Dear ATJC Family,
After Shabbat, we greet each other Shavua Tov, “may we have a good week.” Indeed, we pray that the coming week will be good for all of humanity; may those who are sick have a Refuah Shleimah (“quick and complete recovery”) and may our collective, communal efforts be effective in slowing the spread of this global pandemic.
This past Shabbat was unlike any other in modern memory. Normally, we strive to bring people together. Yesterday, along with synagogues around the world, we not only urged people to stay home and join our streamed services Friday Night and Shabbat Morning , but we closed our doors to all physical participation. What began as a painful, yet necessary decision was transformed into something sacred by the many soulful, virtual, real-time connections you and many people around the world made with our prayers and with one another.
If we learned anything this past Shabbat, we learned that through creativity, innovation and resilience, we CAN keep our authentic, strong sense of kehillah kedoshah, a holy congregation. This Sunday morning, our first-ever virtual Religious School connected our teachers with students at home in the most meaningful and beautiful of ways. It was a joy to watch them learn, interact with each other, and even chat together in real time. If you’ve never seen students studying Judaism in their pajamas, it is a sight to behold!
In the coming days, we are excited to imagine and fashion many more opportunities to stay connected through technology. We plan to pray together, learn together, talk openly with one another, and even find ways to share l’chayim’s together (BYOB of course). We know that this new reality is taking its toll on our souls in different ways. We must strive together to not only care for our bodies, but for our hearts and minds as well. As a congregation, we will leave no stone unturned in our effort to care and support one another.
DAILY MINYAN NOW CLOSED TO PHYSICAL PARTICIPATION
This quickly changing and constantly evolving situation also makes it necessary for us to re-evaluate our plans and decisions regularly. While we had hoped to continue our physical daily minyan that historically attracts less than 20 participants, we no longer believe it is prudent to do so. Effective Sunday afternoon, March 15, our daily minyan is closed. While we will endeavor to stream this daily service, please be patient as we work on the logistics of this plan. This decision today was informed by advice from medical experts as well as several factors, namely (1) our inability to clean our facility to a standard that guarantees zero transmission, (2) the dogged persistence of many of our senior members to keep coming, and (3) our observance of how difficult it is for people to practice necessary precautions such as refraining from touching each other and their own faces.
PASTORAL CARE
As always, if you are in need of spiritual care because of a birth, illness or loss, please contact our Rabbis directly. If you need help (with grocery or pharmacy pick-ups) or if you can offer help, our Social Action Committee is ready to help. Please email Rabbi Jonathan Berkun jberkun@atjc.org or Rabbi Guido Cohen gcohen@atjc.org .
SYNAGOGUE OFFICE
Unless we are streaming specific virtual classes or services, the clergy and staff will not be present in the synagogue campus. Instead, we will be working remotely to care for our congregation and community. We remain reachable by email info@atjc.org and on our main office phone (305) 937-1880.
IT IS A MITZVAH TO “FLATTEN THE CURVE”
The Mishnah teaches that to save one life is to save an entire world. The Talmud teaches that there is no greater value than pikuach nefesh, saving and preserving life. It also teaches that we must err on the side of caution when there is uncertainty with respect to a life-threatening situation. Please take precautions and do whatever you can to protect and safeguard your own life and the lives of others.
ATJC CARES
We know how unsettling this is for our congregational family. Hopefully, we can find comfort in knowing that we are not alone in our anxiety. We are bound to one another and remain responsible for each other.
Please check our website www.atjc.org regularly for additional updates and follow us on Facebook . We appreciate everyone’s understanding, cooperation and support. We pray that everyone affected by COVID-19, physically and emotionally, has a Refuah Shleimah. We will continue to support one another through this challenging time and looking forward to our congregational life returning to its normal routine.
Shavua tov,
Rabbi Jonathan Berkun
Rabbi Guido Cohen
Rose Rubin, President
Mark Flaxer, Executive Director
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• CDC’s COVID-19 Situation Summary
• Protect Yourself and Your Family (CDC)
• Basic Protective Measures (WHO)
• Florida Department of Health (FDOH)
• FDOH Newsroom
