Service rotas and no under 12s: Edgware shul unveils reopening rules
'Whilst we do not see an end to this pandemic yet, we will slowly start to see aspects of our lives return', members told in email on Thursday
Edgware United Synagogue has unveiled a number of health and safety rules as it prepares for a phased reopening early next month.
The north London community, which has been physically closed for more than three months, will reopen its doors to members from Sunday 5 July.
“While we do not see an end to this pandemic yet, we will slowly start to see aspects of our lives return, many we previously took for granted,” the shul’s chairman David Landau told members in an email today.
“I am delighted to say that after three and a half months our synagogue will open. We, however, will not be back to what we know as normal for quite some time. We live in a new reality and it will without doubt take some getting used to,” he added, as he revealed a host of new safety guidelines.
An evening service will be held every day from 5 July, with morning services initially restricted to the Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday during the first week, he said.
The shul plans to hold daily morning services from 12 July, he added.
The congregation, he revealed, will celebrate its first Shabbat service on 18 July, with no plans to hold a communal kiddushim for the foreseeable future.
As of 4 July, places of worships in England will be able to reopen for services, including weddings with a maximum of 30 guests, in the government’s latest easing of lockdown rules announced earlier this week.
Safety guidelines announced by Edgware United Synagogue:
- Attendance at services will be restricted to 13 men, four women (or eight women on 18 July) and ministers
- Priority will be given to mourners and those marking the anniversary of a parent or child’s death
- Admission rotas will be drawn up for each service
- Attendance will not be permitted for non members of the shul
- Congregants will be assigned a seat when they arrive
- Congregants will have to bring their own tallit and tephillin.
- The synagogue will provide disposable masks, gloves, masks and hand sanitiser
- Congregants will be required to wear a mask
- Surface areas will be cleaned after each service.
- Children under 12 will not be permitted to attend services.
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