Preaching Goes Viral

COVID-19 and Teshuvah Sermon

living with new COVID regime or life

When the pandemic hit there were many questions that needed quick answers that the normal process could not accommodate, so to respond to the needs of the hour, the CJLS found an alternative process – members were invited to write responses to queries that were then vetted by the chair and co-chair and then published on the website with a disclaimer that this letter is not an approved position of the CJLS, just guidance. They produced a letter approving a virtual minyan over zoom which we implemented, but other synagogues did not. They produced a letter permitting zoom on Shabbat which we also implemented and others did not. They provided guidance on how to abbreviate the High Holy Day services and each rabbi applied it in a way that made sense for their community.  However, everyone took as their base position that protecting life supersedes all other considerations, there were just different responses as to how that best could be done.

2022-12-13

Rabbi Mark

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