May & June 2008

Mission: Promote excellence, community service and network Americans of Leb origin.

Quote

"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them."
  —Denis Waitley: Author and productivity
 

Bashas: An Inspirational Success Story

The story of Bashas’ is an inspirational story about a family’s journey to achieve the American Dream. 
It is a journey of risk and reward, disaster and triumph, hardship and resourcefulness.  It reads like a novel
and we hope you take the time to read it.  

The first Bashas’s store was opened in 1932 in a dusty little resort and farming community 25 miles south
of Phoenix, a couple of brothers got it into their heads to open a grocery store.  Today Bashas’ has 153
stores and over 10,500 employees. 

The story begins in Lebanon in 1884 when a shoemaker had a glimmer of a better life in America.  He brings
his 16 year old son to New York.   His son, marries the daughter of another Lebanese immigrant. The family
had many struggles and faced financial ruins.  The vision of a better life seemed in doubt.  Finally, two grandsons of
that first Lebanese immigrant saw a last-ditch opportunity to keep their family from ruin, took an enormous risk,
and opened a store in 1932. The American Dream at last became real.

What makes this a great story to share is the community involvement of this company.  Being involved in the
community is a way of life for Bashas'. It's a cornerstone of the foundation that was laid by the Basha family when
the company was in its infancy. Being involved in the lives of people, providing assistance to those in need, and
taking an active role in the events that were shaping the growing communities were all values and habits of the
Bashas' founders. Their children and descendants have inherited a passion for making the world a better place.

The concept is modeled from the highest levels of the company on down, and individual Bashas' members contribute
countless hours each year to volunteer work, advisory boards, in-school programs like Junior Achievement and other
educational projects, and even elected positions in their communities.

For more information please visit www.bashas.com where you can read about the community service programs and Bashas History.  We are proud to add Mr. Ike Basha and Mr. Ike Basha on the prominent American of Lebanese
ancestry list.We wish the family and their employees continued success and continued positive impact in their
community.
 

A story about heritage & success- Tartak Family

Here is another story about heritage and success sent in by Mr. Yamil Hernandez-Tartak about
his great granfather:

Jose (Yousef) Miguel (Michael) Tartak Story

Below is a little article that was published in the newspaper in Puerto Rico back in 1966 when my great grandfather died. My grandfather was the first to be born in Puerto Rico. The Lebanese heritage has been passed down to my generation as well and I'm making sure my five children also keep it strong.   I translated this article from Spanish to English a while back in order to have one of cousins who lives in Australia (George Tartak) publish it in a newsletter he was doing for a while known as Sebhel news. There are over 300 familes from Sebhel, Lebanon in Australia. I have seen Sebhel spelled in several different ways from Seebel, to Siebel, to Sebhel, anyways it is in the North, close to Zgharta.

Yousef (Jose) was born in Sebhel in 1874 and moved to Puerto Rico in 1910. Prior to making his move to the island Yousef lived in Africa, Australia, England , France among other countries from the old hemisphere. He founded Muebleria Tartak (Tartak Furniture), eventually becoming the largest furniture stores not only in Puerto Rico but in the Antilles. Offering financing to buyer, something unheard of in those times, the stores had tremendous growth. The name Tartak was and still is recognized with a certain cache and fame throughout Puerto Rico.

Jose (Yousef) had seven children, five of which were born in Lebanon and the last two in Puerto Rico. Amongst his children are Eduardo, Boulos, Salibe, Pedro from his first marriage to Sara Badui and the Today one of most prominent streets in Puerto Rico, where the nicest hotels, clubs and casinos are bares the name Jose M. Tartak

Yamil Hernandez-Tartak  Yamil Hernandez Realtors
Sales/Marketing/Investments
www.yamilh.com   and  www.tartakmortgage.com

The Lebanese Club of New York

The Lebanese Club of New York was founded in February 2002 by Raymond Dib. It is a Friendship Network of
Lebanese expatriates, and friends. Now the club is run by a board made up of Irene Cordahi, Christiane Zoghbi,
Rema Daher, Rosana El Sayed, Myrna Yannieh and Natalie Ghazal.

This is a nonpolitical, nonreligious group. Its aim is to help Lebanese people and their friends socialize in the New York Area. This is a face-to-face club where people meet, network, interact and make friends. No politics, no religious affiliations, just a plain professional and friendship ring open to all.

Lebanese Club members typically meet twice a month to attend an event.  They are in the process of re-building the website.    The club has been very active with regular  meetings to promote networking and friendship.  If you would like to organize an event or would like more information, you can contact them at the following email address:  admin@nyc.lebaneseclub.org , or Irene Cordahi at irene@cordahi.com

Letter From Our Readers

Thanks you so much !   I thought I would update you on the contacts I have made as a result of your newsletter.
Antoine, the very nice gentleman at www.lebanesebooks.com  gave me several tips and said that when I got
the book published he would carry it in his on-line store, and I have had a couple contacts I made as a result
of the newsletter that are looking for me.
Thanks again!
TK Read, JD, LLM      email : tk@tkread.com 
Websites:  www.tkread.com  ;  www.gama.com  ;  www.youdrawstraws.com 
 

Cedars USA Update

When you visit the home page at www.cedarsusa.com you will notice that at the top we have the newsletter link.
However, since the newsletter is only sent every other month, we added a "Current Announcement" link so we can post events
that are emailed to us as they come in rather than wait for the newsletter.  When we receive requests to share an event we will
post it on that page as we try not to send out emails other than the newsletter.

Events

The Lebanese Collegiate Network 2008 convention

The Lebanese Collegiate Network (LCN) hosted it’s first Annual Convention, at the University of Maryland,
College Park on March 28th thru the 30th. Eleven of the thirteen subscribing University Lebanese Clubs (ULCs)
were present.  Close to 100 attendees clasped hands and danced, introduced themselves to LCN board members
and one another, and established new friendships.

Topics discussed included: how to raise funds; how to run effective meetings; ways to get faculty involved,
planning futureworkshops and more.    Board elections took place and the convention concluded with an award
ceremony and dinner.  The dinner gave students a wonderful opportunity to hear the message of acclaimed
Professor, Dr. Suheil Bushrui, a well known and respected author, poet, translator and media personality in
the United States, the Middle East, Africa and India. In his speech, Professor Bushrui reminded the attendees
of their duty to Lebanon: “Be grateful, cherish [Lebanon], promote its interests, protect its unity, enhance
its influence, and live a noble life that will honor your great country… I recognize that we represent here in this gathering the diversity that is the chief characteristic of Lebanese society — for Lebanon is a nation born
of many cultures, religions, and ethnicities; it is also a nation whose sons have, since the dawn of history,
peacefully traveled the world for commerce and trade. Lebanon is also a nation that has enriched the world
with the contribution of many Lebanese who became themselves, immigrants in various lands. And indeed
this gathering here today represents many faiths and traditions that all originate from a diversity of nations and civilizations.”  The LCN ‘08 Awards Ceremony Dinner ended with the presentation of the Academic Excellence
and Heritage Award and the Most Outstanding ULC Award.
Please visit the LCN website at www.lebanesecollegiatenetwork.org/LCN08  to view photos, see the presentations
and download helpful tools to strengthen your skills academically and professionally. Remember, none of this is
possible without generous financial contributions from people like you. Your generosity strengthens the mission
of the LCN. The LCN is enthusiastic about the future.
Contact Name: Diana Ayoub, Vice President of Public Relations
Email: dayoub@lebanesecollegiatenetwork.org
Website: www.lebanesecollegiatenetwork.org
 

Business Websites

Village Website: Rmaich

Here is an email introducing a website about a village in Lebanon.  Please click on "Villages" to see other sites.

Rmaich is a small Maronite town on the extreme border of South Lebanon . Rmeich occupies a plain 560 to 650 meters above sea level (1847 feet).
The main agricultural product of Rmeich is tobacco.  The people of Rmeich are Lebanese and are followers of the Maronite Catholic Church.
Population: 7,000. Rmaich is a town in South Lebanon that has been through a lot.  It is the hometown of assassinated Brigadier General Francois Hajj
and we would be very grateful if you are able to include us briefly in your excellent newsletter. 

Rmaich does not boast of Patriarchs, nor does it boast of famous sons or daughters who have reached the heights of Lebanese political echelon.
We boast of doctors whose parents valued education beyond personal material comfort, we boast of hard working tobacco growers who managed to tend to the land despite being surrounded by neighbors of other faiths and other ideologies. We boast of martyrs who died in the line of duty. We boast of maintaining a sense of humor despite decades of shedding a constant flow of tears.

But, most of all, we boast of being Lebanese.
Please visit our newly formed website www.Rmaich.com  and join us in our laughter and tears.
Gladys Alam Saroyan
 

Club Resource- Simple Truths  
www.simpletruths.com

This is a great website with resources for clubs and organizations with material to promote success, teamwork, excellence,
communications, attitude, service, inspiration and making a difference.  These are qualities that makes a club or organization
successful.   We are always looking for resources to help build better clubs and organizations. This is one of these resources.
If you know of similar products please email us so we can share with others.  Thank you

"Negotiate like a Phoenician”- Now in Spanish

You are cordially invited to the book presentation "Negotiate like a Phoenician” in Mexico City.  See details below.
Please share with family or friends in Mexico.   This book was featured in past newsletter.
Please check out the "Book" link to see information about this and other books.




 

Notes and Disclaimer
-  Join
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-  Help
   If you wish to help or if you have links, resources, news about your community,
   articles promoting excellence and community service please email us at:
   cedarsusa@yahoo.com or info@cedarsusa.com.
- Disclaimer
   This website is not associated with any gov., political or religious group.  The site
   focuses on Americans of Lebanese Ancestry.  We try to include only links and events
   that is within our vision, but this is not always possible so what other clubs do
   or say is strictly their own responsibility or opinion.

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