From the Principal

Andrew Watt – Principal

Rebuilding our culture of care, respect, commitment, and punctuality

Extended periods of remote learning with limited social interactions and a pervasive atmosphere of uncertainty, has characterised the two previous years. There is no doubt that this has impacted our student culture. Whilst we are slowly returning to normal, our students face the challenge of relearning the core values and behavioural expectations of our school culture prior to the advent of COVID-19.

What makes a good school culture? According to the Harvard Graduate School of Education, it starts with connections – strong and overlapping interactions among all members of the school community. I do not know a school that is more connected than Emanuel! Knowledge about the School’s distinctive character, and what it takes to thrive in it, must again be widely spread and reinforced. 

Our K-12 leadership team has identified several key areas that will reinforce and strengthen our school culture. In the younger years, it can be as simple as dressing in full uniform, listening politely and trying their best. As our students progress to middle Primary School years and beyond, the key areas include:

1. Polite and respectful interactions with staff and fellow students
2. Diligent and thorough completion of all required schoolwork in a timely manner
3. Punctual arrival at class and other school activities and remaining for the duration of the lesson or activity
4. Neat and tidy appearance; compliant with uniform rules about jewellery, make-up, and tied-back hair
5. Respectful engagement in whole-school and group events, such as Kabbalat Shabbat, prayers, carnivals, and festivals.

We are very proud of our Emanuel culture of care, inclusiveness, and respect. We have sought to be a ‘safe place’ for those who struggle, and a school that promotes both individual excellence and collaboration. This is ‘the way we do things’ at Emanuel. Your support in reminding your children of the core values and actions that we hold dear would be sincerely appreciated, as we forge ahead. These include being kind to others, getting your children to school on time and ensuring that they are neat and in full uniform.

Promoting student voice and agency

Mia Goodridge, Eden Levit, Ruby Brody, Maayan Granot and Mahli Olian

The importance of ensuring that the ideas and concerns of our students are heard, valued, and believed lies at the core of our wellbeing program. Our Primary and High School Student Representative Councils (SRC) remain an important vehicle for bringing those matters raised by our students before the school leadership team. The SRC also organises fund-raising and community service events.

The Primary SRC started 2022 with renewed energy, collecting an impressive amount of food and sanitary supplies for Tonga and raising $366, whilst the High School SRC collected kitchen equipment, toiletry supplies and tinned vegetables, to assist with rebuilding Tonga after the devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami.  With the advent of the disastrous floods in NSW, the Primary SRC raised a phenomenal amount of money for the flood relief fund with the ‘Fiver for the Floods’ initiative.  In Term 2, the High School SRC ran a very successful BBQ and plain clothes day for the same cause. The Primary and High School student SRC leaders will continue to meet to discuss new initiatives and issues raised by students. We thank Mia Goodridge, Mahli Olian, Jakob Pager and Zach Whitten for their enthusiasm and commitment to these fundraisers. Additional credit goes to our student representatives across Years 3-6. The High School is planning another fundraiser in Week 6 for our very own World Water Day. We are grateful to Alice Milner, Eden Levit, Kian Hamburger, Lucy Menczel, Maayan Granot, Ruby Brody and Ruby Miller for their support and hard work to make these fundraising events such a success

NAPLAN testing

NAPLAN Week 2022 has been highly successful, thanks to the efforts of a large team of Emanuel staff. The students have managed the challenges really well, many of whom have never done these exams previously. There was a positive and calm vibe in each of the testing centres around the Primary School and High School, with students certainly showing their relief at the end of each session. We appreciate that this set of exams is somewhat disruptive to the teaching and learning schedule, but we look forward to celebrating the success of our students and their teachers.

I had to share this photo of Katie Brodie, Director of Studies K-6, who seems to have nailed the NAPLAN spirit!

Mother’s Day

Thank you to the P&F who put on a fantastic spread and energetic activities for mums, special friends and students. This was the first Retro Schvitz and I believe it lived up to its name!

They also selected wonderful presents for the students to gift to their mums. I was particularly impressed that so many students in Years 5 and 6 chose to donate a significant portion of the money they would have spent on a gift to Women Up North, a support service for women, children and young people who have experienced domestic or family violence or abuse.

Small Business Workshop

On Thursday 26 May 2022 at 7.00 pm, we will be hosting a workshop for small business owners in conjunction with The Freedom Hub, an organisation that works to end slavery in Australia. Sally Irwin, Freedom Hub’s Founder and CEO, will explore how small businesses can ensure that they don’t support the growing slavery trade in Australia. 

Bookings are essential for catering purposes. 

Shorashim

Mazal tov to Daniel Zipser, Year 8, who won the highly coveted United Israel Appeal Shorashim Project Award 2021 for his Year 7 project. Daniel has been awarded $1,000 towards his Year 10 Israel trip. Kol hakavod to all the finalists – it was obvious that a lot of thought and care had been invested in their projects. 

A page from Daniel Zipser’s Shorashim project

Mazal tov and Kol hakavod

This week we have a number of student achievements and work to celebrate. 

• Kol hakavod to all of Year 8 for their efforts, enthusiasm and expertise during the recent Israel Expo. They are to be particularly commended for their problem solving skills and great teamwork in setting up and packing down their stands.
• Emanuel 15yrs Girls Football Team won the CDSSA Football Championships – a fantastic result all round.
• Eden Levit, Coby New, Luca Calderon-Havas, Sienna Poswell, Gemma Odes, Riley Carr, Shai Farhy and Reece Carr on their selection in the CDSSA representative football teams.
• Ben Rozen on his selection in the AICES Rugby Union team.
• Maxwell Pozniak who competed in the Australian National Championships of Hip Hop International last weekend, winning the top division and now qualifying for the International Championships to be held in the USA in August.

Quote of the week

Don’t just learn, experience.
Don’t just read, absorb.
Don’t just change, transform.
Don’t just relate, advocate.
Don’t just promise, prove.
Don’t just criticise, encourage.
Don’t just think, ponder.
Don’t just take, give.
Don’t just see, feel.
Don’t just dream, do.
Don’t just hear, listen.
Don’t just talk, act.
Don’t just tell, show.
Don’t just exist, live.
~ Roy T. Bennett, author and optimist

From the Acting Head of Jewish Life

Daphna Levin-Kahn – Head of Jewish Studies High School

Count the days, make them count

We are now in the middle of the Omer period, Sefirat Haomer, the seven weeks between Pesach and Shavuot, in which the Torah requires of us to count each day, with the Talmud delineating many halachot (Jewish laws) about the specifics of the counting.

In Parashat Emor, we hear the first commandment about the Omer:

וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמׇּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת־עֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימֹת תִּהְיֶינָה׃
עַד מִֽמׇּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת הַשְּׁבִיעִת תִּסְפְּרוּ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַה’׃

And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering—the day after the sabbath—you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete:

You must count until the day after the seventh week – fifty days; then you shall bring an offering of new grain to God. (Emor, Leviticus 23: 15-16)

According to the Torah, at the start of the Omer, on the second night of Pesach, an offering of grain was brought to the Temple, and then, seven full weeks would be counted, and, at the end, an offering of grain was brought to the Temple, and an unnamed festive day was to take place.

What’s the point of this counting to connect Pesach to this Festival of Weeks (Shavuot)? It seems strange to count so meticulously for so long just to do virtually the same thing you did at the start.

There are several ideas that attempt to answer this question:

In the Torah, Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot were agricultural festivals, each connecting to an important milestone in the arable calendar. The harvest around Pesach time (in Israel) was the barley harvest, which was and still is, mostly animal feed. Shavuot celebrates the wheat harvest, wheat being a predominantly human food. Thus, the Sages tell us, the Omer helps us grow from being driven by basic animal instincts, as experienced by the slaves in Egypt, to the higher level of consciousness and morality of humanity, developed by the Jewish People in the weeks following the Exodus.

This idea is developed further when considering the use of the plural form, in this mentioning of the Omer counting; וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם – “And you (pl.) shall count for you (pl.)..” The purpose of the Omer is to remind us that we are a community, and must move onwards and upwards, away from the “slave mentality”, to become the “holy nation” we discussed from last week’s parasha. We also learn that this counting is not meant to be simply rote or repetition, but לָכֶם for you – for us to grow spiritually and communally.  

Interestingly, our traditional understanding that Shavuot is “Zman Matan Torateinu”, the “Time of Our Receiving the Torah” is not written in the Torah but is raised and debated by the rabbis in the Oral Torah, later recorded in the Talmud.

The Kabbalists add a mystical element to the Omer: There are seven elements of the universe: Love, respect, compassion, efficiency, beauty, loyalty & leadership, and seven biblical leaders, each of whom represents one of those elements. For each day of the Omer, the Kabbalists assign a different blend of these elements on which to meditate, with the intention of strengthening our souls’ connections to the Universe, to God and Torah.

Let us consider another idea:

Throughout the Jewish Year, Judaism provides opportunities to reflect on our behaviour, actions, selves, progress in the short and long term, each day, week, month and year – with Tefillah, Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We are given specific times to onsider our own good fortune and privilege or enhance our empathy around Freedom (Pesach), Material Possessions and Home (Sukkot), Joy (Purim), Light (Chanukah), the environment (Tu Bishvat) and so on. The Fast Days and Semi Mourning Periods enable us to think about what we may have lost or yearn for and what is worth fighting for.

The Sefirat Haomer encourages us to contemplate how, when we set a goal, have an ambition, or something about which we are looking forward, we should not lose sight of the process or the present, but make each day count, rather than merely count the days.

Winnie-the-Pooh ~ A.A. Milne

Shabbat Shalom

Primary News

Carrie-Anne Thomas – Acting Deputy Head of Primary

Dangerous online challenges

The popularity of social media and the internet has led to the development of many new crazes: children and young people have recently been completing a slew of online challenges. Unfortunately, while many of these challenges are fun and light-hearted, others are harmful and dangerous. 

Trying to stay abreast of new trends can be daunting for schools, parents and caregivers. As such, Julie Inman Grant, eSafety Commissioner, recognises the importance of developing the critical reasoning skills of young people, encouraging children to question what they see online and to remember that it is never worth risking the wellbeing or physical safety of themselves or their peers.  

Dangerous challenges can originate from many platforms, one of which is the social media platform Tik Tok. Whilst the minimum age for users on Tik Tok is 13, some students in the Primary School may have access to this app. The internetmatters.org website provides parents with information about Tik Tok and many other apps, including the current trends and challenges and safety features. 

The eSafety Commissioner also offers a range of FREE webinars for parents and carers to develop knowledge, skills and tools to support children to have safe online experiences. This month the webinar will focus on setting up devices and apps to help keep young people safe online. Further information about this webinar, including how to register, can be found here.

If you cannot attend the webinar, there is also a short video available on parental controls. 

Paws b Mindfulness program (Year 2)

The 6-week Paws b Mindfulness program began running in Year 2 this week. Paws b is an awareness-raising exercise to give all students a taste of mindfulness so that they know about it and can use it throughout their lives if they choose to do so. 

PAWS b covers the following concepts:

• Specific areas of the brain and how these affect our ability to focus, make good choices and recognise when we need to steady ourselves when our body or mind is busy or out of balance.
• Ways mindfulness can support us in many day-to-day activities, including concentration and memory, behavioural self-management, and relationships with family and friends.
• Ways to respond rather than react – and therefore make better choices and take the best care of ourselves

Thank you to Kim Slender and Belinda Gold, for helping to facilitate this program with our students in Year 2 this term.

Interrelate (Year 5)

In Weeks 6-8, the Year 5 students participate in the ‘Moving Into Teen Years’ Interrelate Program. This program is run during school hours by an external presenter with the support of classroom teachers.

The program covers the following topics: 

• Acknowledging personal differences and promoting respect for and acceptance of others
• Increasing awareness of personal safety and protective behaviours
• Developing students’ understanding of physical development at puberty, and providing strategies for managing these changes
• Discussing different types of relationships and strategies for managing conflict

If you have any questions please contact your child’s teacher. 

Student and Parent Interrelate Session (Year 6) 

On Wednesday 1 June 2022, 6.00 pm – 8.15 pm, Year 6 students and parents will participate in an online session hosted by Interrelate. Interrelate is a specialist organisation with over 90 years of experience in teaching sexuality and relationship education in NSW schools. This year’s sessions will focus on ‘Where did I come from?’ and ‘Preparing for puberty’. This online event is compulsory as it covers content in the curriculum. Therefore, it is essential all Year 6 students attend with at least one parent.

More information will be sent to Year 6 families directly.

If you have any questions, please contact your child’s Year 6 teacher. 

Dr Justin Coulson Presents: Encouraging Good Behaviour 
Upcoming webinar for parents 

This webinar, presented by Dr Justin Coulson, is relevant for parents who have faced challenges when encouraging good behaviour in their children.

The key learning and discussion points include: 

• Why the centuries-old strategies should be left in the past 
• How discipline  can go wrong and why 
• Real-world examples of discipline that are as imperfect as parents and their kids, but that still work
• Ideas for discipline that turn everything you thought you knew about the topic on its head 
• Applicable strategies for everyone 

The webinar will be held on 8 June 2022 at 8.00 pm – 9.00  pm AEST and is FREE to Emanuel School parents.

Download the information PDF for details on how to redeem your free access to this webinar.

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Term 2 is well underway and Years 3-6 students are busy learning in Jewish Studies.

Year 3

Year 3 students will be delving into the stories from the Book of Genesis, through their Explorer’s Bible textbook. Before looking at these stories, we have been learning about the Torah more generally, discussing why it is so important for the Jewish people and learning that the word תורה means ‘teachings’, thinking about what we can learn from reading and studying the Torah?.

We watch a fascinating video about how a Torah scroll is made and the job of Sofer – Jewish scribe, who writes the Torah scroll.

In the coming week, students will have the opportunity to have a close up look at our School’s sefer Torah.  

Year 4

What happened to the Jewish people after they crossed the Red Sea? How did Moses and the people deal with the challenges and responsibilities of their new found freedom? Through studying stories and Torah passages from the book of Exodus, students have begun learning of the trials and adventures of the Jewish people in the Wilderness. Students have ‘stepped inside the sandals’ of Moshe, just after the crossing of the Red Sea, to write a diary from his perspective, thinking about his future and that of the Jewish people. 

Year 5

To conclude our unit on Jewish ethics and rule around food, students have been busy designing their own kosher dinner party – from planning the menu to using the Kashrut Authority website to ensure all the ingredients they will be using are kosher. There have been some creative and delicious meals planned and students have learnt that by thinking carefully and creatively about ingredients and how a wide range of recipes can be made kosher.   

Year 6

Students have begun a whirlwind journey through Jewish history, from Abraham to the present, to explore and discuss the Jewish people’s connection to the Land of Israel. Reflecting on the name ישראל Israel and its meaning ‘struggle with God’, we have learnt the different meanings and usage of this word, discussing whether the Jews are a religion, a nation or a combination of the two. 

By Zella Benko

By Jonah Vitek

Maddison Green Diary Entry

Ben Pellow’s Menu

T-shirt Tuesday

T-shirt Tuesday!

This term, the 2022 Year 6 group received their t-shirts. Mia Goodridge designed the front of the t-shirt and Elah Sharabi’s design was on the back of the t-shirt. Everyone was very excited to receive their t-shirt. No one knew what the winning designs were. Every Tuesday we will be able to wear our t-shirts to school. They are grey and all of our names are on them. When I wear my t-shirt I feel excited and special because we are the only Year in Primary School that are able to wear customised t-shirts. It is a very cool and clever way to end our last year in Primary School.

Everyone in Year 6 got to submit a design and the teacher chose a few designs that the students then voted on. It was a good idea to let the student choose the t-shirt designs because the teachers we would also be wearing them.

We are so thankful to the teachers and parent, Sam Butt, for helping to organise our Year 6 t-shirts!

By Lexi Butt and Noaa Smily

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

Year 8 Israel Expo

On Thursday last week, I was lucky enough to take a group of Dolphins up to the Israel Expo. When we arrived, we split the group in half, and I took one group around from stall to stall and Janice took the other group. The Kornmehl children were excited to be up at the big school and as we had been learning about Israel in the lead up to Yom Ha’atzmaut. It was very timely to be visiting the Expo, where we had the opportunity to deepen our learning and understanding about Israel as a country and what it has to offer in terms of food, culture, medicine, the army, science, sport, environment, research, tourism and feminism.

The benefits of all being on one campus from Pre-school to Year 12 allows for these kinds of opportunities – for collaboration and sharing across the years at Emanuel School. This is such a privilege, not to be taken for granted. We so appreciate these moments to share and learn together.

It was even more beautiful to witness the Year 8 children adjust their talks about their research to suit the level of the Pre-school children. They did this intuitively, without prompting, and were so appreciative of their young audience visiting and taking an interest in their work.

Thank you to Daphna Levin-Kahn for inviting us and to all the Year 8 students. 

Kol Hakavod on a beautiful display of work.

Family Day Breakfast

On Monday morning, we were delighted to welcome – for the first time in two years – our Kornmehl family members into the Pre-school to celebrate our much awaited family/Mother’s Day Breakfast.

The excitement was felt from the minute everyone walked inside. There were smiles all around. I think some children were actually in shock that their parents were actually coming inside the Pre-school! For most of our Dolphins and Starfish, the normal routine is drop-off and pick-up at the door. Thus, emotions were heightened as we all enjoyed this beautiful time together in the Pre-school. The atmosphere was energetic, filled with fun, wonder, creativity, and an enormous amount of love!!

We know everyone had a fabulous morning and we enjoyed sharing this special time together.

Thank you to all our special helpers this morning in the kitchen: Adam Ezekiel, Stephen Silver, Danny Bloom and Cordelle Scaife. Your help was much appreciated. A big thank you to Cliffie Rosenberg for the amazing light show in the dream room – the children loved it!

Buddy Reading

The Year Two buddies arrived in the Pre-school on Monday afternoon for our first Buddy Reading time together in two years. We were delighted to be able to resume this beautiful time again, of sharing stories and developing relationships with Year Two. Each week, on a Monday afternoon, the Year Two classes will alternate and come down to the Pre-school for Buddy Reading.

What makes this activity even more special, is that a lot of the Year Two’s were students at Kornmehl only three years ago. It was so meaningful to reconnect and to see how much they have grown – and to hear how capably they can all read. 

Many of the Year Two’s also have a family member at Kornmehl now, so we were able to buddy them up with their brother, sister or cousin. This was indeed very special! Another benefit of all being on one campus and families being connected from year to year!

Bush School

It seems that this week has been a time of many firsts in a long while, and, on Tuesday and Friday, the Starfish and Dolphins respectively, got to enjoy their first Bush School visit for the year. This time, we were not worried about Covid stopping us from going, but rather the rainy weather. We held our breath on Tuesday morning and prayed very hard, and low and behold the sun came out in between the grey clouds. The children excitedly donned their rain gear and gumboots and headed out the gate with their backpacks on their backs. We were also able to take parent volunteers with us for the first time in ages. The children were well prepared by their teachers for this adventure down at Centennial Park, engaging with nature and enjoying climbing trees and looking for bugs and creatures. The visit was a highlight for us all and everyone came back tired but elated and feeling very fulfilled and calm.

Bush School is very much an embedded part of our program at Kornmehl and each visit is filled with wonder, excitement, discovery, learning and lots of life lessons. We are looking forward to many more visits as the year progresses. Thank you to all our wonderful parent helpers, especially Emanuel grandparent, Susan Sweller, our dedicated and committed Bush School volunteer/botanist for the past six years.

Susan has a wealth of knowledge about local fauna and flora and shares this freely and openly with the educators and children, in such a beautiful way. Thank you, Susan, we are so honoured that you still join us on all our visits year in and year out. We are indeed very blessed.

Small Businesses Workshop

Help save lives

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

The Angel Network Australia

Parents from Emanuel School, Moriah College and Mount Sinai College have recently registered a formal charity called The Angel Network Australia. The aim of this charity is to raise funds for specific projects in South Africa. These projects are managed by The Angel Network South Africa, which has been putting upliftment projects into action in South Africa for the past seven years.

The Angel Network Australia’s focus fundraiser this month is to purchase mini fire extinguishers for disadvantaged communities in South Africa. Emanuel parent Simone Joffe, who is a Founder of The Angel Network Australia, says “We have launched this latest campaign in response to the devastating consequences of the shack fires that are occurring regularly and causing devastation to people already living with so little. We hope that many members of the School Community will support this initiative, launched to raise funds to sponsor as many mini fire extinguishers for the informal settlements in South Africa as possible.”

Waxman/Symonds families & Judean Scouts

Sydney Judean Scouts and Girl Guides
95 years young

Although official records seem to vary, according to an article in the Australian Jewish News, in Sydney, Jewish scouting began in 1927 with the formation of the 1^st Sydney Judean troop, which met at The Great Synagogue. Some records say Jewish scouting was actually established in October 1908. Before the Zionist youth groups and the rise of the Jewish day schools, the Judean Scouts and Girl Guides played an important role in connecting Jewish boys and girls, especially those who did not come from observant homes. They could socialise, learn new skills and develop pride in their Jewish heritage. It also provided an opportunity to learn about Judaism, to celebrate the festivals and help prepare boys for their Barmitzvahs. As part of the broader Australian Scouting movement, the Sydney Judean Scouts contributed to the development of the Australian community and culture of acceptance, tolerance and friendship and inclusivity for all. This in turn established a sense of Australian identity, which became apparent during the Second World War, when whole scout troops would enlist together. Over the years, there have been several Jewish groups, including 5^th Maroubra, 4^th Lindfield and 8^th Sydney. However, 3^rd Rose Bay, which resulted from a merger with 2^nd Bondi in the 1980’s, is the only group remaining. 

For Emanuel grandparent Leon Waxman, scouting allows him to promote his love of the outdoors and his enjoyment for bushwalking, camping, rock climbing, abseiling and canoeing. He became a cub at age eight and grew up in Sydney’s Jewish scouting scene. He was then drawn back into scouting when his own son, Emanuel alumnus Asher (Class of 2009) joined the 3^rd Rose Bay in 2002. Leon is currently the Group Leader of the 3^rd Rose Bay Judean Scout Group and has been an active Adult Leader for 20 years, believing in the importance of Scouting in promoting leadership, initiative and resilience in today’s youth. Leon’s grandchildren are very much a part of the current movement – grandson Jonah Symonds (Year 2) is now a Cub whilst his sister Samara (Sammi) Symonds in Year K recently joined up as a Joey.

The various groups in Jewish Scouts for boys and girls: 
Joeys (age 6 – 8)
Cubs (age 8 – 10)
Scouts (age 10 – 15)
Venturers (age 15 -18)
Rovers (age 18 – 25) 

Leon says “For students age 15 to 17 in Year 10 and Year 11 by joining Venturer Scouts, there is a great opportunity to achieve the prestigious peak award in Scouting – The Queen’s Scout Award. Many universities offer an additional 3 or 4 ATAR points for Queen’s Scout. Combine this with the Duke of Edinburgh Award (many of the QS requirements qualify for the D of E), you could achieve 6 or 7 additional ATAR points. Achieve this while having great experiences in outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, abseiling, rock climbing, canoeing and many other fun activities. Our last Queen’s Scout achiever learnt to fly a plane at the Scout Air Activities base!”

Regular meetings are held at Bondi Scout Hall, Wairoa Ave, Bondi Beach, and enquiries about any of the divisions are welcome as are new members enquiries.

For further information, please contact Leon: 0402 087 405 or wax_fam@bigpond.com.

Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM)

SJM holds a very special place in the hearts of so many members of our wonderful School community, and as you may have read, our staff toured the Museum recently as part of our Staff Development Day before the students returned to School for Term 2. Holocaust survivors, Emanuel great grandparents and grandparents, guide at the museum, telling their stories of survival during WW2 to student and adult visitors throughout the year. Others, some of whom are children of survivors also guide while a number of alumni, parents and grandparents work on staff, volunteer in the Education Department and numerous other departments of the museum.  A number, including myself, are involved in the 2022 G2G Guide Course, with the aim of becoming a volunteer guide next year after an extensive training program. Until the end of November, my group meets every week to learn by way of lectures, practical guiding workshops, tours and survivor testimony. As well as meeting for a whole group lecture each week, we have also been allocated into small groups where we meet a designated mentor and educator. My group’s mentor is Emanuel grandparent Peter Adamek and my Educator is alumna Dr Rebecca Kummerfeld, who heads the Museum’s Education Department – such a lovely coincidence and a wonderful connection for me. Emanuel parents Ilana McCorquodale and Lee-Anne Whitten are also Educators involved in the course. Emanuel connections with the Museum are certainly far-reaching. Regular lectures and book launches are held and I encourage our readers to check out the program on the Museum’s website.

The Healer – David Asher Brook

On Sunday 29 May 2022 at 3.00 pm is a vibrant afternoon of animations and music, celebrating Jewish life in Poland before 1939. This event will feature the artwork of Emanuel alumnus David Asher Brook and current parent Steven Durbach. The series of animations curated by artist and curator Estelle Rozinski, an Emanuel past parent, shine a light on the diversity of Jewish life before the Holocaust. Rozinski believes that stories such as these drive our curiosity, leaving us wanting to know more about the shape and texture of everyday life.

The Museum invites us all to three free online lectures featuring renowned academics and industry leaders who  discuss Holocaust history and research: Historian Tali Nates on Wednesday 1 June 2022 at 7.30 pm – Representing the Holocaust in Post-Apartheid South Africa; Wednesday 8 June 2022 at 1.00 pm – Ordinary Men as Holocaust Perpetrators, with Emeritus Professor Christopher Browning and Wednesday 15 June 2022 at 7.30 pm – Holocaust Research and Contemporary Politics: a battlefield of history and memory with Professor Dan Michman. Book online via the museum website.

Maccabiah Games Torch

Rita Prager and other museum staff members and the Maccabiah Torch.

Last week, I highlighted some of the many Emanuel connections to the upcoming 21^st Maccabiah Games in Israel in July.  A replica of the 2022 Maccabiah Games Torch has been making the rounds and will be displayed in schools, museums and sporting events in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as at team farewells at Government House in both cities.

The torch paid a visit to the SJM last week, pictured here held by Emanuel grandparent Rita Prager, Fundraising Manager at the Museum alongside other museum staff and members of the Australian Maccabiah delegation.

Friendship Bakery

The bakery was featured in this week’s Wentworth Courier with the heading “Born to try and thrive – the rise of a Vaucluse bakery” and included a photograph of bakery trainee Sarah Younger with her mentor, Emanuel alumna Shoshi Blackman. Hope you get the chance to visit the bakery, where you can you purchase some of their yummy treats and sit at their outdoor tables to enjoy a coffee and a catch up with friends, whilst supporting this social enterprise, at 2 Laguna Street, Vaucluse. Order online or just head up there to check out their delicious giant meringues and lamingtons as well as rugelach, quiches and fresh Challah just to mention a few – all prepared and baked in their Kosher kitchen onsite. You can also buy dough for baking your own choc chip cookies.

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: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Shabbat shalom, stay safe and have a great weekend.

Music Matters

Diana Springford – Head of Music

Welcome to our Music Matters page! 🎶

Here you will find announcements about our busy Music program, so please check this on a weekly basis. 

Music Camp – bookings close today!
(Monday 20 June – Thursday 23 June 2022) 

Bookings for Music Camp close today and our participants list is being finalised. Information about Music Camp was sent to existing members of our ensembles and choirs who have made a year-long commitment to those ensembles. If your child is a member or has only recently joined and you haven’t enrolled already for Music Camp, please urgently contact Jo:  jdearaujo@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.

We’ve had a wonderful response and a huge group of talented students from Years 4 – 12 are registered to attend Music Camp in June. Next week, parents of all participants will receive an important email about special diets, with a link to the venue survey confirming whether (or not) your child needs a special diet. Very detailed information will be in the cover email.  A detailed packing list will be sent to attendees in Week 6.   

Parents and carers, please remember to put the Music Camp Showcase Concert in your diary for Thursday 23 June 2022, from 6.15 pm – 8.00 pm. Please note that as we have such a large group of campers who will be performing in the concert, we will need to limit the audience to two persons per student. We will video the performance and make that available afterwards to the parents and carers of performers.

Extra-Curricular Music Program  

You will find the rehearsal schedule here 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.

Please visit our Music Portal Page for information about:

• Private Music Tuition (beginning and discontinuing)
• Ensemble and Choir membership for K-12 students
• Infant Strings Program (ISP) for K-2
• Performance opportunities
• Borrowing an orchestral instrument

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Kathryn Taylor from Turning Point Consulting came out and spoke to our students this week.

Kathryn is a very experienced Careers Practitioner, who works with many schools across NSW. She shared a lot of her insights with our Year 12s about how to plan, how to investigate and research and how to identify what is important in these choices.

Depending on what type of style of investigator you are – you will approach researching your future differently. It may be helpful to know and identify which way you and others approach this. 

The Australian Qualifications Framework showcases the myriad of options available. As always, there is more flexibility than you think. Leaving school, getting a certificate and then a diploma can put you well on your way to a Bachelors and Masters degree. We will start to see a lot more graduates who will have multi disciplinary qualifications – perhaps with a Bachelors degree in Engineering and then a TAFE-based qualification in something more specific. The more varied your qualifications are, the wider and more interesting your skill set is.

Kathryn talked a lot about applied learning. How can students show their learning when they come out of the tertiary landscape? The answer is to show you have applied that learning either at an internship, in your weekend part-time job, in your new start-up, in a committee you are part of, or any area of the world of work that you can showcase what you learnt. This was great advice for our students to hear.

Early Offers

This week I recorded an Early Entry Process webinar for parents. You can also access the slides with live links.This is probably the quickest way to get a handle on the options that are out there!

Who is Ms Bowman?

English Teacher/Tutor

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

SPOTLIGHT ON … ALICE BOWMAN

What is your role at Emanuel School?
I am an English Teacher and the Year 8 Meir Tutor.

What roles have you held before that you enjoyed/ led you to this point?
Since beginning my teaching career in 2016, I have taught English at both Geelong Grammar School in Corio, Victoria, and at Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange, NSW. I also enjoyed various roles across both schools as a Learning Support Teacher, Senior School Literacy Coordinator and Tutor. The main difference between these schools and Emanuel is that they are boarding schools, meaning that I also gained valuable experience as a sports coach and a boarding mistress.

What inspired you to become a teacher?
Ever since I was young, I have adored reading, writing and literature in general. When I was at Sydney University studying Psychology and English, I had a part time job as a study skills presenter where we would visit different high schools and run workshops for the students on helpful topics like time management and essay-writing. From this experience, I realised I loved being in the classroom and (perhaps surprisingly!) working with teenagers. The curiosity, passion, optimism and humour that I witnessed in young people in that role confirmed for me that it was my dream to be in the classroom full-time.

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?
That little things can make a big difference; a bigger difference than perhaps you could ever understand. When I was in my first year of teaching, I had a student who didn’t seem to like me much. She was very reserved and struggled a great deal with school. I would always chat to her about how she was going and encourage her with whatever she was doing but she would perpetually respond with a frown or a scowl. I often wondered why she seemed to dislike me so very much. During her speech in her graduation dinner at the end of that year, she thanked me for being an unwavering support and believing in her when she couldn’t even believe in herself. I was blown away. Since then, I have thought about the fact that you can never know what another person might be going through and that the smallest smile or word of encouragement, while it may seem like nothing to you, can mean everything to someone else.

Do you have a favourite memory from teaching?
One of my best memories from teaching doesn’t actually come from the classroom. When I was teaching down in Victoria, we took a group of 80 Year 8 students on The Great Victorian Bike Ride. We cycled for 500km over nine days, from the Grampians down along the Great Ocean Road. It took literal blood, sweat and tears for all of us to complete that journey but it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

The Grampians

What are your impressions of Emanuel School thus far?
My impressions of Emanuel School thus far are overwhelmingly positive. I have found the whole community to be incredibly warm and welcoming, in particular my stellar English Faculty. I love the genuine curiosity, love of learning and solid work ethic that (most of!) my students exhibit everyday and have enjoyed seeing their ‘chutzpah’ in action regularly. Not being Jewish myself, I have loved being part of many of the cultural celebrations this year and learning so much about Jewish life also.

Meeting some beautiful elephants in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, with my sister and best friend, Emma.

What do you do to unwind/ what do you enjoy doing outside school hours?
Unfortunately I have nothing particularly exciting or glamorous (like base-jumping or sailing) to report on this front. I love going for evening walks around the idyllic Rushcutters Bay Park, while listening to a podcast, or jumping in the ocean at Coogee or Bronte. While it is painfully cliched for an English teacher to say this, I truly do love nothing more than putting my phone and laptop in another room and snuggling up with a good realistic fiction novel.

My real passion is travelling, and I am fortunate to say I have travelled to over 30 countries. I am very much looking forward to continuing my adventures once it is a little safer to do so!

Do you have a hidden talent and, if so, what is it?
Knowing all the lyrics for many songs is undoubtedly my hidden talent! I feel as though I know every lyric to the most bizarre range of songs, from 90s R & B to the classics like Van Morrison and Dire Straits. While it is not a particularly useful talent to have, aside from karaoke, it is one that I am exceedingly proud of. You will have to test me next time you see me…

What do you wish you could tell your 12-year-old self?
Oh, so many things! Among them would be to always work hard but try not to be so hard on yourself (your ATAR isn’t everything it turns out). Your life will be full of many amazing twists and turns, and you may not always end up on the path that you had imagined for yourself – know that this is a gift. Family and friends, above all else, are all that truly matter in this life.

If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?
If I could pass on any wisdom to my students, it would be encapsulated in this little drawing by one of my favourite visual artist/authors, Charlie Mackesy:

Save the date

Silver Duke of Edinburgh

Raymond Francis – Head of PDHPE & Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator

Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Adventurous Journey (AJ) report

Congratulations to Year 10 students Aiden Kanevsky, Charlie Kerlander, Zac Michalson, Kobi Micahel, Reece Carr and Joshua Gordon, who all attended a Silver Award level five-day expedition at Camp Somerset on the Colo River from Wednesday 20 April 2022 – Sunday 24 April 2022.

This combined AJ enabled the boys to complete this aspect of their Silver Award, allowing them to focus on the three other required elements of the Award program during the remainder of the year.

Aiden Kanevsky reports:

We went on an adventurous journey at Camp Somerset on the Colo River. We had to complete a five day and four-night trip in order to complete an aspect of our Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award. On our journey we encountered numerous obstacles such as very mountainous terrain, river, and gully crossings as well as steep inclines and declines. We were able to hike up and down mountains, through bushes and we even kayaked along the Colo River. During this entire journey we had to carry our 15-20kg rucksacks which held all our equipment that we would need for our hike and two-night stay in the bush. Crucial life skills such as teamwork, courage and navigation skills were vital in order to complete this journey. Everyone on the trip learned a tremendous amount about each other and grew individually as a person.

Year 12 Camp

The Year 12 students experienced an overnight Shabbat ‘camp’ in the Blue Mountains last weekend. This camp, which was to be our final together as a cohort, had a focus on connection to ourselves and others through the creation of a true Shabbat atmosphere. We expected it to be a standard camp affair, but it far exceeded our expectations and became a truly memorable part of our Year 12 journey.

We reached Katoomba after lunch on Friday and immediately changed into smart/casual attire for our last true Shabbat experience as a Year Group. Singing Shabbat songs, reciting the prayers, it was all standard Shabbat schedule. However, performing it as a Year Group, together, made it unique to us. As a group we came together to discuss the weeks that led up to this camp, and what we expected to come after, what we were excited for and what we were scared about.

The Shabbat dinner was a real highlight. The food was the best we have ever tasted at a camp. The garlic bread caused genuine riots, and we all looked forward to the next meal. After dinner we were in high spirits and we spent our time in song – partly for our own enjoyment, and partly to keep interrupting Mr Bloom from singing Brittney Spears’ Toxic. Later in the evening we revisited our time on Ayekah by enjoying some of the party games we first played back in Year 10. It was fun because we were enjoying time with our friends, but it also served as a reminder for us of how far we have come and how much we have grown as a year group.

The night was filled with a lot of fun, dancing, smuggled food, and an intense game of hide-and-seek. The people who actually attempted a good night’s rest went on a morning walk with Mr Ezekiel and company to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Katoomba, near the Three Sisters. We spent Saturday focusing on connecting with each other. We had various workshops and Peulah which aimed to make us reflect on ourselves, and where we were going – both as individuals, and as a year group. We also thoroughly enjoyed free time spent together playing cards and sports outside.

We rounded out this camp with a Havdalah service and ruach – bringing us all back to Emanuel and our community.

We would like to extensively thank Mr Bell for organising this camp, and all of the staff who made it such an enjoyable and memorable experience – Mr Bloom, Mr Ezekiel, Ms Bishop, Ms Laumberg, and the Jewish Life alumni staff Asher Klein and Maya Buhrich. Without you we wouldn’t have had such an amazing final camp experience.

By Tori Shapiro and Jesse Keyser

Screen Time

Adam Ezekiel – Director of Students

Screen Time

SchoolTV – Managing Screen Time

As a result of the global pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the amount of time people spend on screen-based devices. Families are transitioning back to pre-COVID routine,s but many are still struggling to re-establish the boundaries and rules around screen use. Some continue to deal with digital conflict and tech-tantrums on a daily basis. The latest research found that 77% of teenagers spend more than five hours on screens per day, but it is important to note that not all screen time is considered equal.

Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do, and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and highlight the benefits of screen use to ensure you keep a balanced attitude. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties.

Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains.

In this edition of SchoolTV, caregivers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Save a Child’s Heart

Niek Nathan – Year 9

Be The Change and Save a Child’s Heart

During our Be The Change Jewish Studies class, we were honoured to have the opportunity to be visited by Doron Lazarus and to hear about Save a Child’s Heart and the work they do.

Save a Child’s Heart is an Israeli organisation that focuses on giving urgent paediatric cardiac care to children who don’t have access to this type of medical health. This could be due to financial reasons or that the care is not available in their country. They do this by providing heart screening facilities around the world, and then sending any child with heart complications that needs surgery to Israel, where they receive medical attention all free of charge. It is amazing to see how many individuals are taking part in this cause, which has already saved over 6,000 children and screened over 9,500.

Save a Child’s Heart also teaches people from countries with minimal paediatric cardiac care how to be a paediatric cardiac doctor or surgeon, and with this knowledge they can start helping children in their own countries and training others.

Hearing this presentation showed us how lucky we are in Australia, where we have hundreds of heart surgeons, whereas developing countries in Africa might only have one surgeon or none at all.

Tzedakah and giving back to the community plays a major role in Save a Child’s Heart, as all the doctors working there are all volunteers who volunteer between their usual jobs to provide care to the less fortunate. During the session, we learnt about hope, and how we should strive for a healthier world where we look out for people who are less fortunate than us.

By Niek Nathan (Year 9 Changemaker)

Let’s sign

Rebecaa Gaida – Hebrew Teacher Primary

Israeli sign language שפת הסימנים הישראלית
Shalom!  שלום

This week our amazing sign language club has made a few videos for you to watch:

• Lag Ba’Omer ל׳׳ג בעומר which is the festival coming up next week that celebrates the 33rd day of the Omer when Rabbi Akiva’s students stopped dying from a plague and people light huge bonfires.
• Chag sameach חג שמח!

They also made two videos with sentences using the formula יש לי yesh li I have/ein li אין לי  –  you can use this for so many things:

• Yesh li telefon יש לי טלפון (I have a phone).
• Ein li mishkafayim אין לי משקפיים (I don’t have glasses)

Big thanks to Elyad Rapke, Veronica Aronov, Amelie Lipman, Jazzy Goodman, Willow Gelin and Dylan Fisher for featuring in our videos.

Chag Sameach!

Toda, תודה

Morah Gaida מורה גייד ה

Community Notices

PSG

Thank you to our volunteers for last week
(Monday 2 May 2022 – Friday 6 May 2022) 

Paul Berkovic, Nicky Abitz, Joanne Rose, Danielle Jaku Greenfield, Gary Aaron, Bradley Drutman, Alan Epstein, Florette Ickowicz, Ron Efrat, Daniel Grynberg, Michelle Farhy, Brett Churnin, Ian Kessell, Paul Filipczyk, Brandon Given, Elan Miller, Natalie Cromer, David Faktor, Bob Kummerfeld, Dorit Beck, Alan Nathan, Brett Adler, Yury Glikin, Danny Fleischer, Karen Drutman,Tom Goldman and Shirley Goldrei.

P&F

Justine Hofman – Head of P&F

Hi everyone,

This week, we’ll let the pictures do the talking. So many happy faces joined in for the Mother’s Day celebrations last Friday.

Retro Schvitz was a hit with all ages, with so many parents and kids aerobicizing together. The coffee and pastries didn’t go down too badly either.

Mothers Day Stall

The Mother’s Day stall gifts struck the perfect note with gifts ranging from yoga mats to bed socks! The charity gift option for Years 5 and 6 was very well received – we are looking to continue this initiative, and extending it to other year levels.

Thank you again to all the volunteers: Carli Rothman, Lynn Ross. Mia Kalinko, Yaffa Shnirmann, Anna-Lisa Palmer, Nat Chesler, Naomi Hersh, Kate Wine, Neil Shilbury, Tanya Goldberg, Warren Kalinko, Melanie Marks, Kevin Smaller, Elizabeth Ben Gida, Odin Kay, Anita Clarke, Ev Marczak, Ilan Bloom, Nikki Bromberger, Ilana Zar Maisel, Gina Becker, Paul McGee, Candi Mervis, Anita Weinberger, Lindy Lowenstein, Yury Glikin, Zoe Boothman, Carla Hofenberg, Sam Butt, Ilana Zar Maisel, Sharon Miller and Robert Sandy.

Thank you to the Emanuel school team: Tany Milner, Lisa Connors, Carrie-Anne Thomas, Ben Marshall, Lara Ephron, Tom and the security team, Simon and the maintenance team.

mothers day 14

mothers day 13

mothers day 12

mothers day 6

mothers day 10

mothers day 11

mothers day 5

mothers day 9

mothers day 4

mothers day 3

mothers day 7

Family Nature Walk and Picnic – Sunday 22 May 2022

Join us for a lovely nature walk followed by a casual BYO picnic along the Hermitage Walk trail that runs between Rose Bay and Watsons Bay. You can enter at any point that suits you along the trail with the aim to all converge on the open grass area at in front of Strickland House (a very close to Neilsen Park)  from 12.00 pm – 2.00 pm. Each family to bring your own picnic.

Where: Hermitage Walk, meeting at Grass area next to  Strickland House for picnic.
Date: Sunday 22 May 2022
Time: Start walking approximately 11.00 am to meet for picnic 12.00 pm – 2.00 pm
Cost: Free

Events to diarise

Sunday 22 May 2022: Family Nature Walk and Picnic 12.00 pm – 2.00 pm
Friday 26 August 2022: Father’s Day (Breakfast and Stalls)
Friday 4 November 2022 – Sunday 6 November 2022: Emanuel Family Spring Camping