Elena Rosin – HSIE and Jewish Studies Teacher

Chinese dragons and family seals

Year 7 History has been studying Ancient China, learning about the various dynasties, everyday life, famous individuals such as Confucius and the importance of the military in this society.

After studying some of the royal seals, the students were asked to create their own family seals. They first investigated the meaning of their family names, then learned how to write them in Chinese. Some of the students could not find a translation for their names. Shane Doust, for example, was aware that his family had unsuccessfully tried to uncover the meaning of Doust, which is an old English word. Instead, Shane wrote Doust pnonetically in Chinese letters. Most of the students included the traditional Chinese dragon in their seals, although the Emanuel version of this creature was often friendly and gentle, like our students, rather than fierce and intimidating, like the ancient Chinese depictions. The students then presented their seals to their families at their Shabbat dinner, which added a lovely multicultural element to their weekly meal.