Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

A good and sweet New Year

As we celebrate to start of 5781, Rosh Hashanah this year will be a very different celebration to previous years here in Sydney and all over the world. Many of us will bring in the Jewish New Year far away from our families and friends, with Zoom featuring in many households as we join loved ones through our virtual world. We hope the new year will bring the world closer to peace and above all, allow us to be with family soon.

Keeping it in the family

Emanuel Grandparent, Stephen Rothman AM, recently retired as President of the Great Synagogue and congratulations to his successor David Lewis, an Emanuel past parent and past School Board member. I know other congregations and communal organisations including the Communal Security Group (CSG NSW) have Emanuel connections and we appreciate all the hard work done by them to keep us all connected and safe. CSG provides advice, assistance and security or crisis deployment to the NSW Jewish Community.

Emanuel parent Emile Sherman and his sister, alumna Ondine Sherman (Class of 1990), both featured in the news recently for very different reasons. Emile, film producer and Academy Award winner for Best Picture for The Kings Speech in 2010 and also producer for the well-acclaimed film Lion through his company See-Saw Films, is co-producing a new Holocaust movie “One Life”, starring Anthony Hopkins in the lead role, about the late Sir Nicholas Winton who saved hundreds of Jewish children from the Nazis.

Ondine who lives in Israel with her husband and three children, is an author and advocate of animal rights, through her role as co-founder and managing director of Voiceless, the animal protection institute, was interviewed recently about her latest book Vegan Living: How to Protect Animals, Save the Planet and Be Healthier and Happier Than Ever Before.

Emanuel alumna, Aviva Reed (Class of 1998), is an ecological artist, environmental book author and an art science educator living in Melbourne. She recently held an online launch of her new book The Forest in the Tree, set in a chocolate forest and explores how the best cocao grows in complex indigenous forests. Aviva said: “Our story is inspired by the chocolate forests of the Amazon, where indigenous tribes are fighting off the genetic engineering companies who have developed cocoa crops that can grow in full sun plantations (think clearfell and ecocide). In its indigenous life, a cocoa plant grows as an understory plant within a diverse rainforest of plants and fungi, cultivated and cherished for centuries by the indigenous communities of the Amazon. When you buy ethical chocolate from these agricultural projects, you are supporting rainforests and indigenous communities whose practices keep the Amazon alive!  We chose the #chocolate plant as it is both a food plant (though I don’t think many children make that connection) and it is a rainforest plant.” She previously published a book titled EON. The Story of the Fossils

Emanuel alumni and AUJS

Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) has represented Jewish students on campus across Australia and New Zealand since 1948, whilst AUJS NSW is the representative body for Jewish students in the NSW region. Currently operating on five campuses across the region: Sydney University, UNSW, UTS, Macquarie University and Wollongong University. Mazal tov to the incoming AUJS NSW Executive committee for 2021, whose president Nadia Coburn (Class of 2017) joined Emanuel School as a Year 11 student when she and her parents moved up to Sydney from the Mornington Peninsular, Victoria. The new committee also includes alumni Miki (Mikayla) Sacks (Class of 2017) as Secretary and Sean Torban (Class of 2018) is Campaign and Education Officer. 

Half-way through September

Remember September has raised over $270,000 since it began in 2015 and this year is breaking records with over 250 challengers signed up for this year’s event. Emanuel alumnus Ben Wilheim, (Class of 2008), founder of this most worthy annual event to raise funds in the fight to find a cure for pancreatic cancer said: “We thank the Emanuel School community for past support and there is still time to join us again this year – we encourage you to get involved by signing up as an individual, a team of friends or even a family using the Team functionality during registration.” For more information and to register, visit Remember September.        

Wolper wellbeing seminars

Our extended Jewish Community has many Emanuel connections, including Wolper Jewish Hospital in Woollahra whose Community Development Officer, Ruth Guth, is a past parent, whilst current grandparent Dr David Golovsky AM is an Honorary Life Governor.

Friends of Wolper, during COVID-19, is running their informative wellbeing seminars online. Their most recent webinar Boosting your immune system; never more important than now was recorded and is on the Wolper website should you wish to review the session or share it with friends or family. During these times of coronavirus, it is even more important that we all stay well and safe. This webinar offered some top tips on boosting your immune system:

• Eat 1 – 2 pieces of fruit each day.
• Eat more plant-based foods.
• If you are overweight, lose five kilos.
• If you spend a large part of your week indoors, get out and about on the weekends or take a vitamin D supplement.
• Avoid junk food.
• Get enough sleep.

Wolper Hospital conducts the Community Genetics Program (NSW) School Screening Program for Year 11 students at all Sydney Jewish Schools including Emanuel School as well as for students at Reddam House. For those who did not undergo screening at school, you can undergo screening by contacting the hospital on 9328 6077 to book an appointment.

Friendship Circle (FC) NSW

Following last Sunday’s successful virtual walk FC is now preparing for their Spring Camp during the upcoming school holidays, on 6 and 7 October, and they are seeking volunteers to help on these two days.  The camp will be lots of fun and a great chance for volunteers to connect with their buddies as we all transition our COVID-Friendly approach. For more information: www.sydneyfc.org.au/day-camp

B’nai B’rith & JNF Jewish Changemaker Awards 2020

The Australian Jewish News has come on board to support the prestigious Changemaker Awards 2020, and nominations are done online.  

Emanuel School has so many students both past and present, who volunteer their time to an array of worthy causes/organisations, and the competition is divided into two age groups – youth (age 14 – 18) or young adults (18 – 35) so if you know someone in our community who is making the world a better place, nominate them for these awards. Don’t we all love the opportunity to recognise such wonderful volunteering efforts.  Anyone can nominate – parents, staff and even the nominees themselves. It would be amazing to see some of our students and alumni nominated again this year. Nominations must be received no later than Monday 16 November 2020.

We wish you and your family Shanah Tovah u’metukah and well over the Fast.

Stay safe and Shabbat Shalom.

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