8/19/21

Dear Beloved Adas Community,

As we approach the coming High Holy Days together as a community, we are holding two important truths:

1) We are profoundly grateful and excited we’ll be celebrating together in a myriad of different ways, in and outside of our building (please see below to learn about our beautiful outdoor tented prayer space), as well as in homes all over the world via livestream. 

And 2) In just a matter of weeks, the ground has shifted beneath our feet once again with the evolution of the Delta variant and the many concerns and challenges it poses – particularly as we approach a gathering of such numbers. 

First and foremost, we are beyond proud and grateful for the remarkable creativity and diligence of our Team Adas and volunteers, who have (once again) created an exciting and inspirational operational vision for our holidays together, under ever challenging circumstances. We are building towards something truly special. And we really cannot wait to share it with you.

That said, this is a big moment, and we are all experiencing a wide range of emotions. On the one hand, it’s clear our (well-founded) confidence in the efficacy of these vaccines against severe illness continues to be a shining beacon of hope and light for all of us. On the other hand, the news shifts rapidly, many of our community’s children are not yet vaccinated, and we each have a range of personal and hugely important considerations to make on a near daily basis in this ever-changing reality. 

As of today, the fundamentals of the vision and plan we shared for the coming Days of Awe have not changed. 

That said, and as we knew would be the case, we and our hard-working Medical Task Force are constantly assessing in real time to ensure we do everything we reasonably can to keep each other as safe as humanly possible. During this time of continuing unknowns, risk of exposure to COVID-19 remains an inherent facet of gathering in any environment. And, the science is very clear: Vaccines are highly effective in preventing serious illness, and mask-wearing and distancing remain the best ways of suppressing further spread. 

As such, we as a community will commit to each other in the following ways, as we gather for our Days of Awe: 
 

	VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS We expect all community members who are eligible for COVID vaccinations to be fully vaccinated prior to joining us for in-person services. Upon entering our campus, all community members age 12+ will be asked to present both your High Holy Day Admittance Pass and  either a physical or digital copy of your vaccine card. Services will be available both indoors and outdoors. Community members 12+ who are ineligible for vaccination should please communicate with us directly, thank you.
	YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES OUTDOORS Given the unusually large number of onsite participants during the High Holy Days, and to ensure we do everything we reasonably can to protect our community's unvaccinated children, community members age 11 and under and their families are warmly invited to join us for our outdoor services at Adas. This includes clergy-led Family Services in our (beautiful) outdoor tented sanctuary in the Adas Parking Lot. Indoor participation will be limited to vaccinated community members only (please note: event-quality, temporary restrooms will be available in the parking area, to reduce the need for further indoor foot traffic).
	FACE MASKS, PLEASE Face masks will be required for all onsite participants, both indoors and outdoors, anywhere on the Adas campus, at all times.
	PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND INDOOR CAPACITY  Seating in all service spaces will be designed to encourage reasonable physical distancing. We ask that all community members adhere to any posted signage and maintain a mindful distance between households in all gathering areas throughout the campus. Should any of our indoor service spaces reach capacity, community members will be guided to our outdoor service locations.
	OUTDOOR WORSHIP, IN A (IMPRESSIVE!) TENTED PRAYER SPACE As you have read, this year, we will proudly introduce our HaMakom Outdoor Tented Sanctuary -- a beautiful, weather-resistant tented prayer space outdoors in our reimagined Adas parking area. In addition to our usual indoor worship spaces, these outdoor, clergy-led services will significantly increase seating capacity, reduce congestion indoors, and enhance the comfort and safety of community members. The latest schedule reflects a handful of location changes, with select services having migrated from indoors to outdoors. We will mail you a new printed version of this schedule along with your High Holy Day admittance passes roughly 10 days before Rosh Hashanah.

As a reminder, in addition to in-person services, all services and programs will be available via a high-quality livestream experience -- all delivered with the quality and thought you have come to expect from our incredible Team Adas. Visit adasisrael.org/highholydays to livestream during services.

Together throughout these High Holy Days, we will welcome one another, we will inspire one another, and we will protect one another. 

With profound and sincerest gratitude, 

Janice Mostow, Adas Israel President
Lauren Holtzblatt & Aaron Alexander, Co-Senior Rabbis