Karkur is a moshava and not a town

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Barbara Abraham's enthusiastic article on Karkur (ESRAmagazine # 174). However Karkur is not a town, nor is the municipal entity Pardes Hanna - Karkur a town, despite the population of 32,000 (larger than Or Akiva). Pardes Hanna - Karkur remains a "moshava", in English?

I have lived in Pardes Hanna for 25 years, and have seen the whole community grow and absorb the various waves of aliyah since then - Russian, Ethiopian and a large number of English speakers, both old-timers and recent olim. Altogether, the area has absorbed waves of immigrants since there was a ma'abara (refugee absorption camp) here. Concerning residents' tangible sentiments in favor of separation, I don't feel it, but it's true that you never hear anyone say, "I'm from Pardes Hanna – Karkur." Instead, you tend to hear I'm from Pardes Hanna and Barbara is from Karkur. However, there is a lot of cooperation.

A point of correction (obviously a typo), the centenary of Karkur was celebrated in 2013.

Nitza Blossom Maier

Pardes Hanna

Editor's note: A double apology from us: for calling Pardes Hanna – Karkur a "town" instead of "township" which is the English translation for "moshava"; and the writer of the article apologizes for erring in the date of the centenary, which should have been 2013.


On the look-out for topics about fashion

I am currently looking for topics about fashion. I found your page: http://www.esra.org.il/links. I just want to let you know how much it has helped me. If you have more pages like this (The Forgotten People's Fund), do let me know because I am looking for more resources. I also shared your page in my social media account so my colleagues can benefit from it like I did. You might want to include this similar fashion resource page for those who are eager to join the industry http://ocdesigncourses.edu.au/fashion-design-courses/. I am sure your site visitors will appreciate it. I'd love to hear any thoughts you may have about it. I'm free to answer any questions should you have any! I'm looking forward to hear from you. I would like to receive mailings from ESRA.

Sarah Grace Del Rosario

Australia

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ESRA bookshop 'needs bigger premises'

It seems a pity that the Raanana Bookshop should have decided only to accept recent publications. Those of us who are addicted to second-hand bookshops are always on the look-out for out-of-print editions and old favorites and we don't mind much what condition they are in. The more modern books are almost always available in the public library (even in Israel!). Well, we will just have to do our browsing elsewhere and other bookshops will benefit from our discards.

I would suggest that some serious thought be given to finding a more spacious home for the bookshop. Surely, over the years, it must have made a good contribution to ESRA's funds as well as providing a most useful public service. It deserves to expand.

Jean Levin

Herzliya


Very special day in the Green School

Today was really special in the Green School: Aliza, the principal, was wearing a p. j. top and a funny hat, and greeted the children with "good night"! It was pajama day, part of the pre-Purim activities at school.

Naama, my special student, told me that the day before yesterday, everyone had come in recycled costumes, yesterday in fairy tale costumes, tomorrow they have to come in opposite costumes, and the next day, teachers will come dressed as pupils, and pupils as teachers! She said that the student council decides these things, and each year there is a different set of costumes before Purim.

The children brought Purim gifts for soldiers and they brought cottage cheese boxes with beans in them to use as rattles in a play of The Book of Esther. The weather cooperated, and all the children sat in the outdoor amphitheater and watched and listened to the play based on Esther's story. It was very moving to see the involvement of the principal, the teachers, and the pupils in making school fun.

Volunteering is far more interesting than I ever imagined it would be!

Judith Ronat M. D.

Kfar Saba


Join our group if you are a child of a Holocaust survivor

If you are a child of a Holocaust survivor(s), you are invited to join our group, 'Second Generation Israel'. We, Nina Hecht and Tricia Wermuth, co-founded 2nd Generation Israel in English in 2005. Both our fathers survived the camps but lost their parents and siblings.

We are a growing community, meeting and maintaining contact with one another as well as actively participating in remembering the past through events.

If you would like any more information or have any questions, please contact me by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. All replies will be treated in confidence. If you are a child or grandchild of one of the members of the '45 Aid Society, also known as 'The Boys', please can you write this in the email.

I would be grateful if you could please forward our details to your family, friends, groups and publications even if they are not based in Israel.

Below is a link to an article written by Stephanie L. Fried, a writer and television producer based in Israel who attended one of our meetings in Israel - http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/Echoes-of-Holocaust-terror-guilt-Survivors-2618377.php

Thank you for your time.

Nina Hecht on behalf of 'Second Generation Israel'

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Find us on Facebook: SecondGeneration Israel


In the same spot

Words cannot express the feelings I have for the losses of Larry Butchins (Just a Pair of Shoes, ESRAmagazine #174). I am one on the other side of his "what ifs". Less than a day before, I was in the exact spot in Tel Aviv where the terror attack that killed his mother-in-law and sister-in-law took place. May you know no more sorrow in your life.

Daniel Berger

Lod


We've been penfriends for 63 years

I was very interested to read the letter from Corrine Rothwell in Magazine No.174 about Bookmarkers & Penfriends.

I also found my penfriend through the Jewish Chronicle at the age of 12. I lived in Dublin, Ireland, then and she lived in London. We have been writing, at first letters, and now emails for almost 63 years. We have met many times both in London and Israel and our husbands also get on very well together and have a lot in common.

I love to read and have various book markers to keep the place, some souvenirs of places I have visited. I get very annoyed if people turn down the page of a book, instead of using a marker.

Thank you for your great magazine. I always enjoy the many varied, interesting articles.

Doreen Malkinson

Raanana.


We're 'sew' grateful for all the help you've given us at the Sderot Sewing Center

We at the Sderot Sewing Center would like to thank those people who have helped develop the Center at the Atzmaut Ethiopian Community Center since it was started and supported by Meira and Jack Applebaum over a year ago.

In addition to the sewing machines donated by the Applebaums, we received some second-hand machines and a brand new one from Sue Radjinsky. Herb Levine from Ramat Hasharon picked up the machines in the Herzliya area, took them for repairs where necessary and brought them to Sderot.

ESRA members who have visited Sderot (Victoria Habib, Beverly Lewin and others) have gotten involved and have contributed to the ESRA fund for the Center. This has enabled, in addition to paying for the wonderful sewing teacher, the employment of a coordinator to organize more pupils for the Center and to arrange for mending and selling products - both hopefully will bring in income.

The great news recently is the receipt of a generous contribution from the ESRA Herzliya branch.

By the time this letter appears in the magazine the co-chairs of the branch (Bess Hoffman and Barbara Lyons) will have visited the Center and will report back to

the branch.

Gratefully yours – for the Center

Adele Rubin, Sderot

Tali Angadia (Atzmaut Director)


In praise of the magazine by my bedside

I am a busy person – not enough time for reading, but I am a reader and do love a good book. Even my reading time is dented by the electronic attractions – Facebook, emails, Internet and that spellbinding You-Tube.

Anyhow right now I am between books. This is my time for re-reading and sometimes writing on parts of books that have touched me – the language, the story, the message, the magic world of words. This is also my time for reading short stories and magazines. The magazine on my bedside table is the February edition of ESRAmagazine (#173).

I am writing this to congratulate you – I find it full of interesting and informative articles. I particularly liked "The legend that was Elisha Linn" by Lydia Aisenberg; "Welcome to Israel's Silicone Valley" by Marsha Stein and "The land that time forgot" by Carl Hoffman. Also read and enjoyed "Auntie Sari" by Michael Greenberg, the winner of the short story competition. Anything on that greatest of men, Nelson Mandela, always reaches me. Thank you for all this. I also read of and find highly admirable ESRA's amazing contribution to the community.

Richelle Shem Tov

Kiryat Ono


Now for the good news from Israel

PLEASE VISIT the free weekly newsletter of Israel's achievements which can be found at ww.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com and encourage ESRA members to do so.

They can get the newsletter weekly for free by email by subscribing at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Please pass details on to colleagues, friends and families.

Lynette Ordman Netanya