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COVID-19 – Programming at Beth David

As of March 10, 2020

Dear Friends,

Considering the additional guidelines released by Santa Clara County Public Health on March 10, we are making the following adjustments to our upcoming schedule and practices.

SCHEDULE:
In order to continue to be a supportive community in this time of stress and uncertainty, Shabbat Services, Netivot, Daily Minyan, Religious School, Tot Shabbat and Youth Congregation will, for now, be offered.

The following, for the time being, are cancelled:

  • All kiddush lunches
  • Adult education offerings that usually follow kiddush lunch
  • Availability of the Tot Play Room due to the challenge of keeping it clean
  • Non-essential on-site group meetings/programming. The Board of Directors will continue to meet as scheduled, either in person or via remote conferencing*

*We are actively exploring different means of remote attendance

PRACTICES:
Per the guidance of Santa Clara County Public Health:

  • Surfaces will be cleaned both before and after each event.
  • Handwashing is a top priority. We are requesting that everyone, upon arrival, first proceed to the restrooms to wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with soap and water. Although we have hand sanitizer available, we encourage you to bring your own personal sized bottle with you.
  • Community yoga mats and blocks will not be available. If you plan to participate in Rabbi Matzkin’s Stretching into Shabbat and/or Rabbi Alpert’s Neshama L’Shabbat, you must bring your own.
  • For our Torah readers, we will be providing chopsticks to serve as a disposable yad, per the recommendation of JTS. You are, however, encouraged to bring your personal yad.

POSTPONING UNTIL IT IS APPROPRIATE TO RESCHEDULE
As much as we would like to continue with our extensive programming, the following are being postponed:

  1. March 27: Musical Shabbat and Potluck
  2. April 3: Speaker Shabbat and Potluck
  3. April 17 thru April 19: Scholar in Residence with Hazzan Joanna Dulkin
  4. Programming beyond this date will be dependent on the Covid-19 situation

HOUSE OF BAGELS
We have a long term and committed relationship with Jeff and his team from House of Bagels. As a result of not having regularly scheduled kiddush lunches, we have a reduced need for their on-site presence. We recognize the hardship that lost work can mean for hourly employees, and for Jeff as a business owner. As a result, we have decided that Congregation Beth David will continue to pay them for their time. This is independent of whether their full services are needed. This will ensure that we not only continue our longstanding relationship with Jeff, but, more importantly, that he and all of his devoted team that are usually at Beth David can survive. We encourage everyone in our community to continue donating to the kiddush lunch fund in order to support this mitzvah.

Even though we are postponing many of our gatherings, we must continue to strengthen relationships and to support one another. Please avail yourself of modern technology such as FaceTime, WhatsApp, and simple communication with your neighbors, friends and family in order to keep relationships healthy and strong.
We are all learning, and the communal coronavirus response is fluid and changing daily. We will be in touch as the situation continues to evolve.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us at 408-257-3333.