בס’’ד Yeshivah Beth Rivkah SCHSCHOOLOOL T EESS Tishrei 5779 • תשרי תשע’’ט • September 2018 Wishing you and your family a Shana Tova U’ Mesukah! Beth Rivkah Students making Rosh Hashanah cards, circa ‘98 From the archives: Elul at Beth Rivkah, circa 1999 Current GELC children getting ready for Rosh Hashanah Elul at Yeshivah, circa ‘92 The Great Chop Beth Rivkah’s “The Great Chop” is upon us! This incredible initiative seeks to not only raise funds for Zichron Menachem (an organisation in Israel that provides extensive support for children diagnosed with cancer) but for girls to also contribute personally by cutting their hair to enable the organisation to create wigs for children who have lost their hair during cancer treatments. Large numbers of students, parents and alumni have signed up to cut and donate their hair on 5th September, with our students hoping to raise over $10,000 for this wonderful organisation. Donations to this worthy cause are still being accepted via Excitement at the last Great Chop https://chuffed.org/project/the-great-chop. Message Building New Programs that Remember In Memorium Premier’s VCE Award from the Opportunities Elevate When? 2018 Principal YBR extends Mazal Tov to Chaya Tayar (a 2017 graduate of Beth Rivkah Ladies College) See page 2 Turn to page 3 Read more Take a look See page 10 who was the proud recipient of a Premier’s on page 6 on page 7 VCE Award in Religion & Society, taught by Mrs Chaya Cowen. Message From the Principal In the annual Jewish lifecycle, during the lead up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Spigler Family Wing Opens at Kippur we always reflect on our year, on our lives, and look at the New Year ahead Beth Rivkah Primary with hopeful optimism. Yeshivah – Beth Rivkah Colleges took great pleasure in hosting over 300 guests for the official opening of the new Beth Rivkah Primary Wing – The In a Jewish Lifecycle, looking at the Spigler Family Wing – on Monday June 11 2018. course of one’s entire lifespan, the Friediker Rebbe describes schooling, The morning’s welcome addresses were held in the new state-of-the- education, as the Shacharis of our lives, art ‘Loti & Victor Smorgon Family Library’, with YBR Principal, Rabbi and after Shacharis we embark on the journey of the rest of Yehoshua Smukler, welcoming the guests and expressing the school’s our day, the rest of our post school life. appreciation for the generous donors and Federal Government grants that have made this new wing possible. He elucidated that “This building is a The point of school is to imbue children with values, love of true partnership of school, government and community support, it enables learning, Torah, Mitzvos and others so they can embark on us to keep our ‘open door’ policy and to continue to empower more the rest of their lives with hopeful optimism. students with a better future… The new building is a space for exploration and learning, for creativity and discovery.” As you page through this edition of School Ties, and are nostalgic about your schooling experiences and highlights, Guests, ranging from donors, Rabbonim, parents and alumni to we enjoin you to reminisce about your points of schooling grandparents, community members, donors, Government and Council inspiration at Yeshivah – Beth Rivkah; those teachers who officials enjoyed a tour of the impressive new building – consisting of state- showed that extra care and sensitivity, that activity/project/ of-the-art classroom facilities, library hub, makerspace, STEM (Science, special experience that made such a deep impression or that Technology, Engineering, Maths) centre and breakaway spaces and tutorial friend who was truly there for you and take that inspiration room. These facilities are already significantly enhancing the day-to-day as impetus to achieve even greater heights in the year to learning and opportunities available to our students from Foundation to come. Year 6 at Beth Rivkah. Once again, we love seeing you as parents, volunteers or staff in our schools. It is so special to celebrate 10 to 40 year reunions with you, and if you haven’t had the opportunity recently, we invite you to have a school tour with our Parent Liaison, Michelle Blutman. We are sure you will be filled with pride at where your alma mater has come from and where we are going. Wishing you a Kesiva, V’chasima Tova, L’Shana Tova U’Mesukah for you, your families and all of Klal Yisroel. Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler Beth Rivkah Primary back in the day, During construction of the new BRP wing Principal, Yeshivah – Beth Rivkah Colleges circa ‘80 YBRPA Update The Yeshivah – Beth Rivkah Parents’ Association (YBRPA) would like to extend thanks to the YBR parents and wider community for assisting us in raising extensive funds through our successful initiatives. Most recently we launched a very successful Move-a-thon to help encourage our students to be active. Funds raised from this campaign as well as our Cocktail events, Soup days, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day stalls, mango fundraiser and pre-weddings will help improve and enhance our school campuses. To date, money raised has been directed to resurfacing the Beth Rivkah Secondary court and providing the Yeshivah Primary Library with much-needed funds, while money raised from the Move-a-thon will be put towards sports and Beth Rivkah students at the Move-a-thon launch play equipment across the schools. 2. Building New Opportunities Attendees heard inspirational and heartfelt messages from major legacy will live on and be an inspiration to many who will learn and donors and Senator James Paterson, representing the Australian grow in this building.” Federal Government. From the Spotlight Foundation, Morry Fraid AM and Vivienne Fried made mention of their long and close A video presentation provided a virtual tour through the new facility association with YBR (spanning more than 60 years) and their great showing classrooms and makerspace in action, and was punctuated pleasure in honouring the matriarchs of their family through the by student impressions of the new learning space. Interactive donation of the Roth floor, dedicated in memory of Vivienne’s late makerspace rotations were on display for guests to enjoy, after which mother. Saul and Beverly Spigler along with their family took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, declaring the building officially open. Senator James Paterson, in attendance to represent the Government’s contribution to the building, was struck by the fact that “the vast Guests enjoyed a morning tea, with many dishes prepared by our majority of funds raised to construct the new building were raised very own Year 9 and 10 Culinary Arts students. In addition, students from the school community, philanthropists and donors - a tribute to in Year 6 and 7 were instrumental in assisting on the day by ushering the Yeshivah – Beth Rivkah community.” He highlighted Beth Rivkah guests, waiting on guests and presenting gifts during the formalities. as a “wonderful example of passion and dedication to education”, with Musical performances from the Beth Rivkah Primary Ensemble, and its outstanding academic results and its focus of passing on Jewish delightful vocals from the Year 4 Beth Rivkah Choir showcased some values to the next generation. of the talented students benefitting from the new building. A heartfelt address from Saul Spigler expressed his joy at being a Beth Rivkah’s new wing will take learning at Beth Rivkah Primary partner in the building and outlined his longstanding support of to new heights – with additional classes that will encourage and connection to the Colleges – with this being his 60th year of broad thinking, develop communication skills and advance association with the Colleges. He dedicated the new Spigler Family students’ collaborative abilities – helping cultivate the thinkers and Wing in memory of his parents Kalman and Rochel Spigler A”H and contributors of tomorrow. his wife Beverly’s parents Harry and Betty Rubinstein A”H – who were “inspiring role models of how to lead a Jewish life… [and had a] Thank You to all our donors, supporters and partners in this tremendous… dedication to Jewish continuity and Jewish education.” wonderful facility. He further conveyed, “We hope their memories and The new Spigler Family Wing Ribbon cutting ceremony Year 4 Beth Rivkah choir entertains attendees We look forward to hosting another enjoyable YBRPA End of Year Carnival for YBR students at the close of the 2018 school year. We are seeking volunteers and contributions toward the event. Please contact us via [email protected] if you would like to assist. Parent volunteers are a vital part of the YBRPA and all the work it does. We are so grateful for the many parent volunteers who have stepped forward over the years, helping the Parents Association grow, raise funds, create school spirit and support our children’s education. YBRPA Committee Yeshivah Father and Son Move-a-thon Soccer Match School Ties 3. Around Yeshivah - Beth Rivkah New Holocaust Memorial A striking new Holocaust Memorial mural to adorn the wall adjacent to the Beth Rivkah Primary playground has been created by Beth Rivkah students in Years 3 – 6. Officially unveiled at a moving ceremony on 9th August, the ceremony included a moving rendition of Shalom Aleichem by the Beth Rivkah Primary Ensemble, recitation of Tehillim by students, unveiling of a plaque dedicating the mural, and we were honoured to have Mrs Schon (a Holocaust survivor) join us to light candles in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The mural, overseen by Merryl from Merryl’s Mosaics depicts a tree with fallen leaves which have been inscribed with the name and age of a child who perished during the Holocaust.