Australias Jewish communities celebrate Rosh Hashanah in lockdown

And while the festivities - which began on Monday - are usually marked by prayers at the synagogue and a feast at home, Sydney's current COVID-19 lockdowns mean scaled-down celebrations for many families.

The Rabin family enjoy apples dipped in honey, a Jewish tradition that hopes to bring in a sweet new year. Source: Hashela Kumarawansa, SBS News

For adherents in Melbourne, the situation is all too familiar, having marked Rosh Hashanah under COVID-19 restrictions last year.

Daniel Rabin, who also serves as a rabbi, says the exasperation is palpable within his congregation and family.

"It was quite tiring, it felt like a big burden had been placed on us."

SBS Hebrew: The challenges of celebrating Rosh Hashana in a lockdown

But Mr Rabin and his wife Sarah hope keeping as many traditions alive as possible will help elevate spirits amid lockdown fatigue.

"It's tradition to make things that are sweet, with honey", Ms Rabin says. 

"We also do this thing called 'challah', which is a sweet bread that we make round so we can have a beautiful, round year." 

Traditions and technology

While observances across several faiths have been able to shift online, some orthodox Jews are balancing the current circumstances with rules around avoiding technology during this time.

For others, they'll still use it to stay connected. 

Rabbi Gersh Lazarow will be live-streaming prayer services across the festivities from his synagogue, The Temple Beth Israel, in Melbourne. 

"Our goal here is to isolate ourselves from the virus, but to not isolate ourselves from each other", he says. 

"Live-streaming becomes a poor replacement, but a vital replacement." 

Rabbi Gersh Lazarow blows the shofar. Source: Hashela Kumarawansa, SBS News

More than 20,000 different IP addresses joined in last year, Rabbi Lazarow says, and he is hoping for a similar number again.

"There is a fatigue and I have no doubt that fatigue will impact the way in which people participate," he says. 

"But as a community of faith that has been built around an aspiration of hope for thousands of years, a global pandemic is not going to stop us."

And despite the COVID-19 restrictions, rabbis across New South Wales and Victoria have been granted an exemption to blow the shofar - a ram's horn - outdoors during celebrations.

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