With the pandemic lockdown, Melton School moved to online classes for its adult education program

Stan Marks, who is 91 years old, reflects on living during the pandemic, and also shares a letter he wrote to share with the students in Year 12 at Brighton Grammar, his old school

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.

An interactive hypertext haggadah I wrote for my family’s Zoom seder in 2020. I used Twine, a popular open-source, interactive fiction tool, to write a choose-your-own-adventure haggadah. It was the first zoom-based seder I had ever attended, and I didn't know how long my family would tolerate technological difficulties and the often awkward, fragmented conversation that some Zoom conversations/events can descend into. (Let alone the near-impossibility of group singing via zoom). Apart from this, it’s fairly common in my family, as in many others, that parts of the seder are skipped over, or their inclusion is contested, and I thought that trying to conduct a seder via zoom would only make people more eager to get it over with and reach Shulchan Orech, i.e. the getting drunk/ shittalking part and then call it a night. Writing/Compiling a hypertext haggadah was my attempt to facilitate a more fluid seder, in which parts could easily be skipped over on the night, among other reasons. In practice in turned out to be a bit of a shemozzle, which is partly due to some technological illiteracy among the mishpachah, and also partly because my hypertext haggadah is a rabbit warren (over 5,000 words spread over over hundreds of individual pages joined by hyperlinks), and so moments of anarchy would often ensue when people strayed from the communal path (which I enjoyed tbh, but were clearly frustrating to my uncle, whose ideal seder is basically the Two-Minute Haggadah: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2013/03/the-two-minute-haggadah.html)

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.

I shared my thoughts, experiences and feelings: my family and me in lockdown. In both lockdown #1 and lockdown #2, in daily blog posts over many weeks. Many of the stories include Jewish-life aspects.

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."

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."

facebook post by Chevra Hatzolah encouraging people to wear masks: ""Wear a mask. It's not too much to ask." - Daniel Andrews. Premier of Victoria Wearing a face covering helps keep you and others safe. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is spread from close contact with a person with COVID-19. Face coverings help stop droplets spreading when someone speaks, laughs, coughs, or sneezes, including someone who has COVID-19 but feels well. The best way to protect other people against COVID-19 is keeping 1.5 metres apart, wash your hands often, and cough or sneeze into your elbow or tissue. Face coverings add an additional protective physical barrier to protect you and your loved ones. And if you have symptoms – get tested. Information is sourced from the DHHS at https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/face-masks-covid-19 In a medical emergency call 9527 5111."

This is a facebook post by Chevra Hatzolah, including a photo and the words: "Frances Spanger (known to many of us as "Granny") began making masks at the beginning of COVID-19 for all her friends. She gets up at 5am every morning and works hard making masks for the community. In just one month, she has raised $500 which she decided to donate to Hatzolah. Thank you Frances for the incredible work that you are doing to keep our community safe. We are all very grateful."

report in The Age, by Paul Sakkal: "Police raided an ultra-Orthodox Jewish prayer group in Melbourne’s inner-east on Thursday morning where a group of at least 10 men were praying in contravention of social-distancing rules. Just after 11am, about 10 police vehicles swooped on an apartment above an IGA store in Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea."

This is an article written by Abe Schwarz and published in +61J Media in which Abe writes about the experience of his mother being in "Monte", the Jewish Care home in St Kilda rd, and their experience of the lockdowns during Covid times.

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."

This news update begins: "The Communists in Russia were not able to shut down Tomchei Temimim, and COVID-19 won’t shut it down either. The challenge today is different, but the mission remains the same, in what is surely Tomchei Temimim’s final frontier before Moshiach’s arrival. The Rebbe Rashab, the Frierdiker Rebbe, the Rebbe, and all the Temimim of old are looking to us, the final generation of Temimim, to carry the baton over the finish line. To that end, YG Melbourne resumed full Seder today via online platforms Zoom and Google Classroom, with the aim of supporting each Bochur in keeping a regular full day of Seder. Instead of reducing Torah study, YG’s full-service virtual Zal resumed Seder two days ahead of schedule. Seder was also opened up to all Bochurim enrolled in overseas Yeshivos who are stranded in Australia due to COVID-19 travel restrictions."

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 ..."

This provides the Rabbinical Council of Victoria Guidelines for Covid-19 and Pesach, under a number of sections: Inviting guests for Yom Tov; Use of ZOOM for Pesach Seder; Yahrzeit Commemoration; Reaching out to the Vulnerable; Tzedaka – Charity

I wanted to convery my feeling when the Victorian government told us we are going back to lockdown again. I made this from my youngest daughter's toys, including a mock mini toilet paper distributed as a promotion by supermarket chain Coles.

Guidelines provided by Rabbinic Administrator of The Kashrut Authority, Rabbi Moshe D. Gutnick

Produced by Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), this is a video of ABC's Dr Norman Swan with "a special message for the Australian Jewish community about social distancing – particularly with regard to Pesach."

Article published on SBS News by Nadine Silva, with photos and a video, explaining the ways that different parts of the Jewish community adapted their Pesach to fit within Covid-safe guidelines

Newspaper article which appeared in the Australian Jewish News discussing the response to a group of "ultra-Orthodox individuals" who held a minyan on the first day of Pesach, despite social distancing laws which were meant to prevent such gatherings

article published in Guardian Australia, written by Elias Visontay, documenting Rosh Hashanah in Melbourne under lockdown

Newspaper article by Rebecca Davis and Sophie Deutsch, published in the Australian Jewish News, explaining that "Religious organisations are reminding the community that they must not allow visitors into their homes for seders this Pesach, noting “these measures are about saving lives”."

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

On 9 April 2020, Temple Beth Israel streamed a Pesach seder, which was lead by Cantor Laloum

Newspaper article by Rabbi Yonatan Sadoff (from Kehilat Nitzan) in the Australian Jewish News, 7 August 2020.

On 14 April 2020, Rabbi Daniel Rabin from South Caulfield Hebrew Congregation recorded a livestream from the shul with "Some reflections pre last days of Pesach and Yizkor on Thursday." This video was streamed to facebook, where it remains.

During lockdown, South Caulfield Hebrew Congregation has been running online kabbalat shabbat and havdalah services, through zoom and streamed to facebook. One example of this from September can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/SCHebrewCongregation/posts/2849524248601840

This is a newspaper article by Carolyn Webb and Hannah Schauder, published in The Age on September 14, 2020, entitled "Preparations under way for Jewish New Year - without synagogues and big dinners". It covers what different rabbis and synagogues are doing for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

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.

On Saturday 11 April 2020, a group of Jews from across Australia gathered together on zoom for a 'Solidarity seder'. Organised by people from Here, Queer, and Jewish Australia, Sydney Left Jews, Australian Jewish Democratic Society (AJDS), Fully Automated Luxury Kosher Space Kibbutz and Jews against Fascism, this seder raised money for undocumented migrants as well as Grandmothers Against Removals. Approximately 60 people gathered together, reading through the haggadah together, sharing a meal, and sharing ideas about what Jewish life and possibility looked like in that moment. Everyone agreed that this was a unique and special Jewish space.

On 23 June 2020 the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Melbourne held their AGM. In their announcement of the AGM they told members "In light of the COVID restrictions, admission to the AGM is by registration only to ensure we comply with Government restrictions and maintain safe distancing." The photos from the AGM show people gathered together, but sitting at a safe distance from each other.

While some of my relatives live in Australia, most of my family is in Israel, which is doing really bad covid-wise. We keep in touch via a What'sApp family groupchat. However, over the last few weeks, the groupchat had become a site of conflict. We in Australia, on one hand, take the virus very seriously and have favourable attitudes towards lockdown and face masks. My relatives in Israel, on the other hand, see it as a prelude to dictatorship. They also subscribe to all sorts of covid conspiracy theories that undermine their faith in public action. Although usually their opinions are tolerated, covid has really flashed out our ideological differences to an irreconcilable point. The other week, my cousin in Israel showed up to my grandmother’s house with her friends. This caused a backlash here in Australia among relatives who were concerned for my grandmother’s safety. After quite a public and vicious argument on the What’sApp groupchat my grandmother eventually stepped in to defuse the tensions. As absurd as it sounds, I hope my relatives stay away from my grandmother. Their alternative views, which were once endearing and funny, can now claim her life. Ultimately, I would be powerless to stop them from here.

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."

This article appeared in The Weekend Australian Magazine, marking the 99th birthday of Max Arnott, a Dunera Boy, which happened in May, under Melbourne's lockdown. Max's granddaughter, Zoe Arnott, took a photo of three of her children outside Max's gate, celebrating his birthday.

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

Staff at the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Melbourne are continuing to meet via zoom. This photo was taken at a meeting in June 2020, showing them all supporting each other.

This is a video recording of a conversation between Liora Miller and Simone Szalmuk-Singer of Jewish Women of Words. It was hosted as well by the ZIonist Federation of Australia.

MJBW shifted to regular online events that are now occurring on the second Tuesday of each Month

MJBW email newsletters announcing cancellation of 2020 Festival

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

The curious history of Melbourne's Jewish community means that it has a significant population of traditional Jews who align with orthodox synagogues but are not observant. Will they access alternative community events this New Year as the pandemic keeps shuls closed?

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We decided as a family to create a film that documented our experience of lockdown. The film is a narrative that is loosely based on our family's lived experience in the time of Covid-19. The act of making the film as a family served to connect us creatively. The film also acts as a time capsule.