Emanuel Woollahra Preschool

We are proud and excited to share some important news about the future of Emanuel Woollahra Preschool (EWP) and Emanuel Synagogue (ES).

Pictured (L-R): Sam Weiss (Chairman of the EWP Board), Beverley Smuskowitz (EWP Director), Grant McCorquodale (President of the ES Board), Kate Shkurko (ES Executive Director), and Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth with happy kids from EWP

Since inception, both organisations have provided a dynamic whole-of-life Jewish experience to serve the spiritual, educational and community needs of greater Sydney Jewish families. For the past few years, EWP and ES have worked closely to create a collaborative vision for the future needs of our communities. Two years ago, ES began to provide back office shared services to EWP, freeing up the preschool to prioritise the education and care of children and overall experience for parents.

At the 2025 EWP Annual General Meeting on 12 June, members approved a proposal presented by the EWP and ES Boards, and rabbinical leadership of Emanuel Synagogue, to integrate EWP and ES and strengthen community connections, enhance parent support and engagement, and ensure long-term financial security for EWP. Members voted unanimously to change the EWP legal structure from an incorporated association to a Company Limited by Guarantee, with ES as the sole member, bringing to fruition, a decade-long process to reintegrate EWP and ES.

EWP will maintain the high-quality education that it is renowned for, with no changes to staff or the day-to-day operation of the preschool, and families will receive consistent and holistic support and parenting programs, workshops, and events that blend religious and educational perspectives. ES members will continue to benefit from easy access to EWP on the ES campus and fee discounts, and can look forward to many more collaborative programs for young families, such as this year’s warmly received Purim Carnival and Little People of the Books.

Thank you for your continued support of both Emanuel Synagogue and Emanuel Woollahra Preschool, and please join us in celebrating this exciting new chapter for our community.