From the Principal

Andrew Watt – Principal

The plans for our new building are coming to life

I am very pleased to confirm that we have now reached $8 million in donations to our Capital Appeal! This very exciting news and we are grateful to all those in our community who have committed to helping bring this important project to life. Whilst we are still two million dollars away from our fundraising target, there is still time to donate – please visit ourbightfuture.com.au today to pledge your support.

The construction of our new building on the current Adler Building site is planned to commence shortly after the last day of Term 4, and we anticipate that we will move into our new home in early 2023. 

The decant of classrooms, offices and toilets to other campus locations has been planned carefully and will be completed before our students return to school. We also plan to replace the cladding in the Innovation building over the summer break. After a lengthy and detailed tender process, we have appointed the construction company.

When completed, this development will free up substantial space across our campus, allowing greater flexibility within our High School timetable. When the new and significantly larger Primary School Imaginarium is completed, the current space will become part of our planned High School Innovation Hub, on the first level of our Innovation Building. The key features of the new building include the following, purpose-built learning spaces:

• Two Kindergarten classrooms, double the size of the existing spaces, with a dedicated library and reading room.
• Six capacious, light filled, interconnected classrooms for Years 5 and 6, which flow out onto two large and one smaller breakout space. These spaces will facilitate collaborative work, support project-based learning and serve as exhibition or function spaces.
• A fully equipped Imaginarium, or maker space.
• A completely remodelled courtyard and play area.
• Staff rooms and meeting spaces.

Our students will benefit greatly from this new building for years to come.

A sneak peek at our High School Speech Day Guest Speaker: Michael Milton OAM

On 9 December 2021, we will be celebrating the achievements of our students at High School Speech Day. Sadly, due to restrictions, parents will be unable to physically attend this key event in our school calendar. We will be broadcasting the Speech Day via Zoom at 1.45 pm – this link will be shared within the next few weeks.

I am pleased to announce that we will be welcoming our Guest Speaker, Michael Milton OAM, to inspire the students at Speech Day. I recently spoke to Michael and was overwhelmed by his story of resilience and courage. I am sure you will be too. 

Michael Milton is one of Australia’s most internationally successful athletes. With the loss of his leg at the age of 9 to bone cancer, Milton was determined to conquer the slopes, and that he did. He says that having only one leg is not an obstacle, it’s just part of who he is. With 11 Paralympic medals, (six gold), Milton showed the world he was unstoppable, dominating the Winter Paralympic Games in 2002 winning four gold medals, which earned him the title of Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability. Other key achievements include:

• Speed skiing on the steepest slope in the world, where he clocked over 193km/hr.
• Winning a cycling gold medal in the 3000m Individual Pursuit at the Australian Track Cycling Championships and competing at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.
• Competing in the Mark Weber Challenge, a five-day adventure race in Tasmania.
• Completing the 293 km Coast to Coast Kokoda Challenge (twice).
• Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro.
• Competing at two World Paratriathlon Championships, finishing fourth in China.
• Completed a marathon on crutches, breaking the existing Guinness World Record.
• Completed the Ultra-Trail Australia 50km ultra-marathon.
• Setting his third world record, running 5km on crutches in just 32:13.69.

Michael’s achievements are inspirational, and we look forward to the message he will bring us.

Project Heritage

A touching handmade thank you note from a Project Heritage Historian to her group, giving very sound advice to them about the future

On Tuesday afternoon I was privileged to attended the Year 6 Project Heritage launch. This year has been particularly challenging due to COVID but this did not deter the students who worked with their Historians on Zoom to develop a deep understanding of their lives.

This year, seven of the nine Historians are grandparents of the Year 6 students – a wonderful opportunity to delve deeply into the celebrations, trials and tribulations of their own family members. Each group wrote poetry and artwork which was inspired by their Historian’s life.

Thank you to Adam Carpenter who once again coordinated the project and developed the indepth Project Heritage website to display the students’ work, as well as Lara Kepitis, Eamon Lukins, Kim Haddix, Eytan Messiah, Louise Heilpern and the nine staff mentors for guiding and supporting the students through this historically important project.

Start-up 101

Year 10 Business Creators students were involved in a workshop called Start-up 101. University of Sydney business students led our own business creators to think of a problem, provide statistics and data on the issue, conduct market research and then pitch a business proposal including a logo and a prototype of their app.

Mazal tov to Coby New, Alexis Demos, Liam Budai, Alexander Itzkowitz and Jonah Levi for placing first with their study and organisational app. Runners up: Mischa Spielman, Ella Engler, Sara Hakim, Nathan Bognar are to be commended for their sleep app for teenagers. These two teams now move to the Statewide Finals to be held in December. 

Good news for whales, albatrosses, dolphins, sea turtles…

I was delighted to hear this week that NSW parliament has passed a ban on single-use plastic items from 2022 – this is a huge step towards reducing plastic pollution which has such a devastating effect on our environment. Tikkun Olam, the concept of repairing our broken world, is a key focus at Emanuel School and we will proudly implement these changes long before the State-mandated dates of 1 June and 1 November 2022. For over a year the canteen has stopped selling single use plastic bottles and Kornmehl Pre-school has a strict bare food policy. Together we can make a difference and I look forward to sharing our progress. Below is a handy guide to the changes that will come into effect next year.

Mazal tov

Mazal tov to Lara Fosbery, Class of 2021, who represented Emanuel School in the National Finals of the Mikolot Public Speaking Competition. Lara considered the question: “What is it to be Jewish? What does it mean now, what did it mean a thousand years ago, and what will it mean tomorrow and into the future?” Her response was eloquent and showed a deep understand of and connection to Judaism, the land of Israel and our responsibility to the environment.  She ended her speech with the words: “To be a Jew is to care for all, for the land and for humanity”. You can read her full speech in the article titled From the voices in this week’s Ma Nishma.

Quote of the week

“Study the historian before you begin to study the facts.” ~ Edward Hallett Carr, British historian (1892-1982)

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Kisses – betraying or bestowing

It is not happenstance that in Hebrew the root word for kiss is the same as that for weapon (נשק). Kisses can hurt and kisses can heal.

Ya’akov kissed his blind father, Yitschak, in an act of betrayal, to secure the blessing of the firstborn (which was to go to the older Eisav). ‘And, he (Ya’akov) kissed him (Yitschak) and he (Yitschak) smelled the scent of his clothes, and he blessed him’. The clothes, in fact, were Eisav’s, and so the Rabbis say “don’t read ‘his clothes’ but ‘his betrayals’”, as the Hebrew root word for clothes and betrayal is the same.

In this week’s parashah, VaYishlach, Ya’akov encounters his twin Eisav for the first time, since his kiss of betrayal. Their reunion, like their disunion, features a kiss. ‘And, Eisav ran to greet him. He embraced him and, falling upon his neck, he kissed him and they wept’.

As the masoretic text has dots (‘Puncta extraordinaria’) appearing over the word VaYishakeihu – ‘He kissed him’, a commentator, punning on the root word נשק/nashak meaning kiss or weapon, says Eisav ‘bit him’. (Keeping in mind, as well, that the root word  נשך/nashakh – bite is similar to that of נשק/nashak – kiss) Eisav, he posits, could not possibly be as forgiving as the text presents.

Clearly, however, this is a moment of reconciliation. Even more, Eisav’s kiss is linked to a reversal of Ya’akov’s betrayal and his taking of the firstborn’s blessing. Right before the kiss, we read that Ya’akov ‘bowed down to the ground, seven times, until he was near his brother’. The blessing bestowed upon Ya’akov was ‘Be master over your brothers and may your mother’s son bow to you’. Ya’akov goes on to say to his brother Eisav: ‘Please take my blessing that I have brought to you’

Both good intentions and bad are sealed with a kiss. Ya’akov learns, and the Torah teaches us that the truly blessed are those who bestow rather than betray brotherly love.

A very bright Shabbat

IT and Play Leaders

IT Leaders

This Year the IT Leaders, with their mentor Ms Thomas, have tried to make the idea of technology for children a much more exciting and interesting idea to the kids of Emanuel School. This year has been hard on a lot of people but looking back after lockdown we believe we have still achieved a couple of things: Minecraft Club for Years 5-6 and coding club for Years K-2, these are some of the things we believe we have done well and are proud of. Some advice we would like to give to the next generation of IT Leaders is to pursue many different types of clubs for many different Year Groups to give a wide unique variety of tasks to accomplish.

Before we wrap up this article we would like to give a couple of challenges for students to complete through the holidays (search these to find out what to do):

• Capillary Action: Watch dyed water move from glass to glass by itself
• Repel Glitter with dish soap: be amazed as you see the glitter move to the edges of the bowl by itself
• The Leak Proof bag: An amazing trick where not one drop of water spills from the bag when pencils get pushed through it
• Egg Drop: try to see if you can create an invention that will keep the egg from breaking
• Clean old coins: Put some old coins in different liquids and see what happens

If you want any more experiments then ask your parents or spend some time researching and see what you find.

We thank Ms Thomas for all the hard work she has put in throughout the year as our mentor. She has made our time in this role special and one to remember. 

By Daniel Judin, Jacob Zyl and Cyrus Waldner

Play Leaders

We started the year with much excitement and some great activities planned for Years K-2.  We began meeting and greeting our newest Emanuel friends. Kindergarten! They were so cute, well behaved and oh so clingy. 

We really got going with some fun playground activities for Year 1 out on Triguboff Courtyard. We had free flexible stations and offered games, story time, handball and drawing. The kids loved the fact that they could choose their own activities. Next up, we had a mini puppet club with some cute puppet shows. Soon after, we held ‘Playpals’ with Year 1. The PlayPals program is a way to help little kids work with others in team events. 

We ran these sessions every Monday for four weeks. We loved it as much as the little kids! Sadly, due to COVID-19 restrictions we could not spread our ‘magic‘ to Year 2. We were just so glad to have had the opportunity to work with some ‘little peeps’ and hopefully made a difference!

 By Zarah Gorelik, Leah Stiassny, Summer Schlesinger and Noa Saffron

Music Leaders

A year in summary

We have had a busy year in Music, even though COVID-19 has affected the way that we have been able to make music this year. There have been many highlights over the course of the year and we are so happy to have been involved in the multitude of activities. A big thank you to all of the music teachers and tutors who have worked so hard to make these experiences so fun and memorable. 

Music camp

Music camp was amazing and there were so many memorable moments. From the talent show to the singing of Ha’Shorashim it was all amazing. We got to learn new prices and work together to make one amazing night. The concert which was truly unforgettable and everyone got to have such a great time. 

Twilight concerts

While the Twilight Concerts were very different this year, they have been unforgettable nonetheless. One was online, one with a limited number of people, but we made a way to share our music anyway. The recorded one made it easy for people to watch the performances over and over and come to the Twilight concert even if they couldn’t find much time. With fewer people, while the reach is shorter, it means fewer nerves for the performers. Through all the struggles we made it work, it has been so great making music together.

 Virtual Aladdin project

Over 2021, some Year 6 students, along with some Year 5 students, have been learning new skills to create a great musical. This year’s musical was Aladdin. The students worked hard over the time period they had to sing, dance and definitely have a lot of fun but doing sessions after school was difficult, mostly because of lockdown. Nearly not doing a musical at all but, after all of their hard work there had to be away the show could still go on. The Year 6 students started doing a professional recording of all their wonderful singing and dancing that we are sure will turn out amazing.

IP

Every year, Years 3-6 do IP. On Tuesday or Wednesday students had to learn a new way of doing it online. We learned how to play new pieces and read new notes. It is also a new learning experience for students to learn instruments. If they want to continue their instruments there are bands and more they can take part in.

Classroom Music 

This year we did music from the comforts of our homes. We learnt many new things and discovered new abilities. While learning to write songs and experimenting with new things this has been a blast. Even though we were at home, the teachers made it enjoyable and easy for us students to continue with learning. While playing fun games and learning loads we all have shown what we are capable of. 

Audience Choir writing/Composing process

During the Music Camp Concert this year, you may have heard a very special piece of music in which musicians and audience members alike were able to make beautiful music together. This was called the School Song for Audience Choir. It was also very special as Emanuel School students helped to write it. We got together to discuss the questions for the quiz everyone took in order to choose their sonic identity, help record the sounds and write the melody. 

Ha’Shorashim recording

This year a group of people got together to make the recording of Ha’Shorashim. We got to work with one another and share our ideas toward this. We learnt all about the different steps and even got to make some sound recordings. This is one experience we will never forget and we are so grateful for being part of this.

Music Assembly performances

Before lockdown, some students who played an instrument got the opportunity to show their hard work to Years 3-6. It was great for their practice and great for their confidence. They spoke to us about what they wanted to play and what assembly they would play in. At the end of the performances ,the children that played an instrument in assembly and felt accomplished.

Ensemble Music Online

Every year, ensembles have been a way for people to come together and make music. This year, we needed this more than ever. Unfortunately, due to lag over Zoom, we were unable to see and hear each other while we played. Even so, while we played through the exercises and activities that the teachers had put up on Stile for us that week, we could know that across Sydney there were other Emanuel students playing along with us. 

Advice to next year’s music leaders

Try your best and make the most of the experience. Find as many opportunities as possible to bring more students into the amazing music that happens here at school.

By Hannah Fekete, Lila Freedman and Isabella Hirst (Year 6).

Tzedakah Leaders

Being a Tzedakah Leader in Year 6 is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to donate to charities in need. In Term 4, the charity we supported was Wires, an animal welfare charity. As Tzedakah Leaders, we have supported many charities like JNF, Close the Gap, Children’s Ground and WIRES. Our main goal is to help others in need and to raise awareness. 

Having the opportunity to be a Tzedakah Leader is an incredible chance to help others in need. I was so excited when I was chosen to have the opportunity to be a Tzedakah Leader. Every week, we would have a meeting and talk about charities we were going to support. We came up with an abundance of charities in need that we were going to support. Personally, my favourite charity we’ve donated to was Wires, where we had to dress up in animal clothing and bring in a gold coin. Being a Tzedakah Leader brought fun and excitement to Year 6 by donating to those in need. I’ve donated to so many charities I haven’t donated to before and it’s a fantastic way to raise awareness for those who need it. None of this would be possible without Ms Rosenfeld and Ms Haddix, who were major helpers during the process of Tzedakah Leading. 
By Chloe Ginzberg

This year I was chosen to be a Charity Leader. I loved it. We would meet up every week and discuss ways to help those in need, human, animal and bush. My favourite charity this year was Closing the Gap. It was an amazing opportunity to get the whole school involved and have fun. We coloured paper hands, dressed in red, yellow, and black, and donated to the charity. We raised so much, had a heap of fun, and it was for a good cause! I feel like this year has shown me that there are other things because before this anything I thought I wouldn’t like I just said no but now I am much more open to things. Thank you so much, Ms Haddix and Ms Rosenfeild for being our mentors. We had a great time and I enjoyed it so much.
By Indigo Joseph-Steward

This year I had a fun and enjoyable time being a Tzedakah Leader. I loved the opportunity of helping with fundraising. We chose four amazing charities from JNF, Close the Gap, WIRES and Children’s Ground. Each week on a Tuesday at lunch we would all catch up to talk about what charities we should raise funds for. We also spent our meeting time making announcements, posters and counting the money that was raised. During this crazy and unique year we still managed to have a lot of fun being a Tzedakah Leader. My favourite charity was Children’s Ground because we were able to wear colours to represent the Aboriginal flag. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Haddix, Ms Rosenfeld and all the other teachers and students who helped with Tzedakah this year.
By Joshua Greenfield

I loved being a Tzedakah Leader this year because there were so many opportunities and it was amazing to help out our community by raising money for them or giving Tzedakah. At the beginning I didn’t really like being a Charity Leader but it has got so much better and more fun throughout the year. Even though we were in lockdown for 12 weeks we still had meetings when we got back to school and organised a charity event this week. Thank you Ms Haddix, Ms Rosenfield and everyone that helped us out this year to make our events happen.  
By Maxim Demos

Project Heritage

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

This week Year 6 launched the Project Heritage website as a culmination and celebration of their journey learning about the lives of nine special living Historians. 

This year our Historians were: Robert Magid OAM, Emanuel grandparent Miriam Sonnenshein and Year 6 grandparents Michael Besser OAM, Vera Faludi, Naomi Goldrei, Ron Hirsch, Kari Schaefer, Anne Slade and Susan Sweller.

During Term 3 lockdown, students conducted three interviews via Zoom to learn about the lives, history, heritage and values of their historian. With information from the interviews and photographs and artefacts provided by the Historian, students began to create various pieces of work inspired by their Historian – including a biography, poem, creative writing and art work. These works were collated onto a website and shared with the Historians and Year 6 families.   

A huge mazal tov, kol hakavod and todah rabah to our very special Historians, the Year 6 students and all the teachers involved in Project Heritage this year. 

The following words were shared during our presentation launch this week:

Jordan Arnott: Each of our Historians has lived a full and interesting life. Through the challenging times and happy times, our Historians shared with us the importance of family, friendship, values and persistence in life.

Noa Grojnowski: It’s not every day that children and adults have the opportunity to learn about history and heritage through the personal lives and experiences of a different generation. 

Aviv Farhy: Thank you so much to all our amazing Historians… to Michael, Vera, Naomi, Ron, Robert, Kari, Anne, Miriam and Susan. You each gave so generously of your time to share your heritage, history, life and family with us. Your special qualities, values and outlook on life have been inspirational for us all. 

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Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Year 5 enjoyed special activities during Hebrew and Jewish Studies last Friday, in lieu of a postponed off-site Hebrew Day ‘Machane Bisli’.

During Jewish Studies, Mia explored the concept of Oneg Shabbat (the delight of Shabbat) and students were invited to think of ideas and activities for themselves and their families to help make Shabbat special, different and pleasurable. After lunch Mia led the students in a ruach and Israeli dancing session and in class they enjoyed playing a variety of Hebrew games. The day concluded with students running a Kabbalat Shabbat celebration in their classrooms and celebrated with challah, a packet of Bisli and a camp beanie. 

Thank you Morah Bar-On, Mia, Morah Erika, Morah Martine, Morah Shirley, Morah Gaida and Morah Becky for planning and running the activities.

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

Our native bees and beehive

What an absolute privilege it has been to have the native stingless bees at Kornmehl. We are learning more about the importance of their existence and just how precious, fragile and special these creatures are. The children have gained a real insight into the process and happenings in and around a hive.

Australia’s own native honeybees are tiny (3-5 mm), black and stingless! Inside their resinous nest are a queen, males, and hundreds or even thousands of worker bees. The stingless bees are the only native bees currently available for sale in Australia. Beekeepers transfer the nests into small hive boxes and can propagate the nests by splitting. These hives can be used for honey production and crop pollination.

We have noticed the children are showing a lot of curiosity in our stingless bee hive lately. They noticed that with the warm weather, the bees are spending a lot of their time out of the hive. The children are also wondering what is happening inside the hive and if the bees had made any honey yet.

We noticed some of the children poking their fingers or sticks in the beehive hole. We acknowledge and appreciate the children’s interest and curiosity, however, we felt we needed to address the impact that their actions could have on the bees. We showed the children a short video on native bees and how to look after the colonies.

We engaged in dialogue about our bees in the Pre-school and ways to respect and look after them:

Alex: Something happens when we stand close to the bee hive…
Daniel: They come to you.
Finn: They stick to your clothes.
Penny: They go on your hair.
Alex: And what do you think happens when you try to get them away from you? 
Neveau: It is killing them.

We discussed how to observe them without hurting or killing them:

Alice: You can watch them from the side or far.
Daniel: We care about the bees and the earth because bees make honey. 
Finn: If bees weren’t alive, we wouldn’t have honey.
Arlo: If there were no bees in this world, something different will happen. The ecosystem won’t be balanced, and the flowers will be dead.
Penny: Honey wouldn’t be a thing.
Daniel: If there were no bees, mother nature can’t exist.
Neveau: Different bees make different honey, and they need different flowers.
Abby: You care about the land; you must be careful with the bees.

We were very lucky to acquire a microscope you can attach to an iPad camera to take photos. We took some close-up photos of the bees in the beehive. The native bees are very small, black and look like a fruit fly. If you look closely at the bees, you can see them carrying pollen into the hive and others exiting without the pollen as they go on a search for more. The children have learnt to feel comfortable around the bees and how to respect and care for these precious creatures. They have learnt the process around pollination and how they support the growth in our veggie and herb garden.

On Thursday, Gavin Smith, a registered bee man and the person who helped us establish our bee hive a year ago, came back to Pre-school to split our hive in front of the children. It was fascinating to watch him do this.

You can only split a hive once a year. Splitting is generally done as soon as the days start warming up – October onward till around March – April. You can only split a native bee hive once a year, otherwise the colony halves will be too small and they will fail as a result. Worker bees within colonies have been known to live for about 161 days, with the oldest bee living for 240 days.

What is a mitzvah?

Our Pre-schoolers certainly know…

Daisy: Something that you do that is nice and kind.
Etta: When people are poor, and they live on the street, and you see them you give them money and you don’t want them to lose their money.
Jaimee: When somebody is riding a bicycle and that person falls and hurts their leg and you help them.
Levy: It means something to do to be nice and caring.
Adrienne: When someone hurts themselves you need to give them money and a band aid.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Rafi Silvera (5), Uriel Stein (5), Justine Robertson and Terry Aizen. We hope you all had a special day.

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Purple our World

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

Time to celebrate

Chanukah treats

Chanukah is just around the corner, with the first night on Sunday 28 November 2021, and now that we are out of lockdown, there will be no stopping families and friends getting together to light the Chanukiah each night and eat yummy Sufganiyot (jam-filled donuts) and latkes (fried potato pancakes) as we all celebrate this Jewish festival. There will also be a number of community events to celebrate this very special Festival of Lights, including Chanukah in the Park, Dudley Reserve, Dover Heights, Chanukah Family Day at Taronga Zoo with JNF and Jewish House, Chanukah at the Bay, Steyne Park in Double Bay, Friendship Circle and the Board of Jewish Education (BJE) has several events designed for specific age groups.

Please remember to stay safe as we all celebrate Chanukah 2021, the first Chag since before lockdown, where there are no restrictions on numbers able to attend.

We continue to appreciate everything the School does to ensure the safety and well-being of our staff and of our students.

Although COVID rulings have relaxed significantly, we still need to remain vigilant as there are cases of COVID reported in the suburbs we live in. Younger children, for now, are not eligible to get a COVID vaccination and from time to time, we will hear of positive cases, in particular for this younger age group. Please stay safe everyone. See the latest COVID rulings updates.

Our community and social justice

Alumnus Jonathan Salgo (Head Madrich 2007) is co-founder of Provider Choice a technology company focussed on opening up the world of possibilities to people with disability and their families.

Here is an article Jonathan wrote that was published in the West Australian last week: 

Purple our World

The whole of November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and yesterday, Thursday 18 November 2021 was World Pancreatic Awareness Day (WPCD). Many of our readers have lost loved ones to this awful cancer, for which there is currently no cure. You may recall reading about alumnus Ben Wilheim, founder of Remember September. Together with all the participants of the 2021 campaign, they raised $1.5 million for awareness of and research into a cure for pancreatic cancer. For those who read the Australian Jewish News, the name Jessica Abelsohn may be familiar – she writes their Arts and Lifestyle articles and has interviewed members of our School community on her pages. Jessica founded Purple Our World in 2014 to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer following her mother’s passing at the age of 59. Such an important cause supported by so many, they even had the sails of the Sydney Opera House turn purple on the eve of WPCD 2017.

Mitzvah Day           
Sunday 21 November 2021

Make a difference – doing good deeds to meet community needs, based on Jewish values of Tzedakah (righteousness), Gemilut Chassidim (acts of loving kindness) and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), Our Big Kitchen (OBK) and B’nai B’rith Youth join forces this Sunday to cook for good in celebration of Mitzvah Day. 

TATTLETALES
by alumnus Davey Seagle (aka David Friedman, Class of 2011)

Davey runs his own theatre company Ponydog Productions – his latest production, TATTLETALES is an immersive storytelling experience.

You, the audience, are invited to share in creating an original adventure with The Storyteller as your guide. Designed to be experienced by no more than 10 per show, the decisions you make will determine the characters you meet and the challenges you’ll face on your journey.

Your tale, once told, will never be told again.

Davey says “I’d love to see some Emanuel folks at my show, so please use the code ‘STORYTIME’ for 10% off adult tickets” which you can purchase here.

Flight Path Theatre, Marrickville
Previews: Tuesday 16  November 2021 – Thursday 18 November 2021
Season: Friday 19 November 2021 – Sunday 28 November 2021 

Lion Spy 
Sunday 21 November 2021 at 4.00 pm

It’s not too late to book your tickets for a special pre-screening of “Lion Spy” benefitting National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (NCJWA) and Friendship Circle (FC). The screening will be followed by an exclusive Q&A with director Rogue Rubin. The documentary follows Rogue Rubin, as she infiltrates the male dominated world of trophy hunters in Africa.
Purchase tickets and find more information on the film.

Grandparents – we will always want you!

Ma Nishma each week remains one of the best ways to stay connected with our School and with our community no matter where in the world you live. Please help us to get our grandparents database updated by sending through grandparent contact details so they too can read Ma Nishma to find out what is happening at School, albeit it only online for now. We will have an end-of-year edition of our Grandparents and Friends newsletter and you can see past issues of this newsletter along with our alumni newsletters online. Living interstate and/or overseas, means some of “our” 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 at School in spite of the distance apart. As we still cannot have visitors on campus Ma Nishma and our Community Facebook (FB) page are great ways to stay connected with us. If not already a member of our FB page, join here.

Head On Photo Festival 2021
Friday 19 November 2021 – 28 November 2021

With artists from around the world including Israel and South Africa exhibiting at the festival this year, Head On 2021 looks to be even more exciting than previous years. Emanuel parent Moshe Rosenzveig OAM is the founder and director of Head On Photo Festival and his wife Anita Schwartz is Festival Advisory Board. Head On Foundation was established in 2008, dedicated to promoting the work of photographers at all stages of their career. This year’s festival includes a jam-packed online program and spectacular outdoor locations across Sydney, including Paddington Reservoir Gardens and Bondi Beach, all of which will be in line with COVID-safety. There will be exhibitions from over 700 contributing artists, workshops, panel discussions and artist live talks.

Kristallnacht Commemoration 

If you missed last week’s NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Kristallnacht Commemoration which included the last-ever interview with great grandparent and well-known Holocaust survivor, teh late Eddie Jaku OAM, The Happiest Man on Earth, you can see it here.

Challah and sweet treats

Don’t forget you can order challah and sweet treats online from Friendship Bakery at Mark Moran Vaucluse (2 Laguna Street Vaucluse), a social enterprise initiative of the Friendship Circle engaging young adults with disabilities. Online orders close at 4.00 pm on Thursdays for “click and collect” and pickup on Fridays between 9.00 am and 1.00 pm. If you miss this cut-off, you can head up to the bakery on a Friday morning, where no doubt you will see other parents, grandparents and friends in the queue waiting to buy their yummy challah and freshly baked treats for Shabbat and the weekend. Some of their weekly favourites will no doubt tempt you, as will new products.  They have gluten-free options as well as a few vegan goodies.

Summer holidays

There are lots of choices for activities for your children, some of which involve helping others, whist some provide creative and/or sporting experiences. Here is information on just two along with a link to a FB page you might find useful:

• Friendship Circle January Day Camp volunteer registrations now open.   
• Past parent Vivienne Radomsky, Project Manager at B’nai B’rith NSW now shares details about B’nai B’rith Kids Club photo workshop on 18 January 2022. For more information or to book, please call Viv on 9321 6300.
• Facebook group Sydney Jewish Mums.        

FC January 2022 Day Camp Poster NEW 2[97]

B’nai B’rith photo workshop January 2022

We look forward to sharing our news and yours, so if you have photos or news you would like to share with us, please send to Sonia Newell.    

Shabbat shalom, stay safe and have a great weekend.

K-12 Sport

Stuart Taylor – PDHPE Teacher

Primary Inter-House Olympics results

Over the last three weeks, all students in Years K-6 took part in the Inter-House Mini Olympics. Each Year Group participated in an exciting tabloid-style event with fun modified ‘Olympic’ style events.

Well done to all the students, who participated with great spirit and enjoyed the day. 

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Year group winners:

Year K: Monash
Year 1: Monash
Year 2: Monash 
Year 3: Wynn
Year 4: Cowen
Year 5: Monash
Year 6: Monash

Overall winning House: Monash

Term 4 Sport 

In line with current regulations, many sports have returned in recent weeks. It has been pleasing to see students in both Primary and High School enjoying some level of school sport again.

Students from Years 3-12 have recommenced tennis under the guidance of Emanuel coach, Mat Rabenda, and Year 3/4 students are engaging in a netball skills training program. Indi Faithfull, Head of Basketball, is delivering a comprehensive basketball training program for students in Years 5-12, as well as currently running trials for the Firsts basketball teams.

Primary Tennis T4 2022

Year 7:8 Tennis Term 4 2021

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The school running program has also recommenced for Primary students each Monday morning at Queen’s Park and High School students are currently trialling for the Emanuel Firsts Football Team under the guidance of coaching staff Aytek Genc and Ethan De Melo (Class of 2020).

Football Trials T4 2021

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The Term 1 2022 sport program and enrolments will be released in mid-January via the Parent Portal. 

Music live!

Diana Springford – Head of Music

Term 4 Twilight Concert 

Over the past few weeks, 25 of our dedicated student instrumentalists and vocalists have been preparing for what, in any other year, would have been a live performance in the Millie Phillips Theatre in front of family, friends and peers. This year, Danny Burley has recorded performances of these students and they are now available online in a presentation accessible via the “Music Performances” button in the Parent Portal for us all to enjoy.

I invite everyone to view these lovely performances by all ages of Emanuel students.  

Thank you to Danny Burley for organising and supporting these students. Thank you to our team of peripatetic tutors who have prepared these students so beautifully. Recording is actually a very different experience than live performance, as any professional musician will tell you, and has its own peculiar set of pressures and difficulties. Mazal tov and thank you to the students who have worked hard preparing these sensitive performances and bravely submitted them for us to share! 

Our Twilight Concerts provide an intimate and formal performance opportunity for students receiving private music tuition here at School. We encourage students of all levels to perform regularly and to express their interest via their music tutor to participate in future concerts. The next Twilight Concerts will be in Term 2, 2022.

Instrument Maintenance check day

(23 November 2021 – 24 November 2021)

If you are borrowing any school instrument (for IP, for ISP, or for your ensemble playing) please bring it into the Music Department by 8:15 am on Tuesday 23 November 2021 (or on Wednesday, if you do IP on that day) to be checked and serviced by our team. Regrettably, any instruments which are not serviced in our maintenance check will need to be taken by parents to be serviced at a music shop at their own expense. Please pick your instrument up on Thursday unless you get an email from us or are returning it permanently.  Instruments should be clean and have a student name tag attached with the instrument barcode on the reverse. If this name tag is missing, please ask Mrs De Araujo in the music staffroom to label it for you.

End of Year 6 IP (Instrumental Program) and continuing Music Tuition in High School

For parents of Year 6 students who are coming to the end of the compulsory Instrumental Program, you have received an email about the return of your School-loaned instrument and your intentions regarding private music tuition and High School ensembles. Please reply to Joanne De Araujo

Private Music Tuition and Infant Strings Program for 2022

Please note that from 2022, the cost of individual private music lessons will be charged at a rate of $48.00 per half-hour lesson (plus GST, if the tutor is registered to pay GST). This is the rate advised by the NSW Music Teachers Association. Lessons shared in pairs are only available in special circumstances and would cost $25.00 per student per half-hour lesson (plus GST where applicable). The Infant Strings Program (ISP) for students in Years K-2 will be charged at $265 per term on school fees, in addition to an instrument bond of $200.

Thank you to those who have already advised us of changes to private tuition and ISP enrolments for next year. The deadline for new enrolments, notification of changes or intention to discontinue for Term 1 is today. All students currently receiving private music tuition and students in Years K-1 who are currently participating in the Infant Strings Program will be automatically re-enrolled into tutor schedules for 2022 along with students commencing lessons for the first time. To enrol or discontinue please visit our Music Portal Page and complete the relevant online forms. Formal discontinuation notice must be received to avoid being committed to the full term of lessons and liable for fees.  Please contact Matilda Grieve if you have any questions.  

The schedules for Term 1, 2022 will be created at the end of term and emailed in late January.

Machane Krembo

Miri Heitner – Hebrew Teacher

מחנה קרמבו – Machane Krembo

On Friday, the Year 8 Hebrew students participated in our annual Hebrew Camp, Machane Krembo.

This year the theme of the camp was Growth – Tsmicha צמיחה.

We started with a bonding activity, sorting into groups and played Hebrew games.

The highlight of the day was the ‘Race for the Krembo’, where students raced from one station to another. At each station, the students needed to scan a QR code that opened a challenge for them to complete before moving to the next station. Much enthusiasm and excitement was felt by all.

Straight after this, the students raced to the kitchen to prepare their own pizzas and salad. It was delightful to see the students collaborate and assist one another in the true spirit of growth. For the finale, participants enjoyed an arts and crafts activity, painting their individual potplants and displaying their creative flare.

The Machane was a great success and enjoyed by everyone!

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From the voices

Yael Grunseit – Alumni Informal Jewish Life Educator | Co-ordinator of High School Debating

Mikolot Public Speaking Competition

On Friday 12 November 2021, the Mikolot Public Speaking Competition came to an end, with Lara Fosbery competing in the National Finals. 

There were three rounds of Mikolot, spanning throughout 2021. 

The first was an internal Emanuel School round, where students discussed the relationship between social media and anti-Semitism. 

The second round was the NSW state competition, held at Moriah College. Here Lara Fosbery as well as Jake Newfield, Maayan Granot and Ruby Hurwitz competed. The students delivered both impromptu and prepared speeches, focussing on the role of education in Judaism. 

Lara then progressed to the National Finals of Mikolot. She delivered a speech discussing the importance of caring for land, what the significance of land is to Israel, and the importance of saving our environment.

We are very proud of all our Emanuel students involved. They delivered powerful speeches and spoke eloquently. 

Grand Final Speech by Lara Fosbery (Class of 2021)

​​“I still believe that to be Jewish today means what it meant yesterday and a thousand years ago. It means for the Jew in me to seek fulfilment both as a Jew and as a human being. For a Jew, Judaism and humanity must go together… A Jew must be sensitive to the pain of all human beings… The mission of the Jewish people has never been to make the world more Jewish, but to make it more human” – Eli Wiesel, 1992

Lara Fosbery

What is it to be Jewish? What does it mean now, what did it mean a thousand years ago, and what will it mean tomorrow and into the future? Though these questions feel loaded, and four minutes is not much time with which to answer them, I’ll use my speech today to discuss aspects of Judaism that I believe to be critical and enduring; care for the land, connection to Israel, and a sense of community. 

Despite the constantly changing and turbulent nature of Jewish history, connection to the land of Israel has been a consistently central element of Judaism for as long as Jews have existed, and so my first thought when considering an organisation was the JNF. The JNF was ever-present in the background of my childhood, from the blue boxes at every school Shabbat to the time that I so proudly sang Ma Nishtana at a JNF seder, and looking at the JNF’s mission I see clearly both Jewish past and future. To be Jewish is to care for the land and to connect to Israel, and a fusion of the two is exemplified in JNF’s ongoing tree planting mission, which has resulted in the planting of over 250 million trees. 

From biblical Jewish connections to the land of Israel, to Moses Hess’ description of Labour Zionism’s potential to agrarianise the Jewish people and A.D. Gordon’s belief that tefillah could be performed through labouring the land, and that in Nature’s mirror we would see our own image, to the hundreds of millions of trees planted by JNF and funded by the diaspora, to new innovative plans to green the Negev, connection to the land and environmentalism are significant parts of Judaism both today, and as Eli Wiesel says, ‘yesterday and a thousand years ago’.  

Caring for the environment is a central tenet of Judaism, with concepts like ba’al tashchit and tza’ar ba’alei hayyim advocating protection for the environment and for animals, festivals like Tu B’Shvat and even the kashrut laws all contributing to a general sense that Judaism values all aspects of the environment, and that the physical land, as well as the geographic location of Israel, is sacred. Baruch Spinoza believed that everything on this Earth is made of God’s essence, and therefore we must take care of it. As a passionate environmentalist myself, I can appreciate the work JNF is doing in replenishing Israel’s natural resources and inspiring care for the Israeli environment in Jews across the diaspora and I think the consistent emphasis placed on caring for the environment is a significant part of what makes Judaism a religion whose lessons remain relevant, despite most aspects of ancient history fading into obscurity.

Caring for the environment is a uniquely human activity, as we have increased agency and ability to protect the earth. So how does Judaism encourage us to be human, particularly in the High Holy Day period we’re in now? What do the themes of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur tell us about the human tendency to transgress, and the importance of community in finding forgiveness and approaching the New Year? As the saying goes, to err is human, and in acknowledging our failings and wrongdoings from the previous year, we humanise ourselves. 

Furthermore, during the Kol Nidre service, as we discuss our sins, we don’t take sole responsibility for them, instead we ask for forgiveness collectively, as we say, we have gone astray, we have sinned, we have transgressed – chantanu, avinu, pashanu. The word ‘we’ is used a further 26 times in just this section, reminding us that we take collective responsibility for each other’s transgressions, and thus humanising each member of the community to one another.

But more than that, our transgressions aren’t limited to intracommunal offences. When we apologise for our shortcomings during the year, we don’t just apologise for our wrongdoings against other Jews, we apologise for what we’ve done to any human – we must, as Eli Weisel says, ‘be sensitive to the pain of all human beings’. Because despite the jokes we frequently make about being a tight-knit, insular community, Jews don’t just exist to uplift each other, but rather for the betterment of the world, to find fulfilment as Jews and as people. I’ve always been proud of the way that Jews don’t proselytise, though I’ve never given it a huge amount of thought. But on reflection, it feels that being content with those in the community while still caring for those outside of it, is a humanistic motif that recurs throughout Jewish texts and theory – in the well-known and oft-quoted line, “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”, neighbour does not just refer to Jews, but to non-Jews as well, and the concept of pikuach nefesh – the ability of a Jew to override other laws in order to save a life, applies indiscriminately to Jews and non-Jews. The themes of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, of self-betterment and repentance, are innately human, as we confront our own flaws and make amends within and beyond the community in preparation for the New Year. 

What is it to be Jewish? To me, to the JNF and to all the Jews around the world who drop spare change into their blue boxes, it’s about not only connecting to the land of Israel, but also caring for it, nurturing it and protecting it. It’s about acknowledging our own flaws and transgressions, and asking for forgiveness from God, from our fellow Jews, and from non-Jews in our communities. As we move further into the 21st century, our efforts to ask for forgiveness should be extended to our natural world, as we have spent too long neglecting this integral aspect of our community. Integrating care for the environment can enable more fulfilling Jewish personal identities, and more rewarding interactions with humanity as a whole. To be a Jew is to care for all, for the land and for humanity.

By Lara Fosbery, Year 12 (Class of 2021)

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

This week I am showcasing a snapshot of information, events, and dates that are around in the world of careers for next week and beyond. Hopefully there is something in this list for everyone.

STEM

Interested in STEM but not knowing which area to pursuit? This is a great quiz that I often use with students, to ascertain which area within Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths students should focus on.

Double degrees

Why choose a double degree? Anyone who chats to me knows that I am a big proponent of double degrees as they double your skills, knowledge and employability level for less than double the time and workload. There is also a misconception that a double degree must mean you are doing double the ‘quantity’ of studying. The study level is identical to single study degrees – the difference is you study for one extra year, but your rate of study is the same. Click here for more information.

TAFE

Fee-free apprenticeships at TAFE – this is a great new initiative in response to the shortage of labour for apprenticeships out there. See this link for more details so you have no out-of-pocket expenses.

Cyber-security

As cyber-cecurity is on the rise with a shortage in workforce supply, this link showcases four very different cyber security workers and shows their variance in backgrounds in this growing industry. Click here for more information.

UAC – University Admissions Centre

Introducing Let’s Chat, a series of short videos about applying to uni through UAC – from the application basics to the ins and outs of early offers, changing course preferences and what students can do if they’ve been disadvantaged during their final years of school. Watch and subscribe on YouTube.

UAC welcomes the Year 12 Class of 2022!

The UAC Community Engagement Team welcomes the new Year 12 class of 2022! Click on this link for a warm welcome from the UAC community.

UAC – Message to the Year 13s

Exams are finally here! While it’s exciting to be on the home stretch, for many Year 12s (Year 13s) the pressures of revision, ATARs and exam day can be overwhelming.

Putting in place some simple routines and taking time out, plus shaking things up every now and then, can help you stay focused and motivated until the end. Click here for some motivational tips.

UAC Live | Parent and Carer Update and Q&A: Facebook

Thursday 25 November 2021, 5.00 pm

Kim Paino, UAC General Manager, Marketing and Engagement, will provide an update on UAC applications for 2022 study. Head to the comments section to ask a question. Find out more here.

UTS 2022 Undergraduate guide

View Australia’s Number 1 Young University of the Year, and Number 11 in the world under 50 years old.

UTS is famous for their hands-on, practice-based learning experiences with industry experience being key. To browse the courses and choices click here.

SAE – Creative Futures – online

Sunday 12 December 2021, 1.00 pm – 3.00 pm Online

Jump onto the SAE virtual platform to explore interests and passions for a career in Creative Media. Creative Futures Online will give you an opportunity to hear from lecturers and industry experts, as well as learn all about scholarships and launchpad programs. Find out more here.

EA Software Engineering Virtual Experience program

In this Virtual Experience program, students will experience what life as a Software Engineer at EA would be like. EA Software wants students to feel empowered from the beginning, with key insights into what lies ahead in their career at EA. Students will utilise skills like critical thinking and problem solving while working with languages like Python and C++ to re-create and implement a new game along with so much more. Learn more here.

Future Females in Finance (F3) school work experience

For students in Years 10-12, F3 can arrange work experience in financial services for a few days during the holidays through to a week as required for your Year 10 work experience placement. This is arranged with F3, so please come and chat to me if you are interested in this opportunity during the holidays. Learn more.

Is your resume summer ready?

These blogs “It’s all about the resume” and “Create your resume” have a few tips and ideas about getting your resume ready for summer holiday work. And you can head over to the Super Simple Resume Builder to get your CV whipped up in no time.

Careers appointments

For any student or parent appointments please book yourself in on my online calendar here especially as the end of term is approaching. I would encourage anyone in the new Year 12 group to book in to put some (tentative) plans in place before the holiday period, and even more so if you have feel you have “no idea” what to do when you leave school.

We’re hiring

We’re on the look out for exceptional educators to join our staff and inspire your children! Feel free to share these roles with your networks. 

Primary Hebrew Teacher (part-time)

We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Hebrew teacher to join our Primary Hebrew Department.

Scholarships

Community notices

Bus changes

Bus service notification

Transport for NSW bus service changes from Sunday 5 December 2021

From Sunday 5 December 2021, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) will be making changes to the South East bus network. These changes will affect some bus routes that operate into the Inner West, southern and the Lower North Shore areas.

The changes include adjustments to routes 303, 320, 348, 370, 418 and 420, and a number of State Transit’s bus routes operating in the South East. Additionally, there will be changes to bus stops in the CBD for routes currently operating along Castlereagh and King Streets. 

For detailed information about the plan visit My Sydney.

The TfNSW Trip Planner will be updated with the new changes by Sunday 21 November 2021.

We remind our school community to plan ahead on Trip Planner before travelling. 

To ensure dedicated school services appear as a travel option for students, click ‘refine’ and select the school bus option. 

To provide feedback on any TfNSW services, please visit Transport NSW.

Students are also reminded to tap on and off with their Opal card on all trips.

P&F

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Hello Community,

The end of the year is fast approaching!

Staff appreciation

Last week we organised grazing boxes filled with delicious, sweet treats for all the School staff on behalf of the entire school community to thank them for all they’ve done in this complicated year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the School for being so amazing.

P&F Meeting

We have one meeting left this year. The meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7.00 pm on Zoom. Everyone is welcome so please join us as your support and input is valued. Email Ruby Berkovic if you would like to attend the final meeting of the year on Wednesday 1 December 2021.

Weekend Brain Teaser 

Question: The more there is, the less you see. What is it? 

Have a nice weekend,

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 Tanya Igra

Tahini balls

Ingredients

1/2 cup hulled tahini
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup LSA (ground Linseed, Sunflower seeds and almonds) or almond meal
1 cup dried fruits (apricots, figs & sultanas)
1/4 cup raw almonds, soaked and chopped

Directions

In a bowl, mix all ingredients to a firm consistency.
Roll into walnut size balls and toss lightly in desiccated coconut.
Store in refrigerator.

Makes 20 balls

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