ESRA, the home of English speakers in Israel, is committed to making English speakers feel right at home in Israel by serving as a supportive community network. It provides services, offers activities, and acts as a platform to give back to olim of all ages and at all stages of their integration. Our emphasis lies in three key areas:
1. Strengthening personal resilience (emotional, financial, improving understanding of the Israeli systems, skill development, and more).
2. Offering a rich social and cultural framework (learning and enrichment, social and business networking, leisure activities, knowledge of Israeli heritage, and more).
3. Meaningful volunteering opportunities in English, both within ESRA and in the community through educational and welfare projects that we run for various populations in peripheral areas.
As a platform for giving back, and with ESRA’s growth, we have expanded our aid to additional waves of olim, primarily from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia. We lead projects aimed at narrowing socio-geographic gaps, including those stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, for immigrants from Ukraine.
Our projects focus on educational reinforcement, English promotion, excellence in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), enrichment, self-growth, and the development of social skills for children, youth, students, special needs individuals, and families in need.
Both ESRA and its founder and honorary life president, Merle Guttman, have received numerous awards for their initiatives and achievements, including the President's Award for Volunteering, presented for contributions to Israeli society and immigrant absorption, and the Midot Seal of Effectiveness awarded for ESRA's commitment to results-driven projects, constant improvement, leadership, and social impact.
ESRA Ramat Aviv was established in May 2014. Our first lecture was held in September 2014 and we have not stopped presenting a variety of informative talks, and lectures on a wide variety of national and international subjects. Only the Corvid-19 Pandemic has delayed us from planning future day-trips and out of Ramat Aviv activities.
Our strong suit is getting people together, meeting face to face, within the bubble of social events. We present an assortment of monthly lectures and talks, daylong trips to fascinating cities and off the beaten path locations. We visit museums all over the country and undertake an assortment of other unusual activities.
In 2018, ESRA Ramat Aviv began a partnership with the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality Department of Immigration and Absorption to undertake a series of monthly free lectures to introduce new Olim to Israel and learn about ESRA. In addition, there are monthly Magical Story Hours for young children, 3+ and their English Speaking parents and grandparents. Savannah’s Magical Story Hour presented at Mercaz Rozin, in Ramat Aviv Gimmel, to overflowing crowds – we are already seeing second-generation family members attending. During the Corona pandemic, Savannah has been presenting her Magical Story Hour on ZOOM with continued success.
In February 2019, ESRA Ramat Aviv produced a Special Event: a first class production of “The Little Black Dress”, an energetic cabaret show with over 300 ESRA members attending from ESRA Branches.
Then along came Corona – during this very challenging time we are fortunate to be able to say that ESRA Ramat Aviv is also collaborating with the ESRA Five Towns Branch, presenting a wide variety of very successful and unusual ZOOM lectures and talks, attracting viewers from all over the world!
All of these successful activities, besides engaging our ESRA membership, has enabled ESRA Ramat Aviv to allocate funds to ESRA’s “Students Build a Community” scholarship fund, every year since 2014, which has made a difference, not only to the children but also to the entire community.
ESRA Ramat Aviv members also take part in ESRA’s English Teaching Program that enables volunteers to help local schoolchildren with their English conversation; the opportunity exists to help youngsters ranging from Primary to High School level.
Want a stimulating, meaningful and enjoyable life - join ESRA Ramat Aviv - we are waiting to welcome you!
Chair: Terry Shlomo
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ESRA Ramat Aviv Upcoming Events
Chair: Honey Stollman
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054-4568792
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An active group, happy to welcome English-speakers to its meetings, the branch's pet project is offering support to lone Israeli soldiers.
Chair: Miriam Crosbie
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054-8885459
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Organising a variety of activities and a regular Crafts group, this branch operates a local kiosk for soldiers.
Chair: Bess Hoffman
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09-9576410
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This branch organises regular lectures with a wide range of interesting speakers. Meetings are held in private homes in the area.
Chair: Terry Shlomo
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054-4608420
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Embracing a community of families, the Ramat Aviv branch brings together all generations through activities arranged jointly with the TLV municipality.
ESRA Netanya is a dynamic, warm and welcoming group. Its manifold activities embrace a diverse informative lecture course - boasting top lecturers. Well-known journalists keep us up-to-date with Israel’s manifold and complex political happenings. Music lovers enjoy an informed and illustrated insight into the world of music. History comes to life through the outstanding delivery of our excellent lecturers.
Netanya’s wide program includes viewing the country through the eyes of a charismatic professional guide; fun evenings of first class entertainment; car rallies and sociable get-togethers over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
ESRA’s English Teaching Program enables volunteers to help local schoolchildren with their English conversation; the opportunity exists to help youngsters ranging from Primary to High School level.
Training is offered to those who wish to become befrienders of many who feel lost and alone.
Funds raised go towards ESRA’s projects. Netanya is proud to have its own project - The Volume Center - offering music opportunities to youngsters living in an area of deprivation. Yes, surprising as it is, Netanya has neighborhoods requiring support where ESRA’s flagship project “Students Build a Community” has made a difference, not only to the children but also to the entire community.
Chair: Barbara Kliner
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Patricia Mills
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The mainstay of this group's cultural activities is their well-known Art Lecture Series at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
ESRA Ramat Hasharon Branch of ESRA is both old and new. We were amongst the first of ESRA’s branches to be established and in our heyday we were very active.
Over the years, as the English-speaking population either integrated fully into Israeli society or moved to other areas, the branch became less active until it was ‘resurrected’ in 2018 by Hertzel Katz a former Ramat Hasharon resident. In many ways, we are a ‘virtual’ branch since there are few English-speaking new residents in the city.
Our branch, run by a very small and aging committee, organizes regular fundraising events to support the joint project we run with ENOSH, a nationwide organization that provides facilities for mentally challenged young adults.
Our joint venture has enabled ESRA members and others in the community to learn more about the ENOSH Center and the valuable work for it does. More importantly, thanks to this joint venture, participants in the Social Center receive weekly courses led by trained professionals to build their self-confidence and a belief in their ability to integrate into normative life in the community.
For three years they were taught the digital skills required in the modern world of technology.
Currently a program of drama therapy is being offered for a second year. This program gives participants an opportunity to talk about their challenges and discuss how to deal with them.
At the center in Ramat Hasharon, they make a variety of well-crafted ceramic items which are sold to the public. Proceeds of all items sold, go to the person who made the piece.
Fundraising events, attended by a wide variety of audiences, have since COVID been on ZOOM, and we are fortunate to have had leading personalities like Israel prize laureate, Ruth Berman share their expertise online.
A very popular fund raising event has been a bridge morning at the Ramat Hasharon Bridge Club supported by ESRA bridge players from the central area. Two such events were held before the Corona Pandemic and the third, in May 2023. On each occasion, the venue was donated by the owners of the club, Yakov and Vered Mintz, whose magnanimous gesture encouraged other local business to donate light refreshments and prizes.
If you are a resident of Ramat Hasharon and speak English fluently, we warmly welcome you to join the ranks of other volunteers who enthusiastically and successfully assist pupils with their English studies in local schools. They do this as part of ESRA’s very successful English Tutoring Program (ETP), recognized and endorsed by the Ministry of Education. To join just click here
Another very rewarding activity is the Ramat Hasharon Knitting Circle established in 2020 by Arlette Kaplan. The knitters who meet each week are not only ESRA volunteers but also old-timers of the Ramat Hasharon community. This gives an added dimension to the aim of ‘giving back to the community’. All participants look forward with great anticipation to their meetings where, under the expert guidance of Arlette, they knit beautiful animals and puppets for the children in a shelter for mothers of domestic violence. Knitted items are also donated to children and cancer patients in hospitals. If you’d like to meet in a congenial setting with like-minded knitters and use your skills – or learn a new one – to benefit worthy causes, please contact Arlette: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 052 525 2126
For more details about how to become involved in the activities of our branch please contact me. Chairperson: Lola Katz - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it."> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | 052-2653847
Chair: Phyllis Bloch
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09-7676926
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Welcoming English speakers in the area to Open House lectures and much more. They also support the ESRA Vintage Shop.
Joined Chair: Arne Rabuchin | 054-6240200
Michael Wolff | 053-8925258
A lively schedule of activities includes a Cinema Club, while volunteers run the Secondhand Book Shop and help man the Nearly New Shop.
Midot Seal of
Effectiveness
Presidential Award
for Volunteerism
ESRA-English Speaking Residents Association
Non-Profit & Public Institution No. 580037455
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