Government Set to Approve Outline to Reopen Shuls, Under Restrictions

The Israeli government is set to approve the reopening of shuls across the country, after Interior Minister Rabbi Aryeh Deri has suggested an outline that tefillos can be held in shuls. Hundreds of gabbaim have joined forces and demand that after opening almost the entire economy, it’s time to allow tefillos in shuls.

Shuls were closed in March in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

A meeting was held Sunday with representatives from the National Security Council, the deputy director general of the Ministry of Health and a representative of the Interior Minister, and formulated a plan for the return of tefillos in shul.

According to the soon-to-be-approved outline, the shuls will only be opened with regular mispallelim and a distancing of one seat between each mispallel.

The mispallelim will be required to wear masks throughout the duration of the tefillah. Siddurim and sefarim will need to be brought from home, and every shul will appoint a “Corona gabbai,” whose job it is to enforce the guidelines.