Congratulations on carrying the very interesting (and highly informative) article on Primo Levi by Elizabeth Levi Senigaglia of Tiberias (189 issue, April 2017). Ms. Senigaglia has penned a penetrating portrait of Primo Levi and his works.

By appending Levi's poem “Shema”, she reminds us of the implied imperative of Levi's words: “Consider if this is a man…” This is more a command than a request (“I command these words to you”). Which words?   Words which admonish us to act and sanction failure to do so:

“Engrave them in your hearts

…Repeat them to your children,

Or may your house fall apart,

May illness impede you,

May your children turn their faces from you.”

As Harold Jacobson has written:

“The danger, as time goes by, is that we will tire of hearing about the Holocaust, grow not only weary but disbelieving, and that out of fatigue and ignorance more than cynicism, we will belittle and, by stages, finally deny – actively or by default – the horror of the extermination camps and the witness, by then so many fading memories, of those who experienced them. The obligation to remember is inscribed on every Holocaust memorial, but even the words “Never Forget” become irksome eventually. Again and again, Primo Levi’s work is described as indispensable, essential, necessary. None of those terms overstate the case…”

To fellow readers: Assuming no Primo Levi circle exists, which appears to be the case, are there readers willing to get together to form one? If so, kindly contact me.

Gabriel Glazer, Ramat Hasharon

glazerg@gmail.com

Was the author depressed ‘before’ the Holocaust?

Thanks to Elizabeth Levi Senigaglia for her moving piece about Primo Levi. She packed a lot into a concise article.

I read many of his books when they were translated into English. The Holocaust has interested me since I first became aware of it, as a young child.

In high school, a classmate was a third generation survivor of the Armenian Holocaust, and later, when I was treating our Holocaust survivors and their children and grandchildren, I remembered her and noticed the similarities between her suffering and those of these patients I treated.

I have not read any biographies of  Primo Levi. I wonder if he was depressed before the Holocaust. I am reminded of Iris Chang, who vicariously “lived” an atrocity when she researched and wrote The Rape of Nanking.

Just as I wonder how much Primo Levi's depression and suicide were a result of his experience in Auschwitz and how people reacted after he came home, so too I wonder to what extent her depression and suicide was a result of her vicarious suffering for what happened in Nanking.

Again, thanks to Elizabeth Levi Senigaglia.

Judith Ronat M. D. Kfar Saba

Thank you, ESRA Community Fund, for your life-saving generous donation

To the Generous Donor,

I don’t know where to begin to thank you.

I have had years of stress and debts upon debts. This is something that has always followed me in my life. There were few times that I could relax and have money for myself, not just for repaying my debts.

I was a bit afraid to begin my studies due to the accumulation of debts, but in the end I did because I always believed G-d would give me my needs and if I needed more, he would also provide. My belief never left me and I was always sure that everything will be OK. I just had to continue to believe that things will work out.

I never told a soul about my debts; only my immediate family knew. I didn’t tell anyone else because I didn’t like to ask for anything. I always love to give, which is the way I was brought up at home.

During the past year, I have learned to speak about what is troubling me and not to be afraid to ask for help when it is needed so when I joined the amazing ‘Students Build a Community’ project in Netanya, I felt at ease telling my coordinator about my personal problems. She immediately directed me to the ESRA organization, a warm and loving place, which is always ready to help when needed.

I don’t know who you are Generous Donor, but I hope that G-d will bless you for your large donation and that you will have peace and good health so you may continue to do good for others.

Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate and cherish your help and, of course, a huge thank you to ESRA for your willingness to help me.

Orit, Netanya

Merci - grant came at the right time

I am a new immigrant from France. Many, many thanks for the NIS 2,000 grant you sent me. it helped me tremendously and came at a moment when I very much needed it.

Johanna Lea S., Netivot

Lunch ... Sheila and Eliezer Ottensooser at the Golden Dove Restaurant, Cannes. Right: Sheila Ottensooser with Mike Rubin at the entrance to St Paul de Vince in 2001

60-year friendship resulted in a generous bequest to ESRA

Sheila Ottensooser died in August 2015 and Richard Stein, former Chairman of ESRA, attended a memorial service for her in London as a representative of ESRA.     

This gift came about as a result of the friendship I (a former chairperson of ESRA) and Mike, my husband, had with Sheila and Eliezer Ottensooser for over 60 years, first in Israel and then abroad. We were at their son Gavriel's brit at the Sharon Hotel where Eliezer was deputy manager in 1956. Our son, Ilan, who was born a few months later became Gavriel’s friend till Gavriel died of cancer a few years before his parents retired and moved to Cannes France.

We often visited the Ottensoosers in England where Eliezer (who came from a well-known German banking family) became a very successful Insurance Broker. We went to London in 1999 for Gavriel’s memorial service. 

We also visited Sheila and Eliezer in Cannes soon after they moved, and as usual we had a wonderful time with them. Unfortunately Eliezer died suddenly soon after.

We kept in touch with Sheila and tried unsuccessfully to encourage her to come to a retirement home in Israel as she was mostly confined to bed with a bad back. I occasionally sent her the ESRA Magazine and then, at my request, Brenda Katten,

who had met the Ottensoosers in London, arranged that ESRA regularly send Sheila the magazine. Through reading the magazine, Sheila became interested in ESRA and its projects, including what we were doing in Sderot.

We knew little about the bequest although in one of her regular monthly conversations with Mike, Sheila asked if ESRA was still functioning and said she was considering including it in her will.

We are proud and pleased that our friendship and staying in contact over many long years have borne fruit.  

Adele and Mike Rubin, Sderot

Israeli Postal Bank welcomes foreign workers to open currency accounts

The Israel Postal Bank, in conjunction with EuroGiro and Western Union, has published a brochure in English entitled "Welcome To Israel" to encourage foreign workers to open low-cost shekel and foreign currency Postal Bank accounts. The brochure details rates, conditions and transfer services offered and has this interesting information:

"Please note, your employer is obliged by Israeli law to transfer your salary to a bank account held and managed under your name only.”

"Your employer is required to transfer your salary to your bank account in Israel so you can be the master of your money."

Important information for employers as well!

The brochure can be found at Postal Bank foreign currency windows ... which is where I found it.

Siri Jones – Rosen, Eilat

Barbara’s art must be seen – not just written about

 Lynette Karp did an excellent journalistic profile of Dr. Barbara Blum in the April/May 2017 issue of ESRAmagazine. We enjoyed reading about our friend Barbara.

The mere mention of Barbara's stained glass art does an injustice to ESRA's readers without showing an example of Barbara's magnificent stained glass talent. 

Leonard C. Kahn, Zichron Yaakov

Refreshing Low-Cal and No-Cal summer coolers