With regret, Congregation Emanu-El will not hold a communal seder this year. We cannot hold such an event and sustain the recommended distance between people, nor can we manage with our space constraints to serve food for so many except as a buffet, which again is unsafe in these circumstances.
The Board, Rabbinic and Administrative staff are making this decision now, rather than waiting to see if things improve, for several reasons:
- We want to ensure the health of our members. A communal seder presents numerous risks better avoided.
- Cancelling early gives people time to make alternative plans with family and friends.
- There are costs involved that we can avoid by deciding now, before they are incurred.
We know that this will be a disappointment to many, particularly to those for whom the community seder provides their main opportunity to observe this mitzvah. We will endeavor as a community to find ways to connect meaningfully and safely during this holiday.
Last week Mystic Moka and Brown Bag Beit Midrash moved online/over-the-phone with the sessions extended by one hour. From now on, Brown Bag Beit Midrash will run on Tuesdays from 12:30-2:30 pm & Mystic Moka on Fridays from 12:30-2:30 pm. The classes are run through the program ZOOM, which can be accessed on-line or by phoning in. If you have not used this program before, please call in or log-in 10 minutes before it starts, in case you have issues. If it is your first time using it online, the link below will guide you through downloading the “app” and then take you into the meeting.
