Merlino joins UJEB class

VICTORIAN Education Minister and Deputy Premier James Merlino revealed that he has a picture from Jerusalem hanging on his kitchen wall when he visited a United Jewish Education Board (UJEB) classes at Glen Eira College on Friday.

Merlino was at the school, where 25 per cent of students are Jewish, to see how UJEB classes operate in the high school. The organisation is currently lobbying the Minister to expand the program to primary schools.

But it was his comments about visiting Israel that caught the attention of students.

“It’s a trip I’ll never forget,” Merlino said. “I was only there for a week but I’ll get back there again. I have this massive photo that I took in Jerusalem hanging in our kitchen. It was just amazing.”

Merlino visited Israel in 2013 as part of a study mission with eight other Labor parliamentarians.

During the session, amid a discussion about ways to end wars in the Middle East, one student quipped, “You could just melt down all of the weapons in the world.”

The Minister responded by saying that “it’s a good place to start”.

After meeting with students Merlino sat down with UJEB executive director Marlo Newton to discuss the possibility of expanding UJEB programs.

“We want to bring in Hebrew language as a LOTE (official language other than English) into primary school, bring in Jewish studies after school on site, bring in school-wide celebrations for major Jewish holidays and start an optional lunchtime group for ethnic identification,” Newton told The AJN.

“We are very encouraged by the conversation.

“The Minister has promised to take our proposal to the Department of Education for further discussion.”

JOSHUA LEVI