Noach

Candle-lighting 7:20 pm

Havdallah is at 8:20 pm

by Geoff Garber

Central to this week’s parasha is the famous Noah and the Flood story. However, sandwiched between this episode and the election of Abraham is another story – The Tower of Babel. While this tale is only nine verses in total, and introduced with the following phrase, “Everyone on earth had the same language and the same words…” we notice a somewhat contradictory statement in the previous chapter. There, we read of many nations emanating from Noah’s sons speaking their own distinct languages. Something changed from the end of the flood to our story. The Rabbis suggest that Nimrod who is singled out as a ruler in that region, forced a common spoken language. The implication is that as a stern ruler, he most likely expected them to think alike too. 

More than a decade ago, Daniel Gordis, wrote an article The Tower of Babel and the Birth of Nationhood and introduces the following idea, “A unified humanity is an age-old dream - one that the Bible completely rejects.”

After the flood, humanity begins to disperse into distinct peoples, each with its own lineage, land, and language, but this natural process is interrupted towards homogeneity. This was what Nimrod and his builders desired – no distinct nations and everyone speaking a common language. 

“They said, ‘Come, let us build us a city, and a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves; else we shall be scattered all over the world.’” The natural process of dispersion that had begun after the flood and was part of the divine plan. Each nation spreading out realising its own unique potential, by going forth and “replenishing the earth”. The builders of Babel reject this ideal, refusing to allow for the territorial, cultural, and linguistic diversity so essential to humanity envisioned by God.

Where did these builders go wrong? They sought to sustain uniformity. That was their sin not, as is commonly suggested, their hubristic aspiration “to make a name” for themselves.

Dear Community,

A key feature of a King David education is how the curriculum, pedagogy and programming respond to the developmental needs at each stage of their learning journey.

In our ELC, we are focused on following our students' curiosity which becomes the vehicle which drives their early skill development. We pay particular attention to supporting their acquisition of their Executive Function skills which become the suite of enabling tools that unlock their learning capabilities.

In early primary, we understand that this is the time to build a student’s strong learning base. We proactively develop the learning routines that will serve them throughout school and focus on developing the core numeracy and literacy skills which become the foundation of their capabilities. As we develop their comfort and automaticity in reading and number, our students become equipped to undertake more sophisticated exploration.

This leads to a period where we focus on development of their thinking skills. Our students thrive through interacting deeply with the subject matter and through being challenged to make sense of their world. As their language skills develop they are able to unlock more complex thinking and ideas.

The Middle School marks a crucial stage for our students. In the Western World, this period has historically been the time where students may disengage from their studies. Middle Schoolers experience profound hormonal and social changes which shift their sphere of influence away from their parents and teachers as they increasingly look towards their peers for guidance, support and validation.

We understand that the Middle School student tends to ‘lock in’ to the learning when it has an experiential component, allows for choice and agency and provides opportunities to learn in collaboration with their peers. Our rich programming such as the Nitzan program, Passion for Thinking and Project Slingshot all respond to these developmental needs.

Finally, we encounter the Senior School student, who is driven by developing mastery and sophistication as they hone in on their areas of interest. Here there is a strong focus on developing their leadership skills alongside their independence and self efficacy.

I was struck by the clarity of this educational vision this week when I attended the Year 8 Passion for Thinking Evening. Passion for Thinking, or P4T as it has become affectionately known, demonstrates the power in giving students autonomy and encouraging them to shape their learning journey around their individual interests. 

Emotions ran high today as staff and students gathered to mark a monumental milestone - the official final school day for our Class of 2026. The day provided a heartfelt moment to pause, reflect and celebrate both the conclusion of a memorable journey and the exciting start of a new chapter.

The morning kicked off with a celebratory breakfast, bringing Year 12 students and their teachers together to share food, laughter, and final words of encouragement.

In a new tradition started, yesterday was a "theme day" for our Year 12s where they dressed up as their teachers.  Enjoy a video of highlights here

An assembly for Years 6 to 12 students included heart rendering musical performances by our Year 12s and inspiring reflections delivered by Simon B and Juliet W, who recalled memorable moments in their King David journey.

As the Class of 2026 prepares for their upcoming VCE examinations, the entire school community congratulates them on reaching this unforgettable milestone and wishes them every success in the road ahead.

Congratulations to our Year 12 Theatre Studies cohort who recently completed their VCE Theatre Studies monologue performance examination at the Kingston Arts Centre in Moorabbin.

After weeks of intensive preparation, rehearsal and refinement, our students arrived at the examination feeling well prepared and confident. They approached their performances with focus, professionalism and a wonderful sense of commitment to their craft.

It was fantastic to see their hard work pay off, with the examination presentations going off without a hitch. Even more rewarding was seeing each student emerge from the examination room with a huge smile on their face, a wonderful indication of the pride and satisfaction they felt in what they had achieved.

The Theatre Studies monologue examination is a demanding assessment that requires students to demonstrate not only their performance skills, but also their understanding of character, intention, elements of theatre composition and theatre styles. Our students have worked incredibly hard to meet these demands, often balancing their Theatre Studies commitments alongside a full Year 12 workload.

This week, our Year 8 students took the stage for their Passion for Thinking (P4T) TED-style presentations and completely blew us away! 

From the neuroscience of social approval and Formula 1 engineering to Auslan, Greek Mythology, the rise of ChatGPT, and confronting pressing real-world issues, our Middle Years learners dove deep into the topics that inspire them.

As Principal Marc Light noted, giving students autonomy encourages them to shape their learning journey around their individual interests. The depth of research, articulation, confidence, and creativity on display in every single presentation was unforgettable.

For a collection of photos from the presentations, click here

Building on their previous outdoor education camps, a group of Year 9 and 10 students took on a series of rewarding challenges in the Grampians this week. Here are a few of their reflections:

Day 1 of our Grampians hike was filled with big challenges but bigger wins. Our day begun early at 6am where we all met at the School's gates. We then embarked on a 4 hour bus drive, only broken up by a brief stop at Beaufort bakery before arriving at Mount Zero. From there, we set off on a 14km hike. The hike was hugely rewarding and we got to see some amazing views along the trail. We also learnt about the history of the area, including that the whole mountainous region used to be underwater! Ultimately, we arrived Barigar camp site by 5:00pm and enjoyed hearty dinners whilst looking at the spectacular view!

By Ethan W and Gemma H

On Tuesday this week, King David's three debating teams from Years 7 and 8 participated in the Junior DAV competition. The topic was That standardized testing does more harm than good. Two of our teams were on the negative side while one was on the affirmative. We spent weeks preparing our speeches, refining them to their best versions and we were finally ready for our debate. We were given a training session on debating before the debate itself. Then, we all split up and went to our debates. In my debate, we beat our opposing team by 9 points, and I won best speaker. The other Year 8 team also won their debate by just 2 points, with Gabe K winning best speaker. 

Unfortunately, our Year 7 team lost their round, but they enjoyed the experience (their first debate) and are motivated to apply different tactics for the next round. Overall it was a great experience, despite our singular loss, and we are all looking forward and preparing for the next debate.

A big thank you to our teachers, Tammy Klaf and Lesley Wesseik for their support during our debates.

Last Friday, our Years 7 and 8 Drama students attended Saltpillar Theatre’s final dress rehearsal for their production of Cry Baby - and what a wonderful theatrical experience it was!

From the moment the curtain rose, our students were captivated by this outstanding production. The performances were exceptional, with a wonderful combination of energy, humour, vulnerability and theatrical imagination. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to see our community theatre up close and to experience the power of live performance.

Even more special was the strong connection between the production and our own KDS community. Cry Baby featured several members of our KDS music staff (Matan Franco as M.D. and Maor Goichman as one of the lead musicians) as well as a talented past student (Danny Trackman, Class of 2017). Even the Producer (Dani Harrison) is an past KDS parent. These connections made the experience a wonderful celebration of the many creative people who have been part of our Performing Arts community.

The idea for a mosaic wall came from Gordon Dorin, who wanted to bring mosaic art into our school using ceramic tiles, many of them donated by our school community, as part of the Nitzan program. The project began in the first quarter of 2025.

Each of our talented students created a mosaic of their own:

Netani C B made the tree

Armani F made the bird

Aiyana G made the flower

Maya G made the sun and moon

Jemma H made the mermaid

Orlee M made the butterfly

Minnie R made the snail

Foxy U made the cats

Once the ceramic mosaics were finished, they were fixed to the wall. Over the following year and a half, students and teachers from across the School pitched in to fill the spaces between the pieces.

Enjoy some yummy pizza, connect with other families and learn more about TBI's B’nei Mitzvah Program!
This is the perfect opportunity to see if our B’nei Mitzvah Program can shape your child’s Jewish journey. 
Details:
6-7pm, Tuesday 20 October
KDS families can access a reduced fee for their bar or bat mitzvah at TBI through our membership partnership. Find out more!
Register here

The annual Creative Arts Expo will be held on Tuesday 20 October at 7pm. This is a free event and all are welcome to attend.
This evening showcases our current Visual and Performing Arts students' work from Years 6-12. Attendees will have the opportunity to view Visual Communication and Design and Media projects by our talented students. On display will also be a selection of Visual Art from Years 6 students through to VCE.

We invite children aged 3-5 years old, and their families, to join us for Storytime with Savta, where stories are read b'Ivrit (in Hebrew). 
DATE: Sunday 18 October
TIME: 10.30am
LOCATION: Library at our Dandenong Rd Campus, 373 Dandenong Road, Armadale
Register here.

Presented by JCAS, Season of Lights Family Festival is being held on Sunday 6 December 2026.
TIME: 11AM-2PM
VENUE: Posh Opp Shoppe, 484 Glen Huntly Rd, Elsternwick
Includes exciting kids entertainment.
Everyone welcome.  Come and support a great cause!
See attached for more detail.

Temple Beth Israel and The King David School warmly invite our community to a special evening celebrating the release of
Josh Frydenberg’s new memoir
A Grateful Son
4.00pm - 5.30pm
Sunday 1 November

A study session with Ilan Bloch, exploring the story of Chanukah through both historical and theological lenses.
DATE: Monday 23 November
TIME: 8pm
VENUE: Magid Campus
Please register your attendance here

For a Shabbat of meditation, renewal and peace jpoin Kedem for Service for the Soul.
DATE: Saturday 17 October
TIME: 10 am
Register with Rosi to attend at a home or for the Zoom link: rosi.kedem@outlook.com
See attached for more detail.

Families are invited to attend a parent education session on Adolescents, Body image and Eating - what to watch for, how to help.
DATE: Monday 26 October
TIME: 7PM
VENUE: Magid Campus, 519 Orrong Road
There will be an opportunity to gain valuable insights from a specialist in this area, Nicki Lefkovits (BA (Hons) MPsych MAPS).

Developed by the University of Melbourne, Tuning In To Teens is a 6-week group education program that helps parents and carers to navigate the challenges of adolescence by building skills in emotionally intelligent parenting.  By recognising and responding to their teen’s emotions, parents strengthen the connection with their young person and help them learn how to regulate and express their feelings and behaviours.
Jewish Care has been running the Tuning programs for a number of years now and we have received wonderful feedback about their impact for families.

SHIR: The Australian Jewish Music Festival presents an extraordinary evening celebrating Jewish and world music, cultural identity, and artistic excellence. UNBREAKABLE brings together acclaimed Australian and international performers in a powerful live concert experience featuring contemporary Israeli music, classical, liturgical, traditional, and popular repertoire.
Headlined by Israeli star Daniella Gilboa, alongside acclaimed pianist Simon Tedeschi AM, 2025 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition winner Sidra Nissen, award-winning cellist Rebecca Herman, Carols by Candlelight vocalist Jemma Cher, soul powerhouse and SHIR performer Sarit Michael, brothers Ezry and Mizzi Israel, Fiddler On The Roof star violinist and Shir Director Ben Adler, and the CHUTNEY ensemble, along with violinist Lara Goodridge and multi-instrumentalist vocalist Ben Goldstein, this unforgettable concert celebrates the beauty of diverse musical traditions.