Coronavirus Update

Your health and well-being are our number one priority for making a decision in this synagogue. Given the recent developments with respect with the COVID-19 virus, the board of trustees has made the following decisions.

1. We are cancelling all non-essential gatherings at Congregation Shaarei Kodesh for the mean time.
2. We will make decisions on holding our Shabbat services on a weekly basis through our Executive board, our president Marty Radnor, in conjunction with Rabbi Baum and Kati Kristol, based on the best information available to us.
4. Our religious school is closed as we follow the recommendations of the Palm Beach County School system. We have enacted a virtual online program so our children’s Jewish education will not be interrupted.
5. Chai Mitzvah with Zach Goldstein (our course for teens) will be held over video, not in person.

We are basing our decisions from our review of the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for community and faith-based organizations.

At this time, we are asking Shaarei Kodesh staff, families, and friends, to refrain from coming to synagogue if:

• You are in a high risk group, which means older adults or those with a serious heart, lung or chronic medical condition or immunosuppressed. If you are not sure if you fall into one of these categories, please consult your physician.

• You, or anyone in your household, are symptomatic and has yet to be medically cleared.

• You, or anyone in your household, have recently returned from a high-risk region of the country or abroad (including cruises) and are still in the 14-day quarantine window.

For those who attend services

• For those of you who do not fall into one these categories and will be attending shul for services we will be putting into place a social distancing program. More seats will be available and we will be asking that you sit further from other congregants. For example, we ask that you sit at least arms-length from other congregants (every other seat or further).

• Please bring your own tallit, kippah, and siddur with you if available.

• We ask that you cleanse your hands with hand sanitizer before you enter the sanctuary. Unfortunately, we do not have an abundance of hand sanitizer so we ask that you help us out by bringing your own bottle.

• If you have disinfect wipes (i.e. clorox), please bring them with you to wipe your seating area and books.

• Any person who was told to self-quarantine MUST NOT attend the Synagogue under any circumstance.

• Please refrain from kissing ritual objects (the Torah, mezzuzot, siddurim) that are also kissed or touched by other individuals.

• Please refrain from handshakes and other bodily contact with fellow congregants.

• Again, we will evaluate these recommendations on a week to week basis based on the most up to date information provided by the CDC and state officials.

• We will also no longer be holding our regular Kiddush (including food and drink) after our Shabbat morning services.

Each of these changes will remain in effect until further notice.

We are all anxious and unsure about what this virus means for us individually, for our families, or our congregation —but we are putting these measures in place in order to protect our kehillah and the community at large.

We pray that this illness is short lived and that we return to our haimish ways soon! In the meantime, let us all work together so we can

Please reach out to your fellow congregants to make sure that everything is ok, particularly the most vulnerable of our congregants. All of the phone numbers of our congregants are available on our website - www.shaareikodesh.org. Additionally, Rabbi Baum and our board of trustees will be reaching out to each of our congregants over the coming weeks.

If you are experiencing any problems or difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact Rabbi Baum or Marty Radnor, our president, or Kati Kristol.

The Talmud (Ketubot 8b) records the prayer of Reish Lakish “Master of the worlds, redeem and save, rescue and deliver Your people, Israel, from the pestilence and from the sword… and from all types of afflictions that suddenly erupt and come to the world. Before we call You are already responding. Blessed are You, Adonai, Who halts the plague.”

We pray for healing for those who are ill and for health and wellness for us, our community, and all people.