Cedars USA
Newsletter
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Contents Of This Issue:
Get up every morning , look in the mirror and say, " I am going to make good
things happen today."
- Judson Sayre
Featured Book: Kisses From a
Distance by Raff Ellis
Kisses From a Distance is a riveting, true story that chronicles the Lebanese immigrant experience. Employing traditional proverbs and folk tales, the author's extensive research and visits to Lebanon are woven into a compelling narrative.
After his mother died in
1994, Raff Ellis discovered more than 200 letters in her personal effects,
letters that spanned some 65 years. The
correspondence revealed a history that formed the basis for his book. Many of
the letters began with the phrase "We kiss you from this distance."
Each time he read them,
the author found the correspondence more and more
fascinating. "I came to believe there was a story hidden within these
letters,"
he said of the historical
find. “It is a treasure that needed to be shared.”
Ellis had to ponder what it meant to be Lebanese and in the process discovered
the importance of his heritage. Mr. Ellis, who spent a career in the computer
industry, relied on his analytical skills, history books, personal interviews,
and various archives to recreate the
story of how and why his parents, and
others like them, left their native country for
America.
Internationally known
author and journalist Helen Thomas says: “Kisses From A Distance
brought tears to my eyes. It is beautifully written… and in
a way it is every immigrant's story, seeking a better life for their families,
enduring incredible hardships.”
Raff Ellis, a prolific writer of short stories, essays and magazine articles, is
a former business executive now living in Orlando,
Florida. Mr. Ellis is
available for readings and book signings. If you know of any American-Lebanese
clubs who can host a book signing event please contact the author at
raff.ellis@yahoo.com. To learn more, or place an order, please visit:
www.raffellis.com.
This book makes a great holiday or birthday gift. In addition to making a
wonderful gift you would be promoting our culture
and supporting the author.
As we approach the Holiday season please keep
this book and all the past featured books in mind.
In addition to
books featured in past newsletters, please also check out the
media page for
more gift ideas.
Featured Club: American-Leb Club of Cedar Rapids
IowaI hope I am not late in my reply. Here is a brief update on LAC-CR.
The Lebanese American Club of Cedar Rapids was first started on
March 24, 2007 when the nucleus of the club were called for a meeting by Jackie
Haddad,
from the Phoenician Club in Chicago. I had known Jackie for over 10 years when I
lived in Chicago, and she knew I had moved to Cedar Rapids.
The Lebanese Community in Cedar Rapids is very much alive and thriving. One can
even trace the Lebanese Community back to 1895 in the early years of Lebanese
settlers and traders wanting to create new markets for their trade. Since then,
Lebanese have brought their families after they settled in, and thus our
community was founded very early. Nowadays, one can estimate that about 5% of
Cedar Rapids' total population can trace its heritage and roots to Lebanese.
Having been a founding member of Chicago Lebanese Club (CLC), and having
accumulated over 10 years of growth there, it was deemed appropriate to build
and tailor LAC-CR around a similar same set of beliefs and foundations.
Therefore, LAC-CR developed its mission statement, goals and objectives, and was
officially launched on September 30, 2007 at its first annual picnic where a
significant representation of the Lebanese Community in Cedar Rapids and its
surrounding towns (Marion, Hiawatha, Dubuque, Iowa City, Waterloo, and others)
were there to share in our Heritage. Present at the picnic were Lebanese
from all religions and background.
LAC-CR still does not have its constitution and by-laws finalized. As such,
there are no official Officers. So far, it is being administered by Gwen Atty,
Nicole Daoud, Nick Abou-Assaly, Elie and Norma Abou-Raad, and Jeanette Abraham.
Various other members provide support, and they include Jim Atty, Rick Mallow,
George Abou-Assaly, Natalie Ritchey, Sheryl and Mike Aucutt, and many others.
As of now, LAC-CR's mission statement is as follows:
The Lebanese American Club of Cedar Rapids (LAC-CR) is a non-profit organization
dedicated to preserving, enriching, and promoting the Lebanese culture and
heritage through social, cultural, educational, and humanitarian activities. The
LAC-CR is not affiliated with any one religion or any one political party
Finally, this past August 1-3, the LAC-CR proudly hosted the 72nd Convention for
the Midwest Federation. In addition to being very successful, by the Federation
Board's own testimony, LAC-CR conduct the very first 'Walk for St. Jude' fund
raising event, where all proceeds were presented to the new St. Jude's VP of
Public Relation at the convention. Currently, LAC-CR key members are
putting together a set of activities and a framework to take our club to a
higher level.
The website is under construction but the club has a presence on Facebook.
For more info you can send email to
lac-cr@sbcglobal.net
, info@lac-cr.org, nicoledaoud@iowarealty.com
, mommagwen@mchsi.com.
We wish your club success and growth. Keep us posted with your news and accomplishments.
A brief history of the Lebanese in Cedar Rapids
The Lebanese began making their mark on Cedar Rapids more than a century ago
and today they form a significant part of the social and economic fabric of the
community. Until the more recent waves of immigration to the larger urban
centers, Cedar Rapids was
historically one of
the largest and most important Lebanese communities in the United States.
The first Lebanese man to settle permanently in Cedar Rapids was Tom Bashara
from the town of Ain Arab in the Bekka Valley.
He established a dry goods store
in 1895. The store had some rooms in the back
where he would house the Lebanese peddlers as they
came through town. He would replenish their supplies and send them off to sell
to farmers. As more immigrants joined him and the
community grew, it attracted
many Lebanese families from small towns and farms throughout Iowa who wanted to
maintain their strongcultural and family ties. Many sent for their relatives back home (a practice
that continues to this day) and soon enough, there was a
sizable community. A Cedar Rapids Gazette article in 1897
went as follows:
AIt is a fact and generally known that Cedar Rapids now has a fair sized colony of genuine Arabians, which is being augmented rapidly and bids fair to become a feature of our cosmopolitan population. In a store room at 920 south 3rd Street, Tom Bashara, the recognized head of the colony sells a large mixture of American and foreign made goods, including all the articles that peddlers carry in their packs. Several of the party had been in this country a few months, and all were good friends.@
In 1914 the community established St. George Orthodox Church with the help of Bishop (now Saint) Raphael Hawaweeny. A second church, St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church, was established in the 1930's. Muslim Lebanese who followed their Christian friends here built what was to become the oldest existing mosque (the Mother Mosque) of North America. For more than a century prior to the founding of the Lebanese-American Club of Cedar Rapids, these religious organizations kept the community together and helped them to preserve their heritage. A 1945 directory of Lebanese in Cedar Rapids reveals a very large community and more than one hundred Lebanese-owned businesses in the city. Today, a sizable number of area residents (5% by some estimates) claim some Lebanese heritage.
In 2005, a group of
Lebanese in Cedar Rapids organized an exhibit at the Linn County Historical
Museum, featuring Lebanese culture and
the history of Lebanese in Iowa. The exhibit last for six months and was
accompanied by many educational and cultural programs. The exhibit and programs drew a record number of visitors, totaling more than
10,000 people, including all fifth grade students in the
Cedar Rapids school district. Also in 2005, a
committee of Lebanese in Cedar Rapids presented three Cedars of Lebanon trees to
the city, which were planted in
a prominent park. The dedication ceremony was attended by a number of mayors
and other elected officials from the area as well
as several hundred citizens. In 2007, the
Lebanese American Club of Cedar Rapids was founded to continue the important
work of preserving and promoting Lebanese
heritage in our area.
For well over a century, Lebanese Americans have been living in Cedar Rapids and making significant contributions to their community and country. From the Cedar Rapids Lebanese community have come well-known actors, ambassadors, artists, philanthropists and accomplished people in all fields.
Featured Organization:
Jamhour Alumni US
Jamhour Alumni US, Inc ( JAUS, Inc) is a not-for-profit, mostly volunteer run organization, focused on alumni students from the "College Notre Dame de Jamhour," the largest Jesuit high school of Lebanon. Founded in 2003 by Dr. Gabriel A. Sara (class of '72), Dr. Nagi J. Bustros ('65), Mr. Ronald Kfoury('79) and Mr. Bud Zehil, Jamhour Alumni US, Inc seeks to foster networking amongst Jamhour alumni residing in the US and to engage the community in a variety of charitable activities, ranging from providing tuition to Lebanese families who cannot afford their children's education at Jamhour, to funding athletic and recreational facilities on the school's premises, to helping fund child education in underprivileged villages of the Southern Lebanon. To date, Jamhour Alumni US has organized yearly benefits enabling tuition of over 50 students. This year, the organization is honored to have Carlos Ghosn, ('71)President and CEO of Renault and Nissan, as guest speaker of their yearly Benefit. The event will take place on November 21st at New York City's Mandarin Hotel. For more information please visit: www.jamhour.us
SESOBEL is a
pioneer and leading institution serving the special needs of physically and
mentally disabled children and their families in Lebanon.
With over 30 years of experience, it has a shining reputation of service in the
region.
American Friends of SESOBEL is supported and managed completely by volunteers.
The headquarters is located in the Washington, DC area;
various events and fundraising efforts are nation-wide.
The logo of the American Friends of SESOBEL is based on the logo is comprised of
two candles, one leaning on the other and sharing one flame. Here is one explanation
expressed by a youth at SESOBEL about the symbolism of
their logo:
"The standing candle is the symbol of healthy-normal person. The curved
candle is the symbol of the disabled person.
Every person disabled or not, has a light. By solidarity in the community and
living the diversity without a problem or obstacle,
the light becomes powerful. Every person, visitor, volunteer, friend or
companion brings their own light and fills the existing
needs of emptiness." Ghassan Jabra
For more information or to make a donation please visit their website at
http://sesobelusa.weebly.com/index.html
American-Lebanese Profile: Patricia Mooradian , President - "The Henry Ford"
The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan is a national historic
landmark and one of the largest history destinations in the world that
celebrates the American experience. With five distinct venues and a public
charter high school nestled on its grounds, The Henry Ford provides unique
educational offerings based on authentic objects and the lives of ordinary
people whose extraordinary efforts changed the world.
This multi-day, multi-venue destination holds more than 26 million 2-D and 3-D
artifacts, attracts 1.5 million visitors annually including more than 270,000
schoolchildren, maintains over 40,000 members (households), provides a web site
that receives more than 20 million hits per month, includes seven restaurants
and eight retail shops as part of the experience, and maintains a full-service
catering operation.
As president of The Henry Ford, Patricia Mooradian oversees the development and implementation of every aspect of the institution’s business operations and cultural positioning with emphasis on attendance and revenue growth, visitor experience, customer service, education, and community engagement. Committed to driving economic development through cultural heritage and tourism, Mooradian maintains the historical integrity of the institution while focusing on the progression of the business through strategic alliances, a strong community presence, and ongoing funding initiatives.
With more than 25 years experience in management, strategic planning, and communications, and a commitment to the destination’s mission and vision, Mooradian is the driving force behind the institution’s transformation. She joined The Henry Ford in 2000 as chief operating officer, overseeing the executive staff and delivery teams in the daily operation of the institution’s key venues. In addition, she led and managed all product development from the key programmatic departments including Historical Resources, Education, Experience Design, Marketing and Sales, and Public Relations.
Her accomplishments since joining The Henry Ford include: Developing a strategic plan for the destination, focusing on increased attendance, new educational products, visitor experiences, and new revenue; re-branding and re-positioning the institution as a national destination with a new name—The Henry Ford; integrating the master plans and processes for the $65 million restoration of Greenfield Village and the transformation of Henry Ford Museum; overseeing the creative team responsible for the development of the Ford Rouge Factory Tour; initiating the Alliance Partnership department in 2002, which generates more than $6 million in annual operating revenue; restructuring retail operations for greater efficiencies; initiating The Henry Ford’s National Retail Sales department, which focuses on the development of licensed products and national distribution channels; and spearheading a new initiative, “Collecting Innovation Today,” that captures the stories of today’s innovators and change agents by recording a first-person oral history interview in an effort to teach and inspire future generations of learners to be innovators.
Prior to joining The Henry Ford, Mooradian was director of marketing for The Taubman Company, focusing on the strategic planning for more than a dozen shopping destinations in major markets across the United States, including New York City, Denver, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Detroit. During her tenure at Taubman, she spearheaded many award-winning community programs and marketing campaigns and was instrumental in developing new opportunities for tourism through collaborative partnerships between shopping centers, hotels, and local tourist attractions. Mooradian is vice chair of the Henry Ford Learning Institute; vice chair of the Michigan Travel Commission; vice chair of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Board; and a founder and executive board member of the Cultural Alliance of Southeast Michigan. She is also a board member of Henry Ford Hospital & Health Network; a member of the Executive Committee of the Arab American National Museum National Advisory Board; a member of the National Arts Strategies Board; a board member of Henry Ford Academy; and a member of the University of Michigan-Dearborn Citizens Advisory Council. Mooradian is a graduate of Leadership Detroit XX (20). She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, cum laude, from Texas Christian University.
We are proud to add her to our prominent list. Please continue to send us your nominations.
American-Lebanese profile: Tony Mowod
Even as a teenager, Tony Mowod had a great love of
jazz. The vibraphone was his instrument of choice after studying classical piano
as a youngster.
As a student at Duquesne University, Tony began his broadcasting career at DUQ.
Tony is a Jazz
host on WDUQ in Pittsburgh Pa. His show is syndicated in
over 50 markets in the U.S. Please google him for more info. Tony returned to DUQ in 1987 and in 1998, he was
selected as the first host for JazzWorks, a
project launched by DUQ and KBSU in
Boise, Idaho. Tony's
jazz program can be heard across the country on JazzWorks,
a national 24-hour-a-day jazz
network serving public radio stations.
Tony is considered by many to be one of
Pittsburgh's most enduring champions of jazz for over four decades and he has
been recognized with awards
and honors throughout his career. He founded the
Pittsburgh Jazz Society
in 1987 and serves as President. The PJS provides yearly scholarships to
talented
young musicians. In 1998, a $100,000 scholarship endowment fund was
created for the PJS by "The Friends of Dr. Howard Gendell," awarding $10,000
each year and assuring the future
of the scholarship program. He also founded the
Pittsburgh
Jazz Society Pittsburgh Jazz Hall of Fame to honor musicians born and reared
in Pittsburgh. In 1991, Tony formed the
Pittsburgh
Jazz Society Big Band, comprised of college and high school musicians. For
his dedication to the PJS, he was honored by its members at a gala dinner in
2001.
Tony has served as a host for numerous
National Public Radio (NPR) jazz series and also serves on the board of the
American Federation of
Jazz Societies.
He is an advisory Board Member for the University of
Pittsburgh Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) and the Pittsburgh Folk
Festival. Tony has lectured on jazz history and on the subject of Public versus
Commercial radio. He can be heard as a voice-over for national and local
commercials and often appears
as a Master of Ceremonies at universities, concert
halls, jazz festivals, Fortune 500 Conferences and other community events.
We are proud to add him to our prominent list. Please continue to send us
your nominations.
Phoenicians Live On In People's
Genes
Forgotten, Perhaps, But Not Gone
News Oct. 30, 2008 -- The ancient Phoenicians may be largely forgotten, but
they're not gone.
Rome destroyed the Phoenicians' greatest city -- Carthage -- centuries ago, but
new genetic studies indicate that as many as one in 17 men living in communities
around the Mediterranean may be descended from these ancient mariners.
Originating from what is now Lebanon, the Phoenicians were early seafarers and
traders who spread their culture, including a love for the color purple,
to North Africa, Spain and other countries around the region. But they seemed to
fade from history after being defeated in a series of wars with Rome.
Researchers led by Chris Tyler-Smith of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in
England were able to locate a genetic marker for the Phoenicians
on the male-only Y chromosome. First they studied references in the Bible and by Greek and Roman writers to
determine where there had been
Phoenician
cities and colonies.
Then the researchers compared the genes of residents in those areas to those of
people living in other Mediterranean communities which had not been Phoenician
settlements. Below are some related links.
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We were asked to share information. For more details visit their website
www.peacemissions.eu. They are
asking for help with funding.
Peace Missions is a non-government non-profit Lebanese Organization. Originally,
Mr. Fadi A. Maalouf had an idea that was inspired by the
donation of 25,000 USD
from Somalia to the victims of the infamous Tsunami that gathered more air time
on CNN, BBC and other major
news than the US, Canada and Great Britain, while
residing and working with Euro-Mid in the EU Parliament in Brussels, Belgium in
the
late 2006. He then decided of making wonders come out of Lebanon by keeping
with the traditions of the most ancient civilization,
the Phoenician’s
civilization. A civilization that unlike many others was founded based on peace,
trading and construction missions
(building cities, temples, and ships etc…) for
the betterment of all man-kind.
The Europa Project
In the spring of 2009, a replica of a Phoenician ship, “Europa” named after the
Phoenician princesswith will set sail to the Following countries:
Cyprus,
Turkey, Greece, Malta, Italy, Spain, France and the Vatican. Carrying with them
the Phoenician alpha-bet engraved on Lebanese
rocks and painted by Lebanese
sands (Please see attachment), along with soap, oil and perfume. To be given to
the tourism and cultural
ministers of the respectful aforementioned countries.
Also a possible meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, at the Vatican.
Attached is one of the 9 tablets that will be given to each country. In
its middle is our heritage (The Alpha Bet) surrounded by 2 Phoenicians,
one
holding a spear (the defender of the heritage) the other holding an oar (the
distributor of the heritage). They were made by the famous
Lebanese Artist Mr. Chahine Raffoul out of Lebanese Rocks and painted by Lebanese sands. The trip
has many objectives including the cultural
re-introduction of Lebanon, in its
true image, showing the world that to the contrary of what they might think of Lebanon.In hope of gathering
needed attention to Lebanon and the suffering of
its people and to bring awareness to the European continent about the true
Lebanese moral
fiber, culture and heritage.
The crew will be wearing the traditional Phoenician clothing while on land to
instigate curiosity among the visited people so they can begin
to create a
dialogue based on cultural debates and share of knowledge. The trip will take
about 3-4months mostly at sea. It will be using sails
and oars; it will be
mostly escorted by volunteers from private Yachting clubs along the
Mediterranean. It is worth mentioning that Europa
Project will be covered by
both the International and the national media network. Especially, by the
European media network. A documentary
tape will be filmed to be given to the
Lebanese Ministry of education to be shown in all Lebanese school for
generations to come.
website: www.peacemissions.eu
facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18279603716&ref=mf
The Lebanese Club of New York will host soon a presentation about
Emigrants' Garden Project March or April 2009 in NY.
The «EMIGRANTS’ GARDEN» in Jounieh is developed in collaboration with the
Municipality of Jounieh, covering an area
of 5000m2, in front of the Mediterranean Sea. The EMIGRANTS' GARDEN
is a project that aims to keep the memory of
the Lebanese emigrants. The garden will:
- represent the five continents of the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia and
Oceania.
- become the unique meeting point for the emigrants and their descendants.
- help the emigrants and descendants find their roots.
- be a place where conferences, exhibits and cultural events can take place.
- house a Children's Park.
The presentation will be given by the "Green Garden Group" represented by its
President Mrs. Regina Fenianos and
her team Details to follow but for more info, please send your questions to
Irene Cordahi at irene@cordahi.com
When: November 6, 20086:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Where: THE CORNERThe Townsend HotelOne Hundred Townsend StreetBirmingham, MI
48009 USAPhone: 248.647.2958
The Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce its Autumn
Networking Event & Business Mixer. Everyone is welcome
to attend this FREE Business & Social Event of the Year! Exchange business
cards, satisfy appetites, and network with corporate members,
associates and friends! Savor The Corner's mouth watering unique hors d'oeuvres
with Asian flare, meet with Detroit's movers & shakers,
listen to the contemporary sounds of singer/songwriter Steve Acho, and receive
fun giveaways and 'sur-prize' gifts - courtesy of the sponsors.
Chamber President & CEO John Akouri will present a quick update on upcoming
events for 2009 - as guests experience great conversation, available
specialty
drinks, socializing & networking. This surely is an event not-to-miss and
EVERYONE is welcome to attend this FREE one-of-a kind briefing!
CONTACT: JOHN AKOURI (248.320.7300)- or email at
ceo@lebanesechamber.org
Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce Holiday Party Thursday, December 18,
2008
Date:
November
10th 2008
Location: 236 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
@ 7:00 pm
Price:
$40.00
per person.
Buy Now via PayPal
Tickets
can also be purchased at the door (Cash or Check Only)
Event's
Flyer:
Click here to download.
www.seal-usa.org
For more
information, please contact
Adla Massoud at
events@seal-usa.org
1st Annual American-Lebanese
Festital- St Sharbel Church , 10325 Rancho Destino Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89183
Saturdays Dec 6th Open 10 am unitl 10 pm (Lebanese food,
silent auction, crafts, entertainment, games and Kids' activities.
Sunday Dec 7th- Liturgy 11 am - 12:30 pm adn Festival continues from 1:00 pm
unitl 5:00 pm.
For more information:
Juliette Hanache 702-285-3533
Wissam Dagher 702-217-6255
Tony Abi-Nader 702-372-1147
Marlene Hayek 702-768-6124
Edgard Sargi 702-460-0596
House of Lebanon Holiday Event
Please join us for a festive and romantic evening to celebrate the holiday season!
Featuring
Live Entertainment and
Dancing to
all varieties of music
A Full program of Fun,
Comedy and Surprises, Do Not Miss It
December 12, 2008 at 8:30
PM
Byblos Restaurant
1964 Westwood Boulevard.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
ph
310
475-9558
$50 per person
Including the Byblos Delicious Buffet, Soft Drinks, Tax and Tip
The hall will fill-up fast, please come early to get good seats
Watch highlights from the House of Lebanon "Pride of Heritage" Banquet 2008, by clicking on the two links below:
Awards, board, etc.
http://www.houseoflebanon.com/news_events/banquet.html
Dancing with guests
http://www.houseoflebanon.com/news_events/dancing1.html
Notes and Disclaimer
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include
only links and events that are within our mission, but this is not always possible.
What
other clubs do or say is strictly their own responsibility or opinion.
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