Halachic and Practical Guidance for Minyanim in Shul with COVID-19 Precautions

Halachic and Practical Guidance for Minyanim in Shul with COVID-19 Precautions

Weekday Shacharis

  • Davening at Shul is now a complete Davening, Shacharis starting with Brachos, full Kedushah, etc.
  • Daveners should take care to enter the part of the building appropriate to the location of their minyan (those davening in the Belonofsky Sanctuary should enter at the top of the hill, those davening in other minyanim should enter the glass doors of the lower lobby).
  • Upon entry, and throughout one’s stay in the building, daveners should make sure to maintain social distancing of at least 8 feet between themselves and others.
  • Daveners should make sure to be wearing masks which cover the mouth and nose upon entering the building, and continue to wear the mask throughout their time in the building. The chazzan, baal korai, and gabbai should also wear their masks at all times.
  • Unless one is wearing gloves, one should apply hand sanitizer, to be found near the entrance, upon entering the building. In the event that hand sanitizer is not present, one may wash thoroughly with soap at the sink near the entrance.
  • Tallis and tefillin should be put on by one’s seat in the minyan in which he will be davening. Tallis and tefillin should not be put on by a ledge or table, so as to minimize the possibility of germ transfer.
  • Daveners should sit in one of the seats marked for davening. The markings are to insure appropriate social distancing during davening.
  • Those davening in the Belonofsky Sanctuary may put their tallis and tefilin bags down next to themselves on the bench upon which they are sitting. Those davening in other locations should put the bags on their chairs while putting on tallis and tefillin, and, once the tallis and tefillin have been put on, should place the bags underneath their seats.
  • Daveners should bring their own siddurim to minimize germ transfer.
  • Daveners are requested to arrive between five to ten minutes before davening to ensure their tallis and tefillin are on and they are ready to respond to the chazzan upon his beginning the tefillah. People should not come more than 10 minutes before the scheduled beginning of davening so that the time that individuals are together will be minimized.
  • On days when the torah is read no one should come forward to kiss the torah.

Shabbos Shacharis

  • One may apply hand sanitizer or liquid soap to the hands on Shabbos as one would do during the week.
  • Daveners may bring their own chumashim, in addition to siddurim. Printouts of the parsha will also be available. These printouts should only be used by one person.
  • All are recommended to arrive within 5 minutes before davening.