Sholem Aleichem College was born out of the secular Yiddish Sunday schools that had been established in Melbourne during the years prior: the I.L. Peretz Sunday School (est. 1935) and the Sholem Aleichem Sunday School (est. 1947). These Yiddish schools were inspired by the forward-thinking TSYSHO schools of Eastern Europe.

Those who worked to establish Sholem Aleichem College aspired to create a College that would promote Yiddish language and culture, an institution that would ensure the ongoing accessibility of Yiddish education. Many leaders of the College movement recognised that for Jewish children in Australia to have a quality secular-Jewish education, for them to become bi-cultural and harbour a passionate sense of Jewish identity, they needed a day-school. They envisaged an important new link in ‘der goldener keyt’ (the golden chain of Jewish tradition). Their dream was realised when the College opened its doors to ten Prep children in 1975.

The kindergarten was established in 1951. In 1975, Sholem Aleichem College became a day-school offering enrolment from Prep to Grade 6. The Preschool (now known as the Early Learning Centre) was built in 1976, and extended its operating hours in 1995.

Sholem Aleichem College has flourished into a worldwide recognised centre of Jewish and Yiddish education - a tribute to the vision of its founders.

Over the years, the College has continued to expand and grow.

Who was Sholem Aleichem?

Sholem Aleichem (pseudonym) is the namesake of our College. He was born Sholom Rabinowitz in Ukraine in 1859. Sholem Aleichem was a renowned Yiddish writer and humourist. He died in New York, USA, in 1916.