Munich last Saturday afternoon
Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations
To all the mothers and grandmothers in our School community, we wish you a happy Mother’s Day for this Sunday.
Flashback Friday
Here is the official School photograph of Year 6,1993. Thirty years on, a number of these students are now current parents here at the School including: Anna Hirst, Adam Chimes, Gray Negrine, Adam Symonds, Benjamin Green and Anita Silver. You might also recognise one of the teachers in this photo – Miss T Silver, now known as Mrs Jeckeln.
Munich last Saturday afternoon
After finishing March of the Living (MOTL), I have just spent a week in Munich. Last Saturday afternoon, I visited the area of the Jewish Museum and Ohel Jakob Synagogue of Munich. I was surprised to see that the Museum was open on Shabbat, only later to learn that it is run by the Munich Municipality, not by the Jewish Community. I returned on Monday afternoon hoping to see inside the Synagogue but was initially told that was not possible. The guard on duty at The Jewish Community Centre told me told to return in one hour and maybe someone could show me the synagogue, but no promises – one needs to book well in advance. Whilst waiting, I did notice a number of smartly dressed men standing watchfully at the perimeter of the buildings, slowly pacing around the area and I soon realised they were on security duty as the young children were being picked up by their parents from the Pre-school inside the Community Centre. It so reminded me of our very own Kornmehl Pre-school and how enthusiastic our children are to see their parents at the end of a school day, whist being carefully watched over by our own PSG volunteers.
Sonia Newell with Gilad Ben-Yehuda
Standing at the front of the Jewish Community Building, I started talking with a man who turned out to be the Head of Security for the Jewish Community of Munich, Gilad Ben-Yehuda, an Israeli who has been living in Munich for the past 14 years. I told him I work at a Jewish School in Sydney and, after chatting a little longer, he very kindly offered to take me on a private tour of the Synagogue – we entered the Community Building and then down some stairs through the 32 metre long underground corridor, Gang der Erinnerung (Hallway of Remembrance) where the names of over 4,500 Munich Jews who were deported and murdered in the Holocaust are written, and then up more stairs to enter the Synagogue, with its magnificent light-filled ceiling in shapes of Magen Davids. Ironically, the Synagogue was built on the site where Hitler had some of his offices, and it was officially opened on 9 November 2006, the 68th anniversary of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass, 9/10 November 1938). It is an amazing structure with its base in the style of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. The six-foot high main portal, into which the first six letters of the Hebrew alphabet are carved to commemorate the Ten Commandments, does not serve as an entrance to the interior. Whilst few objects connected to Munich’s Jewish history and culture survive today, with the destruction of the synagogues in 1938 and the persecution and murder of Jewish citizens, Jewish life in the city was obliterated. However, the Munich Jewish community today is a thriving one with around 10,000 members and growing.
Karate Dojo
Alumnus Richard Basckin (Class of 2015) has spent many years as an elite athlete in karate, representing Australia in numerous national and international competitions including the Oceania Championships and Maccabiah in Israel. Now, together with his good friend and fellow Karate champion, Yonatan Freund, they are opening a karate dojo in Bondi Junction on 15 May 2023. Richard is the current Australian champion and has been a representative of the Australian National Karate Team for eight years. Miyagi Kan Karate Dojo welcomes children of all ages (6+) with classes on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6.00 pm (under 12) and 7.00 pm (13 and over). They teach traditional Goju-Ryu Karate and Competition Karate.
Richard Basckin and Yonatan Freund
Putting the Pieces Together
Don’t forget to book your tickets for the 2023 Communal Event on Sunday 28 May 2023, where you will hear from Andrew Watt, our Principal and alumna Dr Rebecca Kummerfeld showcase the work of the Museum alongside all 25 member organisations of the JCA. Get your ticket today.
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 wonderful weekend.