Haifa Toastmasters

22/09/2026

🎤 How do you prepare for a speech when you have no time to prepare?

At last week’s Haifa Toastmasters meeting, Gregory Gorelik tackled this challenge in his speech, “How to Prepare an Unprepared Speech.”

He shared three simple techniques for becoming more confident when you’re suddenly asked to speak:

💬 1. Build a bank of personal stories
Keep a collection of experiences, anecdotes, and moments from your life that you can draw on whenever you need something to say.

🎯 2. Use the meeting theme
The theme of the meeting can be your starting point. Connect the topic you’re given to the theme, and suddenly you have a direction.

🚀 3. Take a proactive attitude
Don’t wait for the perfect answer to appear. Embrace the opportunity, start speaking, and trust yourself to find your way as you go.

The best part? These techniques aren't only useful for Toastmasters. They can help in meetings, interviews, presentations, networking, and all those unexpected moments when someone suddenly says, “Would you like to say a few words?” 😄

Thank you, Gregoriy, for turning an intimidating situation into something we can actually practice and enjoy!

11/09/2026

02/09/2026

🌱 Gratitude, the Brain & the Power of a Thank You

This week, during the final session of our Area Summer COT (Club Officer Training), we had the opportunity to explore something we often take for granted: gratitude and its impact on our brain and well-being. 🧠💛

The session, led by Aylin Dinberger from Jerusalem Toastmasters Club, invited us to reflect on a moment when someone thanked us for something we had done for them.

We explored four simple but powerful questions:

💬 What was the situation?
🤝 What help did you give?
💛 How did it feel to receive that gratitude?
🌱 Why does this story matter to you? What makes it important?

By sharing these personal stories, we were reminded that gratitude is more than just saying “thank you.”

Taking the time to recognize the impact we have on one another and to truly receive appreciation can create meaningful connections and help us notice the positive moments that might otherwise go unseen.

A wonderful way to conclude our summer COT journey: learning, reflecting, and growing together. 🌻

Thank you, Aylin, for leading us through such a thoughtful and engaging session and to everyone who participated and shared their stories!

25/08/2026

Complete this sentence:
“Public speaking is ______.”

One word. One sentence. A confession. A joke. Any idea is welcome😄

What comes to mind first?

19/08/2026

Sometimes, the most challenging audiences can teach us the most. 🎤✨

Yesterday, Haifa Toastmasters took on the Managing a Difficult Audience project, a challenge designed to help speakers stay focused, adaptable, and connected, even when the audience is less than cooperative.

Through a 5–7 minute speech titled “Between Togetherness and Freedom: What 30 Years of Marriage Taught Me,” the speaker explored the delicate balance between togetherness and individuality.

But beyond the message itself, the project offered an opportunity to practice an essential skill for every speaker: staying present, flexible, and connected with the audience no matter what happens in the room.

Because at Toastmasters, we don’t just learn how to speak when everything goes according to plan. We learn how to communicate, adapt, and keep going even when the unexpected happens.

17/08/2026

Growing Together: Learning how to Send an Evaluation Request 🌱

At Haifa Toastmasters, we don’t only learn how to give a great speech, we also learn how to help each other grow.

In this video, our VPM explains how to send an evaluation request after completing your Ice Breaker project. 🎤

Because every speech is an opportunity to learn, and thoughtful feedback from fellow Toastmasters helps us take the next step with confidence.

We speak. We listen. We evaluate. We grow—together. 💙

Created with Wondershare Filmora

12/08/2026

✨ Difficult Conversations – a TLIx workshop with Yafit Gabai

One of the things I love about Toastmasters is that we don’t only learn how to speak confidently in front of an audience—we also develop skills that help us communicate better in our everyday relationships.

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a TLIx workshop, “Difficult Conversations,” facilitated by our Area Director, Yafit Gabai.

The workshop gave us practical tools for navigating challenging conversations, with a focus on NVC (Nonviolent Communication), how to express our needs, listen with empathy, and create space for genuine dialogue, even when emotions run high.

These are skills that are valuable not only within our Toastmasters clubs, but also with colleagues, friends, family, and in all the relationships that matter to us.

Thank you, Yafit, for an engaging and thought-provoking workshop and for reminding us that effective communication is not just about how we speak, but also about how we listen and connect. 💙

22/07/2026

🎤 Area B4 Summer COT 2026 🎤
Great lineup of summer talks on Zoom, all times in Israel time:
📅 Jul 26, 19:00 – Rhetorical Devices Anyone Can Use | Roberto Santoro 📅 Jul 29, 19:00 – The Efficient VP Membership | Ilana Sobel 📅 Aug 2, 19:00 – What Presidents and Secretaries need to know about parliamentary procedure | Gitel Hesselberg 📅 Aug 2, 20:00 – Change your inner story, Change your life | Jenna Lipschitz 📅 Aug 6, 20:00 – Cross-Cultural Networking that Lands | Olga Kutsche 📅 Aug 9, 19:00 – Distinguished Club Program and why you should care | Gitel Hesselberg 📅 Aug 9, 20:00 – How Gratitude can Impact your Brain | Aylin Dirnberger 📅 Aug 10, 19:00 – How to Feel Better Fast | Tamara Pflug 📅 Aug 10, 20:00 – Mastering the Art of Purposeful Team Discussions | Ilana Tversky
Join any session that interests you! Please register here so speakers know how many to expect: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWh0V5Dc-rPKQvRFwSDWm0SyjnVfIS1gPvVQWJF5x9GMOinQ/viewform?usp=header

08/07/2026

District 109 has achieved Smedley Distinguished District for the third consecutive year - an outstanding accomplishment!
To celebrate this success, Toastmasters International President Rochat sent a special, warm video message congratulating every member of the District.
Thank you to every member, club officer, District leader, and volunteer for your passion, dedication, and commitment. Let’s celebrate this success together! 🙌


Laor Glukhovsky

08/07/2026

🏆 Big pride moment! Haifa Toastmasters has achieved Distinguished Club status for the 2025-2026 term!
This achievement reflects our commitment to meeting our goals and membership requirements, and above all, the dedication and hard work of every member of our club.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible - let’s keep growing together! 👏