Motti Weiner passed away on December 31st 2007, at the age of 90.
Motti was born in Pretoria, South Africa on 22.09.1917. His parents emigrated from Lithuania to South Africa in 1911. They had seven children of whom Motti was the third. Motti studied at “East Central” which was known for its anti-Semitic atmosphere. He left school at the age of 15 and worked in a flour mill to help support his family. During these years Motti learned what it was to be poor and of the importance of self-respect. During the following four years Motti worked in six different places, when each time he improved his position and salary.

In 1939 Motti, aged 21, volunteered to serve in the forces and fight the Germans. He served full-time with the Pretoria Regiment (PAO), in the Citizen Force unit. He was transferred to the mobile Air Force as its Regimental Sergeant-Major where he supervised the transfer of thousands of men to the front lines in East Africa, the Western Desert and Italy. Thereafter he himself, after persistent agitation, was transferred to the Italian war front, where he served to the end of operations. In 1943 he had to accompany 220 prisoners (young soldiers with discipline problems) who were sent to Italy to join various flying squads. It was a very difficult mission: a boat trip lasting six weeks to Casablanca, four days train trip over the Atlas mountains and Algeria. From there by boat to Napoli and by train to Bari. During this long journey Motti had to put down a rebellion of the prisoners who tried to improve their living conditions.

When he was demobilized, he went into business and was well-known in Pretoria amongst all elements of the town and his contacts were innumerable. His affability, sense of humor and concern for others earned him a very large circle of friends. His war-time service led him to take a long and worthy role in the affairs of South African Jewish Ex-service League….On reaching retirement age, he and Ita, his third wife, made aliyah to Israel when a new chapter in his life started and he immersed himself into the activities of ESRA.

Motti was a gentleman in the grand sense of the word, full of respect for people, a charmer, someone who relished life and entered all activities with a verve, which made everybody else around him join in the fun.

With the same energy and excitement that he invested into living and dancing, Motti invested in setting up in 1995 and running the ESRA nearly new shops and developing them over the years, with tremendous responsibility. He was the epitome of an outstanding volunteer who gave of himself totally and with passion, his strengths, skills and energies for the good of the community. Wrote Motti to Merle Guttmann, founder of ESRA: “I knew nothing about second hand shops, I didn’t think I could handle bargaining with Israeli Jewish and Arab buyers, I couldn’t even speak Hebrew. Merle, it was for you that I accepted the challenge…..I was determined not to let you down….You gave me the opportunity of making a small contribution to the Israeli society and a larger contribution to ESRA.”
For thirteen years on a daily basis Motti coordinated and activated with warmth and caring a team of 60 volunteers which he led by example. He was at work at 7am schlepping, carrying, sorting out the goods. He knew no bounds. Nothing deterred or was too much or too menial for the octogenarian Motti who volunteered physically with amazing energy 42 hours a week.

But Motti also worked after hours. His mind never stopped ticking on the shop….He made his plans all carefully calculated of how ESRA could and should move to new premises, each time larger and costing more, to ultimately expand the shops, business and income. Always daring, far-sighted and right, his plans worked and the shops grew and grew.