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With thanks to Hashem, we have reopened the shul building for weekday and Shabbat minyanim. This is very exciting for many of us, but is contingent on strict adherence to guidelines as well as sufficient participation from attendees and Gabbaim who can ensure the minyan runs safely and smoothly.  So please read the information below carefully and be sure to adjust your current minyan sign up as you see fit, by speaking with your gabbai, or via minyan@aabjd.org.

Importantly, we recognize that not everyone feels comfortable nor confident davening indoors at this time, even with the precautions we are putting in place. In such circumstances, davening alone is halachically ideal and appropriate. Additionally, outdoor minyanim will remain operational as long as they are viable. Please remember, even as the Shul building may be opening, at this time there must be no indoor minyanim in homes or elsewhere. 

The responsibility of keeping the community safe continues to be shared by us all. By coming to a minyan at Shul, you certify that you are healthy, fever-free, have no symptoms of COVID and have not had known contact with an infected person without proper PPE in the past 7 days. You further commit to following all guidelines of distancing, as well as wearing a mask at all times while on AABJ&D property.

As always, these guidelines are subject to change and will evolve as the situation dictates. NJ has imposed specific guidelines on occupancy within the building which we will adhere to with the strictest terms. It is possible that we may have to roll back some of these new policies as the situation evolves. We hope that is not the case, and with Hashem’s help, we will be able to return to something more familiar quickly.

Please pay careful attention to the following guidelines and procedures:

Building Logistics:

Exterior doors must remain locked for security reasons. Purell is available inside the building and members are encouraged to use it after opening the exterior door or touching any surfaces. All interior doors will be propped open to avoid having to touch the door handles. 

Please note minyan locations:

At this time, all Ashkenaz Minyanim will take place in the main shul. Please enter the building from the main entrance and proceed directly to your minyan.  
Sephardic Minyanim will take place in the Sephardic Beit Midrash: Enter through the Sephardic entrance. The doors between the Sephardic wing and the social hall will be locked during the week. Shabbat please use the main entrance with mechanical lock.

Walk directly to your seat, remain there for the duration of the davening, and exit immediately at its conclusion without socializing. Note: each seat is marked for use.

At this time, only the rooms for davening will be accessible. The rest of the building will remain closed. 

Only those attending minyan are permitted in the building.

Minyan Logistics:

Minyanim will have limited capacity, with all seats spaced at a distance from each other. When you enter, please sit at one of these designated locations and do not move seats around. 

On both weekdays and Shabbat, there will be concurrent minyanim held in different locations. Please click here to sign up. Note: you must be signed in to shul cloud to sign up. Email minyan@aabjd.org if you have any issues.

Masks (paper or cloth) that fully cover the nose and mouth are absolutely mandatory inside the building and on AABJ&D property at all times. We recognize that this is neither easy nor comfortable, so the temperature in the shul will be kept slightly cooler than normal to minimize discomfort. Please plan appropriately for a slightly cooler davening experience.

If you are even the slightest bit ill, with any cold, cough, fever, body aches, diarrhea, loss of smell or taste or simply feeling under the weather, you must stay home. Err on the side of caution. This is one of the safest ways to ensure the health of everybody else. By entering our Shul, you are actively affirming that you are completely healthy.

By attending any of our minyanim, you fully agree to inform the Gabbai of that minyan and/or one of the members of the COVID Task Force if you are diagnosed with Covid-19. This is imperative, so that other attendees of that minyan can be properly informed and respond accordingly. Your anonymity will be maintained. 

There can be no socializing before or after davening. In order to maximize attendance, we ask you to arrive just before your minyan and leave as soon as it ends. This not only helps accommodate everybody, but also helps reduce the amount of time that we are spending together in the same room.

It is required to sign up for minyanim. This is necessary for two reasons:

- We have limited capacity in order to remain socially distant.  We do not want people to show up after the minyan is already filled only to be turned away.
- If somebody who attends one of our minyanim does Gd-forbid contract the virus, we need to be able to inform all the attendees of that minyan.

To sign up for minyanim, click here.

Davening Procedures:

In an effort to keep minyanim, and time spent in a group setting, as short as possible, and to avoid overlap between minyanim, Shacharit minyanim will start with Yishtabach on weekdays and Nishmat Kol Chai on Shabbat. Please recite all prior parts of davening at home.  

Please bring your own siddur and chumash. None will be provided.

Torah reading will continue to be modified as we have done at the backyard minyanim to reduce any potential spread of infection. One person will take out the Torah, read and receive all of the aliyos, perform Hagbah, and on Shabbat, will recite the Haftarah. 

Eligibility:

Please note that due to government restrictions, all minyanim have a limited capacity based on the individual characteristics of the room.

If you do not sign up for a minyan, you will not be allowed in that minyan. Please be sure to obtain a door code for use during their minyan times. 

Once a minyan is full, no additional attendees will be allowed. Those who arrive at a minyan for which they have not signed up will be turned away.

Children below the age of bar and bat mitzvah may attend, provided they can remain seated in a designated seat, wear a mask and adhere to social distancing for the entire duration of davening. 

Current medical guidelines strongly discourage those aged 65 and above, particularly those with chronic medical conditions, from attending. That said, prior to attending an indoor minyan, we strongly recommend that members in this category consult with their primary care doctors about your personal risk factors around attending an indoor minyan.  

Opening up shul for minyanim is NOT a signal that indoor minyanim should be held anywhere else. As a matter of Halacha, under no circumstances, should indoor minyanim be held anywhere else. If you are aware of a minyan meeting in a home, please contact one of the rabbis. 

Backyard minyanim will continue outside with the guidelines we have previously outlined, including distancing and masks. If you sign up for a shul minyan, please remove yourself from your backyard minyan by emailing the gabbai of the minyan. 
 

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784