Volume 31 Issue 24 - 12 Aug 2022

From the Acting Principal

Margaret Lowe – Deputy Principal

Through your eyes

This week I spoke to the students at High School assembly about a topic that is somewhat contentious. I hope to encourage student voice in this space. At a later date, there will be scope to include parents, staff and Board members in further discussions. Staff also heard about this topic at the weekly staff briefing but in an abridged version.

I’m immensely proud of the interfaith programs in our school and the community. We look to understand other religions, cultures and practices through accepting eyes. We look with curiosity and openness at others’ rituals and very quickly we speak up when we see someone being treated differently (perhaps poorly) for their beliefs. We are happy to accommodate others with the understanding that they have a right to their beliefs.

What eyes do we take to intrafaith issues? Within our broader Sydney Jewish population we have a range of synagogues, communities, youth groups and organisations. We have many ways of being Jewish. We share so much – our history, our values, our Jewish calendar etc etc – and yet, we are also different. Some of our beliefs and practices are quite different but we are still Jewish.

How do we see each other in our Jewish community? Do we look within our Jewish community with the same accepting eyes that we take to interfaith experiences? Are we curious and open about the rituals in the community that are different to ours? Do we stand up for all and accommodate others?

The concepts of pluralism and egalitarianism are challenging within the community. I have been looking at this in the last week or so and wondering how we can create a positive intrafaith perspective within Emanuel School.

In essence, intrafaith discussions are discussions about a type of diversity. Discussions about human diversity of any sort can have an undercurrent related to the words being used.

Tolerating
Accepting
Understanding
Respecting
Supporting
Embracing

These words are all different in meaning and some are more helpful than others. “Tolerating” is the lowest level of any interfaith or intrafaith perspective and similarly any perspective on other types of diversity. “Embracing” can be too difficult given one’s own beliefs. What might that look like? What is ‘across the line’?

Where do you sit in terms of your intrafaith perspective? How do you see your friends or peers who are from a different stream of Judaism? How do you see the different streams of Judaism? How do you see ‘others’, not your friends or peers in different streams of Judaism? These three questions could evoke the same answer, or not. What if they don’t? What then, are we basing our decisions on? Do we need to know a person and like them in order to be able to accept a different way of believing?

These are big questions. Today I offer the questions to the students and I hope to hear the student voice as part of the voices in our school grappling with this topic.  

Bruchim ha’baim 

Our Israeli Madrichim: Omri Osteryung, Or Kaufman, Yohay Naymark and Ella Ben Moshe

It’s been almost three long years, but we can finally give a very warm Emanuel welcome to our four Israeli Madrichim Ella Ben Moshe, Yohay Naymark, Omri Osteryung and Or Kaufman, who arrived this week. The Madrichim become an integral part of our School, running Mifgashim (Jewish and Zionist educational day seminars) for Years 7, 9, 10 and 11; Machaneh Ayekah (Year 10 Camp); Machaneh Krembo (Year 8 Hebrew Camp) and Machaneh Bisli (Year 5 Hebrew Day). They will also be involved in the general Jewish life of the School from Kabbalat Shabbat to celebrating Rosh Hashanah and so much more. Thank you to those Emanuel families who have opened their homes and are hosting Ella, Yohay, Omri and Or. 

Staff changes

We wish Sarit Spira and Joel the very best as Sarit leaves us in Week 8 to await the arrival of her first child. This is an exciting and challenging time for the family. We can’t wait to see photos of baby Spira.

Alex Symonds has let us know he will be leaving at the end of term to pursue a role within the Reserve Bank of Australia. We wish him the very best in his new venture. We are lucky to have Lauren Korotkov return early from her year’s leave to take Alex’s place for Term 4.

Twilight Concerts

On Wednesday night over 30 students from Year 2 to Year 11 performed for an appreciative audience at the Term 3 Twilight Concerts. The two concerts, which run back-to-back involved a huge variety of solo student performers including singers, cellists, violinists, pianists, clarinetists, flautists, drummers, percussionists, brass players and saxophonists (with backing track or piano accompaniment). Congratulations to Danny Burley, Assistant Head of Music, who not only rehearses with and accompanies many of the student performers, but also skilfully ran the event which was attended by proud parents. Thank you to our Music tutor team for helping prepare our budding musicians and to Ofer Levy, parent and photographer, for capturing many of the moments so perfectly. 

Love Bites

Presenters from Jewish Care facilitated the Love Bites workshop to Years 9 and 10 over the last two weeks as part of our extensive Wellbeing Program. Love Bites is a Respectful Relationships Education Program that focuses on relationship violence, sex and relationships generally, with the aim of helping young people understand the importance of consent, respect and understanding. 

Tikkun Olam

So many of our students are involved in projects to raise funds and awareness for a number of charities both in Australia and abroad. Our students embody the characteristics of a mensch – they are upstanders and compassionate advocates for those who don’t have a voice. 

Friendship Circle Fundraiser

On Thursday, the Primary SRC team ran a fundraiser in aid of Friendship Circle. Students were encouraged to wear a purple accessory and donate a gold coin towards Friendship Circle’s programs. The Years 3-6 SRC leaders helped lead discussions in class about the charity and the exceptional work that they do. Look out for their article in Ma Nishma next week.

Sustainable Salons

Jessi Levin, Year 8, has been growing her hair for over 12 months. Last weekend, she donated over 25cm to Sustainable Salons. The organisation sends ponytails directly to wigmakers and to charitable organisations such as Variety and the Australia Alopecia Areata Foundation (AAAF) to be made into charitable wigs or to fund life-changing programs. She shared: “I grew my hair for a long time because I wanted to cut it for cancer. My late grandpa had cancer and so did my other grandpa. By cutting my hair, I gave other kids my age the chance to get a wig or ponytail made while they have treatment”.

Billum Bags – collection of pre-loved knitwear

As the weather slowly starts to warm up, you may be thinking of clearing out your winter wardrobe. The School is supporting Among Equals, a not for profit developed by Emanuel parent, Caroline Sherman. The organisation aims to enhance economic opportunities for women and their communities through trade. They connect with and support artisan weavers in Papua New Guinea who repurpose yarn from unwanted knitwear to create Bilum Bags, each one a unique work of wearable art. The Bilum Bags are sold by Among Equals, with the net profits being invested back in the community. 

Next week, please send your child with pre-loved knitwear such as scarves, jumpers, beanies and blankets to the collection point at reception. The chunkier the knit, the better. Items do not need to be in perfect condition. A hole here and there is no issue as the yarn is unravelled and combined with other strands to create the Bags.

 

 

News around town

Our biannual Grandparents & Friends and Alumni newsletters were emailed last week. They are filled with interesting stories, photos and interviews. Take a moment to flick through the pages and enjoy reading about the happenings in our community. 

Poem of the week – in honour of Poem in my Pocket Day

Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

B. Yeats:1865-1939

Seeking out a right and good path

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Seeking out a right and good path

In Parashat Ve’etchanan, Moshe continues his speech to the People of Israel, in what will become part of his final words to those who are present to hear them directly and also to later generations who will read them in the Torah. Moshe’s tone is epic and inspiring, as he reminds the people of the journey they have been on and their ultimate destination. Moshe notes that whilst he will get to see the Promised Land from afar, he will not enter it and that Joshua will lead them instead. On numerous occasions, Moshe reminds the people of the תורה (Torah – Teachings); to remember and act upon all the mitzvot, rules, laws and teachings that have been placed before them. 

Parashat Ve’etchanan contains two significant passages that have shaped Judeo-Christian ethics and the meaning and shape of Jewish life. Firstly, we read a repetition of the עשרת הדברות Aseret HaDibrot (the 10 Utterances) also known as the 10 Commandments. These rules are a foundation of Judeo-Christian morality and law. A few verses laterת we read the first paragraph of Shema, the most famous Jewish prayer, which is recited three times a day. The prayer begins with instructions for Israel (namely, the Jewish People) to ‘listen’ and to ‘love’ God with all of your heart (לְבָבְךָ), all of your soul (נַפְשְׁךָ) and all of your might (מְאֹדֶךָ). From this holistic perspective of living a life where mind, body and spirit are aligned in purpose and action, comes our Emanuel School motto ‘Mind, Spirit, Being’. Also contained in this Shema are some of the rituals that shape Jewish daily life; the recitation of the shema, the mezuzah and tefillin, and the importance of passing the tenets of Judaism down through the generations. 

Given the magnitude and significance of the Shema passage, it may be tempting to focus our attention on studying these verses alone. Yet, in two verses that follow, it is two words that drew the interest of our Rabbinic commentators: 

“Be sure to keep the commandments, decrees, and laws that Adonai your God has enjoined upon you. Do what is right and good (הַיָּשָׁר וְהַטּוֹב) in the sight of Adonai, that it may go well with you and that you may be able to go in and possess the good land that Adonai your God promised to your ancestors to give you”. (Deuteronomy 6:17-18)

Rashi, the famous 11th century commentator, understood the words הַיָּשָׁר וְהַטּוֹב to mean ‘a compromise, acting beyond the strict demands of the law’. Ramban (Nachmanides) the 13th Century commentator agrees with Rashi and extends the idea further to say the Torah cannot contain all the rules to govern our behaviour. As such, Torah rules and commandments should be viewed as starting points, and that in “all matters, one should do what is good and right, including even compromise and going beyond the requirements of the law”. 

I find it interesting that both Rashi and Ramban’s interpretations of the instruction ‘do what is right and good’ demonstrate deep insight into human nature, relationships and morality. Following repeated exhortations in this parasha to follow the laws and the rules, they push us to see that what is ‘right and good’ can involve compromise and going beyond the letter of the law. The late Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks also taught: ‘At times being good, upright and moral involves compromise and going above and beyond the letter of the law.’ 

We have all had moments in life, in our relationships and interactions with others where doing ‘what is right and good’ involves compromise, kindness or acting beyond what is written on the page. There are undoubtedly times when both following and enforcing the rules are important and the right thing to do. There are also times when following and enforcing the rules can be an easy way through a difficult situation. 

There are also times when doing ‘what is right and good’ involves compromise and acting beyond the letter of the law, in the spirit of something greater. 

Life can be messy and complicated. We are not perfect and we will make mistakes.

Being inspired by these two words  הַיָּשָׁר וְהַטּוֹב, may we have the courage, wisdom and insight to act with kindness, compassion and respect, to do ‘what is right and good’

Shabbat Shalom

 

Primary News

Natanya Milner – Head of Primary School

JCA International-Athon

Today’s JCA International-Athon has been a mixture of learning, fun, collaboration and fundraising. The children participated in a number of activities in groups from different countries. An exciting part of this fundraising initiative is that it is the only time in the year that the children fundraise for our own school. The JCA match whatever we raise dollar for dollar and therefore we are able to undertake a significant project of interest. The staff and Student Representative Council will discuss possible projects. With a new building and playground coming soon, I can’t wait to see what exciting ideas are tabled.

Organising this event is a huge effort and I would like to thank Katie Narunsky and Stacey Rosenfeld who have led the committee, as well as their fabulous team of Josh Aghion, Hayley Chester and Nicole Esra.

Poem In My Pocket

Wednesday’s Poem in My Pocket Day was a wonderful way to highlight the importance and joy of poetry. The children’s and staff’s pockets were filled with poems – some humorous, some serious and some complete nonsense (in a good way)!

Thank you to Debbie Cohen for organising the event and to everyone for their wonderful participation.

K-2 Invitational Shabbatot

It was amazing to be able to welcome our Year 1 parents on campus for Shabbat last week. They were all treated to the ‘Hagit Bar-On, Sarit Spira and Remi Owen Shabbat Extravaganza’ which is an incredibly meaningful, engaging and fun service.

We look forward to welcoming Kindy families on Friday 19 August 2022 and Year 2 families on Friday 26 August 2022. You’re in for a treat!

National Science Week

As you can see, this is a crazily busy time of year! Next week we are celebrating National Science Week. The theme is Glass: More than meets the eye. Josh Aghion, our Innovation Leader, has been working with the teachers to prepare activities for the students and we look forward to finding out more next week. A massive thank you to Josh for all the hard work to prepare for this event.

For parents who would like to find out more about activities in the community, please take a look here.

Father’s Day

The P&F will be organising a Father’s Day breakfast and stall on Friday 26 August 2022. It is always a highlight in our calendar and we look forward to welcoming our community. I would like to thank the P&F team in advance.

Please look out for the information in this edition of Ma Nishma and be sure to sign up.

Grandparents’ Day

I would just like to remind you that Grandparents’ Day will be on the morning of Friday 16 September 2022. Please diarise this date (and pass the information onto grandparents and special friends) and look for the invitation in this edition of Ma Nishma for more details.

Camp 
Tips from the Madrichim

Our Year 6 Madrichim will be giving some tips to support the Years 3-5 students who are heading off to camp later this month. They will also go into the Year 3-5 classrooms to talk to the students next week. We are lucky to have such a superb team of Madrichim and I thank them for their efforts!

Parent-Teacher Night

In the coming week you will receive an email that outlines the booking process for Parent-Teacher Night. Please keep an eye out for this email. 

The dates are as follows:

  • Thursday 8 September 2022 – on campus
  • Monday 12 September 2022 – via Zoom

Embracing Shabbat celebrations

Joshua New

This term, the Year 5 students are participating in the inaugural Term 3 Shabbat initiative. This involves a group of 16 Year 10 students working with Mia and me (the Primary School Informal Jewish Life team) to create new, meaningful and exciting Shabbat experiences for Year 5 during Period 0 on Friday mornings.

This has been a great way for the Year 10 students to kickstart their hadracha (Jewish Leadership) journeys and to apply the hadracha (leadership) concepts and skills they are currently learning about in Jewish Studies. For the Year 5 students, it has been a fun and informative way to learn about Shabbat and meet some amazing older students from the High School. 

On our first shabbat the Year 5 students worked in small groups with the Year 10 leaders to create their own stories and understandings of the different elements of the Shabbat table (candle lighting, Kiddush, Washing of hands and challah). This week, the Year 10 and Year 5 students will be experimenting together on different ways of connecting to, and experiencing Shabbat – through meditation / mindfulness, the power of communal singing and by engaging the whole body through ruach dancing. 

In future weeks, we will be looking into many different topics such as, ‘Ways to Celebrate Shabbat’, ‘Connection to Nature’ and ‘Shabbat and the Modern World’.

We look forward to an exciting term ahead full of creative and meaningful Shabbatot!

 

Enjoying a Good Debate

Jessica Dworkin

In Years 5-6 IPSHA Debating Club, the students have been using their knowledge to create convincing arguments in all the debates. We have been debating against schools such as Cranbrook, Kambala and SCEGGS. Some debates we host in the Innovation Centre and others we attend at other schools. We work together as a team to get our speeches in top form for the day of the debate. 

There have been five rounds so far. Two debates run at the same time in two different rooms for each round. For each round, we prepare an affirmative case and a negative case. Out of all debates so far, we have won five out of eight! No matter the result, we are always glad that we put in our best effort  – which matters the most to us.

We love getting together every Tuesday and Friday to discuss and work on our speeches as a team while getting to know each other on a deeper level. 

Even though our official debates against other schools may be concluding at the end of this term, we will continue to work hard on our impromptu debates next term. We will also attend an IPSHA Debating Gala Day where we will mix with lots of primary schools and participate in debates with only one hour to plan, write, prepare and compete.

Mrs Butler works hard with us every week providing us with time to work, practise and ask for help. As a collective team, we all work very hard to create a supportive environment where we can ask for help, practise, have fun and be ourselves. 

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

Breakfast and Pyjama Day

What a fabulous, exciting, and much anticipated morning we all had. The weather was just right for snuggling up and keeping warm in our pyjamas. We started the day on our beds hugging a special soft toy, playing with our torches and making patterns on the ceiling, while listening to relaxing music. We watched two Aboriginal Dreamtime stories on the big screen: Tiddalick The Frog and How The Moon Was Made. This proved to be a big hit! This was followed by sharing two very special shadow books on the overhead projector: “The Game of Light” and “The Game of Shadows”. Finally, we were woken up with fairy dust by our fairy teachers, who invited us to a very special and delicious Kornmehl breakfast. The breakfast consisted of cereals, bread and spreads, fruit, rice crispy crackles and a glass of Milo. We all had a lot of fun and a most enjoyable morning.

Jeans for Genes Day

On Friday 5 August 2022, we collected Tzedakah for Jeans for Genes Day. Each year, Australians unite by wearing their favourite jeans and denim outfits and donating money to support genetic research. Every dollar raised on the day helps scientists at the Children’s Medical Research Institute discover treatments and cures, to give every child the opportunity to live a long and healthy life. We were very happy to be able to support another worthwhile charity and for our youngest Kornmehl citizens to know, that even though they are so little, they can still help to make a difference in the world.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day

We will be celebrating Grandparents and Special Friends Days next week:

Wednesday 17 August 2022 – Starfish
Thursday 18
August 2022 – Dolphins 
Friday 19 August 2022 – Seashells 

Time: 9.30 am – 11.00 am.

We are looking forward to sharing this special time together with our wonderful grandparents and special friends, many of whom we know very well and whom we see on a regular basis when they come to the Pre-school to drop off or pick up their grandchildren. The children will all be singing a few songs, followed by a variety of shared activities and a delicious morning tea.

Bush School

Last week our Seashell younger group were finally able to enjoy their first Bush School visit to Centennial Park. The children were very excited and eager to get going on their walk down to the park. Carrying their own backpacks, they were accompanied capably by their teachers and volunteer parent helpers. On arrival, the children participated in an Acknowledgement to Country and gave thanks for the trees, leaves, bugs, worms and the sky.

They speculated as to why some of the trees had no leaves on them:

Dylan: The wind blew them off the tree and, in the summer, the wind will blow the leaves back up to the tree again. 
Noam: Summer trees were normal trees and then the leaves blew away.

The Seashells delighted in being able to play freely in the outdoors and discover what their Bush School classroom had to offer. We were amazed at how settled and happy they all were from the minute they arrived. 

The children spent time exploring, climbing trees, digging for worms, tapping sticks together, roasting marshmallows at imaginary fires and rolling in the leaves. They also paid a visit to the duck pond and discovered that the ducks were a little shy that day. Only a few swam past to say hello. The Seashells are looking forward to their next visit in a few weeks’ time.

Commonwealth Games

The Dolphins have been following the Commonwealth Games closely and learning about the different sports. They have also learnt that the Commonwealth Games includes athletes with a disability.

We asked the children what they knew about being disabled?

Xander: They may have lost an arm or a leg.
Tahlia: Or a finger.
Sam: You can only compete in these races if you have lost a bit of your body.

Why do we wear green and gold?

Tahlia: Because it’s a yellow team.
Claudia: They have different teams, if a yellow wins, then all the yellow wins. 
Sam: To show we are playing the Olympics.
Xander: It’s a lucky colour for the Olympics.
Freddie: My dad has a silver medal; he has run a marathon before.

Where are the games being held?

Hugo: On the TV, Scotland, and some other countries.
Sam: It’s in England.

The Dolphins engaged over the two weeks in a medal tally graph, to keep track of how many medals Australia are receiving:

Sam: I remember the order it goes in – Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Together, we counted that Australia had 31 Gold, 20 Silver and 20 Bronze medals.  We counted and checked the medal tally every day, adding to our graph and counting how many of each the team had won. 

We set up a table with photographs of Australian athletes participating in different sports. We invited the children to draw the athletes from close observation and memory. They enjoyed watching some of the races on our big screen and learning about the different sporting events. 

The children were amazed at how well Australia did in the end. 

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Luca Telesca (5) and Adrienne Wasserman (5). We hope you both had a beautiful day.

Australian’s Top 100 Innovators

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

Thank goodness for the end of another week of cold winter weather with less than three weeks until Spring. I bet you too are all looking forward to some warmer weather. This week’s report is jammed packed with news which I hope you enjoy reading.

Australian’s Top 100 Innovators for 2022

Alumnus Dan Brockwell (Class of 2015), co-founder of Earlywork was featured last week in the Australian Jewish News (see below). The company has also been featured in a number of other newspapers including The Australian Financial Review, where a recent article about the company was titled “New platform helps sacked start-up staff find their next gig”. Together with fellow co-founders Marina Wu and Jono Herman, their company has been included in The Australian’s Top 100 Innovators for 2022. We wish them all the best with their business venture and we look forward to seeing Dan back at School again soon to talk with our senior students.

 

 

Australian Museum Lifetime Achievement Award

Alumna Ondine Sherman (Class of 1990) and sister of Emanuel parent Emile Sherman, was in Sydney with her daughter Jasmine Ben-Ami for a very special event. She says: “I am so proud of my dad, Brian Sherman AM, for receiving the Australian Museum Lifetime Achievement Award. His passion, dedication, leadership and hard work as President of and supporter of the Australian Museum for the last 20+ years was celebrated beautifully. I was honoured to receive the award on his behalf and say a few words. Professor Tim Flannery gave a heartfelt speech as did Professor Kathy Belov AC and Kim McKay AO. Thank you to the Museum for the wonderful evening! Love you dad ❤”. Ondine, together with her husband Dror Ben-Ami and their three children, moved to live in Israel 10 years ago. Their daughter Jasmine was a student at Emanuel until the move  – she is pictured below outside the Administration Building as a young Primary School student back in 2012. As we all know, time certainly flies – Jasmine recently finished school and she is shown now standing with her cousins who are all current Emanuel students. 

Careers support for our senior students
Community Connections

Thank you to parents who have already responded to this request. We are looking to further widen our community connections to industry and the world of work to assist our Year 10 students. If you would also like to be involved (at a variety of levels from your choosing) please click here to register.

Artistic homage to an old bridge

An aerial view of Tides

Artist and Industrial Designer, alumnus Joel Adler (Class of 2011) created “Tides”, a six metre tall segmented sculpture. Six and a half tonnes of steel from the old Batemans Bay bridge over the Clyde River was trucked up to Sydney where Joel used a method known as ‘nesting’ to map out the separate pieces on the material. They were then put through high-tech fancy plasma cutters which built a modelling 3D version of the steel, before making the first cut. The sculpture was designed in eight parts so it could be trucked back to the coast where it now proudly stands just metres from where the old bridge stood.

Fullbright Australia Fellowship

After nearly four years and a few false starts, four months ago alumnus Dr David Mizrahi PhD (Class of 2005) finally headed off to the USA to start his very belated Fullbright Australia Fellowship with St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis Tennessee. The original plan was to spend one year there but that was shortened to 3.5 months due to COVID and other circumstances. David recently returned to Sydney after this amazing time away with his wife Carly (nee Fenton) who is also an ex-Emanuel student and their young son, Evan. He spent time with leading paediatric oncology researchers at St Judes Children’s Research Hospital where he linked with top researchers with an interest in exercise oncology and promoting positive health in childhood cancer, as well as a few other top institutions. David works as a Research Fellow at The Daffodil Centre (Cancer Council/The University of Sydney) and was one of our presenters at our Careers Space event for Years 11 and 12 in 2019.

It might be time to invite him back to speak to our students and staff about his amazing trip and his most recent achievements in the field of children’s cancer research!

Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM)

Mimi Wise and Susan Warhaftig

SJM has a wonderful event this coming Sunday 14 August 2022 – in conversation with two child survivors, one of whom is an Emanuel Grandparent – Mimi Wise. This is a really gentle event that can introduce your children (recommended ages 10 plus) to the Holocaust and the experience of children in hiding. Mimi and Susan are truly inspiring. 

Book now as this event is filling up fast.

Another session you might be interested in attending is on Sunday 21 August 2022 at 3.00 pm. In response to the exhibition, Shaken to his Core: The Untold Story of Nolan’s Auschwitz, the Museum has invited three survivors of Auschwitz to share their memories of the notorious death camp and reflect on how their survival has impacted their lives.

Olga Horak, Yvonne Engelman and Jack Meister are three survivors who have lived through and grappled with this harrowing time in history, dedicating their lives over the past 30 years to bear witness. Both Olga and Yvonne are Emanuel great grandparents. Join the Sydney Jewish Museum for this unique opportunity as these three survivors share testimony to memorialise the murdered, to educate about the past and to bring hope for the future that we can together fight prejudice in the world today.

Book tickets to Shaken to His Core: The Untold Story of Nolan’s Auschwitz which is on until Sunday 23 October 2022.

Jack Meister, Yvonne Engelman and Olga Horak

Westfield Local Heroes 2022
Voting closes Monday 22 August 2022

There is still time to vote for past parent Josh Oschlack, the founder of The Rhythm Village, who runs workshops and music therapy sessions for about 100 children at schools and other venues in the Bondi area every week. Participants improve their wellbeing by singing, dancing and performing together. Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities. The finalist with the most community votes will become the Westfield Bondi Junction Local Hero for 2022, receiving a $20,000 grant for the organisation they represent. If Josh is successful, The Rhythm Village will fund workshops for children with special needs at Rose Bay Secondary College, The Friendship Circle, Vaucluse Primary School and Wairoa School. Vote for Josh here under ‘Bondi Junction’. 

Friendship Circle Walk 
Sunday 28 August 2022

This will be the first in-person walk since the beginning of COVID. Many of our Emanuel families get involved with this event every year, where funds are raised to help create camps, getaways, social opportunities and vocational opportunities that bring people with and without disabilities together.  A fantastic program is planned for this event, with food and drinks for sale, and free entertainment for the kids. The whole family will love our petting zoo, drumming circle, inflatable obstacle course, bubble performance, magic show, amazing DJ and more! Find more information here.

Remember September

September is less than three weeks away and alumnus Ben Wilheim, co-founder of Remember September with his brother David, hopes members of our School community will support this worthy month-long event. It was created in 2014 in memory of their late father Danny who succumbed to pancreatic cancer only a few months after diagnosis, as did their first cousin Daniella Feller (an ex-Emanuel student) at the age of 33, six weeks after her diagnosis. As a challenge-based fundraising initiative, Remember September aims to educate the public about pancreatic cancer as well as hopefully find a cure. 

Changemaker Awards 2022
Honouring young people making a difference in our community

Nominations are now open for this annual program that recognises youth and young adults in our community who make a difference. Anyone can nominate someone in the Jewish community who is making the world a better place. 

A number of our High School students and alumni have won awards over the years and we would love to see more Emanuel nominations this year, with recognition in two age groups: Youth – to age 18 and Young Adults – to age 36. Nominations close on Friday 30 September 2022.

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

Shabbat shalom, stay safe, stay warm and have a great weekend.

 

Music Matters

Diana Springford – Head of Music

Kol hakavod 

  • I was so impressed with all the students who performed so beautifully in Wednesday’s Twilight Concerts. They were held in the Music department, run by Danny Burley who ably rehearsed and accompanied many of the students, and supported by our proud music tutor team and their parents. It was a lovely, appreciated event and students are commended for their preparation and for sharing their music with us. There were an amazing variety of instrument, voices and genres! Please enjoy the many photos below, generously taken by our parent and photographer, Ofer Levy.
  • The Senior Choir, conducted by Danny Burley and accompanied by Steven Kramer, and the Emanuel Big Band, rehearsed by Mr Eamon Penner-Dilworth and conducted by Marty Farrugia, performed with great style and finesse at the Madrichim Induction Ceremony on Tuesday in Week 3. Here are videos of the Big Band performance and the Choir performance.
  • Ben Cohen performed I’ll Bid My Heart be Still by Rebecca Clarke at our High School Assembly in Week 2. This was a performance of style and sensitivity which he will revisit for his HSC performances later this term.

Save the date!

The annual Night of Instrumental Music, which has been cancelled for unmentionable reasons the past two years is on this term, will be held on Wednesday evening 24 August 2022 with two Showcase Concerts. All our co-curricular instrumental groups (except for Rock Bands) will play, as will all our Year 3-6 Instrumental Program (IP) musicians.

  • 6.00 pm Night of Instrumental Music – Strings Showcase
  • 7.15 pm Night of Instrumental Music – Winds and Percussion Showcase

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.

High School Sport

Kristy Genc – Director of Sports K-12

Term 4 weekly sport competitions 

In Term 4, Emanuel will be entering teams into a variety of weekly sports competitions for High School students. The full schedule of all sport options will be released in Week 6 on the Parent Portal,

We are now calling for expressions of interest for weekly sport competitions to ensure that the correct number of teams and age groups can be accommodated. These sports competitions will be held on afternoons throughout the week after regular classes or on Sundays, and attendance at weekly training sessions will be an  expectation of joining a team. 

In Term 4 we are looking to enter High School teams into the following competitions: 

  • Futsal (indoor soccer) for Years 7-12 boys and girls – playing in the Rose Bay competition on Sundays
  • Basketball for Years 7-12 boys – playing in the Easts Basketball League on Sundays
  • Basketball for Years 7-8 girls – playing in the Sydney Schools Cup Competition on Tuesday afternoons at Emanuel
  • Netball for Years 7-12 girls – playing in the Summer Heffron competition on Thursday afternoons
  • Touch Football for Years 7-12 girls playing in the Easts Schools Touch Football competition on Tuesday afternoons at Queens Park
  • Oztag for Year 7-12 boys – playing in the Summer Easts Competition on Wednesday afternoons at Queens Park

The teams entered will depend on the level of interest within particular age groups. If your child is interested in playing in one of the competition sports listed above, please have them complete the expression of interest form here.

 

 

Grandparents and Friends Day

Emanuel TV

Adam Ezekiel – Director of Students

Cyber safety series

In today’s digital world, 90 percent of a child’s socialisation occurs online. As the range of social media platforms grows, so too does the opportunity for bullying and stalking.

Often parents have no idea that their child is a victim and kids are unlikely to report it for fear of losing access to their technology, which to them, is the equivalent of “social death”.

Teens are often unaware that their words, and/or photos, can sometimes find their way to an unexpected audience with undesirable consequences. The key is not to fear technology, but to embrace it.

 

 

 

 

In the School TV Cyber Safety series, parents can learn how to keep their children safe from online predators through a range of resources on the following topics:

  • Managing Screen Time
  • Internet Addiction
  • Digital Reputation
  • Cyberbullying
  • Impact of Gambling
  • Online Pornography
  • Sexting

The eSafety Commissioner also has a range of excellent resources and advice in their article: 

Taming the Technology:’ How to use parental controls and other tools to maximise online safety in your home.

“No parental control tool is 100%  effective. Helping your child build good online safety habits is just as important.”

Photo competition – all ages

Julia Tritsch – Debating Co-ordinator | Teacher of Gifted & Talented K-12

This is an opportunity to reflect on your environment and share a photograph that reflects how you feel about the natural world near you.

This could be a picture of one of your favourite outdoor spots, something that worries or bothers you, or maybe it’s a photograph of an activity or project that you think is doing a good job of helping us to address environmental problems in our local community.

This competition is open to students from Years K-12 and the closing date is Wednesday 31 August 2022. 

More information can be found here

 

 

 

 

 

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Open Day season is officially here

I say this every year and I try and give as many reminders as possible: these are the days when decisions are made!

I encourage everyone in Year 12 and in Year 11 to go to the Open Days falling over the next few weeks. 

The Sydney Open Days are being held over the next few weeks. You may want to plan your days around the talks, tours, Q&A sessions and more – some of which you need to register in advance. Here is the full list of Open Days for you to choose from.

Each year I hear students deciding on courses and making big decisions by attending these days. Go to hear, see, look and listen to what the university has to offer. Best wishes and ask as many questions as you need to!

UTS update

I had a meeting with UTS this week about the updates that they are setting for the 2022 intake. The most important piece of information related to their Educational Access Scheme where they are giving 10 adjustment factors (the old bonus points) for anyone who qualifies for EAS.

 

All merit based schemes are featured below:

 

Articles, links and dates

Why employers are choosing employers with Autism  

This is a great article in the Sydney Morning Herald championing the work of people who are on the Autism Spectrum, and the many assets that they bring to the workforce: from IT and Data Analytics to a Unit in the Israeli Defence Forces that employs only staff who have ASD. I read with delight the many new initiatives around inclusivity and new ways of embedding the amazing employable traits that people with Autism bring to the world of work.

Scholarships

If you are interested in scholarships, there is a great guide here from Study Work Grow with all of the details.

ACU

ACU is running some great HSC seminars in the next holidays which are worth looking at:

Monday 5 September 2022 
7.00 pm – 8.30 pm
English Standard – Module C: The Craft of Writing

Tuesday 6 September 2022
7.00 pm – 8.30 pm
English Advanced – Module C: The Craft of Writing

Wednesday 7 September 2022
7.00 pm  – 8.30 pm
Mathematics Standard 2 – Topics 1 and 2: Algebra and Measurement

Monday 12 September 2022
7.00 pm  – 8.30 pm
Business Studies – Topics 3 and 4: Finance and Human Resources

Tuesday 13 September 2022
7.00 pm – 8.30 pm
Legal Studies – Core 1 and 2: Crime and Human Rights

Register here for these sessions online.

Rashi

Jake Sharp

Hey, everyone! My name is Jake (aka Sharpie), and I am honoured to be representing the finest and greatest House of them all, Rashi. From House music, sports carnivals and so many other events, I cannot wait to work alongside Arielle, Ms Lijovic, our fellow Tutor Group and all the Rashians over the course of these next 12 months. Exciting times, for sure!

A massive thank you to our former House Captains – Jesse and Jayda, for everything over the last year and hopefully we can maintain and enhance the Rashi spirit and culture they provided.

So, a little bit about me. I love playing sports (basketball especially), I play the piano; I like learning useless skills in my spare time; my favourite number is 10; my spirit animal is a turtle (according to this wacky website) and if I could have any superpower, it would be the ability to shape-shift.

My favourite Rashi memory was earlier this year, spending time with the Year 7s over Somerset camp, truly an unforgettable experience. I hope that, as a House, we can create many more memorable moments, especially seeing as our Year 12’s High School journey is slowly coming to an end. Looking forward to lots of fun!

 

 

 

Arielle Melamed

Hi guys, I’m Arielle – one of your new House Captains! I’m super excited to get to know you all and lead Rashi (the best House) for the year to come. If I had to describe myself in three words it would be curious, creative and random, as I’m sure you’ll all find out very soon. My favourite food is a dutch biscoff spread (speculoos) which is absolutely delicious, and which I will eat with anything, while my least favourite food is yoghurt (I know! Unpopular opinion I guess…). I also really like making caramel slices. Like Sharpie, I love music and play piano as well as guitar and ukulele, and sing.

My favourite thing about Rashi has got to be the Rashi spirit. We may be a bit messy, but we always bring the energy. Unsurprisingly, my favourite Rashi memory was when we broke the stage at House Music, although there have been many more funny moments both with my Tutor Group and my very interesting, incredible Year 8 peer supports. Looking forward to making more amazing memories with you all.

 

PSG training

PSG training session

We are excited to be running our annual PSG Training Session on Sunday 21 August 2022 from 10.45 am – 2.00 pm onsite at Emanuel School. The training session will be fun, engaging, and practical, and will cover interactive scenarios and some basic emergency first aid. We are aiming to have all our PSG volunteers attend and will be providing a kosher BBQ at the end.

If you haven’t already, please RSVP to psg@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au to confirm you are attending. We would also like to extend the invitation to anyone who may not currently being doing PSG but would like to understand how to provide a safe environment for our School and Community.

Thank you to our volunteers for last week

Rami Weiss, Ricky Friedlander, Kieran Ginges, Wayne Rubin, Kirsty Greenfield, Tal Harpaz, Zev Friedman, Alex Hart, Rochelle Hersch, Craig Forman, Peter Nothman, Barry Odes, Mia Kalinko, Sarah Kummerfield, David Lavecky, Shaun Gross, Sarah Vasin, Anthony Milner, Michelle Masnick, Brad Allen, Alan Nathan, Andrew Nabarro, Danny Fleischer, Daniel Greengarten, Fred Linker, Natalie Pager and Paul Filipczyk

Help keep our kids and community safe: sign up to PSG here.

 

We need you

Justine Hofman – Head of P&F

Volunteers for Father’s Day breakfast

We need approximately 20 volunteers to help out for 30-60 minutes at the Breakfast. Choose from set up, helping at the event or pack down. We encourage attending dads to help out too.

Register to volunteer here.

Father’s Day breakfast 
Don’t miss out on pre-sale tickets

Dads, granddads and special friends, we invite you to share in a morning of simple, old-school fun, great coffee and delicious food. Be transported to a time before screens where you can immerse yourself in a nostalgic games room, share backyard style races and more. 

When: Friday 26 August 2022
Time: 7.00 am – 8.15 am
Where: Lehrer Family Building (MPH) at Emanuel School

Buy pre-sale tickets – $15.00 adult, $10.00 child
(Book by Monday 22 August 2022 for this pricing)

Tickets on the day: $20.00 adult, $15.00 child.

Father’s Day gift stall

A wonderful Father’s Day gift stall will be open  on Friday 26 August 2022. It will be selling special gifts for Primary School children to give to you on Father’s Day. Each gift is $10 and will be taken home that afternoon. Your child can purchase more than one gift for a grandparent or special friend.

 

Events to diarise

Friday 26 August 2022: Father’s Day Breakfast and Stalls
Friday 21 October 2022: Emanuel community event 
Friday 4 November 2022 – Sunday 6 November 2022: Emanuel Family Spring Camping 

 

 

 

Community notices