President’s COVID-19 Message #1

Dear Congregants:

Over the last several days, we have been closely monitoring local and national recommendations in order to respond to COVID19 – the Coronavirus. At this moment, we do not plan to limit our community’s celebrations but we are working hard to be proactive instead of reactive, and we do plan to follow the guidelines set by our local and national organizations. We feel that it is better to err on the side of caution, and to perform the mitzvah of propagating public health, even though the virus has not yet made its way to the Seacoast.

As of March 4, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has the following recommendations:

“The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have announced travelers from countries with a Level 3 travel alert are to be advised to stay home and monitor their health for 14 days after returning to the United States. Travelers from countries with a Level 2 travel alert are to be advised to monitor their health and limit interactions with others for 14 days after returning to the United States. “

In other words, if you have traveled to a Level 3 country (China, Iran, South Korea, and Italy), please stay home for 14 days after returning to the United States. If you have traveled to a Level 2 country (Japan), please monitor your health and limit interactions with others for 14 days after returning to the United States.

As of March 5, the Jewish Federations of North America echoes following the CDC’s recommendations and also has additional resources to peruse if you are interested. Please click blue button below for link.

We are a close-knit community that invites personal connection. However, we suggest the following to reduce our collective risk:

• If you are sick, please stay home from the synagogue until you are well.
• Please practice good personal hygiene. As a reminder, there are hand sanitizers throughout the building and soap in the bathrooms. As you know, the most effective way to clean one’s hands is by thorough hand washing.
• Please limit personal greetings to “elbow bumps”, bows, or other gestures not involving physical contact. No hand shaking for honors, hugging or cheek to cheek greetings.
• Please wash hands before touching temple kippot and tallit.
• At events with food, use serving spoons and not your personal cutlery, don’t “double dip,” and take a fresh plate when you go back for seconds.

As you all know, this is a fluid situation and our recommendations may change. Be prepared, and stay tuned for continued correspondence on this issue.

L’shalom,
Amy Hyett, Board President