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.