Mount Scopus Memorial College

Mount Scopus Memorial College, commonly known as Mount Scopus, or just Scopus, is an independent Modern Orthodox Jewish comprehensive co-educational early learning, primary, and secondary day school, located in the Melbourne suburb of Burwood, Victoria, Australia. Since 2023, Dan Sztrajt has been principal of Mount Scopus Memorial College. History Mount Scopus Memorial College opened on St Kilda Road in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in 1949, taking its name from Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, which remained under Israeli control after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Mount Scopus College was the first co-educational Jewish day school in Melbourne, originally serving a student population of 143. It was established to meet the educational needs of the influx of Holocaust refugees to the Melbourne community. In 1953, the college moved to a larger campus in Burwood, which was designed by Melbourne's leading Jewish architect Anatol Kagan in association with Dr. Ernest Fooks. There are also campuses in St Kilda East and Caulfield South. Until 1996 there was a branch in Kew. In terms of Victorian Certificate of Education results, Mount Scopus was the state's highest performing school in 2009. Principals The principal of Mount Scopus Memorial College is Dan Sztrajt, who replaced Rabbi James Kennard. Previous principals have included Abraham Feiglin (1949–1968), Max Wahlhaus (1969), Aleksander Ranoschy (1970–1985), Rabbi Dr. Steven Lorch (1985–1991), and Rabbi William Altshul (1992–1996), Rabbi James Kennard (2007-2023). Sherut Leumi and ulpan Mount Scopus College was the first of the Melbourne Jewish Day Schools to take part in the Sherut Leumi program. Every year, four Israeli women are sent to Mount Scopus as part of their Israeli National Service. They are a major component of Scopus' informal Jewish Studies team. Mount Scopus offers an Ulpan program in which tenth graders travel to Israel for 6–10 weeks. In 2007 and 2010, more than half of the school's tenth graders took part in this program. Performing arts The performing arts are considered an important part of school life at Mount Scopus Memorial College. Mount Scopus Memorial College is an IB school. Drama and Dance electives are available to students years 8–12. Theatre Studies is taught in VCE with excellent results. Music is taught from primary through to VCE, with an instrumental program available to students years 2–12. The performing arts calendar includes an annual College Musical, Senior School Play, VCE Theatre Studies Play, Middle-school House Plays, Primary Musical (every two years), multiple Music Soirees and an 'Idol' singing competition. Some recent productions include Bye Bye Birdie (2002), Grease (2003), Bugsy Malone (2004), The Wizard of Oz (2005), Seussical (2006), Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat (2007), Disney's High School Musical (2008), The Sound of Music (2009), The Crucible (2009), Annie (2010), Disney's Beauty and the Beast (2011), Oliver! (2012), Little Shop of Horrors (2013). The 2012 production of Metamorphoses was awarded the Lyrebird Youth Awards for Best Production, Best Director – Evie Gawenda (Director of Performing Arts 2008–Current), Best Lighting and Best interpretation of script through the use of Multimedia – Evie Gawenda and Gideon Szental. Sport Mount Scopus is a member of the Eastern Independent Schools of Melbourne (EISM). EISM Premierships Mount Scopus has won the following EISM senior premierships. Combined: Swimming (3) – 1983, 1984, 1985 Boys: Badminton (4) – 2006, 2007, 2014, 2022 Basketball – 2022 Cricket – 1993 Football – 2006 Hockey (2) – 2005, 2008 Soccer (9) – 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Softball (10) – 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 Table Tennis (9) – 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2014, 2019 Tennis (7) – 1990, 2002, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022 Volleyball – 2022 Girls: Athletics – 1971 Basketball (2) – 1979, 1980 Bowling – 2004 Cricket – 2008 Hockey (6) – 1983, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 Soccer (5) – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022 Softball (7) – 1983, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2014, 2017, 2018 Swimming (9) – 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 Table Tennis (3) – 2003, 2021, 2022 Tennis (5) – 2004, 2005, 2020, 2021, 2022 Volleyball (2) – 1980, 1981 Mount Scopus have won the following Year 9 EISM Premierships Year 9 Boys: Football – 2014, 2019 Indoor Soccer – 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 Soccer – 2011, 2013, 2017, 2019 Softball – 2011, 2018 Table Tennis – 2010, 2017 Tennis – 2011, 2013, 2017 Touch Rugby – 2013 Ultimate Frisbee – 2017, 2022 Volleyball – 2017, 2018 Year 9 Girls: Hockey – 2014, 2017 Softball – 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 Table Tennis – 2015, 2019 Tennis – 2019 Touch Rugby – 2012, 2013 Volleyball – 2014 Notable alumni Louise Adler – publisher Neal Ashkanasy – emotional intelligence researcher Josh Burns – Member for Macnamara in the Australian House of Representatives Michael Danby MP – Federal politician, Member for Melbourne Ports Bianca Dye – radio presenter Issi Dye – entertainer Geoffrey Edelsten – entrepreneur Josh Frydenberg MP – former Treasurer of Australia and member for Kooyong in the Australian House of Representatives Joe Gersh – businessman Deborah Glass – Victorian Ombudsman Michael Gudinski – music industry and entertainment entrepreneur Michelle Haber – cancer researcher, also attended Moriah College Janet Hiller – epidemiologist Dena Kaplan – actress Naomi Milgrom – businesswoman Shira Nayman - writer Eva Orner – filmmaker and Academy Award winner Mark Regev – former spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister and former ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom Kim Rubenstein – academic Carol Schwartz – businesswoman Harry Sheezel – AFL player at North Melbourne Football Club David Southwick – Member of the Legislative Assembly in Victoria Leon Zwier – Lawyer Notable staff Eva Duldig, Austrian-born Australian and Dutch tennis player and author James Kennard, educationalist and former principal of the school Jason Shulman, aka hip hop artist Reason See also List of non-government schools in Victoria Judaism in Australia References External links Mount Scopus Memorial College website