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: [email protected]
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
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
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NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
NEW YORK NY
PERMIT #4006