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Visit from Sisterclubs Mainz and Stafford.

Club Haifa - Nave Shaanan has three Sisterclubs, Tonsberg Norway (In November 2008 we had a visit of two Clubsisters from Tonsberg), Mainz, Germany and Stafford, England. The last two are Sisterclubs between them, to create a "triangle Sorority." We invited Sisters from each of the Clubs to visit us in Israel, and two Sisters from each Club accepted. We prepared the visit like a campaign. A "Hospitality staff" was in charge of the task and was in charge of: who would host the visitors in their homes, route, weekly timetable, daily schedule, who would accompany the visitors, transport, detailed information about events, organization of the welcoming and farewell receptions,Shabbat Eve event, Meetings with other Clubs.
Upon our experience with the visitors from Norway, a year and a half ago, we hoped for a "Zero Mistakes" performance. The guests landed on the evening of Sunday, March 13, for a one week stay.
The first day was dedicated to our town of Haifa. After the stormy weather of the previous week cleared, a warm spring sun was shining, and visibility was good. From the top of the Carmel there was a clear view of the City and the Haifa Bay.

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At the "Mount Carmel Training Center" we were invited for lunch. The "MCTC" since its founding is managed by Soroptimists who are always happy to host our visitors, and tell them about the Center's activities here and abroad.

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At the evening welcoming reception, each visitor and host sister received a sticker with her name.
As usual among Soroptimist sisters, a friendly atmosphere was immediately established. Before the meal we recited, in Hebrew and English, the "Blessing" –we had learned from a delegation of Soroptimists from Nigerian who visited in July 2010.
After a round of Introductions (name and profession), the guests talked about their Club activities, and we talked about our own.
Since the next day there was an early wake-up to get under way, we planned to finish early, but Irmgard showed us the plans – of the new synagogue in Mainz, built in place of the main Synagogue that was destroyed on "Kristallnacht". She showed pictures of the impressive modern building, so we were carried away without noticing how the time went.

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We ended the evening with reciting the "Soroptimist Undertaking" – also adopted from the Nigerian Clubsisters, the guests loved and said they would adopt those two Versions for their Clubs.

The planned excursions were based on our experience with the visit from Norway mentioned earlier, with minor modifications.
The visit to the Negev included familiarization with Kibutz life and meetings with educated and independent Bedouin women.

Then we went on to the "Christian Galilee" – Nazareth, The Sea of Galilee, also called Lake of Gennesaret, and up to the triangular border between Syria, Lebanon and Jordan and the Jordan River.
The visit to Western Galilee, which included a visit to the "Lohamei Hagetaot" Museum of the Ghetto fighters, and up to the Northern border.


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On our return from the Galil, Hanna invited us for dinner at a Restaurant on Mount Carmen

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On the coastal plain, North of Haifa we visited Zichron–Jacob, named after the Baron Jacob Rothshild who, about a century ago, helped to finance the Jewish Settlements in Israel (then Palestine), and then visited Caesarea.

Whenever possible, we were happy to meet with other Soroptimist Clubs.

On the Eve of the Departure we met at the home of our Friendship Coordinator, Judy.

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In every day life, friendships an close relation develop and friendship is built up gradually, but at the end of this week we felt we shared a "Quantum Leap". We felt so close, always looking forward to meeting the next day.
From our meetings with Soroptimist Sisters in many countries, we find that this is quite usual among Soroptimist Sisters.

Beyond our visitors curiosity to see Israel and Israelis, it was an exciting and personal and social experience for all of us, all of us as a club and as individuals.

The teamwork that characterized the participation of all our Clubsisters as well as family members contributed to the success of the visit.
Our success in making our guests feel welcome was echoed in the parting words of one of the guests, on the evening event before their departure. We finished that evening with a song on a well-known melody (the words also adapted from our Nigerian visitors)
"We are sisters, best serve the humanity, bringing hope ... come and join Us, a world of brotherhood ... "