By COLlive reporter
The uptick in coronavirus cases in Brooklyn is leading many to rethink their davening plans for Rosh Hashana which begins this Friday night at sunset and concludes on Sunday night at sundown.
Crown Heights shuls cut their seating by half to make ample room for social distancing, while many are discussing restarting the “porch minyanim” outdoors that were widespread over the last months.
Rabbi Avrohom Osdoba and Rabbi Yosef Braun of the Crown Heights Beis Din issued a public letter of instructions on Wednesday on how to daven outdoors or in private.
For those davening alone:
* Hatoras nedarim on Erev Rosh Hashana can be done with 3 people (better 10) and if needed, over the phone if all 3 are in one location.
* Time the davening to the time a minyan is davening.
* Piyutim aren’t said during Shemone Esreh or those the Chazzan says.
* Read from the Chumash what is read from the Sefer Torah.
* Don’t sound the shofar or daven musaf in the first 3 hours of the morning (until after zman kerias shema), if possible.
* Don’t sound the shofar during Shemone Esreh, but sound it later to reach 100 sounds.
For davening in a porch minyan:
* In each group, there should be at least one person who can see all other groups.
* When there are already 10 people in the minyan (with the above condition), anyone who can hear their voices can participate.
* Make sure there isn’t a street in the way dividing the original 10 participants, and no trash or idolatry in the way of the rest.
* In order to carry on Shabbos, a proper eruv chatzeiros should be made.
* On Friday night, the bracha m’ein sheva (ברכה מעין שבע) isn’t said, but participants can say from Magen Avos until Zecher Maasei Breishis.
For the original and full list of halachic instructions, see below.
