(JTA) – Rabbis in Massachusetts say they are not rushing to open their synagogues even though the state’s governor has said houses of worship may resume services.

Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, included houses of worship in the first phase of Massachusetts’ plan to resume operations after bringing coronavirus infections under control. He announced Monday, May 18, that churches, synagogues and mosques could reopen immediately. A handful of religious leaders said they would reopen quickly, but as in other states that have begun to allow gatherings, rabbis are not among them. Instead, the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis, a membership organization for rabbis in the state, issued a statement urging caution both among Jewish congregations and government officials

The statement from the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis read in part: 

“Jewish tradition teaches that the value of pikuach nefesh, saving a life, comes before all else. The state’s new safety standards raise many questions for clergy, lay leaders, and synagogues. We know our synagogue members are saddened that we cannot gather together for communal worship. We understand the disappointment when life cycle events cannot happen as planned. At the same time, the health and safety of synagogue members, clergy, and staff must be the preeminent Jewish value as we chart a new way forward.

Churches in at least two states where houses of worship are now permitted to operate, Georgia and Texas, have closed again after people who attended them developed the coronavirus. Studies have shown that religious services, where people sing together in close quarters for sustained periods of time, are prime vectors for transmission.

Main Photo: Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, seen here prior to the ceremonial lighting of a Hanukkah menorah at the Massachusetts State House in 2019, has authorized houses of worship to reopen. (Nic Antaya for The Boston Globe via Getty Images)