COVID-19 Updates

Dear friends,

While there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our synagogue community, the health and safety of our entire Isaiah family is our most important and sacred duty at this time. Please read through this entire email as it has important information about all synagogue events and functions over the next two weeks. We thank you for bearing with us at this time, as we are doing our best to stay on top of all new information regarding this virus. We will continue to communicate new information via email, our website, and Facebook page in the coming weeks.

After careful consideration of the evolving coronavirus situation, and with an eye towards doing what we can to protect the health of all of our members as well as the community at large, we have decided not to hold any activities at the Temple Isaiah building beginning tomorrow, March 13, and for at least the next two weeks.

We will not gather, then, in person for Shabbat services (including Minyan), religious school and all other classes, and meetings of all kinds. We will be moving as many of these activities as possible to virtual platforms so that we can continue to connect and engage. We have put in place, and are continuing to develop, the different ways we can do that, including live streaming of worship (which for now will still be led from within the temple building, and which can be accessed at https://www.templeisaiah.net/streaming), and online meetings and classes which will be hosted on Temple Isaiah Zoom accounts, and can be accessed by members of our congregation without charge. The details of those for specific programs, and instructions on how to use Zoom will be communicated through our web site https://www.templeisaiah.net and in follow up emails over the coming days.

We are also working to develop ways to care for Isaiah members who are homebound for whatever reason with meals, errands, and other needs. If you are already in a situation that requires support, please reach out to our Bikur Cholim/Caring Committee at bikurcholim@templeisaiah.net or to one of our clergy, Rabbi Jaffe (rabbijaffe@templeisaiah.net), Rabbi Maimin, (rabbimaimin@templeisaiah.net), and Cantor Doob (cantordoob@temleisiah.net), or of course to Rabbi Hertz (ahertz@templeisaiah.net) and her ed team. And please be on the lookout for an email that will invite those who are able to shop for and deliver food and other necessities to those who are homebound to sign up to do so.

If you are experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus, please reach out to our clergy, who will do our/their best to help. And again, please remember that Rabbi Jaffe, Rabbi Maimin, and Cantor Doob are here for any pastoral support or needs. We always encourage you to reach out to us.

A response team had been assembled and will continue to monitor the situation as we determine the best way forward. The best way to reach the team, either with general questions about our plans or about specific details about programs or access, is to write to covidresponse@templeisaiah.net.

At this time our building will not be closed, and please know that our staff and our clergy, especially, will remain available to support our community and continue to do all that is necessary to get us through this time.

For now, while we cannot gather together as usual, what remains most important is for us all to take care of ourselves and look out for each other, until we can meet again.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard L. Jaffe
Barry Tuber, President