IN MEMORY OF – ESCA

Rona Hirik, ob”m

casdu — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 14:33:56 +0000

“What would we do without Rona?” is a question you hear often at our Committee meetings. Quiet and unassuming, Rona listens a lot and speaks little, but contributes a great deal when she does speak. She came to Israel from the Bronx, New York with her family back in the 70’s and never looked back. A veteran Ashdodite, she made a career teaching English in Yahalom Elementary School and the Aleph Comprehensive High School and now enjoys her retirement, occasionally baby-sitting for one of her six grandchildren (all boys!). We tip our hats to one of ESCA‘s secret assets.

Since this writing Rona passed away.

Yitz Hochstein, ob”m

casdu — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 14:09:31 +0000

Yitz Hochstein was born in the Bronx, U.S.A., Yitz fulfilled his Zionist dream in the kibbutz before settling down in Ashdod along with Chana, Danny and Navah. For over a quarter of a century Yitz selflessly volunteered his time and efforts to the “Mishmar Ha-ezrachi”. He was a familiar figure not only in Ashdod but in the widespread network of Folk music lovers throughout the country.
Yitz was always ready to lend a helping hand to newcomers, and many owe their successful absorption to his efforts. An avid banjo player and semi-professional Chinese chef, you could always count on Yitz to have a good and amusing word for you.
We miss you.

Since this writing Yitz passed away.

Raymond Abraham, ob”m

casdu — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 14:05:07 +0000

Raymond Abraham was born and raised in Bombay, India. He was Secretary of the Halutz movement when the first Jews came to Kibbutz Afikim back in 1949. He was also active in the Tzeirei Yisrael movement.

In India Mr. Abraham worked for Air India. He lived in Israel from 1949 to 1952, but returned to India. In 1974 – on the heels of the rest of his big clan – he moved his own family here to stay.
While in Israel he worked for the Air force at Tel Nof in materiel management. He retired from active employment in 1992, but has been active in volunteer work helping others who have come after him. He is to be seen regularly at ESCA functions, and is an enthusiastic contributor in many ways.

Since this writing Raymond passed away.

Diana Martin, ob”m

casdu — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 14:03:24 +0000

Diana Martin was the quintessential New Yorker – smart and sassy. She came on aliyah in 1982, and was among the original founders of our ESCA group. She was there when the group first began to coalesce. When retired, Diane has become a fixture at Cafe Eden and, indeed, around town. She was an irrepressible critic (“What’s on my lung is on my tongue”) and said all those things that other people may be thinking but are too timid to say.

Since this writing Diana passed away.

Lolly and Bob Grunska, ob”m

casdu — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:51:32 +0000

Those featured members were among the very first members of ESCA, and Lolly was instrumental in founding the club.
Lolly and Bob now reside in Texas, and wish you all “Shalom” from there.
They came to Israel to await the Messiah’s arrival. They migrated to Ashdod to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea, with a suitcase full of puppets among their possessions. Lolly volunteered to put on a puppet show for children at Matnas Daled, and there she met Chana Hochstein, our present Chairperson. Lolly calls this meeting “a divine appointment.” While Bob worked at the Ashdod library and volunteered at the high school with conversational English, Lolly and Chana began puppet performances at the library, at schools, ganim, moshavim etc.
ESCA began growing from a nucleus of twenty – five “Anglo-Saxons” who met at the Canada House in the Spring of 1983. It was Lolly who initiated the idea of establishing a permanent group for English speaking people in Ashdod, to provide them with a social and cultural framework.
The first official meeting was held around a bonfire, and later there was a beach party and puppet show.
In Lolly’s words, “Ashdod today is no longer ‘just a port city’ but can compete with Tel Aviv for culture, social events and genuine fun.” We owe our existence in part to the energy and drive that Lolly put into forming the club, thereby building the beginnings of a social network that would expand into today’s group.

Since this writing Lolly and Bob passed away.

Esther, ob”m and Fred Beuthner, ob”m

casdu — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:49:39 +0000

Esther Beuthner is a native sabra. She was born in Jerusalem. Fred was born in Germany. They met in Palestine, where Fred had come with a youth movement. Fred lived first on a kibbutz, then a moshav. At twenty he joined the British Army in Palestine. Those were the dark days before the establishment of the State.

After marriage in 1948 they lived in Israel for ten years and then moved to the States. They raised three children and eight grandchildren, but Israel beckoned them and they returned here in 1968.

They have led an ambulatory life since then. In 1975 they returned to the United States, only to be drawn back to Ashdod in 1997. Here they found a warm circle of friends among the members of ESCA.

Sadly, they have once more returned to the U.S. – who can resist the call of children and grandchildren? During their stay here they gave a lot to us all. Fred was active at our library, and participated in our committee meetings, helping to plan and carry out our various functions. We all hope they will be back one day to share their adventures with us. But with ESCA on the web… they aren’t really so far away now, are they?

Since this writing Esther and Fred passed away.

Ellen Dunn, ob”m

casdu — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:40:12 +0000

Ellen Dunn – One of the cornerstones of our social networking is our Friday morning get – togethers under the Banyan Tree. Ellen Dunn is the person who initiated the first gathering years ago.

Ellen came to Israel in 1982 from the USA. There she played the oboe professionally with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Artists Internationale Opera, the State Ballet of R.I., the Cantelena Woodwind Quintet and a variety of other groups that straddle the professional musical spectrum.

Shifting her residence to the Middle East expanded her professional horizons. She has played with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Beer Sheva Symphonet and others including the well – known and multicultural “HaB’rerah HaTivit” group.

These days Ellen holds court in her flat in Ashdod, receiving an astonishing variety of friends, playing Scrabble with the pros, acting as mother confessor to countless souls and generally being one of the prime movers of our group. Thank you, Ellen, from us all.

Catch more about Ellen in Sam Orbaum‘s feature “Ashdod’s Open Door” in his hilarious collection of articles “Eskimoes of Jerusalem (And Other Extraordinary Israelis)”.

Since this writing Ellen passed away.