Shabbat UK delayed until May due to soaring Omicron cases

Omicron has forced next month’s ShabbatUK to be delayed until May.

The project’s organiser said the move was taken to ensure it is “as impactful, inspiring and safe as it can possibly be”.

After “exploring a variety of options”, Deanna Rosenthal, ShabbatUK project manager, wrote to communities saying the “first ever pre-summer ShabbatUK” will be held on the weekend of 13-14 May, after having initially been planned for 5-6 March.

She said Shabbat UK found “that the onset of the Omicron variant had begun to make planning … extremely difficult. Although we are changing the date, primarily with the health and well-being of the community in mind, excitingly, the change will also make it possible to consider holding ShabbatUK events outdoors for the first time and to plan more substantial programmes for Shabbat afternoon.”