Cedars USA Newsletter

On behalf of the Lebanese American Foundation, we have the honor to announce the 2008 recipient of the House of Lebanon’s Ray R. Irani Pride of Heritage Award—Dr. Paul F. Boulos. This award is given annually to an individual who best exemplifies those qualities that have distinguished Lebanese Americans – love of family and country, generosity of spirit, dedication to the community, excellence in business or profession and is supportive of the mission and purposes of the Lebanese American Foundation.

The House of Lebanon Pride of Heritage Banquet to honor Dr. Boulos will be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel, on Sunday October 5 at 5:30pm reception and dinner at 6:30pm. The award will be presented by Dr. Ray R. Irani, with prominent officials, diplomats, business and entertainment leaders present.

The entertainment for the evening will be presented by World Class Dancers featured on Dancing with the Stars and the Norman Roper Orchestra. DJ extraordinaire Cory Almeida of " American Idol" fame will conduct breathtaking exhibitions of performers from the number one variety show in the world , ABC Television's " Dancing with the Stars". Current season dancers such as Edyta Sliwenska, Alec Mazo, Karina Smirnoff, Dimitri Chaplin, and Christian and Annette Perry adorned in all of the glitz and glamour will creat a wild, show-stopping dance finale, ending in a crescendo of amazing performance and audience participation. Please find attached more information.

We are working hard to build the House of Lebanon for all our generations. Thanks to your generous support, we have almost reached our funding goal to start. Our pride of Heritage Annual Banquet is the main fundraising event. Your purchase of seats, program book ads, or financial contribution is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, EIN 95-4766317.

Sunday October 5th, 2008
The Beverly Hills Hotel

Crystal Ballroom

9641 Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California 90210

For more information during business hours, please call

Mrs. Karen Srour

Executive Director
Phone: 310 789-5867

For reservations please call:

Mr. Hadi Khalil 909 612-0612, or Mrs. Hanan Hamzeh 949 499-1622

LA Cedars Rotary Club http://lacedarsrotary.org/

The club was founded on May 2007. The mission of the Los Angeles Cedars Rotary Club is to become the vehicle by which the Lebanese/American community can collectively provide assistance to the disadvantaged communities here, in Lebanon, and
around the world.

Below is a partial list of funded and approved projects in Lebanon:

- Medical Equipment to Ain-Ebel Hospital in the south of Lebanon - $64,700
- Ambulance to the Red Cross in Choueifat Sahel Aley - $29,699
- 81 Motorized Wheelchairs for the Lebanese Army - $70,146
- 3 Land Mine-Detection Dogs for the Lebanese Army, to help detect the mines in the fields in Lebanon - $60,000
- Donation of over 1000 books to underprivileged children in California (for the “Read by Nine” Program)
- Sponsorship of 5 Underprivileged Students for the CALS computer literacy development program in South Central Los Angeles.
- Sponsorship of 5 Teenagers for 3 days to the Rotary Leadership Youth Program - $425
Here are projects approved but still in need of additional funding:

- Mammogram Machine for Hammana Free Clinic - $40,000 (as of June 2008)
- Bus to Transport the Physically Challenged Youths of North Lebanon- $19,500 (as of June 2008)

Rotary is a Global Network of community volunteers. Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world.
Founded over 100 years ago. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians. More than 32,000 clubs. In 200 countries and geographical
areas. Rotary Foundation’s mission is improving health, supporting education and alleviating poverty. Contributing 111 million
in 2005-2006 to support community projects at home and abroad.

One of the core values of Cedars USA is to promote excellence and community service, so we always take pride to share
clubs and organizations that have the same goals.

By Lori GilbertRecord Staff WriterAugust 25, 2008 6:00 AM
When the San Joaquin Medical Society gathered last month to honor retired ophthalmologist Henry Zeiter with its lifetime achievement award, colleagues, family members, friends and area lawmakers turned out 200 strong. Missing were hundreds of others, people like his patients; college students in need, whose tuitions he helped provide; and the impoverished and homeless who were never denied his care.

For as much as the 74-year-old Zeiter accomplished in his 40-year career - pioneering new procedures like the use of intraocular lenses for cataract patients and helping to establish Health Plan of San Joaquin County - his humanitarian work touched just as many lives, if not more.

Since arriving in Stockton in 1962, Zeiter has devoted himself to the Stockton Symphony, Stockton Opera and Friends of Chamber Music; established a charitable foundation; donated a home whose sale generated the money needed to acquire matching federal funds to start a family homeless shelter; and has helped the poor in Lebanon, Venezuela and Africa. He made trips to Bulgaria, China and the Philippines to perform surgeries and teach new procedures to doctors there. "My dad told me that if you become a doctor and you don't help people, you don't deserve the title," Zeiter said.

Born in the family's summer home in the mountains of Lebanon in 1934. At age 14 he left Lebanon for Caracas, Venezuela, later to Canada and finally the USA. ....

Dr. Henry Zeiter, the subject of a story in the LENS section of today's Record, is such an interesting man that one could write a book about him. There's no need, though, beauase the retired 74-year-old ophthalmologist did just that.

Urged by his family to tell the stories he'd shared with his children and grandchildren for years, Zeiter published "From Lebanon to California, A Marriage of Two Cultures" in 2006.

Please see the above link for the rest of the article. When one of our community members is honored, we feel that we are all honored and we enjoy sharing this recognition with our readers. His book was also featured in the past and you can find more information under the book segment of this website. You can reach Dr. zeiter at drhenry@sonic.net if you wish to drop him a note or promote his book.

Contact Lori Gilbert about this article at (209) 546-8284 or lgilbert@recordnet.com.

Featured Organization
Friends of Gibran www.friendsofgibran.org

Kahlil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) was a Lebanese American artist, poet and writer. He was born in Lebanon
and spent much of his productive life in the United States.

The Friends of Gibran Council is an international organization with chapters in Lebanon and the United States. We have four purposes:

1- To advance worldwide recognition of the works, life and philosophy of Kahlil Gibran

2-    To encourage public support of the Gibran National Committee in Lebanon and particularly the Gibran Museum in Bsharri.
       The Gibran National Committee in Bsharry, Lebanon is the world center for preservation of the works and words of
       Gibran Kahlil Gibran.

3-    To strengthen the social, economic and cultural development of the region

4-     To protect Gibran’s legacy from cultural and political exploitation

Peace Missions and "Europa" project
http://www.peacemissions.eu

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. 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.

In the spring of 2009, a replica of a Phoenician ship, “Europa” (named after the Phoenician princess that was kidnapped by Zeus) alond with 17 people, mostly volunteers 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 marbles along with soap, oil and perfume. To be given to the tourism and cultural ministers of the respectful aforementioned countries. In hope of gathering the world needed attention to Lebanon and the suffering of its people and to create to bring awareness to the European continent about the true Lebanese moral fiber, culture and heritage

The trip will take about 6-8 months mostly at sea. It will be using sails and oars; it will be mostly escorted by volunteers from private Yachting clubs along the Mediterranean. Upon its return the ship will be donated to the Lebanese National Museum with the names of all the participants and the project creator along with the donors engraved on it.

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.

Please visit the website to learn more about the project. The project is in need of financial support. They have turned down donations by foreign countries as they want the project to be a product of the Lebanese people.

Featured site: Baldati
www.baldati.com

Baldati means "My Village" . Baldati is a national development, environmental, and cultural association which works to develop simple and practical methods by which to revive Lebanese villages, reunite their communities, support their institutions, and encourage dialogue among them and their members.

If we look at the current situation of Lebanese villages, we find that most of their citizens have abandoned them. Today most people's priority is to find a steady source of income. Therefore, villages have emptied out and their communities have been dismantled. People rarely gather there. With the loss of their human resources, village social institutions have become dysfunctional. They have only limited remedies to the new challenges they must confront.

Baldati recognizes the necessity of finding a simple and practical way to revive these communities - a task it has undertaken by linking villages and community members together through the internet. Thus, Baldati brings life and social interaction, the most basic needs of the human being, back to these villages. Communication is the first step in solving the social problems of villages, since these problems are aggravated by the solitude and isolation of village societies.

Baldati supports communities' administrative, socials, and environmental institutions by describing and advertising their programs and asking for people's opinion about them. If a village already has a website, the village's website and Baldati's website are linked together, with the first one providing an introduction and catalogue, and the second one a social forum. The two websites thus complement each other.

The website is a virtual community where people can communicate with their families and other Lebanese villages. People can share daily problems and sources of sadness and joy on a national level. Through this website; people can bring their community closer. This process begins when they register their full names and identify themselves and their village through the Join Now section. Then, they can see their parents Photo Album, read local news, and get information about municipal projects and other associations' projects. Visitors can give their opinion about these projects under Discussions; they can also post their birthdays and other events on the Calendar. They can Chat and look at Documents and the What's New page, where they can read up on the latest news and events. The website sends weekly news updates to all its members via email.

Letter - A call for help to our elderly homes in Lebanon
By Amira Matar

I grew up in a family environment where we always respected and honored old people. To this day I continue to cherish and value the same principles and pay homage to all those who made it to live to their old age. However some are fortunate and some are not.

When I first learned about this organization dedicated to helping old people, I thought that in memory of my parents who passed away in their late 80s, I would step up and help Mrs. Susan Nahas in her small charitable organization that she formed seven years ago. However as I became more mindful of the precious needs to lend a hand to these homes, of the lack of financial support and of the numerous old people living in these conditions, I wanted to be more active and more involved in this great and dignified cause.

This organization is called “The California Ladies Organization” that is engaged in the business of raising money to donate to various elderly homes throughout Lebanon. The California Ladies Organization is a non-profit association organized under the World Lebanese Cultural Union, a California tax-exempt organization under IRS Tax rules 501(C)(3).

Mrs. Susan Nahas established this noble entity seven years and with the help of some volunteers, she has been directing various fund raising activities in the immediate area. We collect the funds and one of our representatives would actually visit the homes and present a check to the directors in charge of these homes.

This summer I was fortunate to have the honor and the privilege to offer the cash donation to two homes: Saint Rafka home that houses 60 old people and also visited and donated funds to Saint George Foyer in Achrafieh that also has maintained full occupancy of more than 60 people over the years. These old folks could be just like our parents but they are left in this world to live the rest of their life without help, without the family support and often without love. It was heart breaking looking at them. You cannot help the tears shedding from your eyes with sorrow and compassion. Being there I witnessed the tremendous need for assistance and among them I wondered about life, about the future and how lucky we are living in this country where no one is left without aid. It made me want to work harder, to do all I can to help them in any possible way I can. If I lived there I would have also volunteered my time to help these homes that offer these old people comfortable living standards, shelters, good food, medical care and the attention they lost from their families. Looking at their sad and wrinkly faces, I wanted to do the impossible to ease their pain a bit. They looked at me probably with no trust, no hope but rather prayerful for something I could not have a handle on. I am not the first person who visited them and they probably were offended by me standing there talking to the directors. Most of them are sick, helpless and suffer from one illness or another or just from old age and health deterioration.

I was deeply moved by what I saw. I walked out of there but my heart stayed with them. I decided now to be the messenger and extend this reflection to all those who can be of financial support and to all those who would want to help out in this grand but humble organization.

There are so many more homes in Lebanon that need help and attention. Over the past seven years, The California Ladies Organization donated funds to a variety of homes. To name a few and addition to Saint Rafka and Saint George, funds were donated to The Asile Maronite des Vieillards in Borj Hammoud, Dar El Saade, Cahle Elderly Handicapped in Borj Hammoud, La Chaine des Amis Soeur de Charite, Chlifa Bekaa, Sami koudsi Surjan Orthodox, Befiah and a few others.

The intent of my annotations is to bring awareness that such an organization exists in our own backyard. I am asking for your attention to this call of help for our old folks in Lebanon. If you wish to learn more about this wonderful cause, please do not hesitate to call Mrs. Susan Nahas at 818-913-2000.

Events

	House of Lebanon Annual Banquet www.houseoflebanon.com
	Beirut Nights at www.famousstage.com Famous Stage \| 4405 Ventura Canyon ave. \| Sherman Oaks \| CA \| 91423
	Send us your club and community events to share with our readers.

Business Directory

	Lionheart Apparel Celebrates Two-Year Anniversary! https://www.lionheartapparel.com Founded by Tarek Saab who was on the apprentice TV show and has an inspiring rags to riches story www.tsaab.com Hew was featured in our newsletter and he is also that author of the book "Gut Check". Lionheart Apparel, 9280 Huntington Square, Fort Worth, TX 76180, (ph) 877-791-LION, info@LionheartApparel.com
	Almaza - Hookah \| Lounge \| Restaurant 9890 s maryland pkwy las vegas nv 89123 phone 702 480 4141 Zaher Fakih, Director of Operations

Win a copy of Caramel DVD-
Go to resources then media for other gift ideas.

Lionsgate invites you to celebrate the film that the New York Times calls "hard to resist,". This film is a true favorite international
film sensation! Written, directed by and starringr enowned Lebanese producer/director Nadine Labaki, CARAMEL was an official selection at the Cannes, Toronto and AFI film festivels.

Five women meet regularly in a beauty salon, a colorful and sensual microcosm of Beirut, where several generations come into contact, talk and confide in each other. In the salon, their intimate and liberated conversations revolve around men, marriage and motherhood, between haircuts and sugar waxing with caramel. Rated PG. The Los Angeles Times calls CARAMEL "sweet, intimate and sophisticated," and USA Today raves, it's a "cinematic treat!"

Register to win a copy of the DVD and two posters to use in your cultural events.   Those who help us promote www.cedarsusa.com
can qualify by sending us an email telling us what they have done.   We will only ship to a US address. Some suggestions include
sharing the site with other groups or electronic boards, adding our link to other sites, getting 10 or more people to join the monthly
newsletter or connecting us to additional American-Lebanese club not on our directory. ( www.cedarsusa.com/us/usdirectory.htm )

The mission of Cedars USA is to promote excellence, community service and networking. We focus on serving Americans of Lebanese
ancestry. We share positive news such as the above video "CARAMEL", books, clubs, artists and prominent American-Lebanese. We
receive many stories, information and resources that maybe of interest to your friends.

cedarsusa@yahoo.com or info@cedarsusa.com

4,000-year-old Canaanite Warrior Found in Sidon Dig
Daily Star staff - Tuesday, August 05, 2008

SIDON: The British Museum's excavation team in Sidon have recently unearthed a new grave containing human skeletal remains belonging to a Canaanite warrior, archeology expert and field supervisor Claude Doumet Serhal told The Daily Star on Monday. According to Serhal, the delegation made the discovery at the "Freres" excavation site near Sidon's crusader castle.

"This is the 77th grave that we have discovered at this site since our digging activities has started ten years ago with Lebanese-British financing," she said. According to Serhal, the remains go back to 2000 B.C., with a British archeologist saying the warrior had been buried at the age of 15 to 20 along with a spear and two stamps. "We have discovered earlier this year a jar also belonging to the Canaanite period i.e. to 2,000 years B.C. where a skeleton for a newborn baby had been found," she added. "We can say that through the discoveries we have been making at this site, we will be able to draw a graph showing the history of this ancient Mediterranean merchant city since 3000 BC," she added.

Serhal said the British delegation would continue its work until the first of September "when we will announce the discoveries we have made."

"Among the institutions that have taken in charge the financing of our project, are the British Old House Institution, the Issam Fares Foundation, the National Cement Company, the Hariri Foundation and Sidon's school network in addition to Byblos Bank," she said. Serhal had described Sidon as one of the most important metropolises of the Near East from the earliest of times. "It is mentioned 38 times in the Old Testament and appears in Genesis as the oldest Canaanite city, 'the firstborn of Canaan,'" she said. During those 10 years ago of excavation the discoveries were continuous: tombs and burial jars for children and adults, jugs, pieces of pottery with Phoenician inscription, bronze weapons for warriors in addition to jewelry. "Last year, for example, we found tons of wheat going back to 3000 BC," Serhal added.

The British Museum launched earlier this year an archaeological documentary entitled "Sidon 5,000 years" with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the ancient history of the southern port city.

-New Additions - Two events

	Benefit concert for SESOBEL - www.sesobel.org/usa
	American-Lebanese Medical Association- ALMA 12th annual convention Oct 17th-19th www.almamater.org

	The Quote
	House of Lebanon Banquet- Honoring Dr. Paul Fares Boulos
	LA Cedars Rotary Club
	Dr. Henry Zeiter Honored
	Friends of Gibran Organization
	Peace Missions: Project "Europa"
	Feature site: Baldati.com
	Letter- A call for help for elderly homes in Lebanon
	Events
	Business Directory
	Caramel DVD
	4,000-year-old Canaanite Warrior Found in Sidon Dig
	New additions - Two events

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