A statement from the Jewish Federation, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Day School and Jewish Family Service:

The Lehigh Valley Jewish community has many reasons to feel pride and this is especially true today as we all work together to make our best preparations for the continued spread of the Coronavirus. Since we first became aware of the growing concerns, our community leaders have been in communication with pro-active urgency.

There is no cause for alarm as the risk to most is generally low. However, we strive to be as prepared as possible with the hope that we will not have to put into practice the policies and procedures created for extensive quarantine.

In our community buildings, we are making every effort to sanitize surfaces, provide access to hand sanitizer and encourage frequent hand washing, and we are utilizing our shared community resources to make this all possible. 

We are also advising our constituents not to shake hands, give hugs or otherwise come into direct contact with each other when avoidable. We are closely monitoring guidance issued by the State of Pennsylvania, local municipalities, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.

Employees and constituents of our agencies are highly encouraged to stay home if they feel unwell, and those who have the ability to work from home are preparing to do so. We are taking the necessary considerations regarding our busy calendar of community events and will keep communications flowing as soon as decisions are made.

We are mindful that a significant percentage of our community and those we serve fall within the high-risk category. We are taking extra precautions as it relates to programs involving older adults and those with compromised immune systems. Jewish Family Service is making every effort to ensure that its clients continue to receive the food and care that they rely on without added exposure.

There are no confirmed cases in our community at this time. However, there have been confirmed cases related to conferences that community members may have attended. We are in contact with those who attended and will keep the community informed if extra precautions need to be taken. 

As always, we remain available to you for any questions or concerns you may have.