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Congregation Sinai

The Coronavirus pandemic and the order to shelter in place have required us to adapt in unexpected ways. Congregation Sinai remains committed to fulfilling our mission of connecting Jews to Judaism, each other, Israel, and the world.  This page will be updated with online resources, some offered by Sinai, others by outside groups. At these difficult times, we need to feel connected with each other more than ever.

For specific information about Covid safety protocols, please continue reading or click ahead to the appropriate section.

COVID Safety Protocols for Congregation Sinai

*updated March 3, 2022

Everyone who comes to Congregation Sinai is expected to observe the following rules.

  • Masks are strongly advised but optional for all vaccinated individuals in most indoor settings.

  • Sinai will continue to require universal masking at high density gatherings on a case by case basis.

  • Everyone is asked to bring a mask with them to Sinai in case the need to mask arises.

  • Congregants are asked to assess their personal level of risk tolerance and adjust accordingly: immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, and those with risk factors for severe COVID 19 infection should consider continuing to mask whenever possible.

  • Please continue to be mindful and not come to communal events when ill with possible COVID symptoms.

  • Out of respect for the varying comfort levels of Sinai members, a mask-only seating section will be designated on the main floor of the sanctuary. The balcony will also be reserved for those who prefer not to sit near people who are unmasked. Chairs in both sections will remain distanced from one another. 

  • A vaccinated person alone on the bimah may choose to remove their mask. To be as inclusive as possible, groups of people from two or more households are asked to wear a mask. 

  • To maximize ventilation during Shabbat services, five HEPA air purifiers will continue to be in operation and the doors to the sanctuary will remain open.

  • For the time being, Kiddush will remain outdoors, though indoor options may be offered on an as-needed basis (such as inclement weather conditions).

Joining Services from Home

  • Congregation Sinai has recently invested in high quality audio/visual equipment for the sanctuary. All Shabbat services are being live streamed at www.sinai-sj.org/live. No account or password is required.

As a community committed to multi-generational experiences, we must take into consideration a variety of factors in the policies we enact. We also know that there are fully-vaccinated and boosted members who are still nervous about returning to normal indoor activities and are trusting that their fellow synagogue members are keeping them safe. As a caring community, we are confident that our members will take responsibility for their own actions, while respecting the feelings of their fellow members.

Throughout the past year, the Sinai Covid Health & Safety Task Force has operated under several guiding principles, rooted in Jewish tradition.

  • Pikuach Nefesh - Our number one priority has been prospecting the health and safety of our community. To that end, we have followed health guidances issued by the State of California as well as  Santa Clara County, defaulting to the more conservative of the two.

  • She’at Hadehak - This has been an unprecedented, “extraordinary moment.” The situation has changed continually over the past year, and we have all needed to be flexible. At the same time we also have known that the need for precautions was ultimately temporary, and that there would eventually be a return to normal circumstances.

  • Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Lazeh - “All of Israel are responsible for one another.” We have done our best to accommodate the needs of our entire community, recognizing that this invariably has meant that we would have to make sacrifices for one another.

  • Chesed - We treat each other with kindness and respect. We recognize that the pandemic has engendered a wide variety of feelings and comfort levels among our membership over whether we gather in-person or remotely, indoors or outdoors, distanced or close, masked or unmasked.

Prayer During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Shabbat and Yom Tov services are being held in-person and by Livestream.

THe Sunday Morning Minyan is held in-person and on zoom

We use the same login ID for all services, which begin at 9:00 am. Please note, you will be asked to enter a password, which members receive via email. It is the same password every time.

To participate in services, click here: https://zoom.us/j/97246212184.

Meeting ID: 972 4621 2184

If you need to phone in, dial (669) 900-9128. You will be asked to enter your meeting ID, which is 972 4621 2184. You will then be asked to enter a numeric password.

For a step-by-step guide to using Zoom, click here: https://www.sinai-sj.org/how-to-use-zoom.

If you would like to personalize the experience by downloading a Virtual Background of the Sinai sanctuary to use during online services, click here.

Normally, Congregation Sinai would not be holding online services on Shabbat. Only in emergency situations (sha’at ha-d’chak) like the one in which we currently find ourselves may we consider alternatives.

We have a range of practices in the Sinai community. There are some who are eager to participate in online Shabbat services. Others would prefer to pray privately, feeling that the peace and tranquility of Shabbat would be disturbed by technology. Either approach is acceptable. If participation online is what you need for prayer, community, and solace at this difficult time, please join us Shabbat morning at 9:00 am.

For technical instructions for automating the process of logging into Zoom, click here.

Below you will find some of Rabbi Berkenwald’s thinking regarding these questions for Congregation Sinai.

There are two primary halakhic questions that must be addressed:

  1. Minyan - What is the status of a group of adult Jews who gather together over the internet, and what are the implications on the prayers that can be recited?

  2. Shabbat - Can one go online to participate in communal worship on Shabbat?

Different synagogues have found different solutions. The Committee on Jewish Laws and Standards (CJLS) of the Rabbinical Assembly has issued rulings on both of these questions in recent years, and provided updated guidance for the current situation. These have informed our thinking on this subject. Here are links to the CJLS documents if you are interested:

Streaming Services on Shabbat and Yom Tov

The Use of Electrical and Electronic Devices on Shabbat

Wired to the Kadosh Barukh Hu: Minyan Over the Internet

CJLS Guidance for Remote Minyanim in a time of COVID-19

Minyan

Certain prayers that are considered to be public declarations of the holiness of God’s name require a minyan (prayer quorum) to be recited. These prayers include Bar’khu, Kedushah, Kaddish, and the formal public reading of the Torah from the scroll. To constitute a minyan for these purposes, ten Jewish adults must be physically present with one another.

Back in the days of the Talmud, the Rabbis discussed a situation in which a person could see and hear a service from outside the room. All agree that this person is not counted towards the minyan. One Rabbi offers a lenient position, arguing that this person should be allowed to respond to the prayers along with those who are inside the room.

The fundamental concept of the minyan is that we are meant to be together.  Although technology that allows us to both see and hear one another in near real time puts us in an interesting in-between situation, it seems pretty clear from all of the sources that physical presence is necessary. For this reason, we will be praying the normal service together, but will not recite Bar’khu, Chatzi Kaddish, Kaddish Shalem, and the Kedushah. In place of the Torah service, we will hear a summary of the Parashah, chant a short section from a book, and hear a D’var Torah inspired by the week’s Torah portion.

Mourner’s Kaddish

The Mourner’s Kaddish (as well as Kaddish D’rabbanan) is a bit different. Its recitation emerged as a custom in the Middle Ages, giving us some space to be more lenient in terms of considering a minyan. As a result, mourners will have the opportunity to recite the Mourner’s Kaddish provided that:

  • There are at least ten Jewish adults connected by both audio and video (i.e. unmuted, camera on)

  • Anyone reciting the Mourner’s Kaddish must be unmuted

Shabbat

Coming together each week on Shabbat is the focal point of the Sinai community.  Under normal circumstances, Shabbat at Congregation Sinai constitutes a low-tech island of peace in the heart of Silicon Valley. Shabbat offers us a much-needed rest from our enslavement to technology.  We gather to pray, talk, connect, eat and drink, learn, and play games.  We have been unable to do these things lately.  I fear what will happen to us, both individually and as a community, if we cannot find ways to maintain our connections with one another.

The use of electricity on Shabbat is a complicated topic that does not fall into any of the obvious categories of prohibited labor. A recent CJLS ruling placed it in the Rabbinic category of sh’vut, which essentially means that it is not in the spirit of Shabbat. In light of the extreme circumstances, we are able to rule leniently by relaxing the rabbinic prohibition.

To be clear, this relaxation is only for purposes of gathering together in communal prayer. To the extent that we can minimize our manipulation of electronic devices by setting things up ahead of time, we should do so. It is possible to log in to the service on Friday before sundown, leaving the computer running and the connection live. If you choose to do so, keep in mind that you will have to decide whether you are comfortable leaving your screen and microphone active while unattended.

Siddurim & Humashim 

The Rabbinical Assembly has made scanned images of the Siddur and Humash available for those who do not have them at home. These scans are meant for personal and non-commercial use only. Selling, renting, copying, and distributing this material is prohibited. You may print up to three (3) copies for your personal use.

For those who need to say Kaddish, please note this special prayer for recitation when there is no minyan.

Siddur Sim Shalom (what we use at Sinai)

Siddur Lev Shalem

Etz Hayim Humash

Siddurim and Humashim for Purchase and Download

If you would like to purchase your own prayer book or Torah, the Rabbinical Assembly has discounted prices for Siddurim and our Humash. Please see below.

Books may be ordered via the links above, at www.rabbinicalassembly.org/publications, or by calling our distributor, G & H Soho, at (201) 216-9400 ext. 2.

 

COVID-19 Health and Safety Po licies This document sets out the congregation's safety policies in light of COVID-19, considering current religious, civic, scientific and practical considerations. The COVID-19 Health and Safety Committee is an ad-hoc committee authorized by the congregation's board of directors, subject to the board's authority and oversight.