Never too young to play Bridge
Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations
I am so proud to be part of our amazing extended Emanuel Community for so many different reasons and on my page each week, I love to highlight achievements of parents, grandparents and alumni as well as some of our current students.
Australian Jewish Fertility Network (AJFN), an organisation for which a number of our parents and alumni work and/or volunteer, held their annual fundraising event, AJFN Miracle Making Day, with the aim of raising $500,000.00 in 24 hours. The sold out live event was held at The Round House, UNSW and attended by more than 300 people, with hundreds more watching online.
Most of us take having a baby for granted, but one in six couples across Australia struggle with infertility and many choose to undergo IVF in their journey to parenthood. One in 20 Australian babies born are the result of IVF – that is one in every classroom.
AJFN has an extensive range of resources and support services available to help those struggling to conceive and others who want to learn more on fertility. At their fundraising event, they exceeded their $500,000 target, raising an incredible $509,820. This money will give 44 families who need their support the chance to try create their miracle baby. Alumna Kate Samowitz said “AJFN is an organisation I am so proud to have volunteered with for eight years. Thirty nine miracle babies have been created and 150 families supported with financial grants and emotional support services. The AJFN is literally helping to create new Jewish families and building the next generation of our community”.
Never too young to play Bridge
Jacob Rose
When Bridge is played by your parents and grandparents, it is almost inevitable that the younger generation might also develop an interest in the game. Emanuel alumnus, Jacob Rose (Class of 2021), together with his Bridge partner, Lara Topper (Reddam alumna), both became interested in learning Bridge at the age of 12 and practised together right from the beginning, participating in small club and regional events before graduating to stronger competitions. They were selected by the Australian Bridge Federation to represent Australia at the 7th World Youth Transnational Bridge Championships in Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy last week, playing in the Under 21 age division. They played seven days of intense competitions against over 50 youth teams from all over the world. Jacob and Lara qualified for the finals of the pairs competition but did not reach the podium at the end of the event. Jacob says: “Regardless of the results it was an amazing opportunity to meet young like-minded bridge enthusiasts”. Earlier this year they also represented NSW in the Youth division at the Australian National Congress held in Adelaide.
Well done to both Jacob and Lara, and perhaps we need to organise an Emanuel Bridge Tournament – I know we have many avid Bridge players in our School community!
City2Surf 2022
Joshua and Gavin Kawalsky – 2022 City2Surf
Well done to everyone who ran or walked the City2Surf last Sunday morning. It was the first time in three years that this annual event took place, after COVID cancelled the 2020 and 2021 events. Although numbers were down on 2019, it was still a wonderful day out for participants and those of us cheering on the athletes from the kerbside, where numerous bands played to entertain the crowds watching and the runners as they passed by. Year 3 student Joshua Kawalsky, who first did this race in 2019 as a six-year old, together with his father Gavin, finished the 2022 race with a smile on their faces – not sure if that was more of a relief that the 14km run was over or for doing it in 103 minutes! We are not surprised that Josh was complaining his legs were sore. Well done to Josh and to all members of our School community who participated in the run.
2000 hours or 120,000 minutes
Jenny Kriss
People volunteer for so many different reasons, and often they are inspired by volunteering efforts of a family member or a friend. Jenny Kriss is a name that might not be familiar to most of our readers but she is an Emanuel great grandmother. Some of you will know one of her granddaughters, alumna Genna Onuchukwu (nee Radnan), founder of Gennarosity Abroad, a non-profit organisation focused on improving living standards of future generations through education of girls and women and providing health services to those living in remote and disadvantaged communities. Genna established “Grandma Jenny’s Training Centre” in Kenya, naming it after her much loved grandmother Jenny, who greatly influenced and encouraged Genna and her siblings and cousins in their own volunteering efforts.
Jenny continues to volunteer with Montefiore Home, where she was recently selected as a Volunteer Finalist, LASA Excellence in Aged Services Awards. Jenny, now aged 81, has volunteered over 2000 hours of her time to Montefiore residents. She provides practical and social support for residents across their four facilities, not just at Randwick.
Mazal tov Jenny. May you continue your volunteering efforts in good health for many more years to come!
The landscapes of David Asher Brook (Class of 1998)
Alumnus David, with his wife Hana, led the initiative that resulted in the colourful and wonderful artwork created by brushstrokes painted by all staff and students here in 2015 – you will see this when you walk up or down the stairwell in the Kleinlehrer Family LINC Building. David has an exhibition on now at the Artsite Contemporary Gallery, showing 18 of his landscapes painted in Sydney, Melbourne, and Mexico. Join David at his exhibition on Sunday 21 August. If you go, please let him know you are a parent or grandparent at Emanuel School.
Westfield Local Heroes 2022
The Wentworth Courier features a local resident each week for their Page 3 “Why I love my suburb” and this week we see past parent Josh Oschlack, founder of The Rhythm Village and finalist in the Westfield Local Heroes 2022. The finalist with the most community votes will become the Westfield Bondi Junction Local Hero for 2022, receiving a $20,000 grant for the organisation they represent. If Josh is successful, The Rhythm Village will fund workshops for children with special needs at Rose Bay Secondary College, The Friendship Circle, Vaucluse Primary School and Wairoa School. To vote for Josh check out: www.westfield.com.au and click on “Bondi Junction” to find him. Voting closes on Monday.
Primary Grandparents and Friends Day
Please remind grandparents to RSVP for our exciting Rosh Hashanah celebration and activity morning.
Remember September
September is just 12 days away and alumnus Ben Wilheim, co-founder of Remember September, together with his brother David, would like to thank members of our School community who have already signed up to support this worthy month-long event. Ben and David created Remember September eight years ago in memory of their late father Danny who succumbed to pancreatic cancer only a few months after diagnosis, as did their first cousin Daniella Feller (an ex-Emanuel student) at the age of 33, six weeks after her diagnosis. Some of our readers might remember that Ben was one of our alumni presenters for our very successful online Gesher Speaker Series in 2020 during lockdown. As a challenge-based fundraising initiative, Remember September aims to educate the public about pancreatic cancer as well as hopefully find a cure. You can give up caffeine, alcohol or even chocolate, as I did, and you can sign up as an individual or as a team. Entry is free – sign up now.
The late Jeremy Spinak AM receiving his Jewish Changemaker Award, 2015
Be a Changemaker
Nominations are now open for the annual Changemaker Awards that recognises youth and young adults in our community who make a difference. We look forward to seeing our students and alumni on the list of nominees, with nominations in two age groups: Youth – up to age 18 and Young Adults – to age 36. Nominations close on Friday 30 September 2022.
Alumnus, the late Jeremy Spinak AM, won the Jewish Changemaker Award for Leadership in the Young Adults category in 2015 during his term as President, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBOD)
In 2018, alumnus Matthew (Matt) Friedman, won the Contribution to Australian Society Award for 2Birds1Bee, a program he developed that facilitates important discussions around young people, relationships and sex in a modern era.
Current Year 11 student and Head Madrich (2022/23), Coby New, was co-winner of the Contribution to Australian Society also in 2018 at the age of 13, for his efforts representing the charity group “Kit Bags for Kids” that collects and distributes second hand soccer boots and sporting gear to remote indigenous communities and Asylum Seekers.
Alumnus Ben Wilheim won the Award for Contribution to Australian Society (Young Adult) in 2019 for the work he does with Remember September in the fight to find a cure for pancreatic cancer.
Three of our senior High School students at the time, won awards in 2020 – Chloe Miller and Liat Granot shared the JNF Award for Contribution to the Jewish Community (Youth Category) whilst Lara Fosbery won the award for Contribution to Australian Society (Youth Category). You can check out their achievements as well as other Emanuel student and alumni past winners here.
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, stay warm and have a great weekend.