Joan (Stein) Weisman came to Israel in August 1972 and 2 weeks later started teaching. She lived in Jerusalem but traveled to Kiryat Malachi to work in two elementary schools. After 4 years of working in Achim and Eli Cohen Schools and feeling that she was a 'soldier-teacher”, Joan worked in a Agron School in Jerusalem. At this stage she thoughtthat she wanted to leave teaching, and in her Sabbatical year did a tennis coaching course at Wingate, but ultimately decided to stay with the Dept of Education. At this stage she married and moved to live in Kiryat Shmona for a short period where she taught tennis at Kibbutzim Menara and Amir and also in Metula. When they decided to set up home in Karmiel,Joan started working in the Horowitz High School where she taught for 15 very happy years. Her two daughters had wonderful years of growing up in the city. Wanting to “leave teaching while she was still enjoying her work” Joan decided to take early pension. At that stage she began working for the UJIA in Karmiel. For three years was a volunteer coordinator for the gap year programme and worked as the aliya person for new immigrants to the local Absorption Center. Joan also had the task of writing grant requests for people who needed assistance from the UJIA Funds. She then taught English in a program for gifted children from the Arab and Druze sectors at the Ort Braude College in Karmiel. Joan now lives in Netanya whereshe volunteer in the ESRA shop once a week and also coordinates the music program for Ethiopian children in Hefziba.