Blog

For our final formal dinner of the 2025 academic year, Mandelbaum House had the privilege of hosting Holocaust survivor and founder of the Moving Forward Together Association (MFTA), Ernest Friedlander OAM, alongside Danielle Jaku-Greenfield, granddaughter of the late Eddie Jaku. The evening began with a heartfelt Acknowledgment of Country led by residents Logan Cully and […] Read more

Mandelbaum House was delighted and privileged to welcome Mr David Einstein to our second formal dinner of the semester. David is the co-founder of Orange Line, a globally recognised consultancy at the forefront of AI, digital marketing, and search optimisation. With more than 17 years of experience helping brands like Amazon, Atlassian, Expedia, Bayer, Skyscanner, […] Read more

With the commencement of the new semester at the University of Sydney, Mandelbaum House was fortunate to host a presentation by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), Professor Joanne Wright. Prior to joining the University of Sydney, Professor Wright was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) for the University of Queensland (UQ). Professor Wright has an extensive history of […] Read more

Mandelbaum House residents had the privilege of listening to a presentation by Professor Michael Blumenstein, a highly respected academic leader and an internationally recognised expert in Artificial Intelligence. He is currently serving as the Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Technology Sydney The evening started with an Acknowledgment of Country, and in the spirit of […] Read more

Mandelbaum House had the unique privilege of welcoming Glenn Orgias, whose remarkable story of resilience and fortitude once captured national widespread attention—and inspired conversations here at Mandelbaum for many days to come. Mr Orgias shared his extraordinary journey following a life-altering shark attack in 2009 on Sydney’s famous Bondi beach—the first in nearly 80 years—that […] Read more

Mandelbaum residents had the honor of welcoming Kovi Rose for our first formal dinner of the semester. Kovi is an astrophysics PhD candidate at the University of Sydney, and he completed his undergraduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The evening started with an Acknowledgement of Country, followed by a presentation on the wonders […] Read more

On the 19th of September, Danielle Jaku-Greenfield returned to University of Sydney grounds, to Mandelbaum House. To the same place where she studied a unit at the Law school, to the same place where her parents both studied, and to the same place her beloved grandfather Eddie is honored annually at Mandelbaum House. The third […] Read more

We had the pleasure of welcoming Gina Cass-Gottlieb, Chair of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), as our guest of honour at our formal dinner. The night began with a respectful Acknowledgement of Country by Kai. Several residents contributed to a memorable night including Alex’s incredible performance of The Prelude to Bach’s Cello Suite […] Read more

With the turn of the calendar comes the anticipation of our much-loved formal dinners. This month we had the honor of hosting Chancellor David Thodey AO FTSE as our guest speaker. We were also joined by Chairman Paul Baram, Deputy Chair Emeritus Professor Bettina Cass and USYD AUJS president Isaac Wine. The evening was a […] Read more

Mandelbaum residents had the honour of listening to Professor Simon Bronitt, Dean of the prestigious University of Sydney Law School at a recent formal dinner. Professor Bronitt’s presentation titled “Responding to the research integrity crisis in universities: Stains on the White Lab Coat Collar” was not restricted to legal study, but to the entirety of […] Read more

This week we celebrate Reconciliation Week in Australia, a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. Our six Indigenous residents recently organised our first Mandelbaum Yarn. Initiated by Logan Culley (a proud Darkinjung man), we […] Read more

For our March formal dinner, we had the honour of meeting and listening to Jude Stern. Jude leads the strategic knowledge agenda for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.  The evening started with an Acknowledgement of Country and the use of clapping sticks by residents Logan and Maher. We experienced a fantastic performance […] Read more

As I stepped into our familiar lounge, now beautifully decorated (it went through its Cinderella moment), I found myself on the brink of an adventure- my very first formal dinner. Our guest of honor, Dr. Siupeli Haukoloa-Paea, was armed with wit, an arsenal of fun stories, and an energy level that lit up the room. […] Read more

Mandelbaum House is proud to announce Oliver Ergas as the recipient of the 2023 Eddie Jaku OAM Mensch Award. This prestigious award, presented annually since 2018, is voted for by residents and staff. It honours the resident who exemplifies the qualities of integrity, caring, kindness, and strong community spirit that defined Holocaust survivor and philanthropist […] Read more

It’s a new month, and that meant another one of Mandelbaum House’s much-loved formal dinners. This time we were privileged to have the Vice Chancellor Mark Scott AO as our guest speaker. The evening commenced with an Acknowledgement of Country given by one of Mandelbaum House’s Indigenous students and took on new meaning with the […] Read more

Our September formal dinner began with resident Ian Yap performing Claire De Lune by Debussy on piano. A very pleasant surprise to find out Ian played the piano, as he took Mandelbaum through as he put it, “A reflective piece allowing for an introspective journey”. After this journey and a wonderful steak prepared by beloved […] Read more

On Wednesday night, 2nd of August 2023, Mandelbaum House hosted Associate Professor Narelle Yeo for an event that I now fondly remember. As I was making my way to the formal dinner, I did not know what to expect but it definitely was not sitting next to the guest of honour! She turned towards me […] Read more

On the 18th of April, Mandelbaum House welcomed Professor Tony Larkum as a guest speaker at Formal Dinner. The topic of the evening was coral bleaching, a phenomenon that has devastated the world’s coral reefs in recent years. Professor Larkum is a distinguished marine biologist and an expert on coral biology and ecology. His speech […] Read more

On 21 March, Dr. Lisa Jackson Pulver unveiled a magnificent Indigenous mural on the roof terrace of Mandelbaum House which was gifted to the college by a family of one of the College’s Aboriginal students. Mandelbaum is home to six Indigenous students, including five who are Gadigal scholarship recipients. The Indigenous artist Jason ‘Bidjipidji’ Lee […] Read more

Dr. Sue Morris has a passion for enhancing students’ success and wellbeing, with an emphasis on positive psychology and resilience. Over 25 years of undergraduate teaching at UNSW, she has focused on developing innovative and engaging learning experiences for students, emphasising collaboration and connectedness (with a smattering of humour), as well as providing staff development […] Read more

Our September Formal Dinner guest speaker was Romy Wolman, a disability advocate and the Founder/Executive Director of One&All, an inclusive, holistic, and creative hub for mixed abilities and mental health. As she spoke, we learned about how her daughter Milla, born with cerebral palsy, inspired her to found Single Sock Solution, an all-abilities weaving initiative […] Read more

This year Mandelbaum House celebrates its 25th birthday. Hundreds of students from Melbourne to Mozambique have found “a home away from home” at Mandelbaum. As a means to keep alumni connected, Gina Abramowitz (2016 resident, Alumni President) and Sophia Kwiet (2015 resident, Mandelbaum board member) have recently partnered to revive Mandelbaum’s alumni community. Grateful for […] Read more

The impact of COVID is harsh and widespread; suddenly millions of people are in lock down and improvising living life in one spot. What does this mean for students in residence? Mandelbaum House strode ahead to meet the moment with delicious free meals, movie nights and a wildly popular Minecraft server, in addition to following […] Read more

Shavuot is a significant festival in the Jewish tradition. This year our residents decided to focus on the universal virtues and values that each of the holiday’s customs can teach us. Of course, we didn’t give up on a fun afternoon of cheesecake baking that launched our celebrations! Inspired by the tradition of Tikkun Shavuot, […] Read more

On Tuesday the 11th of May, Mandelbaum residents were honoured with the presence of Professor Dr Stephen Garton, Vice-Chancellor and principal of the University of Sydney. We were also delighted to welcome back our chairman Associate Professor David Levy, on his first formal dinner with us since the pandemic began. The evening began with a […] Read more

Mandelbaum House’s second formal dinner for the year was special this time for two reasons: first the date, and second, the guest speaker. Taking place on the 14th of April, the evening was themed in celebration of the Tamil and Sinhalese New Year, with an Indian feast and residents from Indian and Sri Lankan backgrounds […] Read more

Associate Professor Dr Lilon Bandler, is the Principal Research Fellow for the Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education Network, the chair of the National Patient Blood Management Advisory Committee, a Board member of the Far West Local Health District, and a GP with the Royal Flying Doctor Service. She was also the guest speaker at Mandelbaum […] Read more

Congratulations to our 2021 Resident Assistants (RAs) Andrea Xia, Kacy Zhou and Thomas Winship for their appointments as the Mandelbaum House RAs in 2021. Each have held leadership roles at Mandelbaum over the past few years, and are now ready to assist new residents navigate the transition into university and college life. Our RAs are […] Read more

Fitting your entire life into just a handful of suitcases is no easy feat: Should I bring my posters? What about a pillow? Can I buy snacks close by? Don’t worry, we’ve collated responses from current and previous residents to answer your questions, so here are our top five things to bring to Mandelbaum House, […] Read more