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Dear Nili,
A little late I send żou this message for your next magazine for Israeli soroptimists.

Dear Soroptimists in Israel, dear Friends,

I thank you all very much for your friendship and hospitality during my visit in Israel from May 29 to June 2.

At my arrival I got from the Union President Hava a detailed programme for my visit, so I knew where to go and with whom and I must admit that it was very nice to be informed so precisely in beforehand and especially I was happy to have the occasion to meet so many active, interesting and interested Israeli soroptimists, which meant that I had personal contact with 17 out of 18 clubs in your country. It was really great!

I also thank you for all the gifts, books, photos and informations about your activities and projects. Fortunately Etty had an extra bag to give me for bringing all those gifts safe back to Denmark.

The vist in Haifa at the Mount Carmel centre, which Fannette Modek and others had told me about for years, was a great experience and also the visit in the club for Ethiopian women in Rehovot was very inspiring and interesting and I will report on that and all other experiences to the Federation.

I thank you for exellent hospitality in the clubs in Ramat-Hasharon, in the Haifa clubs, in the Nahariya club and at the meeting in "Old Jaffa Court". At all those meetings with members from many clubs, I felt a big and sincere interest in the Soroptimist world outside Israel, but also a big devotion to soroptimism in your own country and to big friendship between you at national level.

To visit Teibe, as a total Arab club, and visit their project in the home for elderly people was something special and I send a special congratulations to those brave women in Teibe club for their welcome, their understanding of soroptimism and for their hard work.

To be hosted by the Jerusalem club for a wonderful lunch in historical surroundings and especially to have the opportunity to visit Hava Ya-ari in her beautiful home was an extra gift, that I never will forget.

Also a big thank you to my hostess Etty and her effort to make my stay comfortable and feeling a home and for the surprise-party with the members of her club.

Last but not least a big thank you to president Hava for her invitation and arrangements and to all who accpompagnied me and showed friendship to me.

It was an unforgettable stay and I will recommend other soroptimists to visit Israel to intensify the contact between you and the soroptimist world around you,as I understood how hard life you have in those times and still you try to survive and "keep smiling".

As we discussed my wish is that EACH club will take is as a project for the next years to get more and hopefully younger members, and work intensively on recruitment of new members. How else can soroptimism in Israel survive?

Remember: you agreed with me, that Soroptimism is the best world-wide service organization for women, and we have to work for that continuously and effenciently.

Once again THANK YOU to you all and for your friendship to me during my stay and see you somewhere - somehow round in the big world of Soroptimists and especially I hope that many of you will start to save money for going to the SI/E congress in Vienna in 2005.

With my warmest soroptimist greetings
Hanne Jensbo
President SI/E