Life after Year 12

I just received the following messages and photo from members of the Class of 2016:

Over the last month and a half we have begun our journey of a lifetime with Israel By Choice (IBC). Since our arrival in Jerusalem we have visited many new and exciting places such as Eilat, Mitzpe Ramon, Tel Aviv and parts of the West Bank. IBC offered us several options for activities to spend our time in Jerusalem, including volunteering at schools for children with disabilities, teaching English to Israeli youth, gardening and old age home care. We have been offered to learn at Stand With Us, an Israel Advocacy program that has educated us about the history and complexity of the Israeli/Arab conflict. Some of us studied at a yeshiva or midrasha. We look forward to the next four months (for some even longer) of adventures with IBC.

By Asher Klein, Rikki Stern and Dana Rutner (Class of 2016)

Yarden Erez-Rein, Dean Smuskowitz and I arrived in Israel for Habonim Dror Shnat on 31 January, and have been living in Kibbutz Revivim since 5 February. Since arriving on the kibbutz, we have been formally learning Hebrew, working on the kibbutz and getting some experience with living a socialist lifestyle. We’ve also gone on weekly trips to see different parts of the Negev, such as going on an amazing hike in the Ramon crater (Makhtesh Ramon), a crater formed by natural erosion rather than a meteorite impact.

In the photo shown below, some of the Masa-sponsored groups, such as our Habo Shnat and IBC, gathered to learn about Jerusalem, as well as partake in workshops and tours that taught us how to effectively debate with anti-Zionists and exposed us to the life of Palestinians in East Jerusalem. Shiran (in the middle of the top row), who was one of our Israeli Madrichim back on Year 10 Zionist camp, was one of the facilitators on the day that took care of one of the groups.

By Nathaniel Knoll (Class of 2016)

2017 Habonin Shnat and IBC

Jazz on the Hill is just over two weeks away. Book your tickets now!

Join us on Sunday 26 March at School for an afternoon of amazing music, yummy food prepared by our Year 11 Hospitality students and good company.  You can relax and enjoy all of this whilst Primary-aged children are entertained with exciting supervised activities.  Don’t forget to bring your picnic rugs. We will also have some seating available for those members of our community who can’t manage to sit picnic-style. All are welcome so don’t forget to invite grandparents too!  
Book online http://tinyurl.com/JOTH2017

Breakfast with Emanuel – Save the date

• Wednesday 17 May at The Little Space, Oxford Street Bondi Junction
• Wednesday 24 May at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Watermans Quay Barangaroo 
  Invitations will be out soon.

Helping our school community and helping others 

Friendship Circle annual Walk Awareness/Fundraiser day for the entire community

Chana Kafka, Program Director, NSW Friendship Circle has asked me to pass this message on to members of our School community:

“We would like to start promoting this annual event early on, so that families are able to schedule around it. Last year there were many birthday parties held on the same day. Some of the birthday kids had children with disabilities in their class and they felt bad that they could not attend the walk to support them. So this year, we are hoping if we get the word out early enough we will prevent this from happening again.

This year the walk will be held on Sunday 10 September and our theme, We Walk Together, emphasises that we are all part of the community and each of us adds in our own way.

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

Sonia Newell | Development Officer