R'eih

Candle lighting 5.20pm

Havdalah 6.19pm

Our parasha says both “there shall be no needy among you” (Deuteronomy 15:4) and, just seven verses later, “there will never cease to be needy ones in your land”. How might we understand these ostensibly mutually exclusive verses?! One might argue that there is not a dichotomy between them, but rather that together they form a productive dialectic.

Peruvian Marxist José Carlos Mariátegui wrote a century ago that “myth moves man in history”. Perhaps this is part of what our portion is teaching us: we can strive to alleviate poverty, and we must act with the idealism that this is a goal we can meaningfully pursue. But we must also accept the reality that poverty will never fully cease in our world.

This does not give us license to give up, nor to become jaded or to dismiss the younger generation’s idealism. They can infuse us with the ideological fervour that dreams can be realised, while we temper that fervour with a dose of reality borne from experience. Both generations must understand that truth resides somewhere in between.

God does not give us license to refrain from endeavouring to cure the ills of society. We might imagine ourselves on a ladder, moving toward perfection and redemption, even if we never fully arrive. This tension teaches us not to despair at the persistence of inequality, but to examine our role in making the world more just. The clash between these verses is not a problem to resolve, but a tension to live with.

We cannot, nor should we, ignore reality but nor may we become morally numb to it. Instead, we are called to remain responsive and to fulfil our ethical responsibilities within it.

Dear Community,

Last week, I got to participate in one of my yearly highlights. I was invited into the Prep classrooms to mark their first 100 days of school.

This has become a very sweet milestone that is an opportunity for our community to celebrate the extraordinary growth that occurs in this vital period at the start of a formal schooling journey.

Our families went all out in costume design. Each student’s interpretation of the “100” theme was inspired. We had multiple versions of 100 stickers, 101 minus 1 dalmatians, and multiple centenarians who were resplendent in their hair curlers while clutching on to walking sticks or Zimmer frames.

I’m sorry Year 12s, but I maintain that Prep is the most important year of schooling! 

Regularly visiting the Prep classrooms is a bit like watching a time lapse movie where the otherwise invisible, incremental changes are on full display. They truly seem to be growing in their knowledge, skills and independence in front of our eyes.

Each time I visit, I notice our students' capabilities have jumped forwards. From the nervous and teeny cohort in their shiny and oversized new uniforms, totally dwarfed by their school bags, they are suddenly confident, independent, literate and numerate. They love their Jewish learning and are already thriving in their Hebrew studies. They have formed solid friendships and are developing their emotional intelligence. They seem to particularly love our sport, music, art and Kibbutz programs. 

This year in Year 4 Jewish Studies, our central focus has been personal attributes. Throughout the year, students have been guided in exploring their unique qualities, characteristics, strengths, and areas for growth. In Judaism, the act of naming a child is considered deeply significant—parents are believed to receive a spark of divine inspiration when choosing a name, making a name not just an identifier but something precious and meaningful. This term, our Year 4 students connected their personal attributes to the literal and symbolic meanings behind their Hebrew names and explored their connections to the TaNaKh. Their journey began with researching the meaning of their names at home alongside their families, fostering meaningful conversations about identity, heritage, and who they aspire to be.

This rich learning culminated in the Eleh HaShemot celebration this week, where students proudly presented their learning from their current Torah unit to their families. It was a truly special occasion, with students sharing reflections on the significance of their names, the personal attributes that make them unique, and the ways these connect to the rich heritage and stories of the TaNaKh. 

Click here for photos from the celebration

We were thrilled to once again participate in the Melbourne Jewish Book Week (MJBW) Schools Program this past week.

At the Junior School, there was a buzz of literary excitement as we hosted a series of incredible authors who brought the magic of storytelling directly to our students.

The week was filled with engaging sessions tailored to every year level. Our Prep and Year 1 students enjoyed a hands-on session with Deborah Frenkel, who led them through the art of book cover design inspired by her book, The Truck Cat. For our Years 4 & 5 students, Anna Ciddor shared the fascinating "seeds" of her historical fiction and time-slip adventures, while Bram Presser captivated students in Years 2, 3 & 4, with discussion and a workshop on what it means to be a writer and some expert tips. 

What made these visits truly special was the preparation involved. Many students had the opportunity to read the authors' works in advance, allowing for insightful questions and a deeper connection to the material. These workshops and talks provided more than just entertainment; they offered our students a window into the professional creative process and reinforced the importance of literature in understanding our world. 

Middle and Senior school students had the opportunity to hear from Jewish authors on Tuesday. Students in Years 6-8 and Year 10 heard from Robyn Bavati, Elizabeth Finkel and Suzanne Leal, who spoke about their published works and the creative journey of an author. Suzanne Leal also facilitated a writing workshop with our Year 8 students.

We are grateful to Melbourne Jewish Book Week for sponsoring these visits, which gave our students a wonderful opportunity to discover "the story behind the story".

Drones are the way of the future, and it’s our current students who will be in charge of flying and programming them across a broad range of industries. Students in Years 6-8 competed in the Game of Drones one-day event this week, designed to test students' communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving skills, creativity and technical flight skills. 

The challenges consisted of:

• An obstacle course pilot challenge


• An aerial flight survey to find and decipher clues and answer questions


• A drone-powered Rube Goldberg (Chain Reaction) machine


• A coded synchronised drone dance with other teams 


• An Uber Eats pizza delivery


• Build and code a drone

Our Prep students had a very exciting art lesson this week, with Olivia, David and Georgie's mum Shuyun (Emi) presenting her wonderful folios of water colour paintings and paper collages. She talked about her process, the tools she uses and where she finds inspiration for her ideas with the students. She demonstrated how her paper collage skills can be used for making amazing costumes for Purim and special birthday cards for family and friends. 

After showing students how all the illustrations in the much loved book The Very Hungry Caterpillar were also made by paper collage, students then worked with Emi's guidance to create their own animal paper collage.

The Music Department is very proud to announce the winner of our annual Composition Competition. 

The winner for 2026 is Riley H (Year 10). 

Riley has been working on his composition skills in the Year 10 Music subject Becoming The Artist with Lachlan Mackay. Riley's composition Day One is for Rock Band and will be performed at the upcoming Winter Concert on Monday 24 August. 

Here are Riley's own words explaining his motivation around the creation of this work.

"I created the artist name SH1N0BI, which combines futuristic elements with traditional Japanese influences, and began developing a concept album. I was heavily inspired by Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, particularly the idea of creating songs that work as standalone pieces while also connecting to tell a larger story when experienced as a complete album.

The story I chose centres on the evolution of a city and the journey of a character living within it. Day One serves as the opening chapter, representing both the arrival in this world and the beginning of a new journey. To reinforce these ideas, I included sound samples that connect with both the lyrics and the city's atmosphere, such as urban ambience and the sound of an alarm clock acting almost like a metronome before the opening lyric, Wake up.

It’s been an action packed, extra cuddly time in Gan Rimon as we've introduced rabbits as residents! The children have shown so much love, care, and responsibility for the rabbits, ensuring they’re well fed, showered with gentle cuddles, and getting plenty of exercise.

A bunny playground was built using a sturdy barrier made of bricks and blocks around the play mat so our long-eared pals could have a big, safe run around.

The children have been diving deep into learning all about rabbit anatomy, vocabulary, and nutrition. 

We talked about what makes a healthy rabbit diet. The children were surprised to learn that carrots and apples are actually like chocolate to rabbits! Because they contain a lot of natural sugar, too much can upset their delicate tummies. They’re strictly a "sometimes food" treat.

Using keen observation skills, the children created beautiful art of the rabbits, paying close attention to their long ears, twitchy noses, and soft fur. 

Last Friday, 14 students from Years 6–9 attended a Junior Thinkers Conference. Presented by esteemed Oxford lecturer and gifted education facilitator Julie Arliss, we explored complicated and utterly baffling topics.

The first topic was the long-debated philosophical question of the soul. We explored many different ways to understand what a soul is. This session really helped expand my critical-thinking ability.

Next, we had a community of inquiry in small groups with students from other attending schools, where we pondered whether bad luck could make you a bad person. Central to this discussion was distinguishing intention from consequence, and character from chance. I personally found this to be the most engaging section because we were able to have intellectual conversations with people from other schools.

After that, we explored the science of the universe, including the relationship between Fraunhofer lines and the elements within stars. We learned about the origins of our universe and its constant expansion, as well as Albert Einstein and Georges Lemaître, showing how evidence, mathematics and imagination combine in real scientific discovery.

Year 4 students participated recently in the annual Hoop Time Basketball tournament, held at Waverly Basketball Stadium. For most of our students, it was their first time playing competitive basketball but this didn't hold them back.

The boys competed hard, narrowly losing in the semi final against the top team. The girls improved every single game, showing some great skills and resilience, and giving both the first and second place team a tough game. 

Congratulations to all our students on a great, and successful day! 

Click here for photos from the tournament

Kedem is having a fund-raising theatre night for Fiddler on the Roof on Wednesday 11 November at 7 pm at Her Majesty's Theatre. Tevye will speak with guests after the show!
Costs: A Reserve - $139,  A Reserve - Concession, Senior’s card or full time student card: $109
https://www.trybooking.com/DOFIA

Renowned for his phenomenal storytelling, Rabbi Daniel Lichman takes the stage in Witness to the Ends - a powerful one-person play you won't want to miss. Join us for a rare, intimate night of theatre, followed by an interactive post-performance discussion.
Please book your seats here.
Capacity is limited as it is being held in the Lawrence Family Theatrette at Rebecca Magid Centre.

We're excited to showcase our first speaker session for the UPJ Biennial (19-22 November 2026)

Meet our first speakers Dr Dan Heller and Dr Farid Zaid

Dr Dan Heller – Senior Lecturer and Co-Director of the Brave Conversations Project (and KDS parent!), is a historian focused on identity, memory, and how communities engage across difference. His book, No Topic Off Limits: Teaching Polarizing Issues in University Classrooms, is forthcoming with Princeton University Press.
Dr Farid Zaid – Senior Lecturer and Co-Director of the Brave Conversations Project, is a cognitive scientist and Deputy Director of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology at Monash University, whose work explores reasoning, metacognition, and the role of discomfort in learning.
Book here: https://www.upj.org.au/community/biennial-2026/

Bring in Shabbat with the whole family in a short, engaging Shabbat. With lively music, Shabbat songs and storytelling!  Aimed at Primary School aged children, all are welcome!
Held every 2nd Friday of the month
Next event: 14 August
4.15pm - Family Shabbat Service
Link for more information: https://tbi.org.au/youth-and-children/

Free, confidential counselling and wellbeing support for people affected by the Bondi Beach attack, the Middle East crisis and broader community trauma.  You do not need a Mental Health Care Plan or GP referral to access this free service.
See attached for details.

ARZA invites the community to a event examining antizionism. This presentation can be in-person or virtual attendance via a Zook link (sent on registration)
6.30pm, Wednesday 12 August 2026
A  dynamic panel including Dr Ran Porat, a Historian and expert in ideological conflict, Professor Ghil’ad Zuckermann, a linguist and Melinda Jones, a Human Rights Lawyer.
For more information & to book: events.humanitix.com/arza-mel

Alana Valentine’s Watermark is our inaugural Years 8-10 Play.
It is set in the Northern Territory town of Katherine. The play chronicles the events of January 26, 1998, the day a devastating flood swept through the town. The impact on the community was profound:
The flood left visible and emotional scars; businesses struggled to reopen, homes were destroyed, and the trauma of sudden displacement ran deep. The smell of damp, mud, and mould lingered in people’s memories long after the water receded. The flood wasn’t just a natural disaster; it was a rupture in the life of a community that would take years to heal.
DATE: Sunday 9 August and Monday 10 August 2026

We have just launched our Melbourne Alumni Reunion and tickets have just been released! 
Join us as we bring together former chanichim, madrichim, shnat kvutzot and mishpachot of Netzer. That same night will also be the launch of the Netzer photo archive with over 7500 photos! Sign up here!  https://events.humanitix.com/netzer-alumni-reunion-melbourne 

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.