Items

• 
  2020-10-26

  "Get on the beers" Dan Andrew

  Victorians saw their freedoms and their complacency eroded as the Andrews government introduced a second lockdown. As it continued past the expected four weeks, many found enjoyment in the meme of the Andrews government allowing Victorians to “get on the beers”. The meme started during the first lockdown after Daniel Andrews stated on the 22nd of March that the closure of the pubs was not an excuse to “have all your mates ‘round to home and get on the beers…”. Since then, it has become a joke on the internet about when Daniel Andrews will finally allow Victorians to get back on the beers. Since the easing of restrictions, the joke has morphed from a desire to get out of lockdown and back to pubs, into a celebration of the success of the second lockdown. One musical duo, MASHD N KUTCHER, made a remix of Andrews from different press conferences from the second lockdown to be played at bars and clubs now that Victorians are able to go out. Through the creativity of such people, an admonishment by the premier has evolved to a shared joke, and then into a celebration of the persistence and patience of Victorians to go through a second lockdown successfully. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0NFqOHFJvw
• 
  2020-10-21

  Jewish Melbourne: NCJWA (Vic) received grant for Covid safe workplace

  "Glen Eira City Council awarded NCJWA Vic with a special “COVID-19 Community Action Grant”. This grant is for the purchase of sneeze guards, sanitiser stations and sanitisers - all part of our COVID-19 Safe Plan to return to the office, when restrictions will allow."
• 
  2020-09-11

  Jewish Melbourne: Mt Scopus pre-Rosh Hashanah video

  This is a short video of students blowing to shofar, to encourage the community to "‪Get excited because there’s only one week till..... ROSH HA’SHANA!!!"
• 
  2020-08-31

  Jewish Melbourne: CSG - Check on your mates

  This is a post by Community Security Group (CSG), encouraging people to look out for each other: "Humans are social animals. We crave connection. As we spend more time in our homes, cut off from friends and family in a bid to stop the spread of the virus, the lack of physical touch can be mentally challenging. For people who live alone especially, this extended lack of contact may be particularly tough. But just because we’re physically distant from each other doesn’t mean we can’t still be emotionally close. Maintaining regular human connection is more important than ever as we navigate these difficult times."
• 
  2020-09-03

  Jewish Melbourne: Project High Holydays round challah braiding video

  "Introducing Rivkah Yurkowicz from Chabad Malvern presenting a simple step by step guide to braiding your holiday challah"
• 
  2020-10-02

  Jewish Melbourne: Chabad on Carlisle Weekly Message for Sukkot

  This is a weekly video message from Chabad on Carlisle to their congregation. This one is for Sukkot and encouraging people to donate to their charity appeal.
• 
  2020-08-16

  Jewish Melbourne: Chabad on Carlisle food for isolated seniors

  Chabad on Carlisle 'Cookoff August 2020': "A great team of very hard working volunteers cooked up delicious Shabbos packages today which will be delivered to isolated seniors. (Covid-safe protocols were followed). We may be physically distant but the love and care is always there! A big thank you to the awesome volunteers!"
• 
  2020-09-15

  Jewish Melbourne: Chabad on Carlisle Q & A with the Rabbis about Rosh Hashanah

  On Tuesday 15 September Chabad on Carlisle held an online Q&A with their Rabbis, along with musical entertainment, for Rosh Hashanah
• 
  2020

  Meme - Transition to Online Learning

  HIST30060 This is a meme saved several months ago (approximately some time during late Semester One) about the transition to online University. What social media platform it came from, and who the original author is remains a mystery. I have chosen to upload this meme because I believe it serves as an example (albeit a satirical one) of how the transition to online Uni has effected students. As a person who struggles with learning difficulties even during the best of times, this meme was a relatable representation of how I felt about University this year, and how challenging the transition to online classes was.
• 
  2020-10-17

  A Pandemic Through Bad Memes

  HIST30060, this is a personal text reflection on my experience in the pandemic complemented by internet memes
• 
  2020-03-25

  The Battle of Costco

  HIST30060 - submitted as part of a history assignment. Again, like many other memes I encountered, this one comments on how the events of this year will be studied, but more importantly how they will be remembered (as emphasised by the almost commemorative nature of the statues). Humorously depicting parents and two children racing with an overflowing trolley full of food toward the check-outs as though it were a battle scene, this meme seeks to ridicule the absurdity of purchasing and hoarding mountains of food during the lock-down period. It suggests that violence in the isles and the toilet paper crisis that saw people literally fighting each other in order to obtain toilet paper will not be looked upon favourably by future historians or students. The way that the figures are carved in stone and the title of ‘The Battle of Costco (2020 A.D.)’ positions the audience to view the image in reference to other major historical conflicts and to find this one, humorously, falling short.
• 
  2020-11-10

  Repetition of Plagues

  HIST30060 - submitted as part of a history assessment. Many of the memes, like this one, comment on the cyclical nature of history and the inescapability of the repetition of disasters. By drawing attention to other plagues of the past - all of which occurred during the 20s of their respective centuries - the image preempts the current ‘plague’ or pandemic. The accompanying image taken from the 2014 film ‘Big Hero 6’ and the comment ‘I have some concerns’ (an understatement to say the least) add an amusing note to the alarming message. Much of the humour found in these memes and images contained words ‘read’ in a deadpan or resigned tone - or otherwise the voice of one who is no longer surprised by the current turn of events. Again, there is a resounding feeling that this year has been a strain as one disaster after another occurs.
• 
  2020-05-31

  The history book of 2020

  HIST30060 - submitted as part of an assessment for a history subject. A significant number of the memes I found commented on the incredible number of ‘disasters’ or disruptions that have had a global impact this year (suggesting that this number is far more than anything to occur in the last decade). The disasters referenced in these memes concern a range of instances including the Australian Bushfires, the “threat of World War III” (with the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by drone strike), the Covid-19 pandemic, the American Murder Hornets, the explosion in Beirut and the American bushfires. The ‘disasters’ or global events that feature in the memes span almost every continent and every sphere from environmental (e.g. the bushfires), the social (e.g. the American race riots), the economic, the political (e.g. the explosion in Beirut and subsequent investigation into corruption) and health (e.g. the pandemic). This particular meme suggests that the study of this year will be an arduous task for history students of the future.
• 
  2020-08-26

  The cover photo of 2020's chapter in history

  HIST30060 - submitted as part of history assessment. This tweet produced in August 2020 includes a photograph of the American bushfires with the caption ‘this is gonna be the cover photo in the history chapter about 2020’. Like so many other memes and tweets, this item points to the cumulative nature of the disastrous events of 2020, suggesting that the entire year can be summarised by a hellish scene of a large fire devouring all its path while a sign warns of precautions needed to protect from covid-19. The tweet also draws attention to the study of history and how future generations of historians (and school students) will be introduced to the major events of the year.
• 
  2020-08-01

  Staying close through zoom beveraginos

  During lockdown my group of friends stayed close through sharing videos and memes on facebook and participating in tiktok trends. We had a weekly zoom set up with people from Melbourne and Geelong where we’d talk about our mostly uneventful weeks, gossip about uni and celebrity news and little bit about Dan Andrews or as he was lovingly known Daddy Dan/Dandrews. Regularly having a zoom call was a comforting experience because before the pandemic we stayed in contact mostly by planning parties and lunches. The pandemic definitely made us closer through creating group chats and organising to play a game together, usually Among Us on Wednesday night. This post includes the tiktok beveragino trend where people have drinks with their mates and film them popping out from random locations. HIST30060
• 
  2020-04

  Family facetime

  At the start of lockdown it became clear that my family would not be able to see each other for a while. Most of my family lives in Sydney, some of us live in Melbourne, regional Victoria and Canada. In response, my sister initiated a Coffey Family FaceTime every night at 6:30pm with whoever was available. However, this meant teaching my grandmothers how to use Facebook and how to start a call. More than 8 months later and both my grandmothers still can’t turn their video on without direction and also can’t start Facebook calls. This call kept us together when we felt far away. Celebrating father’s day and birthdays and anniversaries on FaceTime made some moments more memorable and some feel more lonely. Face timing each other was fun until there was a family dinner in Sydney and you couldn’t leave the state. However, there were fun moments, stirring up my parents dogs by yelling “walkies” or “dindins” and then leaving the call, FaceTiming on empty trams and using the weird face effects to confuse my grandmother about who’s camera was whose. The call gave structure to the days spent inside and caused me to talk to my grandmothers and extended family more about the current world events. HIST30060
• 
  2020-05-01

  Street art in South Melbourne

  Outside my work the council of Port Phillip commissioned an artwork on Coventry Street South Melbourne by Bridgette Dawson who goes by Melbourne Murals. She remastered the renaissance creation of Adam masterpiece dedicating the work to physical distancing. This piece developed throughout March when social distancing was fairly new and the mural demonstrates the way social distancing impacted everyday life. During this period the council of Port Phillip organised an initiative for property owners to register their buildings to have murals painted on the exterior. This would give artists work during a hard financial time and would deter graffiti. Port Phillip council also created a map for viewing their new street art installations, encouraging new walking paths when life seemed on repeat. I see this artwork nearly everyday and customers continually comment on it and smile about it. It’s a reflection of how COVID changed our lives and the spaces around us in South Melbourne.
• 
  2020-06-30

  Meme: Hotspot Lockdown in Brunswick West, Melbourne

  This meme was posted in my Melbourne friends' Facebook Messenger group chat in the wake of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews' announcement that certain 'hotspot' suburbs in Melbourne would return to Stage 3 lockdown at the end of June 2020. From the point of view of people outside of hotspot suburbs, it makes light of other neighbouring suburbs turning a blind eye to people who have to go back to lockdown, creating temporary walls between spaces, people and families. Unfortunately, because I lived in Brunswick West, I was one of the unlucky few in my friendship group who had to go back into lockdown. I watched on social media as all my other friends caught up with each other and took advantage of being able to travel more and go out to bars and cafes. As unlucky as I felt, memes like this one always functioned as a way to laugh at bad situations. My friends and I usually coped with lockdown through memes and jokes, characteristic of gen Z humour. HIST30060.
• 
  2020-09-26

  Family Fights

  HIST30060 My family is pretty large: I have two brothers, a sister….and a whole menagerie of animals! Gracie dog is the best, but we also have another dog, several cats, a rabbit, and a variety of feathered friends. My siblings live interstate, so we’ve been barred from seeing them since February because of border restrictions. During lockdown, we’ve been keeping in touch by having consistent arguments on our family group chat about how to rank our pets from best to worst. My brother frames it like a ‘best and fairest medal’, as you’d receive in sport. The conversations remind me of when we all used to live together at home, and they’ve provided a nice reprieve from more ominous discussions about the pandemonium enveloping society. I think the notion of ‘reprieve’ is central to the power of animals in this plague year: they distract us from our pandemic woes and force us to take a sabbatical from our anxieties.
• 
  2020-09-01

  Digital Barkive

  HIST30060 I created an Instagram account during Victoria’s first lock-down to chronicle my experiences with my dog during the pandemic. It’s from Gracie’s perspective and purely for fun, but I think it also represents a rudimentary ‘barkive’ with insight into how ‘stay-at-home’ mandates provided refreshed impetus to interact with our furry friends and rely upon them for comfort and companionship.
• 
  2020-10-06

  Fear, Fiction, and Facebook

  (HIST30060) Content warning: suicide mention. As the pandemic has developed over the course of the year and Victoria has progressed through lockdowns, a Facebook friend of mine from high school has taken to discussing COVID-19 extensively. She posts very regularly (on average between 20 and 30 times per day) with commentary on the pandemic, ranging from sanctimonious to outraged, sharing posts from conspiracy groups, pandemic-denying politicians, and other Facebook users that downplay the existence or severity of the virus. The series of unsubstantiated claims and recurrent mentions of ‘breaking news’ from various unnamed rogue health workers results in some of her Facebook friends querying her content and questioning the validity of her sources. When they reply to her posts, her Facebook friends often attempt to share news articles and updates from verified, fact-checked sources, but when this happens she talks past them, avoids the question, engages in a range of logical fallacies, or outright denies the validity of the information with which she’s been presented. In particular, she received significant backlash from her friends when she shared a post about the Australian suicide rate in 2020, crediting an alleged (untrue) increase directly to the lockdowns: one friend responded to say ‘I’m swiftly losing respect for you and the misinformation you keep posting.’ Earlier in the year, her posts gained greater traction among her Facebook friends: people would react to them, comment with information, speculation, or gentle disagreement; by now (November), the engagement her posts receive has dwindled down to the occasional like, but usually nothing more than that. Seeing her posts when I checked Facebook began to remind me of a conversation I’d had with my housemate about the role of fear and a desire for control behind belief in conspiracy theories; namely that these belief systems might bring warped comfort on some level. In situations that are scary, believing in some nameless, faceless ‘them’, or connecting with other people who claim to have secret insider information hidden from the general public, might help ease a feeling of powerlessness by believing someone is in control. I would allege her Facebook posts stem at least in part from fear, which I feel is more than understandable given an underlying experience for many people this year has been a deep, semi-constant sense of paralytic uncertainty. While I empathise with this, and genuinely feel compassion towards her for what she’s going through, I can’t help but think the way she has responded to these feelings is irresponsible at best, and dangerous at worst. I find her advocacy of the importance of independent research and critical thinking approaches irony, as the ‘research’ she describes appears to consist of discussing factually incorrect information with other scared people who are also searching for stability and predictability. I don’t begrudge her the fear she feels in any capacity, nor do I want to pass judgement on how others cope with this experience, but I can’t help feeling that this does more harm than good; I worry it proliferates false information, and further demoralises those who read it. While individual conjecture, ideas, philosophising, and critical thinking are absolutely necessary and a healthy degree of scepticism is vital when reading anything, I believe there is a degree of responsibility one assumes to check, even cursorily, that the content they’re sharing has some basis in fact, especially in instances like this where people are quite literally dying. While the experience of the pandemic is undoubtedly having a severe effect on her, I feel irritated reading her advocacy of things that will objectively place other people at risk of illness. It seems to me insensitive to spread deliberately divisive misinformation, given there are people who are assume risk every day when they go to work (even in a country that has implemented measures to control the spread of the disease, when many countries overseas have not). I worry about the broader social repercussions of the division and polarisation that misinformation contributes to, both in the case of COVID-19 and in other contexts. When I look over the things she’s been posting on Facebook, I feel overwhelming pity and compassion for what she is going through individually, and what everyone in Victoria is undergoing as a collective. I understand that everyone is coping with an extremely stressful and emotionally taxing experience and is attempting to manage as well as they can. I’ve seen parallels drawn between the COVID-19 pandemic and previous pandemic disease outbreaks and major historical events in general, and the comfort people derive from a sense of shared experience during difficulty. I think in part the pandemic has cemented in my mind the confronting fact that being alive is just living through a series of major historical events; that history is not something that has happened to other people, in other places, at other times, but is happening now and will continue to happen, over and over. While this is incredibly confronting to think about and dredges up an overwhelming feeling of powerlessness at times, it seems to me by looking at both the past and the present that people working to mutually support each other make upheaval, fear, and uncertainty much easier to bear.
• 
  2020-10-28

  My Sister Graduated Year 12 During a Pandemic

  My younger sister went through Year 12 (the last year of high school in Australia) in 2020. When she showed me her yearbook, most of the graduation quotes were either TikTok references, sarcastic remarks about being at home for most of their final year of school, or genuine amazement that they made it through a notoriously crazy year in an actually crazy year. Due to the tight restrictions in Victoria for most of 2020, this Year 12 cohort did not get to go to formal, dress up for sports carnivals, have an in-person graduation, or even enjoy the basic senior-year pleasure of having a microwave in the exclusive Year 12 common room. One of her friends summed it up quite well in her graduation yearbook statement – “that was nothing like High School Musical.”
• 
  2020-09-18

  Jewish Melbourne: Rabbi Ralph Genende for Rosh Hashanah

  For Rosh Hashanah, Caulfield Shule's Rabbi Ralph Genende pre-recorded a sermon and a short video celebrating apples and honey
• 
  2020-09-20

  Jewish Melbourne: Caulfield Shule Rosh Hashanah online

  While synagogues were closed under lockdown for Rosh Hashanah, Caulfield Shule provided a 'Rosh Hashanah highlights' service online before Rosh Hashanah started, as well as a standalone video of the Chazzan singing a "Rosh Hashanah Highlights Medley" with a choir in Israel
• 
  2020-09-28

  Jewish Melbourne: Caulfield Shule Yom Kippur online services

  Due to the lockdown, Caulfield Shule was unable to have a Yom Kippur service. Instead, they pre-recorded abridged Kol Nidre and Yizkor services, and livestreamed an abridged Neilah service after Yom Kippur had ended.
• 
  2020-09-29

  Jewish Melbourne: Caulfield Shule Avinu Malkeinu

  Caulfield Shule was locked down and unable to hold a Yom Kippur service in person, so as part of their online content they posted a video of "Chazan Dov Farkas and Kolot Min Hashamayim singing Avinu Malkeinu. Dov was recorded in Melbourne, the choir recorded in Israel, which was all blended together with the help of technology!"
• 
  2020-09-29

  Jewish Melbourne: Caulfield Shule making Sukkot decorations

  A video as part of the online programming for Sukkot from Caulfield Shule: "Batmitzvah girls Shaylee Klinger and Hanna Sion teach you how to make Sukkot decorations"
• 
  2020-10-08

  Jewish Melbourne: Caulfield Shule Pre-Shmini Atzeret “Abridged Yizkor Service”

  "Go online with Caulfield Shule's Rabbi Ralph and Chazzan Dov Farkas this Yom Tov for a Pre-Shmini Atzeret “Abridged Yizkor Service” Thursday Night, 8th of October, 8.00–8.20pm"
• 
  2020-10-06

  Jewish Melbourne: Sukkot Party

  Organised by a range of Jewish organisations, including Project High Holy Day, a virtual Sukkot party was held online.
• 
  2020-03-07

  End of my exchange - HIST30060

  HIST30060 I was on exchange in Edinburgh when Covid broke out. My fellow Australian friends were very unsure of what decision to take in reaction to the outbreak. Most if not all of us underestimated the magnitude of the pandemic and thought that life would go on, albeit with news broadcasts talking more about Coronavirus than Brexit. Most of us hoped we could "ride it out" in Scotland and still have the holidays we had planned. There was some discussion of renting an apartment and living their together, though this was mostly just talk. Eventually, some of our Austrian friends decided to go home because they worried the borer would close and they would not be able to get back into Austria. This brought home the severity of the pandemic, and everyone was rather glum for a time. However, beer is a wonderful thing. Our Austrian friends left, and us Australians started to have serious thoughts about going home but no one wanted to be the first to say they would go because they feared this would be the straw that broke the Camel's back and their departure would precipitate our decisions to return home. I decided I would go home if one of three conditions was met, Australia announced they were going to close the border, everything in Edinburgh shut due to lockdown, or classes and student events ceased to run. Soon most student societies, of their own accord, elected to cease in-person events without official prohibition. Australia also announced a 14-day quarantine for new arrivals. Two friends said they had decided to return home, I called my mum, we both agreed there was no sensible reason for staying in Edinburgh no matter how much I might wish to stay. I thought I would leave within a week because there was much admin to be done, but the threat of their being no more flights into Australia meant my departure date became as soon as a flight could be found. One the day I went to fly home, my flight from Edinburgh to Munich was cancelled and I had to train from Edinburgh to Manchester and from there begin my airborne journey back home. Manchester Airport was the grimmest wait for boarding in my life. When I arrived in Munich nothing in the airport was open. My next flight was to Tokyo. Everything in the airport was open. I got Sushi whilst I waited. I got a lot, I was flush in the funds with 4 months worth of holiday money was no longer going to spend. I then flew to Sydney. And after that to Melbourne. Mum picked me up, drove me home and I got to see my Dog for the first time in three and a half months. This sort of but didn't quite make up for my exchange ending early. The 14 days in quarantine sucked. The documents I have attached consists of all the emails I received from the University of Melbourne regarding Coronavirus and students currently on exchange. I have submitted them because they document the way in which Covid has most effected my 2020. Fortunately, I have not suffered as have others. The phenomena of students being on exchange when a pandemic breaks out, seems one which is unlikely to have occurred before, let alone on such a grand scale. I have also attached a screenshot documenting a Twitter exchange with Melbourne uni addressing the fact that their international number was not working.
• 
  2020-04-01

  Iso memes - HIST30060

  This is a TikTok video created and uploaded by user @faunhub. TikTok seemed to become massively popular over lockdown, globally, with people using it make light of what was a very strange situation for everyone, as well as share useful tips and 'hacks' as such related to the pandemic. This particular video encapsulates how bizarre TikToks can get; user @faunhub is dancing tp a speech by Scott Morrison announcing the closure of recreational facilities, placed over a backing track, and making light of his mispronunciation of the word 'barre'. For me, this video and others like it helped to soften the blow of the multiple announcements of restrictions varying in severity and showed how comedy as a coping mechanism was applied in the context of this pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-30

  (HIST30060) Zoom University

  (HIST30060) As a result of Victoria going into lockdown, classes at University of Melbourne went online, with lectures and tutorials being delivered via Zoom. Through both semesters, many technical and other issues have occurred as we've all learned how to use Zoom and gotten used to online learning. This post reflects what I'm sure many people experienced while on a Zoom call; for me, it was my mother walking in on my countless times, forgetting when I would have class, while she also worked at home, and both of us wearing something nice and presentable on top with our athletic/leisure wear out of shot.
• 
  2020-04-17

  (HIST30060) Quarantine Beauty

  (HIST30060) With lockdown lasting for many weeks and hairdressers and beauty salons being closed (even for a while as restrictions were eased), people's well-kept and manicured looks went out the window, being replaced with long, untamed hair and eyebrows and tracksuits. We went from looking like Princess Mia to ordinary, bushy-haired Mia as in the image. Many people resorted to giving themselves and family haircuts at home (I cut my hair twice and fringe multiple times throughout lockdown), which had varying results and became an essential covid experince on social media.
• 
  2020-04-08

  (HIST30060) lockdown lasting much longer than two weeks

  Back at the start of the pandemic, everyone thought we would locked down and at home for about 2 weeks, and then things would start getting back to normal. Little did we know that 9 months down the track would countries still be going into lockdowns and others having lighter restrictions. As the weeks went on and the case numbers kept rising, the level of restrictions increased as did the number of weeks we were in lockdown (Melbourne is just now slowly coming out of a 15 week lockdown, one of the longest in the world).
• 
  2020-03-23

  (HIST30060) 2020 in a nutshell courtesy of The Office

  (HIST30060) This video was posted about the time in March when most of the world started going into lockdown and Covid-19 cases were increasingly rapidly everyday, particularly in Europe at that time. At uni, we'd just started online classes as Victoria went into lockdown. The video is great at demonstrating the chaos that existed as the situation became a global pandemic, when nobody knew what was going to happen the next day or really how to deal with what was occurring.
• 
  2020-08-07

  Jewish Melbourne: Continental Kosher Butcher responds to Stage 4 lockdown

  Continental Kosher Butcher shared information on their facebook page after the Victorian Government announced Stage 4 of lockdown, which involved restrictions on the meat industry, explaining some of the short-term impacts, but reassuring customers not to panic about supply.
• 
  2020-11-05

  Lethargic Lockdown

  HIST30060 - In reviewing this 'plague' year, I feel that there can be no simple way of explaining the whirlwind of emotions that seemed to fluctuate just as readily and sporadically as our daily covid- case numbers did back in April and May. My first uploaded image is a photograph I took of a note that was found in our letterbox in Balwyn, which we received on the 7th of April. Later we discovered it was made by two younger girls who lived at the bottom of our street, who had been writing similar letters for all our neighbours too! I felt it was very important in this unprecedented time to cherish the small acts of kindness, particularly given the emotional state of lockdown. Despite their relative insignificance, it is these small communal acts which I will cherish, which keep us connected to those around us, while ironically social distancing at the same time. Similarly, the young sisters who made the card are the same age as my niece, 9 years old. I often look at this card and think of how their youth has been irrevocably changed in this pandemic. My second image is a photo I took of Mills beach in Mornington on the 31st of July. I think it will always remind me of the occasion where I snuck down to the Beach, on the premise of doing some 'maintenance' at a family property, which was what I explained to the police who were patrolling the highway. My father has had his bouts with pneumonia in the past, so the family decided that if he could conduct his work from home, then it would be best to get of Melbourne. So my mum and dad were staying down the in Mornington from late March and came back to Melbourne around the start of November. Although we would routinely call eachother on zoom, this photo in a way commemorates the time where I had to sneak down to the beach in order to see them. Though a beautiful sunset at mills beach, there also is a sense of morbid beauty and unease to the photo. It was the only time I think I have ever seen such beautiful weather and calm water, with no boats or people in sight. The third image is a screenshot from a facebook invitation to a party which was created in early March. The guys that made the group event had originally planned to host a get together by December. I think in a sense this does give some explanation in regards to the expectations of corona, and the hysteria that was surrounding it in early March. I think as explained in the screenshot, although we didn't know what to expect, all we did know was that "the next few months are gonna be very long." Recently they updated the invitation from a party that will maybe happen in March next year. Although it may be some form of normality to look forward to, I think that this year more than any other we have learnt to prepare for the worst. Though it is currently listed to go ahead around March next year, part of me thinks it will be delayed again. My fourth image is a screenshot I took from an instagram page called "melb_lockdown," which was created in early April this year. It is an instagram page that features many artful collections of the Melbourne CBD area in black and white photographs. As one who often indulges in photography myself, I think the artist behind the instagram page is always trying to send a message with his work. I think what strikes me most is naturally seeing images of one of the 'most liveable' cities in the world, which is now devoid of the very things that have have given the city it's -claim-to-fame.' The once frenetic energy and vibrancy of the busy Melbourne CBD is now lifeless, colourless, and painfully mundane. My last image, is a meme that a friend of mine sent me. Similarly it is a an Instagram page called 'Covid 19 Funny Memes.' Though very funny, it also highlights a lot of the communal attitudes that have fluctuated and changed through out the pandemic. In late February/ early March, I believe that because it the pandemic was largely still a distant story that was affecting Europe more readily and Australia, it was something we really engaged in a kind of hysteria with. Because we hadn't experienced it, it was something we couldn't truly understand. Certainly these sought of humorous memes were not being created back then. But now I feel having lived with the pandemic for the last 8-9 months, people's attitudes have altered so much. I think because we are now more prepared to satirise, mock or create humorous memes is not to suggest that we have become apathetic towards the pandemic, but I think it shows that we are 'over it.' I think now living with this shadow over our lives for 8 months has taken its toll, and humour may be one way we can attempt to disassociate ourselves from this monotonous cycle.
• 
  2020-03-19

  The Glass Den, Save Hospo

  This image represents hospitality venues in Melbourne struggling to make ends meet earlier in the pandemic, before they were closed due to restrictions. The hashtag #savehospo trended on Instagram, being used by hospitality venues to ask for continued support from the public. This image is important to me as I am the worker in the background of the image. For me, the image represents my personal journey during the pandemic, where I lost my job and was unable to apply for Jobkeeper benefits as I got the job three weeks before restrictions were enforced. This photo gives insight into the struggle that a lot of hospitality venues and workers are going through during the pandemic. HIST30060
• 
  2020-09-04

  Jewish Melbourne: A shabbat message from CSG

  CSG posted on facebook for Shabbat, encouraging people to keep connected at this during this time of lockdown and physical disconnection: "These times of isolation, both physical and social, and uncertainty are when it is most important that we strengthen our sense of community by connecting with and supporting each other. Remind ourselves that we can manage this much better together in solidarity and that COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate – it can affect anyone. This weekend, take time to connect with others. Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom."
• 
  2020-09-23

  Jewish Melbourne: CSG shares information about cyber security

  CSG shared information on facebook about the need to be careful around cyber security during Covid-19, when more people are online: "The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has published advice on COVID-19 themed malicious cyber activity. This advice includes malicious cyber activity targeting aged care facilities, hospitals, schools, businesses and individuals. The Jewish community worldwide has also experienced countless antisemitic attacks via a range of video-conferencing platforms."
• 
  2020-09-23

  Jewish Melbourne: CCare Buddy Program

  Around Rosh Hashanah, CCare established a buddy program during Melbourne's lockdown: "Shana Tova! Are you looking for a way to make a positive impact from the comfort and safety of your own home? This Jewish New Year, pledge to spend 30 minutes each week chatting to a new friend! After an incredibly successful pilot, The C Care Buddy Initiative is ready for official launch! We can’t wait to welcome our next group of Buddies into the program. *So, how does it work?* We’ll match each volunteer with a C Care recipient (or more, if you’d like) and take you through a short training session where we'll provide tips and guidance to make you feel comfortable going into your first call. Then, we’ll send both you and your buddy a ‘Buddy Welcome Box’ complete with tea and treats, and you’ll be ready for your weekly shmooze!"
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  2020-09-27

  Jewish Melbourne: St Kilda Hebrew Congregation pre-Yom Kippur sermon

  Due to the halachic restrictions on using technology during Yom Kippur, and that lockdown prevented synagogues from having congregations attend services, St Kilda Hebrew Congregation's Rabbi Yaacov Glasman pre-recorded and shared online a Yom Kippur sermon
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  2020-09-27

  Jewish Melbourne: St Kilda Hebrew Congregation pre-Kol Nidre Service

  Due to the need to follow halachah, St Kilda Hebrew Congregation pre-recorded a pre-Kol Nidre service for their congregants, which they shared on Facebook.
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  2020-09-24

  Jewish Melbourne: St Kilda Hebrew Congregation Facebook calendar for Yom Kippur

  St Kilda Shule shared their weekly calendar for the week of Yom Kippur on Facebook, writing: "St Kilda Shule is #stayingintouch bringing you the services, song, prayer and sermons of the Shule to your homes. This week’s calendar includes our YomTov activity. #stkildashule #highholidays "
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  2020-09-30

  Jewish Melbourne: ABC Religion and Ethics - Tyla's Story

  ABC's Religion and Ethics program created a video series 'Lockdown Stories', inviting people to submit their videos and stories. On 30 September they shared on Facebook 'Tyla's Story': a film made by Tyla about being locked down at home with her family, conducting Pesach via zoom, having family shabbat dinners on zoom and then reuniting with her siblings for shabbat once the lockdown lifted.
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  2020-04-03

  HIST30060: It's still May?

  HIST30060: I came across this cartoon on the Instagram story of Melbourne writer Zoe Foster-Blake when it felt like we were in our 5-thousanth day of April. Like historians summarize months, years and decades of time into short essays and books, movies condense long periods of time into montages. However, this past year I have really felt every minute of what would normally condensed.
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  2020-06-19

  Jewish Melbourne - Stand Up zoom event

  On 19 June 2020 there was a Stand Up zoom event, streamed live to their Facebook page. This screenshot and Facebook link captures part of the day: "With Stand Up's CEO, Manager of Aboriginal Partnerships and a member of the Board, discussing life, social justice and everything in between. PS. Gideon (CEO) has been on zoom for 8 hours non-stop!"
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  2020-04-08

  At-Home Union Action

  Text reads: WAGE SUBSIDY FOR ALL #NoWorkerLeftBehind #PutYourApronOut Trade unions were strong advocates for a more robust safety net for workers who had lost their jobs owing to the pandemic. The JobKeeper package left behind casual workers (like me) and workers on temporary visas who were already had the most insecure labour conditions. My union shifted online. We ran social media campaigns, online pickets, and a whole range of other digital actions. Unfortunately, this one didn't get up. LNP stuck to their guns of looking after wealthy, white folk. Typical... HIST30060
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  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."
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  2020-07-26

  Jewish Melbourne: 'consider those with hearing difficulties while wearing a mask'

  Chevra Hatzolah encouraged people to consider those with hearing difficulties while wearing a mask: "😷 Please consider those with hearing difficulties whilst wearing a mask. 😷 Please: - Be patient - Speak louder but do not yell - Articulate your words - Speak slowly - Use your hands and body language (gestures and pointing) - Move to a quiet place - Use alternative methods to communicate e.g. text Information is sourced from: https://www.deafvictoria.org.au/coronavirus/ Wherever you can, keep 1.5 metres apart from others, wash your hands often, and cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. And if you have symptoms – get tested. In a medical emergency call 9527 5111."