In this interview, I, Hailey, am interviewing Sofia about how she has handled stress before and after COVID. I ask her about how she's made adjustments to her coping mechanisms and how she is handling graduating during COVID and having been abroad during COVID as well. The COVID-19 pandemic uprooted a lot of our lives and our plans we had for the future. It is about making adjustments when necessary and learning to cope and be positive!

"Our Hebrew Immersion Program (HIP) is up and running online for term 4 at 5 primary schools. We had some great feedback from parents at the end of last term: “I’ve actually been amazed how engaging each lesson has been. Our daughter loves learning Hebrew with you. Thank you for making it fun. She is learning so much!” (Andrew P, parent of 2020 grade 1 HIP student at Caulfield South Primary). Pictured is a Caulfield South HIP student receiving an award for "wonderful ongoing participation in Hebrew class" at their Rosh Hashana Zoom assembly from Coordinator Shira Golombick and teacher Sigal. To find out more or sign up for one of our HIP programs visit www.ujeb.org.au"

"Jewish Care is here to assist and support the education of our children in any way we can during the COVID-19 crisis by providing remote academic assistance for students or assistance for families. We have a team of committed volunteers who have a range of skills they are offering, including: - Primary and secondary subject tutorial - Listening to children’s readers via a remote visual platform - Musical instrument practice - Assistance for parents in supporting their child’s learning Financial assistance for families may also be available. To find out how we may be able to help you during this difficult time, please contact the Jewish Care COVID-19 Helpline on 8517 5555, which is operating Monday–Friday from 9:00am – 5:00pm. Jewish Care is here for you. You are not alone."

The Jewish Community Covid-19 Taskforce provided a special bulletin on family and domestic violence, providing advice, helplines, ways of getting support, and the like, during lockdown.

Information provided by NCJWA (Vic) to provide advise to community members on ensuring child safety during pandemic times.

For Sukkot, the NCJWA presented digital information about 'ushpizot' - women who could be digitally welcomed into the sukkah as the special guests

The NCJWA (Vic) posted on facebook for Fathers Day, reflecting on how fathers have coped during lockdown.

"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."

"Today we farewelled our wonderful, hard-working and dedicated outgoing CEO, Lee Ann Basser. Lee Ann has been leading NCJWA Vic for almost 4.5 years. She has been an incredible asset to our organisation. Throughout the years, Lee Ann has worked tirelessly to power more women and girls to create a better world. Thank you, Lee Ann. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Please join us on a special Shanah Tova Session to thank Lee Ann and wish her well. This is also a great opportunity to meet our new CEO, Alexandra Silver. Wednesday, 16 September, 11:30am-12:30pm, via Zoom. Register now https://ncjwavic-shana-tova-session.eventbrite.com.au"

"We are honoured to take part in the upcoming 2020 City of Port Phillip Seniors Festival. As part of this online event, a special Zoom Sukkot celebration is being organised by NCJWA Vic. Rabbi Yoni Reyder will enlighten all the participants about the traditions and significant of Sukkot; and a Concert of traditional Russian and Yiddish songs will be performed by Gregory Cveigoren and Vered Harel. “We will present the different aspects of Sukkot which symbolise we are different but also strong when we are together” said Nellie Khoroshina, Golden Age Clubs Coordinator."

"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."

"With the return of schools there is a great excitement in the air. However, some children may experience feelings of trepidation and hesitation. Returning from remote learning at home may bring up an array of emotions for children. How can we support our children and grandchildren in these testing times? Join us for a NextGen - BrainFood event “The New COVID World – Supporting Our Children and Grandchildren”. This special event will include guest speaker Professor Frank Oberklaid AM, in conversation with Dr Tammy Tempelhof. 👉🏻Register now https://newcovidworld.eventbrite.com.au 👈🏻"

As part of their online programming, UJEB hosted a zoom trivia quiz for their high school students

Due to the lockdown, UJEB Jewish education classes needed to be provided online

Performed by Evelyn Krape, this monologue from Hamlet was performed in Yiddish as part of the Kadimah Theatre's lockdown programming

Given lockdown restrictions, online programming was necessary for Jewish organisations. "Join Michael Gawenda – journalist, Yiddishist and author of The Powerbroker – and Mark Leibler AC – Jewish lawyer and community leader – in conversation with Kadimah board member and Sir Zelman Cowen Centre director Professor Kathy Laster. Why are so many Jews attracted to the legal profession? What shaped Mark Leibler’s – and so many other prominent Jewish lawyers’ – commitment to Indigenous people and causes? Was Mark able to shed his natural caution as a lawyer to open up for the biography? Is there a connection between pro bono contributions and Jewish values? For biographer and subject, how is it possible to reconcile the professional, public and personal responsibilities of a distinguished and multilayered life in the law? The renowned lawyer, his biographer and the academic unpack the deep, multi-layered influences on a formidable career and life."

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו, today, spoke by telephone with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (ScoMo). The two discussed ways to deal with the coronavirus and the effectiveness of the use of lockdowns in dealing with the second wave of the spread of the virus. Prime Minister Netanyahu complimented his counterpart on the success of the lockdown in Victoria and said that Israel is starting to see preliminary results in wake of the lockdown even though the rate of morbidity is still high."

the Zionist Federation of Australia hosted 'Lockdown Learning', featuring a series of guests and topics, over the course of Melbourne's lockdown period

Ashley Browne talks to Professor Sharon Lewin, director of The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, about dealing with the pandemic

"While we won’t open our doors until January – and set hearts aflame with MIRKA from Valentine’s Day – we’re delighted to reunite with you at Sukkah. A collaboration with Zahava Elenberg, Creator of Clikclax, Director of Move-in and Co-Founder of Elenberg Fraser Architecture, Sukkah invites you to reflect on humanity and what it means to be in a community. Crafted from Polycarbonate in translucent earth, sky and desert colours, it provides shelter and encourages us to look out towards the never-ending sky and beyond adversity. So until we can meet again at our Museum, we hope you enjoy Sukkah – and think, dream and feel together."

Due to the Melbourne lockdown, synagogues were unable to host services in-person for Rosh Hashanah. Temple Beth Israel livestreamed their services instead.

Due to Melbourne's lockdown, people were unable to attend services in-person for Yom Kippur in 2020. Instead, Temple Beth Israel livestreamed their N'ilah service.

Melbourne was in lockdown over Yom Kippur and so Temple Beth Israel organised a video of their Kol Nidre Family Service

Sukkot took place during lockdown in 2020, and so Temple Beth Israel organised a booking system to visit their Sukkah: "Following the ancient ritual of Ushpizin, we invite you to bring your decorations, leave a note, shake the Lulav and smell the Etrog. Help us make our sukkah beautiful and filled with community spirit."

This is a video produced by Temple Beth Israel for Shabbat in the Sukkah

"Mazal tov to Craig Levin and Sue Silberberg, our Chatan and Kallat Torah for 2020! To celebrate their incredible contributions to our community, we took Torah to their homes. During our a Simchat Torah services each also shared some thoughts about the past and future of our community. Watch our video here: https://youtu.be/4mALluYXlis"

"JEWISH MEDICAL ETHICS TUESDAY 13 OCTOBER AT 12PM Commencing tomorrow, Rabbi Ettlinger will be hosting a 4 part series on Medical Ethics. This 1-hour lunchtime session promises to be fascinating! "What is permissible, what is not, how far can we stretch our understanding of science for the better good? As science develops, it creates ethical dilemmas, which we could never have contemplated 10 or even 20 years ago, never mind 100 or two." Over the next 4 weeks, topics will include: Prenatal intervention, genetic identity, pain and drugs and heroic measures in dying."

During the lockdown Melton School turned to online programming in order to continue classes. This is one example of a course which they ran.

The 2020 election was supposed to be my first chance to actually vote in person: unlike my peers, I was only 17 during my senior year of high school, and I had spent almost all the subsequent years out of state. And while I might have had the opportunity to visit my polling place in 2019 that was no longer an option once I signed up to be a poll worker and was assigned a precinct that was not close enough to mine to make it during my lunch break. Covid already disrupted my plans to be a poll worker for the 2020 Ohio primary in March and I forwent the opportunity to work the polls during the general election due to the risk of virus spread. Although I myself do not have many risk factors, I live with my mother who is in a higher risk category and occasionally visit my grandmother who is even more so, therefore I try to limit my exposure as much as possible. With voting in person seeming too risky, I went with my old standby of voting by absentee. However, while I normally complete the entire process by mail (the Ohio Secretary of State automatically sends me a request form at this point), I did not feel entirely confident entrusting my ballot the USPS this year. Rather I made use of the drop box at the Hamilton County Board of Elections so that I could be assured my vote would count and not be affected by the widespread postal service delays partially induced by the virus. Thankfully, the BOE has the functionality to allow me to track my request form, my incoming ballot, and it being recieved and counted so I could be doubly sure of everything working.

A notification that a wedding at which my entire family had been planning to gather will be delayed an entire year due to Coronavirus concerns.

These are masks my mother and I have acquired by various means to wear during the pandemic.

Over the past 14 weeks, I have had the opportunity to work on The Journal of the Plague Year digital archive with Arizona State University. I learned a vast amount over the course of the internship, such as how to write press releases, collection plans, blog posts and other forms of advertising for the archive. I also learned about the ins and outs of archiving and the behind-the-scenes considerations that are involved in building and maintaining an archive. This was my very first graduate school class and as such, I wasn’t sure that starting with an internship was the best idea, but after the first week or two I realized that this was the perfect way to start, since it was basically getting a preview of the type of work someone in the public history field would be doing and I got very excited, determined that this was the type of career I wanted to pursue. The writing for publication skills that I have started to develop, I think will be extremely valuable as those skills are not just applicable to public history, but any career field really. The oral history project also provided the opportunity to work on my interviewing skills. Oral histories are vital to the study of history and even though this is an area I still need to work on, at least now I have the basic foundation to build on. For my collection within the archive, I chose to focus on Law Enforcement, as that is a community that is near and dear to my heart. I currently work in law enforcement and I have family that does as well. When we discussed silences in our weekly readings, we talked about how to identify silences and how to work towards filling them. I noted that there were very few if any, submissions to the archive from the perspective of law enforcement so I wanted to work towards filling that silence. Overall, this internship was a great experience and entry into both the public history field and graduate studies. I know that the skills I have developed here will serve me well as I continue my graduate studies!

This interview is with one of my closest friends. Although we talk all the time, and are a part of each other daily lives interviewing her in this kind of almost formal format and asking her very pointed questions that I don't typically ask was a bit eye opening. I already knew a lot of what she said, but to hear it all laid out and not intertwined and in bits between the busyness our lives really opened my eyes to how much our lives has had to change because of COVID-19, even as we continue to chug along. I think this is important to know because so often we're bogged down with continuing to go though the motions and check boxes we forget to slow down and think about the circumstances of out situation with COVID.

This is a video on Chinese TikTok imitating when healthcare workers perform a COVID-19 throat swab test on you.

Public square dancing is a exercise that is enjoyed by many Chinese seniors. This was taken in a morning in April, after the lockdown these seniors continue to practice their dance with social distancing.

This article gives some context as to what "zoom fatigue" or "tech fatigue" is. It's not something I've really considered before this year. My previous years of having mainly online classes, were still broken up by at least one or two in-person classes, along with the other distractions of going the store or visiting family, and doing something fun or interesting, without the anxiety of getting severely sick, or getting my loved ones sick. The article also includes some basic "how to fight tech fatigue" tips which I think could be useful, however, this type of advice can easily fall into the one-size-fits-all category. This needs to be avoided, because there is a wider range of diversity and accessibility, and for some people the "20,20,20" rule, simply doesn't work.

When the Fall 2020 course schedule was announced at St. Mary's I ran to see what type of classes I was going to have. There were 3 options either online, virtual, or a combination of virtual/in-person. My course with Dr. Root was scheduled to be a combination class. I had a lot of fear about going back to campus and especially going to class in-person. I reached out to Dr. Root with the hope that he would allow staying full virtual. Thankfully he was understanding of my situation. This email is the conversation that we had over the situation Screenshot of an email by Dr. Root

I chose this article because it touches on some issues I faced myself on a much smaller scale. Zoom class meetings can be, for whatever reason, intimidating. They create a different type of social anxiety than when in a class setting, where things can be more relaxed, or tension eased quickly. The communication barriers of having to mute microphones to hear one another, technical issues, and just not wanting to be the focus when you see your screen light up, and also still wanting to contribute can get stressful quickly. It also can be uncomfortable, staring at all of your classmates all at once, and also trying to focus on your professor. I also enjoyed how the professor in this article discussed his methods of improving his online lectures, and trying to ease those social tensions, and create a sense of normalcy for his students despite the vast array of challenges faced.

Before spring break in March 2020, our rhetoric class was very discussion and in-person interaction-based. When we were told that our classes would be moved to online for the rest of the semester Professor Delgado was the first professor that I got an email from. His email made me feel reassured that the transition was going to relatively easy. This email represented a professor acting fast to ease the worries of their students. PDF of the emails sent from Professor Derek Delgado

Dr. Poyo talks about the process of converting his classes online. Teaching these past two semesters has changed his opinion about online classes. Through the help of St. Mary's University and the History Department, he was been to tackle the difficult job.

This is less of an entry and more of a summary of how my year has gone? I'm trying to write without too much filter, to really capture the raw emotions of the pandemic. It's been a weird, and rough semester. A positive is that due to the pandemic, I was able to get into a school I had been interested in for quite a while. I wasn't sure I'd be able to get in, but I had a much better chance of doing so, than I did before when online classes weren't offered for my major. I did get in, at the last minute and picked my classes the day before the semester started! I needed a laptop, which were certainly in short supply, but luckily there were some available. When my laptop was stolen, and a webcam was a more immediate option for an older computer, that was more difficult to obtain. I hadn't even considered that they were in short supply but almost every cheap to middle priced webcam were sold out. I definitely didn't think this is what my first semester of graduate school would be like when I started. One class ended in a project showcase that felt far differently than it would have had we been able to present in person. Juggling the semester and also working at night was certainly not something I expected to be doing. During the nights we (my coworkers and I) would be frantically trying to stock canned goods, paper goods, and other items in high demand, just to watch it all be bought within 30 minutes of the store opening for the day. This is also on top of trying to run the store normally. It was very surreal to go in and see shelf after shelf empty and ransacked, as if a hurricane was on the way. All in all, I'm not thankful for the pandemic, but being able to find positives, and to be grateful for the opportunities afforded me is healthier than focusing on the negatives.

This interview shares the perspective of not only a college student learning during the pandemic, but also a student athlete. Preston Potter strives to maintain his job, his grades, and also stay in athletic shape, while also trying to keep a sense of team brotherhood while staying safe. We explored how he tried to juggle all of this, stay sane, and lead a normal life. Preston gives a positive outlook on the struggles and challenges he faces, focused solely on achieving a dream career of being a professional baseball player. It is a unique look into how different students are handling the many balls they have in the air between work, school and practice.

The freshmen experience has changed tremendously because of COVID-19, and this has forced the majority of them to adapt and change their routines in this new online learning environment. Attached is an interview with a St.Mary’s freshman’s experience as an online student, and how she has adapted to her environment in order to be successful in college during a pandemic.

St. Mary’s University (a liberal arts college) is filled with students struggling to find a balance between a new online learning environment and the pandemic, and there is a group of students who in particular have had a hard time. The freshmen of St. Mary’s is this group. This interview tells the experience of a freshman, and how she is handling this unique college experience.

Staying connected as a commuting student has been hard this semester. St. Mary’s University usually holds events quite often for commuters throughout the year but due to covid these events have been put on hold. Recently, St. Mary’s Campus Activities sent out an email on how students can still stay connected in times like this. They have created a Commuting Rattlers GroupMe we can join. This lets us stay linked in with other commuting students and still have a way to interact with each other. We can join the Commuting Rattler Council through our Rattler Tracks. Here we can discuss our Commuting life at St. Mary’s. I feel like these are all great ideas to stay connected. It makes you feel like you are still socializing and being engaged with your community with a whole new twist to it. St. Mary’s also hosts events (Commuter specific and regular events) and are a great chance to stay connected to every aspect the campus has to offer.

This Is a story about my being at home during covid-19 endemic May 2020. By this point, we were 2 months into lice living with a pandemic in America. Things were not progressing as people thought it should have been. And on top of going through the pandemic, there was a racial war going on. So, Not only was I dealing with being a human being and trying not to get sick Or get my mom, my little brother who is only 5 years old sick, but I was also struggling with being a black woman in America. A black woman with black parents, two black fathers, and a black mother and brother. I was scared to death every day. I hope they're dying because of the pandemic or dying because of my skin. It's still a story is still a feeling that I go through every day. It is December now, but I have a little more hope because of higher beings that I'm hoping and putting a little faith in doing what we need them to do to better our country. Now the name of my story is sick broken at home because, during May 2020, I was all of those things. I was not because of the pandemic, but because I had crazy allergy attacks, I was allergic to something I didn't know I was allergic to, and I think I was just mentally sick. My anxiety was at an all-time high. I was depressed, and on top of the fact I was home with a younger brother who is also autistic, and although he is high-functioning, there are times where he just doesn't understand like most kids don't know what they're going through and why the world is now changing so fast. And having to deal with adult anxiety while also dealing with child anxiety and having to pinch pennies because the government hadn't given me the money I had applied for and been approved for. It was all depressing, and while I am blessed to say that none of my family members who got covid died, it was so scary to know how drastic you could be. Now I know I don't know for a fact if I had to live in there was a point in February where I had gotten very sick and my stepdad had gotten very ill as well to the where we self-quarantine to not get my mother and my brother sick. I had never felt so bad in my life, and I've been very ill for four to the point where I couldn't get out of bed, and whatever flu I had was worse than that. And not three, four weeks later that our country goes through basically a state of emergency with everyone shutting down on March 13th. It was my last day of work, it was my last paycheck, it was my last everything until late May, and I still have the bills to pay. I got claimed as a dependent the year before, so I was one of the millions of college students who didn't get the stimulus check and whose parents didn't get anything for them because they were between 17 and 25. Everything in the country was being held handled during that time did nothing for me; it did nothing to help my family or me. Every day was a struggle, and every day I felt stranded like I was just a number, and nobody recognized the pain everyone was coming through on more than one level. And then you also have people who we're refusing to do what is so simple to do and call minor things like wearing a mask, slavery. How damaging that was to a fair few amount of people, and I'm talking millions of people. This pandemic is not something I'm going to look on with anger or pain because, for one, I met good people after the fact. I had many things that happened to me for the better, but the month of March through May had to be the worst months I'd had in a very long time. And as someone who's been through a lot, that's not something I say lightly. My only hope is that a lot more good will come out of this unfortunate and heartbreaking situation than bad.

During this pandemic people have lived their lived completely different because we have to stay home and limit ourselves to going out and one of the biggest things is wear a mask. I don’t have much stories to tell because I usually stay inside a lot especially during weekdays and don’t do anything. One things I did a lot during quarantine was workout a lot more.

This story, "Use. Full" speaks to my feelings of uselessness as lockdown set in and the irony that, because I had the time and not much else to do - because I knew people who knew people and was armed with a smart phone and limitless wifi - I was able to be of use in a remote, emergency situation. I am a professional actor, writer and singer, for whom all performance work was brought to an abrupt halt. I have family and friends who are clinicians and who, unlike me, (still) find themselves on the frontlines of the pandemic dealing with their own pandemic-wrought stress. There was something strangely comical about doing nothing, this enforced idleness, being touted as my patriotic duty. It is especially difficult to accept that proposition when usefulness and productivity have been so ingrained and associated with 'getting your hands dirty.' My smartphone and computer, devices often derided as barriers to 'real' human connection became the conduits for the only real connection we could have other than with the loved ones we were isolating with. The 'pings' of text notifications were welcome accompaniments to days spent reading, watching movies, amusing ourselves with the latest pandemic-inspired memes.

Luis "Louie" Cortez is an employee of St. Mary's University and in this quick oral history he gives us an insight into how life changed for him while working through a pandemic.

This document was created and shared by myself and some coworkers in the History department at my university, St. Mary's. This document was the result of a project we were all assigned to work together on regarding researching the African-American community in West San Antonio, Texas. The work was not easy. Being separated from each other meant coordination and collaboration were very difficult, and actually accomplishing much in the way of actual work was slow going, with few of us actually being able to work together at the times the others were available. Not helping in any way was the fact that working remotely left us with almost no oversight from our supervisor, who was also in charge of several other projects in the department. Our research also took many different forms before settling on the one it ended up in, and it suffered most greatly from most of the workers assigned not being in the city we needed to be in, not having access to any traditional resources like proper records or non-digital resources that might have gone into the detail that we needed, and of course being unable to properly help each other. Despite this however, when we finally were able to coordinate a time to collaborate and work together, we surprisingly were able to unearth the aspect shown here, the resurrection of the Keyhole Club by noted Jazz musician Don Albert, famous for being a fully racially integrated nightclub during a time when such a thing was unheard of, and was challenged. Despite some serious challenges of our own, my coworkers and I were able to emerge successful after all and provide some much-needed information to the assignment.