This term, I had the privilege of hearing our Year 6 public speaking finalists and the听蝉耻产蝉别辩耻别苍迟听agony of having to choose just听three听to represent Carmel at the interschool speaking challenge at Scotch College.听

The calibre of speeches, both in their content and delivery,听was simply mind-blowing. The students researched their topics,听learnt their speeches by heart so听that even听their small cue cards were redundant, practised their expressions and honed their poise. Their speeches were entertaining, interesting and听heart-warming.听Teaching听our听students to be confident and听able听public speakers is yet another area we听shine in听at Carmel; perhaps it听stems from听our emphasis on questioning听and听on making our students feel heard and valued that gives added oomph to the explicit teaching and preparation done by our wonderful teachers.听What was extra special was seeing the classmates cheer each other on, truly happy for their friends鈥� successes.听

A听way to hone speechwriting skills is to read and study the great speeches of history.听I听Have a听Dream听by Martin Luther King,听We听Shall听Fight on the Beaches听by Churchill,听or听Once听More unto the Breach听in Shakespeare鈥檚 Henry听V,听stir up emotion and passion, no matter how many times I read them.听听

I feel that the speeches given at the inauguration of the new, most diverse, Israeli听Government by both Naftali Bennett听and Yair Lapid are also speeches of great importance. If you haven鈥檛 read them, I encourage you to print them out to read over Shabbat. The shameful heckling in the Knesset meant that Lapid did not have听a chance to give听his speech, but the words are just as beautiful in written form. They are poignant, eloquent and contain so many important and wise sentiments for our people and our country:听

One of the Haredi Knesset Members sent me a message just before Shabbat which said,听鈥淭he听Kotzker听Rebbe defined the saying,听鈥楯ust as their faces are not the same, so their opinions are not the same鈥櫶齛s meaning,听鈥楯ust as no person is angry that his friend has a different face, so no person should be angry at his friend鈥檚 different opinions.鈥櫶鼳nd then he added:听鈥淟et us hope for days of common good.鈥�听
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If the听Kotzker听Rebbe had known his words would become a WhatsApp message full of good intentions between two Knesset Members, one Haredi and one secular, in a free and democratic Israel, then I think he would have been pleased. I believe he would have said to us,听鈥淚t听cannot be that you do not see how close you are.鈥澨齏e have an argument between us over politics and values, but we are not enemies. We live here together. Our fate is intertwined.听

Our fate too is intertwined with all Jewish people, with Israel and with each other here in Perth.听

Back in 1986,听听wrote an insightful book entitled听,听about major tenets that the vast majority considered sacred and inviolable.听听

Among these major tenets common to religious and nonreligious Jews alike,听he listed 鈥渦nity of the Jewish people,鈥� 鈥渕utual responsibility,鈥� 鈥渢he centrality of the state of Israel鈥� and 鈥淛ewish survival.鈥� These core beliefs, he argued, bound Jews together.听

Our calling is to embrace that interconnectedness, revel in our joint responsibility and stride forward on the common ground we so deeply cherish.听

May the new government lead our country and our people with integrity and wisdom.听

Am Yisrael Chai.听

Shabbat Shalom,听

Shula听