From the Principal

Andrew Watt – Principal

Vale Year 12 2021

The formal Graduation Assembly, House Farewells and Graduation Dinner were held his week, on the heels of the State Government’s announcement of the delayed commencement of the HSC examinations. Whilst the timing – and indeed this year – has not gone exactly to plan, there are many things for which we can still be grateful, and not the least of them is celebrating the legacy, achievements, and very positive impact this cohort had on the culture of our School. Our hope is that Year 12 (2021) will look back on this unforgettable year with pride, as they recall their resilience, their ability to adapt, to maintain hope under difficult circumstances, and to overcome the hurdles that few Year 12 cohorts have had to face. They have travelled through their final year without complaint and with both style and humour! We are reminded that the tests we face in life’s journey are not to reveal our weaknesses but rather to help us discover our inner strengths. For we can only know how strong we are when we strive and thrive beyond the challenges we face.

For me, farewelling Year 12 is the most bitter-sweet of moments each year, as whist I am excited for them, as they embark upon their next adventure, I also must farewell a group of young adults I have come to know, to like, and to share the highs and lows with. It is, however, made a little easier in the knowledge that we will still connect with them, as alumni in the coming years, and some of them will return as our informal Jewish life educators, debating coaches, sport coaches, camp leaders, working with our learning support team or some other capacity at Emanuel.

After close to four years at Emanuel, I feel that I have got to know Year 12 (2021) well and have come to enjoy the humour, energy, and many gifts that they have brought to our School. Looking back there are certainly memories of Year 12, 2021 that will remain with me and with my fellow teachers long after their departure. This cohort has been described by their teachers as vibrant, kind, generous, joyful, caring, supportive, energetic, adaptive, positive, creative, curious, enthusiastic, lively, quirky, and ‘above and beyond’. That is quite a list, and there is a lot to be admired!

I wanted to share my final words to Year 12 (2021), in our Graduation Assembly:

May you live your life well, bring honour to your families, your school and to God. May you be kind-hearted, compassionate, and proactive young men and women. May you love your family and care for your community, as well as having eyes and hearts that are global… and I hope that I will hear stories of your adventures in years to come! Remember that “Life is all about chances and opportunities. Never leave anything to chance and never let an opportunity get away”. As you commence the transition from Emanuel students to Emanuel alumni, please remember that you will always be part of our School.

The Graduation Assembly provided an opportunity for staff and students to thank, acknowledge and formally farewell our Year 12 cohort, through a variety of presentations. The highlight was Caroline Laumberg’s moving tribute to each individual student. Our teachers said farewell to their classes, and our Head Madrichim and students from across the School paid homage to the graduating Class of 2021. Thank you to Margaret Lowe, for organising the program of events and Adam Ezekiel who worked tirelessly with Kira Friedman to compile videos for the Graduation Dinner and Assembly. A special vote of thanks to Ben Marshall, who collected and collated the range of recorded presentations, for both our assembly and dinner.

Year 12 Graduation Dinner

Whilst enjoyed online, our Graduation Dinner was also a special event, featuring several entertaining speeches, toasts, and parent presentations. Our students departed feeling much loved and having enjoyed the fellowship of both their peers and their families. It was clear that a huge amount of thought and time had been given to organising the food, decorations, and program of events. The catering was outstanding, provided and distributed by Asnat Meretz and the Shaffa restaurant. Pre-lockdown, the organising committee met in each other’s homes from early April, and post-lockdown, Margaret Lowe and Caroline Laumberg have been meeting with them via Zoom every Tuesday afternoon since 20 July. A huge thank you to Co-Chairs Tammy Joffe and Liane Fletcher, the Treasurer, Sharon Schulz, Margaret Lowe and Caroline Laumberg, and to the committee members.

Let’s all get together to create our bright future

By now you would have received an invitation to our stand-out event of the year, Emanuel B’yachad – Emanuel Together. This was originally planned as the biggest face-to-face event that the School has ever hosted, but we’ve risen to the challenge of moving it online.

Emanuel B’yachad, which will be held on 17 October 2021, is a fundraising event to help us reach our $10 million goal to redevelop the existing Adler Building. Whilst we recognise that every family has a different capacity to donate, every dollar counts.

Emanuel B’yachad will be an entertaining and heart-warming evening where we will celebrate all that is wonderful about our community. It’s all about creating a bright future for our students, both current and into the future and I look forward to sharing this much anticipated evening with you.

If you have not yet RSVPed, I encourage you to do so here. In the meantime, please enjoy this short clip featuring our students who describe what Emanuel means to them. Thank you to all the students who star in the video and share their deep connection to the School.

What an inspiration!

Students, staff, parents and grandparents took an hour out of their day on Wednesday to hear from Australian Olympian and 400m Champion, Steve Solomon. Steve is an inspiration and he delighted us with his stories and reflections on his Olympic experience. Please click on the article entitled Olympic Dreaming for a full recording of the event and comments from the audience.

Grandparents’ Rosh HaShanah Kabbalat Shabbat

Zoom Kabbalat Shabbat

This afternoon we’ll be welcoming our treasured Grandparents to a special Rosh HaShanah Kabbalat Shabbat. This is a wonderful way to end the week with songs, music, blessings and the all important blowing of the Shofar. All are welcome and please encourage your grandparents to join you at 4pm.

The full link to share: https://emanuelschool.zoom.us/j/99277782532?pwd=OXEzeUd6Tk92MHVXYUlweXZtdHlnUT09

Vacation care

Due to limited requests from parents, we will not be offering vacation care in the upcoming school holidays.

Mazal tov

I was delighted to hear that Rory Nathan, Year 7, has been blowing the shofar at a number of events organised by the Sydney Jewish Museum. Today he shared this mitzvah on a Zoom with public schools all around the country.
Students Gia Jocum, Eli Jocum, Sofia Berkovic, Micah Esra and Vicky Miller interviewed Steve Solomon at our In Conversation event on Wednesday. When chatting to Steve afterwards he mentioned just how much he enjoyed connecting with them. High praise indeed from a young man who has been interviewed by the best of Australian TV presenters.
Emanuel parent, Dan Goldberg‘s long-awaited documentary, The Bowraville Murders, premiers this Saturday at 7.30pm. Book here.

Quote of the week

“Whatever you choose for a career path, remember the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.” Chadwick Boseman – the late actor and playwright – best know for his portrayal of T’Challa in Black Panther.

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Counting our blessings?

In Judaism, as in other religions, there is a tradition not to count what we have lest we might lose it. Thus, soon after the bible recounts “You have blessed (ברכת/berakhta) the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased throughout the land”, Iyov (Job), we are told, loses all that he has.

We worry that our blessings may become our curse. Significantly, the word /ברכהberakhah can mean both blessing and curse. /שטןSatan (God’s Adversary), says to God, “Will he (Iyov) not curse You (יברכך/yevarkheka)” upon losing the blessings that You have bestowed upon him. Indeed, Iyov’s wife says to her bereft husband “Curse (ברך/barekh) God and die.״

It was only after God boasts, before Satan, of his blessed Iyov, that his virtuous servant suffers grievously. Counting your blessings, we are warned, is “providing an entry (פתחון פה) for Satan”. Accordingly, when we sound the shofar on the High Holy Days, and ask that our prayers be heard for good, the first letters of the verses that constitute our petition form the words קרע שטן/Kra Satan-May the Adversary, the one who might speak against our worthiness, be “torn asunder” so that we might be granted a blessed year.

Perhaps this is what is meant when one of the Talmudic sages says “A blessing (ברכה/berakhah) is found only in that over which the eye has no power”, seeming to suggest the “evil or envious eye”. However, this maxim, particularly as it appears in a somewhat different variation, “A blessing (ברכה/berakhah) is found only in that which is hidden from the eye” might be more akin to the words attributed to Albert Einstein: “Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted”.

We cannot count that which goes beyond the observable and can only be deeply experienced.

We cannot quantify or measure the true blessings of our lives. On Rosh Hashanah, may we pray that we be open to ever new blessings which very much count because they cannot be counted.

Tasklikh

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Tasklikh castaways

The Rosh HaShanah custom of tashlikh, first introduced in the Medieval period, has gained renewed popularity in our time.

The practice of casting bread into the water to rid ourselves of sin, is often taken to mean acts of commission. What I did wrong.

So, I’d like to briefly share with you a thought on our acts of omission, not the wrong that we did but the right that we did not do.

On Yom Kippur we say the following words of the prophet Isaiah:

פרוס לרעב לחמך אז יבקע כשחר אורך

Share your bread with the hungry, then you light will break through as the dawn.

Your bread is more than the literal bread and the hungry are more than needing food.

You bread is that which sustains you and hunger is yearning for what keeps one alive.

We speak of kavvanot, our intentions for the New Year.

Someone we know is hungry, it could be for friendship, it could be for love, and it could be for happiness.

We have the bread, we can help sustain this person, we can be caring, we can be supportive and we can be giving.

The Hebrew words רעבות/re’eivut – hunger and ערבות/areivut – fellowship, being of the same root letters, intimate that the presence/absence of one is predicated on the absence/ presence of the other.

Let us, then, make a kavvanah for a shared New Year.

Let us commit to not omit those of us who are hungry and in need of our bread.

Primary News

Meg Carroll – Deputy Head of Primary

eSafety Commissioner website

The eSafety Commissioner website contains heaps of resources for parents that focus on topics such as Cybersafety, Online Drama, Privacy and Technology and many more. One short article that I would highly recommend parents take a look at is the one that outlines some simple online safety basics as a reminder of how you, as a parent, play a large role in maintaining your child’s online safety.

Parent and carer webinars

Each term, the eSafety Commissioner is offering a new topic that will run numerous times. These webinars will provide parents and carers with the knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safe, positive online experiences. Check back in to the eSafety Commissioner website for registration details closer to the dates below.

Term 4 topic: eSafety parent guide to digital technologies and mental health:

Tuesday 19 October 2021: 7.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Wednesday 20 October 2021: 12.30 pm – 1.30 pm
Thursday 21 October 2021: 12.30 pm – 1.30 pm
Tuesday 26 October 2021: 7.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Tuesday 9 November 2021: 7.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Thursday 18 November 2021: 12.30 pm – 1.30 pm

Inappropriate use of Zoom

Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of all students. We want to make sure that students are aware of their responsibilities around safe and appropriate use of devices. Unfortunately, some students have been misusing Zoom to randomly call other students and teachers/staff both during lesson and offline times. The intention of these calls is to be silly and/or interruption to the flow of learning. These types of Zoom calls demonstrate a misuse of technology and are being monitored closely by our IT department. Teachers will be following up as needed with those students involved and further consequences will be applied should this inappropriate behaviour continue. I ask that parents please monitor their child’s use of technology closely, especially during break times, to ensure it is being used appropriately and safely. This is also an opportunity for you to equip your child/children with strategies to know what to do if they receive this type of Zoom call.

Deborah Blackman parent session – NEW DATE!

This year’s parent session with Deborah Blackman will be held on Zoom on Thursday 7 October 2021 (Term 4, Week 1) from 7:30 pm – 8.30 pm. Please use the Zoom link below to access the session:

Zoom link

Meeting ID: 986 6636 6641
Passcode: 012015

We hope you can join us!

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

This week Primary School classes have been exploring themes, names, rituals and customs associated with Rosh HaShanah.

In learning about the shofar we have explored the connection between שופר and the word לשפר – which means ‘to improve’. Making this connection, we reflected on how the shofar serves as a call for us to improve ourselves, our relationships and our world.

We also learnt the word שנה has connections to the words משנה – meaning ‘repeat’ and שינוי – meaning ‘change’. Reflecting on these meanings we discussed how this time of year is one that promotes positive change and growth in our lives. With the traditional greeting of
שנה טובה ומתוקה – we are wishing that person a good and sweet year ahead, but also wishing them changes that will bring goodness and sweetness in their lives and our world.

Here are two Rosh HaShanah traditions that can add meaning and memorable experiences for you and your family:

Rosh HaShanah Seder:
This beautiful Sephardi tradition involves symbolic foods and reflections on what they represent.
and recently appeared in an article in the AJN.

There are wonderful resources online to guide you and your family in a Rosh HaShanah seder, such as this PDF version: English Haggadah

Tashlich: The Symbolic casting away of the mistakes of the past
This beautiful tradition involves going to a body of water and throwing bread (or something more natural like a small pebble) into the water. This action symbolically represents us casting away our bad habits, misdeeds and missteps of the previous year. You can read more about Tashlich here:Tashlich

This website provides some background and different approaches to this tradition.

As Rosh HaShanah also celebrates הַיּוֹם הֲרַת עוֹלָם – The Day The World Came into Being’ – there is a creative initiative called ‘Reverse Tashlich’ which aims to collect rubbish in our oceans and waterways.

Wishing you and your family a safe, meaningful and sweet new year.

שנה טובה ומתוקה

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

Family Day

Once again, we reflected as a staff team and together with the children, about celebrating Family Day on Sunday. Today, we don’t assume that families all look the same. More children than ever are being raised by single parents, adoptive parents, same-sex parents, or in blended families. They all deserve respect and support.

With this in mind, we have decided to have a Family Day instead of Father’s or Mother’s Days. For us, as Early Childhood Educators, we use this celebration as a platform for visibility and speaking out. The more the children hear about different kinds of families, the more inclusive they will become. We engaged in discussion with the children about all types of families, focussing on the loving relationships a child has instead of a specific relationship they may not have.

What is a family?

Ollie: A family is a mum, a dad, and a kid.
Finn: And a baby.
Alice: Me, Kaya and Georgia.
Arlo: A family is a whole group of special people.

Are families the same?

Alice: No, every type of family is different. People’s names of families are different.
Arlo: No, because some are separated, and some are not.
Mili: Some families don’t have any dads.
Neveau: Sometimes in families there are no kids.
Finn: Some families don’t have mums either. Because there are not enough mums and dads in the world.
Bronte: My mummy’s friend has a kid and two mums.
Ollie: Sometimes there are two dads and sometimes zero dads.

Why do you think we call it Family Day and not just Father’s Day at Kornmehl?

Alice: Since some people don’t have any dads.
Arlo: They might feel sad and jealous if they don’t have a dad and we call it Father’s Day.
Finn: How about this? We have no Father’s Day, and we have no Mum’s Day and no Children’s Day and no Sister’s Day?

We wish all our Kornmehl families a very happy family day on Sunday.

Rosh HaShanah

As Family Day and Rosh HaShanah are so close together, we reflected on how we could combine these gifts into one to make one special gift that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

The children have been working consistently over the past two weeks to prepare these special gifts. Throughout the process of making their gifts, the children have been learning lots of new skills. They worked with clay to mould the most beautiful and unique clay honey jars. Each child will bring home their honey pots, filled with a special jar of personalised honey from Kornmehl.

As part of our Rosh HaShanah learning we have been exploring and looking closely at apples and honey.

We did a mindfulness tasting exercise using four different types of honey. Sitting in a circle, each child was given a paddle pop stick with a bit of honey on. What does it look like? Can you smell it? What does it smell like? Can you put it close to your ear? Can you hear anything? and taste…

We first put a little bit of honey on our lips and smacked our lips together…What does it feel like? What do you notice is happening inside your mouth…The children explained their mouths were watering…“My mouth is wet,” said Finn. “It’s getting wetter,” said Bronte. We then licked our lips and savoured the honey. We put a little bit of honey on the tip of our tongue and waited to see what happened…Again the children noticed their mouths “getting wetter”. We tasted it…And put a little bit of honey on the middle part of our tongues…Did it taste the same or different? We put a bit of honey on the inside of our cheek…Did it taste any different?

We repeated this process with each type of honey. It was quite a powerful exercise.

The groups have also been exploring where apples come from and what the different kinds of apples taste like. We cut open apples to look inside and of course we have eaten lots of apples dipped in honey for a sweet New Year.

The children have been working collaboratively on a Rosh HaShanah inspired mixed media artwork. Bees have been drawn and painted, we have used pastels, paper pieces and paste added too. Words have also been copied, written, and included.

Over time we have noticed how the art piece has evolved and changed by adding more layers and noticing that some materials are not so visible anymore, whilst others add a new dimension. We are using this beautiful piece of artwork to inspire our Rosh HaShanah recipe book that we are compiling, as well as our Rosh HaShanah cards to send out.

On Wednesday, we sent home beautiful Rosh HaShanah packs to the children at home, to enjoy and to wish them a Shana Tovah.

Early Childhood Educators Day

On Wednesday, we acknowledged and celebrated all our wonderful educators at Kornmehl.

The purpose of Early Childhood Educators Day is to recognise and celebrate the work of early educators working in long day care, community care and pre-school services, for their enormous contribution to the wellbeing and healthy development of the young children in their care. This year more than ever, we thank our front-line early childhood educators for their unwavering strength and resilience during this trying time of COVID-19. We appreciate your commitment and dedication to the early childhood profession and to the children in your care.

Early Childhood Educators Day is a day to acknowledge the valuable work of the early years’ educators in educating and caring for tomorrow’s leaders.

Families at Kornmehl joined us in thanking all our wonderful educators by sending in messages of gratitude.

Our educators received a scrumptious morning tea and the chance to read all the heartfelt messages sent by Kornmehl families.

Here are a few parent messages:

Dear Kornmehl Educators,
We have had the great privilege of being part of the Kornmehl community for the past three years, since Arlo joined the Seashells the day after his third birthday. Since dropping our little three year old off in his classroom on Day 1, we have been constantly amazed at the level of care, creativity, empathy and passion demonstrated every day by you – his educators. In your care, Arlo’s hunger to learn has been fed and fed and has grown into what we suspect will now be a lifelong quest to learn about and understand the world. You have shared the benefits of your experiences with him, role modelled how to be mindful and compassionate citizens of the world, taught him how to care for himself and others and encouraged him to wonder and ask questions. These are the building blocks of a fulfilled life. So much of what he will achieve in his lifetime will be because you prepared him to be the best version of himself as he sets off on his life’s adventures. We will be forever grateful.
Amy, Olli and Willow

Dear Wonderful Kornmehl Educators,
I cannot tell you what a joy it is to leave Bronte in your care each day. I know that with you she will be supported to grow into her wonderful self, and I have seen her flourish since she started. Your dedication, commitment, skill, and passion shine through in everything that you do. You create such a nurturing environment which fosters positive social experiences as well as a loving space around each child for them to grow into. Thank you for what you have given our child, and for what you give to all the children and the community,
Katherine (Bronte’s Mum)

Thank you so much for the love and care that you bring to work every day, the delight you show in the children and the role modelling that you provide. We feel so lucky to have you as custodians of our beautiful children, putting so much of yourself into motivating them and teaching them to be their best selves. Thanks for all that you do!!
Daniella, Jonathan and Adam Gavshon

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love and kindness you show our little people. There’s something very special about Kornmehl and it all starts with you, so thank you for doing what you all do.
Lisa and Trev Salamon

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Arabella Siale (5) We hope you all had a very special day.

We wish all our Kornmehl families a Shanah Tovah U Metuka – a sweet and happy New Year and well over the fast.

Olympic dreaming

In Conversation with Steve Solomon

Whilst Steve Solomon has always loved playing sport, rugby was his first love. From a young age, the dedicated fan would watch every Wallaby game, face resplendent in green and gold paint. Steve loved being active and enjoyed the competitive and social aspects of sport. It didn’t matter what he was playing, as long as he enjoyed it. It was only much later that Steve found his passion for running and he hasn’t stopped since.

This week we were lucky to share 60 minutes of conversation with the Australian Olympian and 400m Champion. The interview was arranged over WhatsApp, two days into Steve’s hotel quarantine, on his return from the Tokyo Olympics. He sounded like a great guy but little did we realise just what a treat we were in for.

Hundreds of students, staff, parents, grandparents and alumni Zoomed in to hear the Olympian’s incredible journey. Steve’s cousins, Eli Jocum and Gia Jocum, welcomed him to our online ‘studio’ and Head Madrichim Vicky Miller, Sofia Berkovic and Micah Esra shared the role of interviewer – one at which they excelled.

All who attended had the opportunity to submit questions beforehand. Year 3 student, Ryan Miller, posed the first question. Following the interview, Ryan sent me a message via his mum: “I felt grateful that we had the chance to hear Steve Solomon speak and that I was chosen to ask a question. I learnt that it takes so much training and so many injuries for a chance to go to the Olympics. I was surprised Steve was a soccer and rugby player before taking up running at only 17. I loved the chance to hear an Olympian speak at our School. It is my dream to go to the Olympics and he inspired me to see that it is possible.”

Grandparents, Maya and Ron Hirsch, who Zoomed in from home (where else would they be?!) were so impressed by Steve and how he related to the audience: “You are an amazing role model for our students and we feel certain that you left them with some great life lessons”.

In Conversation with Steve Solomon was organised by the School’s Gesher Committee comprising parents, grandparents and alumni who aim to bring the community together through events and activities. Daniela Freed, Board member and Chair of Gesher shared: “It was such a pleasure to participate in the conversation with Steven Solomon on behalf of the Gesher Committee.

“Steve is such an inspirational and motivating speaker. It was so wonderful to hear his stories and accounts of what goes into being an elite athlete. It was clear it is not always easy and you are not always winning, but also clear that perseverance and determination to reach your goals are so important.”

If you missed the interview with Steve – you’re in luck!

Michelle Favero, Manager of Marketing and Communications

Best student film

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

Spring has sprung

Now that Spring has arrived and the weather is getting warmer, we hope the sun continues to shine and you are all well and able to get outside to enjoy the sunshine. In spite of lockdown, there many things we can be grateful for, and members of our community perform mitzvot that are much appreciated by all recipients of such good deeds. JEMS (Jewish Education Matters), founded by Rabbi Yossi and Rivky Shuchat in 2011 to promote Judaism and Jewish Education as an After School Care program is attended each week by many of our Emanuel Primary students as part of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah Discovery Course and/or their teen volunteering program, just to name a couple. The JEMS CTeen volunteers have been busy preparing packages as part of their SOS (Sending out Smiles) project and were delivered earlier in the week in COVID-safe conditions, to isolated people in lockdown. Year 6 student, Samara Strugar, was one of the many students who took part in this exciting SOS initiative. Purely by coincidence, three of the four gift packs she prepared went to Emanuel grandparents (past and present) including my nearly 95 year-old mother Rita, and also to Marlene, grandmother of one of Samara’s best friends and fellow Year 6 student Layla Aronstan. The packages each included a personalised balloon and handwritten card as well as a cap decorated with the recipient’s name. I know all four recipients of Samara’s gift were very appreciative and say a huge “thank you” to her.

Mazal Tov to alumnus Lexee Gordoun (Class of 2017)

Lexee Gordoun

Lexee just received the prestigious awards, ‘Best Student Film’ and ‘Best 1st time Producer’ for her film Bad Beat, at the recent New York International Film Awards (NYIFA). Lexee, who now works at Stan Australia as a Content Operations Assistant, studied film and TV production at JMC Academy in Ultimo and graduated this year. She says “a film takes an army, not just one person, which can make the task incredibly challenging. We had 30 people working toward a singular goal that sits in the director’s imagination. This film was part of my graduation project for University.

“Bad Beat is the story of three interconnected men following the war with seemingly happy lives. However, over the course of the film, we see the men unfold, exposing their vulnerabilities and traumas from the war. This film was made as a ‘proof of concept’ for a special edition series. Winning an award in a very competitive creative industry means more than just a title. It is the reward us creatives receive in exchange for tireless months of hard work, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I am incredibly grateful for all the support I’ve received from everyone in the community and couldn’t have done it without them. I have one feature film in development with fellow alumnus, Asher Klein. We are co-writing it, so watch this space! I also have a short film that was supposed to be filmed in August but has been postponed til restrictions lift – it tackles modern day female masculinity and sexism”.

The Bowraville Murders

Mazal tov to Emanuel Parent, Dan Goldberg, producer of the hard-hitting documentary, The Bowraville Murders, which premiers on Saturday evening. “The film investigates one of Australia’s worst unsolved murder cases that has been marred by systemic racism – the 1990-91 serial killings of three Aboriginal children, all from the same street in a rural town in NSW, all killed within five months of each other and all of their remains found off the same dirt track.”

We had planned on holding a live screening of the documentary, but this was thwarted by COVID. Instead, please join Allan Clarke, the Director and Stan Grant, Editorial and Indigenous Consultant, for the online premier screening and Q&A on Saturday 4 September at 7.30 pm. Bookings are essential.

Zoom Friday at 4.00 pm

We would love you to join us every Friday at 4.00 pm during school term, when you will see the smiling faces of so many members of our School, with students from Kornmehl through to High School as they sing and dance at home in the lead-up to Shabbat. This week we have a special Grandparents Rosh HaShanah Kabbalat Shabbat. We encourage you and your family, along with grandparents to join us.

Rosh Hashanah 2021/5782 in lockdown, like no other

At this time of the year there are always conversations about who makes the best honey cake, with swapping of recipes left right and centre. On the Facebook page Friday Night, founder and Emanuel parent, Susie Rosen (who is not a great fan of honey cake), posted a call out for the best recipe. Emanuel grandparent, Wendy Churnin, who claimed to make the ultimate honey cake, got Susie’s seal of approval. With Wendy’s permission, here is her now-famous recipe

Wendy Churnin’s Honey Cake

2 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon Bicarb
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup plain flour
1 cup boiling water

Method

Beat the eggs and sugar until creamy
Add oil, honey, soda, cocoa and cinnamon
Gently and carefully add the flour and then boiling water – the consistency will be quite runny
Line the bottom and sides of an 8 inch springform tin or a couple of loaf tins with baking paper
Bake for approx 1 hour at 180^oC – usually less
Ready when a skewer comes out clean

Friendship Bakery

The Friendship Bakery at Mark Moran Vaucluse is a social enterprise initiative of The Friendship Circle, engaging young adults with disabilities through skills development and workplace experiences. You’ll often see our alumni helping out at the bakery where you will find the most decadent and delicious Custard Bubka.

Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020/2021

The motto for our Australian Paralympians – Nothing is Impossible – has proven to be so true throughout the Games.

We are in awe of the efforts of every member of our Australian team as well as the athletes of every country competing at the Games. The “Aussie boys”, including our very own Matt Levy, took out gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay in a world record time on Monday night. Matt had already won an individual bronze medal in the men’s 100m breaststroke. We continue to cheer on our athletes for the remaining events of these Games.

Friendship Circle (FC) says a HUGE THANK YOU

The annual FC Walk is the major fundraiser for this program that provides support for families of children and young adults with disabilities. Last Sunday, hundreds of people in purple shirts participated online and walking around the streets of Sydney COVID-19 safe, as part of this year’s FC Virtual Amazing Race. $170,000 was set as the target to raise and, by the day of the walk, $200,000 had been raised. FC is truly grateful for the community’s efforts to support them and the link to raise funds will remains open for a little longer if you would like to make a donation.

Grandparents – we want you!

Grandparents are important vital members of our School Community, and we hope many of them take the opportunity to read Ma Nishma each week. It is a great way to stay connected with us all, especially whilst we are in lockdown, but also anytime. Unfortunately, we are missing up-to-date email contact details for many of our grandparents, so please send through grandparent contact details so they too can read about what is happening at School, albeit it all online for now. They will also receive our Grandparents and Friends newsletter. You can see past issues of this newsletter along with our alumni newsletters online. Living interstate and/or overseas, means some 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 in spite of the distance apart.

Remember September

Now that September has begun, alumnus Ben Wilheim, founder of Remember September, says a huge “Thank You” to members of our School community who have already signed up for this year’s event, to raise awareness and funds for research to find a cure for pancreatic cancer. The new challenge added this year, the walking challenge, seems to be the most popular so far – GIVE IT UP and MOVE IT. Ben says “we now have around 2,430 challengers and have raised $653,333.00 so far. See here for the latest figures and you can still sign up.

Jewish Changemaker Awards 2021
Send through nominations online

With so many of our current High School students and past students in the Jewish community making the world a better place through their amazing volunteering efforts, they deserve to be nominated for these awards. If your children or grandchildren fit this brief, please nominate them to win. Through the Jewish Changemaker Awards, JNF Australia, B’nai B’rith NSW and The Australian Jewish News are honouring individuals in our community who have made a difference. Seven incredible young adults aged 14 – 36 from around Australia will be recognised for their outstanding contributions to Jewish Community, Australian Society and to Israel. We would love to see more of our students recognised for their wonderful volunteering efforts, so please send through their nominations.

As we know, the COVID rulings change all the time – by checking this link, you can see the latest updates.

f you have a special online activity, photos or news you would like to share with us, please send to Sonia Newell

To you and your families, L’Shana tovah u’metukah – may you have a good and sweet New Year, and we wish you well over the Fast.

Shabbat Shalom. Stay safe, stay home and we hope you all have a good lockdown weekend and a wonderful Rosh HaShanah next week.

Putuwa at Emanuel School

Indigenous Literacy Day

Indigenous Literacy Day was on Wednesday 1 September 2021.

At Emanuel School, one of the ways that we are foregrounding Indigenous languages is through a new project that launched earlier this term; Putuwa.

On 19 September 1791, 15 year old Patyegarang from the Cammeraygal clan of the Eora nation taught the colonial astronomer and linguist William Dawes a Gadigal term: putuwa – to warm one’s hand by the fire and then to squeeze gently the fingers of another.

This term and exchange embody the spirit of teaching and learning and beautifully capture the qualities of our School motto, Mind Spirit Being.

At Emanuel School, ‘Putuwa’ is a focus on learning and using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander words and terms in order to deepen our understanding of the cultures that used/use them. Each week, we share a new term in a First Nations language. So far, we have learnt:

“budyeri kamaru”, meaning “hello” in Gadigal, the language that was traditionally spoken on the land that the School stands on.

“jalngay”, meaning “the reflection of a fire”, “a shimmering light” in Bundjalung, a language spoken in far northern New South Wales.

This week, to mark Indigenous Literacy Day, we learn the term “ngaara”, meaning “to listen, to hear and to think” in Dharug language, traditionally spoken in the large region spanning north and west from Sydney.

If you are interested in events and resources celebrating Indigenous Literacy Day, check out ild.org.au.

The main program provides a window into the richness, diversity, and multilingual world of First Nations peoples. Audiences can select from over 50 inspiring, short video stories by storytellers including Jessica Mauboy, Gregg Dreise, Wayne Quilliam, Archie Roach, Anita Heiss, four young, newly published graphic novelists plus stories and animations from children and Elders from remote communities and organisations such as SharingStories Foundation, SNAICC, First Languages Australia and many more.

All video stories can be viewed here.

For Primary School, students and early learners, teachers and parents can register for a special, free 25-minute pre-recorded event presented by dynamic performer and author Gregg Dreise, with a special guest appearance by Australia’s favourite pop singer Jessica Mauboy.

This event is hosted by the Sydney Opera House. Register here.

By Adam Ezekiel, Director of Students (7-12) and Eytan Messiah, Head of Visual Arts

Granny & Gramps

Drama!

Samantha Bauer – Head of Drama

Congratulations Year 12 Drama!

Even though there was no showcase this year to share your work with family and friends, I am still so proud of the Group Performances and Monologues you created.

Your Drama work is innovative, perceptive, sophisticated, hilarious and, at times, heartbreaking.

The tenacity and strength you have shown over the past few months has been jaw dropping!

It’s been a wonderful journey…

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

UAC updates

Gladys Berejiklian made her welcome announcements last week about our returning to school processes and plans for Term 4. Even though it seems like a long way off, it was good to hear dates and have some tentative plans ahead. For Year 12s, there were some obvious changes about the HSC that will affect how places for university are now offered.

UAC have now updated their website.

“UAC will work closely with NESA and universities to finalise arrangements for the calculation and release of the ATAR in January 2022 and the release of offers based on ATAR in January and February 2022. These details will be communicated to schools and students and be made publicly available as soon as possible.”

I am monitoring the UAC details closely and updating the students on any new information. The biggest change for them, irrespective of the HSC, will be the release of main round places. Now that everything has moved forward, release dates for places will most likely take place in the week following 15 January 2022. I will be available for meetings around this new date to discuss preferencing and UAC strategy.

UAC COVID Disaster Payments: Students can make a claim and put in an Educational Access Scheme application if either parent has received COVID Disaster payments. More details can be found here – claiming financial hardship for 2022 COVID-influenced events.

Here are some important UAC reminders:

The early bird application deadline is Thursday 30 September 2021 (prices increase to $200)
Many institutions early offer schemes for Year 12 students – please apply
The closing date for the Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS) is Sunday 19 September 2021 and the first offers will be released on Friday 12 November 2021.

Sydney University Vice Chancellor – Mark Scott

There is a fabulous article written in last week’s Sydney Morning Herald, by the new Vice Chancellor of Sydney University, telling the class of 2021 that Sydney University wants students like them at their prestigious institution. Every Year 12 parent and student should read this.

Webinars

Beyond is a new careers and pathways platform that has been designed to make it easier to support students in career planning. Students can access a huge range of industry videos, engage with universities and other education providers, access HSC prep materials and attend live webinars.

Webinar on Autism Spectrum and Career Planning: Career planning and transitions for young people on the autism spectrum will be discussed at this webinar on Thursday 2 September 2021 at 4.00 pm. This is a one hour, webinar with presenters about career planning and the role of parental supports. Register now

Media and Telecommunications Industry Insights – Thursday 9 September 2021 at 4.00 pm. This is brought to you by myfuture. In this webinar students will hear from a panel of representatives from technology and telecommunications companies. Register now

Year 10

The TAFE portal is now closed for any 2022 applications for TVET places. I have spoken to all students keen on applying and their applications are now all uploaded into the TVET portal. TAFE will be in touch in Term 4 with updates about places.

Year 11

Wishing all of the Year 11s a well-earned rest after their Year 11 exams this week. As I have told them throughout the term, these exam results (probably more than any other Year Group before them) will be important, if they are to access any early offer programs in the build-up to Year 12 completion. This link will give an example of what was available. This is something that I will be going through in detail next term and beyond.

Open Day information

All Open Day information can be accessed here.

University of Sydney – Business majors showcase: marketing, innovation and entrepreneurship

Wednesday 8 September 2021
5.00 pm – 6.00 pm. Find out more about this webinar here.

Community Notices

The Bowraville Murders Premier – 4 September

P&F

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Hello Community,

We hope you have had a good week.

Father’s Day

Even though we can’t celebrate “together”, we have come up with a way to still celebrate Father’s Day as a community this weekend. A huge thank you to Justine Hofman, Jodie Gien and Jenny Nurick for their assistance in putting this all together.

P&F Meetings

P&F Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7.00 pm on Zoom. Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting this week.

Mindfulness for Tough Times

We have now finished the eight weeks of Mini-Mindfulness Sessions brought to you by Emanuel parent Jodie Gien, from Mindful Future Project. The amount of people who subscribed was amazing and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We can’t thank Jodie enough for providing our community with this fantastic opportunity.

Weekend trivia (from last week) and answers

We broke from tradition last week and asked you a couple trivia questions instead of a brain teaser. Here are the answers:

Question 1: Which monarch officially made Valentine’s Day a holiday in 1537?
Answer: Henry VIII

Question 2: What is “cynophobia”?
Answer: Fear of dogs

We would like to wish all the fathers, grandfathers and special friends in our Emanuel Community a very happy Father’s Day and also we wish you all a good and sweet New Year!

Shana Tova U’metukah,

Jen and Ruby

Recipe of the Week

Each week we’ll bring you a tasty recipe passed down by Emanuel families, from the Emanuel School Community Cookbook, The Family Meal.

From the Kitchen of the Riesel Family

Middle Eastern Chicken Shawarma

Ingredients

1 kg chicken thigh fillets, sliced

Marinade

1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp group cumin
1 tbsp ground cardamom
1 tbsp group cayenne pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
Black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil

To serve

Hummus
Wraps or tortillas
Salad of your choice

Directions

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag or bowl. Add the chicken and make sure each piece is coated. Marinate overnight or up to 24 hours.
Heat BBQ/frypan on medium heat. Cook chicken till nicely done.
If chicken has not already been sliced into pieces before cooking, then slice cooked chicken and pile onto platter beside small soft tortilla wraps, salad and the yoghurt sauce.
To make a wrap, get a piece of flatbread, or your soft tortilla, and smear with hummus. Top with chicken and salad of your choice. Roll and enjoy!
Easy alternatives are to buy tabouli and/or coleslaw mix.

Serves 4 – 6

You can order the Emanuel School Community Cookbook, The Family Meal, by contacting Ruby Berkovic

Ma Nishma