When I moved to Raanana five years ago I did not realize that the knitting lessons that I had had as an eight year old, lessons now long forgotten, would come in handy after 70 years. I walked into the Esra Raanana Knitting Circle held in Bet Hanoar on a Tuesday morning and was greeted by a sea of grey heads, some over 90 years old, busily knitting, crocheting and chatting in English. I felt at home right away and with a ball of wool and a pair of knitting needles I started my new career.

Our membership is 44. Weekly attendance is between 25 and 35. There are also home knitters. The standard of the garment produced is absolutely amazing and the warm feel of the wool in our busy hands transfers itself into our hearts.

Sometimes I imagine our preemies dressed in our hats, booties and vests and covered with our blankets, lying in a row, snug and warm, or the colorful hats on the heads of children who have lost their hair due to illness, or old people with our blankets warming their knees. And what about those sweaters? Close your eyes and see 303 kids standing in a row wearing their grand new garments!

I know the feeling, having been a child refugee in W.W.II. As we grew out of our original clothes, we received hand-me-downs, but sometimes it was something NEW. Oh, what joy!

We have visitors from abroad who bring wonderful contributions – huggable dolls, blankets and scarves …

Lately I have noticed that we have a couple of blonde and brown heads and have heard Hebrew spoken! How wonderful.

All our work would not be possible without Wendy Goldstein, who is our volunteer coordinator, buyer, distributor, knitter and our general manager.

Dear readers, why don’t you come along on a Tuesday morning and feast your eyes! You may even be tempted to join us…

Below is the list of the 1,380 items knitted and the places to which they were distributed during 2007:

Production List for 2007

Sweaters                                                                303
Baby and Prem. Baby Blankets / Knee Rugs       208
Bed Socks                                                             23 pairs
Booties                                                                  68 pairs
Dolls/toys                                                              90
Hats                                                                       365
Kippot                                                                   4
Ponchos                                                                 2
Scarves                                                                  152
Vests                                                                     159
Mittens                                                                  6 pairs
Total:                                                                    1,380

Distribution List for 2007

Schneider Children’s Hospital, Petach Tikvah

Beit Issie Shapira, Raanana

This Land is Mine, Olim Fund, Netanya

Meir Hospital, Paediatric Dept., Kfar Saba

Forgotten People’s Fund, Netanya

Beit Levenstein, Raanana

Ethiopian families, Ofakim

Maon Savyon

Beit Shabtai Levi, Haifa

Refugees, Tel Aviv

Amigdal Club, Raanana Municipality

Needy families, Hod Hasharon

Bar Ilan school, Kfar Saba

Mayer Children’s Hospital (Rambam), Haifa

Beit Hayeladim, Jerusalem

Children of the Esra Ethiopian Women’s Embroidery Project in Petach Tikvah and Rosh Ha-ayyin

Total Number of Places: 16