Coronavirus: Rabbinical Council of Australia and New Zealand and UPJ

From: Rabbinical Council of Australia and New Zealand

Following the 24 hour closure of a Synagogue in Melbourne the Rabbinical Council of Australia and New Zealand (RCANZ) has received inquiries on what precautions should be taken for davening in a Minyan and congregating in Shules.

Halacha requires us to follow medical advice in these circumstances. The RCANZ has contacted the Department of Health and has received the following guidelines which you are encouraged to implement and to share with your community if you deem appropriate:

• Individuals experiencing symptoms of the COVID-19 virus should not attend Synagogue and should seek medical advice. Details of the symptoms and other relevant information can be found at https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov
• Synagogues visited by individuals who have recently experienced or are currently experiencing these symptoms or who were confirmed to have contracted the virus should contact the Department of Health and seek its advice. These Synagogues will be assessed by the Department on a case by case basis.
• Individuals who are healthy should continue attending Synagogue as usual ensuring proper hygiene by washing their hands regularly with soap and/or hand sanitizer.
• Common surfaces touched by multiple people (including the Mezuza) should be cleaned regularly.
• Panic and hysteria are not helpful. People should use common sense and follow medical advice from official sources.

From: the Union for Progressive Judaism

In light of the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we wish to update you on the actions that the Union for Progressive Judaism is taking to protect our community and do our part to reduce the spread of the virus.

The following plan is based on advice provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as recommendations made by the UPJ Executive Committee. It was also informed by messages prepared by the leadership of North Shore Temple Emanuel and Temple Beth Israel, who generously allowed us to share information they had compiled. For further resources regarding COVID-19, please refer to www.health.gov.au.

Given that the UPJ has organised a full calendar of events for the UIA Progressive Appeal, continuing between today 12 March and 24 March with our guest speaker Rabbi David Saperstein, we share the following protocol for those who plan to attend these events in Melbourne and Sydney:

Determining if you need to isolate

• If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, such as a fever, cough or sore throat, please ensure you seek medical attention (although people displaying these symptoms may simply be suffering from a cold or respiratory illness) and do not attend communal/congregational events while symptoms persist.
• If you have any concerns about your health, please consult a medical professional.
• If you have returned from overseas travel, please consider isolating yourselves for 14 days from communal/congregational events.
• If your children attend schools that have closed down in response to the spread of the virus, please isolate yourselves until it has been deemed safe for them to return to school.

Avoiding spread of germs/virus

• Avoid shaking hands, kissing and hugging when greeting each other. Consider adopting alternative greetings, like a touch on the back, or placing one or both hands over your heart.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of used tissues in a rubbish bin, and wash your hands frequently.
• Ensure frequent hand-washing with soap and use alcohol-based hand sanitisers.

Advice about upcoming UIA Progressive Appeal events

For now, our plans and programming will continue, and if you are well and able, we thank you for attending the upcoming events with Rabbi David Saperstein, and for your support of the UIA Progressive Appeal:

• Thursday 12 March at 7.30pm: “Faith, Fanaticism and the Jewish Future” at Temple Beth Israel, St Kilda (note: this event will also be live-
  streamed, click https://www.youtube.com/tbimelbourne)
• Friday 13 March at 6.15pm: Kabbalat Shabbat at Temple Beth Israel, St Kilda, VIC
• Saturday 14 March at 10.00am: Shabbat service at the Leo Baeck Centre for Progressive Judaism, East Kew, VIC
• Saturday 14 March at 7.30pm: Havdalah at Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue, Bentleigh, VIC
• Monday 16 March at 10.00am: “Conversations about Israel” class at Emanuel Synagogue, Woollahra, NSW
• Wednesday 18 March at 7.00pm: “The Battle for Religious Freedom and Tolerance in Israel: The Future of Progressive Judaism in the Jewish
  State” at Emanuel Synagogue, Woollahra, NSW
• Friday 20 March at 6.30pm: Shabbat service at North Shore Temple Emanuel, Chatswood, NSW
• Saturday 21 March at 9.00/10.00am: Shabbat services at Emanuel Synagogue, Woollahra, NSW

We hope that you remain well and reach out to those around you who might be particularly concerned at this time and could benefit from your support and care.