From the Editor 214

September 2022 ESRA News Life in Israel

Giving it my All – I can do it

Does sport run in families?

Take Jane Krivine who was awarded the Knesset Speaker's Prize for Quality of Life 2022 in recognition of the Freddie Krivine Initiative to break down hatred by bringing together Jewish and Arab children through tennis. Or the amazing Duldig De Jong family from Australia who for three generations have been participating in the Maccabiah in Israel – the first being Karl Duldig who 100 years ago participated as goalkeeper for the legendary Hakoah football team from Vienna, Eva was a gold medalist in 1957 and 1961, and in 2022 Andrea won a bronze and Emma a gold. Laurence Lebor with his son and grandson reveled in watching his football team, Tottenham Hotspur FC, play a friendly against Roma in Haifa.

Aviva Lavi was inspiring in her determination to do it despite the odds – she came first in the Ironman in the 60-year-olds in Vienna 2022. Danny Hakim, a world karate champion, was presented with the Order of Australia Medal 2022 for his service to the community including training generations of karate kids in Israel. Says Danny, that the most life-changing barmitzvah present was from his grandmother, whose parents had experienced the pogroms in Odessa, of 1-year karate classes so he would learn to protect himself. Talking of protecting oneself, in a bid to reduce the high rate of drownings in Israel, Danny, brother Paul and Lisa Segelov, three veteran Australian immigrants, founded the Israel Life Saving Federation in 2019 and give training to kids in water safety.

We were totally bowled over by the talent and writing prowess of the 57 youth who sent in their stories to ESRA Magazine's Youth Short Story contest. Maia Aron gives the low down on the contest and lists the winners.

During the High Holidays you might want to visit Ghajar, not-here-not-there village, on the South Lebanese border, whose residents try to live a normal life in an abnormal reality. An Israeli Border Police checkpoint is situated at the entrance to the village and visits to Ghajar must be coordinated with the IDF. Afula Police Station has a wall of photographs depicting scenes of its construction in the 1930s and of British Army officers meeting with local Jewish and Arab dignitaries; British Army personnel training Jewish and Arab would-be policemen and a post 1948 War of Independence letter from David Ben-Gurion encouraging the recruitment of more Jews to the nascent Israeli police force.

Two articles remind us of our Jewish Heritage: David Broza writes of his visit to London's Jewish East End in the footsteps of the hundreds of thousands of Jewish immigrants who made this eastern corner of London their home and community. His love of geography, social history and hiking all came together as he searched for remnants of the shuls, schools, businesses, soup kitchens, street markets and vibrant Jewish life —all has vanished, bar a Magen David on a Bengali school drainpipe or the rusting sign for Suskin Trimming Merchants, a vestige of the famous shmatter trade. Stephen Schulman regales us with snippets of his Yeshiva years.

If you are in the UK, visit Burscough in West Lancashire and the Pangea Sculptures which, writes Lydia Aisenberg, proved to be an amazing

experience, a true out-of-Africa and out-of-this-world experience with massive metal sculptures of jungle animals – it is full of humor. Arley Hall and Gardens in Cheshire is beautiful.

Please stay healthy. Read Morton Leibowitz's Caveat Emporium – Food Supplements. Also instructive is the Reform in the Private Health Sector by Mark Joffe. If you have to go to hospital, Laniado has an impressive new entrance which joins the maternity and birthing center, the Neonatal

Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and the new Regional Dialysis Center, all missile protected.

For food and wine read about Asif in Carol Novis' Bake the World – it's all about Israeli food, has a great library of community cook books, a restaurant and tours. Martin Sinkoff interviews Adam Montefiore, Israel's senior wine writer and the leading spokesperson of the Israeli wine trade. Sharyn Weizman treats us to some New Year recipes.

Lest we forget, we bring you moving stories of the visits of laying memorial stumbling stones in Vienna by Israel Harry Geffen and in Hoesbach, Bavaria by Jeff Lederer.

We can't avoid it, growing older. But live it up while we can. Selwyn Lurie has turned 100 and is one of my avid correspondents; Inge David at 93 is incredibly active and positive; Sharon Bacher shares her experience of moving to a retirement village; Wendy Blumfield finds comfort and challenge in her computer; Shavit Ben Chorin tells us of the law of the Line Free Service; and Guy Carmi enlightens us on inheritance planning with assets abroad.

Always be yourself. Gain courage in Mom, Dad, I Have Something To Tell You.

Want to be fashionable - it's all about Vintage which you'll find in ESRA's second-hand shops.

Just what you've been waiting for – Around the World in easy Hebrew. Several other book reviews, poems and a poetry competition.

No need to be idle in the next months – peruse Future Events for lectures, trips, hikes. Tutor English, become a Befriender. Enjoy our bridge column, the crossword, and end with a laugh and consumer tips.

Happy New Year.

Merle

About the author

Merle Guttmann

Merle Guttmann was born and educated in Zimbabwe and immigrated to Israel in 1962. She is well-known in Israeli Anglophone circles and Israel’s social and volunteer fields. A social planner, writer, editor and active community leader, she has held tens of positions serving Israeli society.

Guttmann has an M.A. degree in Social Planning from Bar Ilan University, and a B.A. from Cape Town University. She has taught at the Tel Aviv and Bar Ilan Universities and worked in Israel for the National Insurance Institute, Maccabi Health Fund, Ministry of Defense, and other public bodies. She has authored many publications and articles.

For over forty years Ms. Guttmann has been actively involved in the world of volunteering in Israel. She has helped set up numerous nonprofit organizations and served on their board of directors. Her most recent position (2003–2009) was chairperson of ETZA – Israel Self Help Center. She has also served on the boards of the Center of Small Businesses in Raanana (Mati), the Center for Family Peace (Herzliya), the National Council of Voluntarism in Israel, Telfed – South African Zionist Federation, the United Jewish Israel Appeal, and is a former member of the Kfar Shmaryahu Local Council.

Guttmann was the founder and chairperson and is the Life President of ESRA – English Speaking Residents Association, a self help organization composed of volunteers assisting in the absorption of English speakers and a multitude of social and community welfare projects for immigrants from distressed countries, disadvantaged families and people with disabilities. She is also the Editor of the ESRA MAGAZINE which she initiated in 1979.

Guttmann is the recipient of many awards for her contribution to Israeli society including the Israel President’s Award for Voluntarism (1992), the Prime Minister’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Leadership (1999) and the Telfed Yakir Zion (2008).

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