COVID-19 Policy Update

To The Congregation Schaarai Zedek Community:

This is to give you an update on COVID-19 protocols for Congregation Schaarai Zedek.

On Monday evening, recognizing the improving COVID statistics in Hillsborough County and acting upon the guidance from our COVID Committee and our Executive Committee, the Board of Trustees voted to update our COVID protocols as follows:

• For all synagogue functions, masking is now optional for all persons who are fully vaccinated.
• For our Julia M. and Samuel L. Flom Religious School and our Amy Gail Buchman Preschool, recognizing that these are more at-risk populations with vaccination not possible for all sections of these populations, we will maintain our existing policy of mandatory masking for all children ages 2 and above, all staff, all parents, and all other persons entering our building during school hours.

This decision is based in part upon the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention metrics showing that Hillsborough County remains as a “High” COVID risk area. In recognizing that COVID statistics in Hillsborough County are starting to improve, the Board of Trustees also authorized the Executive Committee to closely follow the CDC metrics and if Hillsborough County reaches a point of sufficiently diminished COVID activity and falls into the “Medium” COVID risk profile range, the Executive Committee may issue an update to our policy to make all masking optional, without having to wait for a full Board of Trustees meeting.

The Board of Trustees continues to support all efforts to keep our community as safe as possible, and hopes/anticipates that community metrics continue to improve for all of our health and safety.

Congregation Schaarai Zedek