From the Acting Principal

Rest in peace

It is with great sadness that we have all heard the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. She was an amazing leader in our living history and her death will be felt around the world. Over the coming days there will be many tributes and news articles about her life which I will read/hear with interest.

As is protocol, we have lowered our flags to half-mast. 

May Queen Elizabeth II rest in peace.

Bullying

Last week I attended a discussion organised by the Jewish Board of Deputies with Emeritus Professor Suzanne Rutland and Professor Zehavit Gross who spoke about their research that has culminated in a recently published book, Special Religious Education in Australian and Its Value to Contemporary Society. I am keen to read the book. One revelation of the research that was particularly worrying was the incidence of religious bullying in government schools. This applies to students of a range of religions – Jewish students, Islamic students, Christian students, Hindu students etc. This is a societal issue that needs attention.

From this discussion, I took one phrase and spoke to our students in assembly about bullying. The phrase that inspired my talk was, “Religious bullying is the worst kind of bullying as it strikes at the core of a person”. I challenged our High School students to consider what the worst kind of bullying would be and why one kind of bullying might be considered the ‘worst’. I suggested anyone experiencing bullying would probably feel they were suffering from the worst kind of bullying regardless of the ‘type’. I also considered bystanders who are not able to speak up. How do they feel? I extended the range of bullying possibilities in society to powerful people, organisations or governments being able to do dreadful things because a bullied group is seen as ‘less’ and other members of society (bystanders) are disempowered.

Bullying hurts individuals. Bullying disempowers individuals, groups and eventually society. Bullying can lead to atrocities.

My message was strong. Bullying is a human behaviour, not just a behaviour that happens in schools. Some people might never be bullies. Others might bully even as adults. Bullying leaves a legacy, sometimes for one person who goes through life suffering from the torment, sometimes for a group and sometimes for society. We need to stand up, together, to ensure the safety of all people in our school, our community, our society.

Care of students from Pre-school to Year 12

Our primary goal is to ensure the best care of all students. It is essential that the School has access to current information and updates about your child so that teachers and specialist staff can continue to exercise duty of care, professional judgement and consider if reasonable adjustments are necessary. These include significant incidents, important new medical information, or changes to your child’s:

• Medical conditions
• Plans for managing a medical condition eg Diabetes management plan
• Medications taken
• Anaphylaxis plans even if the student manages their own epipens and related procedures
• Asthma plans even if the student manages their own puffers, spacers and related procedures
• Physical or mental health diagnoses
• Mental Health concerns
• Recent Mental Health scenarios including any hospitalisations, suicidal ideation or attempts, eating disorders etc
• Support plans (eg NDIS)
• External providers with whom the School can liaise
• Parenting Orders or Court orders
• Living arrangements including changes of address
• Dietary requirements, allergies and sensitivities to food and drink.

This information will be stored electronically and will be used to assist staff working directly with your child. These records will be confidential and only accessed by those who are helping your child.

Parents are asked to provide this information on enrolment. However, for some students the information we have may now be out of date.

Parents away but children are at school

It is important that the School is aware when parents are away and children are being cared for by someone else.

If you are going away, please email hsabsence@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au or psabsence@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au to inform us of:

1. The dates you are away
2. The name of the person caring for your child/children
3. The relationships of the person caring for your child/children (eg grandparent)
4. The contact details for the child/children’s carer.

Again, the best care of the children is our goal.

Raising the flag 

On Thursday we welcomed Thomas Mayor, author of Finding the Heart of the Nation, signatory to the Uluru Statement from the Heart and tireless campaigner for the rights of all Indigenous peoples.

Thomas joined a group of staff and students from Primary and High School to share his journey, vision and experience of carrying the scared canvas of the Uluru Statement from the Heart around Australia to garner support for A Voice to Parliament. Thomas also did us the honour of raising our new Torres Strait Islander flag for the first time. The flag now stands proudly alongside our Israeli, Australian and Aboriginal flags.

Eytan Messiah and Gabi Wynhaussen, who together with Tany Milner and Adam Majsay developed the School’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), spoke about the process of developing the RAP and how it “helps us clarify our vision and map our journey towards reconciliation, and is our public, formal commitment to these values”.

We are truly grateful to Thomas for visiting our School on this momentous occasion. The Primary and High School libraries have copies of Thomas’s many books. You may want to check them out and learn more about this courageous man who has stood up for his people, his country and our collective future.

Once news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing reached us, this flag, along with all others were lowered to half mast. 

A packed week 

This week saw a number of events run by staff and students.

Year 11 Music Showcase

On Tuesday night, our Year 11 Music students gave a wonderful public performance of the musical items that they have been preparing for their end of term assessment. The students displayed great confidence and bravery, showcasing their musical talents to an appreciative audience. The students backed it up on Thursday, when they travelled to the Burger Centre to perform again for the elderly clients of the centre. Thanks to Adam Majsay, Deputy Principal (Teaching & Learning) K-12, who, as the Year 11 Music class teacher prepared the students for these two performance, played piano for some of the students and accompanied them on their visit to the Burger Centre.

Year 11 Drama Showcase

On Wednesday night Year 11 Drama students presented a fabulous array of group devised performances as well as monologues. The pieces ranged from funny to confronting – leaving audiences thinking about provocative ideas. A job well done. Thank you to Samantha Bauer, Head of Drama, for her encouragement and expertise and to Ofer Levy, parent photographer, for his wonderful photos.

Night of Dangerous Conversations

Last night, our student Social Action va’ad ran a highly successful Night of Dangerous Conversations. The Night of Dangerous Conversations is an annual event run by student leaders which we are glad to welcome back after a COVID hiatus. The event is planned and moderated by Year 12 student leaders and addresses a topic that they are passionate about. The topic this year was Let’s Talk About Sex … Education and addressed sexual education, consent, gender and sexuality in schools. Student moderators were joined by a panel of speakers, including Members of Parliament, educators, Emanuel alumni and current students. The confidence and maturity with which our student leaders led conversations around these topical areas was inspiring. Thank you to Adam Ezekiel, Director of Students 7-12 and Denise Goldmann, Outreach Co-ordinator and HSIE teacher, for supporting the students. 

Thank you!

We marked Early Childhood Educators Day and Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week to thank our educators and aides for their commitment to our pre-schoolers and students.

Our Pre-school Teachers were treated to an array of gifts from the parents including chocolates and flowers. Our young people are the most vulnerable and their care is so important. I am very proud of our Kornmehl team and the work they do, hand in hand with parents, to ensure a great start in life for our future generations.

Our wonderful team of Teachers Aides had a morning tea last week as part of our celebrations of National Teacher Aide Appreciation Week. We are very grateful to our TAs for the work they do supporting students in the Primary classrooms. They love their jobs and exude encouragement!

Tikkun Olam

Kol hakavod to Noa Goodstone, Dan Kalinko, Olive Byrne, Mirabella Marshall, Talia Cromerwong, Lily Foltyn and Jacob Raiz for participating in community programs at Kids Giving Back during Term 2 and in the July school holidays. Together with over 500 young people they produced over 13,500 hot meals, soup, salads, fruit kebabs, breakfast boxes, snack packs, care packs and decorated tote bags, with empathetic, positive messages, which were distributed to 13 charities around Sydney. 

Gabrielle Morrissey Hansen, CEO of Kids Giving Back commended the students: “Volunteering in the July school holidays was especially valuable as we held a twice weekly soup kitchen, making and handing out almost 1000 servings of soup in the cold and rain, to those who needed warm food and support. Your student volunteers were also especially helpful in folding and packing new clothes for over 12,000 vulnerable people, many of whom were affected by this year’s floods. We deeply appreciate their service to others and the kindness they have extended”.

Mazal tov

• Ben Rozen, Year 12, came 3rd overall, winning a bronze medal at the 2022 Sub Junior Classic National Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships with a 172.5 kg squat, 122.5 kg bench press (equaling his current State record) and 215kg deadlift! 
• Eden Levit and Zac Urbach, Year 11 have both won gold in the 200m AND 100m at the AICES Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park. 

Mazal tov to Ben, Eden and Zac. We are so proud of your achievements. 

Quote of the week

“To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it.”  ~ Martin Luther King

From the Acting Head of Jewish Life

Letting go of hate

There are a couple of bewildering mitzvot – commandments – in this week’s Parasha of Ki Teitzeh, which comprises many laws as part of Moshe’s final lengthy speech to the B’nei Yisrael throughout the Book of Devarim:

לֹֽא תְתַעֵב אֲדֹמִי כִּי אָחִיךָ הוּא לֹא תְתַעֵב מִצְרִי כִּי גֵר הָיִיתָ בְאַרְצוֹ׃

You shall not hate an Edomite, for he is your brother.
You shall not hate an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in their land.
(Devarim / Deuteronomy 23:8)

Hang on a minute – that’s a bit rough, isn’t it?

Edom are the descendants of Esav (Esau), who wanted to destroy his brother Yaakov (Jacob), and the Rabbis later equated Edom with Rome and its intention to destroy Judaism and the Jewish Kingdom.

According to the Torah narrative, the Egyptians enslaved the Jews for over 200 years, took everything they had, murdered their baby sons, forced them to build great cities and then made the workload even more humiliating by forcing them to make their own bricks from scratch, when there were plenty of rocks to be hewn.

What’s not to hate?

How do you understand these seemingly unfair demands?

Although the interactions between Esav and Yaakov can also be interpreted as Esav in a positive light, and Yaakov in a negative light, there has always been a portrayal of Esav as the one bearing the grudge, as being consumed with revenge. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks learns from here (in his book Lessons in Leadership) that we should not fight hate with hate, for then we all lose. We should dig deep to fight hate with love.

Step back, take a breath, look at the whole picture rather than one event. The Egyptians originally opened their borders and saved Jacob and his whole family from starvation during intense drought. The Egyptians also raised Joseph to second in command and let his vast, extended family settle in Goshen and thrive there… until a “Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph”- and modern Egypt was the first Middle Eastern country to broker lasting peace with the modern State of Israel. Let us not dwell only on the negative, hurt and hate mongering. Find the moments of kindness, of shared positive experiences, hope and peace – to overtake the moments of anger and hatred.

If I hold hatred inside, it burns, it eats away at my soul. When people act towards us with intent in such a negative, destructive or abhorrent way, it is natural to be angry, to loathe, to bear grudges – to carry the weight of hate with us wherever we go. The Torah guides us here that, no matter the relationship we have with the person or group that has wronged us, we have to let go of the hatred to reconnect with ourselves as healthy, loving humans.

This Parasha, so close to the end of the cycle of Torah reading for the Jewish year, is always read during the month of Elul אלול, leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. During this month, we are asked to focus not only on bettering ourselves, on looking back over the year that was in order to improve our own behaviour or attitudes, but also to hold in the front of our minds, ״אני לדודי ודודי לי״, “I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me”, a beautiful and powerful concept from Shir Hashirim, Song of Songs (6:3). The Torah demands that we “love our fellow humans as ourselves”, and this is an extension of that imperative. Hating others and bearing grudges not only destroys relationships, but it also eats away at our own souls, sitting there bitterly in our guts; a blockade to the love that should flow between us. I cannot be there for “my beloved” if I hate them; and they cannot be there for me if I hate them – even if they don’t bear any ill feeling towards me.

“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” ~ Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom

Here, in Parashat Ki Teitzeh, the Torah agrees.

Shabbat Shalom

 

 

JET-ting into the future

JET-ting into the future

Jewish Educators of Tomorrow

On Tuesday 23 August 2022, we attended the first ever JET Open Day at the University of Sydney with Ms Levin-Kahn. It was an amazing experience and we both feel so grateful to have participated. The program was initiated by Mr Ben Ezzes from Moriah College and the Jewish Board of Deputies Education Committee, Dr Micheal Abrahams-Sprod, a Jewish Studies Lecturer at Sydney University and Ms Shana Kerlander, an Emanuel parent and CEO of Mandlebaum House.

The day started with a lunch at Mandelbaum House, which was such a nice way to see the Jewish culture at university. We got the opportunity to talk to the Moriah College students about their unique passions and perspectives, hearing from likeminded Jewish people who are also passionate about teaching. 

After this discussion, we received a tour of the campus, taking special notice of the beautiful old buildings and the “Harry Potter” quad. It was especially interesting to hear the panel of lecturers in different areas of teaching; early education, primary education and secondary education. We took particular notice of how each course contained unique and interesting subjects, and how different each presenters’ teaching style was – getting us to think about the kind of teachers we want to become right then and there. Lastly, we sat in on a demonstration lecture on Holocaust History by guest lecturer (and former Emanuel parent) Dr Sharon Kangisser-Cohen, giving us a glimpse of the university experience. 

Ultimately, the day was such an eye-opening and exciting opportunity, filled with interesting ideas and discussions. A key takeaway from the day would be that there is always a place for our Judaism, even once we leave Emanuel School. There are many structures in place – such as Mandelbaum House and AUJS (Australasian Union of Jewish Students) – to ensure that we, as Jewish students, are continuously supported throughout our time at university.

 

 

 

 

 

Primary News

Celebrating our Chess success

It’s been a big year for our chess players, with lots of exciting opportunities for our students to get together to share their love of “the royal game”.

Our chess leaders have been magnificent mentors for our younger students as they spend their Monday lunchtimes with the K-2 chess group. It’s a busy place to be on a Monday, as we have lots of lively games playing with our younger players. It’s wonderful to see the connections made between older and younger students, as they coach each other and share their knowledge in a supportive and respectful way. 

The Wednesday Years 3-6 casual chess group has been competing in the inaugural Emanuel Chess Tournament, run by our secondary students. The secondary chess enthusiasts run a tight ship, where strategy is discussed and moves are challenged. The tournament has been a great opportunity for older primary students who are new to chess to come along and give it a try, playing matches with peers and making new friends along the way. 

International Chess Master, Vladimir Feldman, coaches our competitive group on Fridays. This is a wonderful opportunity for students who would like to take up the challenge of building their skills alongside the tutelage of one of the very best. The invitation is open to all students who would like to stretch their knowledge and try their hand at participating in competitions occurring throughout the year. Our participation in the NSW Junior Chess League has come to an end this year, but we will be continuing to build our skills in anticipation of next year’s schedule. If any student is interested in coming along, please come and speak to me as we would be happy to help connect you to our group.

Our Championship Chess team moved into the semi-finals of the Sydney Academy of Chess Inter-school Chess Challenge, playing in the tournament at De La Salle College on Tuesday 23 August 2022. Although we didn’t progress to the finals, we played against some formidable teams and represented Emanuel brilliantly. A big congratulations to Theo Salek for placing 5th overall in the individual rankings. 

There is a range of chess opportunities for all students of all skill levels throughout the Primary School – if anyone is interested in participating in any of the groups listed in this article, I encourage you to get in contact with me via email so we can discuss the best placement for your child.

 

 

Ma Koreh

Morah Erika and Morah Jenny have been busy with their Year 1 Hebrew classes thinking about the meaning and significance of the shofar. As we enter the month of Elul, the shofar is sounded each morning as a reminder to begin thinking about the year that has been and how we can become better, kinder people in the coming year.

During Havdalah on Monday morning I blew the shofar for the students as Morah Bar-On asked the students what they should think about when they hear the shofar. We have been learning that the word shofar שׁוֹפָר is connected to the word לְשַׁפֵּר – which means ‘to improve’.

As we journey through the month of Elul, hearing the שׁוֹפָר as we approach Rosh Hashanah, the sounds of the shofar serve to jolt us from our everyday activities so we can לְשַׁפֵּר – think about what it means to improve ourselves, our relationships and our world.

 

Primary IT and Innovation

Year 6 IT and Innovation Leaders update

This year we have completed many tasks as a group, recorded students learning, helped out with assembly and many other things. I think all of us can agree that we enjoy being an IT and Innovation Leader and we have helped lots of people.

In Term 1, we filmed Pesach and other Jewish festivals. In Term 2 we ran clubs, controlled lights and watched the High School students control the lights to make the whole school happy. In Term 3, we helped with Project Heritage and filmed sign language videos. 

This term, the Innovation Leaders have enjoyed seeing students grow their minds by learning Hebrew sign language. They enjoy learning about sign language so much and they are basically learning a different language – showing respect and dedication to the people who have to live like this every day. It’s nice to see people show different skills in their languages and hear what they have to say. We would love to keep on making these sign language videos.

In the AV box, the IT Leaders change the lights, change the volume of the microphones and generally make sure everything is working. We enjoy making the lighting just right. We always try our hardest to get them right. We also always try to help out if there is a IT problem, for example, if people can’t connect to the projector, if they can’t connect a microphone and much more.

The IT and Innovation Leaders are looking forward to continuing our support of lunch time clubs, of continuing to run the AV room each Thursday and Friday morning for prayers as well as assemblies and continuing to extend the role of innovation at Emanuel School. 

The Year 6 IT and Innovation Leaders can help K-6 with anything IT related. If you have any IT related questions, you can email the Innovation Leaders or the teachers if you need help with your whiteboard or in class. Feel free to ask the team and we can come and support you at recess or lunch.

By Jake Rosenfeld, Jacob Davis, Jonathan Shmuel, Matthew Simon and Dean Wolf
Year 6 IT and Innovation Leaders

 

 

Exclusive invitation – don’t miss out!

Primary Extra-Curricular Information – Term 4

Extra-Curricular activities for Term 4, 2022
Including Music, Sport, and Recreational activities

Our Term 4 Extra-Curricular schedule is now available online. This includes a range of music, sport, and recreational activities. Many activities have set enrolment numbers so please ensure you enrol your child early to avoid disappointment. There are also a range of teacher-led lunchtime clubs which are free for students.

Please click here for further information about these clubs. Students may join these clubs by approaching the listed teacher.

The Extra-Curricular schedule on the Parent Portal is regularly updated throughout the term, so please refer to this if you have any questions about the scheduling of activities. There are email links on each activity to help direct you to the relevant person if you have any additional questions.

The Term 4 Extra-Curricular Schedule is available now via the Parent Portal.

Please use this form to sign up to Fuse Cup

Any questions about Fuse Cup can be directed to Miss Lord or Mr Aghion at esports@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au 

Primary Holiday Programs

Holiday fun with two new exciting programs these school holidays:

Contact: Lisa Starkey, Emanuel Design & Technology Teacher     
Booking link: Please register your interest using this form. A payment link will be emailed once we reach minimum enrolment numbers. 

Click here to book: www.codecamp.com.au/emanuelschool

Kornmehl

Family Day Breakfast

We celebrated our Family Day breakfast on Monday morning with 60 very excited children and 60 equally excited mums and dads. The atmosphere in the room was warm and filled with so much energy. We were delighted to welcome all our special visitors into the Pre-school to share breakfast and activities together.

After breakfast, it was special to see everyone relaxing, having fun and spending quality one-on- one time together, either reading a book, building with blocks, squeezing fresh orange juice together, playing in the sandpit, tenpin bowling, quoit throwing, playing tic-tac-toe, drawing self-portraits, winding wool around sticks or designing a special tie/mask to wear. Thank you so much for coming to join us and for engaging in all the activities both indoors and outdoors. We hope you had a wonderful time with your children.

Thank you to all our amazing parent volunteers, who made the event possible – Szilvia Kovacs, Anna Tabachnik,  Amy Friedlander and Rachel Cohen who came in on Friday to cook and bake the delicious goodies we got to enjoy on the day.

Thank you to the mums who came at 7.00 am on Monday morning, to help get all the food ready by 8.00 am – you are all legends! – Talia Ezekiel, Ariella Silvera and Romy Stuhler. We also thank Janine Silver for helping to tidy up after the event. Your support is very much valued and appreciated.

Thank you to all the teachers for helping get everything ready and for working collaboratively with the children through the process of tie dying the lovely shopping bags that were sent home on Friday. We hope you enjoyed receiving them as much as the children enjoyed making them for you.

Early Childhood Educators Day

On Wednesday 7 September 2022, we acknowledged and celebrated all our wonderful educators at Kornmehl. 

The purpose of Early Childhood Educators Day is to recognise and celebrate the work of early educators working in long day care, community care and Pre-school services, for their enormous contribution to the wellbeing and healthy development of the young children in their care.

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

Families at Kornmehl joined us in thanking all our wonderful educators by adding a message to our Appreciation Booklet.

Each educator received a gorgeous Gerbera flower, a delicious morning tea, and access to the stunning messages received from Kornmehl families, acknowledging their commitment, dedication, and passion to Early Childhood Education. We are feeling extremely grateful to our wonderful Kornmehl community.

Parent feedback

“To all the wonderful Kornmehl educators who have the patience of saints – thank you for loving our children and caring for them each day. We really appreciate your focus on their social and emotional well-being and all the creative ways you keep them stimulated week in and week out. Your passion, energy and enthusiasm are greatly valued. Cleo has had a very positive few years in your care and we are endlessly grateful.” The Friedlander Family

“Thank you so much for the wonderful care you show Juliette and all the Kornmehl children each and every day. We are so lucky to have such talented educators. Kornmehl is such a beautiful place for our children to grow and develop. This is just a small way to show our appreciation for your amazing, nurturing work every day. Thank you again.” The Mendoza-Roth Family

“Thank you for your constant care, joy, warmth, and kindness. I hope you know how much we appreciate you. You have such a beautiful, profound impact at such a formative time in these kiddies’ lives.”The Viterbo Family

“To the wonderful educators and assistants at Kornmehl, thank you for the love and care you provide Michael and Grace every day. Kornmehl is a very special place and I’m appreciative of the nurturing and safe environment you’ve created for them to learn and grow. They have flourished thanks to the rich learning experiences you provide and the love you show them.” Rhiannon 

“We are so grateful for our Kornmehl teachers! We love the care and warmth they show, the curiosity they inspire, and the learning and growth they foster. Thanks for creating such a nurturing environment for our little ones.” Daniel and Michal Selikowitz

“Thank you to the BEST teachers – we know that it is because of you our kids are happy and thriving. We don’t have the words to thank you enough but thought the kids may be able to – ‘Thank you for playing with me and doing activity time. Because I love love to play with my teachers, do drawing and go to bush school’.” Gigi Kogan 

“I love my teachers because we like to make lots of things together. I love how Heather and Alex helped us to do bags for Father’s Day gifts. I love to hug Renee. They make me feel happy and safe when I’m sometimes feeling a bit sad. I love how we sing songs and eat challah on Shabbat together and we feel like a family. I love to paint with Janice. I really like it how Terry always walks us over to Bush School. I love to play zombies with Emily. I like to help Julie do stuff all the time. I love when Jo brings out iPads for us to play games on them. I like to help Anita bring the lunches out.” Xander Kogan

“We are so appreciative of the gentle encouragement and care that has been shown towards Tahlia. She has blossomed under the flexible but firm environment that she has experienced as a Dolphin this year. I know she feels truly understood and respected as an individual and the impact this has had on her wellbeing, sense of self, desire to try new things (often outside of her comfort zone) and ability to keep learning has been wonderful. We are truly thankful to each and every one of you for the professionalism, care, respect and passion you show as educators. Thank you all.” Paula and Josh Itzkowic 

“A huge thank you to all the beautiful educators at Kornmehl. Thank you for caring for and loving our children, getting to know them and catering their learning for them. You are inspiring them to be learners, and this is invaluable.” Hilary Ezekiel

“Thank you for the love and care you put into your work every single day nurturing and teaching Dylan and his friends. Since he started at Kornmehl he has been so incredibly happy every day, skipping into school without so much as a backward glance. He is settled and enjoys learning so much. This is testament to your wealth of experience, kind nature, and warmth as educators. The few experiences I’ve had of visiting school and the interactions we’ve had have been so lovely and joyous. I am so grateful that our son is able to be cared for in such a wonderful environment by such incredible teachers such as yourselves. It is not an easy job wrangling so many young people finding their way learning their limits and how to be and grow in the world. We are so blessed to have you teaching our children. Thank you for your patience, love, passion, and care. Happy Early Childhood Educators Day!” Sophie and Daniel Bloom 

“Thank you to the wonderful Kornmehl team. You provide the most wonderfully warm, engaging, and creative environment for our children. We feel nurtured and supported through your genuine care. Thank you from both of our hearts.

“We love the way you make our kids feel special when they walk in the door.
We love the cuddles that you offer them so frequently and unconditionally.
We love that they think that you are their ‘friends’ as well as their educators.
We love that you share what YOU love with the kids – especially the colour pink and your love of nature!
We feel very lucky to be part of such a special environment.” Jonathan and Daniella Gavshon

“Thank you so much for everything that you do for Allec. He comes home and tells us about you daily, with such joy and tenderness that we know how special you all are. We see how much Allec has learned and grown thanks to all of your incredible dedication and work. Your kindness and constant support have helped our son flourish into a confident and loving child, thank you!” Ross and Paola 

“Thank you for all that you do! Every day you all create the most amazing space for our children to grow, learn, discover and explore. Thank you for the care you give, the opportunities you present and the life lessons that they will learn. Our children will move on and never quite appreciate how pivotal you all were in their development and understanding of the world around them but lucky for us, as parents – we will remember and always be thankful to you as wonderful educators and mentors.” Michelle and Paul Levitt

“Thank you for your wonderful care of James. We are so grateful for your enthusiasm, creativity and kindness, and for fostering such an amazing community. James is always so happy to go to Pre-school (I think he would go on weekends too if he could!) – this says it all.” James, Michelle, Dave and Lachlan 

 

 

A bag, a life changer

It is always wonderful to hear from members of our community past and present, with details about achievements and other information they would like to share with us. On my page today, I have included a variety of such “news”.

Sing out loud, sing out strong

We have so many amazing, beautiful singing voices amongst our students both past and present.  Alumna, AJ America (Head Madricha 2012), who was a big part of our vocal groups all the way through Primary and High School, was a member of the Gondwana National Choir when she was younger and is now the founder of Luminescence Chamber Singers, based in Canberra. 

This year, AJ will be a conductor at Gondwana’s National Choral School (NCS), an annual residential camp where hundreds of young singers live, rehearse and perform together each January. She shared: “I’m not gonna lie, I am totally stoked to be going back to the NCS. 14 year old me lived for those weeks in January, and could never have imagined that I might be back as a conductor one day. Time to crack out a floral sundress and my Dr Martens (…I presume this is still the height of choral school fashion?). In the meantime, if you know kids who love to sing, send them this way”.

Applications are now open for the Gondwana National Choirs 2023 Season! Experience the joy of choral singing with Australia’s most talented young people – apply today!

A jumper becomes a bag becomes a life changer

Recently, many of you responded to a call out for pre-loved knitwear by Emanuel parent and Founder of Among Equals, Caroline Sherman. Caroline will be taking these items to artisan weavers in Papua New Guinea who will unravel the yarn and transform it  into beautifully hand-crafted wearable works of art known as Bilum (Bags). Caroline established Among Equals in 2015 as a  social enterprise aimed at empowering the Bilum weavers through ethical trade. You too can own one of these magnificent and very stylish bags, knowing that your purchase will help transform the lives of communities in PNG. 

Lorna Berger, past Emanuel parents and Caroline’s sister-in-law said: I wear these bags every single day and absolutely love them …and love knowing I’m playing a small part in supporting this community of women artists in Papua.

Be an Angel

Emanuel Parent, Simone Joffe, Founder of The Angel Network Australia, is appealing to Emanuel families to consider a life-saving donation to the charity in lieu of a Rosh Hashanah gift. The Angel Network supports women, children and families in South Africa who are living in impoverished conditions. You can choose from a variety of projects from soup kitchens to school packs, blankets to rape care kits and donations are fully tax deductible. 

SuccahFest

Alumnus and the Adamama Project’s Director, Mitch Burnie, encourages the whole family to visit the urban farm in Randwick to celebrate SuccahFest.

“There is no more ‘Adamama-ish’ Festival than the harvest festival of Succot. Shalom and Adamama are thrilled to welcome the community into our succah at the Adamama Farm. Over the week of Succot (9-16 October) take part in SuccahFest with fun, informative and unique events from seasonal floral design to kid’s craft, guided meditation, a pickle pop up and more. There is something for every age group with free and ticketed events.” 

Don’t forget to check out the new Adamama magazine, with all proceeds of sales going back into Adamama community projects.

Turning a negative into a positive

Cancer is certainly a not a word that anyone wants to hear or read about, but unfortunately it is very much present in our community. We all hope a cure is available or will become available soon through current research programs. You may have read the interview in last week’s AJN with past parent Odile Faludi who also contacted me earlier in the week to share: “As you know, I’m fighting a rare cancer and I’m really trying to turn a negative into a positive. I’m working closely with Prof David Goldstein and Prof Clare Scott at POWH to spearhead a project to increase research in this space. If you know anyone who would like to support research into rare cancers, please click on this link to help and all donations are tax deductible donations. Any help is much appreciated”.

It’s a goal!

Five Emanuel alumni – Brendon Rutstein, Nimrod Ktalav, Glenn Schach, Jake Green and Matt Angeles – have played soccer together ever since school days and now proudly represent UNSW Soccer, winning the all-age Mens ESFA championships last Sunday. After being down 1-0 in the first half the team came back to score two goals and seal the victory.  They have always valued the idea of playing with their mates and this win was a bonus and a first for them.

New Beginnings with Sydney Jewish Museum Youth Committee

The Sydney Jewish Museum Youth Committee (SJMYC) is made up of a diverse group of secondary students and tertiary students from across NSW that engage with the Museum in a variety of ways. Members of this committee, including our own Year 10 student Elise Kitchener, have the unique opportunity to make a difference and use their voice to make a better world.

Elise said: “My Jewish Studies teacher from Year 9 told me about the opportunity to join this committee and she suggested that I should apply as I am very passionate about social justice and equality. I have been on the committee for nearly a year and have had an amazing experience working with the Sydney Jewish Museum to plan events, brainstorm ideas for youth engagement, discuss relevant current affairs issues and talk with Holocaust Survivors. We are very excited about the upcoming free youth-led event on Friday 30 September at 10 am and I encourage other students to attend”.  

This session has been specially curated for high school and university-aged students from all communities and walks of life where they will explore the Rosh Hashanah theme of “new beginnings” in a talk hosted by the SJM Youth Committee. It will feature a panel comprising of a Holocaust survivor, a member of the Youth Committee and an expert from the Museum. There will also be an opportunity to interact with the exciting new technologies currently being rolled out by the Museum. Book tickets here. 

Members of the SJMYC perform the following roles:

• Act as an ambassador for the Sydney Jewish Museum, promoting its work on morality, social justice, democracy and human rights and embodying its corresponding core values. Partake in unique behind-the-scenes experiences that arise as part of different SJM projects (e.g. meeting with Survivors, testing new technologies, handling new artefacts).
• Brainstorm ideas for temporary exhibitions, education programs, education resources and commemorative events from a youth perspective.
• Discuss relevant current affairs issues and the SJM’s response to such issues.
• Attend five meetings held outside of school hours onsite at the Sydney Jewish Museum. Funding is available to support the travel of students from outside of Sydney.

For more information about SJMYC email bfallon@sjm.com.au

1989 was an interesting year

As you may already know, we will be celebrating the School’s 40^th birthday next year and Margaret Lowe, Acting Principal, has already asked our readers if they have any old photos/stories to share, to send them to me. By pure coincidence this week, a past student, Orly Snir, who was only here for Year K in 1989 before her family moved from Randwick to Lindfield, sent through  a newspaper clipping from 1989 about the new computer technology program the School had just started then. It is interesting that Orly’s godmother, now aged 95 had kept the newspaper cutting for all these years and gave it to Orly during a visit to her at her home in Lakemba last weekend. We know that Emanuel School is at the forefront of education and technology today and has been for a long time – this newspaper clip confirms Emanuel was innovative even in those early days.  

Changemaker Awards 2022 – honouring young people making a difference in our community

There is still time to nominate High School students or our younger alumni you know who would be worthy of one of these awards. B’nai B’rith Alfred Dreyfus Anti-Defamation Unit and JNF Australia are honouring individuals in our community who have made a difference and in the process, inspire others to get involved. This year, the Awards program has streamlined the nominating process and there are now only three nomination categories with prize money as shown:

• Youth Volunteers for under 18’s: $1500
• Young Adult Volunteers 18 to 36 years of age: $3000
• Joshua Levi Professional Award 18 to 36 years of age: $5000

Nominations close 30 September 2022. Find out more here.

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: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Shabbat shalom, stay safe and have a great weekend.

NASA’s human computers

Hannah Beder (Class of 2012) is a technology lead, educator, and NSW Young Woman of the Year 2020. In her current role as Learning Designer and Research Lead at Creatable she develops education products and technology curriculums which promote entrepreneurship, encourage creative expression through technology, and prepare young people for the future of work. She also teaches coding to women and non-binary folk with Code Like a Girl, and is an industry expert and facilitator for OpenLearning’s CS101 courses. Hannah is passionate about addressing the historical gender disparity in technology through combatting the notion that ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’.

Hannah spoke to our High School students this week:

Imagine a room with two times this many people in it, and they’re all men, and they all study Computer Science. If any of you have attended STEM days with other schools, you may not need to imagine.

When I walked into my first university lecture, there were so many people, the room was buzzing, it was our first class! Looking around I saw people getting out their laptops, shuffling books, and chatting. Then I noticed there were almost no other women. It felt weird, but I didn’t know why.

I walked into the office on the first day of my internship at Google. I was beyond excited, I couldn’t believe they’d hired me! I noticed that almost half of the room were women. Then I remembered the reactions I’d had from some peers… “It’s just a diversity program, if you’d applied for the real thing you wouldn’t have got in”, “The company has to hire women so they don’t look bad”. It felt weird, but I didn’t know why.

I walked into the first Computer Science lab I ever taught. I put my things down and got comfortable, noting a few students sitting in the lab already. One looked at me and said “Where’s the teacher at?” It felt weird, but I didn’t know why.

So I started asking, “why?”.

Why are there so few female computer science students? Why do big tech companies have diversity programs? Why don’t girls study STEM subjects in school?

Ms Lord invited me here, by the way… I graduated from Emanuel in 2012, and when I was in High School, tech was a boys’ club for uncool people who code for fun like nerds. I was born in the mid-nineties, during the dot com boom when the internet became widely available. I was sitting in your seat, and saw tech as something totally separate from anything in my world. The nineties through to 2010 was peak season for computer nerd stereotypes across film and TV. I probably felt this way about tech because through a pop culture lens, tech looked like this, this, this, and this. So that’s how I felt about tech. Not cool, too hard, not relevant. Not for me. I didn’t have any answers to these questions about women and technology either, I wasn’t even close to uncovering them. I was busy playing netball and swimming, practising oboe and singing, and watching my fair share of TV. With this kind of inculturation, it’s no wonder I felt disconnected from tech, but now I wonder… has it always been this way?

Women and people from diverse backgrounds are underrepresented in technology. When I scratched the surface to find out why, I learned that women were involved with computing in its earliest days. So I investigated what happened between then and now, to understand how we got here. I learned that for 200 years, computers and calculators were people, not devices. These computers and calculators were women who did scientific calculations by hand, and their computational work underpinned the scientific age. I learned that when human computers were replaced by electronic computers, the women who previously did the calculations by hand retrained to operate the computing machines. I learned that at the time most male engineers and scientists didn’t trust the machines, feeling that they were unreliable. Computer programming was dismissed as ‘women’s work’. I learned that only during the 1990s, following the creation of the personal computer, that a cultural shift occurred in who computers were really ‘for’. Computing was no longer administrative, clerical women’s work. The personal computer framed computing as a hobbyist pursuit, and those hobbies were for men. But that is not the case anymore, nor has it always been the case.

What I’ve learned since then is that STEM is the ‘how’ in between creativity and problem solving. STEM is the knowledge and understanding which enables you to imagine, envision, and create the future. Drawing on the past, reimagining this future, is what propels me forward. And you’ve been listening to me for long enough, I should probably introduce myself. I’m Hannah, the Learning Designer & Research Lead at Creatable. I studied Computer Science at UNSW, and have held many different positions since. In my current role I research and play with new technologies, finding ways to make students like you think they’re cool. I make engineering resources for schools in Burundi. I adapt toys for children with disabilities. I make websites, I manage developers, and I teach coding.

I hope hearing from me today has shown you that STEM careers are expansive and varied, and that women have always been a part of this world. I am in it now, and you can be too. Thank you.

 

K-12 Sport

AICES Athletics Championships

Emanuel’s top athletes competed  with great success at the AICES Athletics Championships this week, as part of the CDSSA representative team. Sprinting specialists Eden Levit and Zac Urabch had fantastic meets, both winning the 100m and 200m events. Shai Farhy also qualified for the NSWCIS Championships, performing well in the triple jump and long jump, placing second and third respectively. 

Congratulations also to:  Riley Carr, Avalon Gold, Aden Goodridge, Boaz Hadad, Eli Jocum, Hayley Kanevsky, Violet Nathanson, Jake Newfield, Joshua Ottaviano, Calliope Owen, Aaron Pal, Becky Salamon, Samara Strougar and Ashley Urbach for their great effort and performances on the day. 

We wish Zac, Eden and Shai the best of luck in the NSWCIS Athletics Championships on Tuesday 20 September 2022.

Upcoming Sports events

Friday 16 September 2022: JDS Football Cup (Boys & Girls)
Monday 19 September 2022: JDS Netball Cup 
Monday 19 September 2022: Year 7-8 JDS Netball Gala Day
Monday 19 September 2022: Year 7-8 AFL Gala Day
Monday 19 September 2022: Year K-2 Gala Day
Tuesday 20 September 2022: NSWCIS Athletics Championships
Wednesday 21 September 2022: Year 5-6 Football Gala Day 

Careers

Lucy Sattler from Study Work Grow noted the following statistic on LinkedIn: “There are over 1,000 jobs in the ANZSCO list of classifications (1,070 in 2021 to be exact), but half of all teenagers expect to work in one of the 10 most ‘popular’ jobs when they grow up”.

The 10 popular jobs include careers as doctors, teachers, lawyers, and architects. When so many young people are focused on such a narrow range of opportunities it’s a sign that they don’t know enough about what else is out there. 

Find out about other amazing opportunities:

• OECD Dream Jobs 
• ABS/ANZSCO Classifications

There is new data coming out from the CSIRO, future projecting some mega-trends over the next few years:

1. Adapting to climate change: with natural disasters expected to cost the Australian economy almost three times more in 2050 than in 2017, we can expect to be living in a more volatile climate, characterised by unprecedented weather events. 
2. Leaner, cleaner and greener: an increased focus on potential solutions to our resource constraints through synthetic biology, alternative proteins, advanced recycling and the net-zero energy transition. By 2025, renewables are expected to surpass coal as the primary energy source. (Careers – Environment, Sustainability, Environmental Engineer, Scientist, Futurist)
3. The escalating health imperative: the post-pandemic world has exacerbated existing health challenges posed by an ageing population and growing burden of chronic disease. One in five Australians report high or very high levels of psychological distress and there is heightened risk of infectious diseases and pathogens resistant to modern antibiotics. There is now a burning platform to also respond to our health risks and improve health outcomes. (Careers – anything in the Allied Health Field will have big growth, Nursing, Health Sciences, Aged Care, Disabilities Services, Psychologists and Counsellors, Health Service Workers and Advocacy work)
4. Geopolitical shifts: an uncertain future, characterised by disrupted patterns of global trade, geopolitical tensions and growing investment in defence. While the global economy shrunk by 3.2% in 2020, global military spend reached an all-time high of $2.9 trillion and Australia saw a 13% increase in cybercrime reported relative to the previous year. (Careers – Cyber Security, Data Science, Computer Science and STEM, International Relations, Diplomacy, Economics)
5. Diving into digital: the pandemic-fuelled a boom in digitisation, with teleworking, telehealth, online shopping and digital currencies becoming mainstream. Forty percent of Australians now work remotely on a regular basis and the future demand for digital workers expected to increase by 79% from 2020 to 2025. (Careers – self-made businesses, working from home opportunities, side businesses and services)
6. Increasingly autonomous: there has been an explosion in artificial intelligence (AI) discoveries and applications across practically all industry sectors over the past several years. Within the science domain the use of AI is rising with the number of peer-reviewed AI publications increasing nearly 12 times from 2000 to 2019. (Careers – AI, Robotics, Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Medical Science, Biotechnology)
7. Unlocking the human dimension: a strong consumer and citizen push for decision makers to consider trust, transparency, fairness and environmental and social governance. While Australia saw a record level increase in public trust in institutions during the pandemic, this ‘trust bubble’ has since burst, with societal trust in business dropping by 7.9% and trust in government declining by 14.8% from 2020-21.
   Source: Our Future World.

Sydney University

We had an excellent opportunity to partner with Sydney University last week to host Daniel Kim who offered one-on-one sessions to Years 11 and 12 students about attending Australia’s oldest university.

This was a new initiative to help engage students in thinking about the future and studying, looking at which courses they may want to consider after school.

 

 

Rashi

Bringing the Cup home

After the two-year hiatus that claimed the 2020 and 2021 Ezekiel Cups (COVID), it is incredible that Rashi could bounce back with a victory. Despite the past year of COVID-related obstacles, and the tragic loss of the Swimming Carnival, Rashians’ unwavering participation, supportive culture and House spirit ultimately led to our claim of the 2022 Ezekiel Cup.

Amidst online learning, Rashi remained connected through high participation levels in Refresh Fridays and online sports events, such as the Inter-House Olympics. Subsequently, Rashi’s indestructible spirit led us to winning the 2022 Athletics Carnival and claiming smaller victories within House Music, the Lexi Bader Futsal Cup, Dodgeball, and Benchball. Our achievement of the Ezekiel Cup would also not have been possible without the support and assistance of Ms Lijovic, Morah Becky and the other Rashi tutors.

We wish Rashi the best of luck for the next Ezekiel Cup. We know Jake, Arielle and the rest of the Year 11 Tutor group will do an outstanding job leading Rashi to what we hope is another triumph.  

Thanks for an absolutely incredible year, Rashi. 

By Jesse Herdan and Jayda Sacks, 2020/21 Rashi House Madrichim

 

 

 

 

 

Spring camping

Spring camping 
Tickets go on sale next week

We are excited to announce that our P&F Spring Camp will be held at a spectacular new location – Glenworth Valley Camping Ground. It’s a 90-minute drive from Randwick and we will have a dedicated area for our school group. We will be camping within 200-acre creek-side grounds with stunning natural bush and scenery.

Facilities include toilets, hot showers and a small onsite café with barista made coffee. Yes you read correctly! What’s more, for those families who want to camp but don’t have the gear, you can hire a tent and other camping paraphernalia directly from the campsite.

This year we have booked a site for 250 people, with the option to expand the group to 300 people if needed. Tickets typically sell out within the first week, so if you are keen, make sure you buy tickets early.

Full details and tickets go on sale next week. We will share the booking link via the WhatsApp groups – stay tuned!

Father’s Day Stall supports Top Blokes

As part of the Father’s Day stalls, our Years 5 and 6 charity gift option was to give proceeds to Top Blokes Foundation. An Emanuel family has generously matched the proceeds raised. We are pleased to be giving $600 to help Top Blokes continue their important work with young men.

Father’s Day portraits by Ofer Levy

Thank you once again to Ofer Levy who took magnificent photographs at the Father’s Day Breakfast.  I’m sure you will agree (judging by this gorgeous image) that his photos are true treasures.

 

Important Dates

What’s happening next week

High School

Monday 12 September

• Year 10 Examinations

Tuesday 13 September

• Year 10 Examinations

Wednesday 14 September

• Year 10 Examinations 

Primary School

Monday 12 September

• Parent/Teacher Night (Zoom – 4.00 pm to 8.00 pm)

Thursday 15 September

• Year 5 Knowing you Changes Me

Friday 16 September

• Grandparents and Friends Day (Lehrer Family Building MPH – 9.00 am – 12.30 pm)

Save the date

High School

Tuesday 20 September

• CIS Athletics
• Year 12 House Breakfast Farewells

Wednesday 21 September

• Year 12 Graduation Assembly
• Year 12 Graduation Dinner

Friday 23 September

• Last Day of Term 3 

Primary School

Monday 19 September

• Year 4 Excursion to Muru Mittigar Centre 

Tuesday 20 September

• CIS Athletics

Wednesday 21 September

• Under 12s Football Gala Day

Thursday 22 September

• Year 5 Machane Bisli (Hebrew Camp)

Friday 23 September

• Project Heritage 
• Last Day of Term 3

Kornmehl

Friday 23 September

• Rosh Hashanah celebrations 
• Last Day of Term 3 

Calendar

Did you know that you can access the weekly and term calendars by visiting the Parent Portal?

Simply log on to the Parent Portal and you’ll find the Calendar block (first block, left hand side, on the second row). Click on the block which will take you to the calendar page which is full of dates, times and venues. This is the most reliable and up to date list of what’s happening at school. 

If you have forgotten your password, please contact IT on 8383 7324.

 

PSG

Thank you to our volunteers for last week
(Monday 29 August 2022 – Friday 2 September 2022)

Saul Berkowitz, Jerry Solomon, Elizabeth Ben Gida, Richard Miller, Robert Carrion, Kirsty Greenfield, Gary Aaron, Tanya Goldberg, David Zurnamer, Tanya Leibovitch, Kala Orozco Loza, Candy Mervis,Daniel Grynberg, Neil Shilbury, Adam Tsipiris, Gavin Kawalsky, Paul Biller, Toby Raphael, Tony Gellert, Jacqueline Rule, Bradly Drutman, Sean Cohen, Steven Trope, Gary Gordon, Daniel Stein, Jerry Soloman and Astrid Van Raamsdonk.

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

Community events