Volume 31 Issue 38 02 Dec 2022 8 Kislev 5783

Brave stories

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

Can you believe it is already December and we are nearly at the end of the school year! We have just one more issue of Ma Nishma for the year next week. Where did 2022 go? A huge “thank you” to members of our amazing community, who have allowed me to share their news and stories throughout the year, and I look forward to doing so again next year.

Brave Talks

JCA The Choice Foundation together with JewishCare NSW recently hosted a sold-out evening “Brave Talks” here at School in the Millie Phillips Drama Theatre, where six speakers told their courageous and inspiring stories of lived mental health experiences. The audience of over 200 people were there to listen and support, with the aim of the evening to open dialogue about mental health and start to reduce stigma. We were invited into the lived experiences of people in our community who have lived through Post Natal Depression, Anorexia, Alcoholism, Sexual Abuse, Trauma, Inter generational Holocaust Trauma and more. Brave people, Brave stories, Brave audience…Brave Talks.

Emanuel alumnus Jake Biggs (Class of 2012) was one of the speakers – he told of his struggles with severe anorexia as a teenager, and his remarkable story of recovery and resilience. A number of Emanuel parents were in the audience, including Nicole and Zev Friedman and Emanuel School Counsellor Belinda Gold, pictured below with one of the evening’s presenters Yosef Eichenblatt.

Past student Danielle Wakerman, Manager at JCA The Choice Foundation has just sent out a request for others in our community to reach out to be a speaker at one of their next events. Contact either Danielle Wakerman or Talya Rabinovitz.   

International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD)
Saturday 3 December 2022

Tomorrow is officially IDPwD, designated as “a day to increase awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability. It’s a day to celebrate the achievements and contributions of people with disability”. This is a quote the NDIS website – however having said this, tomorrow is just one day – we must remember to embrace everyone every day, no matter their ability or disability. Our community is certainly very privileged to have many organisations that provide help to those in our community with disabilities, including Friendship Circle, Camp Sababa, JCA The Choice Foundation, JewishCare, Maccabi All Abilities just to name a few. Many people in our Emanuel Community are involved with these organisations in a variety of ways both on staff and as volunteers, whilst some have children with a disability who attend their activities and camps.

Surfing anyone?

Two alumni from the Class of 2018, Aimee Radomsky and Amy Collins recently volunteered for the Maccabi All Abilities Surfs Up event at Bondi Beach. Participants not only learned to surf but they also played soccer and socialised with a BBQ picnic. 

There are more sessions coming up over the next 4 months, with bookings done by email.   

“18” – to life!

As we head into the holiday season, the Australian Red Cross asks us to keep donating blood.

Did you know just 60% of all new donors make their way back to Lifeblood for a second visit.  It is only recently that people who lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996 can now donate blood. Want to help more people more often? The answer is plasma.  We know in the Jewish world, 18 is a lucky number and signifies L’Chaim’ – to life, so what a great coincidence that plasma can be used in 18 different ways, and one can donate plasma as often as every 2 weeks. From personal experience I can tell you it is such an easy thing to do and after each donation, I get this text message: Hi Sonia, we’re glad we can count on you to give life! Your last B+ plasma donation will soon be turned into one of 18 life-giving treatments — just like all the ones before it. Thanks, Lifeblood

Donating blood or plasma is just a phone call or an email away: 131495 or contact@hello.redcrossblood.org.au

Klezmer, Cantor and Chutzpah
Wednesday 7 December 2022

The Great Synagogue is only one place where these three things can be combined, for a celebration of Jewish music through the ages, with the Chazzan of The Great Synagogue, Australia’s leading Klezmer Band CHUTNEY, violinist past Emanuel student Ben Adler, and concert pianist Vatche Jambazian. Click Here to book your tickets.

YOM HABO SYDNEY 2022
Sunday 11 December 2022, 2.00 pm – 4.00 pm

Many of our past and current students believe Emanuel School and Habonim go hand-in-hand – you only need to ask our Informal Jewish Life leaders, most of whom are Emanuel alumni. There’s a fun afternoon organised to celebrate Habo Sydney in its past, present and future. Whether you are Habo alumni, your children come regularly, or you are wondering if you should send your child on camp, you are invited to come along to this special afternoon at Habo House, 7 St Mary’s Ave Waverley.

Friendship Circle (FC) seeks our help to find a new hub

FC is looking for a new Hub to house their amazing team. They have enjoyed four years of tremendous growth at their Bondi Road location, however, the lease is coming to an end and is not available for renewal.

They need an accessible space of around 100 square meters in the Greater Bondi area. The space is primarily used as a launchpad for their dedicated volunteer committees, a welcome point for new families and volunteers, a gathering place for workshops and up-skilling, and an operations centre to deliver their programs.

The Hub has also been an incubator for new initiatives. For example, their head baker worked with their aspiring bakers with disability on basic kitchen skills at the Hub before they opened the Friendship Bakery in Vaucluse.

Friendship Circle staff and families dream of securing a long-term Hub in the near future that will accommodate our growing needs. However, at the moment, they are keen to lease a new location before the end of the year to avoid disruptions to their programs.

If you are in a position to help them with any leads for available spaces in the area or other types of support, please contact senderkavka@sydneyfc.org.au or 0430 093 670.

Call-out for Adult and Teen Volunteers for Friendship Circle (FC) Day Camp 
Monday 16 January 2023 – Friday 20 January 2023

FC offers amazing programs for teens and young adults with disabilities and many of our senior students and alumni have been volunteers with this organisation for many years. We also have families in our own community whose children attend the camps as participants. The January week-long camp will be packed with lots of fun activities, and a mix of incursions and excursions. This is a great opportunity to build on existing relationships and make new friends while having lots of fun during the school holidays.

Teen Volunteers (ages 13-18 and in Years 7-12): click here to register
New volunteers: please also complete our Teen Volunteer Application

Participants:
Juniors (ages 5-11): click here to register
Teens (ages 12-18): click here to register
New families: please also complete our Family Expression of Interest Form

Adult volunteer food assistants are also needed to join them on Day Camp. Please email FC Day Camp Coordinator Sophie Malek to apply.

2023 Maccabi Swim Championships – Save the Date
5 March 2023

One more reminder that the Maccabi Swim Championships are on 5 March 2023. Add this date to your 2023 calendar now so you and your children don’t miss this event. Watch this space for more details.

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 great weekend.