Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we at Temple have been in close communication with the Oregon Health Authority, other Faith Institutions nationally and locally, and health care professionals in our community. We have been guided by our Jewish responsibilities to preserve life (Pikuach Nefesh), and to serve the spiritual, emotional, educational and communal needs of our congregation (Avodah). We have learned a great deal and have attempted to be creative and serve as an example of good stewardship. We are also consistently learning from best practices and by listening to our community.
We are very pleased to see in this moment vaccination rates rise and infections fall. As Multnomah and other counties move to lower risk designations, we are charting the path back to returning our Temple to pre-pandemic operations. While noting that this disease and its variants are unpredictable and that public health directives can change, we are planning the process for in-person Shabbat services.
One commitment we are making: we have learned that for many the convenience and safety of attending services on-line remains important. Our plan is to retain that option as one of the ways to include and welcome participants. We are investigating technologies beyond Zoom to make the online experiences as high-quality and inclusive as possible. More on that later.
Beginning in June (next Friday, June 4), we plan to hold in-person Friday night services every week, which will be available simultaneously online.
For these first services, we are going to
To request attendance, please fill out this brief form by 9:00 PM on Wednesday before the service, or call the Temple office at (503) 222-1069. Those whose requests to join us we are able to accommodate will be notified by 12:00 PM on Thursday.
Click here to register for in-person Shabbat Services
We anticipate the details will change throughout the summer as conditions develop.
We are also planning outdoor services (Shabbat on the Plaza) to begin in July.
Announcements about the High Holidays will be coming soon.
We are grateful for your patience and we very much look forward to seeing you Beneath Our Dome.
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