the purpose of our lives, including: Who am I? Why are we here? What is evil? Read more here.
• Faces of Judaism Illuminated SAVE THE DATE-                    What is Reconstructionist Judaism?                                             Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow, Shir Hadash Synagogue in Northbrook will discuss its origin and practice on Monday, April 22nd from 7:30-9:00 PM. This evening completes the Lifelong Learning Committee's four-part series, The Faces of Judaism Illuminated. Looking forward to seeing you!
• Connections Team- On January 27th the Connections Team met with congregants to form common interest activities: pinochle, chess, knittting, movie outings and many more. Read more here.

I always want to make the seder something special for our family and friends. If you want to do something different for your seder this year read here.

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• Tot Shabbat Plus- The next Tot Shabbat Plus is THIS Saturday morning, March 16th at 9:30 AM. We have a very short service, followed by a story and song. Then there is a craft project for the children to do with help from parents, followed by Kiddush with challah, juice and snack.
• Shabbat Chaverim- Our next Shabbat Chaverim will be Friday morning, March 22nd at 10:00 AM. This program is for young children and a parent/guardian. Each session we do a craft, have play time, music with Cindy Michelassi and, of course a snack. We recite the Shabbat blessings and then have challah and juice.
• OSRUI Scholarships- An application is required for all campers wishing to receive the OSRUI scholarships from the Robert Scott Samuels Fund. Scholarships are awarded for:
  Chalutzim- $400.00
  Regular Sessions- $300.00
  Atid- $100.00
  Additional scholarships based on need are available from the Jeremy Bruder Scholarship Fund. Please speak to one of the Rabbis or Anne to apply. Application form here.
  The deadline is Monday, April 1st.

• Congregational Seder- This year's Congregational seder will be held on Tuesday evening March 26th at 6:00 PM. Everyone is invited to attend our communal celebration of this special holiday. Read more here. Registration form here.
• Congregational Retreat- Registration for Etz Chaim's annual retreat April 26-28, has begun. This year's theme is Jewish Holidays. To learn more about retreat and to download registration form, click here.

• Manna- The next Manna is Sunday, April 7th. Manna Gift Card program provides an easy, no cost way to raise funds for our congregation while receiving 100% value for every dollar you spend. Find out more about Manna or click here for an order form.
• Picasa Photo Album- Did you notice that on the homepage of our website we have a link that says: "View Photos on Picasa"? Click on it and it leads you to Etz Chaim's photo album on Picasa Web. Here you will find photos of a number of recent events. Read more here.