From the Principal

Andrew Watt – Principal

Magical moments 

Our Annual High School House Music Competition never fails to amaze and bring joy to the audience of parents, staff and students. Whilst the friendly rivalry between Houses is a feature of this competition, it is the talent, energy and enjoyment that shines from the stage that makes this event so special. Not every student gets the choreography right or sings in tune – but the impact of each House dancing and singing on stage, in costume, is spectacular.

Mazal tov to Meir House, who have won this event three times over the past four years!

A huge thank you to Adam Ezekiel, Heads of House and House Tutors, for supporting the House Madrichim and Year 12 students, as they planned and rehearsed each of the three items. Thank you to Ben Marshall and his student AV team, who managed the complexity of sound and lighting with panache.

Emanuel recognised as an Employer of Choice

I am delighted to share that Emanuel School has been officially recognised as a 5-Star Employer of Choice by The Educator magazine. From numerous submissions, The Educator handpicked only 20 schools that have demonstrated  “supportive, inclusive, and aspirational environments for their staff”* and I am proud that Emanuel School is among those distinguished 20 schools, nationwide.

This remarkable achievement is testament to our focus on creating a nurturing atmosphere for our staff. It reflects the tireless efforts and unwavering commitment that each and every one of our staff members bring to our school community. We are grateful for their invaluable contributions and the profound positive impact they have on the lives of our students.

Our strong sense of community, dedication to the success and wellbeing of our students, and steadfast commitment to our core values, have played an important role in establishing a warm and inclusive environment for both our students and staff. 

I was recently interviewed by The Educator, along with other Principals of 5-Star Employer of Choice schools. I encourage you to take a few moments to read this article that delves into what sets Emanuel and other award recipients apart.

*The Educator, Revealed: Australia’s 5-Star Employer of Choice 2023 awardees, 22 May 2023

The ‘flu season

As we move towards a chilly winter, we are encouraged to recall and put into practice the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. The following basic principles will reduce the levels of both covid and influenza in our community, thus protecting our vulnerable students, staff and parents:

• COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations are a key protective factor and are highly recommended.
• Students with any symptoms should remain at home until asymptomatic.
• Testing for COVID-19 (RAHT) will identify cases early, thus minimising potential to spread.
• Wearing a mask as the numbers of infections grow is encouraged.

These measures will protect our community from a significant outbreak and allow us to engage fully in our education and enjoy our breaks.

Shavuot 

Thank you to Adina Roth, Head of Jewish Life, for updating us on the Shavuot ceremony that took place this morning.

For Shavuot this year, the Primary and High School created a giant Emanuel artwork Torah scroll, where every single student coloured in a calligraphy-style Hebrew letter, which we assembled into a parchment scroll. The idea behind this is that every letter in the Torah represents a person and that as we learn and interpret the Torah we become a part of it. Today, the School engaged in a Shavuot ceremony with the overarching question: “What really happened on Mount Sinai”. The students watched a student-made movie on the topic, performed plays about it, sang songs and watched a dramatic reveal of the Emanuel students’ handmade Torah scroll alongside an actual Torah. The High School turned the Lehrer Family Building (MPH) into a giant ‘house of study’ and learned texts in partnership, called Chevruta, in loud, animated voices. On completing the learning, they received a clue which became their password to a scoop of delicious gelato at recess to honour the tradition of eating dairy on Shavuot.

Chag Shavuot Sameach

Canteen closures

The canteen will be closed on Monday 29 May 2023 due to the school wide BBQ Day.

See you on Sunday

A reminder that JCA will be holding their major Community Event on Sunday where all 25 JCA members organisations will be present. We have a dedicated Emanuel School stand, with Dr Lynn Joffe (Director of the Wolanski Family Specialist Learning Centre) and Adina Roth (Head of Jewish Life) available to respond to questions about Special Needs Education and the Jewish Life of our School. Our talented musicians will be welcoming guests and I will be part of a panel of Principals of Jewish Schools, discussing the challenges and celebrations of Special Needs Education. 

Our Year 10 Food Technology class baked and iced a massive 500 Emanuel School cookies, which will be available at our stand should you feel the urge for a quick and delicious snack. You’ll also be able to see the cookie stamps that were 3D printed in our Design Lab.

So many people have been involved in bringing this project to life. I am particularly grateful to the Marketing team (Michelle Favero, Belinda Levin and Isabelle Anne), Lynn Joffe and Adina Roth, Diana Springford and the Music Department, along with Lisa Starkey, Crystal Rimmer and Claudia Bloom for their time, energy and commitment. 

Mazal tov

Nathan Shammay was awarded an A+ in his AMEB 6^th Grade Saxophone examination. This is a significant achievement for anyone, but especially for Nathan who is only in Year 5, has only been playing since 2021, and who already devotes a significant amount of his time and attention to piano playing. Well done!

Jake Rosenfeld, Jacob Davis, Noah Dusheiko, Dean Skalrud, Noah Kessel, Eli Jocum, Noah Sherman, Rohan Britton, Aimee Danieli, Lexi Butt, Yasmine Fisher, Heidi Martin, Becky Salamon, Aviv Farhy, Sanne Nathan, Eva Nabarro, Hannah Rembach and Violet Nathanson who are our Emanuel student CDSSA Representatives who will be running at the AICES Cross Country next Thursday at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre.

From these representatives, Aimee Danieli ranked 2^nd in the U12 girls race and Violet Nathanson ranked 2^nd in the U16 girls race at the CDSSA Cross Country last Thursday at the Sydney Olympic Park Cross Country course.

Coby New and Reece Carr have been selected to compete at the CIS Football Championships next week on Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 May at Valentine Park.

Mariah Lewy has been selected to represent CDSSA Opens Girls Team to compete at the AICES Netball Championships at Netball Central at Sydney Olympic Park.

Quote of the week

“Live your life, sing your song. Not full of expectations. Not for the ovations. But for the joy of it.” ~ Rasheed Ogunlaru, life and leadership coach, motivational speaker and author  

Wishing our Emanuel community a Chag Shavuot Sameach

From the Head of Jewish Life

Adina Roth – Head of Jewish Life

Cheesecake as essence

I became an avid aspirant of the Pinterest app in the early 2010s. My favourite self-proclaimed category was lovingly dubbed food, cakes and yummy things. When my kids were four and five, I pinned a lot of rainbow and unicorn cakes. I also had a power section on cheesecakes. You see, Shavuot, the holiday of all things dairy, has always been my grand opportunity to go all out on a really ‘do or die’, ‘all or nothing’ cheesecake. I never went for the plain cheesecake variety. There was the time I went for a Brown Sugar Pecan Praline Cheesecake. Just working on the caramel sauce for the praline was an act of divine service that took hours of devoted time. The result was heavenly. Another year it was a chocolate cheesecake with a chocolate cream topping.

Now, I am in Sydney but I am determined to bake a cheesecake this year. The one thing that keeps me up at night is finding the right biscuits for the base. In South Africa, everyone knows that Bakers Tennis biscuits make the best cheesecake crust, because of their coconut, caramelly flavour. So, I need to get to Bianca’s for the Tennis Biscuits. But unlike previous years, I have decided to go for a simple cream-cheese filling with a sour cream topping. I’m done with complicated and I’m done with ‘pyatska’ (Yiddish for overly-pedantic effort). Perhaps, that is because I don’t have the ‘help’ I used to have to assist me with complex recipes. But I choose to think that I am going simple for a more spiritual reason; in one word – essence!

On the holiday of Shavuot, we remember the receiving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. The Torah suggests that the people assembled at the base of the mountain and amidst thunder, lightning, blasts of shofars and fire and mist (essentially a grand sound and light show), God recited the Ten Commandments. Straight after we read the Ten Commandments, the text tells us that the people panicked, “fell back and stood at a distance,” and begged Moshe to tell God to stop speaking. “You speak to us instead,” the Israelites begged Moses. The question is, hadn’t God already recited the Ten Commandments. Well, apparently not! The Midrash elaborates on what happened. In one version, the Jewish people heard only the first three words: Anochi Hashem Elokecha, I am the Lord your God, at which point they passed out and begged Moshe to continue the delivery. These stories convey something of the overwhelm, the awe that the people felt at experiencing the voice of God beyond the veils and curtains of everyday life. According to another source, God said even less: “God simply uttered the first letter of Anochi, the letter Aleph”. But how could God ‘say’ the letter Aleph, because actually Aleph is a silent letter. According to this reading, God had simply exhaled, offering the very tip of the letter Aleph, when the people said, “this is too much for us!”. On one level, we might say, we were cheated out of God’s voice reciting the ten Commandments. But on another level, we might say that the silent letter Aleph distils and clarifies the many words and the complicated ideas of the Ten Commandments and more widely, the Torah to a simple exhale, to breath. From the noise and bustle of intellectual ideas, Revelation comes to us as the sound of silence. On the one hand, Revelation is the Ten Commandments. More widely it includes the Tanach, the Hebrew Bible and beyond that even our oral tradition, books and teachings spanning thousands of year. But in essence, God’s big Reveal is offered in breath, the exhale of the Universe and the inhale of life, the coming into the present moment, the sound of the Aleph which precedes and includes all other sounds.

Each religion takes God’s ‘exhale’ and creates narratives, stories, laws, wisdom and teachings which circulate around particular times, places and cultures. But I like to believe that all religions circle back to this essence, to God’s exhale, God’s revealing Godself through quiet, awe-inspiring breath in the world.

In a world that sometimes feels super complex, complicated, tough and tricky, it feels good to think of Shavuot as a return to that simple and profound exhale, the very tip, the beginning of the formation of the letter Aleph from which everything else flows.

And this is why I am going for a simple cheesecake filling with a basic sour cream topping. But I won’t compromise on the Tennis biscuits.

Chag Shavuot Sameach!

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

We concluded our daily counting of the Omer this week and we have been busy learning and preparing for Shavuot. 

In anticipation of our whole school ceremony, each student decorated a letter of the Aleph Bet to be combined on a scroll, representing the idea that each person in every generation was present at Mount Sinai.

We have also been learning songs connected to the Torah service and the giving of the Torah for the ceremony – Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe, VZot HaTorah, Al Shlosha Devarim and Etz Chayim Hi.

All Years from K-6 participated in activities focusing on a different element or theme of Shavout, including:

• During Hebrew art lessons, students decorated bikkurim baskets, glida (ice-cream) cones and fields of flowers to represent the midrash that Mount Sinai blossomed with flowers whilst the Torah was being given.
• Creating mosaic paper collages, with the two tablets and the Ten Commandments, translating the Hebrew text into English.
• Learning about the Book of Ruth through video and text, then creating a comic strip of the story.
• Identifying, ordering and reflecting on the Aseret HaDibrot (The Ten Statements/Commandments).
• Paper craft of Mount Sinai and bikkurim baskets. 
• Creating a visual, paper midrash based on the Torah’s account of Israelites experience at Mount Sinai.

Letters Scroll

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Gifted Awareness Week

Craig Moss – HSIE Teacher, Co-ordinator of Gifted & Talented 7-12

Sabrina Hards – Co-ordinator of Gifted & Talented K-6

Gifted Awareness Week 2023

From Monday 22 May 2023 – Sunday 28 May 2023, marks Gifted Awareness Week (GAW) in Australia. The aim of GAW is to raise awareness of the identification, support and learning needs of gifted children and to celebrate the dedication of individuals and educational bodies who are making a positive difference in the lives of gifted children and their families.

The 2023 GAW theme,‘The Diverse Faces of Giftedness’, is a continuation of the 2022 theme of ‘Like Minds’. 2022 focused on gifted individuals finding their own tribe to support their social and emotional health and intellectual engagement. In 2023 the AAEGT seeks to highlight the breadth of our gifted tribe. Gifted individuals range from mildly gifted to profoundly gifted and include socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic diversity as well as those with a disability and many whose giftedness remains masked.

High Potential and Gifted Education

Gifted children, like all children, deserve to receive an education in line with their abilities – an education that provides them with the opportunity to reach their full potential. To support your child to help them to achieve their full potential is giving your child your voice to help them on this journey.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), along with statements from educational providers including Australia’s Mparntwe Education Declaration (Council of Australian Governments Education Council, 2019) specify the need for provision of opportunities to enable all students to achieve their full potential. Given this, it is reasonable to expect that your gifted child will be excited about and interested in school; that they will be allowed a reasonable amount of time to work with like-minded peers on material that challenges them; and will be taught by teachers who understand their unique needs. 

How can I support my gifted child?

• Learn as much as you can from many sources of information. Visit websites such as Gifted NSW & Davidson Institute 
• Find out about the common myths surrounding educating gifted children (Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County, 2010, February 24) and how to dispel these myths
• Investigate widely (National Association for Gifted Children, 2018) and consider attending gifted education seminars, webinars and conferences on gifted children and their education, for example the Gifted parenting series at UNSW
• Learn some of the language and words that educators might use, and be prepared to ask them to define what they mean if you don’t understand during a meeting
• Encourage your child to participate in challenges and competitions, and everything in between. Take a look here at extracurricular opportunities we offer at Emanuel School. 

On behalf of the Gifted & Talented Department, we would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who supports the gifted children at Emanuel School. 

Contact us:
Sabrina Hards – Gifted & Talented Co-ordinator (K-6) 
Craig Moss – Gifted & Talented Co-ordinator (7-12)

References

• Council of Australian Governments Education Council. (2019). Alice Springs (Mparntwe) 
• Education Declaration. Melbourne, Australia: Australian Government. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf.
• Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County. (2010, Feb 24). Top ten myths in gifted education [Video file]. 
• National Association for Gifted Children. (2018). Parent tip sheets. National Association for Gifted Children,. Retrieved 14 June from https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources-parents/parent-tip-sheets
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. (1989, November 20).  

Primary Art Leaders

Recently, the Year 6 Students went to Canberra on camp. We had so much fun! One of the activities was attending the National Art Gallery, where we learnt all about the different types of art, and saw lots of different artworks. These included Aboriginal artworks, abstract artworks, sculptures and many more!

Many of us had varying opinions on the art we viewed. This is because art can be interpreted in any way. It is simply up to the audience. All of these artworks were special and unique in their own way. Some made us feel happy and excited, and some made us feel sad or confused.

One of our favourite artworks was the painting of Campbell’s Soup by Andy Warhol. We all found this exciting and interesting, because we’d never seen anything like it before. Overall, the Art Gallery was one of the highlights of our experience and a great way to begin our three day camp.

By Ivy Kery, Eve Revelman, Ty Cristescu, Jessica Levy and Jenna Fine
Year 6 Art Leaders 

Music Matters

Diana Springford – Director of Music P-12

Welcome to our Music Matters page! 🎶

Recent student performances

Mazal tov to the Mendelssohn Senior String Ensemble for their beautiful performance at High School Assembly this week.

Oren Levin-Kahn (Year 11), Aaron Berkowitz, Leah Doust, Sarah Manoy, Josh Ottaviano, Max Salamon and Sam Salamon (all Year 10) performed Libertango by Astor Piazzolla, conducted by Ezmi Pepper. 

Music Camp (Week 9)

We’ve had a wonderful response and a huge group of talented students from Years 4 -12 are registered to attend. Bookings for Music Camp have closed. 

Last Monday, parents of all participants received an important email about dietary requirements, with a link to the venue catering survey. Very detailed information was provided in the cover email, and you were asked to confirm whether the vegetarian menu we have chosen, which includes fish, will be suitable for your child, and/or whether your child has additional special dietary requirements. A response is required for each child. Thank you to those who have submitted their response. The deadline is today.

For parents who opted to pay by instalments, you are reminded that the second (final) instalment is due by Friday 2 June 2023. A reminder email with the link for payment via our Humanitix site has been emailed.

A detailed packing list will be sent to attendees next week.   

Music Campers …. show off your secret, or not so secret, talent at our Music Camp Student Concert on the Tuesday evening during camp. Students who wish to participate should have a well-prepared act that is appropriate for Music Camp students from ages 9-18. It could be serious or funny. Mr Burley will be looking for a variety of items, from both Emanuel School and Mount Sinai College students from Years 4-12.  

• Students who would like to participate register their interest at this link with Mr Burley by Friday 9 June 2023 (latest). 
• Not everyone who fills out a form is guaranteed a spot, as we have lots of students.
• Please don’t miss the deadline as there’s no chance of being in the concert if you don’t not submit your form.
• You can only submit one entry. 
• If using a backing track, students would need to have it fully downloaded to email to Mr Burley – once notified that your item has been selected.
• Performers would need to bring whatever gear they need to camp.

Music Camp Showcase Concert

Parents and carers, please remember to put the Music Camp Showcase Concert in your diary for Thursday 22 June 2023, from 5.45 pm – 8.00 pm. Please note that we have such a large group of campers who will be performing in the concert, that we will need to limit the audience to two persons per student.

Private Music Tuition and Infant Strings Program

Thank you to those who have already advised us of changes to private tuition and Infant Strings Program (ISP) enrolments for next term. The deadline for new enrolments, notification of changes or intention to discontinue for Term 3, is Friday 9 June 2023. All students currently receiving private music tuition and students in Years K-2 who are currently participating in the ISP will be automatically re-enrolled into tutor schedules along with students commencing for the first time. To enrol or discontinue please visit our Music Portal Page and use the links to the relevant online forms. Formal notification of intention to discontinue must be received now to avoid being committed to the full term of lessons and liable for fees. 

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

The schedules for Term 3 will be created at the end of term and emailed during July term break.

Please visit the 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

Canvas makes Australian financial history

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

This week’s issue of Ma Nishma comes to you a day early because School is closed tomorrow for Shavuot, also known as the festival of weeks. It comes exactly 49 days (seven weeks) after the second night of Pesach, commemorating the revelation of the Torah on Mount Sinai to the Jewish people. It also celebrates the grain harvest of early summer in Israel and traditionally many of us prepare and eat dairy foods such as cheesecake and/or cheese blintzes, as a reminder of the sweetness of Torah. There is still time to post your pictures on Instagram and share your recipes for Let’s all ‘Say Cheese for Shavuot’ for the Australian Jewish News.

Fabulous news

A stem cell match has been confirmed for Murray Foltyn, the 41-year-old Sydney father who is battling a rare blood cancer. The father-of-two is expected to receive his stem cell transplant in early June. “We are so relieved to be able to share that a match has been confirmed for Murray, and the process of getting the donor’s stem cells to Australia is well underway,” his wife, Claudia Milunsky, shared on social media last week.

Murray Foltyn and family

Milunsky said the match had been identified, additional testing was complete and the stem cells have been harvested. “The long road ahead continues. But at least now, the key elements are all in place to be able to do a stem cell transplant for Murray. We couldn’t be more grateful for the entire worldwide community who helped us get to this point. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!” After the search for a match was made public in February, thousands mobilised in Australia and worldwide to get tested, with regular call-outs for help from with-in our own School community. Testing sessions were held in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Two thousand people attended a testing event in North London, the UK Jewish Telegraph reported. We wish Murray all the best for his upcoming stem cell transplant and a speedy recovery.

Canvas makes Australian financial history

Tim Moddel, David Lavecky and Daniel Lavecky

David Lavecky is parent of Year 1 student Elisa and her sister Iliana, Year 5. Tim Moddel (Class of 2001) and David’s brother Daniel (who, along with David, are co-founders of the start-up, Canvas),  made Australian financial history by facilitating the country’s first Foreign Exchange (FX) transaction using a real digital dollar. Canvas was chosen as part of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s pilot for a Digital Dollar – the eAUD. David says: “We were selected to highlight the benefits of using the eAUD in FX transactions and international remittances. Other noteworthy participants include ANZ, CBA, and MasterCard. The ground-breaking transaction was successfully executed on our platform between two financial institutions trading the eAUD and the USDC last Wednesday, 17 May”.

For a more in-depth understanding of this landmark achievement, you can find the full story in this article. 

Putting the Pieces Together

It is just over a week until the 2023 Communal Event on Sunday 28 May 2023, where you will hear alumna Dr Rebecca Kummerfeld showcase the work of the Museum alongside all 25 member organisations of the JCA. Get your ticket today.  

Community Art Exhibition
Sunday 28 May – Sunday 4 June 2023

Readers are invited to a showcase of Jewish Artists at the B’nai B’rith Centre, 17 Barker Street Kensington, where more than 58 artists will be exhibiting in this Showcase exhibition.  The grand opening is at 11.00 am on Sunday 28 May 2023. RSVP: council@bbnsw.org.au or call 9321 6300.

Community Art Exhibition

Limmud in your Lounge
Saturday 10 June 2023 – Monday 12 June 2023

This series of thought-provoking and inspiring conversations about Jewish ideas and culture comes to homes across Sydney next month. Here is the full program where you can buy your tickets , with some of the presenters at this year’s event from our own School community – Adina Roth, Head of Jewish Life plus current parents, Jayme Akstein and Alla Melman.

Experience the future of Holocaust survivor memory

At the Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM), history doesn’t only live on the pages of books, or on the walls of exhibitions. It’s brought to life through immersive experiences, many of them powered by the latest AI and app-based technology. This June, why not experience some of the ways SJM is using technology to preserve Holocaust survivor memory? Visit the exhibition “Reverberations: a future for memory”.

Reverberations – a future for memory. Yvonne Engelman OAM, Eddie Jaku OAM and Olga Horak OAM

My travels

While spending time with my family in Belgium and The Netherlands, I have also managed to visit a number of Jewish sites to help in my role as a volunteer guide at the Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM). In Australia, we learn about the plight of the European Jewry in the Holocaust, with an emphasis on Polish, Hungarian and German Jews in particular. I recently visited Kazerne Dossin – a memorial, museum and research centre located at a site of historical significance near Antwerp, Belgium. Between 1942 and 1944, the Dossin Barracks were used by the Nazis as an assembling Belgium and Northern France. 25,490 Jews and 353 Roma were deported from the Dossin Barracks primarily to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Only 1,395 of them survived the horror. There is also a temporary exhibition on about the fate of homosexuals and lesbians during WW2 in Belgium, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

Kazerne Dossin

Temporary exhibition at Kazerne Dossin

Now in Den Haag (The Hague), I visited what was the Jewish area before WWII,  where now there is a memorial of steel chairs with the first name and age of every Jewish child transported from here by the Nazis, engraved on all parts of the chairs, along with several plaques and memorials. One of the seven synagogues here before the War (abandoned once the Jews were “gone”) is the Al Aqsa Mosque. Current Emanuel grandparent, Sonja Blits Raiz who been a volunteer at SJM for nearly 29 years, was born in Amsterdam and has a cousin living here in The Hague. Avraham Soetendendorp, was born during the War and spent the first two years of his life in a hiding place. He was Rabbi of the Liberal Jewish Congregation in the Hague from 1968 – 2008 and is currently president of the European Region of the World Union of Progressive Judaism and vice-chairman of the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders. In 1998 he founded the Hope Foundation for Children for Universal Education and now, aged 80, he has written a book titled Life Lessons from a Rabbi, an inspired book about love, anchoring, about breaking and healing, about resistance, reconciliation and a good conscience. He says sadness and anger do not ultimately prevail, but that the balance tips towards hope and optimism.

Chairs – memorial in Den Haag

Den Haag – chair, memorial to Jewish children

Wagenstraat Synagogue, Den Haag before the War

Al Aqsa Mosque, Den Haag

Sonja Raiz and family

Rabbi Avraham Soetendorp

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. 

Chag Shavuot Sameach, Shabbat Shalom, stay safe and have a wonderful weekend.

After the Bell

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Careers Space 2023

It was wonderful to welcome our fabulous Alumni back to our campus for our Annual Careers Space event 2023. This year we had 35 graduates who walked through our gates to share their stories with our current students. Wonderful conversations, sage advice and the myriad of options out there were all discussed.

We held the event in three different spaces. with a focus on a tertiary room including students from university, TAFE and private colleges. We tried to make sure that we had a wide variety of industries, careers, jobs and job arenas.

With these events, the most important element is not matching up students to jobs of their interest – as these change over time. What is important is opening the student’s eyes to new ideas, to get them thinking about their futures and also to help them see that the career paths can be messy, non-linear and subject to many outside elements and influences.

We are very grateful for the time, effort and energy that this Alumni body put into giving back to our students in Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12.

“The Careers space day helped me understand the career I wanted to purse after school and how to succeed in my chosen career. Talking to ex-students allowed me to better understand their ideas about the HSC and their future career and everything university related.” By Nathan Bognar, Year 12 

Meet The Addams Family cast

The Addams Family production is around the corner!

Introducing you to the members of the lead cast who will be transforming themselves into all kinds of wonder:

Designed and photographed by Year 10 Photographic and Digital Media
Alexia Judin, Calliope Owen, Franki Kurlansky and Mirelle Lazerson.

Last chance to book!

Youth Justice

Celebrating House Music

High School House Music

Monday afternoon was a fun-filled time, showcasing the creative talent of all High School students. The Lehrer Family Building (MPH) was filled with music, dancing, cheers and laughter as each House performed their set with  gusto.

A special mention goes to the House Madrichim, who, with the help of their Year 12 cohort, organised the afternoon, spending countless hours on their detailed planning.

Mazel tov to all involved!

House Madrichim

Meir Madrichim: Ma’ayan Granot and Jamie Schneider
Rabin Madrichim: Daniel Langman and Tess Endry
Rashi Madrichim: Ariella Melamed and Jake Sharp
Szenes Madrichim: Ruby Miller and Jake Newfield

Winning performances

X-factor – Szenes House
Small House – Meir House
House Dance – Rashi House

Congratulations to overall winning House – Meir House!

By The Heads of House

Thank you to Ofer Levy for capturing this annual event in photographs. Here is a selection of images to enjoy:

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An afternoon at the theatre

Samantha Bauer – Head of Drama

An afternoon at the theatre
With Year 11 and Year 12 Drama students

About the play: The history of Aboriginal people and Aboriginality in Tasmania is a tumultuous one. The colonisation of our history books provides little clarity on the horrors of oppression, displacement and genocide that led to the claims that Tasmania’s Aboriginal population is extinct. The narrative of “the lost tribe” combined with an assimilation policy that was in place until the 1970s made it difficult for Tasmania’s First Nations peoples, such as the Palawa people, to claim their Aboriginality. 

“How might Aboriginal identity manifest itself in Palawa people, when we have been officially pronounced as extinct?”

Returning to Belvoir St Theatre with the original cast before heading on a timely national tour, Nathan Maynard’s At What Cost? is a thundering and informative exploration of Palawa’s competing histories, identity politics and the human need to be part of a collective.

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K-12 Sport

Aidan Zlotnick, Head of Basketball

Basketball

Under 16 NSW CIS Trials

Alex Kirievsky and Marcus Tsimbler travelled to Newington College to trial for the Under 16 NSW CIS team on Tuesday 9 May 2023. Both boys demonstrated their competitiveness, sportsmanship and skill but were unfortunately unsuccessful in being selected for the squad. 

Basketball NSW Schools Tournament

On Monday 16 May 2023 and Tuesday 17 May 2023, the Emanuel Senior Firsts Boys and Girls Basketball team travelled to Penrith to compete in the Basketball NSW Schools Tournament. The Senior Boys competed in Division 1, the top division, where they played Saint Gregory’s and lost a tough game by eight points (37-29) followed by a loss to MacKillop College by nine points (49-40). On the second day of the tournament the boys bounced back, with a win in their consolation match against Cecil Hills winning by three (44-41).

The Senior Girls competed in Division 3 with a group of girls from Years 7-11 and lost their three games. This included a nail-biting double overtime loss, where they lost to a free throw in the final minute of the game.

Overall, it was a great competition for the students and they will be motivated to return next year with the experience they have now.

Heath Morley – Director of Sport K-12 | PDHPE Teacher

ASISSA Cross Country

Primary students had a chance to compete in the ASISSA Cross Country Championships at Queens Park last Thursday

All the students competed with such a great effort and represented Emanuel with pride.

Congratulations to Zella Belko, Sierra Miller, Vitaly Miron, Dylan Pal and Dan Kalinko who were selected to represent the ASISSA team at the CIS Cross Country Championships at Sydney International Equestrian Centre.

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CDSSA Cross Country Carnival

Last Thursday, 18 May 2023, Emanuel Cross Country representatives competed at the CDSSA Cross Country Carnival at Sydney Olympic Park. Emanuel students represented the school proudly by displaying a lot of determination in what proved to be a competitive Cross Country event. All Emanuel Cross Country representatives should be proud of their efforts at the carnival, and I wish all those students who qualified for the CDSSA Cross Country Team all the best for the AICES Cross Country Carnival, taking place on Thursday 1 June 2023 at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park: Jake Rosenfeld, Jacob Davis. Noah Dusheiko, Dean Skalrud, Noah Kessel, Eli Jocum, Noah Sherman, Rohan Britton, Aimee Danieli, Lexi Butt, Yasmine Fisher, Heidi Martin, Becky Salamon, Aviv Farhy, Sanne Nathan, Eva Nabarro, Hannah Rembach and Violet Nathanson.

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Emanuel Students representing CDSSA Football
at the AICES Football Championships

It has been an exciting few weeks in the Emanuel Football Program, with eight of our Emanuel students being selected to represent CDSSA Football at the AICES Football Championships on Thursday 11 May 2023 and Friday 12 May 2023.

U15s CDSSA Girls Team

• Juliette Robinson
• Gemma Odes
• Riley Carr

U16s CDSSA Boys Team – Champions

• Daniel Allul Orozco

Open CDSSA Girls Team – Champions

• Eden Levit

Open CDSSA Boys Team – Champions

• Coby New
• Ethan Hirst
• Reece Carr

Well done to all our students for representing Emanuel so proudly at the AICES Football Championships. Special mention goes to the U16s CDSSA Boys Team, Open CDSSA Girls Team and the Open CDSSA Boys Team who were all successful in winning their division at the AICES Football Championships.

Our Head of Football, Aytek Genc, was selected to coach U16s CDSSA Boys Team and the Open CDSSA Boys Team. Aytek was instrumental in both these teams being victorious over the course of the two day AICES Football Championships. Our Emanuel students are very fortunate to have such an experienced coach as our Head of Football at Emanuel School.

A huge congratulations goes to Coby New and Reece Carr, who were both selected to compete the CIS Football Championships, next Monday 29 May 2023 and Tuesday 30 May 2023 at Valentine Park. We wish Coby and Reece all the best in what will be an exciting and challenging two days of top class football at the CIS Football Championships.

CDSSA Boys Open Winners

CDSSA Girls Open Winners

Jullette Robinson Gemma Odes Riley Carr

CDSSA U16 Boys Winners

PSG

Thank you to our volunteers for last week 
(Monday 15 May 2023 – Friday 19 May 2023)

Greg Chesler, Salina Jamani, Josh Nassi, Danielle Jaku-Greendfield, Andrea Sher, Daniel Deutsch, Andrew Nabarro, Seth Itzkowitz, Harry Wertheim, Florette Ickowicz, Ron Efrat, Peter Nothman, Simon Revelman, Lara Levin, Ilan Bloom, Jessica Sikar, Ana Zuccarino, Derek Pal, David Nathanson, Bob Kummerfeld, David Eliovson, Doron Kalinko, Benjamin Opit, Neil Levin, Michelle Masnick, Natalie Pager, Debbie Sullivan and Ryan Melman.

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

Important dates

What’s happening next week 

High School 

Sunday 28 May 2023

• Reconciliation Week commences 

Monday 29 May 2023

• SRC BBQ and non-uniform day
• Canteen closed 
• CIS Football Day 1
• 2023 NSW Secondary Schoolboys Challenge Cup
• Y11 JST Guest Speaker Series

Tuesday 30 May 2023

• AICES Rugby Cup
• Year 7 ELES – Prue Salter
• Year 9 Jewish Studies Be the Change – Chiefly Public School 
• CIS Football Day 2

Wednesday 31 May 2023

• Year 7 Interfaith Program
• Netball NSW Schools Cup

Thursday 1 June 2023

• AICES Cross Country
• CSSA Gymnastics
• Year 11 Genetic Screening Information Session 
• Year 10 WWI Living History
• FPS Global Issues Competition 

Friday 2 June 2023

• Year 12 HSC Careers Expo 
• Metropolitan Chess Competition 

Saturday 3 June 2023

• High School Production – The Addams Family Opening Night 

Sunday 4 June 2023

• High School Production – The Addams Family 

Primary 

Sunday 28 May 2023

• Jilkminggan Trip 
• Reconciliation Week commences 

Monday 29 May 2023

• Jilkminggan Trip 
• Whole School BBQ Day
• Reconciliation Week (wear one colour from the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Flay in a block colour)
• Canteen closed 

Tuesday 30 May 2023

• Jilkminggan Trip 
• Year 4 Allwell Absentee Placement Test

Wednesday 31 May 2023

• Jilkminggan Trip 

Thursday 1 June 2023

• Jilkminggan Trip 

Friday 2 June 2023

• Jilkminggan Trip 
• Year 6 Fun Friday and Gratitude Day
• K-2 Assembly

Saturday 3 June 2023

• Jilkminggan Trip 
• High School Production – The Addams Family Opening Night 

Sunday 4 June 2023

• High School Production – The Addams Family 

Kornmehl 

Tuesday 30 May 2023

• Starfish to Bush School

Friday 2 June 2023

• Dolphins to Bush School 

Community notices