Dear TI Community,
As we all know, the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19 is quickly spreading. Because it is highly transmissible, we are tightening up our requirements, at least for the month of January, and then will revisit them again.
We will continue to hold Shabbat evening, Shabbat morning, and Sunday morning services in person in the Wolman Sanctuary. However, pre-registration and proof of vaccination will be required in order to attend services in person. This includes service leaders, greeters, shomrim, and anyone else with a role in services. Please fill out the forms
(Kabbalat Shabbat, Shabbat Morning, Sunday Minyan) or call the TI office at 202-882-1605 so that a staff member can assist you. Attendees must be vaccinated to the maximum extent available to them, meaning that if you’re eligible for a booster, you must provide proof of booster in order to attend.
Requiring attendees to be fully vaccinated is the best way to ensure that we protect each other as well as others in our home and community, especially when they may not themselves be able to be vaccinated or are otherwise vulnerable. We see this as an expression of the correct response to Cain’s question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The correct answer is “yes” and we want to do what we can to keep those attending our services safe, as well as those they come in contact with.
Wearing a mask when inside the building continues to be required. This now applies to everyone, including services leaders, Torah and Haftarah chanters, and speakers.
Weather permitting, wrapped snacks and drinks will continue to be available after services, but eating and drinking must be outside only. And, while eating and drinking, please try to keep a reasonable distance from others while unmasked.
And finally, if you are not feeling well or develop symptoms after you have registered to attend, or you have been exposed to someone who is infected since registering, please stay home. Get tested and, if you test positive, please don’t come to the synagogue for 14 days. (This is longer than the CDC recommendation in order to be extra careful.)
If you attend services and subsequently develop symptoms or find out you have been exposed to someone who is infected, please notify Rabbi Werbow right away. As in the recent case where someone tested positive after attending services, we will send out a notice to the community and also send special notice to anyone who sat in close proximity to the individual who tested positive.
Thanks as always to our public health and medical experts Dina Borzekowski and Heike Bailin for their sage advice.
In good health,
The TI COVID Committee
