Our Logo

Our original logo was designed by Penny Benson back in 2004.  Penny created the logo to reflect the spirit of the name Etz Hayim (Tree of Life) in the form of a tree with its trunk and branches in the image of the Hebrew word Etz (עץ), and the roots forming the word Hayim (חַיִּים).

The Tree of Life is described in Genesis as growing near the Tree of Knowledge. Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of Knowledge, gaining the knowledge of Good and Evil; God subsequently fears that they will also eat from the Tree of Life and gain immortality and expels them from the Garden, where the Tree remains and is guarded by angels and a fiery sword.  It is also a metaphor for the Torah referenced three times in Book of Proverbs, the most famous of which is Etz chaim hee l’machazikim bah (“She is a tree of life to those who grasp her”). This line, referring to the Torah, is commonly sung in as the Torah is returned to the ark after public readings.

In 2017, the logo was memorialized by Jack and David Meyer as a gift to the Etz Hayim Synagogue during their B’nai Mitzvah.  The boys created the two custom plasma-cut metal fascia signs that adorn our vestibule and had them powder-coated to withstand any weather conditions.

More recently, our newest president, Milt Zweig, envisioned our logo to be reflective of our mission as a center of Jewish learning and growth where congregants and community members can congregate and bond over our common identity.