Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

Time to celebrate

Chanukah treats

Chanukah is just around the corner, with the first night on Sunday 28 November 2021, and now that we are out of lockdown, there will be no stopping families and friends getting together to light the Chanukiah each night and eat yummy Sufganiyot (jam-filled donuts) and latkes (fried potato pancakes) as we all celebrate this Jewish festival. There will also be a number of community events to celebrate this very special Festival of Lights, including Chanukah in the Park, Dudley Reserve, Dover Heights, Chanukah Family Day at Taronga Zoo with JNF and Jewish House, Chanukah at the Bay, Steyne Park in Double Bay, Friendship Circle and the Board of Jewish Education (BJE) has several events designed for specific age groups.

Please remember to stay safe as we all celebrate Chanukah 2021, the first Chag since before lockdown, where there are no restrictions on numbers able to attend.

We continue to appreciate everything the School does to ensure the safety and well-being of our staff and of our students.

Although COVID rulings have relaxed significantly, we still need to remain vigilant as there are cases of COVID reported in the suburbs we live in. Younger children, for now, are not eligible to get a COVID vaccination and from time to time, we will hear of positive cases, in particular for this younger age group. Please stay safe everyone. See the latest COVID rulings updates.

Our community and social justice

Alumnus Jonathan Salgo (Head Madrich 2007) is co-founder of Provider Choice a technology company focussed on opening up the world of possibilities to people with disability and their families.

Here is an article Jonathan wrote that was published in the West Australian last week: 

Purple our World

The whole of November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and yesterday, Thursday 18 November 2021 was World Pancreatic Awareness Day (WPCD). Many of our readers have lost loved ones to this awful cancer, for which there is currently no cure. You may recall reading about alumnus Ben Wilheim, founder of Remember September. Together with all the participants of the 2021 campaign, they raised $1.5 million for awareness of and research into a cure for pancreatic cancer. For those who read the Australian Jewish News, the name Jessica Abelsohn may be familiar – she writes their Arts and Lifestyle articles and has interviewed members of our School community on her pages. Jessica founded Purple Our World in 2014 to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer following her mother’s passing at the age of 59. Such an important cause supported by so many, they even had the sails of the Sydney Opera House turn purple on the eve of WPCD 2017.

Mitzvah Day           
Sunday 21 November 2021

Make a difference – doing good deeds to meet community needs, based on Jewish values of Tzedakah (righteousness), Gemilut Chassidim (acts of loving kindness) and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), Our Big Kitchen (OBK) and B’nai B’rith Youth join forces this Sunday to cook for good in celebration of Mitzvah Day. 

TATTLETALES
by alumnus Davey Seagle (aka David Friedman, Class of 2011)

Davey runs his own theatre company Ponydog Productions – his latest production, TATTLETALES is an immersive storytelling experience.

You, the audience, are invited to share in creating an original adventure with The Storyteller as your guide. Designed to be experienced by no more than 10 per show, the decisions you make will determine the characters you meet and the challenges you’ll face on your journey.

Your tale, once told, will never be told again.

Davey says “I’d love to see some Emanuel folks at my show, so please use the code ‘STORYTIME’ for 10% off adult tickets” which you can purchase here.

Flight Path Theatre, Marrickville
Previews: Tuesday 16  November 2021 – Thursday 18 November 2021
Season: Friday 19 November 2021 – Sunday 28 November 2021 

Lion Spy 
Sunday 21 November 2021 at 4.00 pm

It’s not too late to book your tickets for a special pre-screening of “Lion Spy” benefitting National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (NCJWA) and Friendship Circle (FC). The screening will be followed by an exclusive Q&A with director Rogue Rubin. The documentary follows Rogue Rubin, as she infiltrates the male dominated world of trophy hunters in Africa.
Purchase tickets and find more information on the film.

Grandparents – we will always want you!

Ma Nishma each week remains one of the best ways to stay connected with our School and with our community no matter where in the world you live. Please help us to get our grandparents database updated by sending through grandparent contact details so they too can read Ma Nishma to find out what is happening at School, albeit it only online for now. We will have an end-of-year edition of our Grandparents and Friends newsletter and you can see past issues of this newsletter along with our alumni newsletters online. Living interstate and/or overseas, means some of “our” grandparents never have an opportunity to come to School, so connecting electronically can be really meaningful and a great way for them to see what their grandchildren are doing at School in spite of the distance apart. As we still cannot have visitors on campus Ma Nishma and our Community Facebook (FB) page are great ways to stay connected with us. If not already a member of our FB page, join here.

Head On Photo Festival 2021
Friday 19 November 2021 – 28 November 2021

With artists from around the world including Israel and South Africa exhibiting at the festival this year, Head On 2021 looks to be even more exciting than previous years. Emanuel parent Moshe Rosenzveig OAM is the founder and director of Head On Photo Festival and his wife Anita Schwartz is Festival Advisory Board. Head On Foundation was established in 2008, dedicated to promoting the work of photographers at all stages of their career. This year’s festival includes a jam-packed online program and spectacular outdoor locations across Sydney, including Paddington Reservoir Gardens and Bondi Beach, all of which will be in line with COVID-safety. There will be exhibitions from over 700 contributing artists, workshops, panel discussions and artist live talks.

Kristallnacht Commemoration 

If you missed last week’s NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Kristallnacht Commemoration which included the last-ever interview with great grandparent and well-known Holocaust survivor, teh late Eddie Jaku OAM, The Happiest Man on Earth, you can see it here.

Challah and sweet treats

Don’t forget you can order challah and sweet treats online from Friendship Bakery at Mark Moran Vaucluse (2 Laguna Street Vaucluse), a social enterprise initiative of the Friendship Circle engaging young adults with disabilities. Online orders close at 4.00 pm on Thursdays for “click and collect” and pickup on Fridays between 9.00 am and 1.00 pm. If you miss this cut-off, you can head up to the bakery on a Friday morning, where no doubt you will see other parents, grandparents and friends in the queue waiting to buy their yummy challah and freshly baked treats for Shabbat and the weekend. Some of their weekly favourites will no doubt tempt you, as will new products.  They have gluten-free options as well as a few vegan goodies.

Summer holidays

There are lots of choices for activities for your children, some of which involve helping others, whist some provide creative and/or sporting experiences. Here is information on just two along with a link to a FB page you might find useful:

• Friendship Circle January Day Camp volunteer registrations now open.   
• Past parent Vivienne Radomsky, Project Manager at B’nai B’rith NSW now shares details about B’nai B’rith Kids Club photo workshop on 18 January 2022. For more information or to book, please call Viv on 9321 6300.
• Facebook group Sydney Jewish Mums.        

FC January 2022 Day Camp Poster NEW 2[97]

B’nai B’rith photo workshop January 2022

We look forward to sharing our news and yours, so if you have photos or news you would like to share with us, please send to Sonia Newell.    

Shabbat shalom, stay safe and have a great weekend.