The congregation rabbis have met and will continue to meet (by videoconference) to address the pressing concerns around coronavirus/COVID19. We all share an abiding concern for the health of our cherished congregants, the entire Kansas City Jewish community and beyond. Our rabbinic concern is for both physical and emotional/spiritual health.
Our tradition teaches:“Kol Israel arevim zeh bazeh (All Israel is responsible one for the other) — Talmud Bavli Shavuot 39a. This has been true for the Jewish community for thousands of years but resonates with new and urgent meaning given the quickly spreading coronavirus (COVID-19) within our country and the world. Our concern is not just for own health, but how we can keep those of our communities safe as well. We write this letter — in coordination with all other synagogues within the greater Kansas City Jewish community. Our purpose is to share some very difficult decisions we have made regarding our operations over the next several weeks.
Paraphrasing one rabbi who wrote to his community, we are in the business of bringing people together, so telling us to stay apart, or to come but keep a meaningful physical distance away is very difficult for the essence of who we are. Yet, another Jewish value guides us: “Asu s’yag laTorah” (Make a fence around the Torah) — Mishnah Avot 1:1. This teaching is the foundation for many historical practices, for which an “abundance of caution” is required.
Effective Monday, March 16 through March 31, our synagogues will:
close any or all supplemental religious school programs that involve gathering together
cancel in-person daily minyan and all Shabbat services. Each congregation will determine how to provide alternative experiences
cancel all adult learning and social activities that involve face-to-face communal gathering
We will continue to monitor the rapidly evolving/changing situation, including but not limited to compliance with CDC and other government recommendations. Before March 31 we will update our policy and it will be highly possible that our policy of closures presently in place will be extended.
We know that any one of these steps listed above are extremely unusual and — taken together — can lead to a sense of fear. That is not our purpose. We are choosing to approach the coronavirus pandemic in this manner to slow the disease’s spread to the best of our abilities and to keep each of us safe.
As synagogue communities, we each create a “Mikdash m’At”(a small sanctuary) within our walls, a place of emotional and physical safety. We take these steps now to permit us to gather once again soon in safety and surrounded by community.
Check your congregation website and the Rabbinical Association website (kcrabbi.org) for continued updates and resources we will be offering to the Jewish community.