NEWSLETTER

MARCH 2003 DRUZE ORPHANS & CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION VOL. 5 NO. 1

Together for

Five Years

International

Welcome to

The Society of Lebanon the Giver

This year, we celebrate the fifth anniver-

sary of DOCO. We take this opportu-

nity to thank all our donors whose generos-

ity has helped us to come to the aid of

those in need of our help.

I would especially like to thank every-

one who contributed to the Eid-al-Adha

pocket money drive. The money was dis-

tributed to students at the orphanages in

Lebanon and Syria and was a very welcome

morale booster to the children.

Our religious teachings emphasize gen-

erosity and good deeds. We at DOCO strive

to do this by bringing the community and

those in need closer together.

We do this by sharing news of the

needs of the community, as well as the

achievements and successes of the many

charitable organizations working for the

betterment of our society.

The dynamic of our policy focuses on

the welfare of our community as a whole,

by caring for the orphaned, the needy, the

disabled, the sick and the elderly.

It is not a small feat, but when each of

us does his/her share, then, we are sure to

succeed.

Thus far, we seem to be on the right

track and God willing, we will continue as

long as the need exists.

Our needy brethren, and the DOCO

team, will be grateful for your support.

By Kamel Muakkassa, M.D.President

L to R: Mrs. Leila Mansour, President of “Ladies Friendship Society,” Princess Hayat Arslan,

President of “Society of Lebanon, the Giver” and Mrs. Rola Muakkassa

In Febraury, Mrs. Rola Kamel Muakkassa visited Lebanon during Eid al-Adha holiday.

She met with Princess Hayat Arslan, and presented her with a selection of medications collected

in the United States for the Hasbaya Women’s Clinic.

This society was formed and registered

as a not-for profit organization with the

Lebanese government on July 1, 1983. At

present, its elected officers are:

Princess Hayat Arslan, President

Latifa Nakadi, Vice-President

Diala Talhouk, Secretary

Wafic Fayad, Accountant

Yousef Abdul Khalek, Treasurer

Rima Al-Kadi, Director of Social

Affairs

Maria Diab, Director of Cultural

Affairs

Ikram Harmouch and

Sabah Hamze, members.

This Society has been at work serving

the needs of the impoverished Druze com-

munity in many areas of Lebanon since

1983.

Most recently, in 2001 they opened a

school to serve the community in Hasbaya,

South Lebanon. (a special report on the

school will be published in a later issue of

DOCO Newsletter).

In the same year they opened a free

clinic “Hasbaya Women’s Clinic” to serve

the female population of Hasbaya with the

blessing of Mashaikh Khalwat al-Bayadah.

Since its opening, more than 4000 women

have been treated at the clinic which was

built entirely with donated funds.

Continued of Page 6

Chairperson

Afifi Masri

President

Kamel Muakkassa, M.D.

Secretary

Leila Masri

Treasurer

Abboud Assaf

Assistant Treasurer

Sahar Muakasa, Ph.D.

Advisory Council

Emad Aboulhosn

Kamal Aboulhosn, M.D.

Michael M. Arnouse

Bassam al-Ayass

Nawal Chehayeb

Souad Ghosn, Esq.

Salim Israwi

Hadia Katter

Faez Masri

Farid Muakkassa, M.D. (Past President)

Roger Shaar

Co-Founders

Aniseh Assaf (1908-2002)

Dr. Fuad K. Muakkassa (1914-2000)

Volume 5 - Number 1

March 2003

DOCO NewsletterPO Box 1433

New York, NY 10018

(800)641-5440

DOCO Home Pages

http://www.doco-charities.org

http://www.druzeorphans.org

Email: docoinc@hotmail.com

EDITOR

Sahar Muakasa

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Leila Masri

Kathy Jaber Stephenson

Lila Ibrahim

Published by

DRUZE ORPHANS & CHARITABLE

ORGANIZATION

© Copyright 2003, DOCO

Letters to DOCO

2

Dear DOCO, Friends and Family,

“Nothing in this world can take the place of

persistence. Talent will not, nothing is more

common than unsuccessful men with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius is

almost a proverb. Education will not, the

world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are

omnipotent.” These famous words of

President Calvin Coolidge, represent the

iron will of the dedicated people who

proudly strive to serve the needs of the

orphans.

The following members of the Aboulhosn

Family, have stepped forward and donated

their time, energy and resources to extend a

helping hand to Beit al-Yateem: Assad &

Najibe, Majid & Suzi, Khalid & Hana, Dr.

Rima & Hadi, Raed & Amal, Khalid &

Naseebi, Ziad, Ajaj, Dr. Souraya Adeb,

Ilham Adeb, Wajdi & Marina, Kamal &

Ghada, Chawki & Julia, Nadeem & Afaf,

Mounah & Lamis, Kamal & Hoda,

Mamoun & Shahrazad, Adel & Nadia, Riad

& Nadia, last but not least Anis & Nadia.

Their generous donation was utilized to

purchase essential OTC (over the counter

medications) for the orphanage: 12 Boxes of

Dimetapp, 2 Boxes of Robitussin, 20 Boxes

of Aleeve, and 2 Boxes of Advil, 7 boxes of

Ben gay, 10 Boxes of Benadryl, and 18

Boxes of NIX.

Thank you dear friends. This is only a small

gesture reaffirming this family’s support for

DOCO in restoring our persistence and

rededicating our commitment to the

orphanage, Beit al-Yateem.

Respectfully Yours

Afif & Maha Aboulhosn

Cypress, CA

Dear DOCO,

The enclosed contribution is made in mem-

ory of Mrs. Nazha Najjar, widow of the late

Hussein Najjar and mother of Sue (Saouda)

N. Hassen of Houston, Texas. She passed

on in Adelaide, South Australia, on

November 1, 2002.

Thank you

Mark Najjar

Lilburn, GA

Dear Mrs. Masri,

Thank you for your letter dated 5 February

2003, and your kind donation to the Student

Aid Program. Please find enclosed our

receipt number 19020 in the amount of

$378. Could you please arrange to send the

enclosed letters of appreciation to your val-

ued donors, along, with the enclosed copies

of our new Scholarship Fund Program with

the American University of Beirut for their

attention.

Yours sincerely

Ghazi Jounblat

Assistant Secretary General

Druze Foundation for Social Welfare

Beirut – Lebanon

Dear Mrs. Masri,

Thanks for all that you have done, are

doing, and will do on behalf of our pre-

cious children.

Bobby Jaber

Santa Barbara, CA

Dear Mrs. Masri,

Eid Mubarak! God bless you, your family,

and DOCO staff. Your efforts are blessed,

especially during the Eid.

Regards

Malik Najjar

Albuquerque, NM

Dear Ms. Muakasa,

Please accept this donation, to the Druze

Orphanage in Lebanon, in the amount of

three hundred dollars ($300) in memory of

Ameen Abi Hana, (Abou Akram) March 5,

1932 - February 11, 2003. Please address a

card to Mr. Akram Abi-Hana and family,

expressing our deepest condolences and

prayers.

Friends at ABC NEWS

New York

3

DOCO in association with other non

governmental organization (NGOs),

is playing an increasingly important role in

Druze communities all over the world.

Recently, these not-for-profit organizations,

have increased in number and diversity as

the need for them has increased.

Together with DOCO, they have

focused on the grassroots level in order to

bring more awareness to the urgent needs of

the Druze community.

By providing local support, connec-

tions and expertise, these NGO’s bolster

DOCO’s own mission of creating a healthi-

er society: economically, socially, and moral-

ly. This networking has enhanced our capac-

ity to help a larger section of the communi-

ty much more effectively, and efficiently.

Among these are Druze Orphanage

Home in both Syria and Lebanon,

University Student Resident, Druze

Foundation for Social Welfare, Secondary

Schooling for Orphans, Ladies Friendship

Society, Druze Charity Foundation, Eldery

Home Center, Ain Wa Zein Hospital, and

National Rehabilitation Development

Center.

In this issue, we feature yet another

organization “The Society of Lebanon the

Giver”. Headed by Princess Hayat Arslan.

This society is doing exceptional work in the

community but still needs our help.

We are also happy to report on the dif-

ferent fund raising activities led by Lila and

Nabeel Ibrahim, and by Dr. Souraya

ElHessen and Denise Akel Rutjens.

With YOUR support and donations,

you have inspired DOCO to work hard to

identify these NGOs and work with them to

fulfill OUR common humanitarian mission.

DOCO’s newsletter with over 2000 in

circulation, will continue to be the link

between you, the donor, and the Druze

community all over the world.

Sahar Muakasa

Editor

You Made them

Smile

Dr. Akram Masri and Mrs. May Mayyasi , DOCO representatives in

Lebanon, handed out the traditional "EIDIEH " (pocket money) ($5

each), from DOCO to the children of Beit al- Yateem on the occasion of

Eid Al Adha 2003.

The children enjoyed the gesture and thanked DOCO and all its sup-

porters and wished them many happy returns of the Eid.

Dr. Akram Masri and Mrs. May Mayyasi distributing the pocket money to the students

Happy Faces

NGO’s & DOCO

4

The Mejlis LettersPart One

Introduction

by Kathy Jaber Stephenson

As children, my brother Bobby and I had often

heard our father speak of the Mejlis in Krayah,

Syria. Our dad, Joe Jaber, explained that he had

been sending money to help build this religious facil-

ity. Being American- born, we did not understand

exactly what a Mejlis was. From what we garnered,

it was a structure similar to a church. There was no

Mejlis in America; consequently, we had never seen

one growing up in West Virginia. After becoming

adults we were fortunate to visit Mejlises in

Lebanon and Syria, including the one located at

Krayah.

Those Druze born in the old country are familiar

with these religious sites. We American-born are

not usually, unless we have been to Lebanon or

Syria. For this article, I wrote to Dr. Abdallah

Najjar and Dr. Anis Obeid asking them to

describe the main tenets of a Mejlis. Here are their

responses:

Dr. Najjar: “The Mejlis (place of congregation) is

to be found in every village inhabited by Druze peo-

ple. It is the meeting place for weekly communal

prayer on Thursday evening. When people gather,

an elder leads in singing spiritual hymns that are

exalting and beautiful. Then the elder gives a ser-

mon addressing the young and those not yet initiat-

ed to the faith.”

Dr. Anis Obeid: “As for the story of the Druze

Mejlis, all I know is from personal observations

during my childhood in Aley, Lebanon. A Mejlis is

basically a large and austere meeting place, sparsely

furnished with rugs and low cushions for sitting (on

the floor). The Uqqal (the initiated sheikhs) congre-

gate on Thursday evening to begin the session by

preaching moral and ethical values to rank and file

who happen to attend. Women and men are sepa-

rated by some sort of a screen that does not interfere

with voice transmission. Once the (sermon) to the

uninitiated (Juhhal) is over, they (the Juhhal) are

excused and formal worship begins. This constitutes

reading from designated passages from Al-Hikma

and from other sources such as Sayyed Abdallah, as

well as quotations from the Koran and sometimes

the Bible. The readings are in the form or recitation

with very little attempt at scholarly discussions of

historical or philosophical perspectives. The session

lasts about two hours. In many instances, the same

program is enacted at the home of a family elder

which becomes a substitute for a Mejlis.”

Dr. Najjar continues: “As you may know, the

Druze have no ordained clergy (with the exception

of the Mashiekhat El-Akl), but the town’s people

usually identify elders who have become role models

of wisdom and piety who are called upon to preach,

conduct funerals, write wedding contracts and wills

or resolve disputes among fellow Druze. All of this

is done voluntarily and no compensation is offered or

accepted.

The Mejlis is usually a simple hall conforming to the

architectural surroundings and is void of any luxu-

rious furnishings. A volunteer caretaker usually sees

to the cleanliness and maintenance of the premis-

es...”

During the period of time that the Mejlis was being

built in Krayah, Joe Jaber corresponded with Sultan

Pasha Al-Atrash and others there, concerning the

actual construction of the Mejlis that he financed.

Before he died, he sent the letters to Henry Flehan

for safekeeping. Henry sent me the letters, which I

forwarded to my brother. We decided to have these

letters translated, and DOCO Newsletter Editor,

Sahar Muakasa graciously offered to translate them

gratis. She felt that the letters were relevant enough

to be published in the Newsletter. This could never

have been accomplished had Sahar Muakasa not

taken precious time out of her busy schedule adding

her labor of love to yet another Druze project. We

thank her so very much for all her dedication and

good efforts.

Spellings vary on names and places. They will

remain as they are written in the letters. I will edit

“The Mejlis Letters” with some deletions. They fol-

low:

THE MEJLIS LETTERS

Translated by Sahar Muakasa

The exchange of letters regarding the con-

struction of the Mejlis in Krayah, Syria, was

between three people: Sultan Pasha Al-

Atrash, Jaber Shokier (Joe Jaber), and

Salloum Fares Shokier. These letters con-

cerned the different stages of building the

Mejlis, the cost involved, a contract of con-

struction, drawings and detailed expenses,

and the inauguration ceremony of the

Mejlis after completion.

The letters were written between the

years 1950 and 1955. They will appear in

this article in chronological order so that

they may be read as a story. There are more

letters from Sultan Pasha Al-Atrash than

from Joe Jaber. Apparently, Mr. Jaber did

not retain most copies of his letters; how-

ever, one can surmise what he had written

by reading Sultan Pasha’s answers.

Following begin the Mejlis Letters:

Letter from Sultan Pasha to Joe Jaber

dated March 10, 1950

“I received your letter and read it very

carefully and thanked God that you are in

good health. An Arab proverb says, “Not all

who die are missed nor who live are

Front view of the Mejlis in Krayah, Syria, located in Jabal al-Druze

Photo by Sahar Muakasa -August 2002

5

praised,” but I say not all who immigrated

deserve the praise you deserve for your glo-

rious deeds. When I say this I am not exag-

gerating, but I am telling the truth as you

have shown this in the past during the revo-

lution (between the Druze and the French)

and in many other occasions… the people

of Krayah are proud of you … because of

your patriotism and faithfulness in serving

your country...

“Now, let me go back to your request

of donating money to renovate Mejlis

Krayah. This Mejlis in its present condition

is not suitable for any renovation or fur-

nishings because as you know it is in ruin.

But I, with the approval of our spiritual

brethren Sheiks, bought a plot of land near

the Mejlis. Our intention is to annex it to the

Mejlis and to rebuild it…. This will require

around 6,000 Syrian pounds for the con-

struction material and for paying the con-

tractor. So, there is no need for furniture as

the Mejlis is ruined. If you wish, we would

appreciate it if you would send money to

start building the Mejlis and later on we will

think of the furnishings.

I will give you the names of the com-

mittee that will be in charge of the project

under my supervision to oversee that all

money received and expenses are accounted

for. The committee members are: sheiks

Abu Ali Salloum Shokier; Abu Ali Mohsen

al-Safady; Abu Mohammad Youssef

Alameddine; Abu Hassan Sulieman

Jarbouh, and your brother Abu Hamad

Mohammad al-Hamad. These people will be

responsible, and God bless you. Give my

regards to all my brethren.”

(Sultan gives the names starting with “Abu”,

meaning the father of, such as Abu Ali Mohsen al-

Safady means Mohsen’s eldest son is Ali.)

The names of the committee as they

appeared in the contract were signed and

witnessed by Sultan Pasha as follows:

Salloum Shokier – President

Youssef Salman Alameddine -

Treasurer

Naef Saleem Tarabey – Member

Mohammad Hamad Shokier – Member

Mohsen Salman al-Safady – Member

Saad al-Jamil – Contractor.

Letter from Sultan Pasha to Joe Jaber

dated April 30, 1950

“I received your last letter and I thank

you for your interest to build the Mejlis in

Krayah. With your endeavor and that of

your brethren abroad, we are determined,

God willing, to start the project. According

to your wishes, you will find enclosed the

blueprints for the new Mejlis. As you know,

the old Mejlis that I told you about needed

6000 Syrian pounds to fix, will not work

because three sides of the Mejlis are adja-

cent to our peoples’ homes, which could be

ruined. Thus, we have stopped the work on

the old place. After consultation with our

community; it was decided to buy a piece of

land on which to build a new Mejlis that

will serve many generations to come.

We were lucky to find a property for

approximately 2000 Syrian pounds because

its area is 1000 square meters. As you men-

tioned in your letter, and upon your deter-

mination and our brethren abroad to start

the project, we would like you to know that

the cost of building the Mejlis is 36,000

Syrian pounds. This includes all the costs

involved in finishing the building including

the fence around the Mejlis that is 1000

meters.

I am writing to you to have a look at the

plans and the cost for this illustrious Mejlis

and to be aware of all details. If you agree,

you can send us the money to begin the

project and set up the conditions with the

contractors. Also, we will form a committee

with a president and a treasurer (stipulated

above) to submit to you the schedule of

expenses, which will be verified by the pres-

ident of the committee and its members.

My respect to all my brethren abroad,

and we wish them success and health.”

(Enclosed in this letter is a drawing of the

Mejlis. It has two floors. The prayer room is 14.5

meters wide by 14.8 meters long. The balcony is 4.2

meters wide and 14.5 meters long)

Letter from Sultan Pasha to Joe Jaber

dated May 29, 1950

“I have read your last letter paragraph

by paragraph. We have started the project by

digging the support of the building and

preparing the supply of the stones.

According to your wishes, the committee

has been formed composed of 5 people

including the president and the treasurer.

We have signed the contract that includes

eight points. Three copies were issued: one

enclosed for you, one to remain with the

committee and one with the contractor.

The first step to start building is the

cost of the land and the fence valued at

17,000 Syrian pounds. We will send you the

amount needed for the next stage of build-

ing. We hope that you will send money to be

distributed to the contractors. There is no

need as you have specified in your letter to

get the papers verified from the local

authority. The money will be in the hands of

the committee. They are trustworthy and

are very careful in spending the money for

the Mejlis. Be sure of that. The work will be

Back view of Mejlis in Krayah. The stand that sits on the structure in the foreground is used

for viewing the deceased. Mourners may sit on the steps.

Photo by Sahar Muakasa - August 2002

6

done according to your wishes, and you will

be informed about all the stages of the

building along with all the expenses

incurred. Let us pray to God to finish this

noble mission.

Summary of the enclosed contract:

It has been agreed and decided to build

a Mejlis for God in our village Krayah. In

accordance with the request of the benefi-

cent Jaber Bek Shokier, a legal agreement

has been reached between us, the commit-

tee in charge of executing what is requested

to extend help for this auspicious building.

These efforts will be conducted under the

supervision of the Leader General Sultan

Pasha Al-Atrash as one party and the con-

tractor Saad Jamil as the other party as fol-

lows:

It has been decided that the length of

the building from east to west to be 25

meters and the width from north to south

12 meters and the height of the building to

be 5 meters.

It has been decided that good con-

struction materials will be used (here there are

some details on the different kind of construction

materials and where they will be used).

It has been decided to build 52 sq.

meters above the building surrounding the

ceiling and that all engraved stones used

should be the same for the whole building.

The committee has agreed to pay 10

Syrian pounds for every square meter of the

building, and has also committed to pay 50

Syrian pounds for each engraving.

The committee has undertaken to

donate the stones for building the founda-

tion.

The engraving and preparing of all

other stones for construction will be in

accordance with the terms agreed upon

with the contractor Saad.

The committee will donate 100 bags

Shamantoo sand (a type of sand) as well as

20 m³ of soft sand.

The contractor Saad has committed to

execute all the conditions agreed upon with

the committee.

And lastly, we have come together and

agreed, we the committee and the contrac-

tor, under the supervision of the Leader

General Sultan Pasha Al-Atrash. We swear

that we will execute all the work from our

side according to the above conditions with

dignity and honesty until the Holy Mejlis is

successfully completed. The committee has

agreed to pay three installments to the con-

tractor: first when he starts, second during

the middle of the project, and third when he

finishes. We thus agree, certify and sign this

agreement and ask God for success for the

good and the betterment.”

(This agreement was signed by 3 members, the

treasurer, the president, and the contractor and was

witnessed and signed by Sultan Pasha Al-Atrash.)

Letter from Salloum Fares Shokeir to

Joe Jaber dated July 29, 1950

“To my cousin Abu Ghaleb Jaber

Hamad Shokier, I send you greetings and

hope you are in good health and happy. God

is generous and loves the generous. He sees

what you have donated to build this Mejlis.

Your transfer of money has reached us.

We exchanged one dollar for 3.88 Syrian

pounds. The total was 24,058 Syrian pounds

and was cashed by Sultan Pasha Al-Atrash

and handed to the treasurer Youssef

Alameddine. 10,000 was paid to the ceiling

contractor Youssef al-Fakih, and 4,000 as a

payment to the general contractor. The

building is now two meters above ground,

and the work is going on as expected.

Hopefully, the Mejlis will be finished before

autumn.

Give our regards to your son Ghaleb

and Miss Nuhad and everybody. My sons

Salem, Fares, and Jameel greet you as well as

our brother Hamd and his family. All the

residents of Krayah send you greetings and

pray to God for your success and health.

The Ajaweed (sheikhs) of Krayah send you

their greetings. Your brother Mohammad

Hamad Shokier greets you as do Mohsin

Safady, Naef Turbah and Youssef

Alameddine.

In reference to your letter sent to your

brother Muhammad and Suleiman Shokier

inquiring about the Mejlis land, please note

that Sultan Pasha has to agree to it. Nawaf

and Ali Al-Atrash own the land, and the

share of the Pasha was taken four years ago

by Youssef Alameddine before this date.

We are awaiting your last payment to

finish the doors and flooring of the build-

ing. God bless you.”

(To be continued.)

Many thanks to Sahar Muakasa, Dr.

Abdallah Najjar and Dr. Anis Obeid for

their contributions to this article.

The clinic contracts doctors in different

medical specialties such as Gynecology,

Pediatrics, General Health, Ophthalmology,

Physical Therapy and provides testing for

Osteoporoses, Glands and operates a

Laboratory. Some urgently needed equipment:

-OTO-KERATOMETER

-LENS-METER

-TOPCON+TONOMETER

Welcome to the Soceity of lebanon the Giver,

Continued from page 1

Please contact us at DOCO if you can

help. The “Hasbaya Women’s Clinic” needs

your support to be able to continue provid-

ing the necessary care for the community.

Any donations,

large or small,

will be greatly appreciated.

A Doctor consults with a patient

A woman having her eyes examined at the

Hasbaya Women’s Clinic

7

Dear DOCO Supporters,

Iam Wafaa Abou Dihn from Hasbaya, a

village in the far South of Lebanon. I

recently left the University Student

Resident (USR) after finishing my higher

education.

Three years ago, I found it necessary to

move to Beirut to continue my studies, but

this was a real problem for my parents and

I, because it is hard to find a place, in Beirut,

suitable for a single girl to live in.

Fortunately for me, I discovered the USR,

which solved my problem by providing me

with a safe home and gave me a second

family.

Today, armed with a teaching diploma

in math and science for the elementary level,

I am ready and eager to face the future with

confidence and enthusiasm.

I am eternally grateful to the USR for

making it easier for young Druze girls, like

myself, to fulfill their potential and their

dreams of high academic achievement. If it

were not for USR, I would not have been

able to take advantage of this educational

opportunity. USR deserves all the support

and help it can get.

I am only one person, but don’t forget

the wider picture: ther are hundreds of girls

who have been able to attain their goals

solely because of the existence of USR and

many more are waiting to benefit from it.

Some of my roommates came from Syria

and Jordan to avail themselves of this

unique service that the USR provides.

Let me take this opportunity to thank

you, DOCO donors, for your support and

respectfully ask you not to forget USR.

Last but not least, I would like to com-

mend DOCO for spreading the word and

for supporting this worthy cause. I am

hopeful that I will be able to meet you per-

sonally in the future and see your organiza-

tion at work in the USA.

Sincerely,

Wafaa Abou Dihn

Thank you DOCO donors for fulfilling

the dreams of Miss Wafaa Abou Dihn

At the pot-luck luncheon hosted by Mrs.

Rania Jurdi at the Druze Cultural

Center in California, over $1500 was raised

for the “Secondary Schooling for the

Orphans” (SSO) organization.

Mrs. Elham Salloum, a board member

of the SSO, visiting the Southland, shared

with some of the ladies of the community,

the mission of this organization and its

achievements to date; namely: The first stu-

dent the SSO undertook to help will be

graduating from high school this year and

has received a full scholarship to attend

nursing school at the A.U.B. Hospital in

Beirut. Four students are now in their sec-

ond year, and four more will be finishing

their first year, for a total of nine students.

All students are working hard and doing

very well academically and socially.

Mrs. Salloum expressed sincere thanks on

behalf of SSO to DOCO and to all donors

who are making it possible for these orphaned

students to pursue higher education.

Fund Raising for SSO

The Students YOU are supporting to achieve higher education

Standing: L to R; Firas (10th grade - 1st year with SSO), Rabih (12th grade - 3rd year with SSO),

Baha (10th grade - 1st year with SSO), Majd (11th grade - 2nd year with SSO)

Sitting: L to R; Diana (11th grade - 2nd year with SSO), Mayada (10th grade - 1st year with SSO),

Hana (11th grade - 2nd year with SSO)From all of us Thank You

13

DOCO Newsletter

Sponsors

This newsletter was made possible by

the generous support of the following :

Hafez Ameen Abi-Akar

Michael M. Arnouse

Abboud & Amal Assaf

Ali Assaf

Mounah & Diana Assaf

Rabih & Amal Ballout

Manal Boukzam

Bobby Jaber

Dr. Sami & Leila Masri

Dr. Kamel & Rola Muakkassa

Julie & Jamil

Mr. and Mrs. Anis and Nadia

Aboulhosn, of West Covina,

California, invited family and friends to a

celebration of the engagement and Kitab

(marriage contract) of their son, Dr. Jamil

Aboulhosn to the lovely Miss Julie Kasem,

daughter of Mr. Casey Kasem, and Mrs.

Linda Kasem Naylor. The traditional cere-

mony was held at the Druze Cultural

Center, in Los Angels, on March 2, 2003

and was followed by a sumptuous luncheon

shared by family and friends. DOCO

Congratulates the happy couple and their

parents.

The DOCO team wishes to join the cho-

rus of congratulations to Mr. Ghassan

Saab on his selection as the “ADS Person of

the Year 2002”. This is indeed a well-

deserved honor.

Mr. Saab is president of SGT Ltd., a

real estate development firm based in

Michigan. He is a graduate of the American

University of Beirut where he earned his

degree in engineering. Currently, Mr. Saab is

Chairman of the American Druze

Foundation, and Vice Chairman of the

Board of Trustees of the Lebanese

American University in Lebanon.

He is a member of the Board of the

American Arab Heritage Council, the

Hundred Club of Flint, McLaren Regional

Medical Center, American Task Force for

Lebanon, Associated General Contractors

of America, and the Rotary Club of

Michigan. He also serves on the Citizens

Advisory Committee of the University of

Michigan-Flint and the Board of Governors

of the Arab American Institute in

Washington DC.

Some of the many honors and awards

he has received are: Civic Leader of the Year

award by the American Syrian-Lebanese

Clubs of America, 1978. Daughters of the

American Revolution Americanism Medal,

1991; and the Sam Farah American Success

Award, 1992. Mr. Saab has also served as

Chairman of the Associated General

Contractors of America, and the Flint

Institute of Music. He is a true role model.

DOCO congratulates Mr. Saab and

wishes him continued success.

Congratulations

Man of the Year - 2002

Ghassan Saab

Once again the team of “Community

Aid Net” (CAN) with Dr. and Mrs.

Akram Masri designed and printed desktop

calendars featruring the children of Beit al-

Yateem as a fundraising tool. They donated

250 calendars to Doco which were sold in

the US for more than $ 2,000.

Thank you Dr. & Mrs.Masri and the

CAN team.

Julie & Jamil signing Al-Kitab

Community Aid Net

Donates Calenders to DOCO

12

On their last trip to Lebanon, in July

2002, Mrs. Rola Kamel Muakkasa

accompanied by Dr. Sahar Muakasa made a

round of visits to various organizations sup-

ported by DOCO.

The first stop was Beit al-Yateem in

Abey, where they met with Mrs. Hayat al-

Nakadi, and had a chance to chat with some

of the students. They also visited the Elderly

Care Center in Ain Wazein where Mrs. Rola

Muakkassa presented Director, Dr. Zuhair

al-Emad, with a check in the Amount of

$841.50. Mrs. Amal Rasamny, Chairman, of

the Elderly Care Center Committee showed

them around the facility.

Later on, they visited Mrs. Farida

Rayess, President of University Student

Resident, at her home in Aley, and present-

ed her with a check in the amount of $1,350

donated by various DOCO supporters.

They also visited Mrs. Mona Ibrahim, and

presented her with a check in the amount of

$819 for the Druze Foundation for Social

Welfare.

Dr. Sahar Muakasa, accompanied by

Mrs. Nadwa Mujahed journeyed to Syria

and met with the newly elected Board of

Trustees of the Organization for Social

Welfare in Swaida. President of the Board

Mr. Ali Falhout welcomed DOCO’s repre-

sentatives and shared with them some of

the most pressing problems facing the

organization, namely the lack of funds to

employ enough qualified teachers, and to

update their curriculum.

The Board of Trustees informed

DOCO that the Organization is planning to

build an annex to the school in 2003, as well

as income generating structures on land

owned by the organization in Swaida.

Visit to Lebanon and Syria

Board members of the Syrian Organization for Social Welfare

Standing L to R: Aref Al-Saghaiby, Faozi Hamed, Fahd Jarbouh, Zahr Abu-Khair

Sitting L to R: Wadad Abu-Zaydan, Sahar Muakasa, Ali Falhout, Adel Tawil

L to R: Majd Abou-Ezeddine, Hayat Nakadi, Fuad & Leila

Muakkassa, Samia Rasheed and Rola Muakkassa

Students at the orphanage in Syria in the newly dining hall

They also made a tour of the newly built

kitchen and dining hall. Dr. Muakasa pre-

sented them with a check in the Amount of

$ 4,000. Later in the day, Mr. Ali Falhout

accompanied DOCO’s representatives on a

visit the Krayah Mejlis. (Please see article on

page 4.)

The Organization for Social

Welfare in Swaida is doing a very

good job in caring for the

orphans and needy but they do

need a lot of support. We hope

you can extend them a helping

hand.

In collaboration with DOCO we have ven-

tured to take on the monumental task of

generating funds to support the National

Rehabilitation Development Center

(NRDC). The center, located in Abey,

Lebanon, is a nonprofit organization. It pro-

vides shelter and food to adults and children

with disabilities. It is in dire need of funds

for basic amenities, as well as for programs

to help the disabled reach some form of

independence. NRDC started its work dur-

ing 1984. In collaboration and support of

local and international institutions the center

has established and developed several pro-

grams to assist those with disabilities to

make a better life for themselves. Programs

include Academic training for the mentally

or learning disabled, Physical Therapy,

Prosthesis Development, Psychotherapy, as

well as Medical Laboratory services.

Our first fundraiser was a silent auction

held at the ADS New Year’s party in

Southern California. We were successful in

finding corporate and individual sponsors,

who donated the items listed at the end of

the article. As a result we were able to raise

$1,710 towards the purchase of wheelchairs,

medical equipment and educational materi-

als for the learning-disabled and mentally

retarded.

Current and Future Activities

At present we are striving to create

greater awareness, among our community, of

the needs of people with disabilities living in

Lebanon, specifically the Druze. We recent-

ly submitted a proposal to the Social Science

Research Council in New York to fund a

collaborative international research grant,

titled, Bridging the Gap: and a New

Paradigm to Empowering the Disabled in

the Middle East. Our proposal was selected

and we will be traveling to Cairo, Egypt to

participate in a workshop along with the

other nine semi-finalists. The purpose of the

workshop, is to share our proposals with

scholars around the world and gather more

information to develop a final proposal to

be submitted in May for a maximum grant

of $35,000. Our goal in writing this propos-

al is to share our knowledge and provide

resources to service providers and children

with disabilities in Lebanon.

We’re currently working with

Wheelchairs for Humanity on delivering

wheelchairs and other medical equipment such

as physical therapy and prosthesis equipment.

Our goal is to raise at least $100,000 to cover

costs of purchasing and shipping medical

equipment to Lebanon. We are presently try-

ing to find corporate sponsors to underwrite

these costs. However, our resources are limit-

ed and given the tight economic situation here

in the U.S. and abroad we face a great chal-

lenge.

Furthermore, we are planning a work-

shop at the ADS convention in San

Francisco this Summer “Building a Stronger

Community through Empowerment.” Our

goal is to educate the Druze community on

the needs of children and adults with dis-

abilities.

Another fund-raising event that we par-

ticiped in, is the L.A. Marathon on March 2,

2003 where two community members, Ismale

Nawfal and Omar Nasserdine ran for our

cause, to support the disabled. They used

their legs for those who cannot and we sin-

cerely appreciate all their efforts and time.

(Report will be published in next issue).

NRDC Wish List

We are currently working with Khaled

El-Mohtar, Founder and Managing Director

of NRDC on fulfilling the wish list of the

urgently needed equipment:

• For Prosthetics and Orthotics’

workshop such as O.B. Heating ovens,

Electric Cast Cutter, O.B Socket

Router, O.B. Prosthetic Band Saw,

AK Gauge, Vacuum Machine,

Belt Sender.

• Mechanical Therapy such as pull

down machine for upper body

workout, leg extension machines,

training cycles.

• Treatment Furniture, such as Massage

table, Exercise Mats, Medicine Balls,

Folding Walkers.

• Electro Therapy Equipment such as

Vibro Massagers, Electro Stimulation

for facial paralysis, Short wave

w/accessory electrodes (Diathermy),

Electric Treadmill.

• Crutches, Quand Canes, tethoscopes,

Standard Plain Skeleton, Anatomical

Charts, Large Bobath table etc.

If you know of anyone who can help us

in obtaining these items, please contact

Souraya ElHessen at (562) 866-7282 or

Denise Akel Rutjens at (201) 943-9441.

Affirmation On Giving

Recognizing my oneness with all life

and knowing that life gives unconditionally, I

give openly and freely, for I know I cannot

deplete the source of my supply. I give with

an attitude of love and compassion and

without expectation. As I give, I rejoice on

the inner re-ward of my sharing.

10

Charity: Take it to the LimitBy: Dr. Souraya Elhessen & Denise Akl Rutjens

L to R: Dr. Souraya Elhessen, Rania and Maysa Aboulhosn

Thank you, one and all for supporting

the disabled Druze in Lebanon.

11

Riyad & Nadia AboulHosn (Ericsson Cell

phone: $350), Ahmed Nawfal (United Airlines

Ticket: $350), Roland & Denise Rutjens:Burke

(Burke Williams Beyond the Spa Gift Certificate:

$132), Monah & Lamise AboulHosn (Chevron

Gift Basket: $120), World Wrestling

Entertainment, NY (Gift Certificate, T-shirts &

Poster: $125), Final Touch Electrolysis (Two 15

Minutes Sessions: $18 each and Two Half-hour

Sessions: $28 each), 24-hour Fitness (Two 3

Months Memberships), Art and Frame Floral

Picture ($70), Michael’s Floral Arrangement

($70), House of Blues (Gift Certificate: $70),

Glen Ivy Hot Springs ($50), Somatic Massage

(Gift Certificate: $50), Dave & Busters (Gift

Certificate: $40), Robinson May (Gift Certificate:

$40), L.A. Clippers Autographed Baseball Cap

($40), Spectrum Glass Arts (a Glass Eagle: $40),

Trader Joe’s Gift Basket ($40), Cheesecake

Factory (Gift Certificate: $25), Costco (Gift

Certificate: $25), Huff ’s Hut (Gift Certificate:

$20), Roadhouse Grill (Gift Certificate: $20),

Lucille’s (Gift Certificate: $20), Edwards Theatre

(Harry Potter T-shirts, Posters & Game Cards),

Willow Creek Winery (four Champagne Bottles:

$15 each), Memories Graphic Arts ($12.)

Doaa Aboulhosn 350

Dr. Adib Aboulhosn 100

Ibtisam Masri 100

Renna Nadim Andary 100

Rob & Yasmeen Ghosn 100

Anonymous 50

Anonymous 50

Badih & Samia Wahbe 50

Fuad 50

Hikmat & Nadia Chmait 50

Marina Aboulhosn 50

Sami El Kadi 50

Samir El-Moghrabi 50

Wajdi Makarem 50

Anita Khalek 40

Mamoun Aboulhosn 40

Nabil Assaf 40

Saeed Najar 40

Shawki Adib Aboulhosn 40

Munir Abifaker 35

Farouk Zeineddine 25

Nabil Chmait 25

Samir Mezher 25

Allan Tay 20

Amine Mokaddem 20

Emily Montes 20

Fadi Saab 20

Hiam Said 20

Kamal Aboulhosn 20

Khaled Aboulhosn 20

Lamees A Aboulhosn 20

Nadia & Adel Aboulhosn 20

Anonymous 20

We would like to encourage you to make a difference

by making a donation to DOCO

to support our disabled children.

It is through your donation

that you show gratitude for the good health

of your children and those you love.

Individuals and Coporate Sponsors

40 Years Old and Going Strong

The LADIES COMMITTEE FOR

THE DRUZE ORPHANGE celebrat-

ed its 40th anniversary of service to the

orphanage, with a fund raising gala dinner at

the St. George Yacht Club in Beirut,

Lebanon, recently.

The Ladies Committee is the only offi-

cially licensed committee to solicit funds in

the name of the Druze Orphanage in Abey.

It was founded by the late Aref El-Nakadi

in 1963. Today, it is comprised of 15 dedi-

cated ladies, headed by Princess Khawla

Arslan.

The objectives of the Committee are:

to provide financial support for the basic

necessities for the daily running of the

Orphanage: offer grants and scholarships to

orphans inside and outside the orphanage,

as well as to provide moral support for the

orphans. They also organize recreational

and extra-curricular activities.

In the past year, the Ladies Committee

has paid for the supply of heating fuel in the

amount of $15,000, bought washing

machines in the amount of $14,000, in addi-

tion to supplying clothing, footwear, and

food items. It also provided scholarships for

orphans and other needy students totaling

$15,000.

The Ladies Committee for the Druze

Orphanage wishes to thank the Board of

Trustees of the Druze Orphanage for their

dedicated commitment and good adminis-

tration, especially Mrs. Hayat al-Nakadi for

her tireless dedication and hard work.

Reported by Mrs. Latifa Nakadi

(committee member)

DOCO, its donors and supporters wish to

commend the Ladies Committee for the Druze

Orphanage and congratulate them on their 40th

anniversary and thank each and every member for

their continued support in maintaining the high

standards of Beit al-Yateem.

L to R: Najwa Fayyad, Mona Abul Husn, Najwa Kais, Randa Mizhir, Amal Shams, Latifa

Nakadi, Princess Khawla Arslan, Nadia Arslan, Juhayna Rasamni at fundraising dinner

Donor US�$

The Barouki family are saddened by the

loss of their beloved Sheikh Youssef El

Barouki, a prominent Druze Council

Member of Philadelphia, PA., who passed

away on the 28th of August 2002. Memorial

services were held simultaneously in Sweida,

Syria, and in Philadelphia, where Sheikh

Sami Merhi of New York performed the

funeral services attended by dozens of fam-

ily members, friends, and relatives. Sheikh El

Barouki is survived by his wife of 63 years

Zaida, their six sons and four daughters, and

over 50 grandchildren. More than 200 other

relatives of the late Sheikh El Barouki live in

the Philadelphia area and in Delaware,

Michigan, and California. Donations in

honor of his memory were distributed to

Beit al-Yateem (Orphanage) and needy peo-

ple in Sweida in Syria.

On behalf of the Barouki family, I

would like to thank all those who expressed

their sympathies and shared their feelings

with the family, whether in person, in writ-

ing, via e-mail or by phone. I would like to

express my thanks to the Arab American

communities of Philadelphia, Northern

California Area, and the Monterey

Peninsula. In particular, I would like to

express my gratitude to the Syrian Embassy,

the President and the Board of the

American Druze Society, the

Administrations of DOCO and ‘Our

Heritage’ Magazine, and the Ambassador of

Lebanon to Argentina for their sincere con-

dolences. The following is a brief history of

Sheikh El Barouki written by his son, Dr.

Foazi El-Barouki, on behalf of the family.

Our community in North America and

our family back home have lost a great man, a

man with exceptional traits, high morals, and

great values. He was modest, sincere, gener-

ous, and a loving individual. He was patriotic,

intellectual, and a free thinking politician, and

a supporter of Arab nationalism and justice

for all. He was an exceptional sympathizer

with orphans, a giver, generous donor, a friend

of all ages, and an outstanding advisor.

Sheikh Youssef was born in Sweida,

Syria, in 1917. In 1937, he joined the Syrian

Exterior Police Force (Ad-Darak). In 1938 he

graduated from the school of Darak

Academy (Rutabaa Ad-Darak) of Damascus

and became the head of Hamiydia Police

Department serving under Colonel Hayel El-

Attrach. Under El-Attrach’s leadership, he

partially contributed to the independence of

Syria when he participated in the defense of

the besieged al-Hamiydia Fort against the

French domination. The siege was fiercely

met and lasted for several days.

During the reign of Husni Ez-Zaim,

President of Syria from 1948-1950, Mr. Barouki

resigned from Ad-Darak to join the ministry of

Justice. He worked for 12 years as a head

recorder for the Court of Appeals (Ist’inaf) in

Sweida. In light of his constructive experience

in court affairs, he used to be detailed every

once in a while to assist in recording Sectarian

cases for the Sectarian Court (Al-Mahkama Al-

Mathhabia). He sat several times on the court

bench along with Mashaikh Al-Akel and Court

Judges. The best Sectarian Judge he worked with and

the one he admired the most was the Honorable

Fadlalla Al-Quintar.

After independence and during the

Wahda (unity) between Syria and Egypt, Mr.

Barouki was a national political figure. In

1959, he was elected to represent the district

of Sweida in the Ittihad Al-Qawmi. He served

in this position until the unity between these

two countries broke off in 1961. In 1963, Mr.

Barouki decided to retire after long years of

service to his country. He immigrated to

Venezuela to join his eldest son Maziad, who

left Syria in his early adulthood in 1957 to

open the family door to the West. After 20

years of struggle abroad as a merchant, Mr.

Barouki traveled to the United States of

America to be with his second son Foazi, the

family pioneer in North America as of 1971.

Mr. Barouki came to the Philadelphia area in

1983, and since then, he had been residing in

South Philadelphia. In 1993, he was appoint-

ed by Mashiakhat Al-Akel of the Druze sect

in Sweida to run part of its affairs in the

United States as set by traditions. He carried

this responsibility with honor. He volunteered

his time and energy to offer services and other

duties until he had fulfilled his mission.

My father died peacefully from stomach

cancer, yet one of his dreams was not

achieved during the last two months of his

life. It was a period of psychological and

physical pain and suffering mixed with high

motivation. After four attempts to travel

back home to meet with me, and other

members of the family, his dream faded

away. He lost hope and took his hope with

him. This ending was particularly painful to

me because when I decided to come back to

the States to see him alive for what would

have been the last time, I learned that he had

passed away while I was en route flying

through London. But, that is life and that is

the will of God.. Goodbye, Father, you were

the torch of my life.

16

A Tribute to Sheikh Youssef Hamdan El Barouki 1917 – 2002

By Faozi El Barouki

The late Sheikh Youssef El-Barouki surrounded by his children and grandchildren

15

Mr. Assaf passed away in South

Pasadena, California on the 9th of

January 2003, after a long illness. Born in

Beirut, Lebanon, he immigrated to

California with his wife, in the early eighties

to be close to their children.

He was a hardworking, loving husband

and father, always cheerful and ready to give

a helping hand, well into his eighties, only

when heart problems slowed him down.

Funeral services were held at the Druze

Center in California on January 11, 2003.

He is survived by his wife of sixty

years, Jamal, daughters Hayat Aref

Noueihed, Leila Sami Masri, & son Abboud

of California and daughter May Adel

Mayyasi and son Salah of Beirut, Lebanon,

sixteen grandchildren and seven great

grandchildren, sister Afifi Assaf Masri and

brother Anis Assaf and families.

Assaf, Jamal Toufic 500

Assaf, Aboud & Amal 500

Assaf, Salah Toufic 500

Masri, Dr. Akram & Luna 300

Masri, Dr. Sami & Leila 300

Said, Dr. Hayel & Hiam 300

Masri, Faez & Afifi 300

Masri, Nabil & Iman 300

Ayass, Bassam S. & Alma 300

Aboulhosn, Amjad, Ayham & Hala 300

Muakkassa, Drs. Farid & Rima 250

Masri, Mounir & Nabila 200

Gharzeddine, Riad & Mona 200

Gharzeddine, Waleed & Samar 200

Gharzeddine, Amer 200

Yakzan, Mounira S. 200

Masri, Dr. Samar S. 100

Masri, Mona Sami 100

Milkie, Dr. Fred & Leila 100

Hamoud, Eugene & Houda 100

Aboulhosn, Mamoun & Shehrezad 100

Assaf, Anis & Souad 100

Assaf, Nabil & Jumana 100

Assaf, Mounah & Diana 100

Anonymous 100

Aboulhosn, Housein & Samira 100

Makarem, Fawzi & Samira 100

Anonymous 100

Noueihed, Omar & Nada 100

Muakkassa, Dr. Samar 100

Toufic Abdel Rahman Assaf (1910 - 2003)

Donations from Family and Friends in Memory of

Mr. Toufic Abdel Rahman Assaf to Beit al-Yateem total $6,775.00

Rafey, Nadia R. 100

Muakasa, Dr. Sahar 50

Wahbe, Badih & Samia 50

Aboulhosn, Sakib & Linda 50

Abi-Rafeh, Abraham 50

Aboulhosn, Housein Ali 50

Makarem, Fadi F. 40

Chaya, Youssef & Nora 25

Chaya, Riad 20

Tay, Allen 20

Mohtar, Hassan & Suzy 20

Jahshan, Simon & Nabila 20

Tay, Zak 20

Tay, Sam 10

The Druze Orphanage in Abey, Lebanon

is in need of donations to help pur-

chase the following:

• Medical and Dental Supplies

• School Supplies for over 1,100

students

• Equipment to sustain the computer lab

• Office Supplies for administrative

purposes

There is a long list of requests, here are a

few examples:

• $4600 to cover school supplies for

the entire student body all year.

• $48 for a white board to be used for

teaching purposes.

• $120 for a scanner to be added to

the computer lab for student projects

per government-recommended

curriculum.

• $200 for each student to have a

floppy disk to save their computer

projects for the school year.

Currently each disk must be returned

at the end of the year for re-use.

• $240 to pay for an entire year of

internet access, being used to

communicate with and for student

research projects.

• $490 to cover ink for printers

and photocopy machines

• $1660 for 3 new PCs to be used in

the administrative offices for

finance, records, etc.

• $3630 for a new Minolta

Photocopier for the school.

Please help by making a

tax-deductible donation

through DOCO.

Every dollar counts.

How You Can HelpBy Lila Ibrahim

DOCO is a not-for-profit

(501)(c)(3) organization that

believes every child deserves the

best this world has to offer.

Please help us in our efforts

to make a difference in the lives

and futures of the orphans.

Donor US�$ Donor US�$

14

We join together to mourn the passing,

yet celebrate the life, of Jamelie Akel

Aboul Hosn -Imm Ajaj to her friends - who

left this world for a better place on February

9th 2003, quietly in her home in Falougha,

Lebanon.

Traveling to America in 1930 after her

marriage to Milhem (William) Akel Aboul

Hosn, she settled with her husband first in

Kentucky and later in East Tennessee.

Widowed in 1941 at the young age of 27 she

managed their clothing store in Erwin,

Tennessee until she returned to Lebanon in

1947 with her three children, Roger, Ollie

James and Macy.

In the 1950s she founded the first

women’s charity organization in the Metn,

to teach young ladies sewing, cooking and

home management and to provide scholar-

ships for higher education.

In her 90 years she was eternally devot-

ed to her family, a faithful friend to the

young and the old and always available to

help the needy. She will be sorely missed

but forever remembered. God rest her soul.

The Akel family would like to express

its gratitude to the many family and friends

who have extended them their sympathies.

DOCO expresses its deep sympathy and

heartfelt condolences to the families.

OBITUARIES

Jamiele Akel Aboulhosn

1914 - 2003

Ohio has lost one of its Pillars. Said

Kabalan was 90 when he passed away

on February 8, 2003 at his home in

Cleveland, Ohio. Born in Aramoun,

Lebanon, Mr. Kabalan immigrated to the

USA in the early 1920s. He settled in Ohio

where he attended law school. He went on

to become a successful lawyer and a pillar of

the Druze community in Ohio.

Along with his father, the Kabalans

were among the founders of the Al-Bakurat

Al-Dirziyat in1926, the first Druze

Organization in the United States. He was

always concerned with the survival of Beit

al-Yateem in Lebanon and the welfare of

the orphans. He proved his dedication and

sincerity by his continuous support and

numerous contributions.

Mr. Kabalan spent all his life helping

his fellow Druze. Though small in stature,

he was a giant among men, loved by all

those who knew him. His death is a great

loss to the Druze Community in Ohio.

Mr. Jurdi immigrated to the United

States in 1954 where he started his

own business and went on to become a suc-

cessful businessman. His door was always

open to friends and countrymen, and he

extended a helping hand to anyone in need.

He was one of the founders of the

California Chapter of the American Druze

Society and served as Chapter President in

the seventies.

Mr. Jurdi passed away in Granada Hills,

California, on the 10th of October 2002.

He is survived by his wife Siham, sister

Jamilee, son Nabil and daughter Diane and

their families.

Said Kabalan

1913 - 2003By Faris Alameh

Adma Tay Dergham, Abou Akar

1924 - 2003

Mrs. Abou Akar (Im Shawki), wife of

the Late Amin Abou-Akar, passed

away on March 11, 2003 in Lebanon.

She is survived by her sons: Chawki,

Hafez, and Khalil and daughters Majida and

Aida and their families.

The family received condolences at the

ADS Cultural Center in California, on

Sunday March 16, 2003.

Aref Wadi Jurdi

1922 - 2002

Salim Abdallah Halaby

1900 - 2002

Mr. Salim Abdallah Halaby passed away

in Sylmar, California on the 24th of

December 2002. Despite his 102 years he

remained sound of mind and a great elder

to the Halaby family, beloved by all. He

immigrated to the United States from

Lebanon in 1983 and settled in California to

be close to his children, grand children and

great grand children.

Funeral services were held at Valhalla

mortuary in California.

17

B. D. C. A. M e m b e r s

DOCO welcomes the following new

arrivals to BDCA:

Omar, son of Sharif and Lina Masri,

was born on February 19, 2003.

Salma, daughter of Dr. Salah and Nida

Al-Andary was born on January 7, 2003.

Maya, daughter of Rabih & Rola

Aboul-Hosn was born on September 25,

2002.

Artis, daughter of Drs. Andy and

Samar (Masri) Phillips arrived on October

26, 2002.

Happy Birthday and many happy returns

to the following members who cele-

brated birthdays in the months of January,

February and March:

Rayan Hamoud, Yasmine Fotouhi,

Daniel J. Jurdi, Tamara N. Noueihed, Amir

M. Aboulhosn, Ayham E. Aboulhosn, Mike

M. Masri, Rima LaVine (Masri), David F.

Israwi, Amada J. Aboulhosn, Karina M.

Assaf, Rayan N. Rayes, Mike. J. Wahby,

Amjad E. Aboulhosn, Hala, E. Aboulhosn,

Alex R. Ballout, Julian S. Dakdook, Jad R.

Kontar, Amani Naji Chaar, Rayan S. Masri,

Alaa R. Al-Awar, Adnan Rayan

Mousharrafie, Julian E. Hamoud, Lianne K.

Aboulhosn.

DOCO thanks the parents and all the

members of the Babies of the Druze

Community in America (B.D.C.A.) for their

continued support for the orphans.

If you wish to enroll your child

in BDCA, please call:

Mrs. Afifi Masri @ 818-244-1286.

Please send two pictures of your

child, one for DOCO Newsletter

and one for the Mithaq Magazine: a

publication of the Druze orphanage

in Abey, Lebanon.

Salma Salah Al-Andary

Maya Rabih Aboul-Hosn

Artis (Masri) Phillips

BDCA members

Ramy, Roumel and Romel Abi-Khzam

Award

DOCO congratulates Miss Amani

Amanda Chaar, daughter of Mr. and

Mrs. Naji and Noujoud Chaar, of

California, for being selected to run for

“Miss Print Model”.

Amani won third runner up position

and was awarded the “Pretty Princess”

Certificate of Appreciation from Starfire

Pageants 2002.

Amani is a member of the Babies of

the Druze Community in America (BDCA).

Amani Amanda Chaar

Two and a half years ago, Lila raised

funds from friends, co-workers and the

Intel Foundation to set up a computer lab at

the Druze Orphanage in Abey, Lebanon

during her sabbatical. In 2002, she teamed

with her brother Nabeel to host a fundrais-

ing dinner at their home, on behalf of

DOCO, as part of a continued effort to

support the computer lab. The event raised

over $14,000.

A Brief History

Our father was born in a village in the

Shouf Mountains of Lebanon. By the time

he was four, both of his parents had passed

away and his siblings decided that it would

be in his best interest if he lived in the

Druze Orphanage, which was in Beirut at

the time. The Orphanage provided our

father with food, shelter, a caring environ-

ment and a valuable education. He has

always impressed upon us the influence that

the Orphanage had in his life; his time there,

he said, had provided him the tools to have

a successful family life and career, during

which he designed heart pacemakers that

have saved countless lives.

The Orphanage, which is supported

primarily by private donations, is now locat-

ed about 45 minutes from Beirut. Over

1000 children ranging in age from pre-

school to high school, are provided with

food, shelter, education and medical and

dental care. The campus spans several build-

ings including classrooms, dorms for the

girls and young children. A separate campus

houses the boys dorms, and a vocational

school. No child is ever turned away — the

children are brought to the school with only

the clothes on their backs. As needed and

on special occasions, the children are

allowed to go “shopping” for new clothes in

a special “Store” room where donated

clothing and toys are carefully organized.

The children are taught the standard

government curriculum, but are also taught

discipline and respect.

The Computer Lab

In 2000, Lila took a sabbatical from

Intel Corporation to build a new computer

lab at the Druze Orphanage. The Intel

Foundation agreed to match funds donated

by Intel employees to support this effort. In

seven short weeks, Lila completed a needs

assessment, built the lab infrastructure, pur-

chased equipment, installed and networked

20 PCs, and taught teachers and students.

Over the next year, additional money was

raised to purchase two more computers,

cover maintenance costs, and hire a full-

time teacher who holds a Masters in

Computer Science. The students watched

the lab being built—they were a part of its

evolution from bare room to the best lab in

Lebanon—and were taught about how the

lab became a reality through the donations

of friends and Intel employees in the US,

Japan, and Hong Kong.

Since the lab was established, annual

trips have been made to visit the students

and check their progress. During Lila’s June

2002 visit, she was inspired by the lab’s

excellent condition, the students’ excitement

in demonstrating their computer skills, and

the incredible progress made by the stu-

dents. It was during this visit that Lila and

her family decided to raise additional funds

to continue supporting the students’ educa-

tion and to enable the lab to be self-funded

to eliminate any financial burden on the

administration.

The Dinner

With the Lebanese tradition of enjoy-

ing food and company, we planned a bene-

fit dinner at our home in Sunnyvale,

California, to raise additional funds for the

computer lab. Shawki Ibrahim, our father,

traveled from Indiana to California several

days in advance to help with the dinner

preparations.

Once the menu was set, a brochure was

developed and circulated to local Arab busi-

ness owners who made ingredient and

equipment contributions to help defray

costs (see below for details).

We invited our friends, many of whom

are young professionals in Silicon Valley. Of

the 80 attendees, fewer than 10 were Arabs

and only three were Druze; the vast majority

of the other attendees were Americans.

Everyone was asked to make a contribution –

no matter how small, it would definitely help.

Generosity Prevails

Although many of the attendees were

not familiar with Beit al-Yateem or the sta-

tus of the computer lab, they were extreme-

ly generous once they learned about the

potential to help the students. Everyone

enjoyed reading through a scrap book of

the project, and they took time to write mes-

sages to the students in another book (see

below for details).

Many stories of generosity unfolded

that night – more than would fit here. For

example, one friend, a PhD student at

Stanford, whose project funding had just

been cut, his scholarship expired, forcing

him to struggle to pay tuition, yet, he and his

girlfriend broke into their piggy banks, col-

lected all the coins they had lying around,

and made a contribution of $68 in rolled-up

change. More than one friend had been

unemployed for a year after their start-up

businesses went under; struggling to make

ends meet, they all made contributions of at

least $25. Another friend who had just given

DOCO Falafel Fest 2002By Lila & Nabeel Ibrahim

Students benefiting from the Computer Lab

8

premature birth and had just gotten out of

the hospital dropped off a check for $250,

explaining that she couldn’t leave her new

family for too long, but didn’t want to miss

making a contribution.

The atmosphere that night was wonder-

ful – people were happy and continuously

giving thanks for what they have, and for the

opportunity to help others. They realized

that the students of Beit al-Yateem have

faced challenges in their young lives that

most of us are fortunate to have never expe-

rienced. By providing them with the tools to

enhance and complete their education,

together, we can encourage their develop-

ment and allow them to succeed in their

lives and careers.

At the end of the evening, we sat with

our father, recounting the incredible gen-

erosity of our friends. Through contribu-

tions from the dinner attendees as well as

others who were unable to make it, and with

matching funds from the Intel Foundation,

the total amount raised exceeded $14,000.

In the next issue of DOCO, we’ll

recount our October visit to Lebanon and

how the Falafel Fest funds are being used.

DOCO Falafel Fest 2002

Menu

Khoubiz (Homemade Arabic bread);

Falafel (Spiced patties made of beans &

parsley. Usually eaten as a sandwich on

khoubiz with taratoor);Taratoor (Sesame

paste, lemon juice & vegetables);Waraq

Anab (Grape leaves stuffed with rice & veg-

etables)Fattayer bi Sabanekh (Spinach &

onion pastries)Fatayer bi Jibne (Cheese filled

pastries; Hummus (Dip made of chickpeas,

garlic, lemon juice & sesame

paste)Babaghanouj (Dip made of chargrilled

eggplant, garlic, lemon juice & sesame

paste);Mjaddara (Spiced rice and lentils w/

sauteed garlic & onions);Fattoush (Salad

with toasted khoubiz);Grilled Chicken

(Marinated in mint, garlic, lemon juice &

olive oil);Lehme Bajeen (Mini Arabic piz-

zas);Baklawa (Phyllo dough stuffed with

walnuts); and various beverages.

A very special thanks to the following

for their support:

Falafel Drive-In (San Jose, CA),

International Food Bazaar (San Jose, CA),

The Party Helpers (San Jose, CA), Shatila

Food Products (Dearborn, MI), Intel

Corporation, Intel Foundation, Shawki

Ibrahim, Katy Ibrahim, Omayma Abraham,

Ghassan Hariz, and Sahar Muakasa.

DOCO in turn would like to thank Lila

and Nabeel Ibrahim and their family for

picking up the tab for all of the food and

beverages.

Words of Encouragement

Friends had the opportunity to write a

special message in a “memory book” to the

students of the Druze Orphanage during

Falafel Fest. The book was hand-delivered

during an October visit to Lebanon. Here

are what some people had to say:

Your passage through life is determined by

many choices you make, and by other circumstances

that you cannot choose. You’ve made a great choice in

deciding to live at the Druze Orphanage. I hope that

our contributions will provide each of you with many

new opportunities to explore, live, learn, and make

new choices to improve your lives. I hope that I can

visit Lebanon and the orphanage someday.

Jeremy

Hello wonderful kids in Lebanon! What an

inspiration you are to us. Seeing your happy faces in

pictures, hearing stories about your enthusiasm for

learning and life is very humbling. Keep up the good

work – there is nothing you can’t do – you’ll go far

in life and be a blessing to all those you touch.

Phyllis

Dear Druze Kids, We have all come to know

and adore you – through Lila and Nabeel. We are

confident that you each have wonderful lives ahead of

you – and feel fortunate for this connection with you.

I hope you each reach your dreams – Always remem-

ber, education is THE most valuable thing in life –

with it you can do ANYthing. Reach for the

stars…and you will get there and beyond. Love and

best wishes

Asha

We visited Lebanon this summer and went to

the orphanage to check on you. We are so proud that

you’re all doing well in school and were prouder to

hear about those students who graduated successfully

from junior high. Enjoy the computer lab and let us

hear all beautiful news about you. We love you all.

Housam & Randa Matar (California)

What better time than now to help make the

world a little better for children! We wish you all the

best - happiness, love, good health, peace, and success

in achieving your dreams.

The Sunnyvale Sunrise Rotary Club.

Roland, Kiet, Mike, Janis, Dave, Bob,

Jane, William, Paul, Myrna, Lila

9

We at DOCO wish to thank the following for generously donating to DOCO’s various charities. This list acknowledges donations

received from September, 17, 2002 to March 15, 2003. Please note that donations made for National Rehabilitation Development

Center (NRDC) and in memory of Mr. Toufic Assaf, appear separately on pages 11 and 15.

Bani Ma’rouf - a Tradition of Giving

Donor US�$ Donor US�$ Donor US�$Intel Foundation 10,395

DOCO Falafel Fest 2002 5,860

Arnouse, Michael M. 3,000

Jaber, Bobby 1,500

Sleit, Riad 820

Radwan, Rabih & Mirna 720

Merhi, Sami & Raghida 550

Al-Andary, Salma Salah 500

Anonymous & His Wife 500

Ballout, Rabih & Amal 500

Bouakar, Hafiz A. 500

Boukzam, Manal 500

Muakkassa, Drs. Farid & Rima 500

Saab, Rabih 500

Kantar, Rabih 400

Hamdan, Dr. Hind 370

Assaf, Mounah A.& Diana 350

Simpson, Edward & Nezeema 320

ABC News 300

Halabi, Nahid 300

Mashtoub, Feras 300

Nuwayhid, Dr. Nizar & Siham 300

Phillips, Artis 300

Yakzan, Linda S. 300

Assaf, Ali & Laurel 270

Masri, Dr. Sami & Leila 270

Middle East Restaurant Box 267

Abi-Rafeh, Abraham 250

Halaby, Tarek 250

Hassen, Hector & Hala 250

Jaber, Radwan 250

Khazaal, Nisrine 250

Shaheen, Hind 250

Haidar, Faisal & Kristen 225

Mediterranean Appetite 220

Wehbe, Jihad & Dunia 210

Aboulhosn, Mamoun & Shahrazad 200

Abu-Shakra Salah & May 200

Anonymous 200

Hamady, Khalil & Cindy 200

Hareez, Ghassan T. & Rima 200

Jurdi, Siham 200

LaVine, Dr. Sean & Lena Masri 200

Masri, Faez & Afifi 200

Masri, Mona S. 200

Mosrie, Sami J. 200

Muakkassa, Dr. Kamel & Rola 200

Muakkassa, Dr. Wael & Rima 200

Najar, Samia J 200

Nuwayhid, Ousamah 200

Rafey, Nadia R. 200

Samico, Inc. 200

Wahbe, Badih & Samia 200

Zahr, Mouhamad 200

Aboulhosn, Rabiaa 150

Fotoohi, Mehran & Rima 150

Noueihed, Hayat 150

Baz, Wassif & Amal 145

Masri, Nabil & Iman 140

Nassereddine, Naji 140

Abi-Akar, Ramez & Hind 130

Aboudiab, Salim & May 125

Assaf, Milhim & Anita 120

Ayash, Afif & Ferial 120

Beaman Jr., Marvin & Charlene 120

Halabi, Nadim & Rima 120

Makarem, Samir R. 120

Salman, Salah & Wadad, Dr. 120

Aboumatar, Sami 110

Mashtoub, Chowki & Hoda 110

Rayes, Nabil & Jinan 110

Abdul-Baki, Dr. Aref A 100

Aboulhosn, Maliha 100

Aboulhosn, Anis & Nadia 100

Aboulhosn, Chaouki M. & Julia 100

Abousaab, Caren, Carol, Carla 100

Abu-Hamdan, Nasiba & Rabih 100

Abulhasan, Emilio 100

Ahmadia, Aref Salman 100

Al-Awar, Adib M. & Ellen 100

Alley, Kenneth 100

Andari, Maya Majed 100

Anonymous 100

Awar, Hassib 100

Ayash, Claudia 100

Boukzam, Fred 100

Bou-Salman, Riad & Hind 100

Chehayeb, Youssef & Nawal 100

Dergham, Raghida 100

Durham, Charles A. 100

Ghadban, Riad & Wafa 100

Gosaynie, Carl D. Dr. 100

Hamadeh, Samir & Randa 100

Harb, Suheil 100

Hariz, Dr. George & Diane 100

Hasan, Faysal & Sharon 100

Humaydan, Hasib & Anna 100

Ibrahim, Shawki & Katy 100

Israwi, Jawdet & Fedwa 100

Israwi, Salim & Barbara 100

Israwi, Souhail 100

Jaber, Jamal 100

Kais, Akram 100

Kasem, Casey 100

Kassem, Omar R. 100

LaVine, Iman 100

LaVine, Rima 100

Makarem, Samir & Lama 100

Makled, Alex & Kuzama 100

Malak, Hisham & Hala 100

Mashtoub, Saad 100

Mire, Fouzie & Nancy 100

Mosrie, David & Linda 100

Moukarem, Mustafa 100

Muakkassa, Dr. Samar 100

Muhanna, Shajih, Dr. 100

Nasr, Yasser & Melissa 100

Phillips, Dr. Andy & Dr. Samar S. 100

Porte-Neuve, Aida 100

Rafeh, Bashir & Rima 100

Rasamny, Khalil & Lena 100

Sarieddine, Nabil & Jumana 100

Sawah, John 100

Showkier, Richard 100

Soujah, Akram & Kareem 100

Thrower, Jeanette 100

Yahia, Walid & Maha 100

Zahereddine, Celine & Nicole 100

Zeid, Bahij Assaad 100

Zeid, Rami 100

Zeitouni, Ferris & Mae 100

Zeitouni, Jad & Sami 100

Assaf, Nabil & Jumana 95

Eleid, B. R. 78

Masri, Riad & Nadia 75

Abukhzam, Salim & Nabila 70

Ghraizi, Ghassan R. 70

Abi-Fakher, Sharifeh 60

Aboulhosn, Im Ziad 60

Beheshti, Setareh 60

Abraham, Souhail & Omayma 50

Al-Ali, Wael F. 50

Albee, Roger & Patricia 50

Alti, Antoine 50

Anonymous 50

Anonymous 50

Arbid, Daniel Talih 50

Bou-Ghannam, Akram & Nada 50

Budare, Justin & Najah 50

Chaer, Amani 50

Cool Bargain Shope 50

Dahouk, Kamal 50

Dakdouk, Camille & Wafa 50

Durham, Daniel A. 50

Elchami, Riad A. 50

Fakhreddin, Imad & Rima 50

18

Ghazzara, Mustafa & Souhad 50

Halaby, Faouzy 50

Hamzey, Adeeb & Charlotte 50

Hamzy, Hassan 50

Hamzy, Nabih A. 50

Katter, Dr. Nafe E. 50

Kysia, Sara 50

Moughrabi, Moueen 50

Najjar, Mark A. 50

Najjar, Michael 50

New Vision Auto Group 50

Obied, Raouf & Lena 50

Qasim, Qasim M. 50

Radwan, N. & Farida 50

Richards, Jamal 50

Sadak, Zarifah 50

Sangid, Woody & Najat 50

Shaheen, Layla 50

Takieddine, Raja & Nawal 50

Zeineddine, Farouk & Rania 50

Abou Assi, Jihan 45

Saad, Anwar 45

Abimourched, Samir & Nadia 40

Abou-Diab, Doreyd & Christine 40

Anonymous 40

Hamad, David & Mary, Dr. 40

Kais, Saleh & Summer 40

Kosini, Joseph 40

Qasim, Dr. Suna & Nisreen 40

Wahab, Walid & Saousan 40

Abi-Jumaa, Hikmat 35

Anonymous 30

El Masri, Asmahan 30

Hamadeh, Walid & Nawal 30

Anonymous 25

Anonymous 25

Arruda, Fathelee B. 25

El Masri, Riad & Nadia 25

Ghazel, Tina 25

Hamzi, Imad & Rana 25

Rafey, Souhad Ameen 25

Ricahni, Ratha 25

Abifaraj, Bassam & Rayya 20

Abou-Chakra, Bassam 20

Aboulhosn, Dr. Ragie 20

Aboulhosn, Sara 20

Aridi, Hassib, Dr. 20

Baz, Kassem Y. 20

Bouajram, Chadi & Rima 20

Boukhzam, Peter A. 20

Bousaleh, Afif 20

Chehayeb, Wisam & Nour 20

Dakdouk, Nasser 20

El-Awar, Nasser & Rana 20

Elbanna, Ezzat S. 20

Esparza, Melissa 20

Ghannam, Fouad & Diana 20

Gharzeddine, Omar M 20

Ghosn, Ramzi & Maha 20

Halaby, Hassan & Najah 20

Hassanieh, Imad 20

Israwi, Safwat 20

Jaafar, Akram 20

Jawhary, Ghazi 20

Joseph, E. M. 20

Jurdi, Wissam 20

Kazzie, Melhem & Jessica 20

Khaddage, Labib & Rowaida 20

Laham, Amin & Salma 20

Masri, Zouheir & Daad 20

Mayyasi, Omar 20

Merhi, Merhi & Abir 20

Moses, Donna 20

Nasrallah, C. N. & Noha 20

Safa, Nabeel & Nawal 20

Shehayeb, Yasser 20

Shoujaa, Bassam & Farah 20

Wahbe, Mikey J. 20

Zeidan, Sana R. 20

Boudiab, Ayad & Khaleda 15

Abi-Saab, Afif & Siham 10

Allison, Ann 10

Assaf, Jamal 10

Beheshti, Shabnam 10

Caprock Girl Scout Troop #478 10

Gragson, Sarah 10

Israwi, Zahia 10

Mohtar, Hassan 10

Mohtar, Rafic & Samar 10

Ameen, Toufiek 5

Dewbre, Maelynn 5

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Donor US�$ Donor US�$

L E T ' S K E E P

I N T O U C H

Tell us what is happening in your life. Mail

your news (births, graduations, memorials,

engagements, weddings, achievements,

awards, etc.) and pictures to:

DOCO

Ms. Sahar Muakasa

P.O. Box 1433

New York, NY 10018

Or email a message to

docoinc@hotmail.com

19

Druze Orphans and Charitable Organization Inc.

PO Box 1433

New York, NY 10018

Return Service Requested

NONPROFIT

ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

NEW YORK NY

PERMIT #4006