Sonia Newell – Development Officer

A worthy cause and a powerful message from alumnus Ari Regan-Lacey (Class of 2017)

In Australia approximately 85% of people know someone who has died by suicide. 

For Australians between the age of 15 and 44, suicide remains the leading cause of death. In 2016, 75.1% of people who suicided were male. In 2016, there were on average of 41 male deaths by suicide each week. That’s six in a day, or one every four hours.

This cause focuses on two areas, mental health and men’s cancers (particularly prostate and testicular). Zerem-Ra’am shnat participants from Habonim Dror Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand are growing their ‘mo’s’ this month to raise funds for the Movember Foundation. 

Ari comments: “The Movember Foundation is uniquely placed to address the crisis at a global level. We’re funding ground-breaking projects all over the world, engaging with men where they are, to understand what works best, to help make change happen sooner. 

As part of the Habonim Dror Movement, we discuss and educate about the gender restrictions that confine individuals to think and act a certain way that prescribes to our society. In relation to men, the expectation to be physically tough and mentally strong is something that limits men in expressing their individuality, acknowledging and expressing their emotions to themselves and others. 

On Habonim Dror shnat, mental health issues have affected a lot of the men negatively in a lot of aspects of our lives. On Shnat we have strived to break down the social barriers and create an open and safe space to express our emotions and mental health issues. By doing so, we have created a place where men feel comfortable to talk about how we’re feeling beneath the ‘tough skin’that society has placed on us. 

In turn, we have decided to raise money for The Movember Foundation as we want to bring the tools that we have learnt to combat mental health issues to the rest of the world, and especially our individual communities. 

Even a small donation would be unbelievably appreciated by the Zerem-Ra’am males and we hope that this is a step towards a brighter and safer future for men globally.”

To support Ari and his friends  in raising money for men’s cancers and mental health please donate at: https://mobro.co/13879225?mc=1

Trevor Sidley (photo credit Shane Desiatnik AJN)

2018 NSW Maccabi Golf Championships 

Nicholas Odze

We have many avid golfers amongst our extended school community, always keen to get on the golf course for a round or two, and it was good to see some of them play in the NSW Maccabi Golf Championships at Monash Country Club on 25 October. Mazal tov to Emanuel parent, Trevor Sidley, who won the NSW Maccabi Open Jewish Golf Championship, his sixth NSW Championship win – but just his first since 2011.

Congratulations also to alumnus Nicholas Odze (Class of 2000) who won the A Grade competition and was best stableford scorer, and to past parent and Maccabi golf stalwart Marty Knespal who was runner-up (by just one point) in the C grade trophy.

 A night of fun and laughter for 20s and 30s

Emanuel parent, Deb Meyer, is an event producer at Shalom (www.shalom.edu.au) and is organising a new comedy night for 20s and 30s on 18 November. See event details below.

If you have news to share, please send to: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au