An excellent innovative start up ESRA in Modiin where Israeli and English speaking partnerships are formed to meet in a social environment weekly for conversational interaction in Hebrew and English in order to learn and practice the languages.

English grammar is in decline. The names we have for tenses are not always what they are made out to be. Read Rica Goldin’s verse, what is "present perfect" and is “past perfect really ‘past past’ ”?

Perfecting conversational English by phone is an innovative ESRA project initiated by Gil Teicher. It is a win-win situation in which volunteer tutors, who are unable to travel, continue to help students to polish their English.

For 20 years Beit Berl college has run courses for English speakers to learn to become tutors. People who have degrees in English, or those who have English as their mother tongue, have benefited from this year long course eight hours a week.

Steve Kramer informs the readers about the English Speaking Friends of Tel Aviv University – ESFTAU, an organization that for a small fee (with a discount for ESRA members) allows members to enjoy free entrance to many of the English language cultural activities on the university campus.

Camp Sunrise is new to Israel. Based on an American idea and backed by funds from the USA the camp ran for 3 weeks this summer in Even Yehuda near Netanya. Young cancer patients and their siblings were bussed in daily from all over the country. Aged 4-16 they included Jews and Arabs from all walks of life who ate and played together,had workshops, sports sessions, music and art activities. Time was allowed for treatments. New friends were made and a good time was had by all.

Our history has exposed us to becoming a living laboratory for the study of stress and trauma which has led the Bob Shapell School of Social Work at Tel Aviv University to launch a new post-graduate MA program covering all aspects of these subjects in public and private life.

A summary of some of the topics covered by Lola Katz with consummate skill and knowledge at the `English for Schools’ seminar held for ESRA volunteers who tutor in this service to the community.