ESRA’s annual fundraising event took place on Sunday, January 6 at the Herzliya Performing Arts Center in Herzliya. Attended by a full house, the atmosphere was festive in anticipation of the evening’s performance by the WATERLOO group singing and playing the best of ABBA tunes. 

“I have a Dream”

Greetings and thanks were extended by Brenda Katten, ESRA’s current Chairperson. Just like the lyrics in ABBA’s famous song, “I have a Dream”, Brenda “has a dream, a fantasy” and believes that "there is something good in everything she sees". Well, that night we also shared her dream.  

Afterwards, we were introduced by Nina Zuck, Head of ESRA Projects, to several of the students and pupils participating in the projects, and students who were once participants of ESRA’s Right Track Centers for teenagers, and who are now themselves giving of their time and talents to the next generation of youngsters in an ESRA project.  

We met Moria and Tom from the Project of Excellence at Mikhmoret Marine Studies College; Asneke Mekere from the Students Build a Neighborhood project in Heftzibah, and the confident little 12-year-old Anat, who danced with the ESRA Ethiopian Dance Group for President Shimon Peres at the his residence in December in celebration of the Sigd festival.

“Money, Money, Money…”

ESRA raffle tickets continued to be sold as we entered the lobby, and the date for the drawing of the raffle was announced as Monday, January 7, with notifications promised to all the winners.  I spent the rest of the evening dreaming of “all the things I could do if I had a little money...”

“Dancing Queen”

Then the lights went down and inhibitions scattered when we heard “You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life”. The Waterloo group took over with a beat and a rhythm that reminded all of us oldies about when we were "young and sweet, only seventeen..." (Yes, quite a long time ago). From the sound of the clapping, the singing along, the dancing of the audience and the cheers, it was clear that everyone, young and old, was having a grand time.

“Gimme, Gimme, Gimme”

By the time the Waterloo group gave its  last of several encores, we were full of adrenaline and good cheer and had a look in our eyes saying “Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight...” all the way home...

And... thank you to the people who made it happen:

To our ESRA fundraising committee who worked very hard, under the leadership of Richard Stein, to put this wonderful evening together:

To our event sponsor:

Eric Cohen Books

To our supporting sponsors:

Rena and Richard Stein

Bank Hapoalim

Bank Leumi

Bank Igud

Haaretz

Ruth and Harvey Cohen

Dity and Alex Landsberg

Litvak Gallery

Ora and Eitan Stebba

To:

Jack Hoch – for handling the stage

Yoel Segal/Adele Hunter/Maddy Levine – for the Power Point Presentation

Barrry Insell – for the photography

Sally Halon and Marian Lebor – for the Mikhmoret movie