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TSRS Covid Policies Update March 2022

Dear Temple Sinai Religious School Families,

As you may have seen on Friday, Temple Sinai is moving to a mask-optional protocol for services and Temple programming beginning tomorrow, Monday March 14.  We are excited that the growing health of our community, and the DC Health and CDC guidelines allow our synagogue community to begin to regather not only eye to eye, but smile to smile, again.

Beginning Monday March 14, Temple Sinai Religious School will also shift our COVID-19 protocols to mask optional.  Additionally, there is no longer a need to show your vaccination status when entering the building.

Temple Sinai Religious School’s Updated COVID-19 Protocols can be reviewed here.

We recognize that this change brings a different level of comfort from our community.  At TSRS, our rules:  Be Kind, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Your Best translate in our mask-optional environment.  You can talk with your student about being kind to all regardless of mask choice, and respecting the different needs of different members of our community.  We are responsible when continuing to follow good hand washing procedures, and staying home when sick.  Just as we have traveled the journey of the last two years together – we move forward into this next phase together, being our very best – the Temple Sinai family we truly are.

We also recognize that, as always, the pandemic continues to change, even in this stage of improvement.  Our COVID Protocols will also do so.  TSRS and the whole Temple Sinai community remain nimble and flexible to adjust our protocols to meet guidance from DC Health, the CDC, and the Temple Sinai COVID-19 Advisory Group.

May we continue to go together from strength to strength,

CR

 

Cantor Rebecca Robins
Cantor Educator
202.363.1942
rrobins@templesinaidc.org

Temple Sinai Covid Policies Update March 2022

updated 4/11/22

Effective Monday, March 14, 2022, Temple Sinai is adopting the recommendations of DC Health and other agencies (see below)* and will not require masks or proof of vaccination for anyone entering the temple with the exception of Temple Sinai Nursery School indoor all-school programs and meetings. 

Please note that if the situation changes and DC Health or other agencies recommend masking or other protective measures, we will follow their guidance and restore any necessary protocols.

We understand this is a significant and swift change that is not comfortable for everyone. After two years of pandemic isolation and strict requirements for in-person programs, some temple members, staff, and guests may not yet feel safe to gather with others or simply are not ready. We support you and whatever decisions you make for yourself and your family members regarding attendance, masks, and social distancing. You should continue to wear a mask whenever you want at Temple Sinai or to remove it when you feel comfortable. For Shabbat services and indoor programs, whenever possible, we will use rooms that are big enough to allow space for individuals who want to sit with more distance from others. We will continue providing virtual access through Zoom so you can still participate from home when you want to.

*Beginning February 15, 2022, the Government of the District of Columbia stated that indoor venues will no longer be required to verify that patrons are vaccinated.

On March 8, 2022, both DC and Montgomery County lifted mask mandates for schools. DC Health released updated COVID-19 guidelines for schools recommending masks only when D.C. is experiencing high community transmission, which is not currently the case. DC Health’s new guidelines align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which at the end of February shifted away from recommending masks in K-12 settings in all regions except those experiencing high transmission. Read more here.

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TSNS Covid Policies Update March 2022

updated 4/11/22

Dear Families,

It is hard to believe, but it has been almost exactly two years since COVID-19 first began impacting our community. As the pandemic loomed in March of 2020, we were facing the unthinkable – a scary time where we could not gather together in person, see familiar faces surrounding us in support, or hug one another to offer comfort. During our period of on-site closure, we deeply missed the joyful presence of each child and their family, and it took the concerted efforts of many to determine a path toward reopening that provided the safest environment possible while also offering the loving, playful, supportive, and engaging learning experiences that are the hallmark of Temple Sinai Nursery School.

I have often said that my crystal ball became especially cloudy back in March of 2020, and while it is still not providing a perfectly clear view into the future, we have come remarkably far together. And as circumstances continue to evolve, we will continue to forge ahead – together. This beautiful community of families, faculty, and staff has shown tenacity, creativity, resilience, commitment, and flexibility as we responded to the demands of the pandemic, and it is those qualities that will support us as we continue forward.

As we consider how we will proceed, we are informed by the recent changes in DC Health’s revised policies, which now align prevention measures to “community levels” of covid transmission and link to the CDC’s guidelines for many protocols. We will be measured and intentional as we review how these changes will be reflected in our policies at TSNS, and will continue to be fully transparent with you about shifts in protocols that are planned or under consideration.

Many factors are part of the mix as we consider our path forward, including, but not limited to:

  • DC Health guidelines and requirements, and any clarifications provided by DC Health and/or OSSE for early childhood programs;
  • CDC recommendations, including those linked directly to the DC Health Guidance;
  • Recommendations from our COVID-19 Advisory Group and pediatric consultant;
  • Discussions with faculty, staff, Nursery School Committee members, and Temple Sinai leadership;
  • Family feedback (including conversations initiated by our Parents’ Association Co-Chairs, who continue to organize and share parent feedback and questions with me); and
  • The children’s experience at TSNS, including how we support their ongoing development, acknowledge their resilience, and maintain our focus on their health and safety.

As we proceed incrementally, we adopted some changes beginning Monday, March 14, and made additional shifts in policy on Monday, April 4. While any policy shifts we make now may change as conditions evolve, we want to assure you that we recognize that this is not a race to return to “normal.” We will continue to approach any protocol changes with the same care we used when shaping our response to the pandemic, and the voices of all members of our community are valued sources of input.

Here’s what changed beginning on Monday, March 14:

  • The playground became a shared play space! With the removal of the subdividing fencing, children are now able to enjoy the full breadth of our wonderful outdoor resource every day. Please note that this means that children are now mixing with other class cohorts in their age group while outdoors.
  • Isolation periods for those who test positive for covid are reduced to five (5) days for mild or asymptomatic cases. A return to school on Day Six is permitted for those who are asymptomatic for 24 hours, provide a negative antigen test, and are able to consistently wear a properly fitted KN95/KF94 mask at TSNS for five (5) additional days.
  • Quarantine periods for individuals who are not up to date in their vaccination status and are close contacts of an individual who has tested positive for covid are also reduced to five (5) days, and a return on Day 6 is permitted with a negative antigen or PCR test. Due to increased accuracy, PCR tests are preferred but no longer required.
  • We will accept home antigen tests following travel outside of the DMV (PCR tests preferred); tests should be administered the day before or the day of a child’s planned return to TSNS. No quarantine period will be required.
  • Children and staff members may wear a mask of their choice provided that it remains closely fitted to the sides of the face and covers the nose.
  • Two adults may attend our school events, including Purim Parades, Family Shabbat Sings, and our All-School Passover Sing Along.
  • All visiting adults must be up to date in their vaccinations.

Here is what changed beginning on Monday, April 4: 

  • Masks are optional both outdoors and inside for children, faculty, and staff. Masks will only be optional at TSNS when community levels are LOW.
  • This shift to a mask-optional policy is accompanied by weekly surveillance testing for all children, faculty, and staff, using antigen tests provided by TSNS.  The duration of this weekly surveillance testing protocol is yet to be determined.
  • All children and adults will be required to wear masks for all-school indoor events such as Shabbat Sing.
  • Children whose families elect to have them participate in school programming unmasked will be required to wear a properly fitted KN95/KF94 mask at TSNS to return on Day 6 following a positive covid test.

Many policies will remain unchanged:

  • Support for all families’ and teachers’ choices to remain masked.
  • Use of the MyMedBot daily screening app (which will be updated to reflect shifts in policies).
  • Attention to air circulation in indoor spaces through continuing use of our air filtration units and opening windows as weather permits.
  • The expectation that those who are sick stay home:
    • This includes any symptoms of covid listed on our daily health screening that are not attributable to an alternate diagnosis (in which case a negative PCR test and/or doctor’s note is required to be cleared);
    • Families must also follow our regular TSNS illness policy set forth on page 19 of our Parent Handbook and in the DC Guidelines for Communicable Diseases provided in the Appendix on pages 30-32.
  • Our faculty members and facilities staff will continue to keep our materials and spaces clean, following sanitation and disinfection guidance from both OSSE and NAEYC.

As we look toward the possibility of additional changes in our covid policies, please know that we recognize that this is a challenging time of transition and a recalibration of mindsets and approaches. We also understand that we will likely not be able to make everyone happy with the decisions that we make; however, we hope that everyone feels that all decisions are made with the care, attention, and informed approach that they deserve, and that we will continue to place our children, families, faculty, and staff at the center of our decision-making process.

Shabbat Shalom and be well,

Ali Hurewitz

Truly Neighbors

Fabrikant-Lo FamilyWe had considered joining Temple Sinai (TS) in the fall of 2019 and then covid struck the world with force. We decided to delay our move from a local temple to Temple Sinai until religious school resumed face to face.

Moving on from our prior temple was a difficult one as we had many years of membership there, but we knew it was time for a fresh start with TS being so close (0.2 mi.). We have a next-door neighbor member and their child works at TSRS. We also knew the children would have plenty of classmates from Lafayette Elementary School. Jason’s mother Patty also made the move as a new member.

We were welcomed with open arms by clergy, teachers, and members. From the new member reception to the celebration of Sukkot where Niya got to shake the Lulav at Sukkot with Rabbi Roos’ direction, we have always felt cared for and valued at TS as an interfaith, interreligious, and multiracial family. Both Niya and Baba had wonderful consecrations and we got to rock out to Rabbi Diamondstein in concert for the last night of Hannukah.

We are so thankful for joining the TS community and being filled with such positive and loving energy during such a difficult time with the pandemic. We feel that being so close to TS its members, clergy, and staff have made us neighbors in the truest sense. The late Fred Rogers once said,

“When we look for what’s best in the person we happen to be with at the moment, we’re doing what G-d does, so in appreciating our neighbor, we’re participating in something truly sacred.”

We look forward to sharing many more moments with our neighbors at TS!

 

Jason Fabrikant & Joanna Lo, Parents of Niya & Baba

Temple Sinai Covid Policies Update – Winter 2021/2022

Updated 2/23/2022

Background Values
  • We’re concerned about the health and safety of our staff, members, guests and vendors while Covid persists.
  • With input from the Covid Advisory Group and the Temple Board, the Covid health situation is monitored on an ongoing basis and policies are shifted as needed.
  • Covid variants and the fact that vaccines are not available for all age groups makes it necessary to continue being careful.
  • At this time, for general temple programming and services, we are maintaining the policies established this Fall.
  • Temple schools may have more restrictive guidelines consistent with regulatory requirements and DC Health recommendations.

 

Current Requirements
  • Covid safety screenings*
    • Required for all who enter the building including members, staff, contractors and vendors. The temple staff or security contractors will be checking the following at entrances:
      • For those eligible for vaccination, show proof of vaccination (either card or image of it)
      • For those unable to be fully vaccinated,  show lab results of a negative Covid test. Test results must be from a CLIA certified lab; home test results are not accepted. Antigen tests taken within 24 hours or PCR tests within 72 hours are accepted.
    • Outdoors, in open settings, there is no requirement for vaccine card/test checks.
  • Masks
    • Indoors, masks must be worn at all times, except when leading services from the bimah.
    • Outdoors, masks are to be worn when there are large gatherings.
  • Food and drink
    • Indoors, no food or drink can be served for temple functions.
    • Outdoors, serving food and drink is okay (just avoiding crowding around areas where food is served).
  • Capacity
    • Indoor capacity is not limited except as required by school regulations if participants are mindful of the setting and situation.
    • Outdoor capacity is not limited except as required by school regulations or by an off-site location.
  • Religious School – Religious School guidelines permit students to enter the building without showing a negative Covid test or proof of vaccination when they are attending religious school.
  • Nursery School – Nursery School guidelines include reporting, quarantine and return-from-travel guidelines consistent with OSSE regulations and DC Health recommendations.

 

Social Hall Rentals
  • The TSWRJ is not providing their Kiddush Luncheon program at this time.
  • Members (and guests) will be:
    • Responsible for notifying their family and guests about the temple’s Covid entry requirements and masking rules.
    • Required to wear masks, except when eating.
    • Responsible for following the temple’s Covid-19 safety guidelines
    • Hiring all staffing needed to support their event, for setup through cleanup. (This is not a policy change, but it will be enforced).
  • Facilities staff will:
    • Set-up tables and chairs per plan.
    • Be available for problem solving such as temperature control, cleaning spills or clogs.
  • Facilities staff will not: Go into the social hall during celebrations except to solve a problem as needed.
  • Security staff will:
    • Check Covid safety documents at the door and will need to adhere to our policies.
    • Monitor mask-wearing outside of the social hall and kindly remind people to mask-up if they are not wearing them.

 

 

*There may be functions for which the indoor test requirement is waived. In these cases, the temple community will be made aware of the change and indoor physical distancing will be provided.

A Beacon of Light in the Darkness

How the Temple Sinai Library Continued Serving the Congregation During the Pandemic

The Purim Spiel was barely over and the laughter still echoed when the dark cloud of the pandemic descended, ending for the foreseeable future any possibility of the congregation of Temple Sinai in Washington, D.C. gathering in person. For the Library Committee, the closing of the Temple posed a number of challenges: How could we function if we could not meet in the library? How could we provide our most basic service – the lending of books – if congregants could not enter the Temple? And, most importantly, how could we maintain our cohesion as a committee and, at the same time, offer a lifeline to Temple members who now found themselves isolated in their homes, cut off from their social connections?

As thousands of Americans began dying of COVID-19, we faced our own, more personal angst: Our beloved and much-admired committee co-chair was terminally ill. A person whose dedication to the Library Committee knew no bounds, he quickly saw a need for the committee to continue functioning and came up with a solution: Zoom meetings. It was from these meetings that many good things flowed.

Before the pandemic, committee members would volunteer in the library on Mondays or Wednesdays and perform their tasks in small groups or individually. This arrangement meant that many members did not get to know each other well, if at all. With the advent of weekly Monday morning Zoom meetings, we met as a group where we processed and shared the changes in our lives and the world, drawing strength and support from each other. In addition, meeting virtually enabled our co-chair to stay involved even as his condition worsened.

Ideas and programs quickly developed. Among the most significant were the Circle of Book Lovers, a weekly compendium by one of our members of books, Israeli TV shows, movies, and virtual lectures and discussions; a book cart for contactless book borrowing; a major redo and improvement of the library’s homepage thanks to the work of a tech-savvy member; partnering with the nursery school to offer individual book bundles for Purim, Passover, and Shavuot; and the addition of a major new bibliography, A Guide to Jewish Perspectives on Ethics & Moral Values by still another member.

With the coming of 2021 and the prospect of vaccines to put an end to the pandemic, the mood of the committee brightened. Unfortunately, our optimism dampened with the very sad news that our co-chair had lost his battle against cancer.

In a time filled with pain and tragedy, the Library Committee never wavered in its commitment to the Temple community. In fact, it increased its efforts to serve in the face of severe obstacles, created new programs that continue as the Temple reopens, and welcomed new committee members. In doing so, the committee not only helped maintain the connections of Temple members to each other and to the wider world, it also strengthened the personal bonds among the committee as well.

 

Mitch Miller, Temple Sinai Library Volunteer

As published in the AJL News and Reviews. (December 2021/January 2022). a publication of the Association of Jewish Libraries.

Green Leader Spotlight: Micah Zeigler

Green Leader Spotlight: Micah Zeigler, Postdoctoral Associate at the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

 

What is the focus of your research and how does it relate to the environment?

I study energy systems and technological change to learn how we can accelerate the improvement and deployment of sustainable technologies. My current focus is energy storage technologies. First, I try to determine how energy technologies can help us mitigate climate change—how these technologies will need to be improved and how quickly. Then I try to figure out how to accelerate this improvement. Recently, I have been investigating why some technologies improve rapidly and are adopted broadly, while others never leave the lab. My research provides evidence-based guidance for those designing research, developing public policies, and directing private investments.

 

What can Temple Sinai members do to help accelerate the adoption of clean energy?

There are so many ways. Some Temple Sinai members are positioned to help usher in government policies that fund research, development, and deployment of sustainable energy technologies. Others can encourage their businesses and firms to make more responsible investments and adopt more sustainable practices. Everyone can participate in the political process and encourage their elected representatives, at all levels of government, to support clean energy. Finally, there are many personal choices we can make. We can favor public transportation, walking, and biking, or switch to electric vehicles. Those with resources (e.g., a home, sufficient capital) can install solar panels, geothermal systems, and more efficient heating and air conditioning units, appliances, and lighting.

 

When did you first become interested in environmental sustainability?

It started at a very young age. My grandfather had a passion for the outdoors, and my mother passed on this passion to me and my twin sister. Our favorite family vacations were exploring the National Parks, from tromping through Acadia as toddlers to backpacking in Yosemite as teenagers. As a result, I started getting involved in environmental organizations in middle and high school, and I have focused my education and career on environmental issues ever since.

 

Do you think there is any connection between your Jewish values and your career path?

Absolutely. I learned about Tikkun Olam early on, and I believe that helping to repair the world is a mitzvah. I am fortunate to be able to spend my days doing just that.

 

What’s your favorite way to eat a bagel?

Sesame or poppy seeds, halved, toasted, with whipped, scallion cream cheese.

 

So much of the environmental news we read is depressing. What motivates you to continue with your research?

The community and the stakes. There are many brilliant, motivated individuals who are working to help society mitigate, and adapt to, climate change. Knowing that we are all working together motivates me. The stakes are high. We need to succeed because this is our only option: there’s no other planet we can call home.

 

 Is there anything you miss about Temple Sinai, now that you’re no longer living in the DC area?
I miss the community, and blowing shofar on the High Holy Days. However, whenever I can, I try to come down for Rosh Hashanah.

This article is part of Green Team series highlighting Temple Sinai members of all ages working to protect the planet. Know someone who fits the bill? Email Robyn Miller-Tarnoff  robynmt@comcast.net and let us know who they are so we can feature them in a future article. We’re interested in environmental work at the international, national, state, regional, and community/school level.   

Green Leader Spotlight: Ellen Kurlansky

This is a first in a new series about Temple Sinai members who are working or volunteering on behalf of the environment. Who should we interview next? Send suggestions to Green Team Co-Chair Robyn Miller-Tarnoff at robynmt@comcast.net.  

Green Leader Spotlight: Ellen Kurlansky, Former Policy Analyst at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

What was the focus of your work at the Environmental Protection Agency?

Most of my career focused on the environmental effects of energy production and use.  At EPA, I was in the Air Office, where I worked mainly on developing regulations to reduce toxic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the electric power industry.

 

Since you retired from the EPA, how have you continued volunteer on behalf of the environment?

I volunteer with a group of former EPA staffers. We came together during the Trump years, when we put out materials to make the public aware of the harm being done as Trump’s EPA rolled back years of environmental progress. Now, we focus on lending support to the Agency as it resumes its mission of environmental protection and faces the challenge presented by climate change.

 

Do you see a connection between your Jewish values and your career?

Absolutely.  All of life depends on the health of the natural world.  The Torah tells us to choose life so that we and our children may live. (Deut. 30;19)

Today we are faced with a world that is badly in need of repair.  Climate change threatens our way of life and the ability of the world to support life itself.  Pollution continues to threaten life and especially threatens poor and minority populations in the U.S. and globally. Consistent with tikkun olam, Judaism requires that we act.  I often think that is the most Jewish thing I can do.

 

What’s your favorite Jewish food?
I like latkes, matzo ball soup and lokshen kugel (the way I make it which is very unhealthy but delicious).

A Very Unusual and Appreciated Yom Kippur Service

This year, as we have done for almost 20 years, our family led High Holiday services at Five Star Premier Residences of Chevy Chase – a senior living community.  Due to the pandemic, we were unable to be there in 2020, but this year we were determined to find a way.  We arrived as a group of eight, plus a recorded version of Cantor Laura Croen chanting the major prayers, and with Ted Rosen accompanying shofar.

The plan was to hold services outside on the patio, but the weather did not cooperate.  Instead, it flash-flooded, complete with g thunder and lightning.  We did not feel comfortable going inside given  unvaccinated young children in our family, so we found a compromise.  As seen below, the residents remained inside and masked. We led our service from  outside, underneath a tailgate tent, and used a microphone to transmit the liturgy and music inside to the Five Star congregation.

From the outside, we relied on residents’ cues regarding our volume (see the photo below).  A pole attached to the awning covering us had to be raised every few minutes to drain the rain water to prevent it from collapsing.

In past years, when we’ve been inside and together with the residents, we could see how the service, and particularly the music, transported them to a place rich with memories and meaning.  This year, it was impossible to see through the window that was covered in rain and difficult to hear their responsive reading through the thunder.  Even with the challenges, it was wonderful to be back at Five Star and to bring services to a community that otherwise wouldn’t be able to participate in the High Holy Days.

Although they thank us for coming every year, we are the ones most grateful for the opportunity to share the holiday with them.   It is a very rewarding and moving experience for us.

Patrice and Barney Feinstein
Kimmy Feinstein
Deena Feinstein Krulewitz and Adam Krulewitz
Emily, John and Maddie Havnewitz

Sanctuary Phase 1 Holiday Update

The final touches are being put on this project including installing the new carpeting and painting touch-ups (see photos below). We are excited for congregants see the refreshed sanctuary and social hall with comfortable, flexible seating; a more accessible bimah; new restrooms; vastly improved lighting; and state-of-the-art audio-visual systems that will allow us to continue offering weekly worship, life cycle events and holidays both in person and virtually.
We hope that whether you plan on attending our outdoor High Holidays services or our indoor Sanctuary services, you have the opportunity to see these new renovations either in person or virtually on Zoom.
A special thank you to the many generous supporters of the Honor our Heritage, Build our Future Capital Campaign for making this transformative project possible!
Shanah Tovah,
Andrew Engel and Naomi Camper
Co-chairs, Honor our Heritage, Build our Future Campaign for Temple Sinai
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CONTACT INFO

www.templesinaidc.org
3100 Military Rd NW
Washington DC 20015
Main: (202) 363-6394
TSNS: (202) 362-3836
TSRS: (202) 363-1942
Fax: (202) 363-6396

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