Esther Tolkin is an M.A. graduate in Social Work with special interest in community work and gerontology. For 22 years she worked as Director of a daycare center for the elderly, and later as a Manager of a homecare company, both in Hadera. Since her retirement, she volunteers at ESRA at Bayit Cham, Netanya and at Beth Hatefutsot, and is an active grandmother to several grandchildren. She was born in Transylvania in 1947, came to Israel with her parents in 1948 and in 1956 travelled to South Africa when her father, Rabbi Engel, accepted a call to go and provide spiritual services to a small country community. She returned to live in Israel in 1978 with husband and children. She lives in Kfar Haroe.