CBH Guidelines For Gatherings : May 10th 2020

 

Read Rabbi Josh's introduction here: https://mailchi.mp/cbhatlanta/rabbimail-yield-discern-and-sweeten

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Latest update: May 10, 2020. This document will change over time. The data on the ground will change, the scientific understanding of best practices will change, our understanding of the science will change, our creative responses to the boundaries will change. Please hold all of this loosely. We felt it was important, however, to share with you how we are thinking and planning at this moment.

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Introduction: The time before us

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Many of us have harbored the hope that in the coming weeks, the world would simply open up again, and we could put this difficult period behind us once and for all. We have endured - we are enduring - something that is very hard, and it is natural to imagine crossing the proverbial finish line in celebration. Yes, the world will open up again. (And won’t that be a glorious thing!) But we are learning from medical and epidemiological experts that our expectations need to shift.

 

Perhaps the biggest shift we need to make is to accept that we are not able to create a reliable timeline for when different gatherings might be possible again. The timeline will be set by the virus. This will not be a linear process, and the way it unfolds will depend on a lot of interacting variables. Up until now, many of us have used racing metaphors: sprints and marathons. But rather than running a race, this next period of time is more like a dance - shifting back and forth, seeing how the virus responds to our behaviors and adjusting accordingly, then shifting our behavior if the virus shifts, while our scientific community searches for a vaccine. We will be in this back-and-forth until there is a vaccine.

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Our path over the next period of time (a year, perhaps? 18 months? Longer?) will be one of constant discernment and response. The reality is, we cannot tell you whether you will be able to have 100 people at a wedding next spring, or 50 at a brit mitzvah this winter; nobody can. All we can do is listen to our scientists and medical officials, do our best to plan prudently for a couple of months at a time, and build flexibility into every plan we make.

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The document that follows - a document that will evolve, to be sure - explains the most recent guidance from the CDC and the White House in terms of the various stages of “openness” we expect to see in the next period of time, and then putting this guidance together with Jewish teachings and values, imagines what community activity at CBH might look like during that time. Again, we expect that progress through these will not be linear; we will move back and forth through these stages of openness in response to the public health situation.

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Guiding Jewish values and teachings:

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• Pikuah nefesh/ saving a life - safety of both staff and congregants, as well as the general public health.

• Equity - we strive for fair access to our offerings for all community members

• Do not put a stumbling block before the blind - we recognize our hunger to be together, and are mindful of crafting environments that support safe individual behaviors. If we find that when we gather, individuals are unable to adhere to safety guidelines, we will return to virtual gatherings, removing the proverbial stumbling block.

• Kol Yisrael arevim zeh l’zeh - We are all responsible for one another.

 

A note on singing: As we move into the possibility of small gatherings, one of the most challenging things for us to think about as a community has been the particular risks of singing. There is still a lot we don’t know, and research is ongoing. However, several studies have demonstrated that the aerosolized particles released when we sing are significantly more than when we talk, and cannot safely be contained with a cloth mask. We expect that this will mean that until we have a widespread vaccine, we will not be able to sing when a group is gathered, even to sing/chant an aliyah. We will need to discern when we should gather in person and abstain from singing, and when we should gather online, where we can hear individual leaders sing and each sing in our own homes. Needless to say, we are watching closely for evolving information on this front and are using all our creative energies to find new possibilities within safe boundaries. We are so eager to hear each other's voices.

 

We lean into savlanut, patience, to help us bear the burden of this time. We lean into chesed, loving kindness, as we seek out new and creative ways to show love to our neighbors and ourselves. We look for the good, hakarat hatov, even when it is harder to find than the afikomen.

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Imagining the future: phases of openness

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🟌We are here 🟌

Base: Safer at home/ Shelter in place

• All gatherings of any size are online, recorded from individual homes.

• Staff meetings are online or via phone.

• All individual appointments are online or via phone.

• Minimal, drop-in staffing sufficient for essential operations (deposits, mail processing, etc).

• Regardless of which phase we may be in come the fall, our primary High Holiday offerings this year will operate at “base” -- that is, offerings will be virtual, to be enjoyed from the safety of home.

 

Phase One: Very small groups (up to 10 with distancing and facial masks)

Criteria to enter phase one

• Downward trajectory of influenza-like and covid-like symptoms reported within a 14-day period.

• Downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period

• Downward trajectory of positive cases as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period (flat or increasing volume of tests)

• Hospitals can treat all patients without crisis care

• Robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including emerging antibody testing.

 

Summary:

Vulnerable persons should continue to shelter in place. When in public (including parks and outdoor recreation areas), all individuals should maximize physical distance from others and wear PPE. Social settings of more than 10 people should be avoided. Non-essential travel should be minimized, and individuals should isolate following travel.

 

Guidelines and Expectations for CBH community life during Phase One:
 

• Continue holding online services only.

• It may be possible to resume streaming from the sanctuary or the patio outside the sanctuary, while maintaining at least 6 ft of space between staff and wearing PPE. (Though possible, this is likely undesirable, since being in the same space requires PPE and precludes singing if the service is co-led. Both of these constraints would be detrimental to the experience of congregants watching from home.)

• Schools and organized youth activities that are currently closed should remain closed.

• Life rituals (weddings, brit mitzvah, funerals) should be kept to 8 people or less in attendance, including the brides/grooms/brit mitzvah themselves. Consider limiting to immediate family only. We advise only publicizing the date and location to those who are on the approved list to prevent hurt feelings or awkward situations.

• Small groups continue to meet online.

• Limit in-office functions to essential operations; encourage tele-working. If more than one person is in the office, all should be wearing masks. Make sure that surfaces, including the phone, are regularly sanitized.

• Consider allowing certain building users/renters back in (music lessons, etc.) if they are able to observe gathering limits and distancing protocols, and you are able to accommodate the cleaning needs.

• Leadership teams of fewer than 10 might consider meeting in person while wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, or continue meeting online.

• It may be possible for small groups of children (10 or fewer) to meet for programs or education, but activities and environment must be crafted to maintain distance, and all participants must wear cloth masks.

• Communally used chairs must be a hard surface for proper disinfection (i.e. we will use black folding chairs rather than upholstered chairs)

• For higher risk individuals, currently defined as people over 60 and those with underlying conditions, the risk during this phase is still significant. We recommend that these individuals, whether staff or congregant, remain at “base” - i.e. continue to shelter in place.
   

PHASE TWO: Groups of up to 50 with distancing and facial masks (Note: CBH sanctuary limits group size to 30)

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Criteria: The region satisfies the original gating criteria a second time, and there is no evidence of a rebound.

Remember, it is possible that conditions will not improve, but infections will increase again. In that case, physical distancing recommendations would need to be tightened temporarily in order to get back on track. Progress will not necessarily be linear. You can help by encouraging careful hygiene, following the physical/social distancing recommendations, encouraging people to stay at home if they have any symptoms of illness, and to cooperate with contact tracers if they are diagnosed.

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Summary: All vulnerable individuals should continue to shelter in place. When in public, including public outdoor spaces, individuals should maximize physical distance and wear PPE. Social settings of more than 50 people should be avoided. Non-essential travel can resume.

While gatherings of up to 50 people can be considered per the CDC, the sanctuary at CBH can only accommodate about 30 people with appropriate distancing. We also recognize that in-person gatherings carry too much risk for many of our members at this time, so it will be important to continue streaming.

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Guidelines and Expectations for CBH community life during Phase Two:

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• Services may be streamed from the CBH sanctuary with a small group of congregants present in person under the following conditions:

  • Everyone present must wear a mask.

  • Those attending will be asked to come and go directly from the sanctuary, to avoid congregating in the smaller lobby space.

  • Whenever possible, the gathering will be held outside or the windows and door will be propped open to increase air flow.

  • Chairs will be spaced in the sanctuary such that those who live together will sit together, and there will be at least 6 feet of distance between each household.

  • The best information we have as of this writing indicates that singing poses a particular risk by creating aerosols that carry the virus a significant distance and remain suspended in the air for a significant period of time. A cloth mask is unlikely to be enough to protect you or your neighbor. Therefore, we will not sing yet when a group is gathered.

  • There will be no food served, and no time set aside for community mingling after the service.

  • Because of the similarity between singing and chanting the Torah and its blessings, we expect that both the parsha and the blessings will be read and not chanted. Holding and touching the Torah scroll should be minimized with an eye toward safety. Distance should be maintained during aliyot; people might simply rise from their seats to reduce congestion at the bima.

  • Communal siddurim, kippot, yad, and tallitot will not be used (though people may bring their own personal items).

  • Communal chairs must be a hard surface for proper disinfection (i.e. we will use black folding chairs rather than upholstered chairs in the sanctuary)
     

The desirability of gathering in this way depends on our ability to develop an equitable system of who can gather, our ability to support both an in-person experience for a small group and a virtual experience for others at home, and individuals’ abilities to follow all of these challenging and unfamiliar guidelines. If we find that those in attendance are not attending to these practices, we will move back to virtual services for the sake of everyone’s safety.
 

• Lifecycles can take place with careful attention to the following:

  • Even in a large venue, the total number of people present must be under 50, including family, guests, and staff; and

  • Social distancing must be observed, which may create additional limitations on the number of guests in a smaller venue. The CBH sanctuary can safely accommodate 30 people plus staff.

  • Guests from out of town -- i.e. a different viral environment than Atlanta’s -- may participate only virtually.

  • All present must wear masks.

  • We will carefully attend to the most current guidelines on singing/ chanting. Our guidance right now indicates that these are not safe group activities.

  • There will be no oneg or kiddush.

• Small Groups can meet in person or online, as long as distancing and PPE can be observed. We recommend maintaining online options for people who do not feel comfortable.

• Small groups of children may meet for programs or education, but activities and environment must be crafted to maintain distance, and all participants must wear cloth masks.

  • We anticipate that CBH will not be able to travel for social justice work or other programs for some time, but can pursue in-person social justice opportunities in Atlanta as long as groups are small and social distancing is observed.

• Business

  • Regular office functions could resume more or less safely while maintaining social distancing and wearing masks, or employees can continue to tele-work. Continue to attend to cleaning and sanitizing the office. Pay particular attention to high-touch surfaces and handwashing.

  • Individual meetings with the rabbi could resume, or could continue virtually.

  • Leadership teams might consider meeting in person while wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, or continue meeting online.

  • Allow building users/renters to resume operations, with a plan to address cleaning needs and agreement to observe gathering and distancing protocols.

• General Building

  • Post signs indicating symptoms and urging people to stay home/seek medical attention if they have symptoms.

  • Maintain a good stock of tissue, soap, hand sanitizer and disposable paper towels for drying hands.

  • Clean the building regularly and between user groups, paying extra attention to high-touch surfaces.

  • If you become aware of someone in the community or a building user infected with COVID-19, put your communication plan into action, and cooperate fully with contact tracers.

• For higher risk individuals, currently defined as people over 60 and those with underlying conditions, the risk during this phase is still significant. We recommend that these individuals, whether staff or congregant, remain at “base” - i.e. continue to shelter in place.