Report on the activities of” People of the Cedars’ South Africa.
Date:3rd. September. 2015.
It gives us great pleasure to present our report:
Lebanon Tour.
Perhaps the highlight of our year was the successful Tour to Lebanon.
The tour, Led by Ken Hanna, was different to other tours organised from South Africa.
There are two main differences:
1.There was no profit motive.So it was very cost effective.
2.The tour began ,and was centred in the Holy Quadisha region of Lebanon.
Nineteen members formed a very happy and contented group and the fellowship was very heartening.
We visited all the major attractions in North Lebanon.
This included the Quadisha Valley region.All the surrounding villages.Saint Antonio, Saint Charbel’s village the Gibran Museum and the Holy Cedars of Lebanon.
Many believe that the Transfiguration of Our Lord took place in the Cedars.
Many on the tour experienced spiritual experiences of a deep nature.
Our base the Chbat Hotel.Becharre.
We visited the memorial to Kahlil Hanna Schehadie Kairouz and his wife Khola of the Touk family.Built from donations from his grandchildren in South Africa.
The building of the memorial was done
by Emile Rahme , Mayor of Becharre, with
the full support of the Kairouz and Fagri
families.
We visited the home of a member of the Kairouz family and were entertained and welcomed by the Fagri families of Becharre at their “Jamheeie” clubhouse.
We visited Sibhel and met with the Mayor of Sibhel.
It was a most touching experience with Maurice Farah being welcomed in his ancestral village.
Similar visits were made to Basoun and Hasroun.
Because of the snow, we were unable to go to Baalbek and had to go via Beirut.
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Our headquarters in Jounieh was the Bel Azur Hotel
So it was sea and sun and shop till you drop.
Another variation on our tour was the visit of the group to The University of Notre Dame, and the museum of Lebanese emigration, where Professor Guita Hourani and her team were our hosts..
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We visited Father Michael Chebli in a retirement convent in Broummena.
Father Chebli served our community in South Africa with distinction for 40 years.
He is a confidant of Bishops, priests and lay people alike.
A truly holy man of God.
We visited Cana in the South where Jesus is reported to have performed his first miracle with the changing of the water into wine, on the request of Our Blessed Mother.
Harissa, Jeita and the oldest winery in the Middle East was also visited.
This and much, much more was our experience of Lebanon.
Lebanon a name which all the waves of the sea will never erase.
Gibran.
“People of the Cedars” and the Cape Town representative Advocate Fadi Khalaf is in contact with the Gibran Society in Lebanon, with a possible exhibition of his works in South Africa.
Lebanese Language Classes.
Please phone Rene on 0829234829 or Maurice on 0824574726 to find out more about these classes
Projects;
“People of the Cedars” successfully organised the following projects
New years eve party.
Free pizza evening.
A very successful Talk and dinner at Cedar Park Country Club with South Africa’s leading Economist, our very own Dr.Azar Jammine.
World Lebanese Cultural Union.
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It is no secret that there are two Unions.
We are not prepared to go in to the politics of the two unions.
Suffice to say that “People of the Cedars” fully support both parties in their quest for unity.
Book.
There are still books available of “People of the Cedars” a 20th Century insight into the Lebanese South African Community.
Total proceeds go to the Lebanese Maronite Mission in South Africa
Second Book.
Ken Hanna is busy with his second book “People of the Cedars” An inheritance.
Please,please let him have any relevant stories you wish him to publish on this subject.
In our modest way we have tried to support all organizations serving our community.
The year is finished,this is it’s record………
“Finish each day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities ,no doubt crept in ,forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day ,begin it well and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your own nonsense” (Quote Ralph Emerson)
Thank you for allowing me to give of myself.
Kenneth Anthony Hanna.
Honorary Projects Coordinator.
“People of the Cedars”
Serving the Lebanese South African Community.