Aug. 26, 2021
18 Elul 5781

Dear Emanuel Family,

As you are all well aware, our High Holy Days are impacted by the Delta variant of COVID. I have promised to keep in touch with you to keep you informed of developments affecting our services. The rules that will follow apply only to this year’s High Holy Day services. These rules have been recommended by the medical subcommittee of our Task Force and our Executive Committee, and then our Board of Trustees approved them. It is our obligation as leaders of our beloved synagogue to try our best to keep all attendees and our clergy and staff safe to the best of our abilities. Some of you may wonder whether these rules are necessary or appropriate. Our Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting last night and were virtually unanimous in their approval of these rules. Some may seem cumbersome, but we ask you to understand we have tried our best to consider all competing interests, i.e. people who are vaccinated (great majority of our congregants) and the unvaccinated, including those who are under the age of vaccination. Some of the rules are intended to speed your process of entry into our services by asking you to take action prior to the holidays.

Our COVID/Delta rules:

1. We have limited attendance of 350 people spread throughout our Sanctuary, Koret Hall and Silverman Auditorium. This will allow for social distancing. We ask you to consult our ushers inside our building for seating. Please allow the ushers to do what is necessary to accomplish this.

2. Masks are required for all attendees, clergy and staff. The only exception to this rule is for lay leaders and clergy when they are davening and proper distance is available. Best practices such as hand washing and social distancing should be utilized. Please do not attend services if you have any symptoms of illness or have had any contact with persons known to have COVID, or obviously, if you have COVID.

3. We are requiring all registered vaccinated attendees to show proof of vaccination prior to attendance through a HIPPA compliant link which will be sent shortly to those who pre-registered for services. The deadline for sending a copy of your card will be Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 5 pm to allow us to process this information.

4. Unvaccinated persons may gain entry by showing proof of a negative PCR COVID test taken within 48 hours of attendance. (Results may be obtained within this time frame.)

5. The only exception to these rules is for children under age 12 (who have been excluded from vaccination) who may attend but only with the supervision of their parent or parents.

6. We have registered 368 people as of this morning for Rosh Hashanah Day 1. We have cut off registration this morning to ensure we don’t exceed our limits. We are accepting cancellations of registrants, which will allow us to accommodate people on the wait list. If you have decided you will not attend, we understand, but please call the office to let us know your plans. Also, please call the office if you’d like to be placed on our wait list. Please do this by Thursday, Sept. 2 at 3:30 pm. We will attempt to accommodate as many as possible.

7. Masking will remain optional for outdoor services and Barbara Fink (Director of Youth and Family Learning) and Dr. Jennifer Madan Cohen (Medical Subcommittee of Task Force) will decide if any further rules are necessary for Youth and Family Services held outside (weather permitting). Rules for our Religious School will follow West Hartford Public Schools.

While these rules may seem unnecessary to some, it is the considered judgment of our leadership they are our best chance for reducing risk. Obviously, in this environment, risk management is personal and we encourage all to do what is right for each one of you. We are extremely proud that to this date, no one has gotten ill because they came to an Emanuel event. Finally, please understand that when you arrive for our services, we will check your registration and if you have not previously uploaded your proof of vaccination, someone will ask to see your card or a picture thereof, or your negative test.

In the spirit of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, please be kind to our volunteers and our staff. And, most importantly, we look forward to greeting you and wishing you and your family a Happy New Year, L’Shana Tovah, 5782.

Thank you for your patience and understanding,

Ken Simon
President
The Emanuel Synagogue | Website