Following the Israeli government’s approval of a nationwide lockdown beginning on erev Rosh Hashanah, it also approved a special outline for tefillos for the Yamim Tovim in Tishrei.

The outline will go into effect at the same time as the lockdown, on erev Rosh Hashanah and continue for three weeks, until after Sukkos, on October 11.

Davening will be allowed in minyanim of up to 20 people outdoors. The number of mispallelim and/or minyanim allowed in closed spaces indoors will be in accordance with both the size of the building and the number of entrances to the building as well as the infection rate in the city the shul is located in.

Every shul large enough to have more than one entrance will be allowed to hold three minyanim or capsules for the first two entrances, with another two minyanim or capsules allowed for each additional entrance, as long as there are four meters of space for each person in the shul.

A small 70 square-meter shul will be allowed to hold one minyan with ten people. In a “red zone,” a larger shul with more than one entrance will be allowed to hold three minyanim of ten people each for each entrance. So for example, a 250-meter shul in a “red zone” with two entrances will be allowed to hold six minyanim with ten mispallelim each in separate capsules and a 500-square meter shul with five entrances will be allowed to have 12 minyanim of ten people each in separate capsules.

In a non-red zone, tefillos will be allowed in minyanim or capsules of up to 25 mispallelim, with the amount of minyanim in accordance with the size of the shul, the number of entrances, and the maintenance of four meters for each person.

For example, in a 400-meter shul in a non-red zone with two entrances, four minyanim with 25 mispallelim each will be allowed as long as there are four meters of space for each person.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)