COVID-19 Response and Health Update

Dear Friends,

As the health crisis in our community, our country...our world, continues to evolve, so too does our response to it. The Byram Hills School District has recently announced their intention to go virtual through the conclusion of their spring break. Congregation B'nai Yisrael will follow suit. 

We are extending our plans to "go virtual" until Monday, April 13. We will offer as much programming as possible online (please see below for a full outline of impacted programs).

Clergy will remain on call and available via phone, email, Facetime, and Zoom during this period to provide spiritual guidance and address any of your pastoral needs. All life-cycle events, including B’nai Mitzvah and Funerals, will be held at CBY, with the following modifications:

•  We will re-arrange and expand sanctuary seating to minimize physical proximity and contact among our members and guests. 
• Additionally, we will discourage service-goers from touching or kissing the Torah scroll as it is ceremonially paraded around the sanctuary. We trust that our congregation will also bear with us as we avoid the customary warm gestures of hugs and handshakes, confident that our sanctuary will still be filled with abundant love when we celebrate our simchas. 
• We are asking all families observing a life-cycle event at CBY to please try and limit their attendees to close family only, and to ask their guests to self-monitor and refrain from attending if they are in a high-risk category for the illness, or if they have reason to believe that they may have already been exposed to the virus.  A private livestream link will be sent to the immediate family to share with family and friends unable to attend the service. For those limited numbers of guests who do attend in person, frequent and thorough hand-washing and sanitization will be encouraged, with all necessary sanitization supplies made widely available in the lobby and restrooms.
• Social gatherings in association with such life-cycle events will be cancelled during the closure period, and food service will not be provided at CBY.

What will this look like?

• During this time period, Friday night Shabbat services will only be available by livestream at  cbyarmonk.org  starting at 7:00pm.
• Saturday morning Torah Study is cancelled for this Saturday.
  • Going forward, Torah Study will be conducted by Zoom. If you would like to participate, please email Rabbi Strom.
• All onsite JID, Shevet Achim, and Rosh Chodesh classes are suspended.
  • Melissa Cohavi will contact JID families to onboard you to our "Virtual Classroom" program as soon as possible.
• Staff will be available during regular business hours by phone and email.
• Our Caring and Social Action Committee is ready to assist anyone in our community who requires support.
  • Please contact Melissa Cohavi if you need assistance.
• Cantor Sugarman will conduct Torah Yoga on Wednesdays, via livestream at cbyarmonk.org at 10:00am.
• All onsite B'nai Mitzvah Coaching is suspended.
  • Cantor Sugarman will contact B'nai Mitzvah families about arranging Facetime coaching sessions. 
• Committee work will be done via conference call or Zoom.
• All member engagement programs will be rescheduled by their chairs. New dates will be shared with the community as soon as possible. This includes the following programs:
  • ChallahPalooza and Wine Tasting
  • The Women's Seder
  • All Grade Level Shabbats
  • Rosh Chodesh Women's Lunch
• ​​​​​​​Casino Night has also been postponed until the Fall. 
  • While this event is scheduled to occur after this voluntary suspension of regular business; we believe it is insensitive to sell tickets to this program at this time.
  • We will share details about a new date as soon as possible.

Again, we want to stress to everyone that we have no direct knowledge of anyone in our community having contracted the coronavirus. These actions are borne out of an abundance of caution and concern for the health and welfare of our congregation and our friends and family in the community. We pride ourselves on being a source of comfort in times of crisis, a place of spiritual warmth to those in need of shelter, a refuge for those tormented by chaos; and our pledge to you today is that none of that will change. Our doors may be closed but we, the people who make this community a home, are now, and always will be, here for each and every one of you.

We wish you good health, and continued strength in the days ahead.
 
L’shalom, 
 
Rabbi Joshua Strom
rabbistrom@cbyarmonk.org
Aaron Kwittken, President
aaron@cbyarmonk.org