Jewish communities across Australia are breathing a sigh of relief after Shuls are officially being reopened this week.
After four strict months of lockdown, which meant 4 months of davening without a minyan, the Jewish communities in Australia return to Shul with multiple health guidelines.
The restrictions that still exist are that all attendees must be double vaccinated, wear masks from the age of 12 and up, remain social distanced while indoors, and it is forbidden to sing in the shul.
Rabbi Chaim Levy of Sydney’s Shul recalls the challenges the community faced during the recent lockdown as well as additional preceding lockdowns.
“Going without minyanim for Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkos and Simchas Torah was a challenge for families and individuals to keep the Yom Tov spirit alive during such lonely and unprecedented times,” he told COLlive.com.
“We are grateful to the local government and federal government for putting shuls as a priority to be in the first phase of lifted restrictions,” Rabbi Levy said.
“We are fortunate that they see the importance of the shuls, and the value of people coming back together as a community” he said.
Btw this is only in New South Wales (Sydney) not in Victoria (Melbourne) they are still in the worlds longest lockdown
You say “the worlds [sic] longest lockdown” with a hint of cynicism. But the truth is that, unlike in America, very few Frum Australian Jews have passed away from SARS-CoV-2 over the last two years. Perhaps they got it right all along.
If they ban motorized vehicles, no frum Australian Jews will die in car accidents!
And yet sensible people understand that life has to go on as normal, that there are certain acceptable risks, and that trying to mitigate them is one thing, but that the cure can be worse than the disease.
Now, power-hungry governments, and people who are foolish enough to trust them unquestioningly (in violation of Pirkei Avos 2:3), now they’re something else altogether..,
We may not have had as many covid deaths as other countries but what about the suicide rate? Economic destruction? Children’s education is at stake as they haven’t been in proper school in almost 2 years. We have just pushed off the inevitable. Covid will spread as soon as we open up, even with a vaccine. Keeping us locked up indefinitely is a temporary disastrous solution.
Btw I live in Melbourne so speak from experience. For so those saying just leave, it’s not so simple….
not Melbourne Melbourne took on the title of most locked down city and is strong going. In the past 18 months they had 250 days of lockdown
Im a kid and i can say from experience, lockdown is terrible for us kids. Online school is not good at all. Its basically just so schools can get away with saying they had school this year. But the truth is, we didnt have one week last tearm that was full.
So yes, there has been less deaths, but still, it is not possible to be locked down for so long.
I certainly hope the Australian people vote the authoritarians out of office next election cycle
The other party is worse
It’s true!
in nsw the party in power is better but in victoria the worse party is in power so that wouldnt be true
Only opened in Sydney. Melbourne is still all closed
This article talks about Australia but they mean to say NSW which is one state in Australia. The state of Victoria remains in strict lockdown and Shuls are still closed.
this is for NSW only. the rest of us in Melb and Victoria are still very much in a very strict and harsh lockdown, including a 9pm curfew. Our shuls were closed for 2 Tishreis !! we are the most lockdown city in the world.
Very happy Sydney/ NSW is starting to open up
Melbourne is still in lockdown day 276
Just Sydney
Melbourne is still stuck
Prayers please
Moshiach now
If Australia continues to be a Police-State, perhaps its time for people to leave?
And go where?
It’s impossible to get out
the police state is the problem, there is no way to get out you need to get approved by border officials for an exemption which is very difficult to come by even if you leave for ever.
Get out of Australia . If you can .
What’s going on there is complete insanity.
Covid is not going away and we just have to learn to live with it. Keep elderly safe. There is no need to lock healthy people and kids in their homes for years on end —and this is with the vaccine!
Unless you are suggesting a move to Sweden, which has its own um problems, we are all in that or nearly in that boat.
You think it’s that easy? dan the man is enjoying his power and he’s not going to let anyone leave just to live a normal life
i.e. Victoria is in a dreadful lockdown
NSW just opened up and Tasmania had minyonim for Rosh Hashana and you kipper. Shul open every shabbos
no masks no deaths and not even a single COVID case.
It’s a beautiful place.
It is beautiful, and the housing is cheaper, but it’s not a place most frum Jews could live. There is no kehilla at all, no Jewish schools, no kosher anything, you’d have to import all kosher products from Vic or NSW, it would be like being on shlichus, which is fine if that’s what you want to do, but isn’t for most people. This can only be solved by organizing 50 or so families to move at once, and that’s a very difficult project that people have been trying to do for years and has not yet got off the… Read more »
The aibishter should protect all of Am yisroel where ever they are in the world!
It’s true that the mental health aspect is damaging and as important to monitor as a physical illness like covid r”l
It doesn’t seem that the government see that unfortunately.
They see, they don’t care
The problem with Australian Jewry- some groups more than others is, they don’t want to give up any of their comforts. They’d rather live in lockdown, no shuls, No school, no Simchas, no social gatherings as humans rather than give up their comforts
So many small business are suffering and struggling to stay open, a lot are closing and this has a huge financial burden on families. It’s not an easy situation on every level.
Also we need to support the shluchim at this time, no tourists, no traffic to support their mosdos.
The birth pangs of moshiach. The whole world turning upside down and the leaders of countries being powerless…
thank you Heshem