Kadimah School turns 50

Kadimah School turns 50

by David Robinson

This month (August 2021) Kadimah School celebrates its 50th anniversary. During the past 50 years it has developed into a fine school with enthusiastic support from parents and many in the community and having an envious reputation for outstanding academic achievement. It is looking forward to a secure future as it moves to a new campus with excellent facilities in Remuera. 

The school had its genesis in a bequest provided by the estate of Bernard Goldwater. His will after providing a life interest for his widow who died on the 5th May 1965 contained a provision for the Trustees of his estate to:- 

“Draw up a scheme to give as full effect as may be to providing Educational facilities for Jewish children if British born or naturalized subjects as the fund may enable, such facilities to be according to recognized English standards.”

The trustees of his will were Charles Nathan and the Rabbi of the Auckland Hebrew Congregation who was the late Rabbi Astor. The gift is made on trust to the Jewish Congregation of Auckland. 

At the time the will was executed there was only one Jewish Community in Auckland being the Auckland Hebrew Congregation, its members being restricted to orthodox Jews. The Beth Shalom Progressive Jewish congregation was formed in 1952 and consists of members some of whom may not qualify as members of the Auckland Hebrew Congregation. 

For obvious reasons the trustees found it undesirable, impracticable and probably impossible to draw up the scheme envisaged by Bernard Goldwater. Consequently it became necessary to prepare a scheme for the approval of the then Supreme Court. The trustees prepared a scheme for the court’s approval to apply the funds for the construction of a school block to be used as a daily kindergarten and if required a primary school for Jewish children. Pupils were not to be restricted to children of members of the Auckland Hebrew Congregation and instruction in ritual not to be compulsory. 

At the time of the application to the court the Auckland Hebrew Congregation was moving from the Synagogue and Sunday school complex on the corner of Bowen Avenue and Princes Street to a new Synagogue and community centre including a Sunday school to be built in Greys Avenue. The Bernard Goldwater estate had assets to the value of just over £70,000, being the equivalent of approximately $3,000,000 today and it was hoped that the funds would be used to finance part of the Synagogue and community centre. 

In refusing to approve the scheme the Judge concluded that the proposed scheme would only benefit Jewish children in Auckland and that in essence the proposed school will be a religious school operating only on Sundays. He found that the scheme would provide facilities to take the place of the Sunday school operated by the Auckland Hebrew Congregation in Bowen Avenue and that its primary purpose was to give instruction in Orthodox Judaism. 

The Judge said he gave weight to the impressive development of the Jewish Day school movement overseas but had to take into account evidence that most members of the Auckland Hebrew Congregation preferred to have their children educated in local schools attended by children of all 

sections of the general community and that a wholly Jewish school would not be likely to attract Gentile children. 

The scheme finally approved by the Court provided for the establishment of a Jewish Day school to teach subjects required by the Department of Education and also such subjects of special Jewish significance as are usually taught in Jewish Day schools. There is to be no religious discrimination against any child in regard to admission and the parents of any pupil may require the pupil to be excused from attendance at prayers or religious instruction. The scheme also required the Auckland Hebrew Congregation to refund any money received from the Bernard Goldwater estate in the event of a primary school not commencing within 5 years or ceasing to operate for more than 24 consecutive months. 

In conclusion the view expressed to the Judge which he accepted namely that members of the Jewish Community would be unlikely to send their children to a Jewish Day School, a view which many in the Jewish community held at that time, has proved to be incorrect. A significant number of the children attending Kadimah are Jewish. Furthermore Kadimah has had a significant number of non-Jewish students. The scheme finally adopted and approved by the Court has been an outstanding success. 

(The decision rejecting the scheme has been reported in the case of Re Goldwater( deceased) [1967] NZLR 754) 

David Robinson is a retired Associate Judge of the High Court of New Zealand and the Honorary Consul for Israel. He has been a member of the AHC for over 65 years.