Dear Great Neck Synagogue Family,
Many of you are aware of Governor Cuomo’s announcement that religious institutions may reopen with up to 25% of their legal occupancy when the area in which they are located enters New York State’s Phase 2. Nassau County has entered Phase 2 today. From the time we were forced to close the Synagogue back in March we have all been praying for the opportunity to once again daven together. We are grateful to HaShem as we begin to see the answer to those prayers.
All minyanim will now be held in the Synagogue building and we will increase the number of adults in each minyan to a maximum of 50 men and 25 women.
This past Shabbat we had two minyanim with the Phase 1 maximum allowable number of participants.
Our plans for this coming Shabbat include at least one minyan in the Main Shul with up to 50 men and 25 women. The regular women’s sections will be modified to accommodate women who would like to attend. If we find that interest in coming to minyan this Shabbat exceeds that limit, we will have another minyan in the Mender Auditorium.
While the number of individuals allowed in the shul has been relaxed, we must continue to be strict in terms of social distancing, practicing proper hygiene and wearing masks at all times on GNS property. A sidur and chumash will be provided at each available seat, however we strongly encourage you to bring your own. If appropriate, please bring your own talit (lockers will be accessible).
As before, nobody experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, or who has recently recovered from COVID-19, should attend. As before, you should consider your own medical risk factors before attending and not participate if you have any concerns.
Registration is still required to sign up for minyanim for contact tracing purposes and is still limited to members and associate members. This applies to Shabbat minyanim as well. A survey will be sent out later today to gauge interest for this coming Shabbat and to enable us to plan accordingly. Based on the results of that survey registration for Shabbat will be available starting Thursday morning. Again, if you intend to come you must register in advance, print out the confirmation email and show that email to security on Shabbat morning. No one will be allowed to enter the building without pre-registering.
As our shul continues to reopen, we would like to remind you that shul is now available to help you celebrate smachot. If you have a future simcha that you would like to celebrate at minyan in our Shul (bar mitzvah, ufruf, bris) please reach out the Rabbinic staff so that we can make the necessary arrangements.
We are grateful for your patience and support as we continue to reopen our beloved shul. Our professional and lay leadership are available to answer any questions you may have, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Jordan Wolf, President
Rabbi Dale Polakoff
Rabbi Ian Lichter
