Phyllis Bloch

Phyllis’s first aliyah was in 1976 from the United States to Jerusalem. She was employed by Israel television’s children’s department until 1982 when her husband, Danny, was sent to the Israel Embassy in Washington. They returned in1989 and settled in the Sharon area. Phyllis has been the coordinator and developer of Esra’s Ethiopian embroidery project since its inception in 1993. Phyllis has served as vice-chairman of Esra and on various Esra committees. She has participated in many community projects in Kfar Saba and is a member of the volunteer umbrella organization and a board member of Melo Ha Tene, Food for the Hungry project in the community.

Phyllis was awarded the Geller Prize for volunteering in Kfar Saba, and the Jewish Agency Yakir Klita award.

Frankie and Mike Cronin

Frankie and Mike made aliyah from England in 1977 to Herzliya, moving to Raanana in 1995. Mike is a civil engineer and has worked on the Hadera power station and the new Ben Gurion airport. He was the Tel Aviv University engineer for 8 years, and most recently has been working with the team planning the new Tel Aviv mass transit system.

Frankie is a pharmacist, and was a familiar face at the Golan Center pharmacy for many years. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Frankie and Mike were among the 250 English speakers who came to the first of Merle’s meetings to organize Esra. This began a lifelong involvement with Esra. In 1981 Mike organized a bicycle safety campaign and a road safety survey in Herzliya; he helped organize the Esra conferences for 60 plus and volunteering, the early supper quizzes, and served as chairman of Esra from 1986 to1987. Frankie and Mike started the hiking club 13 years ago and recently organized three sponsored hikes to raise money for Esra’s community projects.

Frankie helped organize Esra’s first young women’s group and later became involved in the volunteer distribution system for the magazine and has made sure that Esra’s database has kept pace with the computer age. She has managed the Esra website for the last 8 years and edits the monthly bulletin. Mike and Frankie have been distributors of the Esra magazine since its first edition in May 1979.

Teddy Edelstein

Teddy was born in Rouxville, Orange Free State and received his medical education and specialization in obstetrics and gynecology in South Africa, as well as rich experience in volunteering. In 1974, Teddy, together with his wife Marsha and three children, made aliyah, eventually settling in Raanana. Teddy became head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at Poria Hospital and later the “chief” of Gynecological Oncology at Beilinson Hospital. Teddy was “extremely impressed with the activities and workings of Esra” when he was introduced to it, and became an active member. He was involved in fundraising and organized many film premieres, barbeques, casinos, musical interludes, bowling competitions and other fundraising events. He chaired the fundraising committee of the Esra community fund, of which he is still a member.

Renee and Michael Goldway

Michael was born in Lodz, Poland and studied electronic engineering in France, graduating in 1939. He joined the French Army, was captured and taken prisoner, escaped and in 1942 reached England. He joined the army, and settled in England after the war. Michael made aliyah in 1951 where he taught in the air force and was sent on missions to Africa, Asia and Latin America. He then began working for the United Nations in UNESCO and ILO and worked for 17 years in Latin America. Michael retired from the UN in 1979 and returned to Israel and to active volunteering in Esra.

Renee was born in Cairo, Egypt and made aliyah in 1949. She joined Michael in Latin America and returned with him to Israel in 1979. Renee was chairperson of Esra Ramat Hasharon, served as chairperson of Esra from 1992-3 and promoted new immigrant musicians from the Former Soviet Union by organizing fundraising concerts for them. Together, Michael and Renee established the first Esra College in Raanana and the Esra travel club with local and overseas tours.

Audrey Goodman

Audrey Goodman made aliyah in 1969 from Columbus, Ohio with her late husband Richard and their three sons. Audrey worked for the Rothschild Foundation, the department of family medicine at Tel Aviv University, and was part of the team to establish the Open University. Audrey’s volunteer work in Esra includes serving as the coordinator of the Beit Malinov lecture series in Ramat Hasharon, co-chair of Esra, then as chairperson. Audrey continues as the coordinator of cultural activities and chair of the program committee, as well as chair of the branches. Three years ago

Audrey began the Esra cinema club, and last year she helped establish the Esra-moadon ha’zahav English speaking college of Raanana. Audrey is the proud grandmother of 13 grandchildren.

Adele Hunter

Adele Hunter grew up in Swansea, a small Jewish community in South Wales, UK where she became involved in Jewish and Zionist organizations and was active in the 35s women’s campaign for Soviet Jewry. In 1980 Adele, husband Michael and their three children made aliyah and settled in Raanana. After working at Tel Hashomer hospital and the diaspora museum, Adele then volunteered in Esra and has been actively involved in all aspects of the organization. She served for two years as co-chair of Esra and for four years as vice-chairperson. Her main involvement has been as coordinator of the welfare fund. Adele is also an active member of the fundraising, second hand shops, finance and Raanana Committees. She has served as a member of the executive committee for 13 years. Adele has been actively involved in organizing today’s festival.

She and Michael have eight grandchildren.

Freda and Ralph Lanesman

Freda and Ralph Lanesman made aliyah from South Africa in 1980 and settled in Raanana. They joined Esra soon after their arrival. Freda worked with Russian immigrants when they arrived in 1992, helping them with their immigration and working in the Esra shop on Bar Ilan Street which she co-managed. Freda was the first chairperson of the Raanana branch and served as its chairperson or co-chairperson for 12 years. She is a member of the Raanana committee and of various other committees in Esra. Freda has worked in the Raanana office for many years and continues to be of assistance whenever required.

Ralph qualified as a chartered accountant in South Africa, taking time out to serve with Machal during Israel’s War of Independence in 1948-49. From the inception of the Esra community fund, Ralph served in a financial administration and management capacity and attended to its accounting matters. Subsequently he was elected to the control committee where he still serves.

Robert Langbart

Robert was born in Johannesburg, South Africa where he qualified as a chartered accountant. Together with his wife Rosslyn and two young children, they made aliyah in 1962. After attending ulpan in Dora, Netanya, the family settled in Ramat Hasharon where their third child was born. Robert served in the IDF during the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War, and in the reserves until reaching the age limit. In the private sector he served on the executive of Danish Interiors and as chief financial officer of Comasco Ltd. where he still maintains a seat on the board of directors. Since his retirement in 1997, Robert has been an active volunteer with Esra, serving as treasurer and currently as chairperson of the finance committee.

Noah Margalit

Noah Margalit, originally named Violet, was born in England to German refugee parents who were on their way to the United States. After finishing university, traveling in Europe, and teaching in Switzerland, she went to Israel “just to see”. In 1964 she returned to settle in Israel where she taught at kibbutz Yad Mordechai, studied for another degree at Tel Aviv University, and met and married a sixth generation Israeli. Noah taught at the Alliance school until she retired, and then, by chance, was introduced to Esra. Noah has served as co-chair of the steering committee, has been a member of the executive committee, founded Esra Tel Aviv and became its first chairperson. She initiated Esra’s volunteer tutoring program for Ethiopian students at Bar Ilan University, she coordinates Esra’s Tel Aviv bible study group and the Tel Aviv short story discussion group, and packs and delivers the Esra magazine.

Rika Meyerowitz

Rika was born in Ficksburg in the Orange Free State, South Africa. A teacher by profession, she came on aliyah in 1969. In Israel, Rika gave up teaching and went into the fashion business, promoting the sale of Israeli products to major stores in Europe and the USA. Rika began volunteering in Esra at the start of the mass Russian aliyah, helping to collect and pack needed items for the new immigrants. In 1998 she took over the distribution of the Esra magazine, a job that she continues to be responsible for until today. She was chairperson of the Herzliya branch and volunteered at the techushon until she moved to Netanya. In 2003 Rika, together with three other Netanya women, organized the hand in hand food pantry which collects, packs and delivers food parcels once a month to needy families in Netanya. She and her husband, Willy, also collect and deliver goods from Netanya to the Esra second hand shop in Raanana. The Netanya music evenings with Barbara Blum were started by Rika and are hosted in the Meyerowitz home.

They have three children and six grandchildren.

Adele Rubin

Adele came to Israel from Cape Town, South Africa in 1951 and married here in 1954. She and Mike have two children and five grandchilren. Mike is from the United States and came to Israel with Machal. Adele’s work with bereaved families during the Yom Kippur War led her to leave teaching and become the volunteer coordinator of the Herzliya municipality from 1978-1985. Adele became the coordinator of volunteers on the Esra steering committee from 1985 and was one of the first coordinators of the branches. Adele served as chairperson of Esra from 1994-96. In order to deal with Esra’s continuing growth and expansion, she organized and coordinates the new volunteer division which deals with all aspects of Esra volunteering.

Joseph (Josie) Shlain

Josie was an active member of the Zionist Socialist party in his native South Africa, and founder of the Dror youth movement. In 1948, at the outbreak of the War of Independence, he came to Israel as a Machal volunteer. He was active in the creation of the hachshara center, beth chever and the moshav shitufi, Kfar Daniel.

In 1961 he headed the department of English speaking immigrants of the Jewish Agency. He later set up his private business which dealt with the promotion of business and investments. For more than 30 years he was involved in the volunteer activities of TELFED. In January 1984 he moved to Herzliya and from that moment Esra became an integral part of his life as he became involved in the organizational aspects of Esra. He has served as chairperson of Esra, treasurer, business administrator of Esra magazine, and as chairman of the finance and the administration committees. He is a qualified auditor/accountant as well as a registered real estate broker and insurance agent. Josie cites as his major achievement his marriage to a wonderful immigrant from England, and his two children and nine grandchildren who are all in Israel.

Richard Stein

Richard was born and educated in Dublin and qualified as a chartered accountant in 1969. He came on aliyah in 1977. Richard is married to Rena, they have three children, and he is the proud grandfather of one grandchild. Richard has been involved with Esra for the past 10 years, serving as chairman from 2001 to 2005. At present he is the chairman of the fundraising committee and is very committed to the social services side of Esra.