COVID-19 Protocols
After receiving direction from public health authorities and in accord with the Sephardic Kehilah Centre’s practice, we have restarted weekly Shabbat services.
Efforts will be made to ensure we do not start and end our service at the same time as other shuls in the building.
As the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, we need to continue to exercise caution for the health and welfare of all who attend. We realize this is a long list, but please bear with us. In this regard, please note the following are mandatory practices:
| Member Families Only | Only members and their families may attend services at this time * everyone attending does so at their own discretion * youth attendending must be Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and must remain in the sanctuary for the service |
| Masks | Everyone must be wearing a face mask upon arrival at the building, during your stay, and until you have left the building; if you do not have a mask, we will try to have a limited supply available at the shul |
| Gloves | Gloves are strongly recommended; if you do not have, we will try to have a limited supply available at the shul. |
| Social Distance | Social distancing must be practiced while in the building * Immediate family may sit together; everyone else must sit a minimum of 6 feet from other people * Do not congregate in groups before, during, or after the service |
| Greetings | Handshaking, kissing, embracing, and any other traditional greetings are not to be practiced |
| Sanitizer | Hands must be cleaned with santizer upon arrival in the shul; hand sanitizer will be available, though we recommend that you bring your own small personal sanitizer |
| Talit | Talit cannot be left at the shul; you must bring your own, and take it home with you after the service. There will be no Talit available at the shul |
| Siddurim & Chumashim | Siddurim and Chumasim will be wiped down and made available at the shul; please return them to the table at the end of the service. These will only be used each Shabbat; knowing that COVID-19 cannot survive on their surface for an entire week, we are assured the risk of using them is negligible, nevertheless, we recommend wearing gloves throughout the service |
| Doors | The doors to the room will remain open through use of a doorstop at all times |
| Sefer Torah | The Sefer Torah and Aron Ha’Kodesh will only be handled with gloves |
| When the Sefer Torah is brought out, and put away, there will be no touching and/or kissing the Sefer Torah, and everyone will stand and remain at their own seat. The Sefer Torah will be taken directly to the bima and back to the Aron Ha’Kodesh. | |
| Bima | There will be 2 people maximum on the bima at any time (e.g. the Ba’al Koreh and the Oleh LaTorah) |
* no food or water will be available * water fountains will not be available |
As well, the following general rules apply:
-
Maximum attendance is 30% capacity - People who have arrived from outside the country may not participate in the Minyan under any circumstances, and must not attend until 14 days after arrival if symptom free.
- Do not attend Minyan if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Loss of taste or smell
- Diarrhea
- Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100 degrees Fahrenheit / 37.5 degrees Celcius
- or if known close contact with a person who is lab confirmed to have COVID-19
If any member has questions or comments in this regard, please send them to us in email.
We look forward to continued safe and successful Shabbat services.
Category: Shul, Social Issues, Social Issues
