Fair is Big Success

The planning took six months … lots of meetings, tons of emails, phone calls, requests for donations and assistance and outreach to recruit artists … but on Tuesday afternoon, September 16 at 16:00, it all paid off. The 2014 ESRA Netanya Arts & Crafts Fair was underway with a line waiting at the door to come in.

This year's Fair drew an even wider variety of artists and items for sale than last year. In keeping with our mandate for the event everything was handmade or home grown except for a large White Elephant table selling new items only. Artists traveled from as far as Tzfat, Shiloh and Jerusalem to participate. The artwork included Ethiopian sculptures, beautiful quilts, mosaics, collages, driftwood sculpture, remarkable textiles works and hand knitted scarves. The variety of jewelers showing their wares and the diversity of their work were a feast for the eyes. A wonderful array of aromatherapy items as well as handmade beauty products were available, in addition to beautiful handmade hats and baby clothes and even Tarot Card readings. 

Norma Altman, an ESRA member, donated her lovely hand-crafted ceramic honey pots, which were packaged with small bottles of honey for a sweet Rosh Hashanah gift. The delicious homemade cakes by our Netanya ESRA members and friends sold rapidly. Bouquets of fresh flowers were contributed for sale, and jars of sweet jams were given by Lyle Cass from the Dog Farm. Additional condiments donated by Bet Yitzhak Natural Products were all a huge hit with the attendees, not to mention the refurbished Kindles. A large ESRA information table was set up, which drew many people to inquire about our work. 

This year we expanded and took over the whole of the Yona Apartments community hall and outdoor garden overlooking the sea. Both cold and hot drinks were on sale with tables and chairs in the garden so it became a lovely outdoor café used by the locals while sitting and sipping, enjoying the sunset and the sea breezes which wafted through the Fair during the whole of the event.

At the end of the evening, tired and dragging a bit, we could still say that it had all been well worth it … due to the wonderful financial outcome. Once again, another successful event to put ESRA Netanya and its projects in the forefront of the consciousness of our community.

The relatively new Netanya Arts and Crafts Committee worked like a well-oiled engine to pull off this successful event and all deserve kudos for their long hard hours of work before and during the Fair.

We wish to thank the following ...

• Yona Apartments and its staff for their help and the use of the venue
• Ilan the Handyman & Mervyn Zuck for setting up the outdoor lighting and additional hard labor
• Adrian Pearl who formatted and refurbished the Kindles
• Graham Horwich who learned their operation and manned the sales table
• Mike & Norma Altman, Bish & Ros Ben Ezra, Helen Cassel, Gill Cole, Aviva Friedman, Toni Greene, Gillian Heron, Carole Kaye, Linda Kaye, Barbara & Stephen Kliner, Susan Kurnedz, Aliza Marks, Carmel Scop, Jacqui Waterman, Joan Weisman, Rachel Zalevsky, Nina Zuck.