Etz Chaim Center for Jewish Learning is an Orthodox Jewish organization designed to reach out to

secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin ''saeculum'', "worldly" or "of a generation"), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. Anything that does not have an explicit reference to religion, either negativ ...

and non-

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

s in the hopes of bringing them into the

Baal teshuva movement The baal teshuva movement is a description of the return of secular Jews to religious Judaism. The term ''baal teshuva'' is from the Talmud, literally meaning "master of repentance". The term is used to refer to a worldwide phenomenon among th ...

. Its national headquarters are located in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

with other locations in

Owings Mills, Maryland Owings Mills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Baltimore. Per the 2020 census, the population was 35,674. Owings Mills is home to the northern terminus o ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, and

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

It is under the direction of

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

Shlomo Porter Rabbi Shlomo Porter is the executive director of the Etz Chaim Center for Jewish Learning. He is a past president oAJOP (Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals) and also has served as an AJOP trustee since its founding in 1985. Rabbi Porte ...

. Rabbi Porter has led the organization since 1981. Originally from

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, Rabbi Porter graduated from

Ner Israel Rabbinical College Ner Israel Rabbinical College (ישיבת נר ישראל), also known as NIRC and Ner Yisroel, is a Haredi yeshiva (Jewish educational institution) in Pikesville (Baltimore County), Maryland. It was founded in 1933 by Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Rud ...

History

Officially incorporated on November 30, 1983, Etz Chaim is a multi-faceted outreach center dedicated to reaching Jews of all backgrounds to experience

Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...

. Among its programs, Etz Chaim helps people find study partners for the process of

conversion Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...

to Orthodox Judaism. Etz Chaim says that success is when a person considers their

Jewish identity Jewish identity is the objective or subjective state of Identity (social science), perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jews, Jewish. Under a broader definition, Jewish identity does not depend on whether a person is regarded as ...

more valuable, when a person chooses not to intermarry, or when a person does one

mitzvah In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (; he, מִצְוָה, ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment commanded by God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discus ...

. In 1992, a

Lubavitch Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic groups ...

family advertised and held Jewish services, ceremonies, and celebrations in their house in Baltimore County.Lechtman, Jay.
When Is A Home A Shul?
''Baltimore Jewish Times''. February 14, 1992. p. 26. Neighbors complained to the local zoning commission, stating that the family were using their home as a synagogue, in direct violation of local zoning laws, parking laws, and noise restrictions. Etz Chaim supported the family, stating that enforcing such laws on a place of worship was unconstitutional. In 1992, Etz Chaim supported detailed recommendations regarding Jewish celebrations that restricted

kiddush Kiddush (; he, קידוש ), literally, "sanctification", is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Additionally, the word refers to a small repast held on Shabbat or festival mornings after t ...

to only one hot dish, cake, and drinks, while a b'nai mitzvah or wedding celebration may have up to two hot dishes.Eisenstadt, Merrie M.
Scaling Down Spending Is An Uphill Battle
. ''Baltimore Jewish Times''. March 27, 1992. p. 23. The recommendations stated that all religious celebrations be held only at a

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

itself or a synagogue's facilities. In 1993, Etz Chaim honored Marc Hurwitz for his working helping college students discover or maintain their Jewish identities and fighting assimilation on college campuses. In 1998, Etz Chaim moved its headquarters from Northeast Baltimore to Center City Baltimore. In 2001, a bill was proposed to prohibiting discrimination based on

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...

with regard to public accommodations, housing, and employment in Maryland. Etz Chaim opposed the bill, stating that Orthodox Judaism opposes

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

. Also in 2001, a choir of 61 mixed-gender students in third through fifth grades prepared to sing at a Jewish food and life expo. When Etz Chaim was asked whether it was religiously appropriate for female and male children to sing together, Etz Chaim determined the performance should not go forward. On February 6, 2002, a fire destroyed the Etz Chaim Center for Jewish Studies. A teenager was arrested and charged with arson. With money from its insurance carrier and several donors, Etz Chaim was able to rebuild. The new, larger facility included a

Shabbaton The Hebrew term ''shabbaton'' ( he, שבתון) may be translated into English to mean sabbatical. The concept of a sabbatical year (shmita) has a source in several places in the Bible (e.g. Leviticus 25), where there is a commandment to desist fro ...

center, coffee shop, and library,Jacobs, Phil.
Reinventing Etz Chaim; Outreach organization emerges from the ashes of 2002 fire
. ''Baltimore Jewish Times''. October 15, 2004. p. 53. and it was dedicated in June 2015.Jacobs, Phil.
Etz Chaim Dedication
. ''Baltimore Jewish Times'' June 24, 2005. p. 30.

References

External links

*{{official site, http://www.etzchaimusa.org
Etz Chaim Hits 30Outreach Center Rebuilds After BlazeReinventing Etz ChaimEtz Chaim Rebuilds Destroyed HomeJewish Teen Arrested In Shul ArsonsOutreach Group Initiates Unique Study Program
Jewish organizations established in 1983 Orthodox Jewish outreach Baalei teshuva institutions Jewish education in Maryland Jews and Judaism in Baltimore County, Maryland Orthodox Judaism in Pennsylvania Jews and Judaism in Washington, D.C. Orthodox Judaism in Baltimore Owings Mills, Maryland Giving 501(c)(3) organizations 1983 establishments in Maryland

History

See also

References

External links