High achieving Jewish students

LAST year, almost 51,000 Victorian students completed their VCE – and on Tuesday morning, 13 Jewish students were among the 274 highest achievers presented with VCE Premiers Awards by Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, James Merlino.

Cara Davies of Bialik College was one of 23 recipients who were awarded a Top All-Round VCE High Achiever Award, the prestigious accolade for those who achieved study scores of 46 or more across at least five VCE subjects. Davies, who also received a chemistry study award, was joined by fellow Bialik student Sahar Shavit. Reaching the highest ever raw score of 48 for Hebrew at the College, Shavit also topped statewide VCE Hebrew results over the past five years.

Rounding out the Bialik contingent, Isabelle Worth and Jeremy Bassat earned themselves a media and accounting study award, respectively. In order to receive a study award, a study score of 46 or above needs to be achieved in a subject.

Speaking with The AJN, Jeremy credits his success to the “sense of community, awesome teachers and great friends” at Bialik.

Nachas for the Bassat family continued, with Jeremy’s cousin, Matthew Bassat, receiving a study award for English. The Mount Scopus student achieved a perfect score of 50 in the subject.

“It truly was very surprising,” Matthew reflected on the moment he learnt of his result. Now studying science at the University of Melbourne, Matthew spoke of his joy at receiving an award alongside Jeremy. “We spend Friday night dinners together, so it was definitely nice to have his company at the ceremony and share the experience,” he said.

King David School student Erin Spitz also received a perfect score of 50 – in the subject of religion and society – which she “didn’t expect at all”.

“I got to study Elie Wiesel, who I have admired for my whole life. I’m really passionate about the Holocaust so it was really cool to do something I loved,” she said.

REBECCA DAVIS

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