New principal for Moriah College
Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler, College Principal of Melbourne’s Yeshiva and Beth Rivkah Colleges has been appointed Principal of Sydney’s Moriah College.
Stephen Jankelowitz and Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler
In a letter to the Moriah school community, President Stephen Jankelowitz said “I am very excited by the appointment of an outstanding Principal who will lead our school to greater levels of achievement and distinction, ensuring that our Jewish values and our deep love and connection to Israel, remain at the core of all that we do.
“Rabbi Smukler is an extremely impressive and visionary school leader, with more than two decades of educational experience, including over 10 years at Moriah College from 1999 to 2010.”
Beth Rivkah College Board stated that while saddened to lose Rabbi Smukler, they are pleased he will continue in his role until mid-2019 and that the Board has commenced an executive search for his replacement.
“We thank Rabbi Smukler for serving our community with distinction during a critical time in our history. During his eight and a half years as College Principal, Rabbi Smukler, together with his leadership teams, have made a tremendous impact. Under his leadership, the school has thrived in all areas”.
Retiring Moriah principal John Hamey, Stephen Jankelowitz and incoming principal Yehoshua Smukler
During the 2015 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Rabbi Smukler told the Commission on the subject of apologies to victims of abuse that
“It’s a Jewish concept but it’s also an obvious concept, that if you are apologising for something you should spell out what you are apologising for and it’s pretty darn obvious that if you just say to people ‘we apologise’ it’s far more effective and emotionally fulfilling to say we apologise for this and that.
“A lot of evidence has come to the fore in preparing for this Commission and I have seen an enormous amount in the last two weeks. There’s a lot of details, that I would, in hindsight, with the knowledge I have to today, have expressed to victims, and would love to express to victims, as they need to hear it and we morally need to do it – religiously and in every which way.”
Rabbi Smukler told the Royal Commission that he had implemented the revision of Yeshivah policies regarding reporting of sexually related incidents involving students when he took up his new position in August 2010. Maria Gerace, Counsel assisting the Commission, commented that Rabbi Smukler had “been instrumental in bringing through a change of thinking on these issues within the school.”
We are long-time parents at Moriah and Rabbi Smukler was there when our oldest daughter was there. He is fantastic! I know some parents will judge the book by its cover, but boy they’ll be impressed by him when they get to know him. We are so excited that our youngest child will graduate under his watch!