Norman Sandler (late)

September 2009

Copyright 2009

Speech at Norman?s 80th birthday

submitted by his niece Sheryl Benjamin

Speech delivered on the occasion of his 80^th birthday in Perth,

Western Australia, on the 27^th December 1997 by his nephew

Hilton Immerman.

Today is an auspicious occasion.  We are gathered here in celebration of a great man ? one who has been further elevated to octogenarian status!

When Norman called me some weeks ago and invited me to propose the toast to him at his birthday, I felt honoured.  Not only is he my highly respected uncle ? my late mother?s brother ? but he has been my mentor and guide, a source of inspiration to me in my life and career.

 Norman was the fourth of five children, all of whom became teachers.  His father (my grandfather), a tailor who lived in Vryheid, Natal, was avid reader of the classics ? from Dostoevsky and Tolstoy to Israel Zangwill and Karl Marx.  He sent all his children to University.

• Norman?s oldest sibling, Archie, was a gifted Mathematics teacher.
• Max, next in line, was a legendary figure in Durban, where he taught Latin and English, and also served as a well known sports commentator and journalist.
• My mother taught for 40 years.
• Frieda, Norman?s youngest sibling, was a teacher for many years at King David High School, where the Sandler legacy continues with her daughter, Sheryl, who has given 30 years of signal service. She began as a Maths teacher, and now is both Head of Department and Deputy Principal.

Norman has had a great influence on the lives of a cast of tens of thousands of people throughout his years as Principal of arguably the best and biggest Jewish day school in the world at the time.

My wife and I are no exception!  I recall a family gathering in about 1971.  I was an Arts/Law student.  He waxed lyrical about the nobility of the teaching profession and the important contribution to be made in Jewish education.  He succeeded in planting the seed.

In 1973, when I was close to qualifying as teacher, Norman offered my then girlfriend and I teaching and houseparent positions ? with a flat in the King David hostel (if we were married!)  We were quite taken aback ? but the proposal fitted in with our plans ? fortunately!  I?ve loved my career in education ? and I have Norman to thank.

Norman was appointed principal to the fledgling King David when he was in his mid 30?s.  He soon built it into a dynamic, world-class institution.

Today?s educationalists and organisational gurus theorise?

• about what constitutes effective schools and organisations;
• about the need to establish learning organisations, with a clear and unequivocal mission;
• about the importance of attracting innovative staff;
• about shaping a dynamic culture; and
• about exercising strong and visionary leadership.

Norman actually achieved this in the turbulent 60?s!  He was a leader ahead of his time.

He had an incredible ability to attracted exceptional staff.  Some of whom happened to be evading the security police for their radical political activities!

A typical story exemplifies this? An Afrikaans teacher wanted to sell his car.  Norman, always the facilitator, knew that one of the women on staff was looking to purchase one.  He suggested that she use it on trial over the weekend.  On the Monday, the Security Police came to Norman?s office, demanding to see the Afrikaans teacher.  They produced a photograph of the woman and asked if he knew her.  The poor man was so flustered that he denied it ? even though they were fellow staff members.

It turned out that she was an active member of the then banned Congress of Democrats and had been disseminating illegal pamphlets all weekend while using his car!  The police dragged him off for further questioning, while he bellowed, Ek stem Nat [I vote for the National Party].

There are many other stories of creative eccentrics, one of which involved a science teacher building rocket on Linksfield Ridge!

There have been a number of King David reunions around the world ? and Norman is always invited to be the guest of honour.  In Sydney, Los Angeles, Toronto, reunions have attracted between 400-500 people!

At one such function, Norman was reported to have said

My right arm ? now a little withered ? launched many thousand careers!

The achievements of graduates is nothing short of exceptional, with many filling leading positions in medicine, law and business in the US, Canada, Australia, Israel and the UK.  This speaks volumes about the quality of education that the school offered.

I was recently speaking to an ex-Davidian friend in Sydney, and asked her what she recalled most vividly about Norman?

She explained her most striking memory as follows:

If a class was ?rioting?, one would soon hear the catch cry ? ?Chips, the boss!?

Now the term ?chips? in this context does not refer to french fries but means, ?beware; take cover?; and was enough to instil fear and instant silence.

Norman taught her Latin in Standard 7 [Year 9].  If the boys didn?t do homework, he?d tell them to

examine the recesses of the inkpots for spiders

which was a euphemism for bend over!

Another legendary but true incident is reported in which a particularly noisy class was promptly sent to line up outside the Boss? office to receive (corporal) punishment.  After rapidly working his way through the line, Norman came to last boy, looked him up and down, and said,

Besides creating a disturbance, you also have the cheek to be out uniform.  Bend over!

An attempted explanation began ? ?but, but??

No buts.  Bend over!

After a sound caning, Norman discovered that the young man was in fact the class? student teacher!

In my ?research? for this speech, I also spoke with a number of former teachers who taught under Norman.  Some of their comments included:

 He was mightily respected for his great intellect.

• An exceptional educationalist, who greatly valued his committed and innovative staff.  He admired teachers who could open the minds of their students.
• Rather than be cautious of liberal and radical ideas during the repressive 60?s in South Africa, he welcomed and encouraged them.
• Mr Sandler is a man of great integrity and high moral principles.
• A real leader doesn?t try to lead with his hands from behind a desk ? but with his feet.  Mr Sandler led from the front and was a real presence.  He kept the staff as well as the students on their toes.

Contrary to some popular belief, bribery and corruption are not only present in Australian business and politics!  Norman was offered many things ? including a wardrobe of suits by an influential parent to make special concessions for his child.  He was heard to retort:

You appear to lack cognisance of the simple fact that the integrity of this great establishment far exceeds any material things that may be offered.

He was feared by some, loved by many, but respected by all.

After his stint of 20 years as the boss of King David, he became the Director of South African Board of Jewish Education.  A line from Shakespeare?s Julius Caesar best describes him in this position:

He bestrides the narrow world like a colossus.

Norman was like a chess Grandmaster in his personnel recruitment and placement; a TQM Guru with his inspections and quality assurance.

On retirement from the Board of Jewish Education, Elliott Wolf, the Principal of King David, referred to

?our being regaled with his fine turn of phrase and impeccable command of English.

In fact my brother recalled Uncle Norman?s letters to our family, which, he said

made Shakespeare seem like an illiterate ? I had to read them with a dictionary!

Elliott continued in his tribute:

My introduction and that of my twin brother into Kind David was effected by Mr Sandler who lured us away from teaching at government schools to head the departments of English and Latin in his school at Linksfield.  It was a privilege and pleasure to teach under an educationist from whose experience and expertise one could learn so much. Some of his headmasterisms are legend, among them one which has always amused me: ?To chew is taboo?.  

The many hundreds of Davidians who passed through his hands will recall many more.  But more significantly will they remember his nineteen years as first headmaster of King David Linksfield during which time their school burgeoned into fame. He was the innovator of so much that we take for granted in our schools today, among them the open exchange and rapport between pupil and teacher, bold experimentation in new teaching methodology, the Ulpan scheme, the occasional half holiday when Linksfield triumphed in rugby or South Africa played a cricket test at the Wanderers!  I shall miss Mr Sandler.

Mike Kessel, the Principal of the Herzlia Schools, had this to say:

The success of the Jewish Day School education in South Africa must be of tremendous satisfaction to you.  Without your efforts and dedication over so many years Jewish education in this country would not have been what it is. 

Your wife Hilda has played a major role in assisting you and none of us are unmindful or have forgotten what Hilda has done for you and for Jewish education, albeit unobtrusively.

My Aunt Hilda certainly deserves this commendation.  She?s an amazing woman who?s been so supportive of Norman and so committed to her wonderful family.

Emigration for everyone is a major upheaval and life-change.  It?s highly disorienting and emotionally challenging.

For Norman and Hilda, how much more so!  In South Africa they were so well known and respected, with networks and contacts that were second to none.

Besides the physical upheaval, Norman moved from a kind of celebrity status to being Tony?s Dad or Lisa, Brett and Justin?s grandfather.

Norman and Hilda did have exceptional support from Tony and Marilyn ? but they were also able to accept their new lifestyle and status with wisdom and dignity.

I know how happy they are to be here and how much they appreciate their loving and supportive family, this wonderful community, and all their friends who are here this morning.

I?d now like to ask you to join me in charging your glasses and rise for the toast:

To Norman.

Photographs Submitted by his Niece Sheryl Benjamin

 

 

Taken at Norman?s 80th birthday in Perth some 12 years ago. This was the last time I saw him. Norman is shown with  his nephew (and my cousin) Dr Hilton Immerman  Dean of Shalom House at University of NSW, Australia.   Hilton taught English at KD for a few years as a young teacher, but I can?t pinpoint what years!  Today Hilton holds the OAM (Order of Australian merit  ?  equivalent to OBE) for his contribution to education in Australia, and is widely recognised as an authority, especially in Jewish education.

93300p.8 Norman Sandler Courtesy Sheryl Benjamin

 

 

 

Eulogy

submitted by Sheryl Benjamin

Eulogy delivered at his funeral in Perth 

on 16 January 2004 by his nephew, Dr Hilton Immerman

I am honoured to be given the opportunity to pay tribute to Norman Sandler today.

My name is Hilton Immerman. I?m from Sydney.  Norman was my uncle ? my late mother?s brother.  He was a mentor and source of inspiration not only to me ? but to countless others.

On Wednesday night, it was erev yahrzeit for my mother.  That night, I had a vivid dream about Norman.  When I woke-up at 6:00 yesterday morning to go to shule to recite Kaddish, the phone rang.  It was my cousin, Tony, Norman?s son, to tell me the sad news of his passing.  What makes this story even more remarkable is that Norman had recently been talking a great deal about his older sister whom he hadn?t seen for over 15 years.  She passed away 8 years ago in Durban.  Now they will have the same yahrzeit ? the 21^st Tevet!

I not a superstitious person, but it seems as though Norman was ready to give up his fragile lease on life and go to join his sister and other deceased family members.

He was truly remarkable and made a significant contribution to the world.  But, even more importantly, he was a real family man and a person of great integrity and generosity of spirit.  He would do anything for his family, whom he loved dearly, and for his many friends.

Even in his last year, when his health and faculties were rapidly declining, he was still a favourite of all the nurses at the home.  They loved him because he was such a colourful character and always made a great effort to be accommodating.

Norman was the devoted husband to his loving wife, Hilda ? his partner for 60 years!  She?s an exceptional woman in her own right, who provided him with so much love and support.  As such, Norman?s considerable achievements were a team effort.

He loved nothing better than to talk about and extol the many virtues of his children, grandchildren and, more recently, even his great grandchildren.

Most of you here know the family and will therefore be aware that Norman had no shortage of substantive material about which to brag!

His son, Tony, is a leader in his profession, and also lectures at the University of Western Australia.  But, more to the point, he is a real mensch and a most devoted son.  A busy man who made the time to visit his father every day!  Even when his faculties were failing, Norman knew how blest he was to have a son like Tony.

Norman?s daughter, Linda, who lives in London, couldn?t be here today.  She was constantly on the telephone to the family yesterday.  Norman also loved to wax lyrical about her great achievements, with a Ph.D in English literature and an MBA, and working as a leading financial journalist in New York and London.

Norman had many members of his extended family, including a large contingent of nephews and nieces that he guided, assisted and inspired ? many of whom went on to achieve much success because of his influence and the role model and mentor that he was.

In addition to being a real family man, Norman was also a real intellectual and sportsman.  He was a scholar of English, History and Latin and an inspired educator.  As a young man, he was a most accomplished tennis and hockey player and a cricketer ? selected to play at a district or representative level.

Norman was the fourth of five children, all of whom became teachers.  He was the most eminent, becoming the founding Principal of King David High School in Linksfield, Johannesburg.  He soon built it into a dynamic, internationally renowned institution. It became the biggest and best Jewish day school in the world at the time.

He served in this capacity for 20 years and during this time had a great influence on the lives of tens of thousands of students and literally hundreds of teachers.

Norman was a leader ahead of his time.  In the 1950s and 60s, he demonstrated an incredible ability to attract and inspire exceptional staff, some of whom happened to be evading the dreaded South African security police for their radical political activities!

Over the years, there have been a number of King David reunions around the world ? and Norman was always invited to be the guest of honour.  In Sydney, Los Angeles, Toronto, reunions have attracted between 300-600 people!

At one such function, Norman, who was revered and feared for having doled out corporal punishment as a young principal, was reported to have said

My right arm ? now a little withered ? launched many thousand careers!

The achievements of graduates is nothing short of exceptional, with many filling leading positions in medicine, law, science and business in the US, Canada, Australia, Israel and the UK.  This speaks volumes about the quality of education that the school offered.

I was recently speaking to an ex-Davidian friend in Sydney, and asked her what she recalled most vividly about Norman?

She said:

If a class was ?rioting?, one would soon hear the catch cry ? ?Chips, the boss!?

Now the term ?chips? in this context does not refer to French fries ? but means: ?beware; take cover?; and was enough to instil fear and instant silence.

If the boys didn?t do their homework, he?d use a euphemism for bend over by instructing them to

examine the recesses of the inkpots for spiders.

Another legendary but true incident involved a particularly noisy class which was promptly sent to line up outside the Boss? office to receive what was the then customary caning.  After rapidly working his way through the line, Norman came to last boy, looked him up and down, and said,

Besides creating a disturbance, you also have the cheek to be out uniform.  Bend over!

An attempted explanation began ? ?but, but??

No buts.  Bend over!

After a sound caning, Norman discovered that the young man was in fact the class? student teacher!

Some former teachers, who taught under Norman, made these comments about him:

• He was mightily respected for his great intellect.

• An exceptional educationalist, who valued his committed and innovative staff.  He admired teachers who could open the minds of their students.

• Rather than be cautious of liberal and radical ideas during the repressive 60?s in South Africa, he welcomed and encouraged them.

• Norman was a man of great integrity and high moral principles.

• A real leader doesn?t try to lead with his hands from behind a desk ? but with his feet.  Mr Sandler led from the front and was a real presence.  He kept the staff as well as the students on their toes.

He was feared by some, loved by many, but respected by all.

After his stint of 20 years as the boss of King David, he became the Director of the South African Board of Jewish Education.  

Norman was like a chess Grandmaster in his personnel recruitment and placement; a TQM Guru (before the concept existed) with his inspections and quality assurance.

On retirement from the Board of Jewish Education, Elliott Wolf, the then Principal of King David, spoke of Norman and referred to

?our being regaled with his fine turn of phrase and impeccable command of English.

My introduction and that of my twin brother into Kind David was effected by Mr Sandler who lured us away from teaching at government schools to head the departments of English and Latin in his school at Linksfield.  It was a privilege and pleasure to teach under an educationalist from whose experience and expertise one could learn so much. Some of his headmasterisms are legend, among them one which has always amused me: ?To chew is taboo?.

The many hundreds of Davidians who passed through his hands will recall many more.  But more significantly will they remember his 20 years as first headmaster of King David Linksfield during which time their school burgeoned into fame.

 

He was the innovator of so much that we take for granted in our schools today, among them the open exchange and rapport between pupil and teacher, bold experimentation in new teaching methodology, the Ulpan scheme, the occasional half holiday when Linksfield triumphed in rugby or South Africa played a cricket test at the Wanderers!  I shall miss Mr Sandler.

Mike Kessel, the Principal of the Herzlia Schools, had this to say:

The success of the Jewish Day School education in South Africa must be of tremendous satisfaction to you.  Without your efforts and dedication over so many years Jewish education in this country would not have been what it is.

Your wife Hilda has played a major role in assisting you and none of us are unmindful or have forgotten what Hilda has done for you and for Jewish education, albeit unobtrusively.

My Aunt Hilda certainly deserves this commendation.  She?s an amazing woman who?s been so supportive of him and so committed to her wonderful family.

Emigration for everyone is a major upheaval and life-change.  It?s highly disorienting and emotionally challenging.

For Norman and Hilda, how much more so!  In South Africa they were so well known and respected, with networks and contacts that were second-to-none.

Besides the physical upheaval, Norman moved from having celebrity status in Johannesburg to being Tony?s Dad or Lisa, Brett and Justin?s grandfather in Perth.

Norman and Hilda had exceptional support from Tony ? but they were also able to accept their new lifestyle and status with wisdom and dignity.

Our Proverbs say, ?A good man leaves a legacy to future generations?.  What Norman bequeathed to the world was two-fold: firstly, his remarkable children and grandchildren; and secondly, the great contribution he made to education and the huge impact that he had on the lives of so many people.

We read in the prayers today this comment from Pirke Avot (Ethics of the Fathers):

It is not incumbent upon you to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist therefrom.

This hints at our essential purpose in life, which is, our sages tell us, tikkun olam ? to help heal, mend or improve the world.

Norman did much to make the world a better place ? and he will live on through his good deeds and those he educated and inspired.  What these many thousands of people continue to give the world is partly a consequence of what they received, directly or indirectly, from him.

We shouldn?t be too sombre today.  He would want people to celebrate his very full 86 years of life, rather than only mourn his death.

If he was able to comment now, I suspect that he might well use a sporting analogy and say something like:

I?ve had a good innings, dispatching many balls to the boundary to notch up my century.  Don?t dwell on the loss of my wicket, but rather remember my in-form contribution to the team and this noble game.

But, in spite of this, Norman will be mourned by many, especially by Hilda; by Tony and his wonderful partner, Sue; by Linda; his grandchildren, Justin, Brett and his partner, Melanie, and Lisa and her husband Sean and their children, Zac and Gabriella.