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Raanana is proud of its close and long-standing relationships with its sister cities throughout the world. These ties of friendship serve to promote increased contact between peoples of the world, leading to greater understanding and feelings of mutual good will. Reciprocal exchanges at all levels of municipal life – including management, education, sport, culture and commerce – deepen these ties over the years to the mutual benefit of each city.
RAANANA INAUGURATES THE TWIN CITIES’ SIGNPOST
A special signpost with signs with the names of all the cities with which Raanana has entered into a friendship treaty in recent years has been installed at the entrance to the City Hall building.
Each city’s sign faces the direction of its location in the world.
The following cities are inscribed on the various signs: Opsterland, Holland; Bramsche, Germany; Goslar, Germany, Boulogne Billancourt France; Verona, Italy; Tainan, Taiwan; Atlanta, U.S.; and Poznan, Poland – with which Raanana signed a twin cities agreement in Poland last year, and it will be signed once again in Raanana, this September.
At the inauguration ceremony, Mayor Nahum Hofree said: “Raanana’s connection with its twin cities has been built step-by-step over many years. It is a bond of friendship based on cooperative efforts in a variety of fields such as culture, sports, art, strengthening economic-trade infrastructure, diplomacy, etc.
The Raanana Municipality, its representatives, employees and the resident population value true friendship and a warm relationship with the world at large.
We inaugurate Raanana’s Twin Cities Signpost today which serves as a symbol of our friendship and an appreciation of our international friends, who have opened their hearts in friendship.
Sister Cities and Date of Agreement
Opsterland, Holland 1963
Bramshe, Germany 1978
Boulogne-Billancourt, France 1994
Verona, Italy 1998
Tainan, Taiwan 1999
Atlanta, USA 2001
Goslar, Germany 2006 (Friendship Agreement)
Poznan, Poland
Jewish Communities
Raanana also places much importance on nurturing ties of friendship and cooperation with Jewish communities and organizations around the world, and hosts many visiting delegations every year. Since 1989, the Municipality has developed particularly close ties with the United Jewish Federation of MetroWest, New Jersey, USA. These ties have widened to include the State of New Jersey, and many political figures have visited Raanana on several occasions. As a result of these close ties, the Israeli office of the New Jersey Department of Commerce and Economic Development is located in Raanana.
Promoting Peace
In 2004, during the height of the intifada, students from the Aviv High School in Raanana and the Al Sadiya High School in Qalqilya created an animated movie on the subject of peace. The movie, entitled “Pace of Peace”, was the fruit of a project initiated and sponsored by the Municipality of Rome’s Office for Peace in Jerusalem and the I Castelli Animati film festival, with the active cooperation and support of the Municipalities of Raanana and Qalqilya. The movie won the “Culture of Dialogue” award at the Venice Film Festival in September 2004 - its first public screening.
The Relationship with the State of New Jersey
www.state.nj.us
Relationships between Raanana and the New Jersey Jewish community have also widened to include the State of New Jersey. The Governor of the State of New Jersey, Mrs. Christine Todd Whitman has visited Raanana several times and maintains a close, warm friendship with the city of Raanana and its Mayor, Mr. Zeev Bielski.
In 1994, the Israel office of the New Jersey Department of Commerce and Economic Development, headed by Dr. Michael Reiner, was inaugurated in Raanana, adjacent to MATI, Raanana’s Center for Business Initiative. The office has successfully negotiated tens of economic schemes between New Jersey and Israel, principally in the high-tech arena. Several American-based companies working with Israel have relocated to New Jersey, in order to enjoy the benefits available through these offices.
In 1998, Israel’s Jubilee Year, the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra represented Israel in several concerts in the USA, including the inaugural concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
The Governor of the State of New Jersey made a special visit to Raanana in April 2000 for the ceremony bestowing honorary citizenship of the City of Raanana on Mr. Shimon Peres, Minister for Regional Cooperation. As a result of that visit, during which Governor Whitman and Mayor Bielski discussed anti-violence initiatives, Raanana hosted a delegation in September 2000, headed by the Secretary of State for New Jersey, DeForest “Buster” Soaries. Secretary Soaries addressed the Municipal Forum to Combat Violence, and witnessed the launch of Raanana’s student card, with its slogan “Raanana says no to violence”. This card, distributed to all students in Raanana, was closely modeled on Soaries’ own initiative in New Jersey.
Raanana is proud of
its close and long-
standing relationshi
ps with its sister c
ities throughout the
world. These ties o
f friendship serve t
o promote increased
contact between peop
les of the world, le
ading to greater und
erstanding and feeli
ngs of mutual good w
ill. Reciprocal exch
anges at all levels
of municipal life –
including management
, education, sport,
culture and commerce
– deepen these ties
over the years to t
he mutual benefit of
each city.
RAANANA INAUGURATES
THE TWIN CITIES’ SIG
NPOST
A sp
ecial signpost with
signs with the names
of all the cities w
ith which Raanana ha
s entered into a fri
endship treaty in re
cent years has been
installed at the ent
rance to the City Ha
ll building.
Each c
ity’s sign faces the
direction of its lo
cation in the world.
The following citi
es are inscribed on
the various signs:&n
bsp; Opsterland, Hol
land; Bramsche, Germ
any; Goslar, Germany
, Boulogne Billancou
rt France; Verona, I
taly; Tainan, Taiwan
; Atlanta, U.S.; and
Poznan, Poland – wi
th which Raanana sig
ned a twin cities ag
reement in Poland la
st year, and it will
be signed once agai
n in Raanana, this S
eptember.
At the inauguratio
n ceremony, Mayor Na
hum Hofree said:&nbs
p; “Raanana’s connec
tion with its twin c
ities has been built
step-by-step over m
any years. It
is a bond of friends
hip based on coopera
tive efforts in a va
riety of fields such
as culture, sports,
art, strengthening
economic-trade infra
structure, diplomacy
, etc.
The Raanana
Municipality, its re
presentatives, emplo
yees and the residen
t population value t
rue friendship and a
warm relationship w
ith the world at lar
ge.
We inaugurate R
aanana’s Twin Cities
Signpost today whic
h serves as a symbol
of our friendship a
nd an appreciation o
f our international
friends, who have op
ened their hearts in
friendship.
Sister Cities and Da
te of Agreement
Opsterland, Holland
1963
Bramshe, Germany 197
8
Boulogne-Billancourt
, France 1994
Verona, Italy 1998
Tainan, Taiwan 1999
Atlanta, USA 2001
Goslar, Germany 2006
(Friendship Agreeme
nt)
Poznan, Poland
Jewish Communities
Raa
nana also places muc
h importance on nurt
uring ties of friend
ship and cooperation
with Jewish communi
ties and organizatio
ns around the world,
and hosts many visi
ting delegations eve
ry year. Since 1989,
the Municipality ha
s developed particul
arly close ties with
the
United
Jewish Federation
o
f MetroWest, New Jer
sey, USA
. These ti
es have widened to i
nclude the State of
New Jersey, and many
political figures h
ave visited Raanana
on several occasions
. As a result of the
se close ties, the I
sraeli office of the
New Jersey Departme
nt of Commerce and E
conomic Development
is located in Raanan
a.
Promoting Peace
In 2004, during the
height of the intifa
da, students from th
e
Aviv
High School
in Raanana and the&
nbsp;
Al Sadiya High Schoo
l in Qalqilya
created an animated
movie on the subjec
t of peace. The movi
e, entitled “Pace of
Peace”, was the fru
it of a project init
iated and sponsored
by the
Municipality
of
Rome’s
Office for Peace in
Jerusalem
and the I Castelli
Animati film festiva
l, with the active c
ooperation and suppo
rt of the Municipali
ties of Raanana and
Qalqilya. The movie
won the “Culture of
Dialogue” award at t
he Venice Film Festi
val in September 200
4 - its first public
screening.
The Relationship wit
h the State of
New Jersey
www.state.nj.us
Relationships betwee
n Raanana and the Ne
w Jersey Jewish comm
unity have also wide
ned to include the S
tate of New Jersey.
The Governor of the
State of New Jersey,
Mrs. Christine Todd
Whitman has visited
Raanana several tim
es and maintains a c
lose, warm friendshi
p with the city of R
aanana and its Mayor
, Mr. Zeev Bielski.
In 1994, the Israel
office of the New Je
rsey Department of C
ommerce and Economic
Development, headed
by Dr. Michael Rein
er, was inaugurated
in Raanana, adjacent
to MATI, Raanana’s
Center for Business
Initiative. The offi
ce has successfully
negotiated tens of e
conomic schemes betw
een New Jersey and I
srael, principally i
n the high-tech aren
a. Several American-
based companies work
ing with Israel have
relocated to New Je
rsey, in order to en
joy the benefits ava
ilable through these
offices.
In 1998, Israel’s Ju
bilee Year, the Raan
ana Symphonette Orch
estra represented Is
rael in several conc
erts in the USA, inc
luding the inaugural
concert at the New
Jersey Performing Ar
ts Center.
The Governor of the
State of New Jersey
made a special visit
to Raanana in April
2000 for the ceremo
ny bestowing honorar
y citizenship of the
City of Raanana on
Mr. Shimon Peres, Mi
nister for Regional
Cooperation. As a re
sult of that visit,
during which Governo
r Whitman and Mayor
Bielski discussed an
ti-violence initiati
ves, Raanana hosted
a delegation in Sept
ember 2000, headed b
y the Secretary of S
tate for New Jersey,
DeForest “Buster” S
oaries. Secretary So
aries addressed the
Municipal Forum to C
ombat Violence, and
witnessed the launch
of Raanana’s studen
t card, with its slo
gan “Raanana says no
to violence”. This
card, distributed to
all students in Raa
nana, was closely mo
deled on Soaries’ ow
n initiative in New
Jersey.
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