From Absorption to Contribution: Voices Across Generations - CEO's Message

Sunny Marshansky, ESRA CEO

Before I left New York for Israel at age seventeen, my mother said: 'Sunny, whatever life brings you, listen with your heart - The rest will follow.' Decades later, through raising a family, building a career, and eight years with ESRA, those words have become my compass. As we mark 46 years of ESRA's legacy, I don't see our story as a list of programs or achievements, but as a living conversation between generations – where the key is listening with the heart. Because leadership is not about speaking louder; it is about hearing better.

A Living Legacy
When ESRA began in 1979, it was a lifeline for new immigrants – a place to hear English and find footing in a country where everything, from the bus to the bank, felt confusing. Over the years, we have grown, yet the heart of ESRA remains the same: belonging, community, and giving back – with each generation adding its voice and turning absorption into contribution. "Feeling at home" doesn't happen the day you land in Israel – it happens the day someone looks at you and says: We see you. You matter here.

From Voices to Action in Times of War
When war shook every home and heart, we asked: "What do you need right now?" The answers were clear. Many wanted to give back. Others longed for a shared emotional space to ease the burden. People asked for social enrichment, clear information, and practical tools to cope with bureaucracy, wartime challenges, and everyday needs.

These voices became our roadmap – not from a strategy document, but from their lived truths.

ESRA, A Community in Action
Since October 7, our community has raised and delivered over NIS 900,000 in emergency aid to war-affected families, welfare recipients, and Olim – often within days of request. Alongside this, 100+ professional-led webinars and workshops, together with 8,000 outreach calls, strengthened resilience, offered emotional support, and provided practical tools. Both online and in-person, these activities created vital spaces of stability, relief, and solidarity.

Education remained at the heart of our response. 3,600 students received urgent support, from tailored programs for evacuated children, to a new Excellence initiative in the North – because in these times, education is not only about closing gaps, but safeguarding the next generation's ability to thrive in Israel.

At the center of it all, stand more than 2,400 volunteers who invested time, professionalism, and care. Through English tutoring, one-on-one sessions, support circles, ESRA's secondhand shops, and the Friendship Service, ESRA remained true to its essence: not only an organization, but a community in action.

Why it Matters
Behind every number stands a person. This year, their voices reminded us what truly matters. An ESRA member told us: "Helping children with English gave me meaning when I felt lost." A mom wrote: "For an hour, I forget there is a war." Another volunteer admitted: "I didn't think I had the energy at my age – but I discovered that giving is what gives me energy." One participant reflected: "I expected a lecture, but what I found was a circle of friends."

As Churchill said: "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." That is our true legacy – not the numbers, but the lives touched and the sense of belonging we build together. When history looks back, it will count not only ESRA's scholarships, events, or volunteer hours, but also the way we nurtured a spirit of giving as a vital part of Israel's strength. Even in the darkest times, that is why our community continues to shine.

The Chorus of Hope
As we enter the new year, we hear the chorus of our community – young and old, veterans and new Olim – carrying both the weight of sorrow and the strength of hope. Like the pomegranate of Rosh Hashanah, our community is filled with countless seeds of kindness and resilience. Each seed matters. Each person matters. Now is the time to add your voice, your hands, and your heart – so together we can grow a future worthy of us all.

Shanah Tovah U'Metuka – may this year bring health and peace.

Sunny Marshansky, ESRA CEO

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