BENTONVILLE — A growing Jewish community is putting roots down in Benton County by starting a congregation closer to home.
Congregation Etz Chaim is a new Jewish Congregation in Benton County that started in August 2004. In Hebrew, Etz Chaim means Tree of Life. "We’re trying to establish our roots in Benton County," said Wynnie Hoodis, a founding member. "We’re trying to establish something that is for generations to come, not just for us now."
Hoodis and her family moved to Rogers three years ago from Dallas. Larger cities tend to have thriving Jewish populations, but smaller communities are a different story.
Most of the members of Congregation Etz Chaim attended the synagogue in Fayetteville, but "with the growth here, it was time to start something here," Hoodis said. "It just made sense for the families." Wynnie Hoodis’ husband, David Hoodis, is president of Congregation Etz Chaim.
About 20 people showed up for the organizational meeting in July; now the congregation has 32 member families — slightly more than 100 people. The congregation offers a religious school once a week for 33 children ages 4 to 13. The curriculum — from the Institute of Southern Jewish Life — teaches children about religious holidays, Hebrew and the basic traditions of Judaism.
Many of the congregation’s programs, such as the religious school, are held in the Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission’s Conference Room. Some services are held at the McKinney Unit of the Boys and Girls Club in Bentonville. The congregation has a board, a president and a religious school director. "Everybody takes turns planning things," Hoodis said. "It takes all of us, and somehow we’re making it all work."
The congregation does not have a rabbi, but visiting rabbis and cantors have stopped by from around the country — such as Cantor Neil Newman, who is the stepfather of a congregation member. He visited from a large congregation in Minneapolis, Minn. in January, and conducted a Havdalah service — a ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat, which is the Jewish Sabbath.
A cantor is a synagogue leader who sings or chants liturgical music and leads the congregation in prayer. A rabbi is a Jew who has been trained and ordained for professional religious leadership.
The congregation holds services approximately once a month, but the lack of a rabbi has not held the congregation back — many knowledgeable congregants feel comfortable leading a program or service, Hoodis said.
The congregation also offers several monthly social programs for adults, such as the Sisterhood and the Men’s Club. The Sisterhood provides a social outlet for women, and the Men’s Club does everything from bowling to watching football together.
Steve and Brook Kraushaar (German for "curly-haired") used to attend Temple Shalom in Fayetteville. They have been on board with Congregation Etz Chaim since it took root.
" It’s neat being a Jew in a small community because we’re much more close-knit, "Brook Kraushaar said. The family has lived in Colorado and Connecticut, and it’s easier to take the Jewish community for granted in larger cities, she said.
The Kraushaars live in a subdivision in Rogers, and a mezuzah on their front door welcomes visitors. A mezuzah is a small parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah. Mezuzahs are attached to primary doors as a blessing over the house.
Congregation Etz Chaim is helping the Kraushaars delve into their faith and heritage, and also pass the traditions on to their 7-month-old daughter. The family recently held a Simchat Bat — a naming ceremony — in their home for their daughter; the program was printed using both English and Hebrew. Shabbat is something else" we want to focus on more as a family, "Steve Kraushaar said. Shabbat is the ceremony marking the start of the Jewish Sabbath, which starts Friday evening and ends Saturday evening.
" David and I get phones calls once a month or every six weeks from families moving here, "Wynnie Hoodis said. They typically ask if there is a Jewish community in Benton County.
" It makes us feel pretty good about what we’ve started, " she said.
You can reach the congregation at (479) 544-4403, or at www.etzchaimnwa.org.