Sholem Aleichem College

Sholem Aleichem College
Address
11 Sinclair Street
Elsternwick, Victoria 3185
Australia Australia
Coordinates 37°52′57″S 145°00′05″E / 37.882428°S 145.001312°E / -37.882428; 145.001312Coordinates: 37°52′57″S 145°00′05″E / 37.882428°S 145.001312°E / -37.882428; 145.001312
Information
Type Independent
Motto ‘’Values for a Lifetime’’
Denomination Jewish
Established 1947
Principal Helen Greenberg
Grades K-6
Enrolment 250
Colour(s) Blue, Red, Yellow               
Website www.sholem.vic.edu.au

Sholem Aleichem College is a Jewish Day School and Preschool located in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick. School capacity is approximately 300 students, ranging from 3-year-old kindergarten to Year 6.

Established in 1947 as a Sunday school that taught Yiddish and Jewish studies, the current day school opened its doors to ten Prep children in 1975 [1][2][3]. Sholem’s approach to Judaism is secular and inclusive [4], it celebrates all the Jewish festivals with cultural traditions, music and of course food.

Sholem Aleichem College is one of very few secular Jewish schools in the world that teach Yiddish[5]

History

In 1935, the Melbourne IL Peretz Sunday School, and later in 1947 its sister Sunday school, Sholem Aleichem, were established. They taught Yiddish and Jewish Studies. These Yiddish schools were inspired by the forward thinking Tsisho schools of Eastern Europe.

Sholem Aleichem (pen-name) is the namesake of the school. He was born Sholom Rabinowitz in the Ukraine in 1859. Sholem Aleichem was a renowned Yiddish writer of stories, novels and plays, and a humourist. He died in New York, USA, in 1916 where it is estimated that 500,000 attended his funeral.

Academics

Sholem Aleichem College is ranked using the NAPLAN system. In January 2016, the school was the 8th ranked Primary School in Victoria and was the highest ranked Jewish Primary School. Between 60% and 90% of Sholem students have been in the top quarter of NAPLAN results every year since 2011.[6]

Performing arts

Sholem Aleichem College has a well developed visual and performing Arts Program.

A highlight of the Sholem school calendar is the school musical, in which every single student participates. Senior students also have the opportunity to become film makers, with a very unusual program that see a specialist film director visit the school from the United States to tutor the students through the process of making a short film. [7][8]

Of particular interest is the instrumental music program. Every student in Years 3-6 has the opportunity to learn an instrument of their choice (from flute, clarinet, violin, cello and percussion), for free. This program has enabled Sholem to form ensembles / orchestras at each Year level. The students perform regularly at school and extensively within the Jewish and wider community.[9]

House system

The four houses, Molodovsky (Green), Peretz (Yellow), Reyzen (Red) are Leyb (Blue) are mainly used for interhouse activities such as sporting events and community involvement and are named for Yiddish Writers and Poets – Kadya Molodowsky, Mani Leyb, Avrom Reyzen, I.L. Peretz.

Notable alumni

Husky Gawenda - award winning singer-songwriter and principal writer, lead singer and guitarist of the band HUSKY (Triple J Unearthed winners, APRA award winner)

Michael Gawenda - multi-award winning journalist and editor of The Age from 1997 to 2004

Yvette Coppersmith - Melbourne artist, Archibald Prize winner (2018), finalist (2017, 2016, 2009, 2008), Doug Moran National Portrait Prize finalist (2016, 2007, 2006, 2002), Portia Geach Memorial Award finalist (2016, 2008, 2007, 2003) and Metro 5 Art Award winner (2003) and finalist (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007).

References

  1. ↑ "New Under the Sun: Jewish Australians on Religion, Politics & Culture".
  2. ↑ "The International Jewish Labor Bund after 1945: Toward a Global History".
  3. ↑ "Monash University Education department - Yiddish Schools in Melbourne".
  4. ↑ "Monash University Education department -Sholem Aleichem College".
  5. ↑ "Yiddish a Mixed Bag at Jewish Schools Worldwide".
  6. ↑ "Sholem NAPLAN results".
  7. ↑ "How to Unmake a Bully Article".
  8. ↑ "How to Unmake a Bully Video featuring Sholem Aleichem College".
  9. ↑ "Yiddish Poetry Readers".
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