Thursday 24 August Dear Parents & Friends of Kuyper, Jewish Museum Visit

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1 Dear Parents & Friends of Kuyper, Jewish Museum Visit You may not know this but the word Holocaust, is derived from the Greek words holos which means whole and kaustos which means burned. This word was used to describe a sacrificial offering burned on an altar. This was a practice that the Jews would ceremonially participate in as a tribute to God to atone for their sins. Many of us have read the accounts in the Old Testament such the first burnt offering made by Noah (Genesis 8:20) or the near-sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham (Genesis 22:2). Today the word is recognised as the description of the systematic murder of at least 6 million Jews in Europe by the German Nazi regime during World War Two. The Final Solution was developed systematically between 1933 & It started with God s people being persecuted for not being German or of Aryan descent after Nazi leader Adolf Hitler claimed that the Jews were taking land, employment and resources that should have been for the German people exclusively. It ended with the destruction of millions of Jews, with mass murder facilities constructed in the concentration camps of the then subjugated Poland. The Jewish people have been persecuted throughout history. After the emergence of the Roman Empire, millions of Jewish people migrated from places such as Palestine and Babylon to Europe, to escape persecution. This meant that the Jewish people/culture had been thriving for generations in Europe before the Holocaust. So, why would Europeans persecute European Jews who had been living there for hundreds of years? According to historians, many Jews in Europe lived a separate life as a minority within the country they inhabited. This meant they dressed differently, spoke differently and attended different places of worship from the culture in which they lived. This of course made them stand out. Before World War Two, in Germany particularly, the Jews were a minority and many of them adopted the culture of their non-jewish neighbours. This meant they weren t necessarily or exclusively different. Jews had assimilated (to an extent) into German culture in relation to professions and employment. However, with the rise of the Nazi party to power, all European Jews became different, and their lives were affected indefinitely. Last week, Year 9,10 and Stage 6 Modern History visited the Sydney Jewish Museum. This was an experience linked to learning in the classroom and an opportunity to hear firsthand from a Holocaust survivor. The museum is also home to a collection of historical artefacts including personal items, photos and documents from the Holocaust. Why do we teach and learn about the Holocaust at Kuyper Christian? Yes, it is part of the NESA curriculum, but even if that was not the case, would we still choose to unpack this tragic and very confronting time in history? Yes. 294 Redbank Rd Kurrajong NSW 2758 T E admin@kuyper.nsw.edu.au W

2 In many ways, the question why? is not valid. We teach many areas of history in the curriculum much further back in recorded time than World War Two. The question should be what for?, or what is the purpose of teaching about the Holocaust in a small Christian in Kurrajong?. Suffering is a very strong theme in the Bible. We all experience pain and suffering to differing degrees. As a Christian community, we share in the pain of others and seek to understand and empathise. We also pray for those experiencing suffering and those who are still working through the healing process of painful experiences. The Jewish people are still suffering and healing from the Holocaust over 75 years later. We should also be a community that can learn from the past. Attitudes such as xenophobia (dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries) and racism, are still present today. The outworking of these very unhealthy attitudes can be catastrophic and, again, today in many parts of the world genocide remains a sickening problem. As Christians, how do we deal with these issues today? Are we peacemakers as the Bible instructs (Matthew 5:9) and do we welcome people from different cultures and nations in a way that Jesus demonstrated time and time again. Thankfully, the Kuyper community seeks to be a welcoming and inclusive one. An interesting aside; at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, Biblical words from the prophet Isaiah ( You are my witnesses ) are inscribed on a wall. This is an encouragement to all visitors to reflect on the atrocities of the Holocaust. They also challenge the reader, personalise the knowledge of the horrors and hopefully invite them into an internal discussion about the responsibility of being a Christian and witnessing acts of this kind in the world. This article is not intended to be depressive or to fill you with hopelessness. It was encouraging to hear from a Holocaust survivor (Olga Horak, born 1926 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia) about what hope there was for the Jewish people in concentration camps in Poland. Caleb Schulte (Year 10) had the opportunity to ask Olga, did you ever lose faith in God?. The reply was simple and confronting. Olga replied, No, without faith there is nothing ; such humility from someone who suffered greatly in her life. Going back to the question what for?, surely God s plan of hope and redemption through the suffering of Jesus is resoundingly clear. We may not always understand the purposes and plans of God but we can be absolutely confident in trusting Him with this knowledge. The Jewish people clung to this hope where many would surely have given up. Mrs Alexis Clarke, Secondary History Teacher

3 Some student reflections on the Sydney Jewish Museum visit: We were given a guided tour to assist our studies in Modern History. It was interesting to look beyond the general brutality of the Nazi Regime and examine the crazed ideologies of many Nazi leaders. I found the most interesting aspect to the National Socialist agenda was the vast disparity between the strict agenda of race pride in the SS, and the broken psyche of the soldiers carrying out their orders. It renewed my perspective of the Holocaust to consider its historical impact on the lives of Jews, Germans and wider Europe. Sarah T. I found the experience very beneficial to my studies! I enjoyed hearing about the eye-witness accounts, which helped me put the Holocaust into a different perspective. I also loved walking around the museum and talking with our guide about the exhibits and artefacts. Overall a very confronting, but helpful experience! Kate G. The Jewish war museum was an eye-opening experience. It was amazing to hear a story from someone who witnessed the Holocaust themselves. It was also amazing to hear the truth of the Holocaust from someone who has spent years studying it and being around people who were in the Holocaust. James K.

4 Farewell to Mrs V It is with sadness that I report to you that Mrs Annelise Van den Elzen will be leaving Kuyper at the end of this year. Mrs V, as she is affectionately known to many, will be moving to Western Australia with her family. In almost 5 years at Kuyper, Annelise has served this community well in both Primary and Secondary s, blessing us with her multi-talented expertise in several areas but more recently the fields of music, drama and the creative arts. She will be deeply missed by students, parents and staff. We wish her and the family well with this new western adventure. Ian Shaw Principal P.S. Look out for the story in the next issue of Nurture magazine where Mrs V and students made a music recording with Colin Buchannan. August Thurs 24 Secondary State Athletics Fri 25 Year 5/6 Campers return Mon 28 Year 7 PDHPE Gymnastics Mon 28 Year 10 PDHPE Gymnastics Tues 29 Zone Sec. Girls Basketball Wed 30 Year 8 PDHPE Gymnastics Wed 30 Book Parade & Grandparent Day Thurs 31 9/10 PASS horse riding Sept Fri 1 Celebrations, Year 9, 2:30pm Sat 2 Diary of Anne Frank, Year 10 Mon 4 K/1 Powerhouse Museum exc. Mon 4 Year 10 PDHPE Gymnastics Tues 5 Zone Sec. Girls Basketball Tues 5 Jelly Cup Day Fund Raiser Wed 6 Musica Viva Prep Year 8 Wed 6 Year 8 PDHPE Gymnastics Thurs 7 9/10 PASS lawn bowls Fri 8 Year 7 PDHPE Gymnastics Prayer & Praise Praise God for our beautiful natural environment and all the wonders of His creation. Pray for our 5/6 Campers, for safety, fun and Learning in Canberra this week. Give thanks for the gift of imagination, stories, reading and books. Pray for Grandparent Day next week for fun, fellowship and mutual blessings. Pray for our HSC students as they complete their Trials and prepare for their exams. Pray for the Van den Elzen family as they plan their move to WA. Pray that God would provide another beautiful, talented, Godly Music & Drama teacher for our school. Pray for the Bates family as they look forward to the changes that Mrs Bates retirement from Kuyper will bring. Pray that God would provide another wonderful, Godly, talented Prep teacher for Mon 11 K/1 MAAS excursion, Castle Hill Mon 11 Year 10 PDHPE Gymnastics Tues 12 Mountains CC exchange Yr 7-10 Tues 12 Zone Sec. Girls Basketball Wed 13 Year 8 PDHPE Gymnastics Wed 13 PASS Campers depart Thurs 14 Year 4 Band Workshop, Nepean Thurs 14 Year 12 Reports sent home Fri 15 Year 7 PDHPE Gymnastics Fri 15 PASS Campers return Tues 19 Yr 8 10 Art Gallery excursion Wed 20 Prayer & Board Meetings, 7pm Thurs 21 9/10 PASS ice skating Fri 22 Celebrations, Year 4, 2:30pm Fri 22 Last Day Term 3

5 Join us in Supporting Operation Christmas Child This year, Kuyper Christian will be supporting Operation Christmas Child. We will be collecting items and packing shoeboxes. Please join us by donating items to your class as per the roster below. If you have any questions, contact the Office or speak with Gareth Thompson (Secondary Maths Teacher) CLASS Week 1 & 2 Week 3 & 4 Week 5 & 6 Week 7 & 8 K/1 Something to Something to love Something for Something Special 1/2 Something for Something to wear Something to Something Special 3 Something to Something to love Something for Something Special 4 Something for Something to wear Something to Something Special 5/6 Something to Something to love Something for Something Special Year 7 Something for Something to wear Something to Something Special Year 8 Something to Something to love Something for Something Special Year 9 Something for Something to wear Something to Something Special Year 10 Something for Something to love Something for Something Special Year 11 Something to Something to wear Something to Something Special Year 12 lollies; chocolate; food; drink mixes; seeds; medications; vitamins; toothpaste; liquids or lotions of any kind; used or damaged items; war related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; breakable items such as snow globes; anything in a glass container or aerosol can

6 And don t forget Jelly Cup Day, Tuesday 5 September to raise money for Operation Christmas Child