Friday, June 4, 2021

Reflections on COVID

The last fifteen months have been extraordinarily challenging on many levels. Our generation was afflicted with a lethal pandemic that few people anticipated would occur in our lifetime. The world as we knew it unraveled, and many societal norms fell by the side. Congregational and communal life did not have immunity in the pandemic. Along with shuls around the world, our shul made the unprecedented and painful decision to close its doors in March of 2020 with the hope of containing an unknown and unpredictable virus from spreading throughout our community. In May of 2020, we began a phased and deliberate reopening of our beloved shul. We started with outdoor minyanim held in the parking lot and eventually moved back to the building with strict protocols. We assembled a blue-ribbon COVID task force and gave them the responsibility of advising us through this unknown maze. Our task force is comprised of lay leaders, physicians, and rabbis and meets regularly to assess and evaluate the situation on the ground regularly. All the taskforce's decisions and policies were guided by two core values to which we profess our fidelity. Those two values are Pikuach Nefesh/Saving Lives and Communal Tefila. Every decision that was made was because of our steadfast commitment to our values. One value that regrettably did not make it to the top of the list was convenience. We recognize that many of the protocols, including mandatory mask wearing, were inconvenient and burdensome. While we regret some of the inconveniences that we had to endure, we are proud of our accomplishments over the last year since our phased reopening began. To our knowledge, while several individuals tested positive for COVID in our community, there wasn't any transmission of the virus in the shul building! We are also proud that we have a consistent daily minyan under sometimes very trying circumstances without missing a day! It is a remarkable testament to this community, and we are so grateful to everyone that participated in our Daily Minyan! I also want to express my appreciation to all the members of the COVID taskforce for spending so much time and energy on this most important issue.  As we thank G-d seem to be finally turning a corner with COVID, we are pleased to move forward with the next phase of the reopening that will roll back the policy of mandatory mask-wearing. This is an important milestone, and we first and foremost need to be thankful to G-d for getting us to this moment. I believe that this is an essential time for reflection as hopefully, the harsh reality of COVID continues to fade in our lives. One of the outcomes of COVID was the widening gap of trust and respect among different groups and people. There is a diversity of viewpoints on many issues, including public health. Unfortunately, disagreement sometimes leads to polarization and division. It's essential to realize that while others may not share your view on critical issues; it's imperative to engage in respectful dialogue. Achdus or Unity is quite easy with people with like-minded opinions. It is slightly more challenging to foster achdus/unity with people that we disagree. Yet, that is our challenge, and we must live up to the moment.  COVID has created a new reality in many areas of life. Some are positive, and some are disappointing. Healthy dialogue, Derech Eretz  and respect for people with differing views mustn't become another casualty of the pandemic. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

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