The impact of Mandelbaum House
This year Mandelbaum House, the Jewish residential college at Sydney University celebrates its 25th birthday.
Gina Abramowitz and Sophia Kwiet
Hundreds of students from Melbourne to Mozambique have found “a home away from home” at Mandelbaum. As a means to keep alumni connected, Gina Abramowitz (2016 resident, Alumni President) and Sophia Kwiet (2015 resident, Mandelbaum board member) have recently partnered to revive Mandelbaum’s alumni community. Grateful for the invaluable experiences they had while residents at the college, Abramowitz and Kwiet are keen to give back to this very special community.
“Having grown up outside the Jewish community, Mandelbaum was an incredible catalyst in my life” explained Sophia Kwiet. “I met fellow Jewish students for the first time and was exposed to the wonderful culture and traditions of Judaism and the invaluable offerings of the Australian Jewish community”.
Gina Abramowitz concurred saying, “Mandelbaum offers so much more than a convenient location and catered meals, it offers students an opportunity to forge meaningful connections, celebrate cultural diversity and engage in personal development as they enter this important phase of young adulthood”.
These two passionate women are seeking to form an extensive network of Mandelbaum Alumni. Their vision is to create networking and mentorship opportunities in addition to hosting social events and reunions. “There is so much potential to be harnessed within the alumni community, with such a diverse group of people in different professions, it would be a shame to not utilise the skill set and talent available”. Both recognise that there is a real shortage of opportunities for Jewish community engagement for young adults after university. They hope that the Mandelbaum alumni network will facilitate connection to the Jewish community and provide ongoing opportunities for cultural exchange and professional development.
If you are a Mandelbaum Alumni and would like to get involved or find out more, Gina and Sophia would love to hear from you- mandelbaumhousealumni@gmail.com.
