B'Yachad
Our inclusive, multi-sensory, interactive service.
During the past year the B’Yachad team were able to transpose services from in-person to online over Zoom. This meant that despite our community members being physically isolated from one another due to lockdown restrictions, we were able to come together on a regular basis to celebrate Shabbat. During the past year 10 services were held on Zoom and one in person.
Initially music making for our services had to be done on an individual basis, alternating between our service leader Shuli Morris-Evans and other members of the band. As restrictions eased over the summer months music making became a little easier as the band could be together, socially distanced, to sing and perform in outside spaces (eg: the deck of Gill Yentis’ garden!) As things eased further the band ventured inside, closer to the WiFi with garden doors wide open!
The flexibility of using Zoom as a medium meant that David Bash was able to employ animations and video images in a skillful and engaging way to illustrate his always innovative and engaging D’var Torah.
It did seem that despite the isolation numbers attending services remained very pleasing. Very often we would have well over 20 screens joining us. Many different types of households joined services (ie: those in residential settings, supported care, those in their own homes) who may not have previously been able to join due to transport issues. It has been wonderful for us as a team to see so many congregants, as well as their carers, both family and professional, engaging in sessions with us. Despite the lack of physical nearness, it has been evident that participants join the services with great excitement and joy – thankfully Zoom allows the ability to ‘mute’ participants when needed!
Of course, everyone missed the opportunity of being together IRL (in real life). However, the limited accessibility of our temporary synagogue space meant that it would have been very difficult to ensure social distancing as several congregants are wheelchair users. It was decided therefore, even when covid restrictions eased, that a hybrid model of service (in person but also over Zoom) was not going to work for our community.
Apart from the technical issues which would have been many, we realised that our B’Yachad community require either in-person connection, or focused one-to-one connection which although limited, has been possible over Zoom. Trying to be all things to all people would have meant that many would have lost out.
We were able to come together for an in-person service on Yom Kippur which was lovely as we had a good, large and safe space to do this. However, it was clear that many were still hesitant to attend in person as numbers were small. We were glad that we also pre-recorded a Yom Kippur B’Yachad service which was available for our congregants if they preferred to engage that way.
We have been so lucky to have had Shuli to lead our services and were very sad to lose her as she has now taken up her new responsibilities as a trainee rabbi. Her incredible connection and way of relating to our community was extremely special and a real blessing for us all.
We are delighted that Laura Profitt has returned to us and is now leading services together with David Bash, our Torah Service Maven!
Thanks too must go to Gila Claydon, who apart from being our signing supremo has now taken on the technical side of managing our Zoom services, which has been crucial. Up until October this very important job was managed by Alice Goldsmith. We are very grateful for Alice’s wonderful skill and patience in ensuring all aspects of Zoom and presentation were handled in such an incredibly professional way.
And, of course, thanks too to our stalwart band members, Gill Yentis, Mel Sassienie, Susan Dawson, Bob Humphries, ably supported by Jennie Ableman, Carol Balfe, Wes Bloom, Pippa Bloom and Ben Berger who have helped to bring the musical joy to every service. We are also delighted to have been able to welcome another new band member Ali Goodman.
The entire B’Yachad team are beyond excited about the future months as we look forward to being together in person once more, with our congregants, in our wonderful newly-built fully-accessible synagogue.
