We are all encouraged to see several states ease, or begin talks of easing, the long and difficult quarantine which has successfully slowed the progress of COVID-19. We pray that the trajectory witnessed in several states continue its downward trend until this menace is totally eradicated.
Notwithstanding our eagerness to “return to normal,” Agudath Israel of America reminds our constituents that the road to recovery will, and should be, deliberate. Easing restrictions abruptly and without closely monitoring its impact risks forfeiting the gains achieved by enduring this difficult quarantine.
For this reason, at the direction of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah, Agudath Israel has worked closely with prominent rabbonim and infectious disease specialists to develop A Roadmap for Rabbonim and Community Leaders to Safely Reopen Our Kehillos.
The goal of this comprehensive document is to lay out a plan to return to davening b’tzibbur in a safe and halachicaly sanctioned way. Even if your state – like New York – has not yet eased restrictions, there should be a clear, advance game plan for how to move forward when it does. The Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah-approved guidelines contained in the Roadmap are designed to achieve this purpose.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOLLOWING IN HIGH-RESOLUTION
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
16 Responses
Baruch hashem boro park is now on day 20 w dropping metrics and begun phase 3 this past shabbos following social distance most shuls opened for the first time
Where are the Rabanim’s signatures? Anyone can make a sign – its the Rabanim’s opinion that counts.
Meir,
I didn’t hear any updates about NY lifting restrictions yet.
Nothing is new regarding the virus. It is still around and its only dropping BECAUSE of distancing.
I fail to understand the logic why anyone is willing to risk lives and rush back after all tragedies…
My backyard Minyon is great, let me know when the shuls are back to normal and I will rejoin.
I am glad we feel a need to sound relevant by creating new “fences.” When they say 24 people, they say 14.
It’s just funny how inconsistent we are in applying these principles that we learn and how it gets applied to medical areas that have nothing to do with religion. The concept of creating a geder or chumra so you don’t come close to transgressing the law
Meir G, that’s fake news at its finest
When a shul is small by the ladies you can have 2 ladies at a time to maintain social distancing.
I don’t think shul going will by in my near future. Once the porch minyan on my block stops, that’s it for me for quite sometime.
Meir G. Did u read the Agudah guidelines? We aren’t even at Stage 1. To be at Stage 1 the legal authorities have to permit gatherings. They haven’t yet.
To minimize exposure time So does this mean that Shuls who recite פיוטים shall omit them this שבועות to enable more small Minjonim to convene?
I also didn’t see any mention of flexi glass/panes between the congregants:- Was this omission simply an over site?
After EACH reopening in other countries, there were many new outbreaks of widespread illness and multiple deaths. Why would we be different?!
Look at South Korea, Germany and Italy (to name just 3)! The reopening by the governments was a direct cause of MORE deaths and outbreaks of critical illnesses! Learn from their experience!
The government has a cheshbon, they need the economy to restart. If it costs a certain number of lives, so be it. The economy’s health is worth the sacrifice of certain number of lives and people’s health.
But who among us is willing to sacrifice someone in our own family to help revitalize the economy?!
As long as we are relying on the benevolence of our state governors, who are crooks, we will be waiting forever and ever and ever for approval.
Many many religious goyim out there who are ready to sue and who have begun suing the state and local government for restricting the freedom to worship peacefully.
If you can spend time in a supermarket shopping but you can’t be together for a religious service, something is wrong. If you can sit on an airplane for many hours breathing in the recycled air they have up there, but you can’t attend a religious service, something is very wrong.
smadi, your insistence on separation of “medical” issues and “religious” issues is terribly wrong. All situations in life are halachic ones, including this one.
We are NOT even by phase 1! Meir, you said that we are a phase 3. Please read the article or any single up to date news release!
gaon, hungry hippo,shtusari perplexed
maybe my comment was not clear and was misinterpeted – PHASE 3
i was discussing BOROPARK and only bp i did not mean the whole nyc
my comment was based on 4 factors / markers
1. miamonodies having so many empty beds ( they doing renovations in the er because its so quiet)
2. hatzoloh scanner- back to basicly pre covid ask your local member
3. shomrei hadas – back to basicly pre covid ( i check each day, with a goy that cleans there)
4. practically speaking – the kids are all over the block, 2+ minyanim per block with many more than 10. this is going on since erev pesach w increasing…. AND ZERO UPTICK HODU LASHEM
ROV KEHILOS PASCHU, BESHABAS
Unless I’m misunderstanding, this guidance allows opening when Phase 1 starts, the OU requires a 14 day wait after Phase 1 starts.
Now I read the guidelines again I think this also requires a 14 day wait after Phase 1 starts just like the OU guidance.