Bialik College

Bialik College
Step Forth With Courage
Address
429 Auburn Road Hawthorn East, Victoria 3123 Australia
Coordinates
Information
Type	Independent
Denomination	Jewish
Established	1942
Principal	Jeremy Stowe-Lindner
Grades	K-12
Enrolment	1,046
Colour(s)	Blue and Yellow
Website	www.bialik.vic.edu.au

Bialik College is a Jewish day school located in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn East. School capacity is more than 1000 students, ranging from kindergarten to grade 12. Bialik offers the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). Established in 1942 in Carlton North, Victoria, the school has had a Zionist orientation since its inception, with the establishment of the State of Israel central to its identity.

Shlichim

One of Bialik's many projects is its Shlichim project, in which representatives are sent from Israel to Australia to assist with informal education. The shlichim organise fun activities and camps to enrich the students' education, and head up fundraisers to support this work.

Facilities

Since the late 1990s, Bialik has added a building to house its VCE department, an early learning centre, the 'Besen Family Art & Technology Centre' and the 'Gringlas Sports Centre' to its campus. Additionally, the school has established the Rosenkranz Centre, aimed at providing "enrichment and extension programs for students". A new drama studio opened in 2010 and a new library in early 2011. In 2011, a new Jewish Life Centre, 'The Mifgash' and 'The Mifgash Bet' opened as part of the school's new Jewish life and Informal Education initiative. The New Year 10 Hadracha program offers Year 10 students an opportunity to be madrichim (leaders) of the school, and to assist in running of The Mifgash and Mifgash Bet.

Academics

Bialik College has offered the VCE since 1990; the school has consistently been ranked as one of the top 10 in Victoria. In 2005 it ranked second. In 2009 through 2012, the school placed in the top five, with 2012's students ranking third and 36% of them receiving scores above 40.

Performing arts

Bialik College has a comprehensive performing arts program. All students are provided with an opportunity to learn a musical instrument, and participate in orchestras and ensembles. The drama program is an elective in Years 7-10, and many students choose to continue it for VCE. On alternative years the school presents a major musical, and produces a play. Some recent Bialik productions include The Wizard of Oz, Metamorphoses and The Laramie Project. In 2013, Bialik will present a production of Fiddler On The Roof. There is also a yearly house performing arts competition, which is run by Year 10 drama students.

Jewish life

Jewish Life looks over the three departments within the college: Jewish Studies, Hebrew, Informal Jewish Education. Informal Education caters to the four pillars of Judaism, Zionism, Leadership and Health and Wellbeing. Informal Education is run out of The Mifgash and The Mifgash Bet, two rooms which represent the ethos of Bialik College in terms of pedagogy, outlook, and conforms to typologies held by Jewish Informal Education.

House system

The three houses, Weizmann (Green), Szold (Yellow) and Herzl (Red), are mainly used for interhouse sports and are named for Chaim Weizmann, Henrietta Szold and Theodore Herzl.

Notable alumni

• Joshua Frydenberg, banker and Liberal member for Kooyong in the Australian House of Representatives since August 2010.
• Anthony Goldbloom, founder and CEO of Kaggle
• Ben Zygier, identified as Prisoner X, lawyer and Mossad agent who reportedly committed suicide in a high-security Israeli prison.
• Lior Attar, popular singer songwriter, most known for This Old Love

Notable staff

• Paul Bartrop, historian