What do you do when you’re scared and don’t want to do something, but your husband is all enthusiastic about doing it? You go with him. So, I went with him to view the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8.

On Tuesday evening, April 16, Congregation Etz Chaim hosted a virtual lecture on repetitive stress injuries of the hand. Dr. Mel Breite, Founder and Director of the Navigating the Medical System Lecture Series greeted everyone. Next, Jee Yoan Chong, MS, OTR/L, CHT/CLT, shared a comprehensive overview of different types of stress injuries to the hand. The lecture, as always, contained informative and practical information. These lectures truly educate our community.

On Sunday evening, March 31, community members gathered at Yeshiva Kesser Torah for a shiur in commemoration of the fifth yahrzeit of Rabbi Elyakim Getzel Rosenblatt zt”l, the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshiva Kesser Torah. Some speakers spoke in person, and some were on Zoom. Yaakov Rosenblatt, a son of Rabbi Rosenblatt, spoke first. He shared a d’var Torah about the garments of the kohen. The kohen had to change his garments when he served in the Mishkan and in the Beis HaMikdash. This was teaching us an important idea that sometimes we have to do things that are not so easy or in our comfort zone, but we have to change into the “work clothes” and do what needs to be done as part of our avodas Hashem.

What is the entire chag of Pesach really about? Why doesn’t the Haggadah deal with the halachos of chametz? On Tuesday evening, April 2, the community gathered to hear the annual Pesach shiur by Rabbi Herschel Welcher shlita, Rav of Congregation Ahavas Yisroel. The shiur was dedicated in memory of a beloved shul and community member, Mrs. Sherry Rada a”h, who was someone with so much yir’as Shamayim and who encouraged Rabbi Welcher to begin doing this pre-Pesach shiur. She was very meticulous in preparing for Pesach.