From the Principal

Andrew Watt – Principal

Our last week of term was uncharacteristically but pleasantly busy, with parents visiting our campus to participate in a K-12 Music Competition Showcase and a Museum Day, and with multiple Pesach events. Our Year 11 history debating team travelled to Liverpool to compete in the grand finals of a prestigious competition, and work on our construction site is progressing nicely. We are all looking forward to a break and we hope to return rejuvenated and ready for the next steps in our learning journey.

Update on the Adler Building Redevelopment

The noise of jackhammers and other demolition equipment can be heard through the enclosure on occasions, as the work of installing services, demolishing the inside of the building, erecting scaffolds, and the removal of contaminated soil is completed. The work on landscaping has commenced, but progress has been impeded by the inclement weather. Each day of good weather is greeted with thankfulness, as our construction project gathers momentum! In addition to the work on the Adler Building, we are planning to commence the replacement of the cladding on the adjacent Innovation Building. By the end of the break, we hope to have new cladding on the eastern side of the building.

Our Showcase of Musical Talent

It was wonderful to join with the families of our student performers and composers, to enjoy the Finalist Concert of the 2022 K-12 Music Competition. With the announcement of the winners taking place at a later date, the focus was quite rightly on celebrating the talent of our musicians, from youngest to oldest. Our experienced and high-profile adjudicators provided excellent advice and encouragement for each of our performers. Erin McKellar is an award-winning vocalist, song writer and composer, and Jason Noble is one of Australia’s most versatile clarinettists. The performances ranged from piano, violin, guitar, trumpet, saxophone, concert xylophone, drums, garage band and of course, vocals, including rap. As the performances commenced with our Kindergarten to Year 2 students and finished with our most senior students, the progression in skill and musicianship was evident. The composition pieces across K-12 were also very impressive.

Many thanks to our committed Music Department, led by Diana Springford, and to Remington Owen, who organised the event.

The J.A. Thompson History Debating Competition

2022 marked the 46^th year that schools across Sydney have competed in the J.A. Thompson History Debating Competition. The competition provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in historical debate using topics directly linked to or inspired by the Stage 5 and 6 History syllabuses. This year, 40 teams participated in the competition. After defeating Kings School and SCEGGS Darlinghurst in their past two debates, our Year 11 team faced All Saints Catholic College, Liverpool in the grand finals. The topic was: That history is a set of lies agreed upon.

Whilst our team was narrowly defeated, we are very proud of their skills and their success. Mazal Tov to Jake Newfield, Daniel Solomon, Arielle Melamed and Maayan Granot

Year 1 Museum Day

It was wonderful to have parents join their children and enjoy an interactive and engaging ‘museum’ experience. With our Year 1 students on the entrance desk collecting the specially printed tickets and conducting ‘temperature checks’, our first encounter upon entry was with an antique orange press, providing us with a refreshing (albeit small!) juice drink. The array of activities and items were impressive, and it was clear that the engagement with the past was a special learning experience for all.

Thank you to the families who donated items for the day and to our Year 1 teachers, who organised this special event.

Happy Passover

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Pesach. This artwork was created by Lucia Meyer, Year 11, titled Linking past and present at the Seder table. I hope that in retelling the story of Exodus, you are also able to look to the future with positivity, good health and happiness.

Mazal Tovs

• Sierra Miller: Sierra finished 11th out of 39 swimmers in the 8 Years girls 50m freestyle at the NSWPSSA  Swimming Championships, representing CIS. It was her second fastest time in that event ever.
• Zac Urbach: Zac took part in the National Athletics Championships over this past week and achieved some amazing results. He placed 11th in Australia Men U18 100m Sprint and 6th in Australia Men U18 200m Sprint. He ran a personal best and was selected to run the first leg of the NSW relay team, with his team winning gold in the Men U18 4x100m Relay.  
• Noah Kessell: Noah was part of ASISSA Football Team that won CIS Championships.
• Talia Kleviansky: Talia was part of CDSSA Touch Football team that won AICES Championships
• 13 Years Girls Futsal Team: Qualifying for State Championships.
• 1sts Girls Basketball Team: Winning St Catherine’s Basketball Competition Grand Final

 Quote of the week

“Passover affirms the great truth that liberty is the inalienable right of every human being.” Morris Joseph

Have a relaxing break and I look forward to welcoming our students back to school on 27 April 2022.

From the Acting Head of Jewish Life

Daphna Levin-Kahn – Head of Jewish Studies High School

Pesach
Freedom & Responsibility – Part 2

Next Friday night is likely to be somewhat different from your usual Friday Nights…and perhaps we can make this year’s Pesach just that little bit different from the usual Seder Night.

Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism, based in London (and my brother’s rabbi!) often writes very moving pieces that reflect the Emanuel School ethos. After a very busy two weeks of Pesach preparations at Emanuel, these words are particularly meaningful.

Pesach reflections on #Freedom from Rabbi Wittenberg

In the Torah

Pesach is widely referred to as the Festival of Freedom. It’s not the Torah but the rabbis who gave it this name, calling it זמן חרותינו zeman cherutenu, ‘the season of our freedom’.

The Torah speaks not of freedom but of service and purpose. God repeatedly instructs Moses to tell Pharaoh not simply to ‘Let my people go’, but to let them go ‘to serve Me’. Freedom is not an ultimate goal, but a necessary precondition for being able to do what is just and right: affirm the dignity of all humanity, create a fair society and live in respectful equilibrium with nature.

Hence, when Moses receives the Ten Commandments at Sinai, with its writing חָרות charut, ‘engraved’, on the two tablets of stone, the rabbis play on the word: ‘Don’t read it as  חָרות charut, ‘engraved’; read it as  חֵירותcherut, ‘freedom’. It is only through service to a higher vision that we become truly free. Yehudah Halevi encapsulated this in a famous couplet:

עבדי זמן עבדי עבדים הם

Avdei zeman avdei avadim heim:
Servants of fortune are servants of servants;
The servant of God alone is free.

Without explicitly using the word ‘freedom’, the laws of the Torah and their rabbinic interpretations enshrine the key principles of ‘freedoms from’. Tzedakah, the command to further social justice, is intended to free people from destitution: hunger, nakedness, homelessness and unemployment. Tzedek and mishpat, justice and law, protect society as a whole and especially the most vulnerable, the parentless and stateless, from exploitation and rejection. Chesed, faithful kindness, calls us to make compassion our underlying value in all our conduct. The requirement to speak and listen to truth, ‘Keep far from falsehood’ is intended to liberate us from the mesh of fake news and false ‘facts’ by which power has entrenched itself since time immemorial.

None of these freedoms can be taken for granted in today’s world.

Today

Freedom from Hunger, Homelessness and Modern Slavery

From the first rabbinical codes onwards, Jewish law insists that we may not sit down to our own Seder and mark the festival of national liberation while leaving others behind because they can’t afford to keep the festival. The celebration of freedom must be beyond no one’s means.

We may prefer to respond to something else, but we are not at liberty to do nothing.

Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg 2019

At Emanuel School

Emanuel School students reflected these ideals this week and last, researching modern forms of enslavement and considering how these could be raised at the Pesach Seder (Year 10), raising awareness and funds for The Freedom Hub during Freedom Week (Vicky Miller and Rebecca Pillemer), visiting the Hub and hearing from its founder and CEO Sally Irwin about modern slavery (Year 9 and 11) – especially in Australia; learning about homelessness and hearing from Andrew, a former homeless adult through the Rough Edges tour of King’s Cross; cooking tuna lasagne and brownies with Mrs Ephron and writing cards at school to bring to the Rough Edges Café (Year 9); meeting the founders of the Good Box and packing special boxes for the homeless (Year 9 Be The Change); and celebrating a variety of different Seder experiences, in the Primary and High Schools to better understand the ethical messages of Pesach that demand our promotion of the freedoms of others.

Next term, the School will be offering a special workshop by the Freedom Hub for our school community, for business owners to learn about the Anti-Slavery Legislation and their businesses. Watch this space for more details next term!

Let us hope and pray that as we bring the Pesach Haggadah Narrative and Messages that are so clearly represented at our Seder Night into our contemporary conversations and actions and vice versa, then the difficult circumstances that so many millions are facing today may be uplifted, brought to the forefront of our own desire for a fairer, safer, freer, and more peaceful world.

Shabbat Shalom, Chag Pessach Sameach and wishing you all a good break.

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An Unusual Holocaust Presentation

This term, most of the year have been studying an Introduction to the Holocaust.

Last Wednesday we had a very interesting guest speaker, Dr William Allington, who talked to Year 10 about his PhD on the Holocaust and the Holocaust deniers. He started his presentation acting as William Scott, a Holocaust denier working on his PhD; however, we did not know this. As “William Scott”, he was trying to disprove that the number of people who were murdered in the Shoah, that gas chambers didn’t really exist in Auschwitz, and that there was no evidence that any of this was Hitler’s idea as he never officially signed documents. This was very confronting and confusing to us, though some of us knew that something was off. “William Scott” allowed us to ask questions, however, he gave very vague answers and avoided answering the questions directly. He presented himself as knowing all the current facts and was very objective, which made us believe he was rational and correct. 

Then, he – now Dr William Allington – told us that all of this was fake, and it pleasantly shocked (and relieved) us to hear that he didn’t actually believe that the Holocaust was fake. This “Woah!” moment was so interesting as he told us that our instincts were correct. From this, Dr Allington taught us how to tell whether someone is a Holocaust denier and how to sufficiently debate against their irrational ideas or poorly substantiated claims. He broke this down into pillars and gave us examples of evidence and tactics that we can use if we were to find ourselves in this kind of conversation.

The most important aspect is that we should not let these comments slide as they can influence others to also believe this rhetoric. I loved the presentation and thought it was such a good idea to start off by showing us how to identify a non-obvious holocaust denier. I will definitely take his points into consideration if I ever am in that situation. It was so interesting and gave me a deeper understanding and insight into Holocaust deniers.

By Elise Kitchener

Primary News

Natanya Milner – Head of Primary School

Thank you

I’m sure you all join me in thanking our staff for their amazing efforts over the past term. It has been a challenge to settle into the new year with regular changes and crazy rain but what has been wonderful is that, despite these, the staff has remained so engaged and positive. There is an exciting buzz on campus as we are enjoying learning and playing together.

I would also like to acknowledge our incredible students who have been managing these same challenges with grace and optimism. This term has seen positive growth across all areas and the children have embraced all the opportunities so joyfully. The ‘Kindness Counts’ program has seen a focus on kindness across the Primary School and it has been wonderful to celebrate kindness together.

Thanks also goes to our parents, grandparents and broader community who have continued to patiently support us through these uncertain times. We never underestimate the importance of our relationship with you and our joint role in preparing students for the future. Thank you for making this partnership such a joy and privilege.

As always, the past week has been incredibly busy on campus with Sederim, excursions, events and carnivals.

To offer a snapshot into life at Emanuel, Week 10 included:

• A big week for swimming! The PSSA Swimming Carnival saw Sierra Miller compete at the State level. This is an incredible achievement (see more below). The Year 3 students completed their Learn to Swim program that has been running all term and the Year 1 and 2 students are currently enjoying their Swimming Gala Day. This has been a huge amount of organisation for Stuart Taylor and the Sport team. Thank you!
• The Music Department organised a K-12 Music Competition with the finalists’ concert on Monday. It was a very special event showcasing musical talent across a number of instruments and including both performance and composition elements. Mazal tov to all the students who participated and thank you to the Music Department, and Remimgton Owen in particular, for organising this event.
• This week has been filled with Pesach Sederim and activities for all grades. What a joy to see the children celebrate their learning. I would like to thank the Hebrew and Jewish Studies departments for organising all of these opportunities. I hope you are able to share this learning during Pesach celebrations in the upcoming holidays.
• Year 1 Museum Day was a wonderful success with the students opening up their classroom museum to us. I loved seeing the children excitedly explain their understanding of the past and the ‘relics’ such as old computers. I always enjoy this event so much but I have noticed that I also always come out feeling quite old! Thank you to Mrs Silver and Ms Chester for a wonderful event!
• We participated in the U13s FNSW Futsal Regional Championships this week. The Emanuel girls futsal team were runners up, winning five games straight and only just losing in the final. They have now qualified for the state championships. Mazal tov! What a fabulous result!
• Year 6 are currently participating in a ‘Giving Back Day’ as a part of their MAD (Make a Difference) Project. They will be organising various activities for K-5 as well as Pesach surprises for the residents of Montefiore Home. Thank you to the Year 6 team for this wonderful initiative.

This is just a snapshot from Week 10 and most weeks on campus are this busy. It has been so special to begin welcoming our community back to many of these events. Thank you for joining us and for complying with all the additional COVID measures.

As you can imagine, each of these opportunities requires careful planning and considerable effort. I would like to thank the amazing team of class teachers and the Sport, Jewish Life and Music departments for making these events such a success. They are a significant amount of work above their already busy roles of teaching, marking, planning, PTN and so on. Whilst there have been contributions from so many people, I would like to give a special acknowledgement to Stuart Taylor and Kristy Genc from the Sport team and Hagit Bar-On and Adam Carpenter from the Jewish Life team. These are the leaders of the two departments that have had multiple events throughout Term 1 and who have managed to complete bookings, planning, risk assessments, COVID arrangements and much more, regularly.  A HUGE thank you and kol hakavod!

Mazal Tov, Sierra!

I would like to wish Sierra Miller Mazal tov on her incredible achievement of swimming at the PSSA Swimming Carnival this week. She progressed through to this State level carnival for the 8 Years 50m freestyle after finishing second in the final at CIS level last week. It was so exciting to watch and Sierra swam beautifully achieving 5^th in her heat!

Mazal Tov, Sierra. We are so proud of you!

Term 2

I look forward to seeing the children back at school for Term 2 on Wednesday 27 April 2022. Just a reminder that we return in winter uniform. Please ensure that you look on the portal for the winter uniform items. We would like to ensure that our students are wearing our full uniform with pride.

Pesach

The past term has been an interesting one. In many ways, we have loved being able to return to some of our celebrations and activities including carnivals, excursions and assemblies. We are also acutely aware of always considering the community’s safety and needs and we continue to monitor the situation closely and navigate the path forward.

I find Pesach to be a very special time and one that always makes me reflect on the messages we can take away from this festival. Somehow, such an ancient story always seems to have relevant and enduring messages.

This year, the main Pesach messages I am thinking about are memory, freedom and optimism:

Memory: In Exodus, it makes it clear that it is a commandment for us to remember the Pesach story. In the Haggadah, it notes that retelling and discussing the Exodus from Egypt is praiseworthy. I can’t help but think about this each year and every time that I do, there are modern-day links that seem so relevant and important. This year, I am thinking about the people in the Ukraine and other communities around the world who are still living in unsafe and war-torn places as well as people whose freedoms are taken away in an enduring and systematic way. I feel grateful that I am guided to consider this and reflect on actions we can take to support a better future for others.

Freedom: After a couple of years of our freedoms being limited due to lockdowns and isolations, I have never been more grateful for the times that allow us to live our ‘usual lives’. What we used to take for granted, has become something that I appreciate so much – seeing family and friends, travelling and gathering together have become special and this new perspective is something I value more than ever.

Optimism: It is easy to look around at the moment (both locally and globally) and feel the weight of the world. Even just watching the news can be an exercise in mental resilience. The story of the Exodus from Egypt shows us ultimate optimism and reminds us of the importance of hope. Our history is filled with examples of ‘beating the odds’ and overcoming adversity. Pesach reminds me that I have the power to role model positivity and optimism to my children, something that has been a powerful key to our success for generations.

Wishing you all a meaningful Pesach and Chag Sameach. I hope you all have a happy, healthy holiday break.

Year 6 Leadership

The year 6 leadership camp was a blast! Everyone had so much fun and learned so much about one another. The Burn Bright teachers, Michaela & Bella taught us all about how to be a leader, accepting each other and most importantly having fun while we’re doing it! 

The Madrichim have been working on a new system to be kind, using the kindness catchers! We have been sticking up posters around the school reminding everyone to be kind. The system works like this: First you have to be kind, then you will receive a kindness coupon from either a Madrich, Madricha or teacher. You put your coupon in your class coupon box, then get updates at assembly. Finally, at the end of the term whichever class has the most coupons wins a mufti day!

Every leadership role has already made their mark on the school only halfway through Semester 1. The Madrichim have been working on innovative ways to have more kindness at Emanuel school. The Jewish Life Leaders have been working hard on delivering prayers to everyone and making Purim 2022 the best ever. House Captains came up with a new and exciting alternative to chants for the swimming carnival. The Chess Leaders have put together a skilled new chess team for 2022. IT helped make the school up to date with the incredibly changing future with minecraft clubs and robotics. SRC helped support Tonga after the massive tsunami that hit hard, SRC collected food and toiletries generously donated to those in need. Something everybody has been hyped for is Pom Pom Club, teaching students how to make their very own pom poms from scratch. Each one of the leaders have excelled already! We hope they continue to impress us with the rest of the year. 

By Daniel Millner and Elah Sharabi
Year 6 Madrichim

Primary Sport

Stuart Taylor – PDHPE Teacher

Primary Boys CIS Football

The ASISSA Primary boys secured a hard fought 1-0 win in the final of the 2022 CIS Primary Boys Football Carnival/Trials at Valentine Sports Park in horrendous conditions. ASISSA were joint winners in 2016 but this is the first time they have been outright winners.

Congratulations to Noah Kessell for being part of this winning team.

Noah Kessell

ASISSA

NSWPSSA Swimming

Sierra Miller swam at the NSWPSSA Championships on Monday 4 April 2022. Competing in the Girls 8 Years 50m freestyle, she finished 5^th in her heat with a time of 42.21 seconds. While not a personal best, it was her second fastest time ever in this event. This result placed her in 11^th position overall in NSW. What an achievement!

Sierra 2

Sierra 1

Sierra 3

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

This has been a very busy end to the term with multiple Pesach events happening across the Primary School. Staff members of the Jewish Life Department have been engaged in activities mirroring home Pesach preparations – shopping, cooking, counting Haggadot, planning for the seder as well as preparing ritual items and Pesach food. 

Our Informal Jewish Life Educators, Josh New and Mia Shapiro, were in the kitchen making batches of Ashkenazi Haroset (grated apple, kiddush juice, honey, cinnamon, sunflower and pumpkin seeds) and Sephardi Haroset (dried dates, apricots and sultanas, date syrup, spices, kiddush juice, sunflower and pumpkin seeds) for the students to enjoy at their seder.   

Here is an overview of this week’s Pesach events:

Year 6: Their seder experience was led by Joshua New, Morah Jenny and the Hebrew staff. They had the chance to lead parts of the seder, sing songs, ask and answer questions, recite brachot and taste the symbolic Pesach foods. 

Year 4: Students researched and gave presentations on the meaning and symbolism behind the number 4 in the Seder; 4 names of the festival, 4 questions, 4 cups of wine and the 4 children. After decorating an afikoman bag, students filled it with the highly sought after chocolate covered Matzah. 

Year 2 and Year 3: Parents came to watch the students in a dramatic seder filled with acting, costumes, music, singing and brachot. 

Year 1: Had an intimate seder experience all together and with opportunity to sing seder songs, recite the brachot and to learn and taste the symbolic foods. 

I am Pharoah – Year 1

Todah Rabah to all the Jewish Life staff involved in seder rehearsals and preparations. Todah Rabah to Joshua New for his piano accompaniment and Anna Maylis for her work with the students on the dramatic pieces. Thank you to Ms Rosenfeld for preparing and co-ordinating all the food and items for our multiple Pesach events and for the P&F parent helpers.

Wishing you and your families a festive, safe and meaningful Pesach.

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

Pesach

We participated in our own interactive Kornmehl Pesach Seder on Tuesday. The children all arrived at Pre-school dressed in their best Shul clothes and were eager to participate in this long-awaited Chagim. The tables looked beautiful, and the food was delicious. Each child participated in dressing up and dramatising the story. We had King Pharaoh’s and Moses characters, Yochevet, baby Moses in the basket and lots of slaves. What a triumph it was when Moses led us to the Red Sea, and it parted, and we were all led safely to freedom to the land of milk and honey. We sang, rejoiced, and ate delicious Matzah ball soup, lots of Matzah and all the traditional foods found on the Seder plate too. We had a wonderful time. Our Seder ended with the children all going on a hunt to find the Afikomen.

Dylan: King Pharaoh did not want to let his people go. He made all the Jewish people go but he did not want to. 
Drew: King Pharaoh had a hat on his face, and he had some white sandals, and I don’t know if he had a pet. He was evil. He did not let the people go. They had to work harder and harder and harder every day. 
Noam: King Pharaoh is bad and mean because he does not like the Jewish. The baby who growed up tries to let the people be free, and then all the dangerous things came.
Dylan: Wild beasts came and bugs and frogs.  
Allec: They could not make bread. They had to hurry up. No more Jewish people need to work for King Pharaoh. 

Thank you to all our wonderful parent helpers: Mrs Anna Tabachnik, Mrs Mandy Heyman, Mrs Corinne Franks, Mrs Lindy Freedman, Mrs Sharri Markson, Mrs Edith Lawton, Mrs Paula Leibowitz, Mrs Jessica Mendoza-Roth and Mr Dave Cartwright. Your help was very much appreciated by all the teachers and the children.

Representing King Pharaoh using mixed media

The children spent a few visits working on their representations of King Pharaoh. We used black markers, lead pencil and oil pastels. Later in the week, we re-visited our work and added collage paper and water colours to our art works.

Jack: Why is he angry? Because he’s not smiling.
Hugo: Maybe his engine is blue.
Jack: Maybe he wanted to watch TV and his Queen wouldn’t let him.

We spoke about why this night is different from all other nights:
Freddie: We can lean back.
Sienna: We can dip our vegetables in salt water.
Juliette: We don’t eat matzo, we eat challah.

We discussed the foods that are permissible during Pesach (Kosher l’Pesach) and those that are considered unacceptable (Chametz), always linking these traditions to the story of the Exodus from Egypt. We explained that not everyone will be following this way of eating. We played a game to reinforce the different foods and to sort them into the two categories. Afterwards we made Matzah pizzas.

Xander: Why doesn’t it rise while it’s in the oven? I like the crunchy taste.
Claudia: I like it because of the topping and because I put cheese and tomato sauce and mixed it together.
Michael: It’s very yummy!
Matteo: It’s good and has vegetables.
Ana: It tastes good because I love it!
Harriet: I like it because it has so much cheese! Tagliani’s good because of the sauce and the cheese.
Juliette: It’s good because it has ingredients on it.
Cleo: I think it’s delicious, it’s so crunchy and I love crunchy things!
Jack: It’s nice but only a bit because I only like a little bit of pizza normally.

As a team, we are constantly reflecting upon our research project – What does it mean to be Jewish? and striving to gain a greater understanding of how the children perceive and make sense of their Jewish identity. As we are in the process of exploring the story of Passover, we decided to see how the children would answer the question: Why was Pharaoh so mean to the Jewish People? 

Raphael: King Pharaoh did not like Jewish people, he brought the scary animals. 
Drew: He was mean because he needed them to build the pyramids for him. They did not have time to bake their bread, so they ate Matzah.
Teya: He is very angry with the Jewish People.

The educators have reflected upon how the children seem to externalise the concept of Judaism. They view being Jewish as something that exists outside of their immediate frame of reference. Is this because we always preface the telling of our stories around the festivals by telling the children that this all happened a very very long time ago? Or is it simply that they believe that everyone has Shabbat, Purim and Passover and therefore they do not relate these experiences to being Jewish. It is just what everyone does. We will continue to ponder and wonder about these concepts, as our research unfolds.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Oscar Cohen (4), Ziggy Rosenberg (4) and Teya Weiner (3). We hope you all had a beautiful birthday celebration.

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A is for Apple

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

Pesach 2022/5782

Pesach 2021/5781 was a very small gathering for most of us, as we were all in lockdown and could only celebrate this most important festival with those who lived under the same roof. For some in our community, that meant celebrating “alone” in the physical sense but, thankfully, Zoom allowed the festivities to be shared on-screen no matter where one lived. Just one week from today, we will hopefully all be sitting around the Seder table with family and friends, as was the ‘norm’ before COVID. Wishing you all Chag Pesach Sameach!

The traditional Seder meal can be challenging for some households, given that vegetarian and vegan diets are now quite common in our community. Here is an interesting article Ethical Eating – the new Jewish food, written by Emanuel parent Sharon Joffe Berger, which includes interviews with Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins and alumna Ondine Sherman, who is the Founder of Voiceless, the animal protection institute.

The name Sherman is a familiar one in our community – Ondine’s brother Emile is a world-famous film producer and Academy Award winner (for The King’s Speech in 2010) and nominee for a number of other internationally acclaimed films including “Lion” and most recently “The Power of The Dog”. Emile is a current parent and their father Emanuel grandparent Brian Sherman AM, has co-written a book with AM Jonson “Walking Through Honey – my journey with Parkinson’s disease” a powerful and sensitive account of his personal story about his struggles with this disease.

Brian Sherman AM

Ave Regina – Luminescence Chamber Singers – Glebe Town Hall 
Sunday 10 April 2022 at 5.00 pm

Read this wonderful review of Ave Regina, performed by the Luminescence Chamber Singers, a group founded by alumna and Head Madricha AJ America.

Book tickets for Sunday’s performance.

Sydney Jewish Museum – Theresienstadt Art and Memory
Sunday 10 April 2022 at 2.00 pm 

Holocaust survivors Litzi Lemberg and Paul Drexler, both Emanuel grandparents, together with survivor Tom Fleming, were just children when they were incarcerated in the Theresienstadt ghetto and concentration camp. In this session on Sunday afternoon, they will delve into what it’s like to remember the horrors of day-to-day life while in the ghetto, through impressionable eyes of a child.

Book tickets here     

Paul Drexler and Litzi Lemberg

Here is a list of topics for all upcoming Sunday sessions for the remainder of 2022 when Holocaust survivors tell their powerful and diverse stories:

SJM – Survivor Talks 2022

Jessica Bellamy

Small world – “A is for Apple”

Jessica Bellamy worked part-time at the School some years ago during her undergraduate Bachelor of Arts studies – first in the Specialist Learning Centre (SLC) helping Lynn Joffe with administration duties and then as PA to Patricio Alvarado, Director of Studies at the time, before leaving at the start of 2010 to follow her passion in the Arts and study at NIDA. She moved to Melbourne in 2014 and is now an award-winning playwright who has worked with a variety of companies across Australia, as well as in Singapore and the Philippines. Her latest play A is for Apple which, to quote Audrey Journal speaks to modern Jewish women’s struggle to find resonance in the old myths, to uncover new interpretations and ways of being which allow them to hold true to their dignity, autonomy and power. The Sydney Morning Herald review gave the play a 4-star rating “Some plays make you happier than when you were before the play begins. ‘A is for Apple’ is one of them”. Showing at Griffin Theatre, Darlinghurst this month long season ends tomorrow night. It’s not too late to book tickets.   

Alumna Paris Freed (Class of 2017) is Production Assistant on “A is for Apple” and she also helps Jessica with community engagement. Paris recently starred as Joanne in the production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy COMPANY with the UNSW Music Theatre Society.

Paris Freed

Yom Hashoah Commemoration 2022

Keeping Alive the Stories of Survival will be the theme of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies’ Yom Hashoah commemoration this year, which will take place at Moriah College on Wednesday 27 April 2022.

Holocaust survivor and Emanuel great grandmother Olga Horak OAM will deliver the keynote address and the ceremony will be live-streamed. Register here. 

Delta Goodrem at Friendship Bakery

Delta Goodrem visits Friendship Bakery

It is not uncommon to visit the Bakery and hear Delta’s songs playing in the background. She is the favourite singer of many of the bakers-in-training and last Friday their dream to meet her in person came true when Delta made a surprise visit the Bakery.

The bakery is certainly worth a visit whether you go Monday to Wednesday from 8.00 am to 2.00 pm for their kosher yummy salad bar, quiches, pastries and coffee or on Fridays from 8.00 am to 2.00 pm for their Shabbat Shop. You can also order online.   

Call out for 2022 Careers Event

We are still seeking alumni who left school 10 years ago or less to come back to speak to our current Year 11 and year 12 students for our Careers event here on campus on Wednesday 18 May 2022 from 8.30 am – 11.00 am.

This is an informal and small group setting where groups of 5-10 students will rotate to chat to Alumni from all professions – healthcare, design, the creative industries, businesses, human services, the STEM areas, Law, government or anything else.

We are also seeking alum still studying for a student-group too. The pathway is what interests us, regardless of whether if it was smooth or bumpy! Parents, please pass this request on to your older children who were students here and ask them to complete this form if they are keen to join us and/or for them to pass details on to their old classmates.

We love our Grandparents and Great grandparents

Our database continues to grow, and we thank our readers for getting in touch to provide grandparent updates. There are still quite a number of families for whom we have no grandparent contact details. If you think they would like to read about our wonderful school, even if they live overseas, please send through their email contact.

After last week’s Ma Nishma come out, I received a lovely email from a grandparent who had just been added to our database following my call out here week after week:  I am the Bobba of Gemma Wertheim. Thank you so much for including us in your Newsletter mailout. We live in Cape Town and will be emigrating to Sydney in November. Thank you for keeping us up to date and part of the Emanuel Family. So my message is, it doesn’t matter how far or how close your children’s grandparents live to you and your family, it is wonderful for them to still be a part of our community and read about what is happening here and how much we value them as members of our wonderful Emanuel family.

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 Chag Pesach Sameach. See you again at the start of next term.

K-12 Sport

Kristy Genc – Director of Sports K-12

Outstanding Achievements

Congratulations to Zac Urbach who recently competed at the National Athletics Championships. Zac narrowly missed the final and placed 11th in Australia Mens U18 100m Sprint, with a time of 11.27s. Zac qualified automatically from his heat run to the final of the Mens U18 200m, placing 6th, running a personal best time. He was then selected to run the first leg of the NSW relay team, with his team winning Gold. Well done Zac on such an amazing achievement, and we are looking forward to the school athletics season ahead. 

Congratulations to Talia Kleviansky, Zack Gerber, Oliver Novy and David Winter, who were recently selected in the CDSSA Representative Touch Football teams and competed at the  AICES Touch Football Championships this week. Tali played in the Opens Girls Team who won the competition, and Zack, Oliver and David were all part of the Junior Boys Team which were runners-up on the day. Well done!

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Primary Futsal News

On Tuesday, the Primary 13yrs boys and girls futsal teams competed at the NSW Schools Futsal Regional Championships at Dural. The teams had a thorough preparation this term, with trials and weekly training sessions at UNSW with Emanuel coaching staff. 

The level of competition at the Dural region was very high, playing schools such as Mamre Anglican College, Central Coast Sports College and Hills Grammar. The boys team had three tough matches in the pool stage and unfortunately did not qualify for the finals. The Emanuel Girls Team, dominated the pool stage, winning all three matches. The girls had a convincing 5-0 win over St Bernadette’s in the quarter-final with a great all round team performance. They played a tough semi-final against West Pennant Hills and came away with a 3-2 victory. The Grand Final was a great match, playing Mamre Anglican College. Emanuel out in a brave effort, but narrowly lost the game in the last few minutes. Congratulations to Zara Keller and Netali Jaduin who both scored an abundance of goals from up front, Maia Sharabi, Elah Sharbi and Noaa Smily for their fantastic defence, and a special mention to Lexi Butt for her outstanding performance in goals. The team has now qualified for the State Championships later in the year. 

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Events Coming Up

Wednesday 27 April: Emanuel Football Team Trial 1 (15yrs girls and 16yrs boys)
Thursday 28 April: Emanuel Football Team Trial 2 (15yrs girls and 16yrs boys)
Thursday 28 April: High School Cross Country Team Training Program commences
Friday 29 April: NSWCIS Round 2 Football Match (Girls)
Friday 29 April: ASISSA Netball Championships
Friday 29 April: Futsal Trial 2 (16yrs and 18yrs boys)
Monday 2 May: Primary School Cross Country Team Training Program commences
Monday 2 May: K-12 Weekly Sport commences

Basketball News

Indiana Faithfull – Head of Basketball

The end of the summer basketball season has had some fantastic results for our Emanuel teams.

On Thursday 24 March 2022, Alex Kirievsky represented AICES in the Opens Boys Ists team and competed against CAS Ists team. BJ Shapiro and Sacha Rosen also competed in the AICES 2nds team. Unfortunately both AICES teams lost to strong, experienced CAS players, however all three Emanuel boys represented the school fantastically, and it was great to see Emanuel represented at this level. 

Emanuel was host to a thrilling semi-final in the CDSSA 1sts Competition last week, playing Reddam. Drawn at full time, the game went into double overtime, with Reddam proving to be too good in the final seconds.

Congratulations to Sacha Rosen, Matthew Lowy, Joshua Hirst, Amadeus Tjanaria, Remy Waller, Aaron Glass, Ben Shapiro, Jake Sharp, Aden Goodridge, Alexander Kirievsky, Marcus Tsimbler, Ben Rozen, Gideon Pozniak, Hayden Rosen and Samuel Greenberg, on a great season. 

In the St Catherine’s Basketball Competition, the Junior A’s Girls team made the Semi-Finals, though unfortunately due to the rain the game was a wash-out last Wednesday. We are looking forward to this team competing in the Sydney Schools Cup in Term 4. 

The 1sts Girls Basketball played in the St Catherine’s Basketball Competition Grand Final on Wednesday against Moriah College. In what was a thrilling match, the Emanuel girls finished strong, winning the Grand Final 17-14. The win was an all round team effort, led by Tori Shapiro. Congratulations to Lucinda Labi, Ruby Grynberg, Tori Shapiro, Brooke Rosen, Talia Kleviansky, Alyssa Simmons and Amanda Bozic on a great season.

In the Sydney Schools Cup competition, the 14s Maroon had an excellent season, progressing through to the Grand Final, but were unfortunately defeated by Moriah. 

The 16s Maroon, also had a successful season winning their Grand Final against a strong Moriah team, with an all-round great team performance.

Well done to Jed Gottlieb, Jake Joffe, Hayden Rosen, Samuel Greenberg, Gideon Pozniak and Ben Maserow.  

In the Sunday Easts Basketball League, three Emanuel teams have qualified for the Grand Finals in their respected divisions. These are scheduled to be played this weekend. Good luck to the 18s Maroon, 18s Grey and 16s Maroon teams.

The Years 5 and 6 Emanuel Basketball team has also had a good term of Basketball. Competing in the 12s C division of the EBL the young team has learned a lot and improved tremendously throughout the term. As they continue to stick with their Basketball, it is exciting to think where they will be at as they gain experience and confidence.  

All in all it was a great term of Basketball with some very exciting individual and team performances.

We are looking forward to the High School Winter Program in Terms 2 and 3, and the Primary Basketball Competition on Wednesday afternoons in Term 2. 

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Interfaith

On Wednesday 23 March 2022, 21 Year 9 students attended a program called RUA Interfaith. RUA stands for Respect, Understanding, and Acceptance. It is a program where students from schools of different ethnic and religious backgrounds come together to share and learn from each other. There were five schools that attended: Emanuel School, Moriah College, Stella Maris College, Pymble Ladies’ College, and Granville Boys High School. Two Jewish, two Catholic, and one Islam/Hindu school.

After some initial hesitancy on arrival at the beautiful spot in Little Bay, we introduced ourselves and interacted with the other schools. It was interesting to get to know everyone and share our differences and similarities! We then sat down in the hall, all mixed together so that we were sitting next to students from other schools. We began to get to know the person next to us, and then came together in our groups with approximately three people from each school, and shared more about ourselves and our school!

We were then split into two groups, and a few representatives from each school gave a slideshow presentation about how the school relates to the religion. We then took questions, and it was so shocking to realise that most people don’t know what Shabbat is and they were really intrigued about our special Jewish foods, like hamantaschens and latkes!

It was very interesting to hear Moriah’s presentation and views, because Emanuel and Moriah are particularly interconnected and we found that some of the things they mentioned were rather unexpected. For example; they mentioned that they prayed three times a day with a segregation of boys and girls, whereas we only pray once or twice, altogether!

During our break for lunch, a few Granville Boys students began a game of handball. Slowly, others  joined in, and soon enough, almost every single person there was playing! It was very special to see all these different cultures unite over something, which, in this case, was sport. There was smiling, grinning, laughing, and even a bit of friendly teasing, but we put aside our differences, and enjoyed a fun, if not very intense game of handball!

We then came back together in the hall and watched some confronting videos on the topic of racism. Back in our groups from the morning, we discussed the topic further, and shared our experiences. There were some really shocking stories. For example, one girl we met had a Greek background, and said that she was made fun of for bringing Greek food to school. Someone else was racially abused on a train, and called horrible slurs because of his race. We also made a poster in these groups showing all of our ideas on the impact of racism and how we can prevent it. 

Finally, each school got up and shared a fun performance piece with everyone! Of course, we had to do B’derech HaMelech and share our Emanuel ruach with everyone!!

Something that we found surprising was just how much we had in common with some of the other schools. We were all just Year 9 students, with work to complete, sports to play and fun hobbies to do. Our religion was not as big of a divider as we went in thinking it would be.

We have come to understand that people don’t really think about different religions and how they live their lives – or aren’t aware – and don’t understand that they are just like you and me, so this experience was a real eye opener for many. 

RUA was a great experience to be able to interact with people from all kinds of different backgrounds! We all made a lot of new friends and learned a lot of things about other cultures and religions. It was so much fun and an incredible opportunity that we would do again in a heartbeat! 

By Daliah Smagarinsky, Jaime Keyser and Sarah Manoy

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

UTS 
Highlights Reel

This week I have been on a zoom with other career advisors hearing from UTS and the updates that have come out for students for 2022 and 2023 admissions. I have condensed 20 pages of notes into my highlights reel below. These are the main takeaways:

• The Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (BCII) – this is the only type of degree in Australia. They also have a Diploma of Innovation that is transdisciplinary in nature.
• UTS is the #1 young University in Australia. They are not bound in tradition and old practice. The Alumni pour a lot of time back into the students, not necessarily money but their time and expertise. 
• Globally UTS is the #8 Young University in the world.
• Graduate employability is #5 in Australia with 85% of the undergraduates have an internship experience. 
• Last year UTS was Emanuel School’s #1 choice for tertiary education.

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What does UTS do differently?

UTS priorities

UTS is very much into the lifelong learning model as a way of life, setting students up for the rich career of learning that will now be mainstream.

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The big question for our students will be about early offers. UTS are about to announce new dates but the main takeaway is that UTS Early Offers will exist again just like 2021, which is great news for the class of 2022 and beyond.

Early Entry

With the popularity of this last year, the ATAR’s have been driven up slightly so students need to be aware of this. 

But equity plays a big part and UTS have announced that anyone with an EAS application that is successful will be awarded an extra 10 bonus points. As this seemed an unusual announcement, I have clarified this with the future leaders team and it has been confirmed, that the full 10 points will be awarded.

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ALumni

We also heard from an Alumni panel. The main takeaways here was how practical the courses were at UTS and how prepared UTS got students for the world of work. Internships, exchanges, mentoring, partnerships were just a few things that UTS is famous for. UTS also prepare students well in resume editing, personal branding and a careers focus approach.

My full list of Q&A’s and notes from the day can be found here and also the link for the UTS 2022 Brochure

Music Matters

Diana Springford – Head of Music

Don’t forget to book for Music Camp!

An information letter about Music Camp and how to book has been emailed to parents and students from Years 4-12 music ensembles and choirs.  If you are concerned that you have not received this information, please contact Joanne De Araujo.   

The annual Emanuel School Music Camp is a wonderful celebration of our vibrant music culture and the talents and hard work of our young musicians. Students unite in a shared love of music for an exciting immersion in rehearsals, performances (some serious, some fun, some ensemble, some solo). It’s an opportunity to work together in the pursuit of excellence and engage with the work of some very special guest conductors and/or composers. Emanuel School music staff join with a team of highly skilled professional musicians to develop and hone students’ musical skills in preparation for an exciting showcase concert.

Emanuel School Music Camp is a four-day camp from Monday 20 June 2022 – Thursday 23 June 2022. The first three days are held in the beautiful bush setting of Lake Mac Outdoor Recreation Centre in Balcolyn and the final day is held at School. Students return to Emanuel on the evening of Wednesday 22 June 2022, to be collected by parents in the early evening. Camp continues at Emanuel School on 23 June 2022 with an all-day rehearsal, a BBQ dinner for students and our Music Camp Showcase Concert in the MPH on the Thursday evening.

Extra-Curricular Music Program

You may be thinking about extra-curricular activities for Term 2. Memberships from Term 1 will rollover automatically. Please email Ms Springford if you are not currently a member of an ensemble and are interested in signing up. 

Here is the rehearsal schedule describing ensembles in more detail on a second tab. Those interested in playing their instrument or singing as part of a group should get involved, especially if you want to be eligible for Music Camp in June. 

Copland Concert Band and Guitar Ensemble at Assembly

Mazel Tov to both ensembles who performed at assembly on Tuesday. It was great to have live music by such a large ensemble as the Copland Concert Band with their rendition of the Mission: Impossible Theme by Lalo Schifrin while the Guitar Ensemble performed Are you Gonna Be My Girl by Jet. Many thanks to Mr Remington Owen and Mr Oscar Gross for their expert direction in preparing their students for these high energy performances and for themselves filling in for some absent musicians at the last minute.

Term 2 dates 

Weekly ensemble rehearsals and Private Music Tuition resume on the first day of Term 2, Tuesday 27 April 2022. Please turn to our separate article about the Years 3 – 6 Instrumental Program (IP).

Private Music Tuition and Infant Strings Program

Thank you to those who have advised us of changes to private tuition and Infant Strings Program enrolments for next term via the online forms on our  Music Portal Page. The deadline for new enrolments or intention to discontinue for Term 2, has now passed. All students currently receiving private tuition and students in the K-2 Infant Strings Program will be automatically re-enrolled along with students commencing lessons for the first time.

Please contact music@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions.

The schedules for Term 2, 2022 will be created at the end of term and emailed during April term break.

Years 3-6 Music Program

Diana Springford – Head of Music

Years 3 – 6 Instrument Program News
End of Term Wrap!

Mazal Tov for all the hard work and achievement in IP this term. Year 3 have made such amazing progress that it is difficult to believe that their IP journey began only 7 weeks ago! 

Our teachers have taken some footage from the Week 10 ensemble sessions. Consider this work in progress!

• Year 3 Strings – work in progress
• Year 3 Concert Band – work in progress – three camera angles
• Year 4 Strings – work in progress – Mr Crocodile and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
• Year 4 Concert Band – work in progress
• Year 5 Strings – work in progress
• Year 5 Concert Band – work in progress – takes 1 & 2 from different camera angles
• Year 6 Strings – work in progress
• Year 6 Concert Band – work in progress

The first days of IP in Term 2 are:
Years 4 and 6: Wednesday 27 April (Week 1)
Years 3 and 5: Tuesday 3 May (Week 2)

What routines do we need for IP to work for every child?
For everyone to make progress on their instrument, and indeed not to go backwards, and maybe even to have some fun, here is the minimum we need for IP:

• Routines for remembering gear: Make some routines so that on IP Day, students have their instrument, their folder with their books and their (signed) yellow sheet. The most successfully organised students seem to have a routine that ensures the night before IP day an alarm on a family smart device reminds them to put their gear in their bag/in front of the door/in the car/somewhere, that makes it very difficult to forget the next morning. The vast majority of students need a parent to help them establish and maintain this routine. 
• A practice routine, timetabled in advance: A short, sharp, sweet, regular practice routine for building skill, muscle strength and coordination, and the body/brain/eye connections that playing an instrument requires. Beyond the fun and satisfaction of being able to play an instrument, the special transferable neurological and physical benefits of playing an instrument require at least 3 x 10+ minute practice sessions on the instrument each week, and not all on the same day! Agree on a plan in advance so that this routine doesn’t require decision making or “feeling like it” in the moment. Make a plan that you can agree on as a family in advance so that one can appeal to the earlier agreement rather than the intensity of the demand or the anguish a lack of practice causes. 
• A spot to return to each time we play: Even we humans are territorial creatures, and having a spot with a music stand handy that is reserved for playing music is a really effective way of making the session easy to begin. Just starting to play is the hardest part, continuing is easy!

Safe, dry storage for the instrument: Instruments need a cool dry spot to be stored safely and need to be cleaned every time they have been used. They may need an occasional airing to be properly dry.

Music Competition Finalists Concert

Remington Owen – Music Teacher 5-12

On Monday night, 16 Primary School and 14 High School students performed and presented their compositions to an audience of Mr Watt, Mrs Milner, parents and two adjudicators for the Music Competition Showcase Concert. The two events (Primary School and High School) featured very high quality performances, celebrating the hard work and dedication to music that each of these students put in. 

At the end of each age group, students received individual feedback from the two adjudicators Erin McKellar and Jason Noble. The feedback highlighted the excellent quality of the performances and compositions, but gave specific feedback that was helpful for each student’s work. 

Overall, the event was a great success, and a true highlight of some of the incredible talent and commitment to music that exists within the Emanuel School students.

A big thank you to all the people that made the event possible: Ms Diana Springford and Mrs Sarit Spira, Mr Daniel Burley and Mr Adam Majsay who also accompanied students on the night, Mr Ben Marshal who managed the audio/visual requirements, Ms Joanne De Araujo for her assistance in organising the event, the Marketing Department who supported us with the booking system, Ofer Levy for the incredible photos, and Mr Andrew Watt and Mrs Natanya Milner for their continued support of Music at Emanuel School.

The winners of the competition will be announced at the beginning of Term 2.

We look forward to seeing all of the entries next year!

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Who is Felicity Donohue?

Felicity Donohue – Co-ordinator of Gifted & Talented (K-6)

Each month, we find out more about a nominated staff member. 

SPOTLIGHT ON … FELICITY DONOHUE

What is your role at Emanuel School?
Co-ordinator of Gifted and Talented (K-6)

What roles have you held before that you enjoyed/ led you to this point?
Prior to commencing at Emanuel, I was the Deputy Head of Primary at Aitken College in Greenvale, Victoria. I also spent 5 years living in Hong Kong and was the Head of English (Primary) at The Independent Schools Foundation Academy in Pokfulam. Before I found my passion for teaching, I worked with Woolworths as a Senior Marketing Coordinator across a few of their businesses. 

What inspired you to become a teacher?
I’ve always loved working with children. I spent most of my teenage years babysitting and coaching dance teams and I found it to be so rewarding. I was looking for a change of career and thought I’d give teaching a try and I’ve never looked back. I love my job!

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Is there a lesson/s that a student taught you in the past you feel you have carried forward/ currently apply in your teaching or every day life?
Every student teaches me something. I feel privileged to work with so many inspiring students. 

I spent a few weeks working at a small rural school in Cambodia and it was so rewarding to teach alongside passionate teachers and enthusiastic students who had a love of learning and came to school each day with such positivity. It’s an experience I keep close to my heart. It taught me the role of education as a social leveller. 

Do you have a favourite memory from teaching?
I have so many memories from my teaching experiences, it’s hard to pick one! A recent memory was when students returned to school from our first extended lockdown and the excitement everyone felt to be able to reconnect with one another. It really emphasised the power of community and how important those simple everyday interactions are to our wellbeing.

What are your impressions of Emanuel School thus far?
I absolutely love it here! The Emanuel School community has been so welcoming and supportive. I have never felt more welcomed than I have commencing this year. It truly is a wonderful school.

What do you do to unwind/ what do you enjoy doing outside school hours?
I have two cuddly little Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Sadie and Otto, who love going on walks in Centennial Park so they keep me busy outside of school. I also chose to move to Sydney to be closer to my family so I’ve been spending lots of time with my nieces and nephew and going out on lots of ‘aunty days’ with them.

What song do you know all the lyrics to?
Too many to list! But my favourite karaoke songs are:

• Don’t stop me now – Queen
• Uptown Funk – Bruno Mars
• 4eva – The Veronicas
• Any big Broadway power ballad!

Do you have a hidden talent and, if so, what is it?
I used to be fluent in French. Not so much anymore, you definitely either use it or lose it. But I hope to get back to France someday to brush up on my skills. 

What do you wish you could tell your 12- year -old self?
Embrace your strengths and let them shine. It doesn’t matter what others think. You do you.

If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?

• Always try. Don’t regret the chances you didn’t take. 
• And never rub your eyes after cutting chilli.

Let’s sign

Rebecaa Gaida – Hebrew Teacher Primary

Israeli sign language שפת הסימנים הישראלית
Shalom!  שלום

This week we have Yoni Shmuel and Zach Brown with two useful words that you can eat – Shokolad שוקולד (Chocolate) and Tapuach תפוח (Apple). Our fabulous IT Leaders have put together these videos!

We wish them Mazel tov מזל טוב (as shown to you by Joel Ginges!) on their efforts.

Mazal Tov
Tapuach
Shokolad

Chag Sameach חג שמח and Toda,תודה

Morah Gaida מורה גיידה

The Importance of Tzedakah

JCA invites Emanuel Students to be the change in our community

The vision at JCA is a world-class Jewish community that is thriving and inclusive, always. As they plan for the future needs of our community, JCA believes in inspiring and educating the next generation, our students, on the importance of Tzedakah.

The JCA team will be coming to talk to the Year 6 students and they will watch a short video.

This video explains the growth of JCA since its inception in 1967. It also introduces the 24 organisations that are supported, and the impact delivered thanks to the community’s generosity. 

In partnership with JCA, Emanuel School  hopes to inspire our young people to care about our local Jewish community and empower them to ‘be the change’.

Every Year 6 student has  been given a JCA “Tzedakah begins at home” box. With Pesach coming up what better time to encourage the mitzvah of giving to charity (Matanot L’evyonim).

For more information visit www.jca.org.au.

Holiday Trading Hours

Emanuel School Uniform Shop will re-open on Tuesday 26 April.

Please use this link to make your appointment

Extra trading hours – Term 2

Tuesday 26 April 2022: 8.00 am – 5.00 pm
Wednesday 27 April 2022: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Thursday 28 April  2022: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm

The uniform shop will return to normal hours on Monday 2 May 2022.

Throughout the school term our opening hours are:

Monday: 8.00 am – 11.00 am
Tuesday: 1.00 pm – 5.00 pm
Thursday: 1.00 pm – 5.00 pm

You are welcome to purchase from the online uniform shop, passphrase ES1983.

All orders will be completed when the store reopens.

Contact details:

Phone:  9326 5445
Email:    emanuel@midford.com.au

PSG

Thank you to our volunteers for last week
(Monday 28 March 2022 – Friday 1 April 2022)

Peter Goldberg, Josh Nassi, David Nathanson, Kim Camberg, Ella Israel, Lance Michalson, Elan Miller, Naomi Hersh, Florette Ickowicz, Harley McKenzie, Vitali Kanevsky, Shirley Goldrei, Shai Simhi, Raffy Shammay, Ros Shammay, Melissa Langbart, Wayne Rubin, Guy Olian, Josh Itzkowic, Daniell Butt, Joshua Markovitch, Jacqueline Rule and Ron Hirsch

P&F

Justine Hofman – Head of P&F

We finally hit the finish line of the longest term ever (at least it feels that way) and I would like to  thank all the parents who have contributed to our community over past weeks. Almost 40 of you who have volunteered and just as many have signed up to volunteer for next term.  

We’ve got an exciting Term 2 planned so please read below as we reveal details of our Mother’s Day festivities.

Book Now –  Mother’s Day Morning
Retro Schvitz Aerobics, Coffee & Pastry

Let’s get physical together while we schvitz, laugh, dance and sing along to an 80s inspired aerobics class for all ages. Throughout the morning there will (of course) be coffee flowing, pastries and time for long-overdue catch ups with other mums, grand-mums and special friends.

Where: On campus in Waxman forecourt (enter via Stanley Street gate)
When: Friday 6 May 2022
Time: 7.15 am – 8.30 am (aerobics kicks off at 7.40 am)

Tickets

Advance tickets: Adult $15.00, Child $6.00 
On the day: Adult $20.00, Child $10.00

** Please buy in advance – it helps us plan for catering. Book now here         

Adults must show proof of vaccination and wear masks.

Got a question? Mia Kalinko, Mother’s Day Morning coordinator can assist.

A Mother’s Day Stall with a difference for Years 5 and 6

This year, alongside the beautiful, pampering $10.00 gifts at the Mother’s Day stall for Years K-6, we are excited about trialling a new initiative for Years 5 and 6.

Every child in Years 5 and 6 has a choice. Select a $10.00 for a physical gift at the stall or use your $10.00 to opt in to an initiative where mum receives a (smaller) gift with the bulk of the money donated to mums at Women Up North shelter. Children selecting this option will also be provided with a donation certificate to give to mum. All of this is entirely optional. 

If you and your kids love the idea as much as we hope you will, next year it may open up to younger Primary kids. For now, we thought it would be better understood by the older years. We will provide more information on this first week back but just wanted to give you the heads up.

With thanks, Lynn Ross and Carli Rothman – Mother’s Day Stall organisers.

Reminder
Order Friday Challah for Term 2

Choose from Jesse’s Bakery’s regular challah without seeds ($4.50 per week) and gluten-free challah ($10 per week) and collect each week from school. Order and pay via this form before Monday 25 April 2022.  

Questions to our Challah coordinator, Sharron Miller at crew@captainbandanna.com.au

Events to diarise

Friday 8 April 2022: Friday Chills K-6 families (pending weather)
Friday 6 May 2022: Mother’s Day Morning 7.15 am – 8.30 am 
Friday 6 May 2022: Mother’s Day Stall
Sunday 21 May 2022: Bush Picnic
Friday 26 August 2022: Father’s Day (Breakfast and Stalls)
Friday 4 November 2022 – Sunday 6 November 2022: Emanuel Family Spring Camping 

Shabbat shalom and Pesach sameach,

Community Notices

Theresienstadt Art and Memory
Sydney Jewish Museum – Sunday 10 April 2022 at 2.00 pm 
Book your tickets here

For more information: Survivor Sunday flyer_Memories of Theresienstadt survivor-50

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 Carpenter Family 

Easy Peach Pudding

Ingredients

For Base:
8 peaches, halved
4 tbsp caster sugar
4 tbsp water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

For Topping:
125g butter softened
125g sugar
125g self-raising flour
2 eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 180⁰C.
For the base, bring all ingredients to a boil in a pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
For the topping, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time and combine.
Add self-raising flour.
To combine, grease a baking dish with butter and shake in some sugar.
Place the peaches and syrup into the dish. Put pudding topping on in dollops.
Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice-cream.