About our logo

Understanding the NOAM logo

We hope that everyone will have their own reasons for liking the new NOAM logo, but we thought that you might find it interesting to understand our thinking.

The menorah was in the temple in Jerusalem, and has been a symbol of Judaism ever since (it is also in the emblem of the State of Israel). As such, it represents our religious heritage and our pride in Jewish history. Using the menorah in our school logo design symbolises the commitment of the Jewish community to transmitting this heritage to our children through their education. The menorah was also present in the “old” NOAM logo – and this re-use, albeit in a modern and stylish manner, shows the continuity of the traditional values that NOAM has always stood for.

But the menorah can also be seen as a tree, eitz chayim hi, a tree of life, which is linked to the passage in Proverbs that is the derivation also of the NOAM name:

Eitz chayim hi lamachazikim bah, v’tom’cheha m’ushar.
D’rachecha darchei noam v’chol n’tivoteha shalom.

It is a tree of life to those who embrace it; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.

The letters in Hebrew, spelling out the name of the school, represent our children: our future. Warm, bright and dynamic colours, matched with the modern script style, represent our positive, pluralistic and progressive approach to Jewish education. They also highlight our commitment to ensuring that most NOAM students speak and write fluent Hebrew by the end of year 6. The colour blue, matching that of the Israeli flag, stands for the school’s commitment to Israel. In the primary school logo, yellow represents the assignment given to us to be a “light unto the nations”, while the orange stands for our burning passion for excellence in education.

Together the logo looks back but also looks forward, encouraging our children to learn with joy and with an understanding of their Jewish tradition, so that they can become active, knowledgeable and contributing members of the Jewish people in the modern world.