From the Principal

Anne Hastings – Principal

This week we said farewell our Class of 2016 who have had their last lessons before the HSC Examinations that begin on 13 October. Students had Tutor Group and House farewells, a Day of Celebration on Monday, a Graduation Assembly and Graduation Dinner on Tuesday. Now they have three weeks do their final preparation for their Examinations. Here is an excerpt from my speech to them on Tuesday morning.

“Today we are here to celebrate the years of school education for our class of 2016, and the last day of their time together as a year group at Emanuel School. Our Year 12s join the over 69 000 students across NSW who are also finishing up this week and expect to receive their HSC credential this year. 62% of these are in the Sydney area. This year we only contribute a small amount to the most popular first names of the 2016 cohort around NSW – Joshua and Emily (we have one Joshua but no Emilys) – not at all to the most popular surnames – Smith and Nguyen – and just a little to the number of sets of twins – we have one set of the 864 sets across NSW.

We wish you well for this set of examinations – the remaining major challenge of your school education. You know that you will not be defined by your ATAR. More importantly your onward journey will be defined by your determination to try new things, to persist, to work with others and to give everything you try your best shot.

What’s really important is who you are as a person and the difference you make to others throughout your life journey. It is our hope that, using what you have learnt over the years, your choices will be well considered and not self-focused, that they will keep you and others safe, you will see your mistakes as learning opportunities, the lessons you learn will help you continue to grow, and that you will meet and work through the challenges along your way with determination, persistence and resilience. Each of you has amazing potential within yourself to meet and conquer the challenges thrown in your way. As Oz said to the lion: ‘You have plenty of courage, I am sure, all you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid.’

An Emanuel graduate stands out. So many people have told me this. As you join this elite group of people, you have a responsibility to carry on the values of our School and follow the Emanuel way, which means; standing up for what is right, respecting each person, stepping in rather than out, getting involved and giving things a go, looking out for the underdog, not giving up, being optimistic and open, welcoming diversity, being of value to others, valuing your identity, heritage and community, and making a real difference in the world. And if that doesn’t work, you can always talk your way out of things!

Along your life journey, don’t forget Emanuel School and what you’ve learnt here. Each of you has the power to make a very positive difference in our world. You have had a wonderful start – go and make the best of the next phase of your life.”

Year 12 Graduation Dinner

Year 12 on Tuesday evening were treated to a wonderful night with their families. The MPH was transformed into a beautiful venue with lights and flower decorations and we heard some outstanding speeches from students Jacob Riesel, Shanee Israeli and Ricky Studencki, as well as teachers Miranda McMahon, Caroline Laumberg and parent, David Green. The parents also performed an amazing medley of songs to the students. We are very grateful to the Graduation Dinner Parent Committee for their long-term planning of the evening and ensuring its great success: Kim Alster, Julie Bowman, Shirley Brockwell, Antoinette Doctor, Emma Fredman, Michelle Goldman, Elana Jacobs, Dani Klein, David Knoll AM, Erika Ktalav, Lynn Langman, Heidi Lapidge, Lara Levin, Renee Ferster Levy, Asnat Meretz, Karen Michael, Margaret Moses, Michelle Rosengarten, Carla Rozowsky, Debbie Rutstein, Martine Springer, Deanna Stern, Louise Stone and Linda Traub.

Farewell to Or Mordo

Or has been our shalliach for the past 10 months and leaves us today to return to Israel to continue his studies (see his letter to all in this edition). We thank him for his great contribution to our School and Jewish Life, and wish him well for his future.

Year 11 reports

Parents will be sent the Semester 2 Year 11 reports as a pdf today and will also be able to access them via the History tab on Edumate, where past reports can also be accessed. Year 11 begin their HSC studies and officially become Year 12 at the beginning of next term. Their first day back will be a HSC preparation day.

Mazal tov to:

• Jordin Sank, who has won the Australian Jewish News Rosh Hashanah card competition. Her design will be used by the AJN as their official Shanah Tovah card.
• Yael Grunseit and Max Woolf (Year 11) and the Madrichim for their organisation of the fund-raising Trivia event last week.

Coming up

• Year 6 Jilkminggan trip returns on Monday 26 September
• School closed 3 and 4 October for Rosh Hashanah and Labour Day
• School closed from 1:10pm Tuesday 11 October and on Wednesday 12 October for Yom Kippur
• Students return to School for Term 4, Thursday 13 October in summer uniform
• Class of 2017 HSC Preparation Day, 13 October
• HSC Examinations start Thursday 13 October – Good luck class of 2016!
• HSC Explained, 19 October 10:30 am, LLC.

Quote of the week

‘Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.’ [Bernice Johnson Reagon]

Best wishes for a relaxing and reinvigorating holiday. Shanah Tovah for Rosh Hashanah and I wish you well over the fast.

Farewell to the Year 12 Class of 2016

From Kindergarten to Year 12

From Kindergarten to Year 12

Brendon Rutstein and Glenn Schach first met when they were about eight weeks old and have been good friends ever since. The photos show their first and last day at school – still friends and still smiling.

Farewell Year 12 Religionists

Elena Rosin – Studies of Religion Teacher

Farewell 

As a parting gift, the talented Year 12 Studies of Religion students designed and painted the formerly down-trodden P21 classroom, making it come alive with iconic representations of some of the religions and their adherents which we studied about over the past two years. This room used to be part of the teachers’ staff room and was a rather dreary and uninviting place to learn. One side of the room now features various sacred sites being gazed upon by representatives of these religions. The other side has a lively and colourful set of bricks going up the wall, which will serve as an interesting focal point for students who are learning in this classroom.

Thank you to the girls for donating their time, creativity and effort to create these images. In future years, when I look at these paintings, I will think fondly of this year’s religionists and their quirky, artistic and always entertaining ways of wandering through life, full of joy and promise.

Devar Torah

Devar Torah

The following Devar Torah was written by Year 11 student, Aarin Regan-Lacey and delivered at our High School Assembly.

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

Aarin Regan-Lacey

This week’s parashah is Ki Tavo, from the Devarim, the book of Deuteronomy.

In this parashah, Moses instructs the people of Israel: “When you enter the land that God is giving you… and you settle it and cultivate it, bring bikkurim, first ripened fruits of your orchard, to the holy temple in order to declare gratitude for all that God has done for you”. The Israelites are also instructed to express their gratitude by leaving ten percent of their crops for the Levite, the stranger, the orphan and the widow.

The Israelites are told that if they obey God’s mitsvot faithfully they will receive every blessing imaginable and if they do not fulfil this many curses will descend upon them.

There are many messages within this parashah; the message that I found most evident is this expression of gratitude.

Living in a First World country and going to a private school in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney gives us a lot to be grateful for. However, how many of us actually express this gratitude, whether thanking our parents for dinner or for giving us the amazing education we receive at Emanuel?

By saying the prayer modeh ani every morning, we can give thanks to God for “mercifully restoring our souls to us”. Or, every Shabbat, I sing a song called Chalomoteinu Vetikvateinu, Our Dreams and Our Hopes, which is a version of the song Tov Lehodot. However the prayer is not directed to God but to the world. It translates as “It is good to give thanks to the world, and to sing with happiness during the day – to tell in the morning of our dreams, and in the evenings of our hopes”.

Studies have found that by expressing gratitude our level of happiness rises and it is so easy to do. We are offered so much in our lives to be grateful for and by expressing gratitude for even just the little things like saying thank you to our bus driver or to our parents for making our lunch really raises our level of happiness.

Another message I took from this parashah was from the law of leaving ten percent of our crops for the less fortunate. We have so many opportunities to help in our community by volunteering at the Challah for Hunger events or donating money to a chosen tsedakah or just having a conversation with someone in a senior citizen centre and keeping them company, which allow us to grow as a person but also to bring someone else happiness. Spending one hour a week volunteering in order to give back to the community, to show our gratitude, can go a long way in changing someone’s day and possibly life.

In chapter 29 verse 3, Moses concludes by telling the people that only today, forty years after their birth as a people, have they attained “a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear” and again this message was something I really took meaning from especially the theme of gratitude and being fortunate enough to live the lives we live.

However, we see all these terrible things that go on around the world and in other people’s lives and we watch it on the news, read about it and talk about it but how many of us actually act upon it? This then links to being a bystander. If we aren’t doing anything about this then are we bystanders and is there such thing as an innocent bystander? We have been taught since we were young that if you see something bad happening, do something about it. So no, I don’t think there is such thing as an innocent bystander because after all you are just letting it all happen.

Being grateful for our lives can best be expressed by enabling others to have lives for which they may be grateful as well.

Farewell to Or Mondo, our Shalliach

Or Mondo

Lehitraot/Farewell

We are saddened that Or Mordo, our Shaliach, will be leaving Emanuel as he returns to Israel to pursue graduate studies and further his work on behalf of his beloved country. We will miss Or and wish him the best in all his future endeavours and share with him the sentiment-le-hitra’ot be-Yisrael. What follows are Or’s reflections as he bids us farewell.

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

One of the most widespread superstitions is that

every man has his own special, definite qualities; that a

man is kind, cruel, wise, stupid, energetic, apathetic, etc.

Men are not like that . . . Men are like rivers; the water is

the same in each, and alike in all; but every river is narrow

here, is more rapid there, here slower, there broader, now

clear, now cold, now dull, now warm. It is the same with

men. Every man carries in himself the germs of every

human quality and sometimes one manifests itself,

sometimes another, and the man often becomes unlike

himself—while still remaining the same man.

Leo Tolstoy

Dear students, families and staff

Imagine that with the end of your studies you have given a task: pack up your life and go to another country for a year in order to fill the task of representing Australia in the State of Laputa. You do not know the culture and customs. You heard very little about Laputa.

Apparently representing Australia in Laputa is not an easy task. Many people think that the people of Australia are descendants of criminals, others think Australians conquered the land by force from the Indigenous people and therefore should leave immediately. Moreover, others criticise Australian immigration policy and call it an apartheid state. Would you feel comfortable to represent your country? And what if people say that you need to destroy Australia? Will you defend it at all costs?

In the past year, I had the opportunity, the privilege and the great honour of representing Israel at Emanuel School. As a Shaliach my job was to be a tool for you, to see how I can answer tough questions about Jewish peoplehood and Israel and how can I bring Israel to you with all of its complexity and uniqueness. It was not an easy task. Many of you shared in this effort and wanted to know and some less so, perhaps fearing to know.

Ze’ev Jabotinsky said that our belief in Israel is not a matter of blind emotion, half-mystical, but the conclusion that emerges from an unbiased investigation of the nature of our history.

To me, the essence of the Zionist education is to show the diversity of Israel. Israel like every human being is not just one thing, and certainly not perfect, nor should it be. Australia is also not perfect. It’s OK to criticize the things that you may think are done poorly in Israel, however, you should also celebrate its existence and its wonder.

Israel is an integral part of Judaism. Therefore, each of us has a particular relationship to it. Precisely in this direction, I appeal to you to please read, study, ask tough questions, visit Israel. And do so with an open heart. No matter whether you are Israeli or Australian, we are one family.

I would like to thank the management and teachers at the School  who accepted me with open arms and supported me over the last year. Your kindness is engraved in my heart.

Special thanks to Anne Hastings, Rabbi Daniel Siegel, Ruth Harvey, Daphna Levin-Kahn, Adam Carpenter and Kobi Bloom. Thank you for your generosity and support.

Good luck and see you in Israel!

If there is a country in which a child is given:

His dreams, his fears,

The longing and doubts

It is the Land of Israel

Janusz Korczak

Ma Koreh

Parashat HaShavua

 Ki Tavo (Deut) 26:1 – 29:8

Since we spend so much time around our parents, it’s easy to forget to appreciate them and treat them with respect. This week’s Torah portion (27:16) reminds us that the way we treat our parents isn’t something to take lightly.

Does respecting our parents mean we are obligated to do everything they want us to do?

Bar Mitzvah Mazal tov

Toby Port

Elul Inspiration

As we age, our brains are hardwired to reject change. We are conditioned to resist new challenges and remain within our comfort zones. However, growing older should not mean that we must exist within self-imposed boundaries. In the 1960s, President Eisenhower received the gift of a rare, white tiger named Mohini. For years, Mohini lived in the Washington Zoo and spent her days pacing back and forth in a 12×12 foot cage. Finally the zoo decided to build her a larger cage so Mohini could run, climb and explore. But when Mohini arrived at her new home, she didn’t rush out, eagerly adapting to her new habitat. Rather, she marked off a 12×12 foot square area for herself, and paced there until her death, never enjoying the new opportunities in front of her. Mohini exemplifies the classic conditioning most of us live within, either as a result of what others have done to us or we do to ourselves. Although she was a magnificent, powerful creature, Mohini was convinced her ‘place’ was just a 12×12 foot square.

We all have the propensity to behave exactly like Mohini. Based on our conditioning, we create invisible cages for ourselves, limiting our lives within their boundaries. But we don’t have to succumb to our internal imprisonment. Throughout the High Holidays, we will hear the shofar blast. Historically, the shofar signaled the release of all slaves at the end of the Jubilee year. That sound should make us ask, “What enslaves us? What weighs us down? What baggage do we hold onto?” And then, let it go. The High Holidays present us with a lifeline, an opportunity to break free from our self-imposed cages, to find our route to freedom and live life with renewed passion. The shofar inspires us to free the Mohini inside and move beyond our boundaries.

Year 8 Ivrit Camp

Last weekend  Year 8 Ivrit students went to a Ivrit camp as a fun weekend activity. We all slept, ate and had a lot of fun together at Emanuel Synagogue, participating in engaging activities together, such as Ivrit masterchef. We became closer as friends as well as becoming great friends with the madrichim from Israel. Not only did our Ivrit skills improve, but we all had a lot of fun.

Thanks so much to Morah Harvey and Morah Gaida for organising this amazing camp and making it really enjoyable. We recommend it to everyone who has the opportunity to attend it next year.

Talia Sinani and Rebekah Goldsworthy

Ivrit Camp was an amazing experience that immensely improved our spoken Ivrit. We spent two nights at Emanuel Synagogue with five incredible Madrichim from Israel who ran this camp. We played games including birthday parties, charades and Masterchef which were all explained in Ivrit. We followed Ivrit recipes and created our own מחנה עברית (Ivrit Camp) shirts. We can’t wait to attend this camp again next year!!

Mimi Silberstein and Sasha Baskin

Ivrit camp was a really fun and enjoyable experience. The Madrichim were really nice and kind. I enjoyed each activity and was always having fun. I came back from the camp wanting it to be longer than it was.

Rachel Zwarenstein

This was a great experience for me and the rest of the students because we were able to participate in the many activities, all in Ivrit. We spent time with the Madrichim and really bonded with them well. Apart from all the fun activities, we also did Ruach and even got to create our own dance. On the last night, the students, teachers and madrichim all watched a movie together with popcorn. This was one of my favourite moments as we all bonded together. The end of the camp was bittersweet, as Ivrit camp was ending, but we were able to make our own t-shirts which were signed by everyone there. I will cherish this t-shirt always. Overall, Ivrit camp was an amazing experience that I would recommend to everyone.

Mikaela Fraser

From the Deputy Head of Primary

Emma Clemens – Deputy Head of Primary

Great Mates Day

Last Thursday Year 3 had a wonderful time at Great Mates Day. This day is the culminating event in the Great Mates program that has run throughout Term 3. Great Mates aimed to support the students in developing and maintaining positive relationships and team building skills. Research has demonstrated that children’s friendships significantly contribute to the success of their social interactions, communicative skills and schoolwork (Blatchford, 2007). Typically Middle Primary years can be a time when students begin to navigate new friendships and have a heightened sense of group awareness. Therefore the Great Mates program seeks to support Year 3 students in a positive, team-focused approach to friendships and social interaction in class and the playground.

The Great Mates program involves team activities where students are in groups of five or six. These groups have a mix of students from both classes and a combination of boys and girls. The program has four key elements, described below:

1. Weekly Team Scenarios

Students have engaged in short playground and classroom scenarios aimed at developing an appreciation and value for one another. Each scenario is approached using Habit 5, Seek First To Understand, Then Be Understood. Students then use Habit 4, Think Win Win and Habit 6, Synergise to find a solution.

2. Weekly Team Challenges

Students have been involved in weekly team building activities. The focus for these sessions has been working collaboratively. At the outset of the program, the groups established the qualities of a good team member. The students also learnt to use the acronym for TEAM: Together, Everyone, Achieves, More, to appreciate the value of each individual in a team.

3. Great Mates Day

Throughout the day students worked in their teams to complete a range of challenges. The teams then worked co-operatively to prepare lunch for one another. The purpose of the day was to develop a sense of team spirit and cohesiveness across the grade. I had the privilege of working with a Year 3 group throughout the day. I was thrilled by their constant efforts to use ‘put ups’ to encourage one another as they solved the team challenges. The group also worked incredibly well to synergise with one another by incorporating different ideas into their solutions.

4. Secret Buddies

This was the culminating event on Great Mates Day. The principle behind the secret buddy videos is that we should understand and appreciate those who are different from us and help others to feel like they belong and are valued. The focus for the videos is that it’s okay to think, look and act differently from others. Each student in Year 3 was allocated a secret buddy and prepared a special video presentation which was then showcased to the grade. For many students this was a very touching and memorable moment as they were acknowledged by their peers for their unique characteristics and skills. The students were also very proud of the videos they created and the opportunity to shine such a positive light on others.

One of the activities at Great Mates Day was creating a team rap. Below are some of the scripts from the students.

Great what? Great mates what? Mates, great mates,

Do put ups and not put downs,

‘Cause we are Team 8, wow,

Listening is what we do, we will listen to you,

We are Leah, Leah, Kaila, Sam, Jamie, Jethro and Adrian,

Great mates we’ll turn your frown upside down,

Together, everyone, achieves more.

Yo, hey, it’s time to work and play,

Because today is Great Mates Day,

Put ups are good for you and me,

Put downs are bad for us to see,

Put up up up and not down down down,

To make your face smile and not frown,

We’ll think win win and not win lose,

Which one do you think we’ll choose,

Co-operate, collaborate,

Use teamwork to become great mates,

Be proactive not reactive,

That’s why we should be proactive.

We work together so that means we synergise,

I think win, you think win together, think win win,

We like put ups, put downs are bad they make you sad,

Only include, don’t exclude it’s very rude,

Habits how many? Seven, they make you freindly

First things first without it you’ll burst

If you’re going to be proactive, make it active,

And after all that fun it’s time to pause and sharpen the saw,

Great, great, great, great, mates,

I am a mate, you’re a mate, we’re all great mates,

Great mates day is a lot of fun,

We like working as a team,

We have put ups and not put downs,

The marble run was lots of fun,

Turning the tarp was really had,

We helped each other get along,

The treasure hunt was up and down,

We worked together to make it count,

In Great Mates we had challenges,

But in the end we made it work,

Great Mates Day taught us a lot,

Teamwork rules, it’s hot hot hot.

Grandparents and Friends Day

Today we held Grandparents and Friends Day celebrating Rosh Hashanah and Kabbalat Shabbat. We began with a very special ceremony where we heard a story from Rabbi Ninio and enjoyed performances from the Junior Chamber Choir and Year 1 Drama students. The ceremony concluded with a moving performance of Aveinu Malchenu sung by the Primary School. Following the ceremony, students completed activities in class with their grandparents and friends. These activities included challah baking, Rosh Hashanah cards, plaster candle holders, challah covers and scrapbooking. Thank you to the Music department for preparing, conducting and accompanying the musical items. Thank you to to the Hebrew and Jewish Studies departments for their wonderful organisation of the activities. A special thank you to Adam Carpenter and Hagit Bar-On for all their wonderful oversight and planning for the day.

Jordin Sank

Mazal tov to Jordin Sank

K-2 Gala Day 

The K-2 Gala Day which was planned to take place in Centennial Park on Thursday was unfortunately affected by wet weather and the event was held at school. The students had a wonderful time as they rotated through a number of activities including egg and spoon races, musical chairs, marbles and skipping games. Thank you to Stuart Taylor and Adam Ezekiel for organising the event and for the K-2 teachers for running the activities.

Year 2 Science Showcase 

On Wednesday we had our Science Day. On this day we showed different experiments that we learnt about this term when we explored sound and light. Some experiments included ocean in a bottle, pitch, balloon speakers and magic tricks. We invited our parents and the Kindergarten and Year 1 students. We have learnt lots of scientific ideas and words this term. We have learnt about how to change pitch on a guitar string by turning the pegs to adjust the length of the string. We have also learnt that the volume is the different pitch of a sound. You can change the volume and pitch in a drum by hitting hard or soft or hitting on a different part of the drum. We have enjoyed learning more about sound and light and showing this through our experiments.

Toni Sher and Jemma Adler

Year 3 Toy Exhibition 

This term we have been learning about forces in Science. We had to create a toy without help from an adult that we could make in about two lessons that used at least two forces. Some forces could include pull, push, friction and roll. We had to draw plans for our toy and write an information report to explain how it worked. We also had to make an advertisement for our toy and think about questions that parents might ask us. My toy was dog that used pull and roll forces. We showcased our toys to the Year 3 parents on Tuesday. Overall it was a very good day and we learnt a lot about forces.

Daliah Smagarinsky

Year 4 Author, James Roy Visit 

On Tuesday we had James Roy visit Year 4. First he told us a lot about his books and some stories about where he got some of his ideas for his characters. Some of his books are based on things that have happened to him or his relative and friends. For example in Miss Understood some of the characters were suffering from depression and he wrote that at the time that he was also suffering depression. Also in the story Captain Mack, he thought that the character Danny reflected him because he was also bullied a bit in school. But he always had a good friend like Jared in the story to help him. We were very fortunate to be able to ask him lots of questions about his books. It was really interesting learning about all the different ways to write a book and how to do it from a real author’s perspective.

Miri Stubbs-Goulston

CIS Athletics

Last Thursday we had ten students compete at CIS Athletics. The students represented Emanuel proudly and competed at a very high standard. Congratulations to Shai Farhy who came fourth in the 100m and is the reserve for the State competition. Congratulations to Alexander Kirievsky who came third in discus and will represent Emanuel at the state competition. Thank you to Stuart Taylor for organising and supporting the team on the day.

Primary Handball Competition

Congratulations to Jake Fleischer and Ethan Hirst who won a very close game against Julian Baruch and Gabriel Stiassny in the Primary Handball Competition. This competition began last year, lead by Jonathan Schach. The Primary Madrichim this year did a wonderful job of continuing this legacy and once again ran a very popular competition. Thank you to Jonathan for spending time with the Madrichim to support and mentor them this as they ran the competition.

Upcoming Dates

• 13 October: Term 4 commences, Years K-6 Lice Check
• 19 October: Year 2 Pathways Parent Evening, 7:00-8:30pm, Angles Leadership and Learning Centre
• 17-18 October: Sukkot, school closed
• 20 October: Year 1 Anna Fineberg Incursion
• 24 October: Shemini Atseret, school closed
• 25 October: Simchat Torah, school closed
• 26 October: Year 6 Allwell test
• 26 October: Primary BBQ Day
• 26 October: 6H Word Expo, 6:30pm, MPH
• 27 October: Year 5 Knowing Me Knowing You, 6:00pm, MPH
• 28 October: Primary Bandana Day
• 28 October: Parent Connect Club, 2:55-3:35pm, Angles Leadership and Learning Centre

 Term 4 K-2 Assembly

• 14 October Week 1: no K-2 assembly
• 28 October Week 3: Music assembly
• 11 November Week 5: K Eilat (Mrs Buzo’s class)
• 25 November Week 7: no K-2 assembly
• 9 December Week 9: K-2 Puppet club

From the Director of Studies K-6

Helen Maynard Director of Studies K-6

ICAS English and Mathematics

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the ICAS English and Mathematics Competitions. We especially commend the following students for their exceptional achievements:

Mathematics

High Distinction

Oren Levin-Kahn (Year 4), Rory Steinberg (Year 4), Samuel Garvin (Year 5).

Distinction            

Elias Davis (Year 3), Ryder Hurwitz (Year 3), Daliah Smagarinsky (Year 3), Miriam Stubbs-Goulston (Year 4), Dan Blecher (Year 5), Jesse Carpenter (Year 5), Isaac Gorelik (Year 5), Jesse Gothelf (Year 5), Joshua Leslie (Year 5), Arielle Melamed (Year 5), Ruby Miller (Year 5), Myles Cohn (Year 6), Eden Glass (Year 6), Jesse Herdan (Year 6), Matthew Lowy (Year 6), Daniel Melamed (Year 6), Samuel Moliver (Year 6), Zac Sidley (Year 6) and Remy Waller (Year 6).

Credit                                   

Ashley Cohn (Year 3), Aaron Berkowitz (Year 3), Liam Danon (Year 3), Leah Doust (Year 3), Leah Grunseit (Year 3), Raphael Harpaz (Year 3), Violet Nathanson (Year 3), Joel Allen (Year 4), Willow Gelin (Year 4), Alexander Kirievsky (Year 4), Alice Milner (Year 4), Julian Baruch (Year 5), Alexander Itzkowitz (Year 5), Lilia Joseph (Year 5), Jamie Schneider (Year 5), Jake Sharp (Year 5), Aiden Sheps (Year 5), Leah Wolf (Year 5), Lily Berger (Year 6), Benjamin Cohen (Year 6), Anna Davis (Year 6), Noah Dawson-Kelly (Year 6), Rachel Joseph (Year 6) and Joshua Moses (Year 6).

Merit                          

Gabriel Lee (Year 4), Alix Cane (Year 5), Toby Danon (Year 5), Jake Fleischer (Year 5), Noah Klisser (Year 5), Aiden Merten (Year 5), Maya Barnett (Year 6), Nathalie Freed (Year 6), Jesse Keyser (Year 6) and Luca Moses (Year 6).

English

High Distinction       

Elias Davis (Year 3), Daliah Smagarinsky (Year 3), Miriam Stubbs-Goulston (Year 4) and Eden Glass (Year 6).

Distinction                 

Ashley Cohn (Year 3), Raphael Harpaz (Year 3), Ryder Hurwitz (Year 3), Violet Nathanson (Year 3), Willow Gelin (Year 4), Rory Steinberg (Year 4), Alix Cane (Year 5), Jesse Carpenter (Year 5), Samuel Garvin (Year 5), Eden Levit (Year 5), Aiden Merten (Year 5), Leah Wolf (Year 5), Lily Berger (Year 6), Myles Cohn (Year 6), Rachel Joseph (Year 6) and Samuel Moliver (Year 6).

Credit                        

Liam Danon (Year 3), Leah Grunseit (Year 3), Oren Levin-Kahn (Year 4), Alice Milner (Year 4), Dan Blecher (Year 5), Jake Fleischer (Year 5), Isaac Gorelik (Year 5), Jesse Gothelf (Year 5), Aron Harpaz (Year 5), Noah Klisser (Year 5), Joshua Leslie (Year 5), Arielle Melamed (Year 5), Ruby Miller (Year 5), Jake Sharp (Year 5), Solomon Auerbach (Year 6), Maya Barnett (Year 6), Benjamin Cohen (Year 6), Isabella Filipczyk (Year 6), Jesse Herdan (Year 6), Joshua Moses (Year 6) and Mashka Putilin (Year 6).

Merit                          

Shoshana Auerbach (Year 6), Nathalie Freed (Year 6), Zac Sidley (Year 6) and Gabrielle Utian (Year 6).

Primary Leadership

Primary School Captains

Thank you to our Primary School leaders who have had a wonderfully productive term in their various roles.

Our Madrichim have been promoting our Personal Development Program by reminding Years 3-6 students about the 7 Habits in The Leader in Me program. They also took on the ambitious role of running an inter house Handball Competition for Years 3-6 and carried this out with great success!

The House Captains prepared Years 3-6 students for the Athletics Carnival by running House Meetings to practise cheers. They then led the cheering on the day with passion and leadership.

K-2 Play leaders have continued to provide assistance with playground interactions and the highlight of their term was the Drawing Competition and Treasure Hunt.

Our Gross Motor students keenly implemented newly-created morning physical activities for K-2 based on the Olympics. It was a wonderfully relevant activity for all.

Our Music, Debating and Chess leaders have continued to lead their clubs by assisting teachers with administration and mentoring younger students.

Thank you to our Charity leaders who led the collection of necessities for asylum seekers.

Our SRC leaders responsibly represented their classmates’ ideas in their fortnightly meetings and were fortunate enough to attend a High School SRC meeting – a lovely chance for mentoring.

Our IT Leaders have successfully led Coding Club for upper primary and shared their passion for and expertise in IT most effectively.

Our Jewish Life leaders have continued to promote enthusiasm at Jewish celebrations and to lead Torah Services for Years 3-6.

Well done, students, on your wonderful efforts and thank you to the teachers who facilitate these activities!

Ms Colleen Elkins

Year 4 Science Fair

Science Fair

On Wednesday 14 September Year 4 held their inaugural Science Fair. Here are some reflections on the collaboration leading up to the event and the Science Fair from Year 4 students.

We were put into groups two weeks ago and we had to do a collaborative experiment. Collaborating was difficult for most of us. Some of us did the experiment at home and made a movie, brought it in to school and showed everyone at the Science Fair. Afterwards the room slightly smelt of vinegar from one of the experiments. We saw a lot of exciting experiments and heard a lot of fizzing bottles, sizzling foam and timers ringing. It was very enjoyable.

Willow Gelin 

A couple of groups weren’t prepared on the day as they had struggled with collaboration. This is a reflection on what to improve next time.

Next time we could be more prepared and discuss our experiment. Next time I could call our group and organise a play date. We could change the team work to make sure everybody can get the equipment and not just aim it on one person. It was so much fun. Everybody enjoyed it. Two groups didn’t get to perform because they were not prepared.

Brodie Mezei 

One experiment involved testing how much fizzy drink could be absorbed through a card and another experiment tested how much milk was absorbed by an Oreo cookie. Year 4 students had to keep track in their Science books of the hypothesis, analysis and conclusion to each other’s experiments as we observed them. Year 4 really enjoyed this event and are really happy with their progress.

Jack Goldberg 

The Year 4 Science Fair was very exciting. Everyone was grouped into collaborative groups. The groups thought of extremely creative ideas from exploding sodas to melting delicious chocolate.

Some experiments didn’t work so well but some were very crazy. We all wrote down in our Science books about everyone’s experiments. We tested and quizzed each other and it was fun and hard.

Everyone who completed their experiment got a goodie bag the next day and everyone was extremely happy about this.

The Year 4 Science Fair was something to remember.

Tamarah Aaron 

Year 2 Science Showcase

View from the … LINC Building!

Jennifer Selinger – Head of Science

I had the rare privilege today of being in a room full of excellent scientists. They eagerly demonstrated their latest research, describing the process and results and explaining the Science behind their work with confidence (and a very useful palm-card). They were clear and articulate and obviously knew exactly what they were talking about. They showed excellent team work and were supportive of each other in their efforts to share their knowledge and understanding with their audience. Where was I? In the Year 2 Science Show!

I’m told that the students have been exploring a large number of different Science experiments this term. Each group had chosen one of these experiments to display. They produced a demonstration of the Science, a poster showing their method, a definition of a key term and an oral presentation. The planning and organisation behind the show were obviously incredibly successful, and the engagement of the students was clear. Congratulations to Roslynn Pardy and Nicole Esra. The range of demonstrations was amazing and I was very impressed by the enthusiasm and energy in the room. The future of Science is clearly safe in these small but competent hands!

Primary Sport

CIS Athletics Carnival – Primary School

The CIS Athletics carnival was held at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre on Wednesday 14 September. Ten Emanuel students participated against students from all of the Independent School’s Sporting Associations in NSW. The students were selected to participate via their performances at the ASISSA carnival. Our students again competed with determination and enthusiasm in a competition just below State level and all athletes recorded personal best results. 

Mazal tov to all of the athletes but in particular to Eden Levit (200m) and Shai Farhy (100m) who qualified for the finals and Alexander Kirievsky (discus) who was selected to represent the CIS team at the PSSA Athletics Championships on 19 and 20 October. 

Mariah Lewy, Alena Lewy, Eliora Glass, Allie Armstrong – Junior girls relay – 1.07.88 (20th)

Alexander Kirievsky – Year 6

Alexander Kirievsky – Junior boys discus – 25.05m (3rd)

Aden Goodridge – 11 years boys 100m – 15.02 seconds (25th), 11 Boys 200m – 30.55 seconds (21st)

Eliora Glass – 9 years girls 100m – 16.83 seconds (24th)

Eden Levit – 11 years girls 100m – 14.58 seconds (13th), 11 years girls 200m – 29.81 seconds (8th) and 11 years girls long jump – 3.49m (20th)

Mariah Lewy – 10 years girls 100m – 16.00 seconds (24th)

Sacha Rosen – 11 years boys high jump – 1.20m (19th)

Shai Farhy – 11 years boys 100m – 14.31 seconds (4th), 11 Years Boys Long Jump – 3.71m (20th)

Brayden Bloch – 12 years boys discus – 7.36m (21st)

Year 6 students, Sacha Rosen and Brayden Bloch with Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games Athlete)

Seussical Save the Date

From the Head of Mathematics

AUSTRALIAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITION (AMC)

Michelle Lyons-Zwarenstein Head of Mathematics

The 39th AMC took place in August. The AMC is one of the world’s largest school-based mathematics competitions with more than 14 million entries since 1978. This is a fun 30-problem competition with many of the problems set in situations that show the relevance of mathematics in students’ everyday lives.

Congratulations to the following students for their achievement in this problem solving competition.

YEAR 7:

Distinction: Jessica Lowy, Zachary Gothelf, Liam Engler, Ethan Moliver, Shane Doust, Joey Hadad, Jacob Rose and Harry Schulz.

Credit: Ruby Hurwitz, Eleanor Labi, Jonathan Schach, Zac Levenson, Aaron Goldberg, Aiden Poswell, Lara Fosbery and Chloe Miller.

YEAR 8:

High Distinction: Beau Glass

Distinction: Jake Lewitton, Sasha Baskin, Jemma Salamon, Gabriella Goodridge and Jonathan Sebban.

Credit: Matthew Bozic, Jesse Waller, Mimi Silberstein, Samara Trenaman, Elijah Grynberg, Isaac Grove, Jamie Orleow, Kaia Ziman, Jacob Wolf and Mikaela Fraser.

Year 10

Distinction: Joshua Amoils, Ashne Amoils and Dheanna Eller

Credit: Aron Jaffe, Noah Solomon, Matthew Doust, Sienna Amoils, Noa Blair, Aaron Ellis-Bloor and Erin Baskin.

Year 11 Jewish Studies Speaker Series

Daphna Levin-Kahn, Co-ordinator of Jewish Studies, High School

Year 11 Jewish Studies Speaker Series – AUJS and Jewish Board of Deputies (JBOD)

The final term of Jewish Studies for our Year 11 students was a response to student feedback to know more about being Jewish in Australia after school. The Speaker Series for this term focused on the importance and challenge of staying connected to the Jewish community once they leave school.

Our panel discussion of Australian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) executive members included Isabella Polgar, Cameron Graf and Emanuel School Alumni, Avia Madar and Joshua Moses. Facilitated by Ariel Mekler-Peled, the university students spoke passionately and animatedly of their personal Jewish journeys, challenges and motivations for being actively involved in the Jewish community.

An anecdote that I liked was Josh’s story about his Lebanese friends and how he reacted in the situation when they said to him that they like him, but they don’t like Zionists. I really enjoyed listening to the guest speakers and hearing about both their stories and advice. Amy Altman

In a follow-up workshop with the AUJS executive members, the students enthusiastically debated questions such as:

• What community organisations (Jewish or not) do you feel connected to?
• What are your perceptions of the Jewish community?
• Why do you think it is important to stay connected? How do you think you can stay connected?
• Have you ever experienced anti-Semitism or anti-Zionism? How did it make you feel? Who did you turn to?

I found our meetings with the AUJS members very impactful and inspiring, I never really knew how I could continue to be connected to Judaism whilst at university surrounded by a non-Jewish environment. These meetings gave me a better perspective of what type of Jewish organisations exist outside of Jewish schools and youth movements. Indigo Penn

 The AUJS workshop was very insightful and influenced our decision to keep learning more about Judaism after school. Nadia Coburn and Sara Aaron

The AUJS panel and workshop were interesting and gave us an insight into what being a Jew is like in the real world. We learnt that there is more to being Jewish after school than we originally thought. Eli Picker and Adin Ephraim

Suzanne Green – Education Manager – JDOB

Suzanna Green, Education Manager from the Jewish Board of Deputies (JBOD), finished off the series with an informative session about what JBOD offers to support individuals, families and groups to deal with the issues facing the Jewish community today. Several students were particularly keen to hear of the internship opportunities that JBOD offers that could provide excellent work experience and enable them to stay connected to the Jewish community in the future.

Year 11 students with Avia Madar and Joshua Moses

Year 11 AUJS at Emanuel School

Kol Szenes

Kol Szenes

This week in Szenes House:

• We farewelled Year 12, 2016 on Monday morning with our traditional House breakfast. A film spanning the last six years of school was shown, produced by their Tutor, Ms Miranda Mc Mahon. The film was loaded onto a Szenes branded gold key shaped USB for each of the students. This and the Szenes House mug were presented to each of the graduating class of 2016.

• Dean Smuskowitz, House Captain 2015-2016, spoke to the House, giving his ‘Last speech at Emanuel School’.
• Preparations for House Music were finalised.

Dean Smuskowitz

‘Last speech I will make at Emanuel School’ – Dean Smuskowitz

Year 12 is full of lasts… Some are general like your last year at school, your last time wearing school uniform, your last year doing subjects you hate and so on and so forth. Some are a bit more personal for instance your last school excursion or your last time walking in to a certain department.

Then there are some that are extremely personal. Last Friday week was my last performance in the Millie Phillips Theatre, a week ago was my last singing lesson, today is my last time standing in front of House Assembly and this is my last speech.

This is the last speech I will ever deliver at Emanuel School as a student. Which is kind of a unique position to be in. So seldom are you doing something so specific knowing full well it is the last time you’ll ever do it. More often than not you haven’t the faintest idea whether or not what you’re doing is the last time you’ll ever do it because you don’t exist in the fourth dimension; where your whole life exists simultaneously and you know everything you’ll ever do. No, no, you and I my lucky friend exist in the third dimension, living and breathing its uncertainty every single day. And that is why we act as if nothing we ever do is the last time we’ll ever do it, because we don’t know any better. So we talk to people, go places and do things assuming that this is one of many more and continue on with your day, blissfully unaware of if you’ll do anything you did that day, ever again.

It’s kind of frightening in a way, just how little you know about the future and just how much things can change in literally one day. So in response to all the fear-provoking uncertainty in the world you’d think we, as people, would take comfort in the certainty of doing something for the last time and knowing it. However, this is untrue. Human beings – myself included – hate goodbyes. We feel so helpless and sad and get so sentimental and nostalgically look at all the times we had and start to miss it all. Even the stuff you thought you hated. I mean, how many times have you thought of a memory that you thought you would never in a million years be sad to see go, just to find yourself weeks, months or years down the line wishing you could be back there again?

You’re forced to consider all the things you never got to do or say like did you guys know Mr Bloom and I are half brothers? You probably didn’t because I started thinking about how little time I had left and realised I’d never taken the initiative to tell you. For those of you wondering if that’s true, it is. Why do you think we look so much alike? In short, we human beings have presented ourselves with yet another paradox.

We don’t like knowing and we don’t like not knowing.

We don’t like not knowing because it scares us. The mere notion that this could be it, the last time, is something that makes us very, very uneasy. We don’t like knowing, because it depresses us. It makes us feel like there’s nothing we can do about our situation, like we’re just slaves to the cruel world and we have no say in our own future.

Oh, how hard it is to be a human.

But what this paradox really reflects is not how little sense human logic makes, but rather how much just how much we hate goodbyes. Which is a lot. Why? Because: goodbye is loss and loss hurts. Trying to accept that something or someone won’t be around anymore especially when we’ve attached a feeling of happiness, love or laughter to it; is really hard.

This is because human beings are extremely emotional creatures and losing something that we associate with positive feelings is deeply distressing.

And now here I am and here we are looking at one big, distressing goodbye.

Goodbye to a place we’ve spent most of our time for 2, 3, 4, 6, 12, 15 years.

How do you say goodbye to something that is that massive, a part of your life? That you associate with so many important and unforgettable moments, memories, emotions and experiences both euphorically good and harrowingly bad. I’m both saddened and afraid. Depressed because I know it’s about to end and scared because I have no idea what happens next.

But fear not, there is a light at the end of the seemingly dark tunnel. In all this looming uncertainty lies something beautiful. Possibility. We’re about to be left with more freedom, choice and potential to do anything, go anywhere and be anyone than ever before. And that’s exciting. Who knows, maybe this is not the end; maybe it is. Maybe I’ll see you again; maybe I won’t. Germans don’t say goodbye because it’s too damn depressing instead they say ‘until we meet next’. Auf Wierdershen. I can’t offer you any answers for what’ll happen in the future, simply because I don’t know. But I can tell you that whatever happens I’ll be waiting for you on the other side, I can empathise with you when it’s your turn to do what we’re about to do and I can leave you with those two words that gaze into the abyss of uncertainty and smile.

Auf Wierdershen.

Dean Smuskowitz (12)

Quotation of the Week

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.

Dalai Lama

Enjoy the end of Term 3 break

Rashi Times

Graduation

No matter the circumstance, it is seemingly inevitable that in life all things – good or bad – come to an end. Yes, such conclusions can be sad and emotional, making you feel lost, vulnerable or perhaps scared, but it is only because of these endings that we can begin to discover our full potential as champions of humanity. For our Class of 2016 students, their time at Emanuel has officially ended this week. Now they have a month to prepare for their HSC examinations. We wish you all the best of luck and although you won’t be with us in school, we hope you apply the positive lessons you’ve learnt to continue to be active students of learning. Who knows? You might even enjoy it…

Farewell Breakfast

On Monday this week, we had the chance to say goodbye to the Rashi students from the Class of 2016. It was a really lovely morning with a touching farewell from the Year 12 Tutor, Mr Bartlett, and some great food as well.

To the Year 12s – thank you all for everything you have done for both Rashi and the entire school. We will miss all of you.

Birthdays

Happy birthday to the following students who have celebrated their birthdays in the past two weeks!

The following Rashi students will be celebrating their birthdays in the holidays. We hope you have a great day!

Hopefully everyone has a restful and rejuvenating holiday. We look forward to seeing a more tanned and less sleep deprived version of Rashi. We also thank our dedicated readers, especially Benjamin Dobrin (Year 10), for your support and good grace.

Lara Joffe, Joshua Amoils and Sienna Amoils

Rabin Bugle

Farewell Year 12

It was with mixed feelings that we said goodbye to Year 12 this week. The Year 12 students have always been there for us and we have looked to them for support and guidance over the years. We are so happy for them that they are graduating but we are also sad as we will miss them a lot.

The Farewell House assembly was emotional and very memorable. The speeches and poems from the Year Groups, Mr Rembson and House Captains were heartfelt. Mr Furman produced a short video of his Tutor Group’s adventures over the years and it was amazing to look back and see the photos, film clips from camps and fun interviews.

The Class of 2016 is a very caring and supportive group. They have led us at camps, in songs and through countless games, sporting events, fundraising activities and so many many other memorable events. We will miss them and want to thank them for all they have given to us throughout their High School careers.

Rabin House has been fortunate to have many of our students leading from the front and taking on leadership roles. Your Bugle reporter asked a couple of them to reflect on these experiences:

Being House Captains has offered us the opportunity to grow as leaders through overcoming challenges and leading a family of our Rabinities. It has been a much needed distraction from the hectic life of HSC and we have thoroughly enjoyed the role. We are so proud of how enthusiastic and involved our House has been this year and we could not have asked for a more eager and passionate group.

Thank you – Jacob Riesel and Jamie Latham

I was so grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the Madrichim body of 2015-2016. I was very excited to be Art Madricha and aimed to demonstrate to the rest of the School that Art should be about having fun and self-expression. We conducted an event called the Big Draw where students across Years 3-12 took on a range of creative activities, bonded and had fun. 

Taryn Langman 

I am so grateful for my time as Social Action Madricha, as this role has enabled me to make a difference in areas that I feel strongly about and work with the wonderful Madrichim team and our whole Year Group. It has been fantastic to see the passion for social justice at Emanuel and the incredible enthusiasm to bring about change. White Ribbon Day at Emanuel School was amazing, with lots of participation and a great turn out at the Walk. The highlight for me was organising and seeing so many people support the event ICEBERG that confronted the prevalent issue of domestic violence in Australia. It gave me great hope for a better future hearing that the event had a significant impact on so many who attended, and definitely made the challenges of this role worthwhile and extremely fulfilling. Thanks to the fabulous Madrichim team and Mr Whitcombe for his guidance in this role. 

Sara Ehrlich

Peer Support was special to me. Being able to inspire and motivate the Year 7 to achieve their ultimate self was truly rewarding. The many experiences we have had have given me a new perspective and approach to everything I do. Being able to spread Emanuel’s positive vibes to our newest Rabinites was been very enjoyable. I highly encourage anyone who is looking to discover more about themselves, make a difference and have endless fun, to apply for this position. James Cohen

We hope everyone has a great holiday and Rabin House wish our Year 12s a productive time in the lead up to the HSC examinations. Good luck guys!

Night of Song

Gesher

Sonia Newell – Development Officer

More amazing music…..

Despite the rain last Sunday, you may have been among the hundreds of people who attended Shir Madness Jewish Music Festival at Bondi Beach Pavilion.  If you missed out, you will have to wait until 2018 for the next Sydney event. Held in Sydney every two years since 2010, the Shir Madness 2016 lineup included numerous well-known national and international performers including Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier. Sunday’s event also showcased four members of the Class of 2016 – upcoming band Before the King (Dean Smuskowitz, Asher Klein, Daniel Radomsky and Gabriel Jammy); Year 10 student Genevieve Goldman supported by her parents David on guitar and Michelle on keyboard and Paris Freed in Year 11 as backing singer for the band Azadoota in the main arena. Perhaps you also recognised Leonie Cohen who is a part-time Music Tutor here and Sandy Lipworth, one of our casual teachers, a member of the Sydney Jewish Choral Society, as well as parent Josh Oshlack and his drummers. 

The event, which officially opened at 11.30am and finished at 10pm, was manned by volunteers, many of whom are members of our Emanuel community.  Year 9 students Rachel Jammy helped me on the Merchandising Desk selling artists’ CDs whilst Natasha (Tashi) Gering worked on the Registration Desk. We saw many of our alumni volunteering for CSG to ensure the safety of everyone at the event and current parent, David Mane was one of the official photographers.  

There were past parents and even a few grandparents, all too numerous to name individually, who were also part of the volunteer group ensuring this event ran so smoothly. Well done to all the volunteers and to the performers. 

You will have to wait for the next issue of Ma Nishma at the start of next term for my article about today’s Primary Grandparents and Friends Day.  Meantime, I hope you all have a restful holiday and I wish you and your family Shanah Tovah and well over the Fast.

Before the King. Photo: David Mane

Genevieve Goldman. Photo: David Mane

Paris Freed. Photo: Tony Hart

Save the date for our Gesher Nine and Dine golf event on Thursday 17 November 2016.

Gesher Golf Day

Navigating the HSC

Invitation to HOTLINE

From the parents and friends

Susie Rosen and Sharon Schulz

Ponderings from the P&F

It’s the end of Term 3 already!  We have a couple of reminders before we sign off for a few weeks.

Aladdin – The Hit Broadway Musical (Sunday 13 November at 6.30pm).
Bookings for Aladdin the Musical will be closing TODAY.

Uniform Shop