Impact of COVID-19: a comparative study of the Melbourne and Sydney Jewish communities

This qualitative study examines how the two major Jewish centres in Australia, Sydney and Melbourne, where 84% of the Jews in Australia reside, responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It will discuss the policies that were put in place to assist those in need, with a range of different activities, including Jewish schools, going on-line, leading to many more opportunities to access news and participate in learning sessions. This study will highlight the similarities and differences between the two centres in terms of their organizational structures, which developed out of different historical migration patterns, and how these impacted on the current responses to the pandemic.