OUR COMMUNITY
A Return to
Worship Not everyone plans to bring members back into the sanctuary. B’nai Moshe, Adat Shalom, Temple Kol Ami, Shir Tikvah and T’chiyah are among the congregations that will remain virtual for now. In response to a written request from the Jewish News, congregation leaders outlined their plans. Some statements have been edited for brevity. Adat Shalom Synagogue: “Adat Shalom has no current plans for a return to a physical presence in the short term. We have held b’nai/ b’not mitzvah in our sanctuary on Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh, and the attendance has been limited to family members with an attendance not to exceed 25 individuals. All of our daily, evening and Shabbat services are Zoomed, and we anticipate that will become part of the new normal. Clergy, members of the professional staff and synagogue members will be meeting in the not too distant future to discuss a timetable for a return to a physical presence in the synagogue.” — Alan Yost, executive director
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Some shuls have begun limited in-person sevices; others wait. JENNIFER LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
L
ast March, when COVID forced us to stop gathering publicly, many synagogues transitioned their services to an online format, where they remain today. One year later, as more people are becoming vaccinated and, for a while, the number of reported cases in Michigan was trending downward, things slowly started opening up. Public schools brought students back into the classrooms, restaurants reopened with capacity limits, and a small number of fans can now attend sporting events. Event coordinator and logistic manager CBHAM.ORG
Virtual for Now
Stained glass at Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Beth Ahm sanctuary
seem to be the new roles of rabbis since the pandemic started. Rabbi Yechiel Morris of Young Israel of Southfield (YIS) half-jokingly said he used to spend his spare time working on sermons. Now he devotes his extra time to making sure congregants are safe when they come to synagogue. After a three-month pause, YIS resumed services last June, offering indoor and outdoor options. Each holiday presents a unique set of challenges for shuls like YIS, depending on the time of year and typical crowd size. Purim, for example, took significant planning, resulting in multiple services to accommodate the number of people who wanted to observe the festive holiday at shul. More congregations are reopening or expanding their number of participants for in-person services but keeping an online presence. Others, however, are choosing to remain virtual. A SLOW AND SAFE RETURN In January, Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield started allowing up to 15
