Haifa Women's Interfaith Encounter Group on 21st March 2009:

Encounter of IEA's "OR (=Light)" Group

The encounter took place at the home of one of the Jewish members who is a psychologist and artist who also deals with Art Therapy. The day of the encounter – March 21st – was a day full of meaning: the first day of spring and the International Day of Woman; and we felt some of the joy. At first we enjoyed the renovated and special home of our friend, full of her artistic work in a variety of fields.

The host planned for this encounter an activity through a game of painting with meaning. She first demonstrated through her own painting that she painted long ago and is hanging on her wall. Each of the women described what she saw in the painting. Then we all got small round papers and were asked to spend 5 minutes drawing something personal, which represents our mood and thoughts – stressing the meaning of the painting, regardless our painting skills. Then we paired up, trying to find someone we don't know so well, and told each other what was behind our paintings. In the fourth stage we came back to the plenary of the group and shared our personal stories, with each woman telling the story of her partner. Some of the women described essential and central things in their lives and opened personal stories.

Like always we shared many personal experiences and different anecdotes, since we didn't meet for a month. One friend told us about her trip to Vietnam and Cambodia and another about her journey to Jenin for dental treatment and all the checkpoints' difficulties.

To the encounter came a new member who wishes to join our group. She is Christian and will strengthen the group of Christian women in our group.

We all wished each other Happy Holidays for the approaching Pesach and Easter. We will meet again after the Holidays.

Reported by Rachel Epstein
 

Back to Reports)