URGENT INFORMATION RE CORONAVIRUS AND SHUL CLOSURE

As you will know, as of Sunday 20 December we, along with the rest of London and the South East, are now subject to the new Tier 4 restrictions. These have been introduced due to rapidly rising cases of Coronavirus in these areas as a result, it is believed, of a new variant of the virus which is more easily transmittable.

Tier 4 restrictions resemble those of the November lockdown but communal worship is permitted.  The United Synagogue is allowing shuls to open as long as they follow all covid guidelines strictly – these are set out here.

However, the only services planned in the next few weeks at Muswell Hill were Shabbat, 26 December and 2 January and morning Minyanim on Monday, 4 January and Thursday, 7 January.  The Rabbi and Honorary Officers have decided that we will now not run these services in order to give us time to consider what it means to hold services in Tier 4 and whether any of our existing safety measures need to be revised or strengthened.  We will reassess the situation in the week of 4 January and update the community then.

In the meantime, it’s important that we stay connected as a community so we will now be holding Zoom Havdallah events at 5.15pm on Saturday 26 December and Saturday 2 January (click here for the Zoom link).

Have a safe and healthy new year, with very best wishes

Rabbi David and the Honorary Officer team