Nitzavim-Vayelech

Candle lighting 5.43pm

Havdalah 6.41pm

by Rabbi Daniel Lichman

All the people are gathered in the presence of the Eternal: the heads, the tribes, elders, officials; the men, the children, the women, the resident strangers; everyone from the woodchopper to the water carrier (Devarim/Deuteronomy 29:9-10).

Now at the end of my ‘scholar in residency’ at King David, I reflect on a similar list of people that I met: the Senior leadership team, the Jewish Studies teachers, the Jewish Experiential Educators; Year 10 at their Shabbaton; students from each year group in their enrichment sessions; the B'nei Mitzvah cohort and their parents; parents and grandparents in the audience at my performance; the students at the Junior School; the Temple Beth Israel community; Netzer madrichim and alumni…

My aim - to enrich, and deepen, engagement with Reform/Progressive Judaism - was consistent across all of the groups and yet how I communicated varied for each group.

On Thursday, our Year 9 cohort had the privilege of hosting Suzy Zail, the acclaimed author of our class novel, Inkflower. Student panellists Alina, Eli, Leor, India, and Jesse did a fantastic job leading an engaging Q&A session based on questions submitted by their peers. Suzy shared fascinating behind-the-scenes insights into her writing process. Students benefited greatly from her candour as she described the experience of writing about her father’s past - who, as a young boy, was sent to Auschwitz, lost everything, and built a new life, keeping his painful history hidden for years to protect his family. Suzy was particularly impressed by the alternative book covers designed by our students, and many were lucky enough to have their copies signed. It was a memorable experience that truly brought our English studies to life.  

As part of their studies of the Jewish life cycle, Year 7 students visited the Melbourne Chevra Kadisha, where they heard from Executive Director Simon Weinstein and toured the facilities. The group then met with TBI Rabbi Allison Conyer, who shared her insights into death and mourning, including perspectives from psychology.

Students continued to the chapel at Browns Road Springvale Cemetery, where they learned more about Jewish funerals and the experience of visiting a Jewish grave. They were then given time to honour deceased relatives at their gravesites. Students had a similar opportunity at Springvale Botanical Cemetery, where many members of the Progressive Jewish community choose to be buried.

The educational content of the excursion was presented at a developmentally appropriate level. Equally important to developing their knowledge was the opportunity to build emotional and spiritual understandings around death and mourning. Demystifying these aspects of the Jewish life cycle can help students develop the language, understanding and emotional resilience to navigate experiences of grief that they may encounter throughout their lives.

Staff were impressed by the students' serious engagement, their willingness to ask thoughtful and pertinent questions, and the care and support they showed towards one another throughout the day.

In the lead up to Rosh HaShanah its beloved tradition of wishing for a sweet year ahead, our Kindergarten children embarked on a fascinating journey into the magical world of bees. Local beekeeper (and parent), Lev, shared fascinating insights into the world of bees. They observed real honeycomb and were amazed to discover how bees work together as a team to collect nectar and make honey.  

Here are some photos from this week's bee learning.

Monday evening was an absolute sensation as our talented musicians took to the stage at The Besen Centre for the annual 'Jewish Schools Battle of the Bands' competition. It was a night filled with electric energy, incredible showmanship, and outstanding musicianship.

Our students blew the audience away across three diverse song categories. Sophia B, Giorga S and Emily U delivered a rockin' vocal rendition of Fleetwood Mac's iconic classic The Chain for the 1970s category, Reuben G and Jake B presented a highly energetic vocal performance of Metronome by the Israeli indie rock band Dazy's Fasulia in the Hebrew category, and Mia G and Ally R delivered a smooth, soulful vocal delivery of Michael Bublé's arrangement of Feeling Good for the Jazz category.

We are thrilled to announce that King David took home the following awards:

Best Song (Hebrew Category): "Metronome"

Best Instrumentalist: Zach Banner on drums

Overall Winning School: The King David School!

This spectacular victory marks the second year in a row that King David has been awarded the Best Overall Performance winners, cementing our school's reputation as a musical powerhouse!

The ACMI + RMIT Young Creators' Lab is a prestigious joint initiative supported by an Australian Research Council grant, designed to identify and nurture the next generation of game developers aged 10 to 16. The program invites young creators to exhibit video game concepts and projects — at any stage of development, from ideas through to playable prototypes — and receive direct feedback from RMIT games design academics, ACMI education experts, and games industry professionals. 

Research from the program, now in its third year, shows that hands-on game creation builds significant gains in critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving in young learners. The Lab culminates in a two-day expo at ACMI's Swinburne Studio at Federation Square, Melbourne, on 6–7 November 2026.

As part of his Certificate III in Information Technology (ICT30120), Riley h (Year 10) studied through the VET Delivered to Secondary Students (VETDSS) program at Holmesglen Institute and was invited to submit a computer game design concept and brief. From all submissions received, a selection panel chose just eight participants for the 2026 Young Creators' Lab — and Riley's concept was one of them. His game, Capybrawla, is a Super Smash Bros-inspired game built around his love of capybara.

Riley attended the program's launch event at ACMI recently, where he met his mentoring team — two RMIT and industry mentors who will work with him regularly over the coming months leading up to the November Expo. In a challenging extension of the project, Riley will also take on the roles of artistic director and project manager for his VET class, guiding his classmates — with support from teacher Luke — through the 3D modelling, animation, story creation, and programming needed to bring his battling capybaras to life. We can't wait to see Capybrawla take on the competition.

Our KDS Chess Team competed in the EISM Chess Tournament, representing the School with enthusiasm, determination and a strong competitive spirit. The team certainly made an impression on arrival, with blazers, ties and sunglasses giving the group a memorable secret-agent twist. They looked the part and they meant business!

The Tournament comprised six rounds of competitive chess, with fortunes shifting throughout the day. Between rounds, students reflected on their games, discussed strategies, celebrated victories and supported one another through hard-fought defeats.

It was particularly pleasing to see the team demonstrate such strong camaraderie, resilience and sportsmanship throughout the competition. By the end of the day, every student had plenty to be proud of, with the experience providing valuable opportunities to develop both their chess skills and confidence as competitors.

The team is already looking forward to returning next year, with plenty of lessons learned and strategies to refine!

What a spectacular week we had celebrating the magic of literature at the Junior School! This year’s Book Week theme, A Symphony of Stories, truly came to life through a vibrant series of events that showcased our students' incredible passion for reading.

Celebrations started with our highly anticipated Book Week Parade. The hall was filled with excitement as students (and staff!) arrived dressed as their favourite literary characters. From classic heroes to modern-day favourites, the variety of costumes was a wonderful testament to the diverse range of books our students enjoy. It was a fantastic way to demonstrate that at our school, books and reading matter.

Later, our Year 5 leaders joined the Senior Kinder students for a morning of shared storytelling and crafting. Watching our older students mentor and engage with our youngest learners was a highlight of the week, fostering a shared love for stories across all year levels.

Literacy was at the heart of every classroom this week. In the lead-up to Book Week, each year level has been reading the CBCA shortlisted books. They then took a deep dive into the books, engaging in tailored activities that encouraged critical thinking and creative expression. To further enhance the experience, our Year 5 leaders dedicated their lunchtimes to running daily clubs. Each session was linked to a different shortlisted book, allowing students from across the School to participate in fun, hands-on activities inspired by this year's top Australian children's literature.

Year 3 students had the opportunity on Friday last week to see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performing Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals. It was filled with musical character, from the lumbering tread of the elephant to the graceful glide of the swan.

The excursion tied in beautifully with our current classroom unit on the orchestra, where students have been learning about the four instrument families: strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion and how composers use them to paint pictures and tell stories through sound. Seeing a full symphony orchestra live gave students the chance to appreciate these families in action, and to hear firsthand how instruments like the cello, clarinet, and xylophone can conjure up an entire cast of animals.

For some students, this was their first time in a concert hall, and the excitement was obvious from the moment the first note was played. It's always wonderful to watch our young musicians connect what they've learned in the classroom to a real live performance and this year's outing was no exception.

Last week, Year 11 students heard from injured Israeli soldier Ido Kendar, along with Elad Sonnenschein, who served together with him, assisting in evacuating him after his injury, about their experiences fighting in the war in Gaza. The visit was sponsored by Beit Halochem (ZDVO), which offers rehabilitation services and support to IDF veteran injured in Israel's wars.

The stories of Kendar and Sonnenschein provide an example of resilience and inspiration in overcoming trauma and difficulties in our own lives, however different they might be from those of a combat IDF soldier. As a Zionist school it also connects us to our homeland and our Israeli sisters and brothers.

We are thankful to KDS parents Elad and Andrea Zohar for organising the visit, and Elad for introducing our speakers.

Years 5 and 6 soccer players competed in the Maccabi Cup at Caulfield Park with an opportunity to show off their soccer skills.

The girls put up a great fight in every match, showing passion and grit on the field. They fought hard and scored some fantastic goals. Their teamwork was at an all time high throughout the day!

The boys had close games throughout, drawing with Bialik, and losing a close one to Mount Scopus. The boys finished the day with a win against Yeshiva College in the 3rd place match! 

Mazal Tov to all our soccer players!

The School is proud to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our alumni making waves across the entertainment industry.

In film, Riley Hart (Class of 2017) directed the short film Where the Grass Don’t Grow, which earned a coveted selection at this year's Melbourne International Film Festival. Link: miff.com.au/program/film/where-the-grass-dont-grow

Meanwhile, Serena Meltzer (Class of 2017) and Freya Boltman (Class of 2019) teamed up for Nice Jewish Girl, a queer coming-of-age short by a local Melbourne filmmaker. Link: filmfreeway.com/NiceJewishGirl341

Freya is also shining on stage, earning a stellar review from The Guardian for her performance as Tzeitel in the nationwide tour of Fiddler on the Roof.

Charli Cantoni Bud (Class of 2023), Teige Cordiner (Class of 2023), and Tash Freiberg (Class of 2024) recently took to the stage in Legally Blonde The Musical with Stars and the Moon, an all-abilities theatre company. Link: www.starsandthemoon.org/legallyblonde

We applaud these incredible creative achievements, a true celebration of our unstoppable talent!

10 - 11.30am on Sunday 13 September
Second day Rosh HaShanah - cross congregational event at Kedem (KDS) 
Discussion led by Rabbi Micky Boyden, Cantor David Bentley, Daniel Samowitz & Netzer. 
SINGING, SHOFAR, HONEY CAKE TASTING, APPLES+HONEY 
Entry with a High Holyday ticket. 

A1 Soccer has again a Soccer holiday program for kids aged 8-12 years.
Session dates: 23,24,28, 30 September and 2 October.
TIME: 9am to 1pm.
Bookings or enquiries: www.a1socceracademyau.com/
See attached for more details

Netzer Australia plays an essential role in building the next generation of Progressive Jewish and Zionist leadership. For decades, Netzer has created a place for young people to connect with their Jewish identity, Israel, community and one another, while developing the confidence and skills to become future leaders.
This year’s Netzer Appeal is an opportunity for our community to help ensure that this work continues and that every young person has the opportunity to participate, regardless of their financial circumstances.
THE NETZER APPEAL 2026
Netzer is asking our community to help build that same experience for the generations to come.
Funds raised through the 2026 Netzer Appeal directly support Shnat subsidies, Shlichim in Australia, camp and program subsidies, leadership development for teens and madrichim, and Netzer’s work reaching smaller Jewish communities across Australia.
At its heart, the Appeal is about accessibility. Financial circumstances should never prevent a young person from participating in Netzer, going to camp, developing as a leader or experiencing the transformative opportunities the movement provides.

With the first events of the High Holy Days around the corner, TBI welcomes you and your family to celebrate this special period with us! 
For families, we hope you will join us for the following:
Reverse Tashlich - Sunday 6 Sept at 4pm - RSVP here
Rosh HaShanah PJV Family Service at KDS - Saturday 12 Sept at 9am - RSVP here
Rosh HaShanah Tot Service at TBI - Sunday 13 Sept at 9am  - RSVP here
Yom Kippur Family Service at TBI - Monday 21 Sept at 9am - RSVP here
Sukkot Family Activities - Friday 25 Sept at 4.30pm - Save the date - RSVP coming soon
Simchat Torah Family Activities - Friday 2 Oct at 4.30pm - Save the date - RSVP coming soon
Family services are free for all, and our partnership with KDS makes membership also essentially free for KDS families if you'd like to attend any other service!

Join the PJV Community for a Family Rosh HaShanah Service. This is aimed at Primary School children and the whole family is encouraged to come.
DATE: Saturday 12 September
TIME: 9am to 10.15am
VENUE: Dandenong Road Campus, 373 Dandenong Rd, Armadale
This is a free event, but please register your attendance here for security purposes.