the community magazine of leibler yavneh …...ten li yavneh issue 2 • 2019 5 in april, the...

The community magazine of Leibler Yavneh College • Issue 2 2019

into actionPUTTING VALUES

Living Judaism today. For tomorrow.

A PROGRAM OFPROFOUNDLEARNINGEXPERIENCESLeibler YavnehCollege’s raison d’etreis on full show at thebeginning of Term 2

each year, when our school acknowledgesa succession of significant events in theJewish calendar. While our missionstatement is the driving force behind all that we do at the College, these eventsshowcase our commitment to our corevalues of developing the characters,enriching the intellects and engaging the souls of outstanding Torah and Israel-committed youth.

The JCCV Yom HaShoah Commemorative Service at Monash One of our mission statements is to nurtureour students to be passionate aboutYahudut (Judaism) and Zionism. On the firstday of Term 2 our year 10 students attendedthe JCCV Yom HaShoah CommemorativeService at Monash. Yavneh was the largestschool contingent in the audience and ourstudents were outstanding ambassadors forour College. Seventeen students from ourprimary and secondary cohortsparticipated in the formal proceedings,either on stage addressing the audience orin choral performances. It was alsowonderful to see so many of our recentgraduates in attendance.

Commemorative services for Yom HaShoahAt Yavneh the following day, the Primaryand Secondary Schools hosted their owncommemorative services for Yom HaShoah.The presence of five Holocaust childsurvivors in this moving service was a keyelement in deepening our student’sunderstanding of the importance ofcontinued commemoration of the lives andheroism of the six million Jewish peoplewho died in the Holocaust. We thank thesurvivors for their involvement on thisimportant date in our College’s calendar,

and Mr Mordechai Glasman, agrandparent of two children in our PrimarySchool, for his moving keynote addresswhen he shared his personal story ofsurvival.

Commemorating Yom HaZikaron Yom HaZikaron was commemorated in thesecond week of the term. Our Tzevet Teamconstructed an outstanding exhibitioncelebrating the life of Eyal Yifrah, one of thethree Israeli teenagers kidnapped andmurdered in 2014. The Hesder boys andSherut girls provided our students andcommunity with the opportunity to engagein a thought-provoking experience. OnTuesday evening our Year 10 studentsdisplayed exemplary behaviour asambassadors for Leibler Yavneh College atthe Zionism Victoria Yom HaZikaronCommemorative Service held at RobertBlackwood Hall.

This was followed by primary andsecondary assemblies at Yavneh onWednesday in commemoration of fallensoldiers and civilian victims of terrorism. Thesecondary service was an especiallymoving event. Rabbi Asulin spoke about the

generational loss hisfamily has suffered in theirservice in the IDF and theunwavering commitmentthey maintain todefending Israel. Studentssang with a united voice.Heartfelt prayers wererecited, and the Israeli flagwas lowered and raisedagain before a silent andsolemn audience.

Early Wednesday eveninga number of students and

staff represented Yavneh at the MizrachiTekes Ma’avar with Rabbi Cowen deliveringthe keynote address. On the same eveningthe sombre mood of Yom HaZikaron gaveway to the joyous celebration of YomHa’Atzmaut beginning with a dance partyfor secondary students in Lamm Hall withover 100 students in attendance.

Yom Ha’Atzmaut Tekes On Thursday morning weawoke to a wild andwindy day in Elsternwickbut this did not dampenthe spirits of our studentsand staff. Leibler YavnehCollege became a seaof blue and white withwide smiles on

participants’ faces. We began the dayengaging in prayer, followed by theElsternwick students welcoming the SeniorKinder children and twice as many parents,grandparents and friends as last year to theTekes and famous Year 6 Flag Dance. In heraddress, recent old scholar and CollegeCaptain (2017), Amira Waller, noted

Being in Melbourne, I cannot think of abetter place to celebrate and be joyful thanhere at Yavneh. Yom Ha’Atzmaut at schoolwas always a highlight of the year whether itwas the flag dance, the musical Hallel, ormerely walking through the halls adornedwith Israeli flags and seeing everyonedressed in blue and white.

Following the Tekes the studentsparticipated in a range of learningactivities. Our Year 6 – 12 students wenthiking, a traditional Israeli way to celebrateYom HaAtzmaut and during their lunchbreak, in multi-aged groups, they discussedthe challenge of navigating twohomelands in light of the teachings of RavKook. Back at Elsternwick the primarystudents were moving through an amazingarray of activities including foodpreparation in a Kibbutz, Krav Maga and aKahoot about Israel. At our ELC childrenhad their own Tekes, singing songs anddancing around the large Israeli flag. Thechildren also enjoyed the falafel and Israelisalad they made and the cake that theybaked and iced with the Israeli flag.

Ten Li Yavneh Issue 2 • 2019 3

Commemorating Anzac DayAnother key mission of the College is tonurture committed Australians, aware ofand loyal to their communal, civic andpersonal responsibilities. As ANZAC Day fellin the school holidays this year, Yavnehcommemorated this important nationalday on our return to Term 2. At thesecondary assembly we played the lastpost and delivered the famous lines fromBinyon’s For the Fallen. Yavnehacknowledges the increasing importanceof Anzac Day as a day of reflection on thesacrifices made, and what it means to bepart of the Australian community.

Yavneh Values in ActionTwo of Leibler Yavneh College’s five missionsis to play a central role in the personaldevelopment of its students, nurturing themto be:• Knowledgeable and passionate aboutYahadut and Zionism

• Committed Australians, aware of andloyal to their communal, civic andpersonal responsibilities

During the opening weeks of Term 2 ourstudents engaged in profound learningexperiences which served these twomissions. Not only have our studentsparticipated fully in the excellent school-based activities organised by our staff butthey have also given generously of theirtime to perform at and/or participate incommunal events.

This term a family of four children enrolledinto our college to commence with us in2020. When I asked them ‘why Yavneh?’ theparents said that one of the key drivers wasthe excellent reputation of our graduates inthe wider community. They wanted theirchildren to grow up to be a mensch andthat is what they saw in Yavneh graduates!The broad range of focussed learningexperiences that Leibler Yavneh Collegeaffords its students manifests in thosespecial qualities so evident in all those whoare educated at Yavneh.

Cherylyn SkewesPrincipal

DEVELOPING OUR PASSIONATE BEST

In the immediate aftermath of the FirstWorld War, Irish poet W.B Yeats, in hispoem The Second Coming, described a bleak vision. “The best lack allconviction” he wrote, “while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”

In stark contrast, Leibler Yavneh College has at its core a mission - to ensure that thereverse holds true. Our mission is toinculcate passion into our students, to playa central role in developing young adults of fine character, imbued with passion forlearning, Jewish identity and Israel, andpassionate about fulfilling their roles asleaders of Australian Jewry. In fact, beingcharged with a sense of mission canprovide the impetus to achieve theextraordinary.

In Bereishit, Ya’akov Avinu found the almostsuperhuman strength required to remove a

boulder from the mouth of a well, allowingRachel to water her flock. How didsomeone as gentle and unassuming asYa’akov find the confidence required tosinglehandedly move the boulder? HaRavAaron Lichtenstein zt”l explained that thedream that Ya’akov had immediately priorto coming to the well induced a substantialchange in Ya’akov. It provided him with asense of mission, and it was this thatprovided the motivation required to do theextraordinary.

This sense of mission isn’t limited to our Avot.And neither is it limited to individuals. Thestrength and success of Medinat Yisrael is acurrent day demonstration of the power ofmission. In the turbulent Middle East, Israel isincreasingly recognised by its neighbours,including a number of ex-foes, for its role asnavigator in a troubled sea, a nationclearly with a mission.

And so we return to the students andgraduates of Leibler Yavneh College, whosemission has many parts but a consistent

theme. To be dedicated to Eretz Yisrael, AmYisrael and Torat Yisrael. To synthesiseacademic excellence with our religious-Zionist ideals. To be ambassadors forinvolved, informed Judaism and, as RabbiDanny Mirvis has said, to “make meaningfulcontributions to the world around us”. Andfinally, as committed, responsible citizensand leaders, to lead with conviction andpassionate intensity.

Gerard Max and Ari SchachnaCo-Chairs

STUDENTSon a mission


PERCEPTUAL MOTOR PROGRAM @ ELCThe Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) is a movement based programencouraging children to develop and extend their gross motor and perceptual skills.

“Language is the key factor in providing the perceptual knowledge about the motorexperience.”

Children need to follow instructions, process and retain information, listen, and makeperceptual judgements while participating in activities. At the same time literacy andnumeracy skills are also being developed.

Activities can include running, jumping, hopping, balancing, crawling, climbing, throwing,catching, bowling and sliding, among others. Children need to make decisions to judge howthey best go about these activities.

Skills are developed through the various activities. Repetition allows children to becomefamiliar with the activity and gain confidence. The PMP aids concentration and reasoningwhich in turn will help children with their future formal learning.

Esther RothschildPMP Instructor, Yavneh Early Learning Centre

photo

SHABBAT SHALOM @ ELC


In April, the talented studentsof Leibler Yavneh Collegepresented a double-bill of twovery different but uniquelyambitious and cherishedmusicals. A specialopportunity arose to showcaseour Year 7, 8 and 9 studentson their own platform with

DisneyÊs The Lion King Jr. For 4 months, studentsworked tirelessly working through auditions,rehearsals, revisions, runs and refinements. Theylearned best practices of the huge process that isputting on two musicals. What an absolute treat itwas for the entire Yavneh musical community towatch these younger students take on demandinglead roles with skill, confidence and growth.

Our junior cast navigated themselves through The Lion KingÊs themes of belonging, familytradition and pride, friendship and finding oneÊstrue calling. The show was a feast for youngperformers to thrive in. Students rehearsed withbeloved movie characters, perfected traditionalAfrican/Zulu language libretto and worked withstylised puppets and animal costumes. No wonderwe had such an overwhelming number of studentsat auditions! The Lion King also lended itself toinvolve every student at every skill level, includingthose assisting backstage with costumes, make-up, lighting, props and stage crew. This is thesecond time I have musically directed The LionKing Jr (the first being for St MichaelÊs Grammar in2016) and there is a reason I keep coming back to it. It was just a joy to watch these kids swimthrough this adored Disney musical.

Jason Robert BrownÊs Songs For A New World was a musical that changed my life for many reasonsand made me the musician and performer I am.I produced and performed in a professionalproduction of it in 2006 and have been extolling itsgame-changing approach to contemporary musictheatre ever since. Not only were JonathanSkovron and I so excited to showcase our Seniorstudents to its utterly gorgeous score and lyric, butto challenge these kids (and our audiences) to stepout of their comfort zones with what they thought a musical was meant to look and sound like.

Songs For A New World is a song-cycle thatpremiered in London in 2001. It presents us withsituational vignettes of ordinary people throughouthistory, all on the cusp of something unknown⁄ adecision, a moment before clarity – the answer iswaiting in a new world. I canÊt express how proud I was of our Senior cast who trusted us to guidethem through their journey to a new world.

I truly cherish the opportunity to foster the self-confidence, talent, camaraderie and achievementthat students gain from their involvement.

Katie WestonMusic and Drama Teacher, Secondary

A MUSICAL JOURNEYbuilding confidence and growth

divide or unite people?DOES MULTICULTURALISM

This term, Year 6 been exploring theessential question, ‘Does multiculturalismdivide or unite people?’ To help ourstudents to engage with the question on amore personal level and with this conceptwe have been participating in the LivingHistorians Program.

This Program creates the opportunity forchildren to experience history. A series ofvisits by senior members of the community,enables history to come to life for Year 6students. Prior to visits, children ‘brainstorm’to frame a series of research questions todesign their own inquiries.

These questions send the children on alearning journey of discovery. By listening tothe reminiscing and personal accounts ofthe historians throughout the visits, studentsdevelop knowledge of how events andexperiences shape us into the people webecome. Discussions help students acquirea deeper understanding of how values,attitudes and ‘outlook on life’ are affectedby our experiences. The Year 6 studentsbegin to appreciate that experiences anddecisions made today, affect the way weconduct ourselves and who we become.

It is ‘feeling’ the memories, the emotion,passion and energy of discussions thatmotivate and intrigue the students who wantto know more and more. The fascination ofhow much has changed is something that is impossible to get from reading a book orsearching the World Wide Web for ‘cold’facts. It is a real ‘opening of the minds’ whenstudents realise that what they take forgranted, is what some of our historianscould only ever dream of. It is the suddenrealisation that the students themselves,even though young by comparison, arealready creating their own ‘history’.

Students, Josh Slade and Arik Weinberghave reflected on the experience so far:“Year 6 has been learning about differentcultures and what makes people want toleave where they have come from and whatmade them want to come here. We learnedabout the push and pull factors that madeimmigrants choose to come here; thepositive reasons that encouraged them tocome or the negative reasons that forcedthem out of their country of birth. Everyone inYear 6 researched one immigrant and whythey came to Australia. We had a lot of funexperiences and tried to understand what itis like being a refugee. Our Living Historiansinterviews also gave us a chance to see howour families dealt with being immigrants andmade us realise how lucky we are that wedon’t have to move countries”.

Terry CrothersGeneral Studies Teacher, PrimaryDeputy Head of Primary

Amanda MossGeneral Studies Teacher, Primary


Recently, I had thepleasure of attendinga music soiree at ourcollege and wasoverwhelmed by thesense of joy andconnection that waspalpable amongst theaudience.

The range of musicianship and interests wasconveyed by our students in theirperformance of an ecclectic range ofmusic, from Metallica, to Jamiroquai,Stephen Sondheim to Lior. The bondbetween the musicians who hadexperienced the camaraderie developedduring their involvement in Yavneh musicalsover the years was evident in the ease oftheir interactions and was heart-warming towatch. The words of Australian artist andmusician, Nick Cave came to mind as Iwatched this special connection betweenour Yavneh musicians as well as the crowd.In Cave’s words, what I was witnessing was the sharing of a ‘secret knowledge’. ‘This secret knowledge you have is astrength that lives only inside certainpeople. It is a strength that will inspire you to do wondrous things – like write stories, or draw pictures or build rockets that fly toMars. It will give you the courage to take onanything that the world might put in front ofyou. It’s a wild power that can be of untoldvalue to the world.’ In that inspiring space, it felt like anything was possible.

Moments like this where I have witnessed a ‘secret knowledge’ shared betweenpeople, have played out many timesthroughout this term.

This term has offered rich learningopportunities that have reached far beyondthe learning environment of the classroomwith its rows of desks and white boards up the front. Dominated by the ‘Yoms’; Yom Hashoa, Yom Hazikaron and

Yom Haatzmaut, our students have relishedthe variety of occasions where learning hashappened almost incidentally. From thetribute to the fallen soldiers of Israel’s warscreated by the Hesder boys, to theopportunities to learn from survivors of theShoah, or the joyful dancing with our Israeliflag, our students have involved themselvesenthusiastically and with great sensitivity.

In Ariel Burger’s recent book titled ‘Witness,Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom’, ElieWiesel exhorts the great joy of learning. Herecounts how ‘Before the war I was studyinga page of Talmud, and my studies wereinterrupted. After the war… my first requestwas for that same volume so that I couldcontinue my studies from the same page…where I had left off. Learning saved me.’ As Iwatched our students listen acutely to thestories of our honoured visitors on YomHashoa, the recognition of the uniquenature of this experience was evident ontheir faces. In that moment, the privilege oflearning in a Jewish school, free fromdiscrimination or the threat of danger, wasnot lost on them.

While our second term at school has beenfull to the brim with learning, examinationsand reflection, it is these moments ofspecial connection and those feelings ofhaving encountered and shared ‘secretknowledge’ that will remain with ourstudents, fulfilling the college’s mission tocreate life-long learners, inspiring them ‘todo wondrous things’.

Shoshi VorchheimerDirector of Teaching and Learning

LIFE LONGlearners


DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRYPictured below are the Year 4-6 Cross CountryTeam after a successful competition againstschools in our District.

CHESSRecently, Yavneh students competed in theCombined Schools Chess Competition atHaileybury. Congratulations to the Yavnehteam who now progress to the finals.

yom ha’atzmaut @ yavneh

Letiza Barocaattended VictoriaUniversity in 1961determined to becomean accountant. Upon completion ofher course she wrote “I shall alwaysremember the day

when I first walked into a class of 26boys… [it] made me feel scared andlonely… [but] I soon realised that I wouldnot gain anything by indulging in stupidsentimentalities, and equipped myselfwith a high spirit of adaptability”

Letiza was a pioneer. While it may beggardisbelief, only a few short decades ago, thenotion of a woman taking on anaccounting career was a rarity. As a female,entering a male dominated arena tookcourage and conviction – and a high spiritof adaptability.

At Yavneh, we have our own Letizas. Overthe past few millennia, Gemara (the study ofthe Jewish Oral Law, also known as Talmud)has been a domain of exclusive malelearning. However, the past century hasseen considerable change with leaders inthe Orthodox world – including Rav AhronLichtenstein and the Lubavitcher Rebbe –strongly advocating for women to take upthe mantle of Gemara study and immersethemselves in the intellectual riches of ourtradition.

While the wheels of history turn slowly, thelast decade at Yavneh has seen a shift inGemara study – first with the creation of aGemara stream for our female students,and finally with equally compulsoryGemara classes throughout Secondaryschool for both our male and femalestudents. With this shift, Yavneh has becomethe only school in Australia with compulsoryGemara learning for women – an initiativeof historic proportions.

Recently, I received an email from agraduate, who, after concluding herschooling went on to study in MidreshetHaRova – a women’s seminary in Jerusalemknown for its rigorous learning. This studenthad not only studied Gemara, but hadopted to join our motivated Gemara streamthroughout Secondary which demandedvoluntary hours outside of class-time and adeeper study of the texts. Upon arrival sheelected to join the highest level of Gemarastudy in the seminary, one which rarelyattracted Southern Hemisphere studentsdue to their typically lower skills in textualJewish Studies. After experiencing her firstclass she wrote “I was amazed by how wellmy Gemara education at Yavneh hadprepared me for this class. It definitely washard… but I was able to keep up with all theother girls and help the other SouthernHemisphere girl in the class get through thewhole section in chavruta (paired study)time.” She concluded her letter with thefollowing reflection: “I write this to you…

to thank you for having provided me withthe opportunity to learn Gemara throughoutSecondary. An opportunity I know girlsbefore me did not have. I am so grateful for having gone to Yavneh and had theamazing Jewish Studies teachers I had… I hope more girls will continue to go throughthe path I did.”

A quiet revolution has born fruit and we arehopeful that this trend will only grow in thecoming years. We are seeing many of ourfemale students out-perform our boys in thestudy of Gemara – not only academically,but also in terms of their motivation. Ourwomen are reclaiming an area of Torahwhich is rightfully theirs. In fact, a Midrashictext on the words “So you shall say to thehouse of Ya’acov and tell over to thechildren of Israel” (Shemot 19:3) informs usthat the ‘house of Ya’acov’ refers to theIsraelite women, who were in fact taught theTorah by Moshe, prior to his teaching themen. While this learning among womenwaned over the following millennia, it hasnow re-emerged with unstoppable force.And Yavneh is proudly leading the way.

Rabbi Chaim CowenDeputy PrincipalHead of Jewish Studies

a quiet revolutionGIRLS’ GEMARA


APPRECIATINGSERVICE @YAVNEHThe first instance ofcommunal giving is citedin the book of Exodus(Chapter 25, Verse 2). It occurs in the context of

G-d directing the Israelites to raise funds for thebuilding of the tabernacle.

"Speak to the children of Israel and let themtake for me a portion”

Community Service has been a part of thetradition at Yavneh and a source of pride forthe students and College community.Preparing students to be engaged in the worldaround them and active, positive, contributingmembers of society is important for their ownfutures as well as the future for all of us. Whenwe consider our mission statement and how itbecomes unpacked into our five core values,the role of community service in our College’sholistic approach to education is clear. Byunderstanding the needs of the society, theenvironment and the world, as well as thesituations of others, by contributing andoffering support in ways that are relevant,appropriate and sustainable we demonstrateRespect. In actively engaging and committingto helping others we develop our Integrity.Through this understanding and perspectivewe learn to appreciative what we have and

strengthen our understanding of Gratitude.Through building strong connections withlocal, national and global organisations thatare Jewish and non Jewish we shine a light onour values of Honour and Tradition.

Community Service is also an essential pillar of wellbeing. People, including young people,are more likely to engage positively in givingof their resources if they have a choice andare able to connect their actions to somethingmeaningful.

Community Service can directly affect theimmediate community, broader society or aimto improve things on a regional, national orglobal basis. It should include:• Donations • Fundraising • Actions • Attitudes • Work experience/volunteering

• In school/out of school • Major festivals • Local/National/International• Jewish and Non- Jewish

Community Service has the obvious benefits ofimproving a targeted situation of the receivinggroup. The benefits, however, of engaging incommunity service far exceed the donationsof time, money or other resources. Whenpeople engage in community service itincreases their understanding of their place in

the world and the place of others. This buildsunderstanding, compassion and empathy, allof which lead to a more equitable andpeaceful world.

In Term One 2019 we began an AppreciativeInquiry process into community service atYavneh. In the past inquiring into somethingusually meant a focus on what was goingwrong or not working well. An AppreciativeInquiry shifts the lens and guides us to look atwhat is working well and what is important tous regarding this topic. We began byidentifying the definition and overarchinggoals to help shape our work:

‘Together we will createan enriching andauthentic model forcommunity service thatengages all members ofthe College at Yavneh’

Dr Amanda SamsonHead of Secondary School

dreamDEFINE,DISCOVER,

VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM

Arts DomainAt Yavneh, students learn from specialist teachers skilled in painting, media andphotography, printmaking, drawing, ceramics,sculpture and visual communication and design. The visual arts program is designed to developstudents’ creative skills, critical appreciation andknowledge of artistic techniques and technologies.

Year 9s Visit C Care

Zac Hendler Y9

David Cohen Y8 Year 7 Ceramics

Sam Cohen Y10

Aran Pinsky Y9Leeona Tusia Y11 Ten Li Yavneh Issue 2 • 2019 11

Jewish Life aims to helpour students grow, byfirst working onourselves (ME), followedby improving our socialinteractions (US) andultimately, by improvingthe world (YOU).

Yavneh students in Years7 to 9 are currently participating in Jewish Lifeprograms tailored specifically for their yearlevel. These programs are entirely focussed onboth the individual and society, scaffoldedinto three stages: ME, US and YOU.

The Year 7 “ME” component focusses on self-growth including a Barmitzvah program,(barME) and a post batmitzvah program,(beyond batME). Both programs focus onpersonal growth, identity, independent Torahstudy and the importance of establishing a solid foundation of values, informed by our tradition.

Building upon the notion of self-refinementand improvement, the Year 8 “US” program iscentred on in-reach and connectedness tothose around us, especially our peers atschool. The starting point of this program arethree workshops entitled ‘Mensch in a crowd’,a short course which encourage ownership ofour actions and our duty to take responsibility

regardless of how others are acting. Thisprogram draws upon the necessaryfoundations from the ME program, yet beginsthe process of looking beyond just ourselvesas we aim to translate our values into the wayin which we interact with others.

Following the intensive focus on ourselves and our peers, the Year 9 “YOU” program turnsits attention to out-reach initiatives, forming a cornerstone of the Community Serviceprogram at Yavneh and creating opportunitiesfor students to engage in various tzedakahprojects. This program begins with sessions runby the ‘Flying Fox’ organisation highlighting the needs of those who face the challenge of disability with a focus on enhancing theirinclusion. Year 9 students attend workshops run by The Big Issue, sharing with them thetravails of homelessness. In this way, our Year 9students are able to harness the skills gainedthrough the prior programs, dealing with theways in which we can help ourselves andthose in our immediate surrounds, and turnour focus towards those beyond our scope of interactions.

Our students have been engaged andactively participating in each element of theprogram, and we look forward to continuewatching them grow in their Judaism and theirrelationships with others.

Tamara GinzburgJewish Life Educator

A NEW PROGRAMme, us and you


TERM 2 IN FOCUSTerm 2 began with thecommemoration of YomHashoa held again thisyear at the RobertBlackwood hall atMonash University.Yavneh was proudlyand impressively

represented by our Junior Primary andSecondary choirs. Our students sang withemotion, touching the audience with theirpassion and their sincerity, honoring thememories of so many. A solemn assemblyremembering Yom Hashoa and the fallen washeld at the College for our senior Primarystudents where six candles were lit andprayers were shared.

Yom Hazikaron has called on us to rememberthe soldiers and the victims lost. An assemblyfor our Year 2 to Year 6 students took place inLamm Hall where we listened to Tehilim, theprayer for the State of Israel and a beautiful,soulful rendition of Ani Ma’amin. YomHa’atzmaut followed closely on the heels ofYom Hazikaron changing the mood, offeringopportunities for the celebration of Israel’s Dayof Independence. Yom Yerushalayim wascelebrated by our students with a variety ofactivities.

UNITS OF INQUIRYThe exploration and development of a varietyof Units of Inquiry (UOI) and projects wereunfolding concurrently with our Jewish Studieslearning. Science and History have been thecurriculum areas dominating the focus of ourintegrated learning opportunities this term withour children engaging in many excitingexperiences, incursion and excursions. OurUOIs allow for the integration of all learningareas and the application of many inquiryskills as they invite our children to exploreareas of interest, encourage questioning andengage them in guided research. Theconcepts of change and cause and effect

have been the key lenses used this term as thebig ideas are unpacked and investigated.

NATIONAL SIMULTANEOUS STORYTIME Yavneh also hosted a couple of very friendlyand well behaved Alpacas. We took part inthis year’s National Simultaneous Storytimecampaign that is designed to encouragemore of our young to read and enjoy books.Now in its 19th successful year, the NSScampaign is a colourful, vibrant, fun event thataims to promote the value of reading andliteracy, using an Australian children's bookthat explores age-appropriate themes, andaddresses key learning areas of the NationalCurriculum for Foundation to Year 6. Alpacaswith Maracas written and illustrated by MattCosgrove was the picture book selected forthe simultaneous reading experience whichwas complemented by the visit of the Alpacas.

DREAM. FAILURE. PASSIONAnother significant event scheduled for thistime of the year is our annual Vonnie’scompetition. This year’s writing prompts were:Fashion for Passion; Failure is a Blessing and,Every Great Dream Begins With a Dreamer.Our year 5 and 6 students have been guidedby a set of criteria to help create their writingand speech which they present to a panel ofjudges. Challenging areas of thought invitingdeep contemplation has resounded within ourclassroom walls as our children delved into

these big ideas sharing beliefs, aspirationsand fears. The significance of failure and theimportance of dreams has perseveredthroughout history. The concept of dreamsand failure have been areas our children andteachers have explored regularly duringdiscussions on growth mindsets and thebenefits of positive thinking. Encouragingourselves to rise to challenges, to ‘have a go’,learn from our mistakes and courageouslyarticulate our thinking assists us inunderstanding that “No dream is too big, novision too bold; as long as we stay hungry foreducation and let that hunger be our NorthStar.” Michelle Obama

Across the globe and throughout the ages,people have dreamt big dreams and theDare to Dream ideal has become, over theyears, a common mantra, and for some, away of life. Many notable figures such as BillGates, Henry Ford, J. K. Rowling and OprahWinfrey, have dared to dream big but failed atfirst forcing them to deal with the painassociated with defeat and to look beyond itto overcome the barriers and make theirdreams a reality. The messages communicatedby these instances particularly the recenthistory examples have offered our children analternative view on success highlighting thestruggle, the courage and the resilience that isneeded if dreams are to be realised.

Their investigation into their selected writingstimulus has taken them to many moments inhistory and to prominent individuals that havechanged the world. The message that failurescan set us back while simultaneouslypropelling us forward and over the obstaclesthat can overwhelm us if we lose sight of ourgoals and our passion has been salient in thisresearch. The notion that there is always workto be done, realising the path toward ourgoals is not necessarily linear and will, despiteour best efforts, take unforeseen turns is aninvaluable learning experience.

“Twenty years from now you will be moredisappointed by the things that you didn'tdo than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.”

~ Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Yianna PullenHead of Primary, General Studies

AN INVALUABLElearning experience


build YavnehYOUNG BUILDERS

Rabbi Elazar suggests an additional insight into the duplication of the words (children) by reading Banayich (your children) asBonayich (your builders).

What is the link between builders and children?It seems that these illustrious Rabbis haveutilised the allusion of builders to heightenthe connection between children’s learningand the manner in which education plays arole in enhancing society.

I recently came across this quote of WinstonChurchill in a speech he gave to the BritishParliament.

We shape our buildings: Thereafter, they shape us.For me, this translates in the following manner.We must provide the very best infrastructure,the best venues in which teaching andlearning can flourish. This must in turn gotogether with the transformation of ourstudents into budding scholars of the Torah. It is what transpires within the new enhancedclassroom settings that shapes and engagesthe minds of our students.

As students gain skills and further their Jewishknowledge, they commence the excitingjourney to become the scholars of the future.

This then fulfils the words of Rabbi Elazar asour students, our banayich, become thebuilders of the future.

A building is erected using many materialsand skills. So too knowledge is gained bylistening to diverse opinions, views andmeans of analysis.

Our students become builders bybroadening their knowledge and gaininginsight. As knowledgeable life long learners,

’’

Artist Impression

Construction on track

pursuing excellence with a commitment tothe community at large, they indeed bringpeace to the world.

It is therefore exciting to share with you anupdate regarding the various projectsprogressing around the campus.

The construction of our new performancearea (stage 1) is on schedule and weanticipate opening the building later this year.This new area will provide beautiful teachingspaces that can be utilised for a wide rangeof purposes. Designed with outstandingacoustic treatment and a beautiful interiorwe anticipate this area becoming a dynamichub for music, drama and other activities.

Works on an exciting outdoor amphitheatrewill commence shortly, providing a wonderfulopportunity for students to showcase theirtalents and perform on an open-air stage.

We have also received further grants for arange of security improvements that areplanned to occur over the next 12 months.

Last year, we met with staff and studentsseeking their thoughts on how we canenhance our learning spaces to reflect 21st Century teaching practices. We havealready begun to deliver some of the initialoutcomes of this project and look forward tothe next stages of this exciting initiative thatform this year’s appeal.

We thank all the donors who have partneredwith us in assisting us to continue to improveour classrooms thus providing the opportunityfor our students to reach their potential as 21st century students.

David FisherHead of Administration

Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Chanina,Torah scholars increase peace in the world.As the verse says, “All your children will be studentsof Hashem and your children will have abundant peace.”

חנינא רבי אמר אמר רבי אלעזרבעולם שלום מרבים תלמידי חכמיםשנאמר וכל בניך למודי ה' ורב שלום

בניך אל תקרי בניך אלא בוניך.

GRANDPARENTS FUNCTIONWe are delighted to be celebrating 20 years ofthe Yavneh Foundation. We warmly thank Dinaand Ron Goldschlager for hosting a cocktailevening with our grandparents to celebrate thisimportant milestone. We took this opportunity tosay a special thank you to Avi Gilboa for hisoutstanding service and commitment as Chair of the Executive for the past six and a half years.We were thrilled to showcase the extraordinarytalents of our students as well as listening to AviGilboa’s inspirational message about the future of Melbourne’s Jewish community.

Avi concluded his words with the followingimportant reminder for us all:“My passion for Yavneh has not been merely ideological – it is of course governed by my understanding of Yahadut, but it has also been regularly reinforced by the interactions I have had with our fine graduates and indeed our studentsof all ages. Yavneh profoundly changes the lives of so many of our students… I’ve dedicated a very significant part of my life over the last decade to the lay leadership of a school that I have grown to love. I’m an incrediblyoptimistic person, I believe in the future of Yavneh because in my heart I know that G-d believes in it too. But as Chazal tells us, Lo Bashamayim Hi, it is not in the heavens.G-d expects us to do what is ours to do. When it comes to our precious school and the role it must play in fighting theturbulent currents of our generation, what is ours to do is to support it in every possible way. We need to be itsstrongest public advocates, we need to be its strongestfinancial supporters, we need to give of our time, we need to influence our community’s children to attend it, we need to follow in the footsteps of that generation of survivors who knew what it meant to build. And when we do so, wewill have acted faithfully as partners of Hashem in our calling to meaningfully transform Jewish children’s lives and to safeguard thefuture of the Jewishcommunity oftomorrow”.

THE YAVNEH FOUNDATIONcelebrating 20 years

BRIGHT FUTURES APPEALThere was a positive vibe in the lead up to the “Bright Futures Appeal” - a strong sense of community awaiting the opportunity to contribute to the growth of our College.Parents, students, staff and friends gathered in the Foundation foyer to the Lamm Hall as the clock ticked down to the Appeal opening. From the very start,donation after donation was logged as our volunteersconnected with hundreds of donors seeking to support the College.We are so very grateful to our donors and we lookforward to delivering improved learning spaces for our students. The outstanding sum of $267,930 wasraised exceeding all expectations and surpassing our stated goal.As always, success has many partners, and this couldnot have been achieved without our “Yavneh Family”team. It was indeed wonderful to see our amazing students of the College shoulder toshoulder with College, Foundation and YPO Chairs, parents, volunteers and Yavneh staff.We sincerely thank and acknowledge our “matchers” made up of current parents,grandparents and friends of the College, who facilitated the doubling of the donations. Wethank, Scott Winton Insurance Brokers in honour of Ronny Tatarka ob”m for their ongoing andremarkable support of the College.We thank each and every one of our donors for their contribution to this campaign in helpingus to raise funds to enhance our classrooms. The College is truly blessed to have thegenerous support of members of our community who share a deep appreciation of thegoals and vision of our school.

We could never have done this without you. THANK YOU!

Tanya ShaltielExecutive Director, Yavneh Foundation


EditorsDavid Fisher, Dina Zaitman

Design and ProductionSharon KolskiUnique Designs & Concepts

Print Post Approved PP 32911 3/00002

Published byLEIBLER YAVNEH COLLEGEA MIZRACHI EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

2 Nagle Avenue, Elsternwick VIC 3185 AustraliaT +613 9528 4911 F +613 9523 7621

Connect with uswww.yavneh.vic.edu.au

www.facebook.com/LeiblerYavnehCollege

www.youtube.com(search Leibler Yavneh College)

BIRTHS: •Eilat (nee Flamm) Rachmani ’98 andfamily on the birth of a son, Yonatan

•Phillip Weinberg ’98 and family on thebirth of a daughter, Mika Ahava

•Matti Borowski ’01 and family on the birthof a son, Dov Shammai

•Rochelle (nee Skurnik) Shafir ’01 andfamily on the birth of a daughter, Rafaella Ida

•Liat Sifris ’01 and family on the birth of adaughter

•Joshua Tugendhaft ’01 and family on thebirth of a son

•Mihal (nee Epstein) Borowski ’02 andfamily on the birth of a son, Dov Shammai

•Dahlia (nee Shnider) Grieve ’02 andfamily on the birth of a son

•Jeremy Hain ’02 and family on the birth ofa daughter, Pippa Leslie

•Michelle (nee Abromwich) Buchanek ’04and family on the birth of a daughter,Maya Chana

•Tali (nee Roth) Jankie ’04 and family onthe birth of a son, Romeo Allan

•Joel Steiner ’04 and family on the birth ofa son, Raphael Meir

•Carli (nee Debinsky) Blum ’05 and familyon the birth of a daughter

•Motti Blum ’05 and family on the birth of a daughter

•Marc Best ’06 and family on the birth of ason, Rafael Elijah

•Sophie Klein ’07 and family on the birth ofa daughter

•Samantha (nee Blau) Rischin ’07 andfamily on the birth of a son, Jack

•Daron Spivack ’09 and family on the birthof a son

•Bar (nee Osher) Spivack, Sherut Girl ’10and family on the birth of a son

Apology and CorrectionMazaltov to Talia & Matan Tur-Paz on the

birth of a daughter, Tamar Pninah

ENGAGEMENTS:•Joshua Rubin ’08 to Anael Malet•Tali Sharp ’10 to Cheski Rapps•Jess Shapiro ’11 to Seb Basserabie•Jeremy Lissauer ’12 to Shira Tabachnik•Lishai Steinman ’14 to Doron Snoyman

MARRIAGES: •Akiva Epstein ’05 to Rachel Fuchs•Joel Fleischmann ’05 to Sarah Brenner

•Ian Ludski ’08 to Kelly Chait•Gideon Katz ’10 to Jessica Sneider

A.S. LEIBLER SECONDARY SCHOOL Goldschlager Family School of Jewish StudiesLeopold & Isabella Abrahamovits Yavneh Primary SchoolNicholas Slezak Campus

ABELES-LIBERMAN PRE-SCHOOL(incorporating)

The Gillian and Colin Mandel Family- Yavneh Crèche

ALUMNI UPDATEMAZAL TOV to the following alumni:

ALUMNIplease send us your emailaddress so that we can keep youinformed about our upcomingevents [email protected]

If we have overlooked your Simcha, please contactus so that we can include it in the next issue of Ten Li Yavneh.

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the community magazine of leibler yavneh …...ten li yavneh issue 2 • 2019 5 in april, the...

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