Dear Friends:
Thank you to those who reached out to Keleigh and me as we both continue to recover from COVID-19. We are both doing a lot better thanks to Paxlovid, rest, cough medicine, and lots of liquids. The main symptoms we continue to deal with are some coughing and a lot of fatigue. While I am back working from home, I’m not yet able to work a full day and therefore I have decided to postpone my Thursday night Adult Education class. I will also not be holding my drop-in hours this coming Thursday due to the possibility that I might remain contagious.
Out of an abundance of caution we will be holding Shabbat morning services again this week on Zoom only. I’m hopeful that after this coming Shabbat we’ll feel comfortable returning to in-person and hybrid services.
I also want to thank those of you who reached out to me with congratulations for having appeared on the front page of the Washington Jewish Week in connection with the article on our 50 plus Two celebration. Doug Baum took that photo three-plus years ago at what turned out to be our last in-person minyan before shutting down for the pandemic. My being on the front page came as a surprise and if I had known it was going to happen I would have asked the WJW not to put me on the cover. The focus of the story was the congregation and there are certainly many people who deserve far more credit than I do for the celebration itself as well as for the history of our shul. But I do thank Doug for having taken a really good photo of me.
As always, if I can do anything for you or you need to talk, please contact me at rabbi@kehilatshalom.org or 301-977-0768 rather than through the synagogue office. I am happy to meet you at the synagogue by appointment. I have been spending more time in the synagogue recently but if you want to speak with me it’s best to make an appointment rather than assuming I will be there when you stop by.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Charles L. Arian