Letters from students, handmade cards, artwork, photographs and College kippot have been sealed inside a time capsule marking Masada College’s 60th anniversary.
The capsule was buried in a garden bed in the science quadrangle at the College’s St Ives campus and is intended to remain there for 60 years and be opened in 2086 as part of Masada’s 120th anniversary celebrations.
Student leaders and members of the College Executive took part in the burial ceremony at the end of Term 2, linking the College’s history with the generations of students who will follow.
The capsule contains letters from students, handmade cards created by children in Masada’s Early Learning Centre, student artwork and photographs of students and staff reflecting school life in 2026.
Also included are a copy of the College’s latest newsletter and the kippot worn at Masada today.
The contents were selected collectively by members of the school community. Organisers also managed to fit every student design submitted for inclusion into the capsule.
Principal Raquel Charet said the capsule reflected the College’s history, Jewish identity and values.
Since its establishment, the College has sought to combine academic achievement with the development of strong character.
“For 60 years, Masada College has been guided by the belief that Goodness Makes Greatness,” Charet said.
“This time capsule celebrates the kindness, resilience, Jewish values and strong sense of community that have shaped generations of students.
“We hope that when it is opened, 60 years from now, it will offer a meaningful glimpse into who we were, what we valued and the legacy we were building for those who follow.”
Masada College began at North Shore Synagogue at Lindfield in 1966 and has since grown to educate students from its Early Learning Centre through to Year 12.
The time capsule is one of several activities marking Masada’s anniversary year.
The College will hold its first major alumni event on Sunday, 30 August, with about 380 former students already registered. The gathering is expected to bring together alumni from across the College’s six decades.
While celebrating its history, Masada is also focusing on the future of Jewish education through the HAF Jewish Bursary which began operating in Term 1 this year. It provides a 40 per cent reduction in tuition fees for all existing and new Jewish students from Kindergarten to Year 12 and is not means-tested.
The program was established through a partnership between Masada College, the Hyman Abramovich Foundation and Sir Moses Montefiore Jewish Home.
The sale of the HAF-owned Masada oval to Montefiore enabled the foundation to fund the bursary, which is intended to make Jewish education more affordable and support Jewish life and learning on Sydney’s North Shore.
The capsule will now remain beneath the science quadrangle until students and staff gather in 2086 to see how the Masada community lived, learned and expressed its Jewish identity 60 years earlier.