Appreciating the time we have
Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations
As we continue life in lockdown, we hope you have adapted to life and learning at home alongside pets and all household members, with many parents working from home. It is not easy to manage life, family, work and home learning commitments during lockdown, but we hope everyone is doing well. Our dedicated teaching staff never cease to amaze us as they prepare and lead online learning for our students.
If you signed in last Friday at 4.00 pm for our Emanuel Kabbalat Shabbat, I’m sure you could feel the palpable enthusiasm of alumnus Asher Klein (Head Madrich, Class of 2016), now one of our Alumni Informal Jewish Life leaders. This wonderful weekly event can be viewed by anyone in our community, so please share the link with grandparents.
Emanuel parent Lisa Sarzin says “my mum is quite extraordinary as the moment her physical world shrinks she doubles her efforts to expand her mental horizons and most of our daily calls are spent talking about the world of ideas and new things she’s learnt. The one thing we all miss the most is being together on Shabbat. I usually have both Grannies every Friday. Hence why I thought the Emanuel Kabbalat Shabbat would lift their spirits in a unique way. And on the home schooling front, we are just so fortunate to be at Emanuel and feel so well supported. So far it’s going smoothly and the boys are happy. So thank you! We are so aware of how much time, energy and effort teachers and staff have put into this delivery model and are very appreciative. I cannot tell you how appreciative and grateful we feel to be part of such a beautiful community. The School is doing an outstanding job.”
We are certainly fortunate to have access to the internet with a wide variety of websites and online events to watch. Many of our readers enjoyed some wonderful online sessions with Dunera during last year’s lockdown. Good news – they are back with lots of exciting events on offer.
Mitch Burnie
We hope you and your children will join us on Sunday at 5.30 pm for an exciting session when alumnus Mitch Burnie, Manager of Adamama Urban Farm, teaching us online all about pickles and preserves. We now have more than 100 registrations for this free event. It’s not too late to book.
Readers of my page will also know that I’m a huge fan of the newly opened Friendship Bakery at Mark Moran Vaucluse, and also of Friendship Circle. What you may not know is that Emanuel parent Jesse Meguideche, owner of Jesse’s Bakery helped get Friendship Bakery started six years ago, when he welcomed them into his bakery (Jesse’s Le Petit Pâtissier), allowing them to use it as their challah headquarters. He taught them everything they needed to know about challah baking and also about cakes and pastries. Jesse’s father David, who sadly passed away this week, was also ever-present and a great support to these young bakers.
We wish Jesse and family long life on the sudden passing of their beloved David Meguideche. He will be sadly missed by all who loved and admired him. May his memory be a blessing.
Shoshi Blackman and Ben Goldstein
At my visit to Friendship Bakery in Vaucluse last Friday morning for essential shopping, not only was I greeted by the wafting smell of freshly baked goods but also the smiling eyes of the bakers and volunteers behind their masks, including barista Ben Goldstein (Class of 2010) and Shoshi Blackman (Class of 2018) in the bakery and behind the counter. Shoshi told me she had just come back to the bakery after making a challah delivery to someone at the School. Another customer waiting patiently in the line was Emanuel Grandparent Ralph Hirst who, together with his wife Adrienne, is a resident at Mark Moran Vaucluse. He said “How good is it to have this wonderful bakery literally at our doorstep – we love it!”.
If you are interested in contactless ordering and pick-up, Friendship Bakery has prepared an online order form for Friday pick-ups. Please note, orders must be placed before 3.00 pm on Wednesdays.
Speaking about food, join alumnus Sean Torban (Class of 2018), founder of Talking Holocaust for their next online event on Thursday 8 August 2021, in collaboration with AUJS.
No chance of being bored in lockdown
When they are not @School online, do your kids say they are bored? Hopefully not, but here are some online activities organised by the team at Friendship Circle (FC) that might interest them. Some details about their program for young adults and volunteers aged 18+ are also included.
FC Virtual Schedule, Monday 19 July 2021 – Sunday 1 August 2021
A mix of activities for participants and volunteers to join over the next couple of weeks, including exercise, story time, cooking, challah baking, dance parties, and even a Teen movie night!
Please note that some sessions are aimed at specific age groups. If applicable, this is stated on the schedule. The virtual schedule is available here.
Please email Emma Sharp to receive the link to join these virtual sessions.
As everyone likes to engage in different ways and we are already spending a lot of time in front of our screens, the FC committee has also created a fun activity pack with visual recipes, craft ideas, movement videos and activity sheets for our community to enjoy.
FC SOCIAL Virtual Schedule, Tuesday 24 July 2021 – Sunday 22 August 2021
(for Young Adult participants and volunteers aged 18+)
As their face-to-face program has been paused during lockdown, FC is hosting these events over Zoom. Together, you will enjoy a disco, online games, yoga, a baking and tea party, painting, and a catch up on life!
Please contact FC Social Co-ordinators with any questions and for the Zoom link: Talia – 0417 476 264, Ally – 0423 657 650. You can also join the FC Facebook group.
Shabbat Shalom. Stay safe, stay home and have a great lockdown weekend. We look forward to sharing more news with you again next week.
If you have photos and/or news to share, please send to Sonia Newell.