Visit the Sydney Jewish Museum
Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations
Welcome back – we hope you all had wonderful Yom Tov celebrations during the holidays.
October is a busy month as we start Term 4 and here are just some events – past and upcoming – that you may find interesting.
Sydney Jewish Museum
Shaken to the Core
If you haven’t already seen the powerful exhibition “Shaken to The Core”, I encourage you to visit the Sydney Jewish Museum for this ground-breaking collection of works by the iconic Australian artist Sir Sidney Nolan. Closing on Sunday 23 October 2022, it is the first time these 90 pieces have been on display in Australia.
This landmark exhibition showcases the very works Nolan created in direct response to the trial of Adolph Eichmann, the high-ranking Nazi official accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes against the Jewish people.
Last Sunday morning I met up with Emanuel alumna Ruby Goldman (Class of 2016) at SJM, where she works every Friday and Sunday as Assistant Manager. She says she loves the opportunity of working at this amazing museum that has so much to offer as a living museum, keeping the honour and memory of Holocaust survivors alive as well as so much of our rich Jewish history.
Ruby Goldman
It is wonderful to have survivors who can still share their experiences with visitors. Later that day, at the Sunday Survivor Talk titled Walking Amongst the Garden of the Righteous by Emanuel grandparent Egon Sonnenshein and his adopted sister Aviva Fox, they spoke to a full house about their war-time experiences and their eventually successful nomination for Righteous Amongst the Nations for four members of a Muslim Bosnian family, who saved Aviva’s life during the War. The focus of their presentation was on interfaith connections and the power of shared humanity.
If you have children approaching the ages of 12 or 13, you may be interested to know more about the next SJM Bar and Bat Mitzvah Program – their next session will be held on Sunday 6 November 2022 at 2.30 pm.
The Ballad of Mauthausen
Sunday 30 October 2022
Emanuel grandparent Anne Spira is Chairperson of the Sydney Jewish Choral Society (SJCS). She says “At the moment, we are working with the Australian Hellenic Choir on an exciting project, a concert performance of the Ballad of Mauthausen on Sunday 30 October 2022 and we hope members of the School community will come to this performance”.
Ballad of Mauthausen, with lyrics by Greek poet Iakovos Kambanellis and music by world-acclaimed Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, records in song the love between a Greek prisoner and a Jewish Holocaust victim in the Nazi slave-labour camp of Mauthausen in Austria. Fittingly, Greek and Jewish choirs will together perform the choral arrangement of this famed song cycle.
Anne continues “It’s been a privilege for our choir to learn about the Greek language and the poetry of Greece. This has enabled us to connect with the deep emotional impact of Kambanellis’ songs. How powerful and chilling it will be as 60 singers’ voices resound through the Clancy Auditorium at UNSW with the words:
‘Have you seen the one I love?
We saw her in the frozen square
with a number on her white arm
and a yellow star over her heart.’”
The event’s MC is Emanuel grandparent Vic Alhadeff, whose background blends the Jewish and Greek cultures. His family was one of the largest Jewish families on the Greek Island of Rhodes, and 151 Alhadeffs, including his paternal grandparents, were murdered in the Auschwitz death camp. “I’m honoured to be involved in this exceptionally moving collaboration of the two communities,” Alhadeff said. “The music is magnificent and it promises to be a very moving performance.”
Formed in 1986, the SJCS is Sydney’s premier Jewish community choir. Under the musical cultural scene, performing a broad repertoire spanning Jewish and secular music of varied styles, a number of other choristers are also members of our extended Emanuel community – not just Anne Spira but also grandparents Anne Shagrin and Robyn Manoy, as well as past parents Shira Sebban OAM, Avril Janks and Susan Moddel.
Tickets: $60.00, concession $50.00. Book here.
Habonim Dror 2023 Federal Camp
A message from Kerryn Finn, Alumni Informal Jewish Life Educator:
Habonim Dror Australia is so excited to announce our 2023 Federal Camp!
FED Camp is Habonim Dror’s annual senior camp, for Chanichim in Years 9 -11. 
This will be the first Federal camp run in three years due to COVID and it is making its return back bigger and better than ever!
We are incredibly proud that the Tzevet Machane (Heads of camp) for FED23 is made up of three Emanuel Alumni – Kerryn Finn, Maya Buhrich (both graduating in the Class of 2017 and a current part of the Informal Jewish Life team at Emanuel) and Michal Wolstein (Class of 2018).
The machane (camp) will run from the 12 January 2022 – 22 January 2022 in Victoria, with an overnight bus taking the Sydney Chanichim from Habonim House straight to the campsite!
FED Camp is a great opportunity to connect with other Jewish youth country-wide, explore your Jewish and cultural identity, to learn and be challenged in a unique way, make new friends and generally have an unforgettable 10 days.
More information and registration details can be found 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 email it to: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au
Shabbat shalom, stay safe and as Sukkot continues, we wish you Chag Sameach for Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.