Herzlia’s Matric Class of 2023’s Valedictory marks a significant milestone in their Herzlia school journey and they were most certainly the stars of the evening! Together we laughed, cried, sang, clapped and celebrated their achievements, dedication, hard work and sense of friendship and deep community. There were numerous prestigious trophies and prizes awarded, but the true essence of this evening was to celebrate both the class’s collective and individual journeys culminating their 12 years of Herzlia education. Mazaltov!

Shane Brorson, Herzlia High School Principal said “Valedictory evening is both proud and bittersweet as we must say farewell to our 2023 matrics and wish them good luck for their final exams. For the majority, they have been part of the Herzlia family for their school career and we have watched them grow and flourish. Herzlia’s uniqueness lies in equipping our pupils to meet this moment in their school career head-on. Clearly, what is central to our individuality, is our Jewish identity and it is also central to Herzlia’s 5 educational pillars – Academics, Sport, Culture, Jewish Life & Learning and Menschlichkeit. All are integrated into the educational offering and backed by a strong emotional and educational support system creating young adults that have gone on to be successful with their tertiary education and beyond”.

Mazaltov to Herzlia High School’s Class of 2023 Premier Award Winners:

• Rossouw Van Zyl Memorial Award in Recognition of Having Attained an Average of 90% or more in the Preliminary Examinations 2023: TAYA ALLARDICE, LEO BACHMANN, ERIN BARUCH, LEAH BENJAMIN, ZACHARY CATRO, LAYLA CHAIT, ASHLEE DEATS, JULIA HASSON, ETHAN MYERS & JONATHAN QUERIDO.
• Award for the Top Academic Pupils in Grade 12: ETHAN MYERS
• Achvah Award: Gr12 pupil who best exemplifies Herzlian menschlichkeit showing exceptional generosity of spirit and awareness of human connectedness: LEO BACHMANN
• Union Of Orthodox Synagogues Cape Council Award (Recipients who have Contributed Significantly to the Judaic Life of Herzlia High School): JENNA ZETLER 
• Principal’s Award for Outstanding Commitment & Service to the School (Endowed by the Class Of 1969 In Honour of their 50th Anniversary): TAYA ALLARDICE
• Zalman Avin Memorial Award for the Best All-Rounder in Gr 12: TAYA ALLARDICE & JENNA ZETLER

“Mazaltov to all of the Matrics of 2023 on their graduation at Valedictory last night. This splendid night is a celebration and culmination of fifteen years of a well-rounded education at what is surely one of the top educational institutions in South Africa. We have no doubt, after sharing in the naches of the array of academic prizes of excellence that our students received last night, as well as the myriad awards for their involvement in Jewish Life, service to Community and School, Arts and Culture, Sport and significantly, Menschlichkeit, that they are well-prepared to assume their adult roles in the new and exciting big, wide world they are about to enter. We wish them all b’hatzlacha with their final examinations’, says Mark Helfrich, UHS Head of Curriculum. 

Taya Allardice, Head Student, Herzlia High School 2022-3 reflected that “ today’s success is really a testimony to the fact that our grade has always made an effort to prioritise friendships, camaraderie, fun and making memories. The best part of my year has to be the people; my friends, my classmates, my fellow student councillors, my teammates, my teachers and all the people along the way. So, as we move on to this next chapter I hope that we will hold on to the sense of community and the connections that we’ve made over the years, that we’ll be able to support each other during challenging times and also to celebrate the happy moments together. My advice to the incoming matrics is that this year flies by. Soak up the present moments and reach out to people, be kind, be friendly because this will be your last chance to make those connections to foster and strengthen them. I’ve learned from my grade you are the architect of your own experiences, every experience is what you make of it. I wish you the best of luck, if you ever do need anything reach out to us, the class of 2023 because we were just in your shoes. Thank you, it has been a wonderful journey and I can’t wait to give back to this community and this family as a future alumna.”

Geoff Cohen, Director of Jewish Community and Identity reflects that “Everything we do at Herzlia is based on our Jewish values.  Without the tenets of dignity, integrity and menschlichkeit, nothing we do, none of our pillars, would have the same meaning. All the criteria for the awards that our pupils will receive at the Valedictory have an element of Menschlichkeit. If our pupils win awards for excellence in various arenas, but don’t have the element of Menschlichkeit, then we have failed in producing our communities’ next generation.”

Sally Bodington, Gr 12 Head and Life Sciences Teacher at Herzlia High School says “I believe the key to our matrics’ success is the community. They are surrounded by a strong network of care, support and deep investment from teachers, parents, family and school leaders. Our teachers, school leaders, students and parents are in constant communication, not only in the matric year, but throughout their school career, ensuring students are supported at every stage to reach their full potential.