A Blessing For Washing Hands During a Pandemic
As we wash our hands
We pray,
Blessed is the Soul of the Universe,
Breathing us in and breathing us out.
May our breaths continue
And our health and the health of all
Be preserved
In this time of sickness and fear of sickness.
Holy Wholeness,
We take as much responsibility for it as we can
By observing the obligation to wash our hands,
Using lots of soap and hot water,
Thoroughly:
For as long as it takes to say this prayer.
Amen
Community,
We’re writing to you today both to acknowledge how scary the emerging news about the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) can be, and to assure you that we’re taking our communal safety seriously. The above prayer from Trisha Arlin gives us an alternative to singing Happy Birthday while we wash our hands, and reminds us that hand washing, hygiene, and keeping one another safe from sickness have long been woven into our religious and communal practices.
If reading about this causes a lot of anxiety, feel free to stop after reading these few main points:
Right now it’s important not to panic, and the situation doesn’t merit panic
Stay home if you’re feeling even a little ill or have come into direct contact with someone with a confirmed case
Elbow bumps are the new hugs (just make really intense eye contact if you still want that full shtiebl intimacy experience)
Wash your hands and use alcohol-based hand sanitizers regularly
Our challah will be pre-sliced at services
We will still care fellow members, through our Chesed process
In the event that things escalate, both leadership and some of our community’s medical professionals are thinking through how to ramp up our response responsibly, and in line with our values
If you want more detailed information, read on.
Where Things Stand
At the moment, there are still a wide range of credible estimates in terms of the potential seriousness of COVID-19. The most relevant official source of information for us is the Maryland Department of Health’s frequently updated status of known cases in Maryland (currently 3), and its informative FAQ. https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/Pages/Novel-coronavirus.aspx https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/Documents/coronavirus_FAQ.pdf
We also intend to look to the Maryland Department of Health’s recommendations as to when/whether we should begin postponing/shifting to virtual programming of large communal events/gatherings entirely. We are also planning to convene an ad hoc committee of medical personnel and others in our community to ensure that we are responding appropriately.
How to Keep Each Other Safer
While we are still having our communal gatherings, there are important steps we can take to protect one another. We are blessed to be a multifaceted, multigenerational community; this diversity extends into differing levels of immune function. For this reason it’s on ALL of us to adopt good practices to keep everyone safe. Here’s what that can look like:
We will be changing some ritual practices, such as cutting challah, instead of ripping and passing it
Please stay away from communal gatherings if you’re feeling any illness symptoms
Try to be mindful in your self-assessment, especially if you’re someone who’s accustomed to “powering through” minor illnesses or injuries; we’re not advocating for panic or alarm, just awareness, and care for folks who might not have as strong immune systems as you do
Resist your FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out); we are in this community together for the long haul, and there will be other events
Practice consistent and careful hand washing
If you haven’t yet memorized the above prayer (not required!), here’s a twitter thread of songs with choruses long enough to use to time your hand washing https://twitter.com/JenMonnier/status/1234532567610605568
Be particularly cognizant of one another’s physical boundaries; asking for hugs is always good practice, but even more so now -- this can also apply to handshakes, etc.
The Department of Health and CDC do not recommend prophylactic mask-wearing at this time, and in fact strongly request that people not contribute to the global shortage. That said, please do not judge or panic if members of our community choose to wear a face mask (dentist is a popular Purim costume this year!). It may not mean they are sick (if they are, they will be staying home), but rather that they have compromised immune function.
Cover any cough
If you’ve got a consistent cough, please avoid gatherings; for occasional/unexpected coughs, coughing into your elbow is better than nothing, but a paper towel or tissue is best, if you have it at hand
Reduce how often you touch your face/eyes
This is hard! Consider making a big batch of homemade hot sauce, as a reminder (just kidding)
Preparing Our Homes
In addition to being mindful of our behaviors as described above, it’s a good idea to have your household prepared in the event that self-isolation is recommended. The reason to take these steps isn’t because we’re preparing for some sort of zombie apocalypse scenario where we won’t be able to step foot outside, it’s for the following key purposes:
If we start feeling sick, we shouldn’t have to go to the grocery store or drug store then, and risk exposing other people to illness
If a lot of people are homebound for several days, there will be high demand for delivery services; to the extent that we can refrain from adding to that pressure, it allows that capacity to be used for people with more serious needs
If we have what we need to provide supportive care for ourselves or our loved ones in the event someone in our household gets sick, that allows us to take some strain off of the medical system
Remember, the vast majority of cases of COVID-19 are mild; being prepared to deal with those mild cases with minimal professional medical support leaves those resources for more serious cases
Being able to stay home and not get sick in the first place also takes strain off of the medical system
Having more of these supplies within our community can allow us to provide mutual aid to one another, further reducing our collective need to use strained systems, or expose ourselves or others to risk
So, with all that said, what does preparing a household look like? Try to have these things in your home, but don’t panic if you don’t have everything, and try not to buy such large amounts that things run out.
Two weeks of food -- just buy a bit more of the less perishable things that you already like and eat each time you hit a store
Medication -- both prescription and basic, like fever reducers, nsaids, anti-histamines
Toilet paper and menstrual items
House care supplies including disinfectant wipes, some rubbing alcohol, bleach, dish and laundry detergent
Pet supplies (food, litter, etc)
Please do not attempt to buy surgical masks or disposable respirators. These are only appropriate for a few groups of people. If the following don’t describe us, we shouldn’t add pressure to the supply chain:
Someone caring for someone who is ill, to help keep them from contracting a virus
Healthcare workers
Someone with some sickness symptoms who must, for some reason, travel outside of their home
How Hinenu Can Help
At the moment, we’re managing chesed requests as usual for our members. However, if the situation in Maryland changes significantly, we will be making sure to deliver that care in ways that keep our carers safest. In the event that happens, stay tuned for best practices so that we can all care for each other as we’re accustomed, but still stay safe and healthy.
What if Things Escalate Locally??
COVID-19 may well be brought under control before it significantly disrupts our day to day lives. However, our community is prepared to change its response as the situation changes. Discussions are in the works for how our community, in particular, can be both kept safe and mobilized to do a lot of good.
Some preliminary thoughts for things that we can realistically do, should self-isolation recommendations become widespread, include:
Safe methods of delivery of food and supplies among community members (as mentioned above)
Live streamed services (a good accessibility tool to develop anyway!)
Virtual committee meetings
Keeping one another occupied with everything from virtual text study to “watch parties” in the Facebook group so we don’t make risky decisions out of boredom
Supporting our members with influence in their workplaces to advocate for the policies that allow folks to stay home when they’re ill, and still meet their financial needs
We’re not at that point, but it’s immensely inspiring to feel that we could have the power, together, to accomplish big things. This is what community can do!
Gratitude and Fortitude
As always when we face moments of anxiety and fear, we are stronger and safer because we get to face them together. We’re very glad to be in these times with all of you, and find each of you to be a great source of both comfort and courage.
We will see you at Shabbat services this week (Saturday, 10am) and at the Purim celebration at Peabody Heights Brewery at 7pm. This season calls us to find joy even in the face of precariousness, and we’re on it.
Onward,
Liz Gordon, vice president
Michele Levy, president
Rabbi Ariana Katz