From A (Different) Summer of Culture To New Lockdown
The past few months have been anything but ordinary. The coronavirus pandemic has altered our current reality, which is still in constant flux. As with earlier in the year, when the coronavirus pandemic first ‘hit’, life is very different and we are all having to adapt to constantly-changing restrictions and social distancing.
But, as with previous months, Jerusalem responded incredibly. Some of the city’s most loved cultural institutions created special programs and events, specially adapted to adhere to the government’s ‘Purple Badge’ requirements. The challenge of being limited and restricted, in fact, gave birth to some unique and memorable events, that we are proud to have supported.
Over the summer months, we supported events across Jerusalem – from a reimagined Jazz Festival that was broadcast live online, to outdoor film screenings at the Jerusalem Cinematheque – that brought life to the city and, whilst complying with restrictions, brought culture back into people’s lives. Over 20 major cultural events took place with our support, and it is a testament to the creativity and innovation displayed by our many partners, as well as the ongoing generosity of our donor community, that a summer in the midst of a pandemic was so packed with innovative cultural offerings.
Now, however, life has shifted gear once again. A second wave of coronavirus, and the Israeli government’s month-long lockdown, meant once again reassessing what is possible and what is most needed.
And, as before, the Jerusalem Foundation has found itself at the forefront of providing a safety net to Jerusalem’s most vulnerable residents, from old to young, and in all the city’s communities. Together with the municipality, we are supporting the distribution of food packages to the elderly and to residents of east Jerusalem – some of the most at-risk and in-need population groups. We have also continued with our support for distributing laptops and tablets to children with special needs, activity packs to children in quarantine, and ongoing support for organizations assisting the elderly and children and adults with special needs.
We thank all our friends for their continued support, which has enabled us to rise to the occasion and respond to the challenges of 2020.