Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

March of the Living (MOTL) 2023

Three members of our School community participated in this year’s March of the Living to Poland and Israel, and we reflect on the trip which finished at the start of this week.

Past parent Gavin Rubinstein, who holds the position of Treasurer, MOTL Australia, was in attendance as our official photographer and he captured some of the most amazing, poignant and moving moments on the trip. Whilst he uploaded many of the photos and short videos each day to our group WhatsApp, he captured many more very special moments which will ultimately be presented to participants in a book which we are all looking forward to receiving. As the saying goes “a picture tells a thousand words”.

Emanuel parent, Kevin Smaller, said: “My recent trip to Poland and Israel with MOTL Australia was filled with a mix of deep emotional connections. The Poland leg can only be described as surreal and hard, but doing it with 50 beautiful Australians and 10,000 others from all around the world helped to make the low points manageable and the highs memorable. The Israel component was like flipping a coin. It was light, filled with hope and achievements and lots of joyous singing and dancing, particularly at the Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations. A truly memorable experience!”

Sonia Newell and Kevin Smaller at the Hannah Szenes Memorial

I was also on MOTL and I felt especially privileged to have the opportunity to give a testimonial to my father and his family when we visited Treblinka on 21 April 2023 – coincidentally exactly 82 to years to the day since my father was conscripted into the Red Army which ultimately saved his life. Sadly, this was unlike that of his parents and three siblings who were all murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. For me, the profound and life-changing experience of being on MOTL with 50 other Australians and 10,000 people from all around the world still requires much reflection and time to absorb all that I experienced.

Whilst in Israel, we visited Kibbutz Sdot Yam, where Hungarian-born Hannah Szenes lived – we heard about her life and her heroism as she joined the Paratroopers delegation and embarked on a mission back to Hungary from which she never returned. On 7 November 1944, following months of torture, she was executed in Budapest by a Nazi firing squad. She became a national heroine, whose name rose to fame as a brave Jewish paratrooper and a gifted poet. Members of her Kibbutz decided to commemorate her and they established this museum in her memory – the Anna Szenes House which was inaugurated in 1950, designated to preserve her humanitarian and Zionist legacy. It was an extra special honour for me to visit this museum, given my son was Szenes House Captain in 2012, and then my daughter likewise in 2013. Here is a photo of Kevin Smaller and I, standing alongside a memorial to Hannah Szenes. If any readers are interested in knowing more about MOTL, please get in touch with me or check out www.motl.com.au

Mother’s Day 2023

I am sure none of us need reminding that Mother’s Day is on 14 May 2023. Friendship Bakery has just launched beautiful biscuit boxes to celebrate all the special women in our life. Click here to order your box filled with delicious cookies, brownies and chocolates. 

Orders will be ready for pick-up at the Friendship Bakery (Shop A of 2 Laguna Street, Vaucluse) on Friday 12 May 2023 between 10.00 am and 2.00 pm.

Putting the Pieces Together

Dr Rebecca Kummerfeld

Alumna, Dr Rebecca Kummerfeld (Class of 2003), former Head of Education at Sydney Jewish Museum, now Learning Manager at Museums of History NSW, recently spoke at the launch event of the JCA NSW/ACT annual appeal, Putting the Pieces Together. This was a preview of the talk she will be giving on 28 May 2023 at the JCA Community event.

“I have been very lucky to have been a beneficiary of the JCA as a participant in the 2022 Frank Wolf* Executive Leadership Program. It was a transformative experience that taught me to lead with my values.

“The JCA also enables the Sydney Jewish Museum to preserve and share Jewish stories and Jewish history. The Museum functions as a bridge between the Jewish community and the community at large, playing a critical role in de-mystifying stereotypes and promoting empathetic understanding”.

On Sunday 28 May 2023, the 2023 Communal Event will take place, showcasing the work of the Museum alongside all 25 member organisations of the JCA, including Emanuel School. Our Principal, Andrew Watt, will also be speaking at the event. Book your tickets here.

*Two grandsons of the late Frank Wolf OAM and his wife Karen are students at Emanuel School – Evan Cohen in Year 1 and his brother Oscar at Kornmehl Pre-school.

We look forward to sharing our news and yours, so if you have photos and/or news you would like to share with us, please send to: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Shabbat shalom, stay safe and have a wonderful weekend.