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2020-09-25
Jewish Melbourne: Chabad Kingston & Moorabbin newsletter 25 September
In this newsletter from Chabad Kingston & Moorabbin shul, they discuss the upcoming holiday of Yom Kippur and provide details of virtual events which will bring the community together in the lead-up. -
2020-10-18
Care after 5km
A friend of mine had a rough week. She lives down the coast, well out of my 5km play pen (the distance we Melbournians can travel from home). The phone calls are fine, but can be draining and don't replace a supportive hug. Feeling a bit helpless as a friend, I put together an hour of music I thought she'd find comforting. Diversifying the kinds of connections we keep up has been relieving in that way. Low pressure interaction, much like spending time in person when it is relaxed, calm, and conversation will bounce off stimuli in the world, is hard to replicate digitally. I've really stepped up my playlist game these days. She loved it. HIST30060 -
2020-09-28
Yom Kippur in the year of the plague
Community is important to all, especially in these difficult times. For significant events and religious observances, we need to be inventive to stay connected. The Reform Jewish movement in Melbourne, has been broadcasting its services throughout the Victorian lockdowns, and this was especially so for the High Holidays, when thousands tuned into live streamed services. -
2020-07-02
Jewish Melbourne: Chevra Hatzolah 'Beyond the Crisis' fundraiser
Facebook post thanking people for their contribution to the Chevra Hatzolah 'Beyond the Crisis' fundraiser. The post says: "During the Pandemic, Hatzolah’s focus has been directed at continuing our emergency response, Responder and patient safety, and community education through online media. Working together with community groups such as the Covid-19 Taskforce, CSG and Ambulance Victoria, keeping our community safe was the primary objective. However we also incurred huge expenses and needed to replenish funds used to purchase large volumes of expensive PPE, and still have enough for us to emerge and grow Beyond the Crisis. All of us at Hatzolah Melbourne have been humbled by the outpouring of moral and financial support during the “Beyond the Crisis” campaign, and express our sincere thanks to the community. In spite of the financial strains being felt across the board, the community has shown us incredible support and we are extremely grateful. We wish everyone good health, and look forward to continuing to serve the community, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." -
2020-04-03
Jewish Melbourne: Australian Jewish community management of COVID-19 pandemic – National Bulletin #3
In the lead-up to Pesach, this update provides a summary of "the current status of Jewish community life in each State and Territory". It begins: "Jewish community organisations and leaders across Australia continue their efforts to manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jewish institutions, families, individuals and, most especially, the elderly and vulnerable. We recognise with deep appreciation the continuing work being done by the Jewish community roof bodies in each State, the Crisis Management Teams of the Community Security Groups, shules, the Day Schools, the aged care sector, the welfare sector and volunteers, and commend them for the high sense of responsibility they have demonstrated. With the approach of Pesach, when families typically gather to celebrate the Seder, many individuals and families will be feeling the effects of physical isolation from relatives and friends. Perhaps in the future we will look back upon these times and appreciate all the more the joy of being able to celebrate Pesach with family and friends, and have all the more compassion for those who have nowhere to go on Seder night, and are all alone." -
2020-04
Jewish Melbourne: Chabad Kingston resources for Pesach
L'Chaim Chabad Kingston assembled a website of resources for Pesach 2020, providing information for congregants: "As Jewish people around the world prepare for Passover under the pale of coronavirus, we are faced with a host of new challenges and questions. How are we to prepare with minimal ingredients and limited access to communal resources? How to celebrate the Seder alone? How will we celebrate the Festival of Freedom with our movement restricted? Find answers to all this and more ..." -
2020-09-20
Jewish Melbourne Rosh Hashanah in the time of covid
Our Neighbours offered to blow the shofar for the street. A few Jewish families live on our street in Balaclava. We all gathered in the street, All still and all connected by the mitzvah of hearing the shofar. It was a very special feeling. I felt the need to document this extraordinary event, this moment in history. In this time when so many of us are disconnected this moment of togetherness felt precious. Shofar, Rosh Hashanah, community, connected, isolation, mask, generosity, neighbor, listening, Mitzvah, covid moment, improvising, Balaclava, outside, togetherness -
2020-09-11
Jewish Melbourne: Blake St Hebrew Congregation Shabbat Services
Throughout the lockdown, as synagogues have been closed, Blake Street Hebrew Congregation has conducted Shabbat services via zoom, and shared videos on their Facebook page. At times this has involved singing with Moshe Hendel Feiglin for Mincha, which can be seen in this video. -
2020-09
Jewish Melbourne: Temple Beth Israel's 'Yachad'
Temple Beth Israel created a website - Yachad - in order to bring community together during Covid times. The website hosts livestreams and recordings of services, as well as reflections, opportunities to hear the shofar, music, share recipes, order a machzor, and offer a blessing. There's messages from the rabbis, information about the High Holy Days services, and activities for children. They explain: "In many ways Covid-19 has taught us that community matters now more than ever! We are proud to launch this digital platform which will host our High Holy Day offerings for you and your family. Yachad, (“together”) in Hebrew, draws its name and purpose from “Shir La’Ahava”, a song by Israeli band Gaya. The lyrics of Shir La’Ahava which begin with the words yachad – lev el lev, (“together – heart to heart”), capture the optimism, love and unity which we hope will define our High Holy Day celebration this year." -
2020-04-30
Looking for new ways to imagine our community
The absence of a physical shul community has reinforced my love of that community. -
2020-04-20
Jewish Melbourne: LaunchPad Yom Hashoah event materials
Due to the pandemic, Yom Hashoah commemoration events, which would normally be held in person, needed to go online. On April 20, 2020, LaunchPad hosted an online, zoom-based, Yom Hashoah event which "consisted of an intergenerational conversation exploring the preservation of memory and the ways in which we can each be custodians of our family's stories." At the event there were three speakers: Phillip Maisel (Holocaust survivor), Suzy Zail (2nd Gen) and Julia Sussman (3rd Gen), moderated by Jennifer Levitt Maxwell. The event (which went for 45 minutes) also involved candle lighting. Everyone was encouraged to light a candle at home, and then six people were nominated to light 6 candles for the event, namely: Pauline Rockman OAM - co-president of the Jewish Holocaust Centre, Simone Szalmuk-Singer - co-chair of Australian Jewish Funders, Phil and Sue Lewis and their family - co-chair of the Jewish Holocaust Centres capital campaign, Helen Mahemoff - Board Director of the Jewish Holocaust Centre, Arek dybel - filmmaker and creative director at museum POLIN in Warsaw, and Andrea Lipshutz - representing LaunchPad’s ‘Regeneration Melbourne’ Committee. -
2020-05-09
Humans of Covid-19 AU: Bobo Matjila
“My social life has become non-existent, but my relationships are still quite strong. Isolation has forced me to be a better friend because it has required me to check up on people in ways that I never did before. For me this feels a bit like a break from the constant rat-race of life (but not a vacation). Everything feels slower, which I kind of like. I’m no longer forced to go to events or go out. I'm an introvert, so I love spending time at home. Life feels simple, and slow, and more intentional now. I’ve been able to catch up on lots of reading. I am also enjoying being able to walk down the street and not be harassed. I expected something like this to happen sooner or later. I always had the sense that the pace at which this city runs is not sustainable, so pretty soon it will collapse. I've been mentally and emotionally prepared for this to happen. Everyday people are dying, suffering, and in the depths of misery, which I feel is the norm of the human condition. Peace is the exception. I think that’s why I’m mentally not so affected by the pandemic, because I don't have hopeful expectations for humanity. If we all agreed on the basics that homelessness and suffering is unnecessary, then we could get rid of all of this in a couple of months and save the future of humanity. There’s a lot we can do to prevent this, I just don't think we will do it.” Instagram post on Bobo Matjila, podcast host & writer, and her experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives. -
2020-04-16
Humans of Covid-19 AU: Haikal
“It’s very different. We’re not used to being this slow-paced. It feels really strange compared to the mayhem and craziness we usually work in. We’re still trying to stay busy with deliveries and stuff like that. We’re adapting as best we can, but sadly we did have to lose a few employees. We’re very grateful to still be open and getting customers, so I’m not complaining. Somehow there’s still that community feel, with regular customers continuing to come, but we aren’t seeing as many of the older faces. The staff are happy to be working and there’s lots of support going on. If all shops are forced to close, it would affect our family heaps - it's what we do. We’ve been doing it since 1992.” Instagram post on Haikal,, manager A1 bakery, and their experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives. -
2020-03-31
Tassie Face Mask Project
HUM402 The local community getting together for positive action against COVID-19. By sewing masks it's giving the broader community an active way to be involved as well as reducing stress on the low stocks of protective equipment. -
2020-04-08
Street art using fence gallery.
Everyone in the street invited to hang artworks about life in shutdown -
2020-04-12
Sharing herbs with neighbours
In Young Street Annerley we started a Facebook group 'They Young Ones’ and shared garden edibles, books and art materials. -
2020-04-09
Neighbourhood herb handouts
Neighbours have started up a practice of leaving spare herbs outside their gates for anyone to share -
2020-03-25
Chalk board sign from sports gear store. Written without mentioning anything about the virus.
Without even mentioning the pandemic, the sign offer hope that at some point in the future it will reopen -
2020-03-26
Interview about the project
Radio interview by host Jacinta Parsons with Professor Andy May from the University of Melbourne about 'A Journal of the Plague Year' project. -
2020-03-25
The optimism of children
Schools have closed for an interim period (maybe) — the kids down the street send messages of encouragement for all the people in the neighbourhood who are out taking a daily constitutional. -
2020-03-25
Chalk messages on the footpath from neighbourhood kids
Schools have closed for an interim period (maybe) — the kids down the street have chalked messages of encouragement on the footpath for all the people in the neighbourhood who are out taking a daily constitutional. -
2020-03-23
Instagram post - The Networking Dog 23 March 2020
On Sunday 22 March I received the following message from the University's Vice Chancellor, "If you need to come to campus to collect anything essential to continue to teach online or work remotely you must do so before 5pm tomorrow, Monday 23 March." On Monday I posted this image to alert the community of researchers who use our facility that we would be closed until further notice. This poster designed again by Alex Stitt, a brilliant graphic designer, illustrator and social commentator, dates from 1997, and its message is relevant today. This week I have begun to work remotely and attended online training sessions Microsoft Teams 101, and Video Conferencing on Skype and Microsoft Teams. -
2020-03-18
RMIT Design Archives Instagram Post 18 March 2020 Cancellation of Melbourne Design Week events
On the week beginning Monday 16 March cultural organisations across Victoria began to make the difficult decision to close their doors to the public as a precautionary measure. In terms of the RDA, our programs for Melbourne Design Week, the Australian Heritage Festival, and Melbourne Rare Books Week were postponed until further notice. One of the themes of Melbourne Design Week was Communication Design and Health Promotion. The 'Life Be In It' poster designed by Alex Stitt seemed pertinent to the unfolding situation where potentially people might not be able to participate in physical activity outside of their homes. My gym closed last week! -
2020-03-16
Navigating COVID-19 and Chest-Binding
8 tips to look after your respiratory health for trans and non binary people who bind their chest .I am a member of a secret online group for transgender men. A member of the group from the US shared this resource, on how to look after your respiratory health for trans and non binary people who bind their chest. I realised that it was written by a member of the Australian trans community, someone I have connections with in my own city. It felt good to know that resources developed by someone in my own backyard are having a global reach and that the transgender community around the world are pulling together to support one another at this time.