Sonia Newell – Development Officer

What is Gesher?

Gesher is the Hebrew word for “bridge” – at our school, we have a Board sub-committee called Gesher chaired by Natalie Goldman. It is what keeps the connections alive between alumni, past and present parents, grandparents and friends and Emanuel School. 

It is the friend-raising arm of our School community. We support everything that is Emanuel School, with a strong link to the Emanuel School Foundation. Members of our Gesher committee that meets every couple of months, include representatives from our current and past parents, grandparents and alumni. We thank them all for their tireless energy and support throughout the year.

Last chance to donate:

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (NSWJBD) appeal for victims of the recent catastrophic bushfires in NSW concludes today, Friday 6 December 2019 at 12.00 pm.

See here for details: www.facebook.com/NSWJBD/posts/1704639299668832

Funds raised will be distributed on advice from the NSW Premier’s Office.

Camp Sababa and Camp Sababa Senior 2019

Early December every year since 2007, children with disabilities ages 6-16 come together for this four-day summer holiday. The camp was founded following the suggestion of a parent who felt there was a need in the community to cater for children with disabilities. Initially Moriah College and Masada College joined forces with the support of the Sony Foundation and the fundraising talents of Rick Karpin, to establish a most successful camp. Emanuel School joined the organisation in 2009 and since then a number of our newly graduated Year 12 students volunteer each year, to look after these young children in the role of companions. The camp aims to give a wonderful holiday with a Jewish flavour, to special needs children. It allows the volunteers to give of themselves to those people less fortunate than themselves whilst giving these companions a greater appreciation and understanding of people with disabilities. Some of our older alumni volunteer in other support roles. www.campsababa.com.au

Alumna Maya (Greenberg) Pollak, (Class of 2001) has chaired Camp Sababa for the past three years. Maya, a solicitor and mother of three young children works as the Senior Legal Manager – Corporate & Strategy at Alinta Energy and still finds time to volunteer. 

Camp Sababa Senior is a program of JewishCare sponsored by the Wolper Jewish Hospital Health Foundation and the Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA). This senior camp for disabled young adults aged 17 to 25 years, was founded in 2012 by a group of companions from Camp Sababa and many of our Emanuel alumni volunteer as buddies. Asher Klein (Head Madrich, Class of 2016) who sits on our Gesher Committee, was a buddy again at this year’s camp as were many Year 12 2019 students.  

There are also numerous opportunities for parents and grandparents to volunteer for these camps in housekeeping roles including help to prepare meals and setting up activities.

Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM)

A number of members of our School community are involved in a variety of roles at the Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM) www.sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au. The museum has a program called Survivor Portraits and this month, they introduce Mimi Wise, one of our grandparents.  Read her story here:

sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/news/survivor-portraits-mimi-wise/

Mimi Wise

Other Emanuel grandparents have been also been part of this program, including Kitty Lowinger in October and Litzi Lemberg in September, whilst great-grandparent Olga Horak was featured in August.

If you have never been to the Museum, I encourage you to do so, and be inspired by the resilience of holocaust survivors, the many exhibitions and book launches, panel discussions, public lectures, film screenings, community events and performances.

Volunteers still needed for Friendship Circle Summer Camp

Friendship Circle is still recruiting volunteers for the summer holiday Friendship Circle Day camps:

We wish our readers a happy, safe and relaxing summer break and look forward to sharing more community connections with you all next year.

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