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After an interval of several months, with the approach of the chaggim we are taking the oppor­tun­ity to issue a new national bulletin to provide an update of how Jewish com­munit­ies and communal insti­tu­tions across Australia are managing with the pandemic.

The focus continues to be on the care of the elderly and the vul­ner­able, whether they are in aged care facil­it­ies or living inde­pend­ently or semi-inde­pend­ently. Main­tain­ing physical distance, espe­cially during the chaggim when Jewish families and friends would ordin­ar­ily gather together in homes and syn­agogues, will again present a special challenge.  Another concern is com­pla­cency and fatigue with restric­tions, par­tic­u­larly among younger people.

After our last National Bulletin in early April, Australia went through a period of more than two months when the number of new infec­tions recorded each day was very low – less than 30 per day nation­wide – and there were only a very small number of addi­tion­al deaths.  This has been followed by a resur­gence in the numbers of infec­tions and deaths recorded in Victoria in June, July and August which dwarfed the numbers for the whole of Australia during the initial outbreak in March and April.

As at the time of writing this report, the total recoded number of people who had been infected in Australia exceeded 25,000, compared to fewer than 8,000 on July 1.  Total recorded deaths increased from 104 on July 1 to more than 550 yesterday.

So far, the resur­gence seems largely to have been confined to Victoria. There have been outbreaks in various locations in NSW, despite the con­tinu­ation of restric­tions on gath­er­ings and border restric­tions with Victoria. New infec­tions in NSW appear now to have been contained to fewer than 10 per day, although this could increase given the per­sist­ence of small numbers of new infec­tions whose source cannot be traced.  The number of new daily infec­tions in other States and Ter­rit­or­ies has remained at or close to zero.

Sadly, the Aus­trali­an Jewish community recorded its first COVID-19 deaths in August, all of them in Melbourne (see below).

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.

The following is an update from last week’s summary of the current status of Jewish community life in each State and Territory.

Victoria

• Two deaths of Jewish residents occurred following an outbreak of the virus at Jewish Care’s Windsor Res­id­en­tial Home.  We were informed that some 30 residents and several staff members have been infected.  We wish everyone else at the home a refuah sh’lema.  A third Jewish resident died in another aged care facility not operated by the Jewish community.
• The Victorian gov­ern­ment reimposed a Stage 3 lockdown on Met­ro­pol­it­an Melbourne and Mitchell Shire from 8 July 2020, and this was extended across regional Victoria from 6 August 2020. From 6pm on 2 August 2020, the Victorian gov­ern­ment imposed Stage 4 restric­tions in met­ro­pol­it­an Melbourne, including a curfew between the hours of 8pm and 5am.
• The Stage 4 restric­tions in Melbourne will last until at least 13 September 2020.  Although restric­tions may be relaxed after that date, it is unlikely that usual synagogue services will be able to be held over the Yamim Noraim.
• All schools are currently operating on remote learning.  The Victorian Gov­ern­ment has announced that they anti­cip­ate that there will be a return to classrooms for term 4.
• Community groups are con­tinu­ing to provide support to vul­ner­able members of the community

New South Wales

• The NSW Jewish Emergency Man­age­ment Plan (JEMP), which is operated by CSG NSW, is main­tain­ing the structure of its cent­ral­ised Emergency Oper­a­tions Centre which was estab­lished at the time of the pandemic outbreak. However, it is now operating from the CSG office and not from separate premises. To all intents and purposes, it is in back­ground mode and able to be fully activated at a moment’s notice if the situation requires it.
• The JEMP Decision Makers Group (DMG) is meeting fort­nightly by Zoom and continues to coordin­ate and keep a watchful eye on what is happening in NSW. It is in constant contact with relevant author­it­ies and with a broad range of communal leaders. Prime in its activ­it­ies are the following:
  • The medical sub-committee continues to actively plan and prepare for the rami­fic­a­tions of a potential increase in spread of COVID-19 within the Sydney Jewish community
  • The financial sub-committee is mon­it­or­ing the financial scenarios which are impacting on the oper­a­tions and wellbeing of community members and community insti­tu­tions. The JCA has approved immediate alloc­a­tions for two Jewish day schools, and in addition, funding support has been facil­it­ated through Jewish Care for community members in need.
  • Work is being done with syn­agogues in the lead up to the High Holy Days and good coordin­a­tion between syn­agogues is being evidenced. In general terms, syn­agogues are dili­gently working within the para­met­ers estab­lished by the health author­it­ies
  • There is evidence that communal organ­isa­tions are, in the main, acting very respons­ibly in the current cir­cum­stances.
  • CSG is active and con­tinu­ing its work at communal insti­tu­tions (albeit in a modified form). In the back­ground the team research analysts is mon­it­or­ing potential threats to the community. There is some local evidence that anti-Jewish online activity is increas­ing as a result of the pandemic.
  • The com­mu­nic­a­tions sub-committee continues to actively work on relevant community messages, with an emphasis on what community members should or should not do during the High Holy Days.

Western Australia

• Notice sent to all shuls on Sunday 23 August in pre­par­a­tion for the chaggim
  • WA is currently in Phase 4 of  COVID-19 restric­tions. For further inform­a­tion see https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/covid-19-coronavirus-wa-roadmap#phase4
  • In Phase 4, places of worship are permitted to open with capacity limits determ­ined by the 2 square metres per person rule, excluding the people required to conduct the service.
  • WA is moving towards more liberal restric­tions in Phase 5 are tent­at­ively scheduled for 24 October, but that will off course be dependent on what’s going on with community trans­mis­sion both here and inter­state.
• Maurice Zeffert Home (MZH)
  • Having received the updated Public Health State of Emergency Dir­ec­tions for Western Australia, the MZH COVID ‑19 response Committee has agreed to lift restric­tions to align them with current legal require­ments
  • Com­men­cing Monday 20^th July 2020 restric­tions were eased as follows:
    • Visiting sessions Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm. Sunday 10am – 3pm. with no limit to the length of visit but only two visitors at any one time.  Use of hand sanitiser provided and tem­per­at­ure recorded on entry.
    • Children of all ages may now visit with proof of a current 2020 influenza vac­cin­a­tion and undergo tem­per­at­ure screening prior to entry.  Same rules for volun­teers and private com­pan­ions
    • Visitors may continue to visit in the outdoor garden areas of MZH. However the communal areas are still restric­ted.
    • MZH remains confident that it is safe for residents to leave the facility to attend small family gath­er­ings, attend previous super­vised activ­it­ies (up to 30 people) and continue to take short walks around the facility avoiding the school area.
    • Residents are strongly dis­cour­aged from attending public venues.
• Carmel School
  • • Back to normal, except there will be no sleep-away camps this year
• Menora Charity
  • • Reopened the Menora warehouse on the 13^th July for donations as well as volun­teers
    • Held mini re-induc­tions for volun­teers each day re Covid-19
    • Signage displayed in the warehouse re social dis­tan­cing
    • Everyone including random visitors must sign in and use dis­in­fect­ant
    • Only allowing three people at a time in the clothing sorting room
    • If making a warm drink only dis­pos­able cups to be used
    • At warehouse sales all customers must sign in and use dis­in­fect­ant
    • After cal­cu­lat­ing usable space, maximum of 20 customers inside if using the smaller part of the warehouse, and 35 customers if using the larger space.

Queens­land

• The Queens­land Jewish community has continued not to have any Covid cases as far as is known. As of now, the general Queens­land community is exper­i­en­cing a Covid spike and time will tell if it gets out of hand.
• All Syn­agogues have been operating under the “Industry Standard” which means all Queens­land places of worship have all agreed to meet the same standards of social dis­tan­cing, maximum numbers based on size of each physical property. Pre-booking has also become the norm now with lists being main­tained for contact tracing should it be needed.
• Funerals are also being managed as per gov­ern­ment require­ments.
• The school is func­tion­ing within the gov­ern­ment guidelines as are the kinder­gartens.
• Cheders have also advised that they are main­tain­ing social dis­tan­cing.
• Chabad Houses around Queens­land are bound by gov­ern­ment require­ments for house guests, as they do not actually meet the defin­i­tion of place of worship as far as the gov­ern­ment is concerned. However, they have not reported in to the QJBD to confirm they are meeting these require­ments.
• All regular organ­isa­tions continue to meet by Zoom or similar. Some smaller groups have met face to face.
• Communal Leaders Zoom Meetings continue, although there are signs of ‘Zoom fatigue’. Most feedback is that Zoom meetings are being less well attended, as many are over the concept, but it is not sure they would go out to meetings either. Will be inter­est­ing to see what happens with functions etc when they are able to be held again.
• JCare Qld report there have been no addi­tion­al cases of need, but those who had need help have been requiring a bit more.
• Jewish Help in Need advise that they have had a few addi­tion­al applic­a­tions / requests for their no interest loan program in recent months.

ACT

• The whole ACT currently has no active cases, and has had zero cases since July.
• Nev­er­the­less, the ACT Jewish Community is asking people who have travelled to known hotspots in the previous 2 weeks not to enter the National Jewish Memorial Centre (NJMC).
• Current restric­tions in the ACT permit up to 100 people in the NJMC.
• Cheder and all youth and adult education classes have resumed in person though some adult classes are also being offered via Zoom.
• Synagogue services have resumed in person though each of the Orthodox and Pro­gress­ive spaces can only fit up to 36 people with the current physical dis­tan­cing restric­tions.
• High Holy-day services are limited to financial members only and members must pre-register for the service(s) they wish to attend over the High Holydays.
• Minimal kiddushim are being held.
• Community volun­teers continue to support the elderly and vul­ner­able members of the community.

South Australia

• In South Australia, the pro­gress­ive synagogue is hosting services in person with physical dis­tan­cing measures and the option for virtual attend­ance via Zoom for all services.
• The orthodox synagogue is hosting services with lay leaders, as border restric­tions have impacted staffing.
• Both organ­isa­tions have imple­men­ted protocols in line with require­ments of the SA Police.
• Jewish Community Services, continues to provide in-home aged care support and general support to the community, including new clients impacted by the current situation.
• The Israeli cultural society Tarbut has recom­menced opening the local Hebrew library with story time for children. It is also providing coordin­ated support for migrant Jewish families, mainly Israelis, whose careers or job searches have been impacted by the economic downturn.

Tasmania

• Hobart Synagogue resumed Shabbat services in June, following the relax­a­tion of State gov­ern­ment guidelines for gath­er­ings.
• As there has been no community trans­mis­sion in Tasmania since early May, Hobart Synagogue is holding Yamim Noraim services with physical dis­tan­cing restric­tions in place.

Please keep safe and keep those around you safe, by main­tain­ing physical dis­tan­cing require­ments and good hand hygiene, and exer­cising every pre­cau­tion.

Shabbat shalom.

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