Dear Friends,
Our staff and leadership at Havurah have been carefully discerning how to respond to this moment. In the face of the current state of the coronavirus outbreak, it is clear that we have arrived at needing to adjust how we are in community together.
We want to stress first and foremost that, amidst the adjustments we make, we will indeed still be together. This is a time in which we need community as much as ever. So while this moment calls for adaptation, we can and will find ways to remain connected and to support one another.
Hineinu. Here we are. This is the call we have been lifting up all year, and this is the intention we offer right now. Even as we need to shift the ways in which we connect, we are still very much here together. At the heart of our commitment right now is being there for each of us who is alone or isolated in any way. In the challenges we will face — medically, financially, spiritually, or otherwise — please know that the leadership and community support networks within Havurah are present and activated. We will be reaching out as best we can, and please do not hesitate to be in touch with any of us for any reason.
In a certain sense, the message for this moment is the same message we have been focused on for these last few years: Even amidst forces that might create distance between us, we must not allow ourselves to become distant from each other. And so rather than simply canceling gatherings, we will instead find new and creative ways to remain connected and perhaps even strengthen our connections. We need to find each other now, more than ever.
Let us draw strength from one another, and from the knowledge that we each are wading through feelings of uncertainty and fear. Those are normal and appropriate responses to the seriousness of this situation. So let us meet them with understanding and compassion. Remembering that we are not alone in this, let our hearts be shaped toward greater love and kindness — for ourselves, for one another, and for all those who feel vulnerable. These are our gifts, and they will escort us through this difficult time.
Of course, we want to protect the health of our families and friends. We also feel an obligation to act in a way that will help our community flatten the curve, to slow the rate of infection so that health services are not overwhelmed, so that the people who will become seriously ill will have access to the care they need. Each choice we make can be an act of care.
To keep everyone safe and prevent the spread of the virus, the following changes in how we gather will begin tomorrow. For now, they will remain in place until April 16, the end of Pesach, and we will evaluate as we go.
1. We will meet virtually via Zoom (a platform for virtual meeting rooms similar to FaceTime or Skype) for as much of our group activity as possible. If you haven't heard yet, Havurah now has the means to host these virtual meetings spaces on our website here. You must be signed in to access this page, and your room will be assigned to you.
2. We will not be sharing meals together. Rachel will be in touch with those who’ve RSVP’d for the Kabbalat Shabbat dinner tomorrow.
3. We will stream all services, beginning with tomorrow’s Kabbalat Shabbat service, which you can virtually join at 7:30 pm by signing in and clicking Room Aleph here. We will be sending you the links for Saturday community minyanim and Wednesday morning minyanim so you can join in then too. Leaders and leyners will broadcast from the sanctuary. The technology may be a little shaky at first, but we’ll do our best to refine and improve as we go.
4. Shabbat School will be meeting through Zoom beginning this Saturday until April 18. Deborah will send a specific message with links to those families.
5. The Leadership Development Training scheduled for Sunday will be rescheduled. We’ll announce the new date as we learn more.
6. Havurah High will meet through Zoom for its last session. Deborah will send a specific message with links to those families.
7. Committees will meet through Zoom. Each meeting currently on the calendar will get a Zoom room assignment from Rachel. If you want to schedule an upcoming virtual meeting, be in touch with Rachel to receive a Zoom room.
8. We will let you know if and when office hours change, as staff is working from home as necessary. Right now, they will remain the same. If you need to come to the building, be sure to bring the alarm code with you.
Havurah has a crisis core team made up of Steering, members and staff, working together to continually monitor the situation and to make sure Havurahniks can stay connected during this challenging time.
We will be increasing our communications to you, to let you know about virtual programs, to remind you of how to get into virtual meetings and services, and to share new information as we learn it. Click here to access the website guide which has instructions on how to find the member directory and how to find our Zoom rooms. You must be signed in to see them here.
Let us — proverbially! — join hands and walk through this moment together. Even if it will largely be virtual, it will very much be real. May we each be protected from harm. And may we draw from the amazing wisdom and generosity that is within us as we say to one another: "Hineinu."
Sincerely,
Leadership & Staff of Havurah Shalom
