Year 3 and 4 students from Emanuel School, a co-educational P-12 Jewish day school in Randwick, and Kincoppal Rose Bay (KRB), an independent Catholic early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school in Vaucluse, last week participated in a cultural exchange and baking workshop hosted at Emanuel School.
Taking place just prior to Easter and Passover, and guided by lead educator Lisa Pillemer, with the support of respective school principals Linda Emms (Emanuel) and junior school principal Rachael Symes (KRB), children participated in making both Challah and Easter bread, symbols of celebration and community in their respective cultures.
Co-organiser Anna Solomon said Kids Breaking Bread is about encouraging friendships between kids from different communities and backgrounds.
The initiative was sparked by a heartfelt conversation between four parents and friends; Amanda Morris, Solomon, Louise Israelstam, and Phoebe Malouf, who envisioned a world where their children could form meaningful connections across cultural lines, just as they had in their own youth.
“By baking and sharing bread, they share stories, traditions, and build bridges in our community instead of walls.” Solomon said.
Emms said initiatives like Kids Breaking Bread are important in building community cohesion.
“Providing opportunities for students from different school to find out what they have in common and developing understanding of the cultures and traditions of each other is key to developing meaningful connections,” Emms shared.
Organisers say Kids Breaking Bread aims to highlight the similarities between communities, celebrating differences while focusing on shared values; kindness, respect, and connection.
Symes, who has only recently been appointed junior school principal at KRB, concurred.
“The kids’ breaking experience was truly joyful and heartwarming,” she said.
“Watching the students engage with enthusiasm and excitement was a testament to the positive impact of such activities.
“This experience not only brought immense joy but also plays a crucial role in breaking down barriers early on.”
Organisers said Kids Breaking Bread aims to highlight the similarities between communities, celebrating differences while focusing on shared values; kindness, respect, and connection.
Through this initiative, students are encouraged to see one another not as strangers, but as future friends and allies.
This is the first of what organisers hope will be many such events, fostering early, meaningful conversations between communities through joyful, hands-on learning.
