Emanuel school alumni watch children graduate

Katie Narunsky (nee Levenson) says watching her daughter graduate from Emanuel School earlier this month completed a journey that began with her own schooling there nearly four decades ago.

“Emanuel has played a significant role in my life, from my own days as a student, to returning as a teacher, and continuing to be part of the school today,” she told The AJN. “I’ve also had the privilege of watching my own children make their journey through Emanuel, from Kornmehl right through to Year 12, and now, seeing Madi graduate.

“I feel incredibly grateful to have been part of the Emanuel community in so many different ways and to have experienced the school through such different perspectives over the years.”

Thirty seven years after graduating, Katie joined her friend Janice Christie (nee Narunsky), who graduated alongside her in 1989, to speak at Emanuel School’s Class of 2026 Graduation Dinner. Christie’s son Declan also celebrated the completion of his schooling.

“It was a real privilege to be invited back to speak at such a special occasion, and an incredibly proud moment to see Declan graduate,” Christie said. “This school played a significant role in shaping the person I am today, and to return and share that journey with the next generation made the experience all the more meaningful.”

The pair were among just 17 students in Emanuel’s inaugural Year 12 cohort. Christie was the school’s first head madricha; Narunsky now teaches in the primary school.

Addressing the graduates, they recalled a campus that bore little resemblance to the one their children know. The Multi-Purpose Hall and the Kornmehl pre-school precinct were bushland, the Performing Arts Centre was the library, and the whole school shared about 15 computers.

What had not changed, they said, was “the teachers, the community, the friendships, the unmistakable ruach of Emanuel”.

“There is something very special about experiencing this evening from both perspectives, remembering our own Emanuel school days while, at the same time, watching a new generation create memories of their own,” they told the graduates. “Never would we have imagined 37 years ago that we would one day be back here at a graduation ceremony for our own children.”

Principal Linda Emms said the story reflected the lasting impact of an Emanuel education.

“When alumni return to our community as parents, staff or even as volunteers, it speaks to the strength of the connections they formed during their time at Emanuel,” Emms said. “Katie and Janice’s journey reflects the sense of belonging, Jewish identity and menschlichkeit that continues to connect generations of Emanuel graduates.”