September 17, 2020 ~ 28 Elul 5780
Dear Raritan Valley Community,
We write to you in the third week of the school year, right before Rosh Hashanah, happy to report that our schools have reopened successfully. Students are learning, teachers are teaching, and we are proud of the substantial investment of time and money that it took for our community to make this happen.
Now we, the entire community, need to behave in ways that enable us to stay open.
As you know, we are seeing increased numbers of Covid positive cases in our community and we have had teachers and students who have needed to quarantine. This is a matter of grave concern. We must take responsibility, first and foremost, for the health and safety of everyone in our community, including those who are most vulnerable to the virus. And we also do not want to jeopardize our yeshivos.
We have tried to be as clear as possible below, but we cannot anticipate every question. Please be in touch with your school if you need further guidance.
As a general rule, when interacting with anyone other than your family, two of the three following conditions must be met:
Masks
Social distanced (six feet)
Outdoors
There is also some more specific guidance that we would like to be clear on:
Minyanim: Please only attend minyanim in which all attendees adhere to Covid precautions. Everyone must wear masks and be six feet apart. Davening outside or in a well-ventilated location is highly recommended but does not obviate the need for masks and social distancing
Gatherings: The risk of transmission is greater in crowds. No one should attend a large gathering indoors. If outdoors, there should be plenty of space and everyone should be wearing masks. Even smaller gatherings should be held outdoors. Tents with walls and Sukkos are considered indoors.
Shabbos and Yom Tov meals: A meal is a time when you cannot wear a mask. Therefore, families should not be having meals with other families unless they are outdoors with social distancing.
Overnight Guests: Hosting overnight guests is discouraged. Exceptions may be made for extended family in which both parties have been careful in their Covid precautions and no one is coming from a “hot spot” or via air travel. (Please note that “hot spot” includes both states that are on New Jersey’s quarantine list as well as other locations with high levels of infection. Lakewood is currently a “hot spot.”)
Play Dates: Play dates with other students from the same class are permitted as long as masks are worn; children from the same grade but different class may join outdoor playdates.
Quarantine: Please remember that quarantining is mandatory when returning from any state on the NJ Quarantine List or via air travel.
Extracurricular activities: All sports and other extracurricular activities, whether an organized program or an informal activity, must adhere to the above guidelines.
Smachos: All bar and bas mitzvas, weddings, birthday parties, etc. should be fully compliant with social distancing guidelines, both those that are required by State law and those required by our yeshivos. Events should be outdoors, masks must be required, and social distancing maintained. Eating should be limited to the family. Invitations for a simcha should state explicitly what safety measures will be put in place by the hosts and what safety measures are expected of guests. For example, masks will be provided and all guests are expected to wear them. There should be no dancing where participants are within six feet of one another.
We would like to thank all those families who have been in communication with the yeshivos as situations have arisen. Timely communication is vital. Please continue to do so.
Please also be aware that there may be differences between physicians’ recommendations in specific circumstances. Do you need to quarantine? Should you get a Covid test? What kind of test should you get? Schools will be following the recommendations of their advisory committees. Therefore, please contact your yeshiva as soon as possible if there is an issue so we can make sure we are all on the same page.
Once again, we ask for everyone’s adherence to the community standards delineated above. It is only through our group effort that we can safeguard the health of our community and keep our yeshivos open.
With best wishes for a kesiva vachasima tova, a sweet and healthy new year,
Dalya Chefitz, MD
Rebekah Lipstein, MD
Medical Advisory Committee
Yeshivat Netivot Montessori
Elliot Frank, MD
Clifton Lacy, MD
Keren Ebel Avery, MD
Medical Advisory Committee
Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva
Howard Lebowitz, MD
Medical Advisory Committee
Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion