Local Jewish News

Posted 3/17/2020

Dear members of the Cleveland community,

Here is a link to Update #1 with some FAQ’s on the bottom.

It continues to be extremely important to be familiar with social distancing guidelines from the CDC.

In addition, please review this guidance from the CDC about what to do if you suspect you have the Coronavirus. 

Thank you to those who responded to our communication on Sunday and to all those who volunteered of their time and expertise. We continue to collect those offers of assistance, and our volunteer coordinator is connecting those offering, with requests from individuals and organizations. Please continue to contact us through our dedicated email covid19@agudathisrael-oh.org and phone line 216-848-0379. We also appreciate all of the responses to the IMPACT SURVEY as we work together to identify the needs and our communal response.

We are continuing to work together with Federation, Gesher, JFSA, Naaleh, Bikur Cholim, Cleveland Chesed Center, Chaveirim, Matan B’Seyser and others. As we noted yesterday, we are setting a centralized response and command center in cooperation with the people and organizations listed above. As a reminder, there is a WhatsApp group designated for volunteers to help deliver items that may be needed to those in quarantine, etc.

Governor DeWine continues to ratchet up the states response to the Coronavirus, including ordering the closure of bars, restaurants, gyms, and certain other public spaces. These changes are not cause for alarm! They are the way that we can preserve essential services by TEMPORARILY foregoing non-essential services. There are many false rumors circulating, which are increasing anxiety unnecessarily. It is worth mentioning that which Governor DeWine said today, “If you hear a crazy rumor, it’s probably a crazy rumor.”

A few important updates:

• Based upon the guidance of our rabbanim, the Vaad Hatzedakos has suspended the issuance of Hamlatzas (certificates) for Meshulachim (collectors) from outside the country until after Pesach. This was communicated to the drivers this past Thursday. Please remember, especially in this time where Gemilas Chesed is crucial, that there are many worthy causes in our community. Letters that you can use for your door (in English, Yiddish, and Hebrew), if you choose, can be downloaded here.
• We have been asked to address the very understandable anxiety that many community members are experiencing. Remember, that while this public health issue is extremely concerning, and many of the extraordinary actions that our government is taking is to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, it does not seem to cause children to be seriously ill. These temporary measures are not cause for alarm! The vast majority of those who get the Coronavirus will fully recover, and many will barely know they had it. This is part of our collective responsibility to make sure that those more vulnerable populations can be safe and healthy.
• Based upon the advice of many of the physicians in Cleveland,  we strongly discourage playdates, socializing, and unnecessary interactions in public places. We know that it will be difficult for families to keep to themselves while their children are out of school, but it is imperative that children are not mingling in groups.  If they do continue to play as usual, the positive effects of social distancing will be undone. The cancellation of school and many shuls shows the seriousness of how important this social distancing is. Make sure you consult your physician with any questions you may have. We will be sharing ideas for fun at home activities!
• We are working with schools, teachers, and parents to share fun and enriching educational options that your children can participate in at home. One of these ideas is a national program for Masmidei Hasiyum. Pirchei also has a call in number 718-663-0212 which is available 24/6 with great stories, Divrei Torah, Navi, Hashkafa, and Mishnayos.
• We are also making available our Zoom conferencing software for any rabbonim or maggidei shiur who would like to continue their shiurim remotely. If you would like to reserve a daily time, or weekly time, please email eudman@agudathisrael-oh.org. We will accommodate as much as our capacity allows.
• Please stop panic buying! To the best of our knowledge, suppliers do not anticipate running short on the vast majority of products. Hoarding toilet paper just makes your neighbors lives more difficult in the short term.

This is a very unique and special community. Everyone is doing their best in this difficult time. However, the epidemiological data quoted by the governor indicates that we suspect that there are over 100,000 people already infected with Coronavirus in Ohio. With a doubling period of roughly 5 days, without mitigation, in half a month there will be close to 1 million people infected and 1.6 million people within 20 days.

The Orthodox community in Cleveland is vibrant, with an abundance and variety of religious opportunities. It also is geographically concentrated, with daily mixing in our shuls, kollels, stores, and homes, and it includes many members, particularly among the elderly, who are at particular risk for COVID-19 infection. With deep affection for our unique neighborhood, we feel obliged to register great concern for the well-being of community, our dynamic social environment and our close settlement and congregation. We ask everyone to take significant steps to prevent the spread of this virus for the safety of our community. If we do not, the numbers will soon grow large enough that it will be difficult if not impossible to mitigate.

The state and federal government have made significant changes to the social safety net. Temporary sick leave is expected to be available to those impacted by the Coronavirus, and care must be taken so that it is not abused. Additional guidance on the measures below and others will be forthcoming.

Unemployment: Benefits are being extended for those affected by the Coronavirus. The most comprehensive FAQ document as of yet, can be found here .

Small Business Loans: Governor DeWine is working with the Small Business Administration to offer interest free loans to small businesses and is working to allocate two million dollars to this fund. Applications will be processed through the SBA. Once the process is finalized (hopefully as soon as today) applications will be available at https://www.sba.gov/.

Organizational updates:

• Gesher is open and staffed with regular hours. Walk-ins are welcome. However, we encourage you to make an appointment before coming so that we can comply with the social distancing recommendations. Please call the office at 216-862-4599 to make an appointment. We will be checking email and phone messages during and after regular business hours, and will try to get back to you within a reasonable time frame.  We have a dedicated page on our website to keep the community continuously updated. Updates can be found here.
• Cleveland Chesed Center is available if you have any need for food now and/or for Pesach. CCC has moved all food distribution to a drive-through model. Hours for this week for regular monthly shopping, are Wednesday 9 am to 11 am and Thursday 12 PM to 2 pm. Pesach distribution is on as scheduled per previous communications for this Sunday, March 22. Please call the office at 216-932-3115 or email info@clevelandchesedcenter.org if you need assistance.
• Kemach will iy’’H proceed as planned and will do their best to accommodate all orders; no shortages are anticipated. As distribution day comes closer, Kemach will send updates regarding safety rules as well as a new schedule for pick up.
• Naaleh is working with a number of mental health clinicians to provide resources to help address some of the mental health concerns many of us are facing. We will share these with you when they become available. If you have concerns, please contact your physician or Mrs. Herskovic of Naaleh who is available to provide support and address concerns that may arise over the next few months. She can be reached at 216-591-6191 ext.103. If you are feeling anxious or depressed, please contact your physician. 
• Bikur Cholim of Cleveland is continuing to serve at this time the sick and their families/caregivers (including those with Coronavirus) in the community with food, transportation, medical equipment and more to the extent it is safe to do so. Please feel free to call Bikur Cholim at 216-320-1771 or email info@bikurcholimcleveland.org to request services.
• Shuls: Please contact your shul directly for their specific updates and safety precautions. If your shul has stopped minyanim, please do not over-crowd other neighboring shuls in the area as this would undermine the efforts we must make at social distancing.  
• Local Businesses: Please remember, during this time it is crucial to support our local small businesses.  It is very important to do this if you are able to.

We will provide more information on resources as they become available.

Yitz Frank

Dear Friends,

We find ourselves in challenging times, as the COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting our lives in many ways. School closings and restrictions on our daily social interactions can cause substantial emotional and mental strain on us all.

Along with many other amazing organizations in our city, Naaleh is here to help.

Rabbi Boruch Hirschfeld has offered to share Divrei Chizuk with the community and we will share it with you as soon as it is available.

Additionally, we have asked five mental health and parenting professionals to provide guidance to us in these trying times. Please click on any of these brief (5-10 minute) audio presentations to learn more:

1. “HOW KEEPING CALM CAN HELP YOUR CHILDREN” – Rabbi Chaim Ellis, LISW-S
2. “TIPS FOR PARENTS OF TEENAGE GIRLS IN THESE CHALLENGING TIMES” – Mrs. Hudy Neuman, MSSA, LISW
3. “HOME WITH CHILDREN: Making the most of your time” – Mrs. Adina Soclof, MS-CCC-SLP
4. “HELPING OUR CHILDREN WITH THEIR FEARS” – Mrs. Sima Brochie Weinberg, MS, LPCC
5. “7 WAYS TO FEEL BETTER IN THESE TIMES OF COVID 19” – Mrs. Gil Wolovitz, LCSW

These presentations can also be heard by calling this number:

Dial-in Number: (641) 715-3800

Access Code: 954087

Lastly, in these times of social isolation, people can get lonely. Please consider reaching out to anyone who may benefit from a warm phone call or a friendly text. It goes a long way.

For anyone who needs additional support, or a referral, please call Naaleh at 216-591-6191 ext 103.

May we all have good health,

Rabbi Chaim Helman

Executive Director

The health and safety of our clients, volunteers and staff is our number one priority. In order to limit the germs coming into the cleveland chesed center, we will not be accepting material donations for the time being.
We thank you for your understanding and continuing support. Please stay tuned for updates.