Dear Congregation Beth Ahabah Family,
We hope that you are all weathering the ongoing challenges of the pandemic as safely and comfortably as possible. We remain committed to prioritizing health and safety at Beth Ahabah, which includes following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
An updated benchmark from the CDC uses the number of infections and hospital admissions to calculate COVID-19 Community Levels, which are represented as Low, Medium, or High. As of today, the City of Richmond and the Counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico have all been listed as High COVID-19 Community Levels.
The CDC recommendations for areas with High COVID-19 Community Levels include:
- Wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status (including in K-12 schools and other indoor community settings).
- Follow CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine (link), including getting tested if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19.
Click HERE for the full list, including recommendations for those who are immunocompromised or live with people who are at high risk.
As a result of the new COVID-19 Community Level and guidance from our RIPE Committee and Medical Advisors, please see below for our updated protocols for public events and services beginning this Friday, June 3.
Updated Beth Ahabah Protocols for Gathering:
- Well-fitting 3-ply surgical masks, KN95 masks, or N95 masks are now required for all participants aged 3+ while inside the building. (We have surgical masks available for use upon entry for those who need one.)
- Virtual options, like livestreams, for all indoor congregational services and programming will continue to be offered.
- Food service will now be offered outside ONLY.
For all courtyard food service during this time, we will ask everyone to put masks back on when re-entering the building, and take them off only when outdoors in the courtyard.
What this Means for Upcoming Events:
- Beginning this Friday night June 3, Pre-Neg and Oneg receptions held before or after Shabbat services will be held outside in our beautiful courtyard!
- For Shavuot on Sat. June 4, there will be no congregational dinner following the service. Instead, an ice cream party will be held outside in the courtyard. We have LOTS of ice cream; come celebrate the Torah with us!
- Protocols for all other private events or gatherings (such as B'nei Mitzvah, weddings, etc.) will be communicated as needed in consultation with those families.
We appreciate your flexibility and diligence in supporting our top priority – the safety of our congregational family. We sincerely hope that community levels will drop back down soon, and that we will be able to return to our normal gathering protocols in the very near future. Again, thank you for your patience and support of the Beth Ahabah community. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.
Wishing you a happy and healthy Shavuot!
Lee Katz, 1st Vice President, Chair of RIPE Committee
Julie Mullian, President of Board of Managers
Rabbi Scott Nagel
Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Heather Dinkin, Director of Congregational Operations
James Hensley, Facilities Manager
Click HERE for the CCAR Resolution on COVID-19 Vaccination.
