My Moslem Arab student

            When I got a response to my advertisement for private English lessons from an Arab girl, I didn’t know what to do.

            All my friends in Israel are Jewish and I didn’t know how to relate to an Arab.  It’s funny.  Israel has about one and a half million Arab citizens and half a million Christians too - almost 30% of our population.

            My friends told me to take the student, so I did.

            She is a pleasant 25-year-old girl from a village in the north, and she has a degree in social work from the Hebrew University.

            At first it was awkward, as we met in my house and both of us were sensitive to certain issues, but she was very polite and so there was no problem.

            She did 6 to 9 hours of English homework each week, which put her ahead of the other students.

            So I began to put her on a pedestal.  I even tried to arrange an opportunity for her to get her MSW (Master of Social Work) in the U.S.A.  I told the other students how cute and diligent she was.

            Then she began to cut down on the homework a little bit (like everyone else when it interfered with her social life) and each week she seemed to change her mind about what she wanted in life:

• To stay in the village with her family
• To travel the world
• To have many new experiences
• To get her MSW
• To find a new field
• To get married
• To be independent
• To help the world
• To live the “good” life
• To be a writer

She is just a very normal 20-something young woman, and very nice.

Peter Shmuel Levitt

Netanya

ESRA WORKS – CONGRATULATIONS

My congratulations to ESRA on the publication of ESRA Works. It as is a very handy book and I found it so convenient to be able to show someone what ESRA is really about. It is sometimes difficult to explain to others the ins and outs and aspirations of ESRA. This book covers it all.

Naomi Ariel, Herzliya

HOT AND CNN

We are a large community of Anglo Saxons in Protea Village. Some of us still speak and understand only English. HOT is the cable supplier of Protea and until the difference of opinions between HOT and CNN, we enjoyed CNN greatly; this was our main newscast.

          Last month HOT announced the cancellation of CNN channel. When we contacted their customers’ service we were informed that it was not likely that the CNN channel would go down and we were promised that HOT was doing its best to keep the channel. Two weeks ago they stopped broadcasting CNN, despite our sincere requests to keep this important channel.

          Unfortunately, not a single consumer organization did something about it. Moreover, I wonder why ESRA didn’t take action to protest against HOT’s decision, due to the fact that your organization should represent the English speaking residents in Israel. You are aware of the importance of this channel to the Anglo Saxon community.

          I think a consumers’ boycott of HOT is necessary at this point and your support is also necessary.

Rivka Berger, Protea Village

MY DEEPEST ADMIRATION

          Having once been a typist and proof reader of ESRA MAGAZINE and seen its fantastic development over the years, I cannot but express my deepest admiration to you for the format and content of this latest Magazine #142. I know all the hard work, pressure and deadlines involved and can only say Kol Hakavod to your typist (having been one myself I put her first), the team of proofreaders, the talented contributors, graphic designers, illustrator, the printers and last but certainly not least, the devoted volunteers who address, bundle and distribute the magazines, and to anyone else I may have missed out who contributes to the success of this magazine. But my deepest respect and admiration go to you, Merle, for having founded ESRA, for your tireless energy, determination, devotion and talent in editing, controlling and putting together this magazine which, I believe, is one of the most powerful methods of keeping ESRA in touch and alive and has made ESRA the foremost voluntary organization in Israel, if not the world!

Kol Hakavod.

Mary Popper, Herzliya

A BEAUTIFUL EDITION – 142

A beautiful edition – exquisite cover –

am enjoying reading all the various articles.

Gail Bloom, Kochav Yair