Approved at the July 26, 2022 Board Meeting
Updated on August 1, 2022
Temple Beth-El In-Person Guidelines
1. We recommend that all attendees be fully vaccinated and boosted if medically eligible. We recommend that anyone who is not vaccinated should perform a home covid test and have a negative result the same day as their intended attendance.
2. Anyone who is running a fever or showing/experiencing any COVID symptoms should not enter the building or participate in outdoor gatherings until they are healthy. Anyone who has had a known covid exposure within the past 5 days, should not attend synagogue activities.
3. Anyone with active covid in their home should not attend in-person activities unless they themselves have recovered from Covid in the past 60 days.
4. Anyone who has had covid should not attend in-person activities at Temple Beth-El until they have tested negative for covid.
5. Please be mindful of our members who are potentially more susceptible to severe consequences of covid than you might be.
6. Except for the person currently leading a service (see next paragraph), all attendees over the age of two will remain masked while indoors except for the specific exceptions detailed below.
7. Speakers and leaders may be unmasked while speaking or chanting on the bimah, if no one else is on the bimah at that time. Those who unmask on the bimah must be fully vaccinated and boosted (if medically eligible), and have tested negative within 4 hours prior to the event. Participants with short readings, including Torah readings, must remain masked.
8. The choreography of Torah services is adapted to minimize social contact.
9. Virtual attendance continues to be an option.
10. Except for the exceptions listed above in paragraph 7, and under food service guidelines below, everyone in the synagogue must remain masked at all times except for individuals who are alone and in their own office.
Additional Guidelines for In-Person Outdoor Activities
1. Masks are not required, but may be worn at the discretion of the individual at outdoor events.
2. Unless otherwise specified, the policies for outside events will be the same as those for indoor events.
Guidelines for Food Service
1. All food served at TBE events is expected to comply with the Temple’s kashrut standards.
2. The kitchen and social hall are not to be visited or used at times when the pre-school is in session.
3. On-site food preparation must be arranged through the temple office and coordinated with Sisterhood. Food preparation should comply with TBE’s kitchen use guidelines.
4. No food will be served or consumed on the first floor of the synagogue, including the sanctuary, the lobby behind the sanctuary, the libraries, or the annex. Kiddush may be made on the bimah.
5. Food can be served and consumed outdoors and will become allowable in the social hall on the kitchen level, (see Paragraph 6) with a preference for outdoor service and consumption when weather allows.
6. Food service indoors in the social hall will be allowed after the approved plan for improved air exchange and filtration in the social hall is put in place.
7. Food should be served by predesignated servers, who should be gloved and masked or should be pre portioned into individual servings.
8. When food is again served buffet-style, no pre-b’nei mitzvah-age children will self-serve food. Parents will serve food for their younger children and supervise older children.
9. Individuals must remain masked while receiving food and beverage from the serving area.
10. If young children need to be fed snacks while at temple, this is to be done outdoors or in the social-hall, away from others, and not on the main floor of the synagogue. (If indoors, when finished eating, all should resume wearing masks.)
11. In the social hall, while not eating, attendees should wear masks.