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ReflectionAustralia

The positive message I receive as a Jewish teacher in a non-Jewish school

Being part of a non-Jewish environment that actively embraces my difference is an antidote to the instinct to isolate.
Daniella Warren
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National Day of Mourning

Caulfield Grammar National Day of Morning. Vice Principal Simone Reilly, Reverand Ryan Holt and School Captain Cooper Ryan lead a school service for the National Day of Mourning after the Bondi massacre (supplied)

Published: 8 April 2026

Last updated: 8 April 2026

At a time when social cohesion is being widely debated in Australia and headlines often focus on division and polarisation, schools have a critical role to play in modelling what respectful communities look like. 

My experience as a Jewish educator in a non-Jewish school has shown me that social cohesion is possible through relationships, thoughtful leadership and everyday acts that signal “you belong here”. 

I have taught at Caulfield Grammar School, an Anglican independent school in Melbourne, for many years. It’s something my dad has often questioned. He believes Jewish educators and their families should naturally gravitate towards Jewish schools, places of cultural familiarity and shared understanding.  

I understand that instinct. There is comfort in shared experience, especially when the world feels uncertain. Jewish schools play an essential role in nurturing and strengthening Jewish identity and providing community. 

Recently many Jewish Australians have asked themselves, “Where am I safe?” “Where am I understood?” Some of my friends have retreated inward, drawing the circle tighter, choosing to stay only where they feel unquestionably understood. 

A community that makes genuine space for you to show up fully as yourself is the antidote to turning inwards

Working at Caulfield Grammar School has shown me another option: a non-Jewish environment that doesn’t merely tolerate or accept difference but that actively embraces it.  

The difference between being tolerated and being valued is where true acceptance lives. A community that makes genuine space for you to show up fully as yourself is the antidote to turning inwards, and what feels like safety may ultimately lead to isolation. 

I don’t leave my Jewish identity at the gate, nor am I required to defend it. Instead, I’m invited to bring my whole self to my work, to teach about my cultural background, and meaningfully share my culture in an environment that recognises that strong communities are built through embracing difference.  

I have been actively encouraged to be openly Jewish, to represent our Jewish students and their families and to educate colleagues.  

For my children, attending Caulfield Grammar School has meant growing up with friends who ask questions and who come to understand Judaism as just another flavour of humanity. Many of my children’s friends have attended Shabbat in our home. Together with their parents they warmly embrace us. And although this should be taken for granted, right now that feels profoundly hopeful.  

Schools shape what students believe is normal; they are training grounds for empathy, curiosity and civic life. When schools create environments where diverse identities are welcomed, they model what belonging can look like beyond the school gates.  

As Jews we talk often about rising antisemitism, and we must. But we also need to tell the other story too

At the beginning of this school year at a whole-school staff day, Caulfield Grammar principal Ashleigh Martin advocated for Jewish learning and understanding. To hear him recommend Jewish books he has read and encourage all 550 staff to read them too, was deeply affirming.  

He made it clear the school will engage seriously with national inquiries and current research, strengthen Holocaust and antisemitism education, and enhance understanding of Jewish history, identity and culture. That clarity of leadership sends a powerful message. 

In a recent series of lectures on antisemitism organised by the Gandel Foundation at the Holocaust Museum, Dr Greg Keith talked about educating about and against antisemitism in schools. His research shows the critical role of school leadership: in schools where antisemitic incidents occurred, clear and swift responses from leadership were associated with a reduction in future incidents. 

No school is immune to students testing the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, and Caulfield Grammar has experienced its own challenges with this. However, when the tone from the top is unequivocal and genuine, meaningful action is taken to make it clear that it is not tolerated, the broader school culture tends to follow. 

Strong leadership does not eliminate all antisocial behaviour, but it shapes how communities respond to them and ultimately how safe and cohesive those communities become. It’s the difference between growing stronger from the experience and the alternative: allowing it to chip away at social cohesion until all that is left is distrust, tribalism and a closing of ranks. 

In the months following October 7, Principal Martin held a listening dinner for several Jewish families in our school community. He created a space simply to listen to the Jewish community in his care and for families to share their experiences, the grief and fear many were carrying, as well as the very real concerns about rising antisemitism in Australia. There was no agenda beyond understanding. The evening centred on what it means to be Jewish in the world today. It signalled to our Jewish families, and to me, that they were not navigating this moment alone. 

That support has continued to be demonstrated in action, not just words. Our school made time and space for the National Day of Mourning for the Bondi massacre. Leadership, staff and students have embraced the One Mitzvah campaign, a meaningful opportunity for our Caulfield Grammar School community to honour Jewish grief through the values of goodness and action. We collated all our mitzvot to send on to the wider Jewish community as an act of solidarity and a tangible demonstration of support. 

Caulfield Grammar School has sponsored me to host numerous Shabbat dinners for boarding students and colleagues in my home. On the school’s behalf, I organised hamantaschen for staff to eat on Purim, and to share the richness of the Jewish calendar, the festivals and moments that shape the life of our ultra-orthodox Jewish neighbours. 

Matzah and hot cross buns on offer side by side at Caulfield Grammar School (supplied)
Matzah and hot cross buns on offer side by side at Caulfield Grammar School (supplied)

As Jews we talk often about rising antisemitism, and we must. But we also need to tell the other story too: the story of what it looks like when non-Jewish spaces show up for Jewish people with courage and warmth. True social cohesion is forged through learning and empathy. 

This support for the Jewish community reflects a broader school culture that seeks to honour and value all minority identities. Recently, I attended a meeting with our schools First Nations mentor, who was working with staff to ensure that when we teach the Stolen Generations in our Year 10 History course, we do so with cultural sensitivity and thoughtful curriculum design for our First Nations students.  

I have also watched colleagues take the time to practise the correct pronunciation of students’ family names, small but powerful acts that signal to every student that their identity, heritage and story matter. These everyday gestures, alongside more formal initiatives, help create a community where difference is respected and celebrated. 

There is comfort in being surrounded by those who share your story. Community is essential. But so is connection beyond it. And surely widening our definition of community is social cohesion’s ultimate goal.  

I recently had a student ask me if I was Jewish. I said yes, and he leaned in and whispered, “I am too.” I told him, “You don’t have to whisper, there are lots of Jewish students here.” He seemed to relax. After a pause he asked, “But can you be Jewish and teach here?” You sure can.

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About the author

Daniella Warren

Daniella Warren

Daniella Warren is a history educator who is committed to leading and embedding school values within student learning experiences. She is passionate about fostering thriving and inclusive school cultures.

Comments9

  • Avatar of Nicole Brittain

    Nicole Brittain9 July at 06:31 am

    Daniella, what a well written article clearly highlighting the work CGS, led by Ashley Martin, is doing to support and embrace the Jewish Community. Kol Hakavod to you for steering the ship at CGS.

  • Avatar of Simon Abraham

    Simon Abraham14 April at 07:31 am

    Great article Daniella. As someone with kids at both Jewish and non-Jewish schools, it’s clear that good culture leads to better outcomes. CGS is very well run and is lucky to have you.

  • Avatar of Tania

    Tania9 April at 08:05 am

    How heartening to hear that Caulfield Grammar teaches and demonstrates inclusivity of all cultures and ethnicities. Congratulations Daniella for such an articulate, thoughtful and enlightening piece at such a difficult time for the Jewish community in Melbourne.

  • Avatar of Nicky Segerman

    Nicky Segerman9 April at 07:36 am

    Thank you for this beautiful article. I hope it will also be published outside of the Jewish Independent to reach a broader readership. The leadership of Caulfield Grammar has set up a model which should and can be replicated in schools – Jewish and non-Jewish – all over Australia. I absolutely love the idea of a ‘listening dinner’.

  • Avatar of Lynette Zalcberg

    Lynette Zalcberg9 April at 01:06 am

    A beautifully written, insightful and uplifting piece. Having a grandson currently attending Caulfield Grammar I can only add to the supportive, educational, inclusive and safe environment this school provides for it’s Jewish students. Thanks Daniella for publishing.

  • Avatar of Liz aloni

    Liz aloni8 April at 09:23 am

    Thanks for not whispering Daniella. This is so important.

  • Avatar of Miriam Millingen

    Miriam Millingen8 April at 08:41 am

    What an inspiring article. Daniella you bring special compassion and special attributes to Caulfield Grammar School and it is inspiring to hear of your Principal’s wonderful understanding of our community.

  • Avatar of Greg Warren

    Greg Warren8 April at 06:55 am

    I am the father of Danielle and I’m immensely proud of her and constant efforts to highlight and teach our Proud Jewish history and share it positively with the children of other faiths to learn, absorb and understand that we are positively motivated community, deserving to be understood and embraced by the broader community.
    Kol hakavod Daniella xxx

  • Avatar of Ann Wollner

    Ann Wollner8 April at 04:19 am

    A thoughtful and encouraging article. How wonderful it would be if all schools embraced with understanding and care the minorities in their midst. It demonstrates clearly the importance of knowledgeable and compassionate leadership and dedicated teachers prepared to champion their identity and beliefs. Well done Danielle!