Dear Friends,
We are writing to you today with important steps that we are taking at Temple Emanuel in light of the current COVID-19 situation. Effective immediately, and through Sunday, March 29th Temple Emanuel will close our Religious School, our Preschool and cancel all scheduled programs and activities. Lifecycle events will continue and a limited staff will provide administrative support and continuity.
What does this two-week closure mean?
WORSHIP:
- Sabbath Evening services on Friday, March 13, March 20 and March 27 will be available to you via our live streaming service. Click Here. We invite you to join our virtual community by computer, phone, or tablet. Thank you to Rabbi Goldstein and Cantor Irelander for continuing to provide prayer and song to our membership.
- Morning minyan services on Saturday, March 14, March 21 and March 28 will be cancelled.
- Life cycle events, such as B'nai Mitzvah, will occur as scheduled.
EDUCATION:
Our Director of Education, Betsy Kachel, will be coordinating with teachers and administrative staff, on how to best support our students and families during this interruption in the daily operations of our schools. Information will be sent out via email (and the app "Remind" for Preschool only), as well as posted on Facebook. For students currently working with
Cantor Irelander on B'nai Mitzvah prep, please reach out to him directly.
PROGRAMMING & EVENTS:
Programs and events scheduled through March 29 are cancelled or postponed.
LAY LEADERSHIP GOVERNANCE:
Executive Committee, Board of Governors and related Sub-Committee meetings will occur via phone or video conferencing through March 29th.
MAIN OFFICE AND SCHOOL OFFICES:
Administrative offices will remain operational. Some staff members will be working at the Temple on a limited basis while others will work remotely. We will check email, voicemail, and post office mail regularly.
PASTORAL CARE:
While our facility will remain closed, our chesed - our hearts -remain open to you. Our clergy are available for support. If you have a pastoral need/emergency or death in the family, please call
Rabbi Robert Goldstein at 978-470-2892 or
Maureen Chapman, Executive Director, at 603-702-0300.
SCHEDULED LIFE CYCLE EVENTS:
Families with lifecycle events such as B'nai Mitzvah, a baby naming or wedding, will continue to be held at Temple Emanuel at the discretion of each family. Despite our temporary closure, our doors will open for families and their guests. Impacted families have been contacted by the Temple.
CLEANING
Over the next couple weeks our custodial staff will perform a deep cleaning of our building following
CDC guidelines.
WHAT'S NEXT:
We plan to reopen our building and resume all programming on Monday, March 30 unless circumstances change. We will inform you via email, our website, and Facebook. We continue to work in conjunction with local, state, and federal agencies along with our community partners to determine the best course of action to keep our community safe.
Your clergy, staff, and lay leaders continue to work around the clock consulting with experts in the Jewish community along with specialists in public health and emergency management. A special thanks to our custodial staff whose efforts continue to help minimize risks to everyone who enters our building.
There's no doubt that each of us is concerned about how the virus will affect our lives over the next few weeks and possibly months. These are unchartered waters, and each day brings decisions that force us to think fluidly about the impact to our members, our friends and our community. This moment is different from what any of us has experienced before and, as such, it can be unnerving. But it is also a moment for us to remember that we are a strong, committed community, whose faith guides us to do our part in minimizing future community spread.
We will work hard to help you feel connected, even while "socially distanced." Please reach out to us if you have questions or need support.
