To download this statement in PDF format, click here.

Jewish community organ­isa­tions and leaders across Australia have rallied together to manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jewish insti­tu­tions, families, indi­vidu­als and, most espe­cially, the elderly and vul­ner­able.   The intense work 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, all working in unison, has been nothing short of inspiring.   We are deeply indebted to all of them.   This is the Aus­trali­an Jewish community at its finest, mobil­ising its talent and resources with unity of purpose and great skill for the common good.

Main­tain­ing strict personal hygiene and social dis­tan­cing are imper­at­ives as defensive measures against the spread of the virus. Yet social dis­tan­cing rep­res­ents a special challenge for the Jewish community, with its strong and deep tra­di­tions of family and communal togeth­er­ness.   Another challenge is that the Jewish community has a higher-than-average pro­por­tion of people aged 65 or more, the group most at risk if they are infected.

The Federal gov­ern­ment has issued advice on social dis­tan­cing practices: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-information-on-social-distancing.  Given our physical closeness as a community and as families, and our age profile as a community, many experts are advising us to adopt even stricter, and more thorough, social dis­tan­cing practices than those offi­cially recom­men­ded.  Keeping children phys­ic­ally separate from their grand­par­ents, great-grand­par­ents and other older relatives, and utilising only non-physical means of contact, is something many of us will find hard to do. Yet it may save the life of a loved one.

The following is a summary of the current status of Jewish community life in each State and Territory.

New South Wales

• NSW Jewish community has activated its Jewish Emergency Man­age­ment Plan (JEMP) – the plan was finalised some years ago, primarily con­tem­plat­ing security crises which have been rehearsed, but also capable of handling other crisis scenarios – so far working well
  • JEMP is con­trolled by the Decision Makers Group (DMG) com­pris­ing senior leaders of NSWJBD, ECAJ, CJCS NSW, CSG NSW
  • JEMP is operated by the CSG NSW Crisis Man­age­ment Team (CMT)
  • DMG has had numerous tele­con­fer­ence meetings with all shules, all schools, and other at risk such as aged care, hospital, museum). They are sharing inform­a­tion with each other and DMG using tech­no­logy
• All shules have suspended services with at most 1 or 2 very minor excep­tions
• 2 schools are trans­ition­ing to online learning now – others are con­tinu­ing with face to face classes in line with gov­ern­ment policy, but can enable online altern­at­ives quickly
• All aged care and other at risk insti­tu­tions appear to be at least in line with gov­ern­ment recom­mend­a­tions, or ahead of them
• The Sydney Jewish Museum is tem­por­ar­ily closed
• DMG has estab­lished 2 sub-com­mit­tees
  • A crisis medical sub-committee, which is looking at early assist­ance scenarios for aged and other vul­ner­able people in the community, both those in aged care facil­it­ies and at home for aged care and the elderly in the community. . The Wolper Hospital is central to the committee’s functions, together with a number of highly qualified others
  • A financial sub-committee which is tasked with looking at the financial implic­a­tions for the NSW Jewish community and its members as a result of the pandemic. This sub-committee is populated with relevant experts, including rep­res­ent­a­tion from JCA
• In general terms, community events have been postponed or cancelled – there are some small excep­tions where low numbers are involved
  • No public Yom Hashoah event – scaled back version with limited numbers to be livestreamed
  • Yom Haatzmaut event is cancelled
  • NAJEX Anzac com­mem­or­a­tion is cancelled.
• CSG NSW’s JEMP website www.csgnsw.org.au is designed to be a central source of NSW inform­a­tion. It continues to be updated.  Email bulletins have also been issued.
• There is a strong spirit of unity and co-operation by all organ­isa­tions
• CSG NSW pro­fes­sion­als and volun­teers are doing a great job – high praise.

Victoria

• Victoria JEMP activated and has estab­lished emergency committee com­pris­ing rep­res­ent­at­ives of Jewish Community Council of Victoria, CSG Victoria, Jewish Community Crisis Man­age­ment, Hatzolah, Council of Orthodox Syn­agogues Victoria, Rab­bin­ic­al Council of Victoria, Pro­gress­ive Judaism Victoria.
• Website estab­lished as source of community inform­a­tion – https://vic.thecsg.org.au/covid-19-community-information/
• Regular inform­a­tion bulletins being sent to community
• Most shules closed.
• Yeshivah Beth Rivkeh College closed by order
• Other schools open but Bialik, Mt Scopus and King David have announced they will be moving to online by learning the end of next week with Holidays from 6 to 20 April 2020. Other schools are expected to follow the same protocol
• Aged care – strict protocols in place for visits
• Elderly and infirm living alone – Committee in place to com­mu­nic­ate services available.
• Jewish Care Victoria with support of Erdi Found­a­tion is exploring offering financial assist­ance to those in need.
• AUJS Vic deliv­er­ing food to people living alone.
• Yom Hashoah and Yom Hazikaron com­mem­or­a­tions and Yom Haatzmaut cel­eb­ra­tions cancelled, and replace­ment events to be live streamed.

Western Australia

• Shules:  Temple David services will cease after this week’s Shabbat service; MZH, Dianella Shule and PHC all closed; Chabad still going with very small numbers
• Schools: Carmel School – high school has had a one day trial online.  School will only close when directed by WA State Gov­ern­ment
• Aged care facil­it­ies and retire­ment villages: As per WA Govt Guidelines.  Jewish Community Council of WA in dis­cus­sions with insti­tu­tions about having tighter restric­tions on visiting, and need to have that monitored.
• Elderly and infirm living alone:  Still getting lists of people in this category together.  Menora Charity helping with this (WA version of Jewish Care)
• Community awareness about social dis­tan­cing:  Email news­let­ter was sent to everyone last Monday and other one will go out tomorrow.  Updated report also in Maccabean newspaper and various face book pages together with use of indi­vidu­al organ­isa­tions databases
• Can­cel­la­tion of community events: Everything cancelled.

Queens­land

• Brisbane Hebrew Con­greg­a­tion and Mishkan Israel (synagogue at the Jewish Communal Centre), Gold Coast Hebrew Con­greg­a­tion, Temple Shalom Gold Coast and Chabad Houses in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Cairns have closed down service for the fore­see­able future.
• Beit or V’Shalom Brisbane is also now closed.
• South Brisbane Hebrew Con­greg­a­tion has not decided to cancel any services or activ­it­ies yet. QJBD President has spoken with Gary Goldman, their President. SBHC think their small numbers and health regime is enough at this time.
• Gan Gani Kindy and Sinai College are open and following all statutory and State Gov­ern­ment guidelines.
• Many in Retire­ment Village are in self isolation for safety.
• All organ­isa­tions have cancelled activ­it­ies and meetings.
• Yom Hashoah and Yom Haatzmaut have all been cancelled as have the Seder nights.
• Yom HaShoah event of NSW Jewish Board of Deputies will be live streamed and/or shown via Youtube. Qld Jewish Board of Deputies may video its guest speaker as well and send that out to the community.
• The Qld Jewish Board of Deputies will be dis­trib­ut­ing Zachor Candles to indi­vidu­al homes prior to Yom HaShoah.
• JCareQld is organ­ising people to help dis­trib­ute food packs, support or help across various suburbs and regions in case it is needed. The various Chabad Houses are con­tinu­ing their support of needy families.

ACT

• Have suspended or cancelled majority of events, including communal Seder, Community opening of new wing on 5 April decision on the Grand Opening ceremony of 12 May (to be offi­ci­ated by the GG) will be made by 31 March; have cancelled Yom Hashoah and Limmud Shavuot.
• Jewish Care worker has 50 names and contact details of vul­ner­able people and checks in on a regular basis to assess their needs and level of support required. Jewish Care worker is coordin­at­ing with COA in Sydney to pick up frozen kosher meals and is coordin­at­ing OzHarvest deliv­er­ies to the Centre; Jewish Care, rabbi, volun­teers have been in touch with elderly for delivery of meals, including kosher food, shopping, and phone and online social support
• Live-streaming of services – we are directing community members to the JBD Yom Hashoah live stream + we will ask Dr Deborah Mayerson (keynote speaker for our YH event) to make a recording of her speech and we’ll send link to members.
• Chabad arrange­ments have been sought but are unknown.
• ACTJC Cheder (both Sunday and Tuesday) will continue while public schools remain open, review at end of school term in 2 weeks. Possible to move to virtual classroom.

South Australia

• Both syn­agogues have cancelled in-person services and events and will recon­sider that decision monthly.  Beit Shalom Pro­gress­ive Synagogue will be con­duct­ing services and Torah study online when the tech­no­logy is sorted.
• Cheder learning will be online from this Sunday.
• Our gov­ern­ment-funded aged care service, Jewish Community Services, continues to provide critical support to older people in their homes. It is con­duct­ing health surveys before caring staff enter a home.  It is currently con­sid­er­ing whether it will continue to provide group classes. It will continue to deliver food to clients.  Both syn­agogues are also working to ensure more isolated community members have access to needed supplies.
• Social dis­tan­cing has been practiced for some time at Jewish venues but will no longer be relevant as venues close.
• In person events such as the communal Seder are cancelled.  The State Zionist Council is con­sid­er­ing how to host Yom HaShoah via streaming.

Tasmania 

• Hobart Synagogue closes after this Shabbat service.  No services, events or tours.
• Chabad will no longer have services at the Launce­st­on Synagogue.  This was based on the advice of Rabbi Ulman of the Sydney Beth Din.
• The 175^th anniversary of the Hobart Synagogue event will not occur as scheduled in July.   We will announce a new date when crisis is over.
• We are in touch with the elderly members of the community and will support as needed.
• We are in the process of estab­lish­ing a cheder here for the first time in decades, but this is on hold until after the crisis.

At this difficult time, please listen carefully to expert advice, espe­cially about the necessity of strict social dis­tan­cing.   Please keep safe and keep those around you safe, by exer­cising every pre­cau­tion.

We can be proud of the way our community has come together to look after each other. The ECAJ has received a wonderful response to our national e‑mail calling for volun­teers to assist the most isolated and vul­ner­able members of our community.

We will post regular updates.

Contact
Peter Wertheim | Co-CEO
ph: 02 8353 8505 | m: 0408 160 904 | fax 02 9361 588
e: [email protected]| www.ecaj.org.au