Dear Members and Friends,
The High Holidays are just over a month away, which means that it’s time to reserve seats for you and your family.
While the Covid-19 situation has improved since last year, B”H, the emerging Delta variant has created much uncertainty about how the next few months will unfold. While we hope we can maintain our progress toward more normal operations, we are making contingency plans in case we need to have the same format as last year, with two minyanim on Rosh Hashanah mornings and a tent for Yom Kippur, to abide by any safety mandates of New Jersey and the local Vaad in response to a COVID-19 resurgence Hv”Sh.
The enclosed Seat Reservation Form will request much of the same information as last year so that we can pivot as needed. In the meantime, the plan is to have a single indoor minyan BE”H. We are hiring a Hazan to enhance our services, allowing children ages 9 and up to attend services, and holding youth groups for ages 3- 8 so that parents can more easily attend.
Reservations will be taken separately for Rosh Hashanah ($75 per adult, $50 for children 9-21) and for Yom Kippur ($100 per adult, $75 for children 9-21).
Anyone making a reservation agrees to comply with masking and distancing rules, and maintain proper hygiene at all times while at the synagogue building, as well as anywhere on synagogue property, and to abide by all rules provided by the Safety and Security Committee.
As a reminder, people who are at high risk for COVID-19 including those with asthma, emphysema/COPD, diabetes, cancer, heart disease or immunosuppression should consider not attending. Anyone who had COVID-19 (or strongly suspected that they had COVID-19) may not attend until they count three (3) days without symptoms plus an additional 10 days.
Any person who is not vaccinated must wear a mask at all times.
To increase seating capacity, we will resume normal (non-distanced) seating for most of the floor plan, but will also provide socially-distanced seating sections for those who require it. (Make sure to indicate that preference on the Reservation Form.)
That means our total seating capacity will be lower than a typical year, but higher than last year. Seating will be done on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the seat reservations are finalized, we will give the seating list to security personnel who will be present throughout the High Holidays. Anyone who is not on that list will absolutely not be admitted.
Since we may not be able to accommodate all seat reservations, we recommend that you pay by check. Anyone who makes an online reservation and does not get a reserved seat will get a credit in their statement.
With the change in seating format, there is no match between where you used to sit and where you can sit this year. As such, we cannot accommodate any preferred seating requests.
Please send your reservation by August 10, 2021. You may make reservations by sending the completed reservation form (next page), together with your check, to Congregation Etz Ahaim, 230 Denison Street, Highland Park, NJ 08904.