In America, the United States Congress s approved an “annual 8-day period designated for civic commemorations and special educational programs that help citizens remember and draw lessons from Holocaust.” In 2005, the United States “had a ‘moment of silence’ on the 60th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany.” Likewise, all throughout the world, specific [...]
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
It had been over 30 years since Ramallah had a Rotary Club, but in May 2010 a newly formed club met with hope and optimism for the future. Crossing into the West Bank, I was unsure what type of club I would be visiting – would it be more casual and laidback? Would it meet [...]
Carrying a steep entrance price of $70.55, it was the most expensive thing during my four day excursion into Jordan. However, the stunningly magnificent Siq that leads to the more impressive Treasury of Petra was well worth it. The size and impressiveness of the rock carvings cannot be explained nor can a camera capture [...]
Perhaps one of the most diverse Rotary Clubs in Israel, if not the world, the Rotary Club of Yafo meets weekly at the Arab-Jewish Community Center in the neighborhood of Ajami. The neighborhood’s recent claim to fame is being the filming location of the movie that carries the same name. A brief plot summary can [...]
During the Christmas break, I was fortunate enough to visit the West Bank town of Bethlehem – the birth place of Jesus Christ. It was a particular interesting visit given the city’s unique dynamics. Bethlehem was once a Christian majority city but in recent years has experienced a Christian exodus. Now the majority population is [...]
Over the past few weeks I was fortunate enough to engage in a few community service projects with two different Rotary Clubs located just north of Tel Aviv. During both events we spread Hanukah cheer by singing loud so all could hear (a reference to the movie Elf for those of you who didn’t get [...]
A unique aspect of my program is its “Security Field Trips and Ambassador Forum Workshops.” The workshops consist of various tours of strategic security installations throughout Israel such as the Lebanese border, Jerusalem security barrier, Golan Heights, and Gaza Strip. In addition to travelling, we have the privilege to meet with high ranking diplomats such [...]
Today, for the first time, all the Rotary Scholars in Israel were in the same place at the same time. It was like a Captain Planet episode without as many characters and without environmentalist undertones. So, I guess it was nothing like a Captain Planet episode. But anyway, we came together at a Rotary workshop [...]
Last week, I was fortunate enough to meet with RI President Banerjee on his visit to Israel while touring the “Save a Child’s Heart” program. Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) is the creation of the late Dr. Ami Cohen. Dr. Cohen was inspired during his time spent serving in Korea during the late 1980s. After [...]
After a few weeks in Tel Aviv, I was able to visit my host club, Tel Aviv/Yafo, for the first time. It was a great experience viewing how Rotary meetings in a different country are organized. I think the biggest surprise was the multiple bottles of wine on the table for a lunch meeting. In [...]
