As you know, we made a decision last Thursday to close the synagogue to indoor EMJC-sponsored events and services. This was in response to the exponential rise in COVID cases over the past week and our concerns around the Omicron variant. Since then, the Health and Safety Committee has met, and under the guidance of Dr. Lenny Berkowitz and Dr. Nina Bickell, we agreed that it would be best to avoid gathering in public until we have a better sense of this current phase of the pandemic. This is a great disappointment to us all. The wave of optimism that we enjoyed during the summer and fall had us discussing ways to encourage people to return to in-person events.
Unfortunately, that will have to wait. From the beginning of the pandemic, our concern has been to protect the most vulnerable in our community, and we make this current change in that same spirit.
The committee will meet again in early January to assess new data about the Omicron variant. We will keep you up to date on all decisions. Hopefully, this current protocol will be of short duration and 2022 will bring better tidings.
Please contact the EMJC office if you need links to any events or services.
With warm regards,
Steve Litwin, President
Amy Nitzky, President
Dr. Lenny Berkowitz, Chair, Health and Safety Committee