Kol HaLev Community Brit for In-person Gatherings
(v. 7.0, July 1, 2023)
This brit (covenant) sets out the practices which constitute Kol HaLev’s health and safety policies, as well as the beliefs and values which inform those practices. All members and their guests must agree to this covenant as a prerequisite to participating in Kol HaLev’s in-person services and events.
Our community values
As a welcoming, caring and inclusive community, we’re guided by the Jewish values of b’riyut (health and wellness), k’vod habriot (human dignity), kehila (commitment to community), d’veykut (connection to the divine) and sh’lom bayit (collective harmony). We recognize that among our members, there’s a diversity of comfort levels and preferences in relation to COVID-19 risk mitigation practices.
Turning values into practices
When we gather together for in-person services or events, we are committing to:
- Doing more than is required to protect the vulnerable: Despite our recent turn to optional masking, our COVID-19 safety protocols still exceed the guidelines of other local synagogues. Safeguarding all of our members' and guests' health is important to us; we would never want attending Kol HaLev to be the reason someone contracted COVID-19. Therefore, we continue the minhag (custom) of khumra (doing more than what is required) when it comes to holding members to higher expectations for vaccination, self-monitoring for symptoms, and reporting exposure.
- Including and protecting the vulnerable: Given the shifts in the world around us, and the preferences of a preponderance of our members, the board no longer feels justified in continuing to require mandatory masking at this time. This may mean some members no longer feel they may safely attend our events and services, unfortunately. For that reason, we commit to continue to offer multi-access options for services and events taking place in the Ratner Chapel and, to the best of our ability, in other locations as well. For example, currently our Shabbat services take place on Zoom every week, and on Zoom alone at least two times a month. .
- Honoring the choices and beliefs of others: As a community, we’re committed to treating one another with empathy, grace and respect, and to taking pains to avoid expressing opinions or taking actions which directly imperil others' sense of belonging and acceptance. This is especially important when it comes to the wide range of beliefs and behaviors among our members regarding COVID-19. Regardless of the degree of certainty with which we hold our own beliefs on this topic, we must also recognize that each of us faces our own unique circumstances and must honor the choices that each person makes to best take care of their own health, and/or that of their loved ones.
Our COVID policy and guidelines
How Kol HaLev’s COVID-19 policy is set: The Board of Trustees sets our COVID policy, making changes based on a balance of community values, guidance from Kol HaLev’s Pandemic Advisory Committee (PAC) and other factors.
General principles
- Our goal continues to be zero transmission of COVID-19 at Kol HaLev gatherings.
- Masking is always encouraged to protect your health and those of other community members.
- When masking is voluntary, other safety precautions become crucial in preventing inadvertent tranmission of COVID-19.
- When in doubt -- if you have symptoms of COVID or any other infectious illness -- stay home from Kol HaLev services and events and participate on Zoom.
Masking Guidelines
At the present time (summer 2023), masking is optional but recommended at all indoor Kol HaLev events.
Our Pandemic Advisory Committee (PAC) will continue to monitor the available data, particularly as we approach Fall 2023, when rates of infection are predicted to increase. Please keep in mind that increased community transmission may necessitate periods of mandatory masking in the future.
Other COVID-19 Safety Guidelines
Mandatory masking is so effective at mitigating the risk of COVID-19 transmission that until recently we haven't emphasized other important COVID-19 risk mitigation methods. Voluntary masking, however, means those other precautions are crucial to our efforts to prevent transmission of COVID-19 at Kol HaLev services and events. Please make sure you understand and can meet our community expectations for:
- Vaccination: Our community’s expectation is that you will only attend a Kol HaLev service or event if you have been fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 (to the extent advised by your healthcare provider).
- Self-monitoring for symptoms: Our community expects you to monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19 before attending Kol HaLev events. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 (that are not clearly due to another cause, such as allergies or asthma), please stay home and join us via Zoom.
- Exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Exposure to others with COVID-19 poses a risk to our community if you do not take the right precautions.
- If you are asymptomatic, you can attend in-person gatherings ONLY if you wear a well-fitting N95, KN95 or KF94 mask.
- If you develop symptoms of COVID or any other infectionious disease, do not come to any program or service in person. Please join us on Zoom.
- Confidential disclosure of infection. If you test positive for COVID-19 within 5 days of attending a Kol HaLev service or event, email us IMMEDIATELY at presidents@kolhalev.net so we can notify others who were in attendance. All information will be handled with confidentiality. You should also notify us if you 1) develop symptoms of COVID-19 though you have not yet tested positive, or 2) learn you have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Guidelines for kiddush/communal eating
- Eating together is an important component of communal life..
- All food brought to a Kol HaLev meal should comply with our Kashrut policy.
- Kiddush is NOT just for those who are not masking. If you'd like to join the conversation at kiddush and you’re comfortable being around others who are not masking, please feel free to attend kiddush wearing your mask.
- We have resumed holding outdoor potlucks. Stay tuned for opportunities.
Respecting one another’s limits
- Minimize stress: Because we value a culture of mutual respect, we employ consent-based practices to ensure all participants’ comfort at our events. To that end, we strive to make it possible for all attendees to be present for Kol HaLev events with minimal stress about masking, physical safety and unwanted proximity.
- Be aware of a diversity of preferences: While masking is optional, some members will continue to mask and/or avoid the physical proximity of hugs and handshakes. Others, whether masked or not, will welcome the proximity.
- Look for cues and ask permission: As you approach others, be alert for verbal cues or body language that indicate that physical proximity is unwanted. It’s always a safe choice to ask for permission before moving in for a hug or handshake, “May I give you a hug?”
Safety guidelines
Part of honoring pikuah nefesh (the value of human life) is making sure our meeting space is secure and that we’re prepared for medical emergencies, natural disasters and incidents of violence. To that end, we’ve created security protocols which are enforced by trained Greeter Corps volunteers. We ask that everyone:
- Obey all instructions from Kol HaLev greeters and Jewish Federation of Cleveland Security guards.
- Support our locked door, controlled entry policy: According to the FBI and Homeland Security, the combination of locked doors and controlled entry is the single most effective way to keep a community secure. To support this policy, never prop doors open.
Practice situational awareness: If you notice anyone or anything that seems odd or out of place, tell a Kol HaLev Greeter Corps volunteer right away.
Your commitment
Once you have read this brit, your attendance at any Kol HaLev event signifies your agreement with the terms of the brit and your willingness to adhere to Kol HaLev’s policies for in-person gatherings – even if you are comfortable with less stringent practices in your personal life. Doing so will enable us to create a communal space that is as safe, supportive, and comfortable as can be for all our attendees
