Dear BAJC Members:
We want to let you know that due to COVID 19, Cantor Kate will be returning to Vermont on Wednesday March 25th. She will be continuing her sabbatical and Rabbi Lee will continue to serve as our spiritual leader through June. Please see Cantor Kate’s letter below for further details.
Co-Presidents, Laura & Stephan
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Dear BAJC friends,
It is hard to be apart from those we care about in such difficult times. I miss you all and think of you often. While it appears that Israel is taking better precautions than the US, I have reluctantly decided to come back to Vermont on March 25. I hate to travel, which I know is inherently unsafe. However, my primary concern is that if I stay here there may not be any flights when I do need to come home. El Al just cut 80 per cent of its workforce, and more and more airlines are not flying in or out of Israel.
Meanwhile, my house is now unoccupied, as my tenants have gone back to Massachusetts. I think it is unlikely that they will return before their lease is up in June. I have been very lucky to be part of the Pardes community of loving, caring folks here in Jerusalem. I will miss everyone here, but that community will continue for me even in Vermont! All my classes have moved to an online platform called Zoom, and the school is taking great pains to give students and faculty other opportunities to connect in virtual reality. Sadly the time difference will mean that some of my classes are in the middle of the night. Still I plan to continue my studies as much as possible for the rest of the semester. Fellow students who have also returned to the US will also meet with me by Skype to keep up our study of Torah and Talmud.
Obviously I will still be on sabbatical. Rabbi Lee remains under contract until the end of June. However, she has graciously invited me to lead an online service on March 28, and perhaps there may be other opportunities for us to connect via phone or online during the remaining time of my sabbatical. However, it’s important to stress that Rabbi Lee is your Spiritual Leader right now, no matter where I am located. I know she has brought you many wonderful new perspectives and experiences!
I trust that you are all exercising caution and taking good care of yourselves. I look forward to seeing you all again in person, God willing, in some weeks or perhaps months. In the meantime, I share this message from Pardes – their regular slogan, plus an added caution: Keep Calm and Study Talmud – and Wash Your Hands!
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