Official EDCJCC Communications About COVID-19
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email info@edcjcc.org and we will respond as best and as quickly as possible. In addition, we’ve provided some resources below about COVID-19 which can help you and your family stay prepared and up-to-date as the situation evolves.
Please click here for a lineup of virtual programming at the Edlavitch DCJCC and click here to see the Fitness Center reopening guidelines.
Updated June 24, 2020
We hope this email finds you and your family safe and healthy.
We know that many of you have questions about the status of the EDCJCC given Mayor Bowser’s decision to enter Phase 2 of her reopening plan. We are writing today with that update.
Since the onset of this pandemic, our top priority has been, and remains, the health and safety of our community. With that in mind, after many thoughtful and thorough discussions, we’ve decided to keep our building closed during the months of July and August, and implement a phased reopening with a goal of welcoming many of our community members back to the building early this fall.
Our goal is to take these summer months to carefully establish the guidelines and procedures, secure materials, and train the staff for a reopening that will undoubtedly ensure the utmost safety of all visitors to the Center. We appreciate that so many of you are eager to return to 16th and Q, and thank you for your patience and understanding as we take the time necessary to provide the safest environment for our community’s return.
We do have plans to open our Fitness Center in July under the guidelines set forth by the DC Department of Health. Fitness members will receive a detailed correspondence about this in the coming days.
To spearhead these critical reopening efforts, the EDCJCC established a Reopening Task Force in May, which is comprised of EDCJCC senior staff and lay leadership; a public health expert; program staff on a case-by-case basis; and other experts in various fields as needed. The role of the Task Force, which meets weekly, is to tackle all questions and issues related to reopening. In this effort, we are guided by the best practices set forth by the CDC and the DC Department of Health.
At this time, the Task Force is pleased to share the following:
Communicating with You: As we make decisions about our timeline, policies, and procedures, we aim to be as transparent and communicative as possible. We want to know what you are thinking and look forward to engaging you in opportunities to provide feedback, such as surveys and town halls, in the coming months.
Keeping Our Community Safe: When we welcome you back into the building this fall, we will ask you to commit, as we have, to being responsible community members in our effort to stop the spread of Covid-19. This will include asking all visitors to wear masks or face coverings; maintain a social distance of six feet; wash your hands frequently; refrain from visiting the Center for fourteen days if you or someone you’ve been in close contact with is ill or symptomatic; and more.
EDCJCC Preschool: After much careful deliberation, we have chosen to keep our preschool closed for July and August. Our target reopening date is September 1. Leading up to that date we will provide additional details related specifically to new guidelines and operations in this space.
We’re encouraged and inspired by the warm, enthusiastic responses we’ve received to the EDCJCC’s Happen at Home programming, some of which is summarized below. If you haven’t already joined us for any of these programs, we invite you and your family to do so! Stay up-to-date on all programs at edcjcc.org/happenathome or by following us on Instagram or Facebook.
- JxJ’s Virtual Cinema, which presents an online selection of international film screenings each week, along with film club discussions, live streaming concerts, and more.
- Theater J’s Yiddish Theater Lab readings, which allow patrons to enjoy re-interpreted, nearly forgotten Yiddish Classics from the comfort of their own home.
- Early Childhood, Youth, and Family programs, providing the support families need in this “new normal” through Virtual Preschool, Summer Camp, Parenting Center, and JFamily Ambassadors.
- The Morris Cafritz Center for Social Responsibility’s At-Home MitzvahSeries, which provide kits for projects such as preparing toiletry packages for individuals experiencing homelessness.
- Virtual engagement with some of our most vulnerable communities, such as a Community Service camp for young adults with disabilities, and the Adas Senior Lunch Program, which provides a daily lunch, wellness checks, and virtual exercise classes for seniors in the District.
- Ongoing ways to enrich our community’s mind, body, and soul through virtual fitness; adult education classes; social programs for Jewish adults in their 20s and 30s (such as zoom speed dating!); and so more.
During the past few months, we’ve remained true to our mission of being the connector for a vibrant and diverse Jewish community and have found inspiration in their ability to adapt when outside forces create a need to hold onto what we value most. You are the driving force that motivates us to keep creating, adapting, and connecting. We cannot thank you enough.
We appreciate all you are doing to help keep our community safe, and we can’t wait to see you soon – whether it’s virtually or when we’re back in our building!
Stay safe,
Jill Granader, Board President
Messages to Our Community About COVID-19
We hope you are all doing well and staying safe and healthy during these difficult times.
In keeping with our commitment to keeping our community safe and healthy, the EDCJCC has made the decision to stay closed, even as parts of the city begin to reopen under Phase One. We will continue to assess the health and safety of our community, along with recommendations from DC Public Health and the CDC, to determine a final reopening date, and are working hard to put in place the necessary policies and procedures to keep our community safe and healthy for when that time comes.
We encourage you to check out some highlights of our EDCJCC: Happen at Home programming below, and stay up to date by liking and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Thank you for all you are doing to help keep our community safe. We wish you and your peace and health during this time.
We hope you are all doing well and staying healthy, busy, and positive during these difficult times.
Following the guidelines put in place by Mayor Bowser, and in keeping with our commitment to keeping our community safe and healthy, the EDCJCC will remain closed until at least June 8. We will continue to assess the health and safety of our community, along with recommendations from DC Public Health and the CDC, to determine a final reopening date.
In an effort to continue adapting, creating, and connecting, in the coming weeks, we’ve rolled out our next phase of our virtual programming – EDCJCC: Happen at Home. Check out some highlights below, and stay up to date by liking and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Thank you for all you are doing to help keep our community safe. We wish you and yours peace and health during this time.
With gratitude,
Jill Granader, Board President
Carole Zawatsky, Chief Executive Officer
Dear EDCJCC Community Members,
We hope you are all doing well and staying healthy, busy, and positive during these difficult times.
Following the guidelines put in place by Mayor Bowser, and in keeping with our commitment to keeping our community safe and healthy, the EDCJCC will remain closed until at least May 15. We will continue to assess the health and safety of our community, along with recommendations from DC Public Health and the CDC, to determine a final reopening date.
The staff of the Edlavitch DCJCC has been hard at work on ways for you to stay connected with us – and each other – during this time of social distancing. A list of all of our virtual programs can be found here, and we’ve included some highlights below. To stay up-to-date on all of these online offerings and our building closures, we encourage you to sign up to receive programmatic newsletters, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Thank you for all you are doing to help keep our community safe. We wish you and yours peace and health during this time.
With gratitude,
Jill Granader, Board President
Carole Zawatsky, Chief Executive Officer
Dear EDCJCC Community Members,
The strength and resiliency of our community has never been clearer, or more inspiring, than during these unprecedented times. We are proud to stand by you during these challenging times, and do what we can to help you make it through your days with continued ways to engage with the EDCJCC and community-at-large. Most importantly, we are thinking of you and your families, and hope you are staying healthy and as positive as possible.
As of this evening, we have made the decision to close our building through April 26, which is in keeping with many local institutions in our area, including DC Public Schools. Leading up to this date, we will continue to assess the health and safety of our community, along with recommendations from DC Public Health and the CDC, to determine a final reopening date.
The staff of the Edlavitch DCJCC has been hard at work on ways for you to stay connected with us – and each other – during this time of social distancing. All of these programs can be found here, and we’ve included an abridged list below. To stay up-to-date on all of these online offerings, sign up to receive programmatic newsletters, and follow us Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
- Theater J is offering their popular Beyond the Script class virtually. Led by Artistic Director Adam Immerwahr, this class takes a deep dive in the 20-21 Season plays in a friendly, book-club like setting.
- JxJ has prepared a What to Watch list curated by Artistic and Managing Director Ilya Tovbis, and is preparing to roll-out a slew of online offerings such as cinema clubs and virtual screenings.
- Celebrate Passover alone, together! The EDCJCC is your source for a variety of Passover programs for families and individuals of all ages, including a Virtual Second Night Community Seder with GLOE – The Kurlander Program for GLBTQ Outreach & Engagement; Make Room for Matzah, a family Passover celebration; the Everything You Wanted to Know About Hosting a Seder workshop; and more. Learn more and register at edcjcc.org/holidays.
- Fitness and Membership is working hard to roll out a series of online classes taught by our own personal trainers and group exercise instructors. You can check out a video from personal trainer Kuti Mack here – and stay tuned for more content to keep you moving and active in the comfort of your own home.
- The Morris Cafritz Center for Social Responsibility team is committed to providing you with opportunities to learn about social issues in our city, as well as ways to give back from your home. Last week’s focus was on Food Insecurity – you can check out their guide and suggestions for ways to give back here.
- The Inclusion & Disabilities community is holding virtual game time every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM. Email Joy Stein, Director of Inclusion & Disabilities Programming, for more information.
- Early Childhood, Youth, and Family: In addition to providing distance-learning content for all our our Preschool families, the EDCJCC is continuing to provide virtual classes and Parent Coffees through our Parenting Center, virtual family gatherings such as Make Room for Matzah, and ongoing resources and tips for parents with children of all ages.
- Stay connected to other young professionals through virtual coffee dates with Stacy Miller, Director of EntryPointDC. On March 30, join us for Mental Health Monday, a virtual chat led by Lisa Luce, MSW, which will help us navigate these challenging times through techniques that ease symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.
We continue to monitor this situation as it unfolds, and will continue to be in touch with updates and changes as they come to fruition. For all of the information on the EDCJCC’s response to COVID-19, please visit edcjcc.org/covid19.
Thank you for all you are doing to help keep our community safe. We wish you and yours peace and health during this time.
With gratitude,
Jill Granader, Board President
Carole Zawatsky, Chief Executive Officer
Dear EDCJCC Community Members,
In an effort to do our part to protect the health and safety of our community and in keeping with the recommendations by the DC Department of Health, we will be closing the Edlavitch DCJCC building for all programs effective 11:00 PM this coming Sunday, March 16 with plans to reopen Wednesday, April 1. Details for all programs are listed below.
Preschool
Schools will be closed for students from March 16 with plans to reopen April 1. March 16 – 20 will be spring break, and March 23 – 31, students will participate in distance learning prepared by their teachers distributed via email. There will no longer be a Spring Break period in April; however, we will still be closed on April 9, 10, 15, and 16 for Passover.
Early Childhood, Youth, and Family
All Early Childhood, Youth, and Family programs, including the Parenting Center, J Family Ambassadors, and After School program, are closed until April 1.
Theater J
The Theater J productions of The Wanderers scheduled for this weekend, March 14-15, will go on as planned, and audiences are encouraged to practice social-distancing. This is in accordance with guidelines set forth by the DC Department of Health. The production of Becoming Dr. Ruth will begin previews on April 1, instead of March 27.
JxJ
Starting today, March 13, all JxJ year-round screenings will be cancelled until April 1. As of today, there is no change to the schedule for the JxJ Festival.
Engagement and Social Responsibility Programs
All programs for EntryPointDC, Jewish Living & Learning, Inclusion & Disabilities, the Morris Cafritz Center for Social Responsibility, and GLOE – The Kurlander Program for GLBTQ Outreach and Engagement, are cancelled until April 1.
Fitness Center
The Fitness Center and Pool are closed to all members until April 1. This includes personal training and group exercise classes.
Rentals & Worship Groups
All rentals will need to be postponed until a later date. Until April 1, we are unable to accommodate the worship groups that meet at the EDCJCC.
We are making appropriate arrangements to support our staff. We are not yet issuing refunds for programs. If you would like to convert your registration fee into a donation, please consider completing this form; otherwise, we will be in touch at a later date. Theater J and JxJ are offering free ticket exchanges to later performances and screenings upon request. Patrons are asked to contact the ticket office directly at (202) 777-3210 or email boxoffice@edcjcc.org.
As we all know, this is a rapidly evolving situation. This decision has been made out of an abundance of caution. There have been no reported cases of any individuals who have visited the EDCJCC testing positive.
We will continue to update you as the situation progresses, and urge you to visit edcjcc.org/covid19 for other actions we’ve taken and resources on how to prevent getting sick. Additionally, you can stay up-to-date on all upcoming program changes and building closures by checking our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, or signing up for our email newsletter. Please send general inquiries to info@edcjcc.org.
We thank you for your patience and understanding, and for helping us keep our community safe and healthy.
With gratitude,
Jill Granader, Board President
Carole Zawatsky, Chief Executive Officer
Like all of you, we continue to monitor the rapidly evolving situation of the COVID-19 outbreak in Washington, DC through alerts from the CDC and the DC Department of Health.
In addition to the Fitness member who we informed you about earlier this week, we have been made aware of some additional visitors to the EDCJCC who, over the past few weeks, had been in contact with individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19. None of these community members have tested positive themselves and all remain asymptomatic.
In an abundance of caution, and in anticipation of additional visitors like those mentioned above, we have elected to hire an independent cleaning company who, starting this week, will conduct regular deep cleanings of the EDCJCC during hours when the building is closed and empty. We do not anticipate that this will disrupt our scheduled programming.
This is in addition to the already established cleaning and disinfectant procedures (as recommended by the CDC), including using hospital-grade disinfectants to clean the locker room, studio, equipment, handrails, and common areas throughout the Center, such as Goldman Theater, Cafritz Hall, and the Preschool. Alcohol-based sanitizers are easily accessible to all visitors.
If you have displayed symptoms and have been to the EDCJCC recently, we request that you inform us. To do so, please email Emily Jillson, Director of Marketing and Development, at emilyj@edcjcc.org.
Prevention is our priority at this time. Common coronaviruses can cause symptoms similar to a common cold, such as fever, cough, sore throat, and feeling unwell. The symptoms that are currently being seen with the current coronavirus infection are fever and respiratory symptoms such as cough and shortness of breath. If you or anyone you know are displaying any of these symptoms, or if you or anyone you know have traveled to any of the most at-risk countries, please consider postponing your visit to the EDCJCC.
Learn more about the steps being taken at the EDCJCC specifically, and find a list of resources at edcjcc.org/covid19. Additionally, the DC Department of Health’s COVID-19 Toolkit, which includes helpful resources for identifying symptoms and what to do if you think you’ve been in contact with someone who’s tested positive, can be found here.
We thank you for your patience and understanding, and for helping us keep our community safe and healthy.
Please click here for the email that was sent to community members on March 9, 2020, at 7:30 PM.
Earlier today, we learned that one of our Fitness Members was a visitor to the Christ Church, Georgetown Episcopal on March 1 where she was exposed to, and made physical contact with, an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. This member has not been diagnosed with COVID-19 and is not currently showing any symptoms of COVID-19 or otherwise. This member visited the EDCJCC’s Fitness Center this past Saturday, March 7 and since the news of the exposure has self-quarantined. The member used one elliptical machine, which she reported that she cleaned after using, used the fourth floor restroom, and did not use the locker room or elevator.
Since the member visited the Fitness Center, the gym has been cleaned multiple times, including a thorough cleaning today, March 9. We have implemented additional cleaning and disinfectant procedures (as recommended by the CDC), including using hospital-grade disinfectants to clean the locker room, studio, equipment, fitness machines, handrails, and common areas throughout the Center, such as all restrooms, Goldman Theater, Cafritz Hall, and the Preschool. Alcohol-based sanitizers are easily accessible to all visitors.
We remain on high alert and are continuing to monitor this rapidly evolving situation through alerts from the CDC and the DC Department of Health. We are staying in close contact with the member and will continue to update you as the situation unfolds.
If you have displayed symptoms and have been to the EDCJCC recently, we request that you inform us. To do so, please call Emily Jillson, Director of Marketing and Development, at 202-777-3231 or emilyj@edcjcc.org.
Prevention is our priority at this time. Learn more about the steps being taken at the EDCJCC specifically and find a list of resources below.
The EDCJCC is aware of more confirmed cases of Covid19 in Montgomery County, Fairfax City, and the District of Columbia. News reports indicate that these individuals did not have any contact with school age children and public health officials are working to identify their circles of contact. It is prudent to assume that there will be more cases.
We are continuing to monitor this rapidly evolving situation through alerts from the CDC, the DC Department of Health, SCN, and our colleagues at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington.
We continue to urge you to take all of the recommended precautions which can be found in our list of resources below.
The EDCJCC is aware of the confirmed cases of Covid19 in Montgomery County. News reports indicate that these individuals did not have any contact with school age children and public health officials are working to identify their circles of contact. It is prudent to assume that there will be more cases.
We are continuing to monitor this rapidly evolving situation through alerts from the CDC, the DC Department of Health, SCN, and our colleagues at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington.
We continue to urge you to take all of the recommended precautions which can be found in our list of resources below.
As the situation around coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to rapidly evolve, the EDCJCC remains vigilant in monitoring updates and implementing measures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the Security Community Network (SCN), the national homeland security initiative of the Jewish Federations of North America, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). According to DC Public Health, as of March 1, 2020, there remain no active cases of coronavirus or community spread in the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia.
At this time, there are no plans to cancel any programs. Please continue to monitor your inboxes, follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram, and/or visit the Official EDCJCC Communications about COVID-19 webpage for further updates.
Prevention is our priority at this time, especially during cold and flu season. Common coronaviruses can cause symptoms similar to a common cold, such as fever, cough, sore throat, and feeling unwell. The symptoms that are currently being seen with the current coronavirus infection are fever and respiratory symptoms such as cough and shortness of breath.
If you or anyone you know are displaying any of these symptoms, or if you or anyone you know have traveled to any of the most at-risk countries, please consider postponing your visit to the EDCJCC. For up-to-date information on travel, visit the CDC’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 Information for Travel.
What COVID-19 Preventive Measures Can You Take?
DC Health continues to recommend the same precautions that help to prevent the spread of those common illnesses:
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol can be used if soap and water are not available. The CDC has a helpful handwashing resource page with activities for families and videos in English and Spanish.
- Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when feeling sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in a trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
What Preventative Measures and Precautions is the EDCJCC Taking?
In addition to implementing the measures suggested by the CDC and other authorities, the EDCJCC is taking these specific precautions within our building:
- Working to place hand sanitizers in all public areas and high touch areas, including but not limited to the Preschool and other ECYF spaces, Cafritz Hall, Goldman Theater, the Fitness Center, in restrooms, and throughout the main lobby.
- Placing signage in all restrooms encouraging visitors to wash their hands according to CDC guidelines.
- Implementing additional cleaning and disinfectant procedures throughout the building during the day.
- Encouraging all staff to stay home if they are displaying any of the symptoms listed above.
Additional External Resources About COVID-19
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- DC Department of Health
The Edlavitch DCJCC embraces inclusion in all its programs and activities. We welcome and encourage the participation of all people, regardless of their background, sexual orientation, abilities, or religion, including interfaith couples and families.