Weekly addendum to

The Newtarian 

Issue Date: 3/28/18

Meeting Date:  3/28/18

Editor: Bob Shankman

 

 

NOTE: There is a link to this Club’s weekly newsletter at the end of the article. It is very interesting. Put the link into your browser for best results.

 

 

 

In 1928, Jim Davidson a Canadian Rotarian was asked    to   bring the Rotary message to Asia and the Near East.

 

He started off in Istanbul and then continued to Athens and then Cairo. In fact he founded the Cairo club on Jan 2, 1929.

 

He then proceeded to Jerusalem where with another Rotarian, from California, he worked with a few locals to lay the ground work for the club.

 

The first meeting was 1/22/29 and they had  21 charter members. Most of them were British officials, who administered Palestine, at that time. However, there were also Arab and Jewish members.

 

 REMEMBER,… the club was sponsored by the Cairo club which was chartered only 20 days earlier.

 

The Club met regularly during World War 2 and continued to include British, Jewish and Arab members.

 

This Jerusalem club along with those in the neighboring countries of Egypt, Sudan,Lebanon and Syria were in District 89. When the State of Israel was established in 1948 this arrangement could no longer exist.

 

Therefore, R.I. formed a separate district, for the country, to include the Jerusalem club and three others, at the time. Today there are 59 Israeli Rotary clubs.

 

The club from its inception spoke English and continues that tradition, today. In fact it is the only club that exclusively speaks English, in the country.

There are 38 current members .

 

 Meetings are held

at the Jerusalem YMCA on Wednesday’s at 1:00 and continues to include Jews, Christians and Muslims.

 

 

NOTE: This link will get you to the current Club Newsletter - very interesting