Connecting our Community – Gesher
Sonia Newell – Development Officer
Remember September 2019
As September comes to an end, there is still time for our community to help alumnus Ben Wilheim (Class of 2008) who, together with family and friends, is raising awareness and funds for the fight to cure pancreatic cancer: https://rememberseptember.gofundraise.com.au/
Back to Emanuel School
Within the Jewish faith, the word “chai” possesses both numerical and symbolic meaning and is linked to the number 18. All the letters of the Hebrew alphabet have a numerical value attached to them. Aleph is 1, Bet is 2, Yud is 10 etc. The Hebrew word for “life” is “chai”. That’s chet (8) and yud (10) and so 18 stands for the “chai”, “life”. Our amazing School is 36 years old this year (double chai) and last Wednesday evening, 18 September, again with the symbolic “18”, close to 100 alumni, past parents and staff joined us for our Back to Emanuel School event – an opportunity to reconnect. Stories were exchanged and memories retold. Jes Moreto ((Taylor) from the Class of 2006 said “I totally forgot I designed the logo for the school house I was in – Rabin. I was a logo designer even back then! Not bad for a Year 8 kid.” Her business today is a well-known Logo designer company: www.longstoryshortdesign.com.au
Past HSIE teacher John Nairn emailed me after the event: “I am a latecomer to teaching, having previously been in banking for many years. I have the fondest memories of Emanuel out of any school I have taught at. I was there for 2002 and 2003 only, though I kept in touch with the HSIE staff afterwards. After leaving Emanuel I taught full time at Masada, closer to home, for several years before ‘retiring’. I have taught at many schools since then for part of each year. I taught Term 1 at Queenwood in 2019, where I met up with Jo Keeling again. It is always good to revisit Emanuel, to catch up with staff and former students, and to wonder at the amazing changes that have taken place on the campus. The latter are a tribute to all the staff, students, and its supporters. Long may the school continue to prosper! It was a pleasure to visit again last week. Thank you for your continuing invitations to events like these.”
From Leonie Powrie, another past teacher “Thank you for your lovely welcome last night. It was such a happy event. My husband was Head Prefect at Melbourne Grammar but said “This is the school I would have loved”, how funny! Coincidentally, his nephew, Alex Vickery Hoskison, is one of our alumni (Class of 2013). It made my night to run into Jamie Hilton (Class of 1997). He took photos of some of the pages in my book and kept saying how amazing it was to see his younger self. Some of my Year 10 girls put it together as a going away present so it is special to me. Congratulations to all for the wonderful development that has taken place over the past 36 years. Rabbi Fox and Susie Brieger, especially, would be so proud.”
Family connections amongst past and current students was evident on the night. Shaun Janks (Jankelowitz), Head Madrich, Class of 2004 is pictured here with his first cousin Daniella Goodridge who was part of Year 11 Hospitality Class that prepared and served the most scrumptious supper for the event. (photo of big group in kitchen) Several alumni here on the night very excitedly told us that they will be back next year as new parents, with their own children following in their footsteps as Emanuel students. Past parent Rita Prager whose two daughters are alumni, said “it was beautiful to go down memory lane after almost 20 years since Jeanine left Year 12. I can’t wait to see my granddaughter Lila here next year!” Zoe Feigen (Class of 2007), now a practising Veterinary Surgeon in Melbourne flew up especially for the event and came along with sisters Sivan (Class of 2009), Daniela (Class of 2011) and parents Cheryl and Lindsay.
Lauren Faul with her parents
Call-out for our help
Alumna Lauren Faul (Class of 2018) whose brother Justin is in Year 9 and their mother Danni, who is also one of our past students (Class of 1991) got in touch this week, to seek our help.
She says: “I was lucky enough to be awarded the Rabbi Brian Fox Scholarship Award last year. There was only one direction for me to go – to raise awareness and money for blood diseases and blood related cancers, such as Multiple Myeloma.
“I joined the Sydney Blood Cancer Research Group as a committee member. This research group comprises of a small group of people including specialist doctors and nurses from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), patients and family members of patients, such as myself. The research group has one goal, to organise events and fundraisers to raise awareness and money to aid in the research to cure blood cancers.
“I am reaching out to you, the Emanuel School Community for support with my initiative. I am arranging for a blood drive and I would like you to join me in donating your blood. Did you know that by donating just once, you can help save up to three lives. Did you know that only 3% of Australians donate each year. Please help me make a difference.
When you decide to join me, please email me to join: lauren0f@tpg.com.au“
This is a link to the Sydney Blood Cancer Research website www.sydneybloodcancerresearch.org.au/
Thank you, Lauren Faul.
We wish all our readers and their family Shana Tova and well over the Fast, and look forward to sharing more news with you in Term 4.
If you have photos and/or news to share, please send to: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au