Great Synagogue in Jerusalem to be closed during High Holy Days for first time, because of COVID-19

The Great Synagogue in Jerusalem will be closed during the High Holy Days for the first time since it was built, a decision that was made because of the coronavirus, the facility said.

According to the Jerusalem Post, this is the first time the synagogue will be closed since it was founded in 1958.

“A deciding factor in this consideration is the lack of information [and the] confusion and debate between experts and the changes in regulations,” the synagogue said in a statement, according to the outlet. “The Great Synagogue is not like other places of worship. It is spread out, requires health checks at the door, commits to forbid the entry of worshipers who did not sign up ahead of time and, of course, commits to limit the number of worshipers.

“And even if we stand by these [rules], there is still a risk. One person makes a mistake; one person is positive [for the virus] and did not know; one person who can infect another. The Great Synagogue asks to prevent this risk [from affecting] every one of you.”

In the Jewish calendar, the High Holy Days include Rosh Hashanah (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and commence this year at sunset on Sept. 18.

There have been 153,759 COVID-19 cases and 1,108 deaths in Israel according to Johns Hopkins University.