August 3, 2020 /13 Av 5780
Dear Mount Zion Community,
It has been nearly eight weeks since our last update. In that time, while Minnesota seems to be doing considerably better than many states, the public health containment of COVID-19 has not moved in the direction we had hoped.
We were planning to share a phased plan to reopen our building at this time. Instead, based on the values we articulated in June including pikuach nefesh, saving a life, we are writing to inform you of our decision to keep Mount Zion's worship services and core activities, including Religious School, online through December. We will of course be adjusting our plan based on new and evolving information.
We came to this decision in response to epidemiological reports of the pandemic and to give clarity to enable our Religious School to prepare successfully for the Fall semester. Religious School Director, Sue Summit, will be in touch with Lower School and Chai School families with details in the coming weeks. While the core program will be online, there may be opportunities for in-person gatherings of small groups either outside or possibly inside the building in our largest space, Margolis Hall.
We will be in touch in the coming days with our reimagined plans for the High Holy Days, which will include options of some in-person gatherings outside and mostly online services and programs.
As we said in our June letter, we continue to demonstrate that our community can support each other while remaining physically distanced. We can worship, study, celebrate, and mourn remarkably well through computer and phone. We miss embracing, but how fortunate are we to live in a technological age of such social connections!
The Reopening Task Force continues to plan for building usage, taking into account both changing public health guidelines and ongoing communication with the Twin Cities’ Jewish and broader communities. These planning efforts include creating the procedures needed for building use and updates to our HVAC, restrooms, and other systems. Members of the Task Force include (with their expertise): Phil Goldman, Chair (legal, OSHA/industrial hygiene); Ian Ellis, (corporate facilities manager); David Knapp (safety and security); Dr. Gary Kravitz (public health, infectious disease practitioner); Joan Ostrove (inclusion and accessibility); Neil Segal (operations, Ames Center performance venue); Michael Wall (president-elect), Larry Solomon, Sue Summit, and Rabbi Spilker.
The synagogue building has been and will continue to be available for essential uses. Our staff comes in on an as-needed basis; we continue to have building repairs and maintenance; our caterer, Spirit of Asia, is operating from our kitchen; and, for your information, we will serve as a Ramsey County polling location for the August primary and November election.
Please be in touch with Larry Solomon with questions (lsolomon@mzion.org / 651-698-3881) and let any of us know if we can be helpful to you during this time.
L’shalom,
Michael Kuhne, President
Phil Goldman, Chair, Re-Opening Task Force
Sue Summit, Religious School Director
Larry Solomon, Executive Director
Adam Stock Spilker, Rabbi
