NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER 2002 DRUZE ORPHANS & CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION VOL. 4 NO. 3 & 4

Moving Forward

International

A SALUTE

TO AN ICON OF CHARITY

Aniseh Assaf1908 - 2002It is my sad duty as incoming president of

DOCO to announce, with a heavy heart,

that our core seed founder, Ms. Aniseh

Assaf, has passed away on August 3, 2002.

We not only mourn her death but also real-

ize the great loss that DOCO has suffered.

She will be long remembered as a role

model of the selfless soul who gave and

gave to help the orphans and those in

greater need than herself. May God grant

peace to her soul and inspire us to keep our

commitment to the orphans and the less

fortunate.

As DOCO comes under my watch, I realize

the tremendous amount of work that has

already been done to establish this organi-

zation by a very dedicated team. I must

extend my thanks to the DOCO team and

to all of you who contributed to make

DOCO what it is today. I shall endeavor to

continue the course and build upon its suc-

cess.

Several organizations, apart from Beit al-

Yateem, are being assisted by DOCO. This

assistance will not only continue but will be

strengthened. My policy as president shall

be to find new ways for generating aware-

ness as well as income.

At this time, I would like to take the opportu-

nity to introduce a newly formed DOCO

committee headed by Dr. Souraya ElHessen

and Mrs. Denise Akel Rutjens. They will be

working with the National Rehabilitation and

Development Center (NRDC) in Lebanon, to

support and empower the disabled, by pro-

viding technical assistance, resources as well as

funds.

Last, but not least, I extend my grateful

thanks to Dr. and Mrs. Farid Muakkassa

whose generous contributions of money

and precious time have helped to build

DOCO and give it strong roots so that it

can survive the test of time.

By Kamel Muakkassa, M.D.President

Chairperson

Afifi Masri

President

Kamel Muakkassa, M.D.

Secretary

Leila Masri

Treasurer

Abboud Assaf

Assistant Treasurer

Sahar Muakasa

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

Roger Shaar

Cofounders

Aniseh Assaf (1908-2002)

Dr. Fuad K. Muakkassa (1914-2000)

Volume 4 - Number 3

September 2002

DOCO NewsletterPO Box 1433

New York, NY 10018(800)641-5440

DOCO Home Pageshttp://www.doco-charities.org

http://www.druzeorphans.org

Email: docoinc@hotmail.com

EDITORSahar Muakasa

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSLeila Masri

Kathy Jaber Stephenson

Lila Ibrahim

Published by

DRUZE ORPHANS & CHARITABLE

ORGANIZATION

© Copyright 2002, DOCO

Letters to DOCO

2

Dearest Afifi and Family,

How sad the Druze world is to know of

your dear sister Aniseh’s passing away.

She personified so many noble concepts of

the Druze way. “Keeper of the Brethren”

rested in the heart and soul of Aniseh Assaf.

The dedication she exhibited towards the

Druze orphans will always set a standard for

true and complete commitment to a calling

that had to come from God only.

“Gone from our sight,

but never from our memories-

Gone from our touch,

but never from our hearts.”

You were a great blessing and a wonderful

friend to your beloved sister.

Love to you and your family.Kathy Jaber Stephenson

Mount Juliet, TNDear Mrs. Masri,

My wife and I would like to once again con-

vey to you and all your family our deepest

sorrow, on the sad news of the death of

Miss Aniseh Assaf.

I believe the Druze communities all over the

world appreciate her lifetime dedication and

services to the educational and social causes

of the Druze. May she rest in peace, and

may she be forever a role model to all the

Druze everywhere.

We would like to contribute a modest sum

for the memorial that will be established in

her name as a token of our appreciation and

respect. I am enclosing a check in the

amount of $400 for that purpose.

Sincerely,Roger H. Shaar

Shadow Hills, CADear Mrs. Masri,

Enclosed you will find two checks for the

total amount of $1,000 for the Beit al-

Yateem Orphanage.

These checks are in honor of my mother,

Wadad Jamell in celebration of her 87th

birthday in thankfulness for her life and for

the wonderful work you and DOCO do.

The checks are from my mother, my broth-

er, A. Eddie Jamell and myself as indicated

on the enclosed card. As you requested in

your kind phone call, I am enclosing two

photos of my mother taken about 3 years

ago, also a brief Biography (page 8 ).

Again, I thank you for your kind phone call

and want to tell you my mother was most

touched by it and said to give you her love

and best wishes always.

Thank you for all that you do for DOCO and

may God bless you.

Sincerely,Jeanette Thrower

Arvada, CODear DOCO,

We, the ladies of the Secondary Schooling

for Orphans (SSO), would like to extend

our sincere thanks to the DOCO staff, and

express our deep gratitude for your support

and care for our charitable organization.

Moreover, we wish to acknowledge the total

amount received to be the sum of $2,560.

God bless your hard work in providing our

Druze community with continuous care and

support.

Sincerely,Amal ShantoufPresident, SSO

LebanonDear Sahar,

Enclosed is a check for $250 for the maga-

zine expenses. Also a check for $1,000 for

the Orphanage in Syria in memory of my

father Jeber Showkier donated by my sister,

Kathy Jaber Stephenson and me.

All the bestBobby Joe Jaber

Santa Barbara, CADear Mrs. Masri,

Thank you for your letter dated 10th July

2002, and your kind donation to the Student

Aid Program.

Please find enclosed our receipt number

19594 in the amount of $819. Could you

please arrange to send the enclosed letters

of appreciation to your valued donors,

along, with the enclosed copies of our new

Scholarship Fund brochures?

Please see page 7.

Sincerely yours,Ghazi Jounblat

Druze Foundation for SocialWelfareLebanon

Continued on page 8

3

Auntie Aniseh AssafYou Will Be Always Missed

Auntie Aniseh, our guiding light, who

blessed us with her graceful presence

for 94 years, has now left us to join the eter-

nal light and watch over us from above.

In the garden of her life, she nourished

thousands of orphans who blossomed into

successful adults serving the community at

large.

Her heart was an eternal spring of hope

and dedication that continued to flow until

her last breath and shall continue to stream

in our memories.

With every breath, we shall remember her

as a loving, dedicated, selfless soul who

never asked anything for herself but always

gave to others.

God was generous to her by giving her

boundless love and energy with which she

served her beloved Beit al-Yateem, her fam-

ily and the community around her. But God

was more generous to us by allowing her to

enrich our lives.

We all know that time is a great healer.

However, we shall miss her uplifting spirits,

unending kindness and generosity of soul

for a long time.

Although we feel a great sense of loss, we

are inspired by her unparalleled example of

lifelong service to others.

She left her mark by providing a sense of

direction and focus on those less fortunate

than ourselves. This we shall imprint in our

memories and translate into action.

With heavy hearts, we salute the enlight-

ened soul who now watches from above and

we pray to God to keep her footprints of

service and perseverance with us on this

earth for evermore.

May she rest in peace.

Sahar Muakasa

Editor

DOCO’s new president Dr. Kamel F.

Muakkassa M.D., is a native of Beirut

Lebanon. He graduated from the American

University of Beirut (AUB), with a medical

degree in general surgery in 1974. While

training at the AUB hospital during the War

years, Dr. Muakkassa noted the need for

brain and spinal surgeons. He came to the

United States and specialized in this field.

He further sub-specialized in pediatric neu-

rosurgery at the Hospital For Sick Children

in Toronto, Canada.

Dr. Kamel went back to Kfarfalous, South

Lebanon, in the early 80s to participate in

building a neuroscience center for brain

diseases and surgery to serve all of the

Middle East. Unfortunately, the war pre-

vented him from accomplishing this goal.

He came back to the United States in 1984

to reside and practice in Akron, Ohio.

Dr. Muakkassa is today an associate profes-

sor at the Northeast Ohio College of

Medicine. His practice has been ranked in

the top 50 in the nation, among 5000 hospi-

tals for the past five years and as 26th by US

News and World Report for 2002. He has

authored many scientific articles in journals

and books.

He has served as chief of Pediatric

Neurosurgery in Akron’s Children’s

Hospital and is presently Chief of

Neurosurgery at Barberton Hospital. He is

president of the Center for Neurological

and Spine Surgery in Akron.

Dr. Muakkassa is a founding member of the

AUB Alumni of North Ohio and served as

president in 1999 and 2000.

He also helped found the World Association

of Lebanese Neurosurgeons (WALN) and

served as secretary and treasurer for many

years, and has been an active member of the

Arab American Medical Association locally

and nationally.

Among the many awards he received is the

Ibn Sina Society Award for Medical services

to the Bosnian War Victims in 1995, Medical

Staff President Award at Akron City

Hospital and service award of the WALN.

Dr. Muakkassa is married to the lovely Rola

Mansour. They have two children Leila, sev-

enteen and Fuad fifteen.

Dr. and Mrs. Muakkassa are active members

of their community, supporting many char-

itable causes. Rola has served as President of

the Summit County Medical Alliance, and

serves on the boards of Mobile Meals,

Akron General Hospital Women’s Board,

Parent Association Boards, Board of

Trustees of the Greater Akron Musical

Association, the Akron Symphony Guild

and the Ohio Ballet Group.

When time permits the family enjoys skiing,

golfing, tennis, scuba diving, playing bridge,

and gourmet cooking. Kamel still enjoys play-

ing soccer and bowling in his local leagues.

Kamel, Rola, Leila and Fuad are sincere

supporters of the Druze Community and

Beit al-Yateem in particular; a mission

championed by Kamel’s father, the late Dr.

Fuad Muakkassa.

DOCO welcomes Dr. Kamel Muakkassa

and wishes him success in his post as president.

DOCO Welcomes Dr. Kamel Muakkassa

Dr. Kamel & Rola Muakkassa

4

A DRUZE IN AMERICAPart Three

By Kathy Jaber Stephenson

Like many Druze American immi-

grants during the early 1920’s, my

father plunged into the unknown looking

for a place to turn his dream of “making it”

in the United States of America into reality.

There were no books to instruct him on

how to succeed in America. He had no

guidelines to follow – no step by step self

help book. He knew, like many others who

came before and after, that America held

enormous promise but no guarantee for ful-

fillment. Indeed, he and his Druze brethren

forged their own risky pathways that would

carry them into uncharted journeys of great

or grave adventure in the “land of opportu-

nity”: an escape route from their devastated

Middle East motherland far away. A dogged

determination characterized the nature of

those brave souls during the turn of the

twentieth century. A supernatural strength

seemed to push them towards an unknown

destiny in this new and vast country.

Perhaps they were caught up into the “spir-

it” of the America of those unique times

birthed by radical thoughts never before

conceived.

We hold these truths to be self-evi-

dent, that all men are created equal, that

they are endowed by their Creator with

certain unalienable Rights, that among

these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit

of Happiness.

These bold words emblazoned in

America’s Declaration of Independence of

1776 were fervently transfused into the

Druze immigrants’ hearts, minds and souls

as their own declaration of independence -

concepts beyond their wildest dreams.

Coming to America from what was then

Greater Syria, they found themselves

gripped in freedom’s ecstasy – dazed by

their new found liberation - forging ahead,

not looking back, set on a pathway with no

fear of their uncertain future. They landed

into American history’s most exciting times.

Like an adolescent bursting with power

and spurts of incredible growth, America

exploded with an unprecedented dynamic

energy during the early 1900’s. Her popula-

tion doubled during the last thirty years of

the previous century as immigrants poured

into her open harbors and onto her wel-

coming shores. Between 1892 and 1924,

Twenty-two million immigrants passed

through New York Harbor’s Ellis Island.

They would help to usher in The Industrial Age

as well as The Age of Big Business. By the year

1900 almost 200,000 miles of railroad track had

been pounded into American topsoil connecting

all her major cities and towns. The original

Mother of Invention, America by the last fifty

years of the 19th century could boast issuing

almost a half million patents. Debuting were the

printing press, the telephone, the typewriter, elec-

tricity and the automobile!

Coal, iron, oil, and other natural

resources begged to be mined, forged and

drilled out of the depths of America’s fertile

underbelly. Vast industrial empires emerged

that catapulted a gross national product that

outdistanced any other nation on earth.

Opportunities abounded during those

heady days and exhilarating times - when a

man who was willing to work was guaran-

teed a job and a paycheck. Immigrants from

all over the world poured into America. For

them as well as our Druze forefathers, the

golden promise inside “the golden door”

surpassed their wildest dreams. The Druze

immigrants of those days and times eagerly

stood in line with other new Americans

waiting their turn for life, liberty, and the

pursuit of happiness. To them, that basical-

ly boiled down to earning a livelihood.

My father was among them. When he

passed through Ellis Island, he exchanged

his old name, Jeber Shokair, for his new one,

Joe Jaber. Some ten years later he sent for

his younger brother Fahed Hamed Shokair

who would follow in my father’s footsteps

as he, too, walked through that famous

landmark; however, he was to become

George Hamed – a mix-up that was com-

mon during the rush and push of immi-

grants processed through New York’s

famous landmark during those hectic times.

Here were two full-blooded brothers with

different last names!

Joe Jaber was waiting for his brother- wait-

ing to take him by the hand to introduce him

into the American dream. My father migrated

to West Virginia where he sold dry goods to

the miners who lived in the fertile coal-filled

Appalachian Mountains. His brother joined

him following the same career path.

Even though my dad put the old country

behind him, he could never detach from his

early life there. Indeed, all of his friends in

America were other Druze immigrants. They

clustered together in West Virginia as well as

other areas of the country where they settled.

They looked alike: short and dark, and they

spoke the same language: Arabic. Theirs had

been a similar experience in Greater Syria:

fleeing poverty, hunger, war, and religious per-

secution. They plunged into their work, deter-

mined to succeed in America.

“They made it easier for us guys who

came later,” Shakeeb Hamden Aboul Hosn

told me during a telephone interview. “They

had the hard times, working day and night.

Your dad told me that back in the old days

there would be up to forty Druze guys liv-

ing in one room. One guy would stay home

to cook and clean while the others took off

to work in the field peddling their wares to

the coal miners.” (I assume that they did not

Joe Jaber, center, with daughter Kathy and son Bobby: 1948

5

all share the same room at once, but that the

men came in and out of the crowd at dif-

ferent times.)

Coal was king back in those days in

America. Power plants, steel mills and fur-

naces fired up the black rocks for power to

push America’s booming economy, and the

coal miners were the ones who shoveled

and pickaxed the coal down in the shafts

under the mountains. Coal camps that

housed thousands of miners sprang up all

around the Appalachian Mountains of West

Virginia – supplying customers for the

immigrants who were ready to sell mer-

chandise door to door to them. The Druze

who settled in the areas around the coal-

fields found themselves in the right place at

the right time.

The first Druze American settlers kept

in touch with family and friends in the old

country encouraging immigration to the

New World. Correspondences traveled back

and forth so that the arrival of new immi-

grants became common knowledge. As the

first settlers began to acquire money, they

would often pay for relatives to get here.

Once here, the first settlers graciously

received them and helped the newcomers to

adjust to their new lives.

But the brotherly bonds ran deeper than

bloodlines. It was a bond born and bred in

the Druze culture and faith. According to

Druze scholar Dr. Abdallah Najjar, the

Second Commandment in the Druze faith

is: ”Be thy brother’s keeper.” Taking the

directive to heart these new Druze

Americans took great care of each other.

After struggling for many years, several

small stores and restaurants owned by some

of the original Druze settlers sprang up in

Matoaka and other areas of West Virginia.

My father from Krayeh, Syria was among

them. His store was The Hub Store. The

others in Matoaka were from Lebanon.

They were: Jimmy Sangid (Aboulhosn) from

Btacknay; who ran The Family Store; Sam

Akel from Aley had Akel’s Restaurant; Majeed

Williams (Melhem) from Mouktara, owned

The Busy Bee Restaurant, and Richard

Mosrie, coming to America from Salema,

operated Mosrie’s Store. Later on Woody

Sangid joined the group. He ran Woody’s

Café. Finally, Shakeeb Hamden Aboul Hosn,

Jimmy’s brother-in-law also from Btacknay,

settled in Matoaka opening his Royal Café in

the 1950’s. (Author’s note: I would like to express my

deepest appreciation to Shakeeb for his help in supply-

ing these facts.) They were all small businesses

catering to the miners mostly, and they all

thrived enough to support themselves and

later on, their families.

Like their West Virginia brethren, clus-

ters of Druze immigrants spread through-

out The States. They soon began developing

Druze associations under the name, The

Bakourah. Bakourah chapters began to

emerge with the first one founded in Seattle,

Washington. A small chapter was formed in

Princeton, West Virginia that my father and

his friends from Matoaka joined.

I dare say some incredible “calling” in

their homeland had captured the early immi-

grants - perhaps a dream or some kind of

inspiration – that each one seemed to latch

onto in the country of his birth. These were

special men who ventured away from family,

friends and country – in search of something

better. Sometimes I think they came here in a

physical sense, but not entirely. Their hearts

were still in the Old Country that birthed

them as well as with family left behind.

In my father’s case, he had spawned this

dream in Krayeh, Syria - of coming to

America, finding work and success, and even-

tually getting married and raising a family.

After only fifteen years of living here those

dreams came true. First, in 1932 he became a

full-fledged American citizen! Two years

afterward he went back to his village in The

Jebal al Druze to marry his wife Naseebee.

They returned to West Virginia and a year

after, had their first-born, a son, Bobby Joe

(Ghaleb), and two years later, me, Kathleen

Nuhad. Life was good for Joe Jaber.

As his life unfolded so did American

history. The country fell into a deep depres-

sion during the 1920’s. Apparently, it had lit-

tle effect on the close-knitted Druze popu-

lation in West Virginia. Coal was still in

demand; consequently, jobs were, too. For

my dad, the 1930’s were a time of growth

and progress. The forties became the stage

for The Second World War, and the West

Virginia Druze community seemed to have

pulled through unscathed. I can remember

the scarcity of certain items, rationing, and

other characteristics of those war times. I

also remember my father standing in front

of The Hub Store conducting a rally to raise

money for war bonds.

It was at night. There were several hun-

dred people gathered on the street. With the

lights shining from the store behind him,

my father, facing the crowd, was speaking

loudly in his broken English, encouraging

his listeners to buy War Bonds. He loved

America, and he did what he could to help

out during the war. Joe Jaber’s admiration

and love for General Sultan Pasha in Syria

was transposed onto the Great War heroes,

General Dwight Eisenhower and General

Douglas MacArthur. We had a portrait of

MacArthur hanging in the store and one of

George Washington in our home.

About this time another scenario was writ-

ten in our home life. Naseebee, for whatever

reason, became very unhappy in America. She

missed her homeland and decided to go back

to the old country during the year 1945. And

just like that, she was gone.

“I will be your mother and your father”,

my dad told us. And he was.

But he was broken hearted. He suffered

her loss very deeply.

But he was no stranger to loss. After he left

Syria, his heart ached for his mother whom he

Sultan Pasha al-Atrash, front row center, in front of Mejlis in Krayeh, Syria,

Majeed Williams from Matoaka, West Virginia, on right. Late 1950's

6

loved deeply. She meant the world to him, and

it was difficult to leave her and his family. But

her, especially. He was homesick for his moth-

er after he arrived in America and for many

years after. He had been in America for around

seven years when he decided to return to Syria

to see his mother and the rest of his family. He

told me that after he got off the boat, all of his

relatives came out to greet him and welcome

him home. All except for one. “Where is my

mother?” he asked his brother. “We are so

unhappy to tell you that she died last year.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked. His broth-

er said, “We were afraid that if we told you, you

wouldn’t come back.” He was crushed. His

heart was broken and inconsolable. He told his

family that he was going back to America and

that he would never come back. And he did

stay away for many years trying to recover from

mourning his mother’s death. But he went

back. To get married.

And now his wife was gone. Even so, he

had two children to raise, and with the same

energy and determination that marked his

character, he dedicated most of the rest of

his life for us. Even though he threw him-

self into his work and his life in America,

Jeber Shokair was and would always be a

Druze in heart and soul. His faith would

always be the driving force for everything

he did.

The Druze adhere to a mystical and

secretive faith that has its roots in Egypt.

They have an abiding belief in an omnipo-

tent, omniscient and omnipresent God.

They embrace strict moral codes assimilat-

ed from various Greek philosophies and

religious systems including Judaism,

Joe Jaber's brother Fahed Hamed Shokair (George

Hamed) as a young man in Krayeh. 1930's

Christianity and Islam. During my father’s

lifetime as well as now, the majority of

Druze live in Lebanon and Syria. Their cul-

ture is very strong and they cluster together

normally marrying within the faith. They

mostly dwell in designated mountainous

areas of Lebanon and Syria. My dad came

from Krayeh, Syria located in the Jabal al

Druze (Mountain of the Druze). He and his

people were beseiged by one foreign power

after another who tore through their villages

destroying people, homes and buildings.

One particular building that was heavily

damaged by occupying French forces, was

the Mejlis in Krayeh.

The Mejlis, for the Druze, is at its core a

place of worship and a meeting place. It has

other uses as well. The Mejlis in my father’s

hometown, Krayeh, Syria, had been severe-

ly damaged during the struggle with French

troops fighting in the Jabal during the 1920’s

and was in dire need of repair. My father

wrote Sultan Pasha, originally to offer help

in renovating and refurbishing the Mejlis

there.

Sultan Pasha answered his letter, thank-

ing him for his interest and willingness to

help. But Sultan informed my father that the

Mejlis was beyond repair; however, a parcel

of land had been acquired that could

become the site for the construction of a

new Mejlis. Upon learning about this situa-

tion, Joe Jaber determined that he would do

everything in his power to help his people in

the Jabal accomplish this feat: constructing

a brand new Mejlis.

Thus began a series of correspondences

between Joe Jaber and Sultan al-Atrash. My

dad saved these letters. Before he died, he

gave them to his dear friend, the late Henry

Flehan who lived in North Carolina, for

safekeeping. Years later Henry sent them to

me, and I in turn, gave them to my brother

Bobby.

Bobby and I felt that a summary of the

contents of these letters should be included

in this story on our father’s life. The letters

were written in Arabic, and DOCO Editor,

Sahar Muakasa was kind enough to translate

them for us.

The Mejlis Letters reveal the step-by-

step events that occurred during the con-

struction of the new Mejlis. Initial plans

began in the late 1940’s.

Following are excerpts taken from these

letters written by Sultan Pasha al- Atrash to

Jeber Shokair (Joe Jaber) translated from

Arabic to English by Sahar Muakasa:

A committee was formed in Krayeh to

begin construction. Sultan wrote in a letter

dated March 10, 1950: “I will give you the

names of the committee that will be in

charge of the project under my supervision

to oversee that all money received and

expenses are accounted for. The names of

the committee are as follows: Salloum

Shokair, President; Youssef Salman

Alameddine, Treasurer; Naef Saleem

Tarabey, member; Mohammad Hamad

Shokair, member; Moshen Salman al-

Safady, member, and Saad al-Jamil, contrac-

tor.”

Consequently, the Mejlis committee in

Krayeh and my father began a correspon-

dence that transpired over a period of sev-

eral years describing the progress of the

building, money requirements and the actu-

al transfer of money from Joe Jaber to

Sultan and the committee. There was only

one letter that my father wrote that we have

copies of. The rest are letters from Sultan

and Salloum Shokair to Joe Jaber. A letter

dated April 30, 1950, reads: “We were lucky

to get a parcel of land for approximately

2000 Syrian pounds because its dimensions

are 1000 square meters…we would like you

to know that the cost of building the Mejlis

will be 36,000 Syrian pounds. This includes

all the costs involved in finishing the build-

ing including the fence around the Mejlis

that is 1000 meters.

A letter dated May 29, 1950 was sent to

my dad along with a contract whose sum-

mary states:

“It has been agreed and decided to build

a Mejlis for God in our village al- Krayeh,

And in accordance with …Jaber Bek

Shokair, a legal agreement has been reached

between us, we the committee, which is in

charge of executing what is requested to

extend help for this auspicious building

under the supervision of the General

Leader Sultan Pasha al-Atrash as one party

and the contractor Saad Jamil as the other

party.” Following this statement proposed

building measurements were clarified as

well as types of construction materials.

Finally, the contract concludes, “And

lastly, we have come together, we the com-

mittee and the contractor under the super-

vision of the General Leader Sultan Pasha

al-Atrash, and 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 com-

pleted. The committee has agreed to pay

three installments to the contractor, first,

when he starts, second, in the middle and

third when he finishes. We thus agree, certi-

fy and sign this agreement asking God for

7

success for the good and for the better-

ment.”

From this point on until the end of his

life, Joe Jaber would be focused on his last

dream to accomplish. All together it took

five years.

The Mejlis in Krayeh was completed in

1955, the same year my father died. He

would never see the building that he prom-

ised God he would help to build, nor would

he attend the inauguration ceremony com-

memorating its opening. Nevertheless, he

had no regrets for the time and energy he

spent on helping with the construction of

the new Mejlis in Krayeh. He was overjoyed

knowing that the project was completed and

that he could rest in peace with the life he

lived and with what he had accomplished.

As for his two children he left behind, we

were honored to have had him for our dear

father and to have known him for the time

that he was with us. May God bless him and

keep him.

Author’s note: My brother Bobby Joe

Jaber and I wish to express our deepest

appreciation to Sahar Muakasa for her tire-

less dedication in translating The Mejlis

Letters. We hope to publish these letters in

their entirety in another issue of a DOCO

Newsletter. Also, I would like to thank

Druze scholar, Dr. Abdallah Najjar and my

brother Bobby Jaber for their help with this

article.

Epilogue:

My lifeless body that you see will disintegrate

after which no one will see it again as it was, but I am

eternal as long as I am remembered…What you sow

today, you shall harvest tomorrow, for the future is the

fruit of the present…Plunge yourself into good

works, into the service of others. Forget about your-

self, and God will reward you.

Joe Jaber

(Taken from a letter of proverbs trans-

lated by Dr. Abdallah Najjar.)

The End

Syrian Druze Orphange

New Board of Trustees

The Syrian Organization for Social

Welfare in Swaida, Syria is pleased to

announce the results of the elections held

on March 3, 2002 for a new Board of

Trustees. The winners are :

President: Mr. Ali Hamze Falhout

Vice President: Col. Adel Salameh al-Tawil

Secretary: Mr. Anwar Hussein Ballan, Esq.

Treasurer: Mr. Aref Suleiman Al-Ghaiby

Board members: Dr. Fuad Fares Hamze,

Mr. Fawzi Ismail Hamed, Esq., Mr.

Fahd Muhammad Jarbouh, Mrs. Wadad

Hassan Abu-Zaydan and Mr. Zahr

Hazzaah Abu-Khair.

The Board will be in charge of implement-

ing the humanitarian and social services of

the organization. DOCO congratulates the

new Board of Trustees and thanks them for

carrying forward the noble cause of serving

the community.

DFSW Scholarship Fund at the

American University of Beirut

We are glad to introduce the Druze

Foundation for Social Welfare

(DFSW) Scholarship Fund program in

cooperation with the American University

of Beirut to our respected donors in

Lebanon and abroad. The aim of the pro-

gram is to furnish needy students with a

partial scholarship that covers 35% of the

tuition fees, to be matched by 35% from the

AUB scholarship funds. Terms of this pro-

gram are as follows:

* The value of the award is $4,000 per

student per academic year.

* Awards will be made to students in any

faculty except Medicine.

* Eligible applicants must have a grade

point Average (GPA) of 70% or above.

* The AUB Financial Aid Office will

select applicants based on financial need.

* The DFSW will offer 35% to be

matched by 35% from the AUB for a total

of 70%. Students are responsible for the

balance.

* Students can make up for their share

by working at AUB.

* The grant will continue to awardees

until they get the BA degree provided they

maintain good academic standing and

demonstrate financial need.

* Donors will be provided with an aca-

demic performance report of the students.

*Donors may contribute half or quarter

scholarship to add up to a full one.

We call upon our generous community to

support this program to assist our needy

students in fulfilling their aim of university

education. We hope this Fund will grow to

include agreements with other universities

in Lebanon to assist more students.

The above announcement was received from the

Board of Trustees of the DFSW. Your help will be

greatly appreciated.

Donate OnlineNetwork for Good

Have you always wanted to make a tax

deductible donation to the Druze

orphans in Beit al-Yateem (Abey,

Lebanon)or any of the other worthy chari-

table organizations but you couldn’t get

away from your computer long enough to

write a check? Now you can make your

donation online. DOCO can now accept

online credit card donations through

Network for Good. It is fast and secure.

Previously, each credit card donation result-

ed in transaction fees paid by DOCO.

However, Network for Good, started and

funded by AOL, Yahoo! and Cisco, covers

all credit card transaction fees. This means

that every penny of your donation goes to

DOCO. To protect your security, Network

for Good uses industry-standard SSL tech-

nology to encrypt all of your private infor-

mation.

Donating online is faster, easier and more

secure than sending a check! For more

information, visit:

http://www.druzeorphans.org and click

on “Donate.”

DOCO would like to thank Mr. Bobby Jaber, Mr.

Ghassan Hariz and Ms. Lila Ibrahim for their con-

tinued efforts and support in establishing the above

DOCO website.Citizenship Certificate for Joe Jaber. 1932

8

Dear Friends

Iwould like to thank you for your efforts

in providing all this help and charitable

work to the needy in our community. I am

sending this letter to share with you and all

my Druze friends in the US, my news.

I got married on March 24, 2002 to the

lovely Mirna Merhi Nassereddine in

Lebanon. We celebrated our wedding

among lots of family and friends in Beirut.

We came back to the US on April 1st. We

live in Glendale, AZ.

I really look forward to your newsletter

every time because it makes me feel that I

am connected to my community and it pro-

vides me with an opportunity to help out. I

feel that I am contributing though on a very

small scale. Once again, thank you all for all

the efforts.

SincerelyNaji & Mirna Nassereddine

Mrs. Wadad Halimeh Jamell was born in

1915 in Aley, Lebanon. She came to

the United States as a young bride to join

her husband, Hatem Jamell. They first lived

in Ft. Smith, Arkansas where they owned

and operated a neighborhood grocery store.

Their three children, Gene, Jeanette and

Eddie were born in Ft. Smith. They moved

to Colorado for health reasons and owned a

Many Happy Returns

Mrs. Wadad Jamell

celebrating her 87th Birthday

clothing store for many years before retiring

and moving to Arvada, CO, to be near their

children. Mr. Jamell passed away in 1986.

Wadad is currently living in the Covenant

Retirement Village of Colorado. In addition

to her three children, Wadad has eight

grandchildren and eight great-grandchil-

dren. She is in good health, thank God, and

sends her best greetings to all her friends in

the American Druze community.

DOCO congratulates Mrs. Jamell on her birthday

and thanks the Jamell Family for donating one

thousand dollars $1000 in commemoration of their

mother’s 87th Birthday.

Acknowledgements

DOCO would like to extend sincere

thanks to the following representatives

and volunteers who tirelessly continue to

help DOCO raise funds for the orphans

and the needy:

Mr. Mounah Assaf in Miami, Florida, Dr.

Souraya Elhessen in California, Mr. Imad

Hassanieh in Glendale, California, Mr.

Ghassan Hariz in Dallas,Texas, Ms. Lila

Ibrahim and brother Nabeel in San

Francisco, Californnia, Mr. Bobby Jaber, in

Santa Barbara, California, Mrs. Hayat

Noueihed in South Pasadena, California,

Mr. Ricahrd Showkier in Lubboc, Texas, and

Ms. Denise Akel Rutjens in New York.

DOCO Newsletter

Sponsors

This newsletter was made possible by

the generous support of the following :

Bassam Abukhzam

Abboud & Amal Assaf

DBA Diamond & Jewelry

Bobby Jaber

Dr. Sami & Leila Masri

Dr. Kamel & Rola Muakkassa

Naji & Mirna Nassereddine

Roger Shaar

Jeanette Thrower

Coming in the Next Issue:

Visits to both orphanages in

Lebanon and Syria, the Elderly

Care Center, Ain Wa Zein Hospital

and the University Student Resident.

Story of the Majlis in Krayeh, Syria.

Fund raising activities in Los

Angeles, San Francisco, CA. And

much more.

Letters to DOCO, continued from page 2

Newly weds Naji & Mirna

9

The Secondary Schooling for the Orphans

is up and running

Scholarship recipients Rabih & Hana with Amal Shantouf (SSO President)

At a recent fundraising luncheon in

Beirut, the SSO’s star speaker was a

young lady named Hana who was one of

the first recipients of a scholarship from

SSO enabling her to attend high school.

“. . . My story begins when I came to the

Orphanage in Abey at the age of four. I

spent eleven years in a caring and loving

environment thanks to the care and dedica-

tion of Mrs. Hayat Nakadi, who is carrying

on the mission of the late Aref and Shakeeb

Nakadi.

After I graduated from Abey at the ninth

grade level, this wonderful organization, the

SSO, stepped in to lend me a helping hand

to realize my dream of attending high

school and going on to college.

I want to take this opportunity to say to

every one here, that your support will

ensure the future of many students like me

and proves to us that college degrees and

specialization is indeed within our reach.”

Message from SSO President

“Secondary Schooling for the Orphans

(SSO) is very pleased to report that, schol-

arship recipient Rabih has finished 11th

grade successfully and started 12th and

Hana just started 11th grade after finishing

10th grade with honors.

In addition to their academic achievements,

both Rabih’s and Hana’s lives have been

positively affected by gaining self-confi-

dence and faith in society.

Without the generous help and assistance

of DOCO and the donors, we could not

have done this. Therefore we wish to thank

you all, and hope you continue to support

SSO in helping Orphans continue their edu-

cation.

We are also pleased to inform you that all

the other students have passed their grades,

and we are supporting four more students

this year.”

Amal Shantouf

President, SSO

We trust this information will assist you, DOCO supporters, in the decision to help.

Letters to DOCO continued from page 8

10

A Salute to an Icon of Charity

Sitt Aniseh, as she was respectfully

known, was born in Beirut, Lebanon in

1908, to Abdel Rahman Assaf and Jamileh

Muakkasa. She was the second of six chil-

dren. At a young age she was called upon to

help support her family. She and older

brother Jamil had to give up formal educa-

tion in order to help their mother raise the

family.

Young Aniseh had a flair for art and fash-

ion. She studied dressmaking and couture

with the best in the field and went on to

establish a very lucrative business as a top-

notch seamstress. Her name quickly spread

among the well-known families of Beirut

and her business flourished. She delighted

many a bride by creating a full trousseau or

Jhaz that included not only elegant outfits

but also linens, and embroidered tablecloths

to match the floral patterns on their China

sets. She could do wonders with her needle.

She was also a gifted painter having studied

with the famous Lebanese Artist, Farroukh.

In her early twenties she started a school to

teach her craft, eventually graduating over

250 students with official diplomas.

Through her work she met many prominent

Druze women. It was not long before she

joined a group of them concerned with the

impoverished families and the orphaned

children in the city. In the early forties they

joined forces with the late Aref Nakadi to

establish the first Druze Orphanage in

Beirut. When the numbers of orphans

increased beyond the capacity of the home

in Beirut, the children were moved to larger

quarters in Abey. Aniseh was asked to take

charge. She left her thriving business, and

never looked back. She had found her call-

ing and started her lifelong commitment to

the Orphans.

She worked tirelessly and selflessly to make

a difference in the lives of the children

many of whom called her “mother”. She

shared their meals and slept in their dorms,

nursed the sick and comforted the unhappy.

She sewed their uniforms and bought their

shoes. She not only ran the day-to-day busi-

ness of the orphanage but also scouted the

community for donations of cash and

goods.

She often enlisted the help of her family.

Her brothers, the late Jamil, along with

Toufic and Anis always volunteered to

accompany her on her daily runs whether to

purchase supplies for the orphanage, or to

collect donations from all over Lebanon.

Sisters Afifi and Wadia were enlisted to help

with teaching and sewing, among other

things.

In the late forties she was again called upon

by the late Aref Nakadi to help establish the

Druze Orphanage in Swaida, Syria , and she

willingly obliged.

For over fifty years she lovingly continued

to do her work until her name became syn-

onymous with that of Beit al-Yateem. In

later years she traveled extensively visiting

Druze communities all over the world. She

became known as the ambassador of Beit

al-Yateem and people entrusted her with

their donations.

Through all this she never neglected her

family. She made sure that her nephews and

nieces were all put on the right path for a

good future through education, always

stressing that a good education is the best

inheritance. She encouraged them to

achieve and took pride in their accomplish-

ments.

In the mid eighties she moved permanently

to the United States to be closer to the fam-

ily. She soon became an active member and

great supporter of the Druze Society in

California, and a strong advocate of the

local Cultural Center.

She attended many conventions all over the

United States and was always surprised to be

honored and awarded by her people. But she

was happiest when someone approached her

with a gift of money for the orphans, always

unsolicited. Her sheer presence seemed to

bring out the charity in everyone’s heart and

they gave generously.

As she advanced in years and could not trav-

el any longer, she was still thinking about

her beloved Beit al-Yateem and how to keep

it going strong. With the help of her sister

Mrs. Afifi Masri and her late cousin Dr.

Fuad Muakkassa, and Dr. Farid Muakkssa,

and Sahar Muakasa, the Druze Orphans and

Charitable Organization (DOCO) was

founded in 1999 in the United States, to

facilitate and insure the continued support

Aniseh Assaf with the late Aref Nakadi

Aniseh, Circa 1930

Receiving one of many awards

of the orphanage. She was delighted with

the success of DOCO’s mission and closely

followed its progress with joy and enthusi-

asm until the end of her life.

Early on the morning of 3 August 2002 her

big heart failed and she passed away to a

happier place. Services were held at the

Druze Center in California on the 6th of

August where many came to bid goodbye to

this wonderful and beloved lady. Funeral and

interment took place the following day at

the Druze section of the Valhallah

Cemetery in North Hollywood, CA.

At the Druze Cultural Center in California,

where many gathered to pay their last

respects, Karim Masri eulogized her as

someone who “practiced her religion not by

ritual but by deed. ….She gave without

expecting a reward. If she had been born

Catholic, she would have been canonized by

the Pope.”

In Lebanon, memorial services were held at

the Beit al-Taifi in Beirut, on Saturday

August, 10 and at Beit al-Yateem in Abey, on

Sunday August 11, 2002.

We will miss her presence among us, her

kind words and that smile that mirrored her

pure heart, but her spirit will be with us for-

ever.

The DOCO family along with the Assaf,

Masri, Muakkassa and Noueihed families

wish to thank all those who shared in their

sorrow at the passing of their beloved elder

Aniseh Assaf, and wish you all long and

healthy lives.

Aniseh Assaf (1908 - 2002)Donations from Family and Friends in Memory of

Miss Aniseh Assaf to Biet al-Yateem totals $20,995

Assaf, Abboud & Amal 1,000

L' avant Garde Inc. (Dr. Hayel Said) 1,000

Masri, Dr. Akram & Luna 1,000

Masri, Dr. Sami & Leila 1,000

Masri, Faez & Afifi 1,000

Masri, Nabil & Iman 1,000

Muakkassa, Drs. Farid & Rima 1,000

Muakkassa, Dr. Kamel & Rola 1,000

Richani, Raouf & Susan 1,000

Said, Dr. Hayel & Hiam 1,000

Assaf, Anis & Suad 500

Assaf, Toufic & Jamal 500

Masri, Melhem & Dr. Suzan 500

Shaar, Raja & Donna 400

Aboulhosn, Amjad, Hala, Ayham (Imad) 300

Assaf, Nabil & Jumana 300

LaVine, Dr. Sean & Lena Masri 300

Phillips, Drs. Andy & Samar Masri 300

Masri, Mona S. 300

Muakkassa, Dr. Wael & Rima 300

Masri, Karim & Ibtisam 250

Assaf, Milhim & Anita 200

Israwi, Salim & Barbara 200

Masri, Mounir 200

Wahbe, Badih & Samia 200

Abi-Rafeh, Abraham 100

Abou-Chakra, Bassam 100

Aboulhosn, Maamoun & Shahrazad 100

Aboulhosn, Afif & Maha 100

Aboulhosn, Anis & Nadia 100

Aboulhosn, Khalid & Nasibi 100

Aboulhosn, Samir & Nahia 100

Aboulhosn, Shakeeb & Linda 100

Aboulhosn, Wajdi & Magida 100

Alawar, Hassib 100

Anonymous 100

Assaf, Afif & Malakeh 100

Assaf, Mounah & Diana 100

Ayass, Bassam & Alma 100

Azzam, Salimi 100

Gharzeddine, Riad & Mona 100

Gharzeddine, Waleed & Samar 100

Ghawi, Wissam & Badiaa 100

Ghosn, Kamal & Ilham 100

Ghosn, Rabih & Yasmeen 100

Hakim, Manal & Hana 100

Hamden, Marwan & Faten 100

Hamood, Eugene & Hoda 100

Hamood, Hamood 100

Ibrahim, Shawki & Kathy 100

Israwi, Souhail 100

Katter, Hadia 100

Mandel, Paul & Rhoda 100

Markovic, Nandor & Frances 100

Masri, Nadim & Nazik 100

Masri, Riad & Nadia 100

Masri, Zouheir & Daad 100

Mohtar, Rafic & Samar 100

Moucharrafie, Nouhad 100

Mourawed, Fayda 100

Muakasa, Sahar 100

Noueihed, Ghada 100

Noueihed, Hayat 100

Noueihed, Omar & Nada 100

Rasamny, Arij 100

Rayes, Nada Malak 100

Richani, Aida 100

Samico, Inc. 100

Shaar, Reem Hassib 100

Timani, Sleiman 100

Zeineddine, Farouk, Rania & Rami 100

Abifaker, Munir & Nuha 50

Abou-Ayash, Rabih 50

Aboulhosn, Abbas & Daad 50

Aboulhosn, Asad & Najibi 50

Aboulhosn, Donia Shakeeb 50

Aboulhosn, Jamila 50

Aboulhosn, Nadim & Afaf 50

Aboulhosn, Ragie 50

Boyadjian, Arsin 50

Fakhereddin, Nadia 50

Farraj, Ramzi & Diana 50

Ghazzarah, Moustafa & Suhad 50

Ghosn, Samir & Ghada 50

Israwi, Hassib & Lamia 50

Israwi, Safwat 50

Jahchan, Semaan & Nabila 50

Masri, Mansour 50

Masri, Samira 50

Noueihed, Aida 50

Obeid, Shafik & Noha 50

Pilar, Edwardo & Hind 50

Takieddine, Raja & Nawal 50

Wehbe, Jihad & Dunia 50

Yakzan, Mounira 50

Abukhzam, Saad & Hala 40

Baby Mazen Samir Ghosn 40

El-Awar, Suzie & Ikram 40

Jurdi, Adib 40

Nawfal, Hamad 40

Rafeh, Wael 40

Masri, Teo & Rola 30

Aboulhosn, Sara 25

El-Hessen, Ilham 25

Nasser, Veda K. 25

Abukhzam, Afif 20

Anonymous 20

Assaf, Naji & Nadia 20

El-khechen, Said 20

Zeineddine, Adnan 20

Donor US $ Donor US $

Aniseh Assaf with sister Afifi Masri

raising funds for the orphans

11

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR DONATIONS

12

Mrs. Ratiba Najjar, lovingly known as

Im Sami, daughter of Housein and

Shams Yakdan Najjar, widow of Assad

Mourad Najjar, passed away Thursday, May

23, 2002 after a short illness. Funeral servic-

es were held in Abadieh, Lebanon.

Ratiba Najjar was a loving mother and

grandmother who helped raise her grand-

children. She worked selflessly for her fami-

ly, helping in every way possible. She lived in

Australia and the United States where she

was loved and respected by all those who

knew her.

She had many friends and loved ones, and

was an integral part of her children’s lives,

helping them all with their businesses. After

many years abroad, she had requested that

she return to her beloved country Lebanon,

where she died in her home among family

and friends.

She is survived by her son, Sami Najjar, his

wife Samia and their children Hala, Lena

and Sana and eight grandchildren; daughter,

Samia Najjar, her husband Jamil and their

children Dina and Michael; and son, Bassam

Najjar, his wife Ghada and children Louisa,

Karina and Linda. We all will cherish her

memory.

Our deep appreciation goes out to all those

who have offered their condolences, with

special gratitude to Mr. Walid Jumblatt who

also visited to pay his respects.

With many thanks,

The Najjar Family

Ratiba Assad Najjar

1909 - 2002My Visit to Beit al-Yateem

By Hind Malaeb Abi-Akar

Peoria, IL

It is always wonderful to visit back home -

Lebanon. I just came back from this ulti-

mate vacation. Summer in Lebanon, in par-

ticular in our majestic mountains, is unparal-

leled; it’s a gracious gift from God. The

wonderful pine trees, the aromatic herbs

growing everywhere, the gentle breezes and

the ideal weather, are marvels all. The beau-

ty of our surroundings was only topped by

the flood of love from our parents, trying to

make up for years of separation in a few

hasty weeks. It was satisfying to see the

towns and cities in our areas - in particular

the Aley region, bursting with life, progress

and optimism, regardless of the economic

situation of the country. But the highlight of

our trip was an unplanned visit to the Druze

Orphanage in Abey.

Accompanied by my husband and our

daughters Farah and Reema I visited the

shrine of the Holly Sayyed Abdullah in

Abey in early June. It is a religious duty and

we wanted our children to know one of the

Druze’ holiest religious sites. While there,

we ventured into the office of the Druze

Orphanage, Beit al-Yateem, which neigh-

bors the shrine. We requested to see the

computer room installed by Ms. Lila

Ibrahim and publicized by DOCO newslet-

ters. Ms. Fatima Abou-Hamdan of the

orphanage administration obliged us with

no waiting.

The room was filled with rows of neat com-

puters protected with white covers to keep

the dust out. The computer desks and

chairs were organized and comfortable and

the room was cooled with fans. It was good

to see that computers were part of the cur-

riculum at the orphanage school preparing

the students to face the new world of tech-

nology with computer literacy. Ms. Fatima

then offered to give us a tour of the orphan-

age. She led us through long hallways and

showed us the sleeping quarters. Teddy

bears and other stuffed animals adorned the

nicely made clean beds while closets hosted

the children’s neatly folded clothes. Class

rooms, play rooms, dining rooms, the audi-

torium, all spoke of meticulous care. The

library offered a nice environment for quiet

reading, its shelves well stocked with educa-

tional and general reading books; my chil-

dren raced to identify the books they know;

we had to coax them out of the library.

On the playgrounds, the children seemed

well occupied and well cared for. We were

told how the children watched the Soccer

World Cup, the girls in a separate group

from the boys due to the very different

cheering levels between the two groups!

All through the tour, Ms. Fatima answered

our questions. There was much we did not

know about this institution, but we came

out with much understanding and knowl-

edge of the rules and challenges.

We ended our tour by meeting with Mrs.

Hayat Nakadi, the director of this institu-

tion. It was a very nice visit with a gracious

hostess. She was approachable and in touch

with the needs of the orphanage and

showed admirable caring and sincerity.

The orphanage should be a source of pride to

every Druze. It was nice, clean, organized, and

spoke of genuine love and caring in every

aspect. The children are our future; they have

a great opportunity to realize their potential in

this first-class environment. We were certain-

ly motivated to keep our commitment to the

noble cause of Beit al Yateem.

I would recommend this visit to anyone

going back home. It was certainly great and

enlightening for us.

OBITUARIES

Mrs. Maheeba Salha Garzeddine ‘Im

Riad’ born in Ras el Matn, Lebanon,

passed away in Glendale, California, on

August 16, 2002. Widow of Haleem

Gharzeddine, she is survived by her two

sons Riad and Waleed, brothers Yaser and

Fouad, as well as sisters Zaheda Abu Saeed,

and Najla Najjar and their families.

Viewing services were held at the ADS

Center where she was eulogized as a loving

and able woman who in spite of failing

health managed to care for her ailing hus-

band and be there for her children and

grandchildren. She was a devout Druze who

graced her community and supported its

causes. Funeral services were held August

22, 2002 at the Valhalla Cemetery in North

Hollywood, CA.

Granddaughter Sara shared these words

with the many friends and loved ones who

came to pay their last respects at the ADS

Center on behalf of her sister Zeina, and

cousins Essam, Ousama & Ramy :

“My Grandma Maheeba was one in a mil-

lion. I never new this until now, but she was

my guardian angel in life. She raised me

since I was a baby. She was there for me

whenever I needed a shoulder to cry on and

taught me right from wrong. She gave me a

reason for living. She was the most kind-

hearted person I ever knew. She never said

or did anything that would hurt me or hurt

others. She always spoke to me with the

gentlest voice and touched me with the gen-

tlest hands. She believed in me no matter

what I did. She wished the best for everyone

and taught me not to hate anyone, but to

love them more instead. She taught all her

grandchildren the Druze values and heritage

and reminded us to always be proud of who

we are. If there was a day that I was late

coming home she would stay up all night

just to make sure I was safe and to say good-

night. She was the definition of motherly

love and the greatest example of decency.

Rest in peace grandma, you will always be in

our hearts, thoughts and memories.”

Mahmoud Assad Said

1923 - 2002

Mr. Mahmoud Said ‘Abu Hayel’ of

Rashaya al Wadi, passed away in

Lebanon, on August 30, 2002. He is sur-

vived by his sons, Dr. Hayel of Simi valley,

California, Fouad, Sami, Nidal, & daughters

Hoda and Saleemeh and their families.

A memorial Service was held at the ADS

Center in California on September 15, 2002.

Akl Aboukhzam

1916 - 2002

Mr. Akl Aboukhzam ‘Abou Moneer’

passed away June 28, 2002 in

California. Funeral services were held at

Valhallah Cemetery in North Hollywood.

Mr. Aboukhzam is survived by his wife

Bahia and sons, Moneer, Adel, Afif, Salim,

Baheej, Kamal, Kameel, Saad, Akram and

Karim and daughters Leila, Hikmat and

Hala, two brothers, Ameen and Abdel

Hamid and more than fifty grandchildren.

Halim Noueihed

1908 - 2002

Mr. Noueihed, a pillar of the Noueihed

family and the Druze community in

Lebanon, passed away at home in his home

town Ras el Matn, Lebanon, on August

16th, 2002. He is survived by sons Nazeeh

and Saade and daughters Hoda Mashtoub

of California and Daad Masri, of North

Carolina, and their families. A Memorial

Service was held at the ADS Center in

California on September 8, 2002.

Ramiz Adeeb Richani

1927 - 2002

Mr. Richani passed away in his home-

town Shoueifat, Lebanon on 27 July

2002. He is survived by his wife Saniya, son

Waleed and daughters Amal, Nahida, and

Ghada Richani Hassanieh of Glendale,

California.

Hamad Youssef Sayur

1920 - 2002

Mr. Hamad Sayur, born in Rashaya,

Lebanon, passed away in Monterey

Park, California, on the 27th of August

2002. Funeral services were held at Rose

Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California

on August 31st, 2002. He is survived by

sons, Salam and Salim and daughters

Samira, Hind and Nayfeh.

DOCO extends heartfelt

condolences to the families.

Maheeba Salha Garzeddine

1924 - 2002

Donations from Family & Friends of

Mrs. Maheeba Garzeddine

to Beit al-Yateem totals $3,595

Gharzeddine, Riad & Mona 1000

Gharzeddine, Waleed & Samar 1000

Salha, Yasser & Elham 300

Kantar, Marwan 200

Safar, Hwida 200

Assaf, Abboud & Amal 100

Ayass, Bassam & Alma 100

Ayass, Ghassan 100

Masri, Faez & Afifi 100

Najjar, Housam F. 100

Najjar, Najla F. 100

Timani, Sleiman 100

Minissian, Hevork 50

Noueihed, Hayat 50

Safar, Abboud 50

Aboulhosn, Nadim & Afaf 25

Anonymous 20

Donor US $

Donations from Family & Friends of

Mr. Mahmoud Said

to Beit al-Yateem totals $2,300

Said, Dr. Hayel & Hiam 1000

Assaf, Abboud & Amal 100

Assaf, Anis & Suad 100

Assaf, Nabil & Jumana 100

Assaf, Toufic & Jamal 100

Masri, Dr. Akram & Luna 200

Masri, Dr. Sami & Leila 200

Masri, Faez & Afifi 200

Masri, Nabil & Iman 200

Noueihed, Hayat 100

Donor US $

13

14

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

DOCO welcomes the following new

arrivals to BDCA :

Mike Melhem Masri, February 13, 2002.

Amin Ashraf Aboukhzam; February 14,

2002. Ramzi Fadi Abukhzam; April 4, 2002.

Jad Rabih Kontar; 28 March 2002. Makram

Imad Hassanieh; 12 April, 2002. Adam

Conner Siquerros; June 3, 2002. Nader

Wissam Ghawi; June 14, 2002. Rami Farouk

Zeineddine; 3 July 2002.

Congratulations and many happy returns

to the following members who cele-

brated birthdays in the months of April,

May, June, July, and August 2002:

Samer N. Assaf, Wassim N. Noueihed, Rima

A. Abou-Ziab, Ramzi A. Assaf, Yousef H.

Noueihed, , Fuad K. Muakkassa, Taleen A.

Salaheddine, Dana S. Aboukhzam, Hazar J.

Masri, Linda F. Muakkassa, Jawad M.

Aboulhosn, Sami H. Noueihed, Sami R.

Najd, Mike Arnouse, Kareem F. Muakkassa,

Mazen R. Takieddine, Nedy N. Saab, Tania

H. Abou-Akar, Lilian Z. Fakhreddine, Amir

Jurdi, Rana N. Masri, Rayan N. Assaf,

Wassim A. Assaf, Zandar M. Kazzie, Najd

K. Aboulhosn, Nizar B. Abou-Shakra,

Angelica K. Aboulhosn, Ramzi N. Masri,

Kamal S. Halaby, Rashad K. Aboulhosn,

Leila N. Aboulhosn, Iyad H. Aboulhosn,

Houda A. Abou-Zaib, Jenna F. Noueihed,

Sami F. Israwi, Camille F. Muakkassa, Mona

N. Mousharafieh, Omar A. Salaheddine,

Shadi W. Azzam, Jad F. Abu-Ezzeddine,

Daniel H. Kaedbay, Rayan N. Takieddine,

Bassil Jurdi, Sara Z. Boufakhreddine,

Matthew Hikmat Abi Jumaa, Ramen M.

Masri, Rami N. Assaf, Matthew LaVine, and

Leila K. Muakkassa.

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.

Ramzi Fadi Abukhzam

Makram Imad Hassanieh

Adam Conner Siquerros

Amin Ashraf Aboukhzam

Baby Mike Masri with brother Ramen

Jad Rabih Kontar

Kareem Farid Muakkassa

Bakr Kamal Aboulhosn

Camille Farid Muakkassa

Najd Kamal Aboulhosn

15

Rola Ghadban, daughter of Mr. & Mrs.

Riyad Ghadban of Thousand Oaks,

CA, graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor

of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in

Education. She hopes to return to graduate

school to pursue graduate studies in

Education / Public Health.

Nina Chaya, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.

Yousef Chaya of San Diego, CA graduated

from University of California at San Diego

and is attending Medical School in New

York.

Selma Masri, daughter of Mr. And Mrs.

Karim Masri of San Gabriel, California

graduated with honors from Pomona

College, a member of the highly acclaimed

Claremont Colleges in California. Selma

received a Bachelor of Arts degree in

Molecular Biology, with a minor in Women’s

Studies. She is presently working on breast

cancer research at the City of Hope in

Arcadia, California, before returning to

graduate school.

Ferras Mashtoub, son of Mr. & Mrs.

Showki Mashtoub of Reseda, California,

graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of

Science degree in Microbiology. He plans to

pursue a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree

at UCLA.

Firas Nassereddine, son of Mr. & Mrs.

Jamal Nassereddine, graduated from

Diamond Bar High School in California. He

will be attending LAU in Lebanon after

moving there with his family.

Zeina Sallman, Daughter of Mr. & Mrs.

Nadim Sallman graduated from Saddleback

High School in Orange County , California.

She will be attending Saddleback College to

pursue a degree in business.

Congratulations to the class of 2002

Rola Riyad Ghadban

Ameer Ghassan Baz

Rachan Ghassan Baz

Ameer and Rachan, children of Ghassan

and Manal Baz of Cleveland, Ohio

have passed their school year with high dis-

tinction.

L to R: Dr. Kamel Muakkassa (Omar’s uncle), Omar and Rola Muakkassa

Omar Muakkassa, Son of Dr. & Mrs. Wael Muakkassa of New York, graduated from

Manlius Pebble Hill High School, in Syracuse, New York. He will be attending

Princeton University.

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

16

As I sat in my office working hard to

catch up after a two-week vacation in

Lebanon this past June, I had a hard time

focusing. My mind wandered to the won-

derful memories from my trip. Almost

simultaneously, an instant message came

through. “Hello ms. Lila,” typed one of the

9th grade students from Beit al-Yateem. I

responded, and a great chat followed. That

“chat” session—and the many since with

several students—has kept the mission of

helping the students a priority for me.

In 2000, I spent my sabbatical in Lebanon

building a computer lab with donations

from Intel employees around the world.

Since then, the students, teachers, and

administration have become like my extend-

ed family. The unfortunate reality, however,

is that I tend to let my everyday work

responsibilities get in the way of what’s

important to me, like staying in better touch

with the orphanage. It’s been an issue this

past year, and was part of the reason I was

anxious to return to Lebanon.

Other than the traditional welcome from

the family, the first thing I did was to stop

by the orphanage. Initially, I was somewhat

nervous about seeing the children: I popped

my head into the 7th, 8th, & 9th grade class-

es to say hello but didn’t want to interrupt. I

realized they were busy with end-of-the-year

course reviews. After a few hours, I felt

more comfortable and greeted the kids at

the bottom of the stairs as they returned to

their classrooms from recess. While I was

thrilled to just hear “Hello Ms. Lila,” several

of the kids hugged or kissed me, as the

teachers kindly looked the other way. You

can’t imagine the smile on my face! I was

touched not only by the fact that they

remembered me, but also how much love

these kids had for me.

As I made my way through the hallways and

classrooms, I was surprised to see cards

posted around the school that I had mailed

to the students. I had learned through e-mail

that the lab was in excellent condition, so

seeing it was no surprise. It was obvious

that the students take good care of it and

take such pride in having “one of the best

labs in Lebanon.” Upgrades have even been

made: fans have been

installed, and a full-time

teacher with a Master’s

degree in Computer

Science is now working

with the students.

Originally, access to the lab

was limited to older stu-

dents, for fear that the

younger ones would mis-

handle the equipment.

However, I was happy to

learn that 2nd grade stu-

dents, who are just as care-

ful as their older counter-

parts, are now using the lab.

During those two weeks, I

had the opportunity to

assist with some of the com-

puter classes. The students’

excitement about the computers and their

appreciation to all the donors was as evident

as during my initial visit. In fact, they want-

ed to make sure I told everyone how much

they’ve learned. Seeing the 2nd graders

practicing using a mouse in Paint brought

me much joy. While their

creativity impressed me, I was most sur-

prised by what they were drawing: houses,

people, the sky, and trees, just like most

American kids. Sometimes it’s easy to focus

on the differences between cultures; it was

refreshing to be reminded of the similari-

ties. Moreover, I was thrilled to see the

younger children learn on the PCs. Such

skills and knowledge will undoubtedly be

helpful in the future, as the workplace—and

society in general—become increasingly

technology-oriented.

After visiting several classrooms, I quickly

learned what questions to expect from the

students. The first one was about 9/11:

whether everyone was okay. All the students

expressed sorrow over the horrific 9/11

events. Their expressions of sympathy were

genuine; none harbored feelings of animos-

ity toward Americans. It was heart-warming

to see how the goodwill generated by the

donations affected the children. The stu-

dents also wondered which team I would be

“rooting for” in the World Cup, with Brazil,

Argentina and Germany being among the

students’ favorites.

One of the most heart-warming moments

was at the end of the first week, when Hiam

(my cousin) and I visited the 9th grade: a

group I’ve always had a special connection

Computer Lab UpdateBy Lila Ibrahim

7th graders using the computer

8th grade students learning to use the computer

with. In addition to being the first students I

met during my sabbatical, they were the ones

I spent the most time with. From the very

beginning, they took an interest in the com-

puter lab: always stopping by the lab as it

was being built and wanting to work extra

hours on the computers. During my first

visit, I was often their teacher during study

hall. After sharing memories of my last visit

and discussing their plans for the future, one

student spoke on behalf of the class. Her

moving message brought tears to my eyes, as

she began by saying, “As we are in your heart

now, you will always be in our hearts forev-

er.” Later, one of the 9th grade boys e-

mailed me, describing the effect this had on

him:

“At that time I really want to cry but I do

not. Maybe I catch my tears and said I not

want to cry because this is beautiful time. I

do not want to make it a crying time. So I

have to say that you are so kind and near to

our hearts – me and my friends in the class.

Finally please say hi for

your parents and your

friends from me and my

friends.”

It’s easy to get side-

tracked with other things

happening in life. But the

students continue to

remind me of how

important this effort is.

After a particularly rough

week for me, I received

an e-mail from a student

who is now entering the

11th grade. He ended the

e-mail saying, “thank you.

You really are a great sis-

ter.” Other e-mails from

students continue to

come: sharing excitement

over passing exams, expressing thanks to the

donors for their help and support, and reas-

suring me and others that they are working

hard to succeed.

I never expected that small acts of kindness

and generosity by individuals would have

such an impact on the students—and on me.

I’ve considered moving to Lebanon or tak-

ing an extended leave from my job to spend

more time volunteering. On the advice of

family and administration, however, I see

that I can actually do more for the kids by

being an advocate here and finding opportu-

nities to help. While at Beit al-Yateem, I

spent a lot of time assessing their needs –

and their needs are numerous. Along with

the upkeep of the computer lab, they are in

need of a new photocopier for the office,

and expendable school and medical supplies.

I want to make sure all the students have the

opportunity to succeed, and it seems this

commitment to the children and their edu-

cation is spreading.

On September 21, my brother and I are

hosting a fund-raising dinner for our friends

in the Bay Area. Through the Rotary Club,

we are looking into possible joint projects

with the Aley Rotary Club. And I was espe-

cially happy to learn of others in the Druze

community taking initiatives to enable the

kids for a better life - Bobby Jaber, Ghassan

Hariz, and Richard Showkier, for example.

One person can make a difference; and, as a

group, we can make an even greater impact.

DOCO would like to thank Miss Lila Ibrahim for

her continued support of the computer lab at the

Orphanage School in Abey, Lebanon.

Kindergarteners after school

Kindergarteners learning to type on old computers

Students in the school yard

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.

17

Jaber, Bobby 1,500

Ghazal, Hikmat S. 1,000

Thrower, Jeanette 850

Sleit, Riad 600

Alghawi, Toufic F. 500

Jamell, Gary A. 500

Mosrie, Ronnie & Afaf 500

Muakkassa, Dr. Kamel & Rola 450

Anonymous 301

Aboulhosn, Anis & Nadia 300

Daou, Imad 300

Jamell, Wadad 300

Salha, Yasser & Elham 300

Simpson, Edward & Nezeema 300

Alle, Emma 250

Aridi, Dr. Rabih 250

Fayyad, M. & Samia 250

Hosn, Nida 250

Kasem, Casey 250

Abukhzam, Amin 220

Noueihed, Aida 215

Mashtoub, Saad 200

Abifaker, Basil 200

Abifaker, Munir & Nuha 200

Aboulhosn, Maamoun & Shahrazad 200

Aboulhosn, Jack & Amal 200

Abukhzam, Bassam 200

Assaf, Mounah A. 200

DBA Diamond & Jewelry 200

Hassen, Hector & Hala 200

Kassem, Sam & Ann 200

Muakkassa, Dr. Farid & Rima 200

Samico, Inc. 200

Shaar, Roger H. 200

Abi-Akar, Ramez & Hind 155

Masri, Mona 150

Assaf, Nabil & Jumana 150

Katter, Hadia 150

Eljawhary, Hassan 130

Nasr, Yasser & Melissa 130

Jaber, Jamal 125

Takieddine, Raja & Nawal 125

Chaya, Nawal 110

Aboulhosn, Asad & Najibi 100

Aboulhosn, Emad & Rabiaa 100

Aboulhosn, Samir & Nahia 100

Aboulhosn, Walid & Raghida 100

Al-Awar Adib & Eleen 100

Amer, Sami 100

Andary, Anise & Brenda 100

Assaf, Ali 100.

Azzam, Shadi, Nadia, Rana 100

Bousaleh, Afif 100

Ghawi, Wissam & Family 100

Israwi, Salim & Barbara 100

Israwi, Suhail 100

Katter, James 100

Mashtoub, Chowki & Hoda 100

Masri, Dr. Sami & Leila 100

Moneyco, Siham 100

Moukarem, Mustafa 100

Nassereddine, Naji 100

Porte-Neuve, Aida 100

Rayes, Nada Malak 100

Saab, Ahmad & Hala 100

Sanjad, Suzan 100

Sawah, Abdallah 100

Smien, Eddie & Reem 100

Wahbe, Badih & Samia 100

Baz, Wassif & Amal 90

Noueihed, Hayat 65

Abi Chahine, Khaled 60

Boughanem, J. N. 60

Israwi, Zahia 55

Abil-Mona, Fares & Sawsan 50

Aboulhosn, Khaled & Hana 50

Aboulhosn, Nadim & Afaf 50

Aboulhosn, Shakeeb & Linda 50

Albee, Roger & Patricia 50

Ali, Adelle 50

Barouki, Ousamah 50

Baz, Kassem Y. 50

Baz, Wally 50

El-Awar, Nadim & Samar 50

Elhessen, Souraya 50

Hamady, Peter 50

Hasan, Faysal & Sharon 50

Masri, Dr. Samar S. 50

Masri, Mona 50

Moneyco, Siham 50

New Vision Auto Group 50

Noueihed, Ghada 50

Rasheed, Issam N. 50

Richani, Ghassan & Rola 50

Rutjens, Denise 50

Sawah, Mike & Nisreen 50

Zahereddine, Celine & Nicole 50

Abi-Saab, Afif & Siham 40

Makled, Ayad 40

Najjar, Michael 40

Ghosn, Rabih & Yasmeen 30

Awar, Mona 30

Makarem, Kamal & Samira 30

Masri, Nadia R. 30

Pita Pita Restaurant Box 30

Souki, Mounir & Mona 30

Matar, Ramzi 26

Naba, Wissam 26

Assaf, Abboud & Amal 25

Fakhereddine, Nadia 25

Halaby, Rana 25

Hamad, Naem 25

Hariz, Dr. George M. 25

Ibrahim, Nabeel 25

Jamell, Adeeby 25

Masri, Nabil & Iman 25

Mosrie, David & Linda 25

Silman, Jimmie & Nadine 25

Aboulhosn, Najwa 20

Aboulhosn, Jamileh 20

Ahmadie, Raja 20

Assaf, Jamal 20

Boukzam, Peter & Diana 20

Burdan, Mirna 20

Chaya, Asaad 20

Chaya, Walid & Omaya 20

Dakdouk, Hisham 20

Dakdouk, Majid 20

Dakdouk, Nasser 20

Dakdouk, Samer 20

Ghusayni, Noha 20

Hammad, Dr. David 20

Hariz, Ghassan 20

Hindiyeh, Narmine 20

Hooper, Asmahan Daou 20

Israwi, Safwat 20

Laham, Amin & Salma 20

Obeid, Noha 20

Richane, Carl J. 20

Richani, Fred & Vida 20

Siquerios, Wafaa 20

Souki, Akram 20

Abou-Chakra, Bassam 10

Alami, Hamza & Nimati 10

Saad, Salah 10

Israwi, Selma 5

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR SUPPORT

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

received from April 1, 2002 to September 15, 2002. Please note that donations made in memory of Miss Aniseh Assaf, Mrs. Mahiba

Gharzeddine, and Mr. Mahmoud Said memorials appear separately on pages 11 and 13.

Bani Ma’rouf - a Tradition of Giving

18

Donor US�$ Donor US�$ Donor US�$

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