Tomorrow's Leaders event brought this powerful quote to life in a celebration of community built by people who care, give, and lead.
ESRA's Tomorrow's Leaders event, held on 26 March 2025, honored the true meaning of community. Participants included our amazing volunteers, partners, staff, and inspiring students involved in ESRA's Students Build a Community (SBC) project.These students are the heartbeat of ESRA's social impact, and this special evening was a tribute to each and every one of them.
The students filled the hall with energy, warmth, and purpose, helping to make it a memorable evening, and offering a glimpse into the meaningful changes we are creating together.
The evening opened with warm words from Nella Feldsher, ESRA Chair, and Sunny Marshansky, ESRA CEO, setting the tone for an evening of reflection, impact, and inspiration.
This was followed by a student panel, led by Yolanda Woolf, ESRA Projects Chair, Governance and Compliance Strategy, and Jonathan Mandelbaum Shor, Associate Dean of Humanities at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Through the stories told by the students about their experiences in the project, we were able to understand the resilience, commitment, and courage they displayed in their work in support of children and communities during Israel's time of war.
Certificates of Appreciation were distributed in a ceremony led by Gilad Newman, CEO of Dale Carnegie Israel, with certificates being presented by: Merle Baron Guttmann, ESRA Founder and Honorary Life President & Editor of the ESRA Magazine; Richard Stein, Former ESRA Chair; Jonathan Davis, Vice President for External Relations, Head of the Raphael Recanati International School at Reichman University; Nicole Yoder, VP, Aid & Aliyah, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ); and Colin Schachat, Opera singer and dedicated ESRA member and supporter.
The ceremony was followed by two fascinating talks. Dr. Liraz Margalit, PhD, expert in Digital Psychology, Brain & Behavioral Economics, spoke about the essential qualities of modern leadership. Dr. Elias Farah, Chief Inspector of English Education at the Ministry of Education, shared insights into the innovative initiatives the Ministry and ESRA are building together, in our increasingly strong partnership.
The event was beautifully concluded with a moving musical performance by Michael Rose and students of the Rimon School of Music in Akko. With the audience enthusiastically singing along, this was an uplifting finale to an inspiring evening.
A further emotional moment came from the hundreds of heart-shaped thank-you cards attached to a heart-shaped chocolate distributed to participants as they filed out. These were created by children in the Students Build a Community project, each card containing a personal message of gratitude, in a clear demonstration of the project's impact on their lives.
ESRA is grateful for its team that made the evening possible, the inspiring speakers, and every one of us who helps make our community stronger.
If you missed this one, try to make it to our next event!
