Items
Mediator is exactly
Over 60
-
2020
Jewish Melbourne: Jewish Care Coronavirus updates
Jewish Care runs an aged care home, and so during the Covid-19 crisis they provided regular updates to their community. This was particularly the case when residents and staff tested positive. -
2020-10-06
Jewish Melbourne: Jewish Care virtual 'news and views' session with residents
"Not even COVID-19 restrictions can stop our volunteers from brightening the days of our Elders at Gary Smorgon House! Long-time volunteer Errol Rink has adapted his weekly ‘news and views session’ on Zoom, complete with trivia quizzes and lots of jokes. “The reaction from the smiling and laughing elders makes it all worthwhile,” says Errol. Elder Celsia Goldberg is especially thankful for the volunteers “constantly giving their time, showing love, respect and compassion” and for coming up with entertaining arts and crafts, Yiddish sing-a-longs, music and guest speakers for them to enjoy. “They have made the restriction period so much more bearable, even enjoyable, and for that I am so grateful.” We are so lucky to have such a strong network of kind and selfless volunteers helping across all aspects of our work." -
2020-09-08
Jewish Melbourne: NCJWA (Vic) Golden Age club activities
"Thank you, Kehilat Nitzan, for your friendship and support of our Golden Age Clubs. The Tikkun Olam Community of Kehilat Nitzan provides on an ongoing basis gift bags to the public house residents. Recently, in preparation for Rosh Hashanah, the members received from Kehilat Nitzan a special goodie bag which included a Sudoku book, hand cream, sweets and a honey cake, made by the Kehilat Nitzan volunteers. “Our Golden Age Club members and their families deeply appreciate the care and support they receive from the Kehilat Nitzan community. This is really touching” said Nellie Khoroshina, Golden Age Clubs Coordinator. Our Golden Age Clubs are going strong, providing much-needed emotional support and social connection to Holocaust survivors and war veterans. The members are gathered weekly via audio/video conferences in groups of fives. “These virtual meetings keep the participants informed and connected during COVID times” added Nellie." -
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!" -
2020-04
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 -
2020-08-26
Grandpa & Gracie
I’ve missed my Grandpa terribly, but we’ve able to bond during the pandemic through a continuous email exchange concerning my dog. I’ll send him photos, and he’ll help me conspire ways to keep her safe from falling in our pool. We’ve been able to connect through our shared love of Gracie, even though we haven’t seen him or my Grandma for months. It’s been one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve had in this plague year, especially because Grandpa is mostly deaf and can’t communicate well in person. It’s interesting how technology (and Gracie!) have facilitated connection between us. For a nonagenarian, he’s probably more proficient with technology than I am! -
2020-09-15
Jewish Melbourne: Year One students at Bialik College wish Emmy Monash residents Shana Tova
"The children of Year One at Bialik College share with us their messages of love, hope and resilience" through Rosh Hashanah messages sent to residents of Emmy Monash Aged Care -
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 -
2018
Jewish Melbourne - Applesauce In The Meatloaf
An unveiling of a dear friend , an unexpected lesson learned, and the value of every day. -
2020-04-12
Jewish Melbourne - The Year Without A Garden
I love to garden. And especially our community garden. We started small and watched it grow year by year. The friendships grew too. It was also a place where neighbor's walking their dogs or just out for a stroll could pause, admire the colors and aromas - a bit of peace in an increasingly stressful world. This year, restrictions governing social distancing and community gatherings prohibited us from working on our garden. The pandemic had taken yet another joy from our lives. -
2020-04-19
Humans of Covid-19 AU: Ron Taft
“I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I remember the atmosphere of war time, but that was not the same. And we had the polio epidemic seventy years ago, which had dire consequences for children. That caused some panic but nothing like the widespread shut downs and health controls we are seeing today. Of course, the role of the media was completely different then. I live in an aged-care nursing home. We are completely shut down from physical contact with the outside world. We can arrange to talk through the fence. COVID doesn’t really make as much as a difference to my life as it does to younger people, who are used to being out and about. I’m actually having more communication now with family and friends than I had previously. Maybe the exceptional circumstances mean people want to reach out; could be having more time on one’s hands. Mobile phones are having a huge impact on people’s lives. I feel quite healthy. I survived a haematoma a couple of years ago. All going well, I turn 100 in about six weeks. The world has changed so very greatly over the century of my life.” Instagram post on Ron Taft, retired Professor of Social Psychology & nearly centenarian, and his 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.