ANITA BURGES

MEDIA PERSONALITY AND PROFESSIONAL HOME ORGANISER

Class of 1995 alumna, Anita, reflects on her years at Moriah as a time of safety and connection, and the lessons she learned gave her the courage to follow an unconventional path to success.

How did your Moriah journey start?

My mum immigrated from Israel in the 1970s with her father. She started school here in Year 10 at Dover Heights Girls, without knowing a word of English. My dad is a born-and-bred Australian Jew. His mother was born in Australia and her family came over from Russia, and my grandfather came from Poland during the war. He and his youngest brother made it out; the rest of the family, including seven siblings, perished in the Holocaust. There weren’t many Jewish school options then. My dad went to Moriah for primary but had to attend Vaucluse High for secondary. I started at Moriah in the 1980s on Glenayr Avenue. I still remember my first teacher’s name - Miss Hardy.

Looking back on your years at Moriah, how did school make you feel?

SAFE! Everything at school aligned with my values. When I look back, I remember feeling supported in every single aspect of my life. School was a safe space for me regardless of whatever else was going on. I wasn’t an academic. I liked school, but that wasn’t my main reason for being there. What I loved most were the activities: drama, music, and sport. Moriah had so much to offer, even back then. 

What house were you in?

Hillel.

What was your favourite Moriah tradition or event?

It’s a toss-up between music festival, drama festival, and Yom Ha’atzmaut. But I also really loved Purim. Each cottage was given a stall to run, and from lunchtime onwards, the whole school turned into a fair. There were around 20 stalls, so much to see and do. The cottage system was something really special. They were made up with students from all the different year groups. I didn’t have a big sister, so the older girls in my cottage were the ones I looked up to. It felt beautiful to have those connections.

Another thing I treasure from my time at Moriah is the strong connection to Hebrew songs. I love that I know all the words. And I know that my mum felt closer to home when I brought my Hebrew songbook home from school.

Who were your favourite teachers?

I’ve had a lot of favourite teachers. In primary school, Miss Mautner and Mrs Sack stand out. In high school, Mrs Melman made a significant impact on me. She was my house patron - tough, but soft and kind underneath it all. She always reminded me that doing everything yourself doesn’t mean you’re doing a better job. She taught me how important it is to delegate.

Tell us about your journey after school?

I didn’t want to stay in Australia, so I left straight after school and went to Israel. I studied at Hebrew University in Israel, then came back and worked, then travelled to Thailand, then back again. I spent a few longer stints in Israel working, doing event styling in Herzliya. I also lived in Canada for four years. Eventually, I came back to Australia and fell into hospitality. I ran a restaurant in Bondi for 10 years. In 2010, I moved into Real Estate because I was at that stage in life. I wanted to get married, have kids, and the restaurant life just wasn’t compatible with that. But Real Estate wasn’t my passion. I didn’t love the selling or negotiating aspect of the job, but I really enjoyed preparing homes for sale, working with people, helping them declutter and organise. That’s when I started my own business, which originally focused on prepping homes for the market.

Most people believe that going to uni after school is the only route to success, but your journey shows that it’s possible to find success without following the traditional path. Tell us about that.

I felt a lot of pressure after school. Everyone else seemed to know what they wanted to do, and I didn’t. But I also knew I wasn’t going to be like everyone else. I wasn’t going to uni. I wanted to travel, to explore, to live. I decided to remain true to myself and follow my own path. I won’t pretend it was easy. Sometimes I think it might’ve been simpler if I’d gone to uni and gotten a stable career path. The road I chose took a lot of hard work. But it’s definitely been worth it.

Do you have advice for our current students?

Trust your gut instinct, don’t give up on it. And be careful who you go to for advice. You wouldn’t ask your hairdresser for accounting advice, right? So don’t take direction from someone who’s never done what you want to do. People close to you, like family, often try to protect you, but sometimes, that protection becomes your biggest obstacle. Their intentions are good, but it can still hold you back. You’ve got to have grit and determination to follow your own path.

You say that you are a Lifelong Learner. What does that mean?

A few years ago, a friend and I started making vision boards before Rosh Hashanah. It helps us reflect on the year that’s passed and set our intentions for the one ahead. That’s been really grounding for me. I also try to learn one new thing every day. That came from a Martha Stewart documentary about empowering women. It’s become my daily motto. I try to share what I learn through my social media, with my kids, wherever I can. I believe that when you believe you have nothing more to learn, you stagnate.

Your 30-Year reunion is coming up. What do you want to say to the people in your cohort?

I want people to come to the reunion and leave their insecurities at the door. Whether school was a great time or a tough time, it was a major part of your life. If there’s something to mend or find closure on, this is the time. My school journey wasn’t always smooth. In Year 5, I was really tiny and someone thought it was funny to pick me up and throw me in a wheelie bin every day after lunch. But I’ve learned to laugh about it. It gave me grit. It taught me resilience. And now I’ve got stories to tell my kids.

Is there a final thought that you want to leave us with?

One thing that’s always stayed with me from Moriah is that I never felt, as a girl, that I was any less than a boy. Sure, men and women might play different roles, but at Moriah, both were valued equally. I always felt empowered as a woman and as a person. The women in leadership at Moriah made me feel seen and heard. Moriah built me up and gave me the confidence to believe in who I am.