Dear Members and Friends of Etz Ahaim,
As many of you are aware, the COVID Compliance (aka Health & Safety) Committee and the Board of Trustees have been hard at work over the past 2 years evaluating COVID-19 safety policies as the pandemic and mitigation efforts evolve. It has been our policy to follow the guidance of leading public health experts, particularly the CDC, as well as our community medical experts.
In view of recent developments, including guidelines shared yesterday by the CDC, the Board is announcing the following changes effective May 14, 2021:
All people are required to wear masks on CEA premises.
We have many congregants who will be put at an increased health risk if people disregard or become careless. The Torah has a principle that Kol Yisrael 'Areivim Zeh laZeh -- all Jews are responsible for each other. None of us want it on our conscience that someone became ill -- or worse, Hv"Sh -- because of our negligence. We expect everyone to follow these and other established public health guidelines to ensure their own safety and that of others.Etz Ahaim has discontinued sign-up sheets for attendance; there are no longer any sign-up requirements for any services
The Beit Midrash (Study Hall) is reopened to fully-vaccinated adults*, and all Sefarim (books) are available for use
* Due to limited ventilation of that room, we recommend keeping both doors open while in use, and that non-vaccinated congregants take books into the sanctuary and return them when doneCongregants may store their possessions in appropriate locations in the synagogue (e.g., lockers and seatback bins)
While we are all excited by the relaxed guidelines, it is important to bear in mind that vaccination is not a guaranteed prevention of contracting COVID, as the Yankees recently illustrated.
Any congregant who Hv"Sh contracts COVID should continue notify CEA leadership as soon as possible to share when they were in the building, and whom they may have been in contact with.
None of us enjoys the restrictions currently in place. We all want to be together again with our beautiful Tefillot and socialization and enjoy each other's company. But in an environment of divergent views of the risks involved, it is imperative that we not let our differences come ahead of our unity and of our Kehillah.
Sincerely,
Ray Morris President