Embracing opportunity on an unforgettable journey

If Yeshiva College matriculant Ella Trope had to redo her school career, she is convinced she would do it exactly the same way because every experience made her the person she is today. 

Whether it was in the classroom with her friends, playing netball and volleyball, or being on the Johannesburg Junior Council, nothing seemed too much. 

“I loved being a part of the netball team. I was on the team from Grade R all the way through to matric. When volleyball was first introduced to our school, I was a part of that, and being a part of the Johannesburg Junior Council was an incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said. “Also being involved in the school plays and part of leadership – I loved being part of everything that my school had to offer.” 

Being the Yeshiva College Johannesburg Junior Councillor was a goal Trope aimed for when she started high school. So, when she was selected for the council and carried out her term throughout her Grade 11 year, it felt like a dream come true. 

“It was really a unique experience that I had been working towards. And it was an incredible feeling once I got it,” she said. “It gave me an outlook on the whole Johannesburg community. I feel like we’re stuck in our Jewish bubble, and to be able to see the rest of what Johannesburg looks like was incredible.” 

Trope was part of the outreach committee on the Johannesburg Junior Council as her intention going onto the council was to experience what the rest of Johannesburg was like. “I thought going into the outreach committee would help with that, and it did,” she said. “We did the most incredible things, like hold a dress-up princess day for make-a-wish kids, and we had carnivals for underprivileged kids. It was incredible.” 

The experience didn’t come without its difficulties, however. Often, council meetings were held on a Friday afternoon, so it was a mad dash to get home before Shabbat. 

“We would leave as soon as school ended,” she said, “and it was held in Parktown North, so it was a bit of a schlep, and then when it was winter and Shabbos came in earlier, we said we had to go. We had to leave the meetings half an hour early. They were understanding.” 

Trope worked extremely hard on her academics as they didn’t come easily to her, so when she finished school, she was overwhelmed by a sense of relief. 

“When I finished my final exam, I was almost in shock. It didn’t really sink in at first,” she said, “I finished on a Friday while the rest of my friends finished the following Tuesday, so waking up that Monday and realising I had no more exams felt incredible. For the first time, I felt like I had no responsibilities and could finally breathe.” 

Trope, who got five distinctions, will spend the next year in Israel on the Bnei Akiva Limmud gap-year programme, and plans to study in Israel.