Our Friends of King David Association hosted a presentation last night by Sidra Moshinsky, our Director of Jewish Life and Learning. The theme was King David - The Man and the School. In a classroom setting, Sidra discussed King David as the first historical figure in Jewish history and led a text-based analysis of key moments in his life. He was believed to have been born and died on Shavuot.
King David is recognised as someone with many qualities and also deep flaws. David was not just a man of physical courage and musical talent, but also someone with a deep spiritual dimension who was therefore chosen by G-d to lead his people. There was lively discussion about King David and his relationship to Bathsheba - a part of the narrative that illuminates David’s weaknesses and wrongdoings, as well as his capacity for repentance.
In choosing to name the school after this figure, the founders of The King David School were drawn to King David's courage, faith and leadership. The name connects our students to both the past and the future of the Jewish story. As Sidra explained, both the School’s formal and experiential Jewish life and learning programs aim to inspire our students to learn, explore, question and identify with all of Judaism’s richness, complexity and challenges.
Erica Frydenberg thanked Sidra for making time to present such a thought-provoking presentation and looked forward to seeing continuing innovation in Jewish learning at the School.
JUN