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Giving Tuesday is 11/30 — your support is deeply appreciated! Click the post below or go straight to Facebook to donate.

(Of course, your support is welcome 365 days a year via bshert.org/support)

Giving Tuesday 2021

Dear B’ShERT Parents and Families,

I, along with our staff and teachers are so thrilled to welcome our students back to in-person Religious School on September 25th!

I hope that your High Holy Day season has been meaningful and rejuvenating, and we can’t wait to continue the holiday festivities with our opening day Family Sukkot Celebration.  As we look toward our 2021-2022 Religious School year, I wanted to send you some information and updates. This note is packed with important information, so please make sure to read all the way through!

We are cautiously moving forward with plans to hold Religious School in person this Fall. As mentioned, our opening day will be Saturday, September 25th with a welcome back family Sukkot celebration, and then lessons will officially begin on Saturday, October 2rd. Our Religious School day will run from 9:45am – 11:30am. Please see the attached link for our B’ShERT 2021-2022 Religious School Dates and calendar!

Safety:

With the safety of our community as our number one priority, our Religious School Committee has been working in conjunction with B’ShERT’s Reopening Committee as well as the temple’s Security Committee to come up with the safest plan for how to move forward this Fall. Our COVID protocols are as follows:

• All staff will be fully vaccinated

• Students 12+ must be vaccinated (As vaccination expands, this will likely extend to younger students as well)

• All students and staff are required to wear a mask during B’ShERT programming, regardless of vaccination status

  • (We will have extra adult and child-sized masks on-site, but ask you to send your student with a mask of their own that they are comfortable in)

• Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be widely available in all religious school spaces

• Each classroom will be equipped with large air purifiers that have HEPA filters as well as UV-light technology

We will continue to update these policies, and keep you informed as new information or recommendations come to light.

Registration:

If you have not yet registered for Religious School, the time is now! Please note that you will need to fill out a separate form for each of your children (we have streamlined the registration form to make it more user friendly).

To register, visit this link (https://forms.gle/ccS5ZpSHRpALJMgb6).

Hebrew Instruction:

Enrollment for students in 3rd-7th grades includes weekday Hebrew lessons. Hebrew instruction takes place “chevruta” style, a partnered model where 2 students of a similar level are paired with a teacher for private online instructional lessons. Follow this link (https://forms.gle/p71fKChSbbzPGSdJ6) to our form with more information, and to select a weekly Hebrew time slot.

Spread the word!

If you know anyone who might be interested in registering for our 2021-2022 school year, please feel free to pass on this information. You will also find a link to registration on our B’ShERT website bshert.org.

B’Shalom,

Rabbi Alexis Pinsky

Dear B’ShERT Community,

We are happy to announce that multi-access Shabbat Services—meaning both in-person and on Zoom—will be resuming Friday, September 24, 2021 at 8 PM.  Religious School will be reopening in person on Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 9:45 AM.

Here are some of the details you need for this new beginning to run as smoothly as possible:

This Saturday only (9/25), Shabbat services will be on Zoom only so that congregants can participate in the 1 PM “Jews Across the Pond” event on Zoom.

On subsequent Saturdays, multi-access Minyan services will begin at 11:45 AM. Congregants will use the Marlborough Road entrance.

B’Yachad will continue on Zoom only on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11 AM.

Friday night poetry discussions will continue on Zoom only, but they will be from 6:30 to 7:30 PM (note the new time) to allow congregants time to get to temple for services.

This Saturday’s Religious School opening and services will take place outdoors, weather permitting.  On subsequent Saturdays, Religious School will use the regular Marlborough Road entrance but will exit through the back of the sanctuary onto Church Avenue.

Each classroom will have air purifiers with HEPA filters.

The Saturday Religious School Tefilah Service is scheduled from 11 to 11:30 AM after instruction time (9:45 to 11 AM).

The following protocols continue to be in place:

Masks must be worn at all times while in the building and cover the mouth and nose.

Proof of vaccination is required for all who are currently eligible. No entry without proof.

Proof will be checked at the door. Congregants and children are encouraged to send a copy of their card to the office so a list can be generated.

If a congregant or child does not feel well, DO NOT come to in-person classes or services.

Your safety and the health of our community continues to be a priority. We hope to be able to continue with the re-opening plans described in this communication, but may need to make changes in the future.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone and wish all a safe, happy and healthy New Year.

Phyllis Schweiger (Chairperson) and the Re-opening Committee

Adrienne Knoll, President B’ShERT

IN PERSON SERVICES — Trial Run

Multi-access services at B’ShERT • Friday June 4, 2021 and Saturday June 19, 2021

Contact us at (718) 282-1596 or office@bshert.org

As we think about when and how we might re-open B’ShERT for in-person services, we are planning two services in June that will be multi-access: Those who are comfortable coming in person may do so, and the services will also be on Zoom. We are still feeling cautious and working out how to begin coming together in person again. Please be patient as we work together to keep all of us as safe as possible.

These are the protocols for in-person attendance:

Fully-vaccinated people will be asked to show proof of vaccination when entering the building.
Fully-vaccinated people will be asked to wear a mask when walking around in the building, but may remove masks if they choose while seated in the sanctuary.
People who are not vaccinated will be asked to wear a mask at all times while in the building.
There will be a seating section in the sanctuary for those who are vaccinated, and a separate section for those who are unvaccinated, with appropriate physical distancing.

For these first ventures into coming together in-person again, we are asking you to sign up in advance so that we know how many people to expect.

Please click the link below to sign up for the Services/Study you will attend. (B’ShERT Members only please)

https://forms.gle/LMkyuu6XfQDgZies9

Friday evening, June 4, 7 pm poetry study and/or 8 pm services.

Saturday, June 12th – 10:30 am – Shabbat Services outdoors at the Marine Park Salt Marsh Nature Center, 3301 Avenue U. Bring a lawn chair, sunscreen, picnic lunch if you wish. Bring a friend! No advance sign-up necessary. We will follow the CDC guidelines regarding social distancing and masks. In case of inclement weather, services will be held over Zoom.

Saturday morning, June 19, 9:45 am B’Yachad and/or 11 am services.

Dear members —

Our new Interactive Memorial Board is now installed in the sanctuary! As we plan our return to multi-access & in-person events, you can see the board virtually using the following link —

https://bsve.joltone.com/screen/

When you view the board you will be seeing the yahrzeits for the current week and the following week of all the memorial plaques presently being displayed in the sanctuary and the PTBAS plaques that are presently in storage.

The Board of Trustees has decided that the existing memorial boards in the Sanctuary will remain as is and all new memorial plaques will be digital. Please note that these digital plaques have the added feature of being able to link a biography and images of your loved ones (see attached photos of an individual plaque and a sample biography). To see an individual plaque you click on the “Search” tab under the Yahrzeit candle and then type your loved one’s last name and click on “Search”. Then locate your loved one’s name and click on it.

The following is the fee schedule for new digital plaques and the addition of biographies and images to plaques already uploaded into the board’s database.

Digital Plaque — $300

Enhanced Digital Plaque — With Biography and Photos [maximum of 3 images] at time of purchase — $360

Addition of Biography and Photos [maximum of 3 images] to Existing Digital Plaques — $100

Here is an order form for you to return either via email or regular mail. There will also be a fill-in form on Shulcloud momentarily.

If you have any questions please contact me.

B’Shalom,

Eric

Eric Platt,

President