The Year 8 boys had a great Wellbeing Immersive Experience at Stone X Stadium. The focus was on positive relationships and friendships.
The boys heard from BICS, Jteens, JWA, Hope not Hate, and Gift. They were also treated to a delicious lunch of burgers and chips!
We look forward to offering this experience to more students in the near future.
On Wednesday, our GCSE music students enjoyed a really perfect day out to the Southbank centre to hear the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a GCSE Specialist concert called Bright Sparks. It was a beautiful sunny day and they walked across the Hungerford Bridge, with the iconic London Eye behind them.
The Royal Festival Hall was filled with GCSE students from across London and it was exciting for our students to feel part of a bigger musical “community.” The concert was led by Rachel Leach, who explained and analysed all the different items of music and created an excellent context and language for learning for the students. It opened with a 20th century Minimalist piece by John Adams called “The Chairman Dances.”
There was even an audience and student interaction performance with the orchestra which was both fun and musically interesting.
The favourite piece, according to our students, was Vivaldi’s 4 seasons depicting the cold atmosphere of winter. We then heard Haydn’s Trumpet concerto and a movement from Beethoven’s 7th Symphony. A rather interesting contemporary piece followed called “Forty Heartbeats” by Kaija Saariaho, where the players explored a range of unusual sounds from their instruments.
The concert ended with the music from JAWS by John Williams in which that famous 2 note motif dominated the entire piece and set the pervasive, ominous mood.
The students behaved impeccably and it was a pleasure to be with them!
Thanks to Miss Connery for accompanying Mrs Algranati with the Girls and to Mr Shebson and Mr Sharpe for keeping the boys in tow!
Purim at the Boys’ School consisted of fun, fun, fun! From a dunk tank to t-shirts to dancing and the performers, it was a busy, fun-packed two days!
A huge thanks to the amazing teachers who took part in the Dunk Tank. Thanks to their participation, the students raised over £800 for charities in Ukraine.
On Purim Day, the HIPE team took to the streets with a HIPE van. The van played all the most recent videos to the streets and caused a big spectacle on Golders Green Road. The HIPE spirit was definitely there with lots of dancing and singing taking place too!
After a two year gap, the staff spiel was back. There was a new twist on the tale of ‘Matilda’ – Mrs Jacobson delighted as the adorable Miss Honey, while Mrs Brice gave an enchanting performance as Matilda! There were skits from the Sixth Form and lots of general jollification!
On a more sensible note, Rabbi Weissman came in to speak to the girls about how to behave on Purim, including some sage advice about the dangers of drinking.
Wednesday night saw the very welcome return of the magnificent Purim party. The girls enjoyed a fantastic evening full of fancy dress, a DJ, UV lighting, confetti fun, glow activities, inflatable glow photobooth, slush, ice cream, and frivolous dancing!
It was so special to see the students dancing and singing together as a school again after the difficult few years we have experienced.
Thanks must go to the incredible HIPE department and also to those teachers who attended in the evening to ensure the smooth running of the party. Thank you also to Kevin and the site team.
Thirty Hasmonean boys had a special cultural day out in the City of London. They visited the law firm of Holman Fenwick Willan where they received some great advice from the Managing Partner, Mr Jeremy Shebson, and the incoming Senior Partner, Mr Giles Kavanagh. The two partners discussed the importance of working hard, being a good team player, being true to yourself and proud of your identity.
Following this visit, the boys made their way down the Thames for an amazing Thames Rocker speedboat tour where they learned about the history of all the monuments, landmarks and bridges as they whizzed past.
H.I.P.E Girls ran a fabulous packathon during Thursday’s lunch break. The girls created beautiful Mishloach Manot in order to raise the spirits of the children in Moldova this Purim. They have been seriously affected by the situation in Ukraine, losing their homes and sense of security. Each parcel was accompanied with a personal note from a student.
Some of the food in the packages has been kindly donated by Kosher Kingdom, Kays and from the money raised by selling doughnuts for the cause.
It was wonderful to see so many of our girls giving up their time to ensure that other young people can enjoy a sweet pleasure this Purim- giving them a small respite from the danger and fighting that has surrounded them.
On the morning of Wednesday 9th March, boys from Years 7-10 were gathered in the main hall for an assembly about the situation in Ukraine. Rabbi Golker began the proceedings with a stirring comparison about how the Brisker Rov ZT”L and Rebbetzin Kotler O”H, demonstrated their own grief, whilst showing solidarity for those who were actually experiencing hard times, be it in WW2, or surviving major fires in Brisk.
This was followed by Rabbi Fachler, who played a live report from Mr Jeremy Posen, one of the heads of the Tikva Orphanage in Odessa, who has been with the orphans and the community since the outbreak of the war. He gave the boys an up-to-date account of the plight of the orphans and the other families – their current whereabouts, how they all managed to cross the border and what the future looks like for them, now that they have nothing but the clothes on their backs.
The boys then watched the historical and moving speech given by Ukrainian President Zelensky to Parliament.
Mrs Lebrett gave the closing remarks, encouraging the boys to think of their own comfort when they go to bed in their own bedrooms and never take that for granted, especially after what we have witnessed with the all of the refugees from Ukraine.
The assembly concluded with Tehilim led by Rabbi Fachler.
The Hebrew month of Adar kicked off with a bang at the Boys’ School!
The festival of Purim falls in Adar and is all about excitement and giving. It was very appropriate then that the Boys’ School held a small charity fundraiser which raised over £300 for various different charities in Ukraine.
To celebrate the month of Adar, HIPE had some fun and challenged the students to ‘Anything But a Backpack’ day. The boys’ imaginations ran riot as they brought in shopping trolleys, wheelie cars, pet cages, and even a paddling pool!
Rosh Chodesh Adar was celebrated at the Girls’ School with the most beautiful singing of Hallel, made all the more special as it has been two years since we could sing as a whole school. The Hall was decorated with balloon arches, streamers and glow letters by our wonderful HIPE team, who led the girls in dancing at break and at lunchtime to usher in this month of joy.
#ADAR2022 was always going to be special. The theme of Adar ‘I’M A CHAMPION’ was launched with a video and a flash mob which had been created by the students themselves. It was so exciting to see the whole school singing and dancing to the same song- the hall came alive with the sheer joy and excitement of being a CHAMPION. The girls were all given ‘I’M A CHAMPION’ rosettes to wear. The Sixth Form and some staff enlivened the morning further with the traditional Frummy Friday as the dress code for the Sixth Form, culminating in an impromptu ‘Mitzva Tanz’ in the common room! In addition, doughnuts to support Ukraine were sold, in keeping with the mitzvah of Tzedaka which is so central to Purim. Over £200 was raised.
Beis Chazak aims to provide a tailor-made programme, for a selection of pupils in Year 11-13, where the focus is the boys’ personal growth and journey of Yiddishkeit. Beis Chazak’s intention is to generate an atmosphere of achdus and to instil a sense of Jewish pride.
The goal is to provide a deeper understanding of Judaism and foster a greater connection to it; equipping the pupils with the necessary skills and knowledge to support them as young Jewish adults into their lives after school.
Last week, we went big and took the boys on a shabbaton to Lower Mill Estate – ‘The Venice of the Cotswolds.’ There were too many memories created on this Shabbaton to share them all, but some highlights included: the ruach of Kabalat Shabbat in full view of the lake, a 5km trek through the woods in pitch black, kayaking on the lake, and biking through the woods.
Some parents have already shared with us the impact that this had on their sons:
“Yitzi had the most wonderful time and enjoyed every minute. The food, atmosphere, Davenning, all the activities etc. were all outstanding and so well organised. This Shabbaton will be one that Yitzi will remember for a very long time.”
“Noam came home on a high and I’m very grateful. The ruach you gave over has definitely left an impact and something they will always remember. We don’t always see it and we might not always show it, but it’s things like these that really go a very long way and though the kids don’t always show it, you’re obviously doing brilliantly and it’s moments like these that will stay with them always.”
Rabbi Doron Birnbaum together with Rabbi Amram Landau and Mr Avi Markewicz, have tirelessly worked on creating a programme for these boys that regularly runs outstanding projects, trips, and a dynamic Jewish curriculum.
If you would like to be involved in this project, please email d.birnbaum@hasmonean.co.uk
