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Shevi Belfer on her first day of school at Beth Rivkah Ladies College in Melbourne. Photo: Peter Haskin

AFTER a long summer holiday, Jewish students began going back to school on Friday.

In Melbourne, only Yeshivah and Beth Rivkah Colleges resumed classes on Friday, while in Sydney, all the Jewish schools saw a flood of kids, dressed in crisp, new uniforms run through the gates. The rest of Melbourne’s Jewish school students will find their new desks on Monday.

Students will find new buildings, including libraries, school halls and canteens, on their first day, as Jewish schools take advantage of a flood of government funding for capital works.

Only one Jewish school, Sydney’s Emanuel School, begins 2010 with a new principal – Anne Hastings. Meanwhile, two schools – Massada College and The King David School – are introducing Mandarin to the curriculum this year.

Pictured on the homepage are Beth Rivkah Ladies College prep students Shevy Ruschinek (left) and Shevi Belfer.

Beth Rivkah Ladies College student Sara Kaltmann.

AJN STAFF

VICTORIA’S Jewish students showed off their knowledge in the state finals of the 2009 Youth Bible Quiz held on Sunday August 9.

Organised by the Zionist Federation of Australia, with the assistance of the Zionist Council of Victoria, the winner of the quiz was 14-year-old Beth Rivkah Ladies College student Sara Kaltmann.

Sara, who will now represent Victoria in November’s national finals along with runner-up and fellow Beth Rivkah student Aliza Teller, followed in the footsteps of her sister, who won the contest in 2007, and her brother, who was last year’s runner-up.

Last year’s Australian winner Noa Bloch, who travelled to Israel to compete internationally, addressed quiz participants.
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Beth Rivkah students Muka Groner (left) and Michal Susskind at the federal Government’s Cybersmart launch. Photo: Ben Weinstein

DALIA SABLE

THE federal Government launched Cybersmart, the first national cybersafety education initiative of its kind, at Melbourne’s Beth Rivkah Ladies College this week. Launched by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, Cybersmart is an interactive website designed to keep kids safe when using the internet.

“Young people are often the first to engage in new activities online. Unfortunately, however, they are often the first to experience cyber-safety problems such as cyber-bullying, invasions of privacy and content, which could be harmful to them,” Conroy said.

According to Conroy, Cybersmart will provide the information and skills necessary for young people to “make smart decisions online”, as well as equipping parents and teachers with tools to assist children who are spending more and more time on the internet.
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