Dan Sztrajt to head Mount Scopus
"For Dan, this is a homecoming, and for the Scopus community, it is deeply satisfying that a graduate has come full circle."
Mount Scopus Memorial College has announced the appointment of Dan Sztrajt as its new principal.
It follows current principal Rabbi James Kennard announcing earlier this year that he will leave the school to make aliyah.
Sztrajt joins the school from Bialik College where he serves as assistant principal (pastoral care) and head of middle school.
In a letter to all parents last Friday, October 13, Mount Scopus president Amy Hershan said, “We are thrilled to welcome Dan Sztrajt to our school community. Dan is one of our own. An old collegian from prep to year 12, school captain in 1999, and a past Mount Scopus senior educator.
“For Dan, this is a homecoming, and for the Scopus community, it is deeply satisfying that a graduate has come full circle.”
Sztrajt said he is privileged to be returning to Mount Scopus, making the journey from a lower kindergarten student to principal.
“Jewish education has been my driving passion for my entire adult life, to now be afforded the opportunity by our community to lead the most prestigious and celebrated Jewish education institution in Australia is a dream realised,” he said.
“I am deeply honoured to join Mount Scopus Memorial College as its new principal. I look forward to working collaboratively with the dedicated staff, students and parents to create an inclusive and inspiring educational environment.
“Together, we will continue to foster a culture of academic achievement, personal growth, and community engagement,” he said.
“Leaving an outstanding institution like Bialik after 13 years of passionate involvement is bittersweet. The community has provided me with a warm and welcoming environment from which to grow as a teacher and leader.
“However, there is nothing quite like returning home to Scopus after 15 years as a student and seven years as a Jewish studies educator.”
Mount Scopus described Sztrajt as a dynamic, contemporary educator with a genuine passion for ensuring strong Jewish continuity.
“He shares the college’s deep commitment to academic excellence through its exceptional secular and Jewish curriculum offerings,” Hershan said.
Now more than ever Sztrajt said he sees a need to help students strengthen their identity, Jewish sense of self, ties with Israel and sense of global responsibility.
“I see a future for Scopus where it is uniquely placed to deliver the right mix of modern education with traditional Yiddishkeit,” he said.
He will commence his new role in term one in 2024.
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