Ottawa’s large Orthodox Jewish congregation, Machzikei Hadas, has notified its members that it is closing the building for a week, after a child who had attended Saturday programming on Dec. 11 tested positive for COVID-19.
In an email Monday, the president of the congregation, Bonnie Boretsky, said the child had attended youth programming on the Sabbath, and a rapid antigen test came back with a positive result. A follow up PCR test is now being done, according to Ottawa Public Health’s requirements.
“From our synagogue’s perspective we were asked to advise all unvaccinated children who attended youth programming and who ate together with other children at Kiddush this Shabbat to immediately isolate and self-monitor for symptoms,” Boretsky wrote, adding that in addition, anyone who is a high-risk contact of this child needs to self-isolate and look for symptoms.
While Machzikei Hadas had not been ordered to close the building, synagogue leaders decided to shut down immediately, until Dec. 21.
“With advice from OPH, and an abundance of caution, we are being diligent and proactive,” the executive director Marc Borenstein, told The CJN.
It was unclear whether the synagogue’s planned outing to watch the Ottawa Senators play the Boston Bruins on Sunday at the Canadian Tire Centre will be cancelled.
The annual Ray Fathi Memorial Hockey Night offers kosher food, delivered to your seat, at the NHL arena in Kanata, outside of Ottawa. Fathi died in in 2014. He was a well known member of Ottawa’s Jewish community.
