About EtzAmi

Etz Ami is „The Union of Progressive Jews in the 'Ruhr valley'“. We are a congregation of liberal Jews throughout the Ruhr Valley. The Ruhr Valley is a major industrial and former coal-mining region in the valley of the Ruhr river in northwestern Germany; it includes the cities Bochum, Dortmund, Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, and the „Münsterland“, the area around the city of Münster. We are Jewish women and men with different backgrounds, different levels of knowledge, different ages, and living in different circumstances.
What unifies us is the opportunity to hold liberal services, to learn together, to have common activities, and to support each other. We created a place where also our non-Jewish relatives feel welcome and comfortable. It is a place where we can learn what meaning it has to be Jewish, for us as individuals in the world today and as a part of living Jewry in our world. Since the year 2000 we meet regularly for liberal services during festivals or at other opportunities. From that time we have became partners for progressive/liberal Jews in the region. New participants and members are always welcome, and everyone soon feels a part of the group. Besides the activities mentioned above we plan to soon offer Bat- and Bar-Mitzva lessons; furthermore, we will organize Schiurim in a relaxed atmosphere.

The synagogue we use as our sanctuary is rural and is more than 200 years old. The ceiling is decorated with golden stars on a blue background. Some additional information is available on the page about the synagogue.