ESRA has welcomed the new Calendar year with a great flourish. New ESRA branches have been launched with great promise for the future. The recently formed Jerusalem branch has just completed a most successful lecture series entitled "Windows to Israeli Society through Literature." December saw the launch of two further branches – Givatayim/Ramat Gan and a second group in Rishon Lezion called ENG (ESRA New Generation) – an entirely new venture for ESRA – reaching out to the younger generation. This group is in partnership with the Rishon Lezion Municipality and already has a dynamic program planned. In January ESRA Haifa was born with thirteen of the participants at this inaugural meeting volunteering to be on the committee – if this is not success then what is! Melvyn Sandler, a recently arrived immigrant from the United Kingdom, provisionally agreed to take on the chairmanship.
Whilst ESRA will always continue to attract valued retirees into its ranks (as a Volunteer based organization this has to be the case) we are also prepared to reach out to others. We are exceedingly fortunate in that a number of new Olim come to ESRA offering their talents. Professionals whose careers have involved programs for children with special needs, headmasters and headmistresses of impressive schools - both junior and senior - come through our doors offering their expertise. Already plans are in hand to run workshops that will attract young parents into ESRA. This is very much what we are about – reaching out and helping others whilst helping ourselves to a more interesting and fascinating life here in Israel.
Speaking of helping others the amazing chair of ESRA's Fundraising Committee, Richard Stein, with the help of Adele Hunter and their committee members, organized an evening of beautiful music. This outstanding event – "Broadway Hits" - was as successful from an enjoyment point of view as it was financially. Neomi Meshasha, one of ESRA's Students who build a Neighborhood project, told her story - she was the only one of five children born in Israel. Her siblings and her parents came to Israel on January 5th 1984 with "Operation Moses" the airlift which brought home some 8000 Ethiopian Jews 30 years ago exactly to the day ("Broadway Hits" was performed on January 5th 2014). Neomi told a deeply moved audience what being part of the Students build a Neighborhood project has meant to her personally. What can be more satisfying than the knowledge that we can both enjoy an evening of superb entertainment whilst contributing towards a better tomorrow for those youngsters whose needs are the greatest.