Carmel School, Perth

Last updated

Carmel School
Address
Carmel School, Perth
123 Cresswell Road

, ,
6059

Australia
Coordinates 31°53′59″S115°51′47″E / 31.8998°S 115.863°E / -31.8998; 115.863 (Carmel School) OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Information
TypePrivate
MottoFaith and Knowledge
DenominationJewish Modern Orthodox
Established1959 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
PrincipalDr Julie Harris
Staff100 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Enrolment500 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Colour(s)Blue and white   
Website www.carmel.wa.edu.au OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Carmel School is a private Modern Orthodox Zionist Jewish school founded in 1959 in Perth, Western Australia. It offers Jewish religious and cultural education as well as conventional secular education for students from Kindergarten to Year 12 through a full-time primary school and a high school. [1] It is the only Jewish day school in Western Australia. [2]

Contents

Notable students include singer Troye Sivan and his brother and musician Tyde Levi. [3]

History

The Perth Hebrew School, housed by the Perth Hebrew Congregation was the forerunner to Carmel School.

In 1957 a Jewish kindergarten was opened with 17 pupils, which led to the creation of Carmel School in 1959. Its first location was adjacent to the Brisbane Street synagogue, before moving to its current location in Yokine in 1962. The junior high school was opened in 1974 and in 1978 the senior high school was completed. [4]

In November 2006 the school opened an Early Learning Centre which houses students from Kindergarten to Year 1.

Since 2008, the school has hosted annual meetings by The Australian Association for Religious Education entitled "Common History – Shared Future", which are "about Judaism [and] featuring some eminent Jewish educators and speakers from around the world". [5]

In 2009, on the 80th birthday of Carmel School Life Member Harry Hoffman OAM, the school published a book about his life entitled Hate Never Sat at My Table. The author was then-principal Christina Dullard. In honour of Hoffman's (and the Korsunski's) philanthropic contributions to Carmel, in the same year the school was renamed H & S Hoffman and G Korsunski Carmel School. [6]

On 13 September 2009 the Kadima Performing Arts Centre, a state-of-the-art building for drama and arts and media was opened. [7] It also celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009. [8] In 2012, the drama theatre was named the Nassim Family Theatre, in lovely memory of Gladys Nassim at a cocktail evening. In 2017, the School hosted its first High School musical Little Shop of Horrors, in the Nassim Theatre to sell-out crowds.

The school has officially adopted The Jewish War Memorial (located on Fraser Avenue, Kings Park). It seeks to do research into the military servicemen. The school has also adopted the Memorial to the Victims of the Holocaust. [9]

In 2010, the Ishioka and Lara Hana Brady, the subjects of the book Hana's Suitcase were invited to visit Carmel and speak about the Holocaust. [10]

Relationship with community

Carmel School is at the heart of the Perth Jewish community and is situated in the same area as the Jewish Centre, Maccabi Grounds, The Maurice Zeffert Home, and other Jewish facilities. It upholds a relationship with all these places, as well as the synagogues located in Perth.

Religion

Hebrew and Jewish Studies are both WACE subjects which are taught to high school students, while various Judaica topics are taught to the younger students. Praying is compulsory every morning before school commences.

Debbie Posner is the Torah enrichment teacher, and Debbi Benn is the Head of Primary School Hebrew and Jewish Studies. [11] Simon Lawrence is the Director of Jewish Studies for the School. [12]

The entire campus has a No Meat policy and all food on site is encouraged to be in accordance with the kashrut laws.

Education

The school has no enrolment fee and a fee schedule for the School is available on request. The School's goal is for all Jewish children to be able to access a Carmel education and so it offers fee assistance where possible, on application. [13]

In Australian Jewish high schools, Holocaust education is taught as part of the Jewish Studies curriculum under Contemporary Jewish History. A study of Jewish schools in Australia by Sophie E. Gelski entitled The Missing Paradigm, cited Dr Judith Berman's research Berman's 1998 and 2001 research, which focused on "the Jewish day school experience in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, over a fifty year period". She noted that "although the time devoted to teaching the Holocaust had increased, it did vary between a one semester course at Carmel School". [14]

School leaders

Mark Majzer has been President of the Board since 2021. Prior to that, Larry Rudman was the Board President.

Controversies

In 1996, a mother (who was a Reform Convert) sought to have the school accept her son for enrolment. A court case ensued in which, [15]

the [family] was handed a letter stating specific religious restrictions which would be placed on their son because he was not Jewish according to Orthodox definitions, and therefore prohibited by halacha from participating in some school programs. The Equal Opportunity Tribunal handed down a 46-page document in which it dismissed the family's complaint.

The result of the Goldberg vs. Korsunski Carmel School case, delivered in 1999, was significant for all religious schools, as it effectively allowed "such school to discriminate in favour of members of that particular religion or creed, as long as the discrimination is in 'good faith'". The Equal Opportunity Tribunal defined 'good faith' as "in accordance with practices or beliefs of that religion or creed", and added that it was not required of the school to have to justify those practises or beliefs to "the outside world". [16] [17]

In 2008, a Carmel School science teacher committed suicide after being "linked to child sex-offense allegations". The 15-year-old was not a Carmel student. Lawyers involved in the case said the teacher had been led to believe the youth was 17, when in reality he was underage. The then Carmel School Board President told newspaper JTA "the school board had [already] decided to suspend him because of the allegations". He was not able to be formally notified as he "died the next day". His funeral was attended by over 500 people, including many Carmel students and teachers. [18] [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haredi Judaism</span> Ultra-orthodox branch of Judaism

Haredi Judaism consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to halakha and traditions, in opposition to modern values and practices. Its members are usually referred to as ultra-Orthodox in English; however, the term "ultra-Orthodox" is considered pejorative by many of its adherents, who prefer terms like strictly Orthodox or Haredi. Haredi Jews regard themselves as the most religiously authentic group of Jews, although other movements of Judaism disagree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telshe Yeshiva</span> Private, high school in Wickliffe, , Ohio, United States

Telshe Yeshiva is a yeshiva in Wickliffe, Ohio, formerly located in Telšiai, Lithuania. During World War II the yeshiva began relocating to Wickliffe, Ohio, in the United States and is now known as the Rabbinical College of Telshe, commonly referred to as Telz Yeshiva, or Telz in short.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeshivah College, Australia</span> Chabad school in Victoria, Australia

Yeshivah College, officially Yeshivas Oholei Yosef Yitzchok Lubavitch, is an independent Orthodox Jewish comprehensive single-sex primary and secondary Jewish day school for boys, located in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda East, in Victoria, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yair Lapid</span> Prime Minister of Israel in 2022

Yair Lapid is an Israeli politician of the centrist Yesh Atid party, and a former journalist. He has been the Leader of the Opposition since January 2023, having previously served in that role from 2020 to 2021. He served as the 14th Prime Minister of Israel from 1 July to 29 December 2022. He previously served as the Alternate Prime Minister of Israel and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2021 to 2022. Lapid is the chairman of Yesh Atid, and Minister of Finance from 2013 to 2014.

Hebrew school is Jewish education focusing on topics of Jewish history, learning the Hebrew language, and finally learning their Torah Portion, in preparation for the ceremony in Judaism of entering adulthood, known as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Hebrew School is usually taught in dedicated classrooms at a Synagogue, under the instruction of a Hebrew teacher, and often receives support from the cantor for learning the ancient chanting of their Torah portion, and from the rabbi during their ceremony since they must read from a Torah scroll, which has no Hebrew vowels, and very close together text and minimal line spacing; making it very challenging for almost anyone to read from.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torah Umesorah – National Society for Hebrew Day Schools</span>

Torah Umesorah – National Society for Hebrew Day Schools is an Orthodox Jewish educational charity based in the United States that promotes Torah-based Jewish religious education in North America by supporting and developing a loosely affiliated network independent private Jewish day schools.

A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide children of Jewish parents with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full-time basis. The term "day school" is used to differentiate schools attended during the day from part time weekend schools as well as secular or religious "boarding school" equivalents where the students live full-time as well as study. The substance of the "Jewish" component varies from school to school, community to community, and usually depends on the Jewish denominations of the schools' founders. While some schools may stress Judaism and Torah study others may focus more on Jewish history, Hebrew language, Yiddish language, secular Jewish culture, and Zionism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish education</span> Overview of education in the Jewish world

Jewish education is the transmission of the tenets, principles, and religious laws of Judaism. Jews value education, and the value of education is strongly embedded in Jewish culture. Judaism places a heavy emphasis on Torah study, from the early days of studying the Tanakh.

Netivot HaTorah Day School is a private, coeducational Orthodox Jewish elementary school in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. As of 2008, it enrolls 600 students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. The school is affiliated with Mercaz, the educational pillar of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hebrew College</span> American religious college

Hebrew College is a private college of Jewish studies in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. Founded in 1921, the college conducts Jewish scholarship in a pluralistic, trans-denominational academic environment. Its president is Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld. Hebrew College offers undergraduate completion and graduate degrees, Hebrew-language training, a rabbinical school, a cantorial program and adult-learning and youth-education programs.

Memphis Jewish High School in Memphis, Tennessee, began operation in August 2006, and closed May 31, 2010. It was a Modern-Orthodox Jewish co-educational school. It was a dual-curriculum Hebrew - English school founded by Andrew and Jan Groveman, Jack and Marilyn Belz, and Mark and Sally Wender. It used the Harkness Table approach to teaching.

Orthodox Jewish outreach, often referred to as Kiruv or Qiruv, is the collective work or movement of Orthodox Judaism that reaches out to non-observant Jews to encourage belief in God and life according to Jewish law. The process of a Jew becoming more observant of Orthodox Judaism is called teshuva making the "returnee" a baal teshuva. Orthodox Jewish outreach has worked to enhance the rise of the baal teshuva movement.

Leibler Yavneh College is a private, Modern Orthodox Jewish comprehensive co-educational primary and secondary day school, located in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia. The school currently has over 700 students enrolled from Kindergarten to Year 12. As of 2021, the principal was Shula Lazar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohalo College</span> Israeli teachers colleges

Ohalo College, also known as the Ohalo College of Education, is an Israeli leading institution that specializes in teachers' and kindergarten teachers' training toward a B.Ed. degree in various disciplines, including biology, mathematics, English, special education, Jewish Studies, and physical education, as well as toward an M.Ed. degree in Management and Organizational of Education systems. The college currently has 2,500 learners, of which 60% are students in the Education and Teaching professions, while the rest are in continuing education programs, advanced studies, professional development and external studies. Since 1998 it has been located in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Jews</span> Ethnic and religious group in Australia

Australian Jews, or Jewish Australians, are Jews who are Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia. In the 2021 census there were 99,956 people whom identified Judaism as their religious affiliation and 29,113 Australians who identified as Jewish by ancestry, an increase from 97,355 and 25,716, respectively, from the 2016 census,. The actual number is almost certainly higher, because being a Jew is not just about being religious, but the census data is based on religious affiliation, so secular Jews often feel it would be inaccurate to answer with "Judaism". Also, since the question is optional, many practicing Holocaust survivors and Haredi Jews are believed to prefer not to disclose their religion in the census. By comparison, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz estimated a Jewish-Australian population of 120,000-150,000, while other estimates based on the death rate in the community estimate the size of the community as 250,000. Based on the census data, Jewish citizens make up about 0.4% of the Australian population. The Jewish community of Australia is composed mostly of Ashkenazi Jews, though there are Jews in Australia from many other traditions and levels of religious observance and participation in the Jewish community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Haifa</span> Public university in Haifa, Israel

The University of Haifa is a public research university located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. Founded in 1963, the University of Haifa received full academic accreditation in 1972, becoming Israel's sixth academic institution and the fourth university. The university has the largest university library in Israel. As of 2019, approximately 18,000 students were enrolled at the University of Haifa. Among Israeli higher education institutions the University of Haifa has the largest percentage (41%) of Arab-Israeli students.

The Perth Hebrew Congregation is synagogue located in the Perth, suburb of Menora, Western Australia. Established as an organization in 1892, it is the oldest of three shuls and one temple serving the Jewish community in Perth. The synagogue includes a child care - namely Ruth Landau Harp Early Learning offering education to children aged from 6 weeks to 5 years, educating children on the Jewish calendar of events and Jewish values, with all meals being kosher. The synagogue offers facilities for daily services, educational programmes, PHC also houses a library, a mikveh and a bookshop. In July 2004, the shul was heavily defaced with anti-Semitic vandalism.

Carmel Academy was a Jewish private school in Greenwich, Connecticut, serving grades Kindergarten through 8. Also including transitional Kindergarten The school originally was located in Port Chester, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michal Govrin</span>

Michal Govrin is an Israeli author, poet and theater director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Saks</span>

Jeffrey Saks is a Modern Orthodox rabbi, educator, writer and editor. Saks has published widely on Jewish thought, education, and literature. Born into a secular Jewish family and raised in suburban New Jersey, Saks became interested in religious observance in high school through the influence of a local rabbi and the NCSY youth movement.

References

  1. Australind. Nedlands: Geography Society, University of Western Australia. 1971. p. 11. OCLC   220726902 . Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  2. "Carmel School". Jewish Perth. 2005. Archived from the original on 15 July 2010.
  3. "Troye Sivan Interview – On Success, Rejection And Working With Legends". The Global Townhall. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  4. "Carmel School History".
  5. "Common History – Shared Future" . Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  6. "The Hoffman Leadership and Responsibility Program" (PDF). Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  7. "Blog Archive » Kadima". Jewgle Perth. 13 September 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  8. Frankel, Miriam (8 September 2009). "50TH ANNIVERSARY OF CARMEL SCHOOL EDWARD ISAAC PACHTMAN". Esra Magazine. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  9. "Memorial to the Victims of the Holocaust—Perth, Australia. – The Holocaust on". Waymarking.com. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  10. "'Hana's Suitcase' talk tonight in Melbourne | The Australian Jewish News". Jewishnews.net.au. 23 March 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  11. "8th Biennial Australian Jewish Educators' Conference" (PDF). Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  12. "Carmel Leadership Team". Carmel School. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  13. Armstrong, Claire (2011). "If the fits school fits". OffspringMagazine. p. 61. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  14. Gelski, Sophie E. (2010). "The missing paradigm" (PDF). p. 34. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  15. Kleerekoper, Victor; Yated Ne'eman Staff (8 March 2000). "Australian Court Supports Orthodox School for not Accepting Reform Convert". Archived from the original on 28 October 2006. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  16. Offer, Kate (2000). "Religious Schools and Equal Opportunity: Lessons from Goldberg v. Korsunski Carmel School" . Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  17. "Case Notes: Religious Schools and Equal Opportunity: Lessons from Goldberg v Korsunski Carmel School" . Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  18. "Perth teacher's death linked to sex offenses". JTA. 19 June 2008. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  19. Cox, Nicole; Bassett, Jon (14 June 2008). "Teacher charged with sex offence commits suicide".