B'nei Mitzvah

Thank you for your partnership and patience as we work together to celebrate safely. Because the situation with the pandemic is constantly in flux, please know that we will revise these guidelines as circumstances change, and be in touch with Melissa Colten if you have any questions.

We have both indoor and outdoor options for your ceremony location, so please let us know which site you prefer one month before the big day so we can thoroughly prepare technical and logistical staffing. Please note that all services will also be Zoomed for guests and congregants. This is an exciting time and we all want to celebrate safely!  

Pre-registration of in-person guests for both indoor and outdoor options is required. We need to know who is attending and in which pod they are to be seated, and request that our B'nei Mitzvah families share that information with the office one week prior to the ceremony. Guests will find seats within their designated labeled pod when they arrive. 

All guests must be informed by the host family that if they have a fever or are experiencing any Covid symptoms, they should not attend the ceremony. 

We ask that families let us know which option you prefer no later than 4 weeks before the ceremony.

INDOORS

If you would like to hold your ceremony in the CDT sanctuary, we can safely accommodate 45 -145 persons, depending on the size and number of pods. Before finalizing your invitations, please speak with Melissa (857) 228-0228. Rabbi Toba has been fully vaccinated; we will not, however, require vaccinations or Covid-19 tests for your guests. If you would like to require that your guests be vaccinated, that is entirely your choice.

The set-up in the sanctuary will be as follows

• Rabbi Toba will be up on the gallery stage at the far side of the sanctuary, and will be unmasked only during the service. While leading the service, she is 24 feet away from the closest guests in the sanctuary.
• The only other staff member present will be Dennis Maler, CDT technician. He has been fully vaccinated, will be masked throughout the ceremony, and will be sitting at the tech table in the back corner.
• The immediate family of the b-mitzvah and their pod will sit up front, near the bimah, and will remain masked throughout the ceremony, with the exception of when she/he/they is leading prayers or chanting from the Torah on the bimah, and when the parents go up for their Aliyah and to give their child a blessing.
• Designated pods will be socially distanced from one another. Fully vaccinated attendees may form a large pod, sitting together without being socially distanced. Children and unvaccinated attendees will be seated within their designated pods.
• Other guest pods will be seated at least 13 feet from the bimah and at least 6 feet from one another (this distance will be maintained between pods, not individuals). Guests must remain masked throughout the ceremony. Masked family members may come up on the bimah for Torah honors.
• The family and guests will be asked to sing softly.
• After the ceremony, the immediate family is welcome to move downstairs to the Parlor to connect, over Zoom, with those guests attending virtually.
• Windows are to be open and the fans on and set in reverse.
• Masks are not required if all attendees are fully vaccinated. Masks will be required for all present if there are people in attendance who have not been fully vaccinated, including children 11 and under.
• Food will not be allowed.

OUTDOORS

If you would like to hold your ceremony at Gann Academy under our 2 canopies, we can safely and logistically accommodate between 50-150 guests. This number is dependent on the changing Covid landscape and recommendations by CDT's Re-entry Protocol Committee. We appreciate your patience with this changing number, so please feel free to call Melissa to discuss your specific situation on an ongoing basis.

• Rabbi Toba will be unmasked during the service, and will be at least 13 feet from the b'mitzvah while leading the service. Guests will remain masked throughout the ceremony if there are children 11 and under present, but the b'mitzvah him/her/themself and close family who come up for Aliyot may unmask when they are leading prayers/reading from Torah/reciting a blessing.
• The immediate family of the b-mitzvah and their pod will sit up front, near the bimah, and will remain masked throughout the ceremony, with the exception of when she/he/they is leading prayers or chanting from the Torah on the bimah, and when the parents go up for their Aliyah and to give their child a blessing.
• Other guest pods will be designated and located at least 13 feet from the bimah and at least 6 feet from one another (this distance will be maintained between pods, not individuals). 
  • Fully vaccinated attendees may form a large pod, sitting together without being socially distanced.
  • Children and unvaccinated attendees will be seated within their designated pods.
• The sound system will reach all guests in attendance, even if visibility is limited.
• CDT will be able to access Gann Academy's restrooms, and will also make sure that the ceremony is accessible via Zoom for guests and congregants who are unable to attend in person.
• We will do our best to hold the ceremony outdoors, rain or shine. If it seems likely that weather conditions will not permit us to hold the ceremony outdoors, we will shift to indoors a the CDT sanctuary. Because we can only accommodate 45-145 people indoors, we ask that you have this alternative guest list ready in case it is needed. The decision to move indoors must be made by noon on the Thursday before the b'mitzvah.