SZ: Security Brit- Mutual Covenant of Security, Safety and Well-being

Security Brit

At Sha’ar Zahav we understand that ours is a diverse community with a wide range of ideas and perspectives.  As we begin to gather again in person, we pick up where we left off addressing the safety of our building.  We ask you to join us on this journey of making our building as safe and secure as possible, and appreciate your feedback and participation in this pilot program.  The Security Task Force commits to sharing the findings from this pilot and to carefully listen to your feedback as we evaluate this process.  

We aim to uphold the Jewish value of Pikuach Nefesh (the ethical mandate to save a life) by implementing good safety practices and developing a positive safety culture. We want our community, members, and guests to understand that we value their safety while providing a welcoming place for us to pray, learn, and be with each other in our sanctuary. Our goal is to contribute to other people’s feelings of safety and to create a safe place for people to feel empowered.

Many of you have already signed the Community Brit that addressed concerns around gathering in person safely at community gatherings.  This Security Brit is a mutual covenant of security, safety, and well-being.  Sha’ar Zahav and the Security Task Force require each participant of the pilot keycard program to enter into this Security Brit regarding the safety and security of our shul.

Sacred Values

As we begin this pilot, we have worked together to hold our Jewish values at the center of this process.

-Hachnasat Orchim:  

We receive guests/travelers readily, providing them with hospitality and much welcoming. 

-Kol Yisrael aravim zeh bazeh:

We are all responsible for one another, not just ourselves. We take precautions for our own safety, but also for the other souls in our community. We will follow precautions that may not resonate with us individually for the sake of our sacred community being able to spend time together. As a spiritual center of communal responsibility, we may at times hold ourselves to a different standard of safety than other places we frequent.

-Pikuach nefesh:

The mandate to save a life, which in Judaism is so important that it takes precedence over other Jewish ethical obligations.

With this agreement  you will receive a keycard allowing you to enter into the building.  Every parent or guardian will receive a keycard, once they have been shown they understand and meet the requirements.

Please review and sign the Brit – Mutual Covenant of Security, Safety and Well-being.   You only need to do this one time.