Joshua Levi and Lexi Landsman - The Austailian Jewish News

AN A-list gathering, including Israel’s chief Ashkenazi rabbi, politicians and the community gathered at the Yeshiva Centre on Wednesday morning for the announcement that Yeshiva College Bondi has been officially registered as a school by the NSW Board of Studies (BOS).

The school – which was officially accredited only hours before the formal gathering – will open in 2008 and will be the first school in Australia to teach Torah education.

Yeshiva Re-Opens With A Bang

Joshua Levi and Lexi Landsman – The Austailian Jewish News

AN A-list gathering, including Israel’s chief Ashkenazi rabbi, politicians and the community gathered at the Yeshiva Centre on Wednesday morning for the announcement that Yeshiva College Bondi has been officially registered as a school by the NSW Board of Studies (BOS).

The school – which was officially accredited only hours before the formal gathering – will open in 2008 and will be the first school in Australia to teach Torah education.

Local minister for Wentworth Malcolm Turnbull, Labor candidate for Wentworth George Newhouse, Federal shadow treasurer Wayne Swan and Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger joined more than 100 children and community leaders, at the gathering.

Rabbi Metzger, who changed his itinerary to visit Sydney for the occasion, said it was a momentous occasion for Australia’s Jewish community. “I just arrived one hour ago from the airport, all because one road has been paved,” Rabbi Metzger said.

“I came to say thank you to the government for seeing that Jewish education is here in Sydney, and where learning is not only about faith – of believing in God – but about educating the pupils to know everything.”

Turnbull said the new school “is a unique concept recognising the value in a Torah education and the wisdom of the Talmud”.

“The Yeshiva College will spread the inspirational teachings of the Rebbe and strengthen Yiddishkeit in Sydney. It is an inspiring example of the paramount importance placed on education by Jews.”

Newhouse echoed the thoughts of Turnbull. He said he was excited that there would be another Jewish school in Waverley, where he was formally mayor.

“I have had a great interaction with a number of Jewish schools in the area, all of them are inspiring, and they provide continuing Jewish education and the connection to our future. Nothing is more important for the survival of our people,” he said.

Rebbetzin Pnina Feldman, who has been the driving force to have the school registered with the BOS, told The AJN it was fitting that the final signature came from BOS the day before the yahrzeit of her father, Rabbi Chaim Gutnick, who began Yeshiva in Sydney more than 50 years ago.

“I feel that in the heavens, my father is blessing us and his prayers and pioneering endeavours are being rewarded. As the original founder of the Yeshiva, this would have been his dream. In most schools, Judaism and Torah is part of the curriculum. With us at Yeshiva College, it is the core of the curriculum,” Rebbetzin Feldman said.

16 Comments

  • MVH

    What does it mean that it "will be the first school in Australia to teach Torah education"? As opposed to what all the other Jewish schools teach? What will it teach that is not taught in Sydney at Kesser, Moriah, or in Melbourne at Yeshivah, Adass, Yavneh, etc?

  • BJ

    The Yeshivah College in Sydney was established Abraham Rabinovitch and a group of dedicated holocaust survivors with Rabbi Gedaliah Hertz ob"m as its first Rabbi. Where does this women get the audacity to pervert history and continue to claim credit for the pioneering spirit and Mesiras Nefesh of of others. It is no wonder that the yungerliet of Sydney are fed up and formed new Kehillos such as the Tzemach Tzedek shul and the Shtiebel.

  • DANIEL

    In most schools, Judaism and Torah is part of the curriculum. With us at Yeshiva College, it is the core of the curriculum,” Rebbetzin Feldman said.

    "AL TAHARAS HAKODESH"!!! ONLY ONE HOUR A DAY OF CHOL AT END OF DAY!!!!!

  • info

    it means the government will subsidise the cost as if it were a public school…well almost,

  • former sydney shliach

    its all a matter of getting their priorties straight,

    FACT in Sydney, Keser torah & Moriah have General Studies as top Priority
    they both will start there day off with general studies not hebrew, also the amount of hours of jewish studies is less then the rest of the day…

    The Cheder/Yeshiva has it set up where Hebrew is the top, first, and main part of the day, secondary is the rest of the day…

  • RADAK

    It means that it is the first school in australia that will teach CHINUCH AL TAHARAS HAKODESH. With the overwhelming majority of the day focused on Torah (unlike all the schools which you mentioned)

  • MT

    the idea of this school is to have very little secular studies.
    it is following the trend on other Chabad day schools of devoting the entire day to jewish studies.

  • AH

    MVH: I think they meant that it will be the first school there to teach _exclusively_ Torah education – no limudei chol.

    This is something that was dear to the Rebbe’s heart – see what he said over the years about Oholei Torah in Brooklyn – and is certainly deserving of celebration.

  • KTC Parent

    The others Jewish schools are based on the State School curriculum with extended Jewish studies.

    This is the first school to be recognised as being run under a Jewish curriculum with the required State required subjects.

    This is a breakthrough that the other Jewish schools will now be able to try and incorporate into there system, using the Yeshiva as a precendence. Even Melbourne schools will benefit, by applying the NSW precedence.

    Legal. Well it was never illegal. Just not acredited. State school inspectors have be called to the Flood St campus who in effect assisted with the formulation of the new school.

  • An ex-Sydneysider

    As usual Pnina Feldman mixes up fantasy and the truth. Her father, Rabbi Chaim Gutnick, was a wonderful man but was not the one who started the Yeshiva. A certain Mr Rabinovitch founded the Yeshivah and a number of other Jewish Schools and institutions in Sydney in the 1950s and 60s.

    Let us hope that this new stage in the Feldman’s history will be more positive than the last number of years.

  • anon

    it is the only school that has only limudei kodesh. still the situation in sydney is a disaster.

  • Daniel

    In most schools, Judaism and Torah is part of the curriculum. With us at Yeshiva College, it is the core of the curriculum,” That means all Jewish schools in Australia till now were simply NOT RECOGNISED by the government, they had a secular school with a Jewish subschool which provided a lesson of Jewish studies. In eshiva Sydney the JEWISH SCHOOL AND TORAH STUDIES are officially recognized!! In fact this school is unique as Judiasm is not just a subject studied rather the main core of the curriculem and ENGLISH studies are only studied an hour a day AT THE END OF THE DAY!!!

  • mordy

    in the same vain i woiuld like to crongatulate the new smicha progfram opened for bochurim in sydney at TT. This will be the first place in sydney to teach a rabbinical degree/ Smicha

  • sb

    If you would study the history of Jewish Sydney you would know that Rabbi Gutnick Z"L was instructed by the Frierdiker Rebbe to not leave Sydney with all his friends from Telz to the US, rather to stay, alone in Sydney, to prepare and support Yiddishkiet for the many refugees who will come to Australia! All Judaism in Australia today is thanks to the great efforts of Rabbi Gutnick!

    Also, unlike the history revisionists version, Rabbi Gutnick indeed was a founding member and the life force behind the founding of the Yeshiva centre in Sydney 50 years ago! There are also documents to prove it, although sadly some simply cannot "Fargin" to give credit where it’s due!