New Jewish school opens in Sydney’s west
A NEW Jewish school -- the B'nai Yakov School -- has opened in Sydney's western suburbs.
AJN STAFF
A NEW Jewish school — the B’nai Yakov School — has opened in Sydney’s western suburbs.
Located at the Parramatta and District Synagogue, the B’nai Yakov School is registered with the NSW Board of Studies and will cater to children in years K-6.
Inaugural principal, Rabbi Yoseph Wernick, said: “Although the Parramatta Jewish community has always been small with around 100 families, it has always been a vibrant and youthful community.
“For many years, families wishing to provide their children with a Jewish day school education would have to travel to Sydney’s larger Jewish communities. Now that has changed.”
Rabbi Wernick said the school is integrating Jewish and general studies in order to provide a Jewish knowledge base, while at the same time meeting all the requirements of the NSW Board of Studies.
It caters to students of all academic levels and offers sports and physical education, extra-curricular and social activities, as well as enrichment and extension programs for gifted students.
The school is named after the synagogue’s former minister, Rabbi Gerald (Yacov) Blaivas, who served the Jewish community as a sofer (scribe) and as rabbi of Illawarra Synagogue before heading to Parramatta. He was also an advocate for Jewish children in court.
Rabbi Wernick said: “His dedication to the youth in general, and to Jewish education in particular, is legendary.”
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