Temple Israel Reform Congregation of Staten Island
This has been a week of deep soul-searching and conversation in our community about how to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

It . is with deep regret and an abundance of caution that The Sisterhood of Temple Israel, in consultation with Rabbi Howald and our Temple Leadership, has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Passover Community Seder scheduled for Wednesday, April 8th. This event has been a long-standing tradition in the Temple Israel Community and we are heartbroken that, for obvious reasons, we will not be able to host the seder this year.

This difficult decision reflects our commitment to prioritize the health and safety of our clergy, congregants, their guests, and event staff, as well as the larger community—and it is grounded in the Jewish principle of  pikuach nefesh , which requires that we prioritize saving lives over all of our other obligations.

We wanted to let you know, as early as possible, so that those of you who were planning to share the first night of Passover at the Seder with us on Wednesday, April 8th, will still have time to make other arrangements.

If you have already sent in your reservation with payment, please be assured that we will completely destroy (shred) your check. If you prefer to have your voided check returned to you via mail, please send an e-mail requesting the return to tmpleisrael@aol.com with your current name complete mailing address and the best phone number for us to reach you before 6 pm on Wednesday, March 18th. (It is not necessary for you to e-mail us if you are okay with us destroying your check.)


We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to spending healthy and happy times with you in the future.


Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.