Items
Subject is exactly
Museums & Libraries
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2020
Jewish Melbourne: Jewish Museum of Australia's emails about online events
With the Covid lockdown in Melbourne, the Jewish Museum of Australia had to close its doors to visitors. In response, they moved activities online, organising events to be held virtually. These events were shared with members of the Museum community through their email list. -
2020-09-10
Art recreations for R U OK? Day, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
As part of RU OK? Day activities for staff in this challenging year, hospital teams were invited to submit a team photo on the internal social media network. The Palliative Care team responded with a compilation recreating famous art works. The Paul Getty Museum popularized the phenomenon of recreating famous art works with a handful of household items earlier in the year. -
2020-07
Jewish Melbourne: Survivors in Isolation - A different isolation
In July Elly Brooks - who is a photographer, member of the Board of the Jewish Holocaust Centre, and President of Friends of JHC - worked with the JHC to take photos of Holocaust survivors at their front doors. In line with Melbourne's lockdown procedures, the JHC was closed, and everyone was required to be at home, so these photos show the survivors as they stayed home to isolate. Elly Brooks reflected: "Holocaust Survivors and other elderly people are perhaps more impacted in this time of covid isolation than younger people as they are confined to their homes under the country’s partial lockdown and many find themselves far from their usual network of support. What shines through this series of images of Holocaust survivors in Melbourne is a strong spirit to overcome adversity, with an understanding that it is a temporary. Most of the survivors pictured, have been coming to the Jewish Holocaust Centre for many years, presenting their testimony to students and the general public and being connected to a community. In early March, when the pandemic was becoming an inevitable danger in Melbourne, the survivors were the first to be asked to stay home, away from the JHC. For some, the memories of our survivors are always there just below the surface and this enforced isolation makes our elderly feel vulnerable and threatens their independence. As a photographer, I wanted to capture the strength and dignity of survivors as they posed on their doorsteps of their homes during this lockdown.As a longtime friend to most of them, I have been missing them so it also gave me good reason to visit them and hear their wise words. For some the virus brought back memories: “that feeling of dread all the time. You never know if other people on the street are going to give you the virus, or they were going to turn you in to the Gestapo because you were a Jew.” Each survivor had their photo taken and they each contributed a reflection: Joe de Hann: I keep occupied by reading and cooking for myself. I have been alone a long time so I am used to being by myself but I miss the Holocaust Centre and the people Henry Buch: I feel unchallenged and lack motivation. My son visits but my daughter is in isolation. Jewish Care assists me but when you are isolated like this memories and worries come back Irma Hanner: “It’s not a war! “We are in a lucky country but even so we must be aware of and call out racism. The extremes of politics both right and left sides are bad. “I miss my work at The Jewish Holocaust Centre” Gisa Frayman: I am lucky that my children come to visit which means that I am not alone. We talk everyday on the phone and as long as they are well, they visit me John Lamovie: I have a large family and before this isolation they visited often but not now. That is the hardest for me at this time.Life during the pandemic ihas an unsettling resonance, especially the isolation from family members. Some of my family drive by to wave to me. A couple of family deaths were very hard to reconcile at this strange time of isolation. I attended a virtual funeral. Overall I feel lucky and nothing to complain about. Abe Goldberg: It’s not a war but it is very hard for me because my wife Cesia is in care and I cannot visit her. That is devastating for me not being allowed to visit her. We have been together so many years Sarah Saaroni: I’m perfectly fine and see my family from a distance. I am fully occupied and well looked after. Henri Korn: Life during the pandemic is unsettling especially the isolation from my friends and family. “It pains me that I cannot be with my family, with my friends,” Wolf Deane: We are happy to be living here and have our family close by. Joe Swarczberg: I miss The JHC, the students, staff and my friends. I used to go often and now I just stay at home. I hope I live long enough to see the new Centre. David Prince: I miss my work at The Holocaust Centre especially seeing the students. I am used to being independent and have friends and family nearby. It is an unsettling time and I hope we can go back to the way it was and I am around to see the new Centre. Viv Speigel: I miss going to The Centre but I am lucky to see my family from a distance and I have all that I need. Maria Lewitt: I am happy to be close to my family and well cared for. John Chaskiel: I am fine and my family visits from a distance. They come to my driveway but I miss The Holocaust Centre and the students. I hope I will see the new museum -
2020-05-13
Melbourne Jewish Book Week and COVID - 19, part 3
MJBW shifted to regular online events that are now occurring on the second Tuesday of each Month -
2020-03-18
Melbourne Jewish Book Week and COVID - 19
Melbourne Jewish Book Week was raring to go with its 2020 Festival, scheduled for 2-7 May. International and local writers were booked – more than 80 in total. Almost two years in the planning, the festival was going to include two full days of panels and workshops; opening and closing night galas; a performance at fortyfivedownstairs; a literary brunch with two leading writers from New York; and a keynote address. As coronavirus spread, and governments started imposing restrictions, including the closure of borders, we held several meetings and on 12 March we decided that a live festival was not in the interests of our supporters – and we pulled the plug, with tears and heartache. We were one of the first festivals to do so, but in the days and weeks that followed, no-one had any other option. We felt an obligation to our supporters, sponsors and writers to provide an alternative. We opted for regular on-line events using available technology, and decided not to commit to a live event until the heath risks were well and truly passed. Six months later, we are delighted and proud of what we have achieved in the CoVid world. Starting with no knowledge of the technology, we are now familiar with all aspects of Zoom. We have established the second Tuesday of the month as Melbourne Jewish Book Week evening. Our offerings (to March 2021) have been: • May 2020 Philippe Sands and Mark Baker • June 2020 David Isaacs and Elizabeth Finkel • June 2020 (extra) Colum McCann and Mark Baker • July 2020 Ben Lewi and Jan Epstein • August 2020 Juliet Rieden and Bram Presser • September 2020 Paul Valent and Rachel Kohn • October 2020 Shais Rishon (MaNishtana) and Claire Coleman – moderated by Isabelle Oderberg. • November 2020 Summer Reading Guide with Tali Lavi, Elissa Goldstein and Bram Presser • February 2020 Arnold Zable and Tali Levi • March 2020 Open mic -
2020-03-30
Van Gogh Painting Stolen
A Van Gogh painting was stolen from a museum in the Netherlands due to closure because of COVID-19. -
04/19/2020
Loeb Classical Library - Harvard University Press International
In light of the Pandemic the Harvard University Press decided to allow Schools and Institutions access to the Loeb Classical Library for free, Yay! This is very useful for people whose institutions apply; people studying classics who cannot access libraries are able to instead use E-Books. Yet there are some interesting elements regarding this. Firstly it is restricted to Schools and Institutions who contact the Harvard university, which means that people doing independent research during this time cannot do it, while I can understand the reasoning behind it, I also feel as though there is a certain elitism; students and members of institutions are able to access these resources while people who may want to while they are in quarantine and isolation are unable; now is the time when have the least money to spend and the most time to fill, yet unless they are part of an institution given by permission they cannot read these classical texts. The second more interesting part of this is disconnect between the quote by Horace that they led the tweet with "May I have a goodly supply of books and food to last the year" and the limitations that they set on the free-period. The Harvard University Press decided to have it last 2 months; while I do not think that should be criticized for opening their library for free, I also find amusement in the 10 month gap between Horace and the policy - they could have found a better quote. -
2020-03-25
How quickly things change
This is two announcements concerning the status of the Utas Libraries; the one on the left is an announcement by a teacher which says that said the Morris Miller library was still open for picking up books, actually going into the library had been suspended by that point. Later that same day the University published an official statement that announced the total closure of the library. This was in keeping with government restrictions and guidelines, many libraries had been closed. This article also helps display the difficulty that some students have been experiencing in acquiring sources for their study have been made more difficult, especially since browsing is impossible, as a student can't go into the library and search the section of the library for relevant resources. This source also shows a way that educational institutions attempt to help students by scanning resources so that students can access high-use materials. -
03/26/2020
Alexander Oral History, 2020/03/26
Rounding up what I've been doing since the first log I posted on March 24. There was a few things I felt like I didn't cover very well originally. -
2020-03-25
Papa bear in an Urrbrae House museum window at the University of Adelaide's Waite campus, South Australia
Inspired by the book 'Going On A Bear Hunt' by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, people across Adelaide started putting teddy bears in their windows for children to find when they were out walking. Like all museums in Australia, Urrbrae House (a historic house museum} was closed to public visitors due to Covid-19 social distancing restrictions. So during the museum's closure, the Urrbrae House manager decided to put three teddy bears - Mama, Papa and Baby Bear - in various windows of the building for local children to spot. She then alerted people to look out for the bears via social media with the following post: "Mama, Papa and Baby Bear at Urrbrae House heard that bears all over Adelaide were sitting in windows to enjoy the sun and offer a smile to anyone going by while on a safe social distancing walk. While the museum is closed and our bears are in social isolation, they thought this was a splendid idea and have joined in." The picture represents one way people tried to remain connected during the pandemic and a desire to bring joy to children and their families at an uncertain time. -
2020-03-24
Flinders Street Station, Melbourne deserted at 7.45 AM on a Tuesday morning
Flinders Street Station in Melbourne city is one of the busiest train stations in the metro network. Normally at 7.45 on a week day morning it would be thronged with commuters, all heading off to work. This morning it was almost deserted. From today almost all workplaces, other than those deemed 'essential' are closed and most people who can are working from home. I work at the Old Treasury Building in the city. We are a heritage site and museum, now closed of course. But we are trying to document the urban environment during this extraordinary crisis, while being extremely careful of our own exposure to risk. From time to time we will share some of our photos and experiences. 24 March 2020, 7.45 AM