California allowing up to 100 people in synagogues — just in time for Shavuot holiday
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Aiden Pink May 27, 2020
Guidelines issued by the state of California on Monday will allow up to 100 people to attend services at synagogues and other houses of worship.
Synagogue attendance will be capped at 100 people or 25% capacity, whichever is smaller. All attendees not in an immediate family unit will have to maintain distancing of six feet, and people will be strongly encouraged to wear face masks. Singing, which has been shown to spread the virus, will be discouraged but not banned.
The news will likely be welcomed by many Jews excited by the holiday of Shavuot, which starts Thursday night and is marked by all-night Torah study.
“We are very thankful to the Governor for prioritizing this issue,” said Dr. Irving Lebovics, the chairman of Agudath Israel of California, in a statement. “The Jewish residents of the state of California consider these houses of worship essential and have been aching to return in a safe manner.”
In contrast to California’s plan, New York, which has the country’s biggest Jewish population, only allows a maximum of 10 people in its synagogue reopening policies.
Aiden Pink is the deputy news editor of the Forward. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @aidenpink
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
