On Monday, Junior School students commemorated October 7 in a meaningful and age appropriate manner with the theme 'Am Echad, b'Lev Echad' - one nation, one heart. All students made a bag tag with these words. Younger years learned about how Jews all around the world support each other. Older students also learned about the Acheinu prayer. The slide featured these words:

"The Acheinu prayer is a special prayer Jews have recited for over a thousand years where we ask for help for people who are going through really hard times. This prayer is about people who are being held captive, meaning they are stuck somewhere or being kept against their will. In this prayer, we ask God to watch over them, give them strength, and help them be free again so they can be with their families and live safely.  This prayer reminds us how important it is to care about others, especially people who are in difficult situations. Even if we can't help directly, we can still pray and hope for their safety and freedom, and by praying together, we show that we’re thinking about them and wishing for the best. By praying these words, we are reminded that we are all connected and responsible for helping each other."

Am Yisrael Chai.

Dear Community,

This week we marked the anniversary of the day that caused such devastation and has reshaped so much of the world.

One year on from the tragedy of October 7 2023, we have a series of searing images scored into our collective psyche. The deliberate but indiscriminate slaughter of people of all stages of life. The acts of heroism that saw ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things in defence of their loved ones or strangers. We will forever remember the fear etched in the faces of civilians being dragged across the border and the pain of relatives and friends mourning their loss at the wave of funerals that have occurred this year.

A year on and so many hostages are still not home. So many civilians have been displaced from their homes and so many students robbed of a year of schooling. So many families have been torn apart by death and hurt and by the terrible ways that war also casts its shadow over the innocents.

This has been a year of unrelenting war. This war is fought on many fronts. Militarily it has included Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran. But it is a war that is also being fought at the United Nations, the European Union, the streets of our own city and around the workplace watercooler. We feel it on our university campuses, in letters to the editor and perhaps most insidiously in the sludge of social media.

On Monday our Magid campus students commemorated Oct 7 with a heartfelt student-led assembly. 

Year 12 student Livia Lazarow led us in a prayer for the welfare of the state of Israel. Principal Marc Light lit a yahrzeit candle and we watched a moving video about the plight of the hostages and their families. Year 11 student Abi Kausman spoke about the work being done by Kibbutz Hatzerim, co-founded by one of her relatives in 1946, who are currently building housing for survivors from Kibbutz Be'eri. Abi reminded us that there is hope amongst the darkness in coming together to support each other. 

Year 7 student Millie Zelman led a prayer for the defenders and protectors of resilience. Nana band played Lionel Faretein's song 'It could have been me', which lists the names of hostages. Year 11 student Dylan Padowitz spoke about the unity in the Melbourne Jewish community and strengthening our communal participation in the face of tragedy. We have come together and recommited ourselves to the Jewish community. Dylan also remarked on the fundraising our school has done for Israel, particularly for Magen David Adom. Year 11 students Mia Milner and Ariel Montgomery led the prayer for the release of the hostages. 

Ilan Bloch, our Director of Jewish Life and Learning, gave a moving speech. Here is an excerpt:

Selected Year 10 and 11 students travelled to the Brighton Bathing Boxes toward the end of Term 3 to meet visiting Israeli students from the Gaza frontier area, who were brought here by the Y2A organisation. This mifgash (encounter) included a welcome by KDS students, icebreaker discussions on life in Australia and Israel, and on Jewish identity. This was followed by a game of cricket and a kick of the footy, before finishing off with introducing our guests to cheesy vegemite scrolls, lamingtons, and salt and vinegar chips. Kol haKavod to our students who represented the school truly admirably! 

Activities like this promote Jewish peoplehood and enhance student engagement with Israel. 

Year 11 students were privileged to hear from Rabbi Micky Boyden, a leader of the Israeli Progressive Movement, who talked about issues of Knesset and Beit Knesset (State and Religion) and how these affect both members of the Progressive Judaism movement in Israel as well as the Israeli population as a whole.

As a Zionist school we always seek to engage with Israel, and as a school affiliated with Progressive Judaism we are always pleased to collaborate with other member organisations, in this case specifically with Kedem, which sponsored Rabbi Micky's visit. We are grateful for their partnership in this regard.

We also hope and pray that Israel, which we love, will come to embrace religious pluralism and support for all streams of Judaism.

Yom Kippur is a time when we think about the past year and how we can be our better selves. We say sorry to others who we might have hurt, even if it was just an accident. It’s a day to remember to share, to help others, and to fill everyone’s buckets! It’s also a time about friendship and forgiveness.

So, this week we have been telling the story of Shlomi the fish, The Little Fish Who Said Sorry. We have been making puppets to tell this story, and have been acting it out in our Puppet Theatre to the class. We have also been discussing what Shlomi could do instead of swimming away and feeling sad.

We've learned the importance of recognising when we hurt someone and apologising. 

Jen Duband

Kindergarten Teacher

After performing moving renditions of ‘Or Gadol’ by Amir Dadon and 'It Could Have Been Me' by Lionel Faretein at our commemorative assembly on Monday, the Nana Band went on to represent King David beautifully at the Illuminate October Event. It was a powerful performance which encapsulated the heartache of much of the Jewish community at such a difficult time.

Thank you to Zach Banner, Asher Bloch, Reuben Goldfarb, Ebony Lewis and Noah Wise for your invaluable contribution to The King David School and wider Jewish Community.

This week, our Year 2 students engaged in a hands-on activity focused on procedural writing in their Hebrew lesson. After completing their current story about decorating a birthday cake, the students eagerly jumped into the exciting world of cupcake decorating! Please click here to see photos from the lesson.

Before the fun began, our budding chefs brainstormed an array of delicious toppings to inspire their creations. Each student received a cupcake to decorate, and excitement filled the air as they carefully spread frosting, added sprinkles, and arranged marshmallows and chocolate. As they decorated, students practiced their oral skills by describing their creations to classmates.

Following the decorating session, the students transitioned into a writing activity, where they learned about procedural writing. They discovered how to explain the steps involved in making their decorated cupcakes and matched photos of their finished cupcakes with the corresponding steps. This reinforced their comprehension and recall skills.

This exciting activity not only made procedural writing enjoyable but also allowed students to practice essential oral and writing skills. We can’t wait to see how they apply these new skills in future projects!

Ravit Epstein

Junior School Teacher

On Tuesday, the Year 7 Sports Science class took a trip to the driving range at Albert Park to sharpen their distance shot skills. As part of our Skill Acquisition unit, we’ve been learning using modified golf equipment at school, and this session also gave us the chance to put theory into practice. With guidance from a professional golf instructor, the students learned how to use various club getting plenty of hands-on experience. We also squeezed in some fun at the mini golf course, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed.

Chelsea Dabner

Sport/PE Learning Area Leader

This week the Year 2 students applied their creativity skills in an activity that required them to join two pieces of paper together without using scissors, glue or sticky tape. There were some very interesting interpretations of this task - please see the myKDS blog for more photos.

Regards

Awatif & Ellie

We invite you to experience our Creative Arts Expo on Monday 14 October, 6pm-8pm.
This evening showcases Visual and Performing Arts at King David from Years 6-12. Families will have the opportunity to admire 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 work.
Our VCE Theatre Studies students will present their monologues and there will be some musical performances to enjoy as well.
Please register your attendance here. 

As we approach this Rosh HaShanah, our hearts are filled with hope, reflection and the anticipation of new beginnings. At this time we gather with loved ones, celebrate our heritage, and recommit ourselves to the values that define us.
At King David, we are dedicated to nurturing the minds and souls of our students as well as fostering a deep connection to our Jewish identity. It is our mission to inspire the next generation with the knowledge, values and the joy that comes from being Jewish.
This Yom Tov, we invite you to join us in this mission. As you know, it is customary to give at Rosh HaShanah, a time when we seek to inscribe ourselves in the Book of Life through acts of kindness and generosity. Your contribution to the King David Foundation will directly impact our students and help to: 
- Enhance our educational programs and extracurricular activities
- Provide scholarships to ensure that every child can receive a Jewish education
- Improve our facilities to create a safe and inspiring learning environment
Your donation, no matter the size, will make a difference.
To donate, please click here. Thank you for your support!

Bring the whole family along for two fun afternoons of crafts and games to celebrate Sukkot and Simchat Torah at Temple Beth Israel. Come along and help decorate the sukkah, and then join us in celebrating the unrolling of the Torah!
4pm Wednesday 16 October - Sukkot Family Activities
4.30pm Wednesday 23 October - Simchat Torah Family Activities
Please click here for more information.

Can siblings ever get along? What did Cain say to Abel? Who wrote the Torah? How can we mine the text for meaning in contemporary times?
Join us for an enjoyable and educational evening together with other parents, while we dive into the beginning of the book of Bereshit (Genesis).
Thursday 31 October, 7.45pm at the Rebecca Magid Centre (520 Orrong Road, Armadale)
This is a free event, but please register here for security purposes.