Page 7 - Issue 15
P. 7
seriously fucked us up, almost showing us an
enlightenment and forcing us back into the
societies which we were enlightened from.
Instability caused havoc on us as we came to terms
with what was.
Habo had only just began for the year when we
began hearing terms such as “social distancing”
and “lockdowns” mumbled for the first time. We
had our seminars run for us as we prepared
ourselves for an even better year in our strong
movement. We, as Melbourne Shavitnikim
welcomed members who hadn’t travelled on Shnat
with us, an unorthodox practice in our movement.
We had built an identity last year that we looked to
progress, building on it as each of us aimed to fill
crucial tafkidim throughout the year. This reality
unfortunately scarcely manifested.
Melbourne, for context, has endured the pandemic
far worse than any other Australian city. We, at time
of writing, have finally emerged from 3 months of a
hard lockdown where our freedoms were limited,
curfews imposed, social connections barred and
society lulled. Our vibrant and lively city reduced to
silence. This wasn’t abrupt either. Between mid-
March - mid-May we endured our first wave and
were rewarded by eased restrictions and greater
movement. It was during this time that myself,
along with a few others, formed the tzevet to run
our Winter camp. We had the role of planning a
camp in a time where things changed weekly.
Somehow, someway, we were able to manifest an
in-person day camp at our Ken, with our Premier