Grant Will Bring Preschool from Trailers to Building

“Investing in early years infrastructure is part of the government’s plan to make Victoria a world leader in children’s learning and development,” said the Australian Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development, Wendy Lovell last month.

Lovell, and Member Parliament for Bentleigh, Elizabeth Miller, announced an upgrade to the Gan Gabi and Rivki Early Learning Centre at the Bentleigh East’s Beis Menachem Community Centre.

The $350,000 grant will fund the replacement of trailers, used for the classrooms, with a state-of-the-art building. The grant will thus enable the school to open enrollment to additional students, with an increase from 113 to 144. The remaining funds needed to build will come from private donations.

“Today’s announcement is great news for Jewish families living in Bentleigh East,” Lovell said. “It marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for early childhood education at this center, allowing more Jewish families to access high-quality, culturally sensitive kindergarten and day care programs close to home.”

The Bentleigh East, a suburb of Melbourne, has one of the fastest growing Jewish community is the area. The school is the only one in the area of its kind. “There are many young families moving here looking for a place for their children’s Jewish education,” Rabbi Yitzchok Engel, director of the schools said.