["The Melbourne Hebrew School", The Argus (Melbourne), Monday 19 March 1877, page 7]
The Melbourne Hebrew School.
The annual distribution of the prizes to the pupils of the Melbourne Hebrow School took place yesterday in the Melbourne Synagogue in the presence of about 5OO ladies und gentlemen. Mr. Louis M. Myers, president of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, occupied the chair, and read the following report:--
"The Melbourne Hebrew School, which was formerly a state school under the education department, was dissevered from Government control at the commencement of 1874, and since then has been maintained as a Communal Institution by the Jewish inhabitants of Melbourne and suburbs. It is satisfactory to note that whilst during 1873 (the last year of its connexion with Government) the average attendance was 101.83; since then, whilst charging school fees, and having to contend against the free education of the State, the attendances have been:--For the year 1874, average attendance, 94.65; for the year 1875, average attendance, 142.03; for the year 1876, average attendance, 170.98; for two months of 1877, average attendance, 195.80. So that now with an average attendance of about 200 pupils and with school fees bringing in about £300 per annum, the school may be regarded as in a highly flourishing condition.
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The Hon. Edward Cohen, M. L. A., offered a prire of 10 guineas to the first pupil who would matriculate from the school. This prize has consequently been gained by Joel Fredman.
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The chairman then proceeded to distribute the prizes as follows:--
Special Prizes --
Matriculation (10 guineas), Joel Fredman;
dux, English (five guineas), Albert Cohen;
improvement Hebrew, Rosetta Marks;
improvement English, Simon Moses, Sigismund Sehlam (equal);
needlework, Matilda Levy;
improvement English, Abraham Davis and Maurice Lederman;
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Hebrew translation, Abraham Davis;
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music, Isaac Bennett, Abraham Davis (equal);
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Hebrew, Abraham Davis;
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