NORDIC WALKING - HAVE POLES WILL WALK
I was introduced to Nordic Walking a couple of years ago when I was given a free trial lesson abroad. I enjoyed it but wasn't yet ready to pursue it further. This summer I read an advert that Herzliya Municipality was subsidizing free Nordic Walking lessons for pensioners in a park in Herzliya Pituach. I was delighted that, even though I live in Raanana, I was welcome.  We had to be there at 07.15 and we walked, talked and exercised until 08.15. They gave us a good teacher and we all enjoyed it immensely. During one of the lessons our teacher dropped a bomb shell - the Municipality had cancelled the Nordic walking group because we didn't always have the minimum 10 walkers. The following week I travelled abroad feeling sorry for my ex-fellow walkers who had been left in the lurch.
During my holiday I had a birthday (no age forthcoming) and my son and husband gave me a present of 'Nordic walking poles'. So here I am with the poles, a little knowledge and willing to share it with anyone who wants to walk. I thought of an early morning or evening walk around Raanana Park once a week, but I'd be interested to hear any other suggestions.
For those of you who would like to know more about Nordic walking, hereunder are three sites with information and videos.  Nordic Walking Israel also sells poles and accessories.
www.nwi.co.il
www.keenfit.com
www.leki.com/nordicwalking/videos

I have also contacted Keren at Nordic Walking Israel and told her that possibly some people who haven't got 'poles' would like to have a trial lesson with a professional. She was very helpful and said that she had poles for 15-17 people and she would be willing to give us a
free trial lesson in using the poles and in Nordic walking.
If you are interested in walking in the fresh air NORDIC WALKING is the ideal choice for you. It firms up the upper arms because of the pressure you put on the poles whilst walking. It gives you the chance to walk, talk and keep fit at the same time. If you are
interested in good company, a convivial chat and maybe a coffee break afterwards, please contact me at: 09 745 2726 or email: dianem85@gmail.com

Look forward to hearing from you.

Diane Messeca

Raanana

Confidential

Thank you Carl Hoffman for the review of Confidential. I am happy that you enjoyed the book despite the little things that bothered you along the way. We did our best. Anyway, the reason that we sourced and documented everything so extensively, down to the smallest possible detail and almost to the point of being annoying, is that we felt that nobody would believe the story if we didn't. Without the documentation and sourcing, on its own, the story fails to pass the believability test. That you immediately referred to Chuck Barris is evidence of that. But Arnon Milchan is no Chuck Barris... his story has the tiny added benefit of actually being true. There were many other fascinating elements that we left out of the book because it was either too sensitive from a security standpoint, or we did not have adequate sourcing to feel comfortable including it in the book. Anyway, I am very thankful to you for taking the time to read our book and for your review which I enjoyed.  

 Joseph Gelman, co-author

Las Vegas, Nevada

More on Anita Berman

I would just like to make a comment on the article about her demise (ESRA MAGAZINE, Sept/Oct/Nov 2011, pages 80-81). I did not know her well, as for many years I worked in Tel Aviv, so when I got home I was busy with housewifely chores. However, my late husband knew her from a chat here and there. I shall never forget the comment he made about Anita: "She is the best-dressed woman in the whole of Raanana."

May she rest in peace.

Mignon Lubinski

Raanana

TAKE ESRA MAGAZINES TO DOCTORS, DENTISTS ETC. 

I sympathize with those people who just don't have any more space for all their reading material and think about throwing away stacks of ESRA magazines.  But I have another solution for them.

What you can do is remember your doctor or dentist (or any other place with a waiting room) and help them by donating your surplus copies of ESRA MAGAZINE. There are always "clients" who can read English. And as there's always something interesting to read in the magazines, I imagine they'll be only too happy to receive them.

Besides this source for surplus magazines, there are the many restaurants, cafes and bars which also stock reading material for their clients.

But whatever you do, don't throw away your old ESRA MAGAZINES!  They are just too good. 

Mike Porter

Tel Aviv

Things to do when moving house

Thanks for your very useful article about “Things to do that get forgotten when moving house” (ESRA MAGAZINE 161, Sept/Oct/Nov 2011, P.78).

Ben & Jill Friedman

Raanana

ENGLISH WITHOUT BORDERS - CORRECTION

I would like to make a correction to a piece written by Harvey Green on page 12 of the Sept/Oct/Nov issue of ESRA MAGAZINE. "ENGLISH WITHOUT BORDERS" tutoring project in Netanya is a combined effort between AACI Netanya and ESRA Netanya. The two organizations have been working in cooperation for four years, and the volunteers come from either AACI or ESRA.

Harvey Green, one of our veteran volunteers, is a member of AACI. 

Ros Ben Ezra 

Netanya

Well done ESRA Rishon LeZion

On September 22 I went to Rishon le Zion, especially to  see the Oscar winning documentary, Strangers No More, which was being shown by the Rishon Le Zion ESRA Film Club.

Not only was I impressed by the film, but also by Janet Kiesari and her ESRA team.

An audience of some 70 people was treated to homemade refreshments and also a range of ESRA Ethiopian embroidered goods for sale.

It takes a lot of work to organize an event of this kind, and I am writing this letter to say "Kol Hakavod" to ESRA Rishon leZion.

I look forward to more special films in the future.

Ruth Greenwald

Givatayim

A Touch Computer Screen

Thank you ESRA Community Fund for paying for the purchase of a touch computer screen for Ilam Y. It made Ilam very happy and he is enjoying using it. Your generous donation of NIS 1,974 is greatly improving the quality of life of both Ilam and his family.

Miri Botzer Meletz, Social Worker, Alyn Beit Noam

Berale should be a staple

"Berale" should be a staple in every family's library. Thanks, Pnina Moed Kass, for enriching the repertoire of children's literature and for your willingness to share your craft directly with your readers (ESRA MAGAZINE 161, Sept-Nov 1011, p.93).

Rebecca Kimelman

Herzliya

A long-lost friend, found

I enjoyed reading about a long-lost friend, Vivian Silver, from Camp Massad (ESRA MAGAZINE 161 “Promoting peace and development within Bedouin and Jewish Society” by Carol Novis, pgs. 40-41).

Linda Samet (nee Levin)

Herzliya

English Tutoring Programs 

It was interesting to read in ESRA MAGAZINE 161 about the creative new voluntary tutoring program – English By Phone – initiated by Gill Teicher, coordinator of volunteer tutoring in ESRA and a member of the Executive.

I also read about 20 years of the Beit Berl program for English tutors. From the outset ESRA encouraged new immigrants to join the program for professionals to learn about teaching in Israel and to help non-professionals as volunteer English tutors.

I think it was the late Ruth Baratz who conceived the idea of the program.

I would like to give an example of ESRA's “input” here in the periphery. Bat-el, the new director of the Ethiopian Community Center - Atzmaut - here in Sderot, studied at Bar Ilan University and turned to ESRA for help with English studies at the suggestion of the student advisor of Ethiopian students. Noah Margalit is a professional English teacher who volunteered there herself and also coordinated and found other professional teachers to help these students to pass their English exams and get their degrees.

Bat-el was tutored by Ruth Feiglin, whom she remembers with warmth and gratitude. Bat-el came from Carmiel but is now married and lives in Netivot which is ten minutes from Sderot.

Adele Rubin
Sderot