I hope you all had a restful break, perhaps having the opportunity to spend some time in your or a friend’s Succah. This past week however, has been horrendous with tragic and devastating attacks by Hamas on Israel, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives and leaving so many injured. Our thoughts and heartfelt prayers are with the citizens of Israel during this difficult time and we stand in solidarity with them, praying for peace. May the memory of those who have been lost be a blessing now and always. We also remind our community in Sydney to stay safe and check with NSW Board of Deputies for updates and we thank the Communal Security Group (CSG) and other volunteers for their never-ending dedication to keeping us all safe.

Remember September 2023

I want to thank readers who supported my campaign to help raise awareness about the fight against pancreatic cancer during the month of September – together, as an ongoing commitment please help to remember those we’ve lost and stand with those fighting to survive this most awful cancer. Alumnus Ben Wilheim (Class of 2008), who founded Remember September also thanks our School community for your help this year, which has raised over $1,510,000.00. 

 

For the love of horses

Avalon Gold, Year 9, is passionate about horses and riding in NSW, whilst alumnus Ari Regan-Lacey (Class of 2017) has taken his passion for horses to the other side of the world and back. Over the recent school holidays Avalon represented Emanuel School at the annual Berry Interschools Equestrian Championships. It was a hot three-day event where she placed overall Reserve Champion for Year 9, across NSW.

Avalon and her horse (Toddy) successfully competed in a number of events earning eight places in total including:

• Sporting 1st place
• Show jumping 90cm height 2nd place
• 5 x other 2nd place ribbons for sporting, dressage, jumping (75cm), cross country and hacking

 

Ari says: “Horses are such an amazing outlet. I started riding after school as therapy for my mental health. Where this took me was never what I expected. Since starting riding in 2020, I have worked all around NSW and eventually found myself in a career in dressage riding and breeding whilst studying on the side. In 2022, I packed up my life in Australia and flew across to Germany –  to one of the best stables in the world, Hof Kasselmann. Here I was lucky enough to learn from the world number 5 rider and many other world ranked riders, ride incredible horses from 3 year olds to World Championship Horses within the world top 10 and really develop my skill set. I decided after nearly a year to return home and continue my studies alongside riding, training and breeding top quality sport horses in the sun to introduce greater quality horses to Australia. Currently I am focusing on the breeding business whilst I focus on my studies. For anyone already involved in the industry or looking at furthering a career that does not follow the traditional trajectory of school – uni – career I urge you to think outside the box and do what makes you happy. But don’t forget how privileged you are to have such an amazing education at an amazing school. Feel free to reach out to me via Facebook or email if you’re interested in hearing more about my unconventional journey post school”.

Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF) 
Tuesday 24 October 2023  – Tuesday 28 November 2023

The Randwick Ritz will be home of JIFF in Sydney with 50 plus films from across the world including three films directed by members of our amazing Emanuel community: Sasha’s Game, directed by Emanuel alumna Lexee Gordoun (Class of 2017); The Jewish Nazi? directed by Emanuel parent Dan Goldberg and Majong & Mahashas directed by past parent Carolyn Saul, whose son Isaac Grove (Class of 2020) has a small part in her film.

Majong & Mahashas – Thursday 2 November 2023

Australian filmmaker and Emanuel past parent Carolyn Saul received JIFF Short Film Fund funding to complete her 15 minute film Majong & Mahashas to premiere at this year’s festival. The JIFF Short Film Fund is an initiative that encourages and supports the production and exhibition of diverse short films on themes that engage with Jewish life. JIFF is committed to supporting and championing local filmmakers and stories reflecting the global Jewish experience. Mahjong and Mahashas is a short documentary film about Sydney’s Singaporean Sephardic community. Weaving together interview excerpts, archival footage, photographs, original music and contemporary content, Mahjong & Mahashas will open a window into this unique Jewish diaspora with its roots in Iraq, trunks in Singapore and new branches in Australia. These family histories, migration stories and cultural touchstones – the clatter of Mahjong tiles; mouthwatering Mahashas made of tomatoes stuffed with meat and rice; cacophonous gatherings of extended family – will immerse audiences in a culture rich in tradition, customs and heritage.

Sasha’s Game – Wednesday 8 November 2023

There will be a post-film Q&A with director Lexee Gordoun (Class of 2017) and Author Anita Selzer.

6.30 pm – Drink on arrival
7.15 pm – Film screening

Set during the tumultuous years of World War II, a Jewish mother and son find themselves in hiding with only one way out. With the war’s horrors encroaching upon their lives, single mother Larissa bravely devises a plan to procure false papers and assume new identities for them both. Her audacious plan demands a profound and challenging transformation from her son Sasha; he must disguise himself as a girl. Embracing the identity of “Sala,” a teenage girl, Sasha must navigate the complex terrain of living a double life during a vital period of growth and self-discovery. Adapted from Anita Selzer’s book ‘I AM SASHA’ is based on memoirs from her father and grandmother’s experience during WWII comes a film about their remarkable survival.

Another Emanuel connection with JIFF is through Head On 
Wednesday 15 November 2023

Emanuel parent Moshe Rosenzveig OAM and founder of Head On will be part of the Q&A session at this live screening at JIFF as part of this year’s festival.

When Roman Vishniac began to photograph Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, he did not know he was documenting their final moments. A veritable Renaissance man with interests in biology, physics, and art history, he was one of the first to use photography as an instrument of documentation and a pioneer in photo microscopy and time-lapse photography.

Click here for information and bookings.   

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The Jewish Nazi? –  Tuesday 28 November 2023

Directed by Emanuel parent Dan Goldberg, this film will be screened on the closing night of the festival, 28 November 2023. The screening will be preceded by a discussion between historian Konrad Kwiet from the Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM), Dan Goldberg and the niece of ‘The Mascot’ Baiba Mangalis-Ford.

“It could be a fairytale from the Brothers Grimm, but ‘The Mascot’ is a true story. Part mystery, part memory puzzle, it is a spellbinding thriller. This is a book to keep you up at night.” — The New York Times, review of the bestselling 2007 book ‘The Mascot’.

The Jewish Nazi? tells the staggering story of Melbourne’s Alex Kurzem, a young boy who escaped the massacre of his family’s shtetl in Belarus in 1941. He survived in the woods during one of the coldest winters on record, only to be captured by a Latvian battalion. Instead of killing him, they took pity on him and gave him a new name, adorned him with a uniform and a gun, and made him their child mascot, “Hitler’s youngest soldier.” Building on the international bestselling book ‘The Mascot’ and an award-winning ABC documentary, the film goes above and beyond, tracing Alex’s journey to Australia with his adopted Latvian family, and his eventual life in the Melbourne suburb of Altona. The BBC have described the story as “one of the most remarkable stories to emerge from the War” while some refused to believe it, accusing him of being a hoax, a liar, a charlatan and a fraudster. 

Alex kept his secret for almost 50 years, before embarking on a quest to find his real identity. Along his journey, he had four false names and was reunited with the incorrect family, before DNA testing reveals the truth. The documentary touches on the impact for all of Alex’s family members — both adopted family and his long-lost family.

Volunteers at Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM)

Many of our readers have a strong connection with SJM, be it as a volunteer guide or on the Front Desk, as a member of staff or in some other capacity. The Museum is always seeking more volunteers and Rony Bognar OAM, one of our Emanuel grandparents, is Volunteer Manager at SJM. If you would like to be one of the museum’s volunteers, please get in touch. 

Reverberations: A Future of Memory at Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM)

Visit SJM to see this powerful interactive exhibition which includes interviews with holocaust survivors who are members of our School community.    

Explore all exhibitions for free every Sunday

SJM Poland Tour 2024

Sculpture by the Sea
Friday 20 October 2023 – Monday 6 November 2023

That time of year is fast approaching where thousands of people descend the Bondi to Tamarama walk to see the amazing sculptures on display. The promo for this year’s event features the amazing “Lens” by alumnus Joel Adler (Class of 2011), which was part of last year’s event and won him the Kids’ Choice Prize. 

Gennarosity Abroad

Shylie Rimmer, who was visiting with Abigail Smith – both Emanuel School alumni from the Class of 2009 and their friends, made their way to New Hope Children’s Centre and Karunga’s Emanuel Kindergarten .

They are pictured below with staff and children at the Kindergarten:

Shylie says “Visiting New Hope Children’s Centre was an incredible, life changing experience and one of the most memorable things I did in my four weeks in Africa recently. Seeing how Anne and the team create hope and happiness out of otherwise depressing or upsetting situations puts a true spin on the way you see life. Not only does it shift your perspective on what’s important in life, it makes you realise that life is about the glass half full – not empty.

While appreciating sadness, trauma, and feelings is important, it’s what you make of your situation that truly impacts the outcome of your life; and I really commend Anne and the team for the positivity, light and hope they bring to the lives of these kids and the lives of everyone around them. As a visitor, I felt this positivity and light, and left the centre with a different perspective on life.

Not only do these kids have happiness in their eyes, but they also have a life of opportunity ahead of them, which might be the most amazing thing considering the trajectory their lives were on before New Hope. At New Hope, these kids are not only making happy memories, but they’re also making a life-long family and are receiving the education they need to become something in this world. We think that at their young age they might not understand this yet, but somehow when you meet these beautiful children, you can see the love in their eyes and the appreciation in their hearts.

I hope Anne and the team continue to make this world a better place, as what they do is truly amazing. This is unquestionably a cause worth supporting”.

Charity Trivia Night
Tuesday 24 October 2023

Alumna Genevieve (Genna) Onuchukwu (nee Radnan) would like to remind readers about the Charity Trivia Night – see below for more details. Why not get a table of friends together for a night of fun and laughter whilst raising funds for such a worthy cause.

Shabbat Project – Save the date
Friday 3 November 2023 – Saturday 4 November 2023

This year we celebrate Shabbat Project’s 10^th anniversary. 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 Sonia Newell.     

Shabbat shalom, stay safe and have a great weekend.