Opening speech of E&S Chairman Batya Shmukler: PRAS seminar at Tel Aviv university: 27 Oct 2011

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ברוכים הבאים לכולם. אני רוצה להודות לכולכם שהגעתם היום ואני כבר מתנצלת על זה שאני אמשיך לדבר באנגלית. אני לא יודעת עם אתם הצלחתם להבחין במבטא העדין שלי אבל אני בהחלט דרום אפריקאית.  אפילו שאני כבר 20 שנה גרה בישראל עדיין יותר קל לי לדבר באנגלית.

Firstly, thank you to the Agudat Hastudentim of the Tel Aviv University, and especially Ya'ara, the rakezet Milgot, for letting us use these facilities at no cost.

A special thank you also to Bernice Bear Rosenberg who is here representing the Doone Foundation, one of the major financial contributors to the PRAS program.

I would also like to welcome and thank Tzippi Pinkas from the B’BayitBeyachad department of the Jewish Agency for helping to sponsor this training seminar.

Last, but certainly not least I would like to thank all of you, the students, for taking the time to be with us today.

A pessimist, they say, sees a glass of water as being half empty;
An optimist sees the same glass as half full.
But a person who helps others sees a glass of water and starts looking for someone who may be thirsty

When I discussed volunteering at Telfed my husband looked at me as though I was crazy. So let me understand he said. We have 4 children (well to tell you the truth two of those are teenagers so it feels more like having 6 kids ), we both work hard, and now in your free time you are going to volunteer at Telfed?  But the truth is that I get amazing satisfaction from being part of something bigger than myself and helping to make a difference in people’s lives in Israel.

Telfed’s goal is not only to help Southern Africans integrate successfully into Israeli society; it is also to encourage people to take an active role in improving the quality of life for others in Israel.
The PRAS program was specifically designed to support both of these goals and by joining this program you have become Telfed’s representatives in your respective communities. We are happy to welcome you into the Telfed family and I thank each and every one of you for the commitment you have made. I encourage you to stay involved even after your studies and help us continue to grow and innovate within Telfed. 

As chairman of the endowments and scholarships committee I would like to wish you all good luck in your studies and a successful year.

Thank you