It’s so tempting, when the temperatures outside rise into the high 30s in most of Israel, to succumb to that summer torpor and just squeeze the last few vacation days for maximum rest and relaxation. But the members of the ETAI Northern Committee were having none of that and, working hard for much of the summer to rouse us from our vacation inertia, welcomed us to the first-ever ETAI Northern Back-to-School Event, held this month at Gordon College in Haifa.  Turns out ETAI members will give up a vacation day, leave their child- and grandchild-care commitments, and brave the steaming heat to get ideas and share experiences ahead of the beginning of school, now just a couple of weeks away. With a plenary by Leo Selivan, followed by no fewer than 12 presentations over 2 sessions, this precedent-setting event was a big success that left many participants asking for more such events in the future.  Thank you to Fran Sokel, Jackie Tepitz, Tracy Piada, Gail Singer and Jennifer Spigelman for convening, and thank you to all those who attended and made the day a success!

And speaking of back-to-school, we ETAI members, whether we’ve spent the summer at home or traveling or both, are gearing up for the new school/academic year. This will be marked by the second meeting of the ETAI SIG (Special Interest Group) for Teacher Training and Development on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 at Mofet in Tel Aviv. The TT&D SIG was only recently born as a pre-conference event just ahead of ETAI National 2015 and its ranks are growing, as more of those involved in this important ELT sphere look for enrichment and sharing with their colleagues around Israel. Thanks and good luck to Lindsey Steinberg, Leo Selivan, Debbie Lifschitz, Fran Sokel and Amanda Caplan and  – you’ve taken an idea and transformed it into a country-wide initiative.  Look for the program, and more information, on the SIG page.

It’s been nearly two months since we wound up our very successful summer conference, Teachers=Learners=Teachers, which was held at the Academy High School in Jerusalem and which welcomed ELT professionals from around Israel and abroad.  We at ETAI are busy (despite the heat!) organizing the next winter conference, various regional events, and of course ETAI International 2016, Engage/Enhance/Energize, which will take place from July 4 to 6, 2016 at the new, state-of-the-art conference center in Ashkelon. Mark your calendars and watch for the call for papers – we look forward to receiving presentation proposals from all of you!  And watch this space for more details about all the upcoming ETAI events.

I will close with a brief tribute to Eddy Levenston, who passed away this week. Veteran teachers will remember him for his erudition, his generosity and his wonderful sense of humor; younger teachers may not remember him but can be sure that his wit and knowledge infused the educational path of nearly everyone working in the Israeli ELT field to this day. May his memory be an inspiration.

With best wishes for a successful, interesting and enriching school year,

Eleanor Satlow

ETAI Chair