On the 3rd of July 1996 the ceremony for change of presidents took place at the YMCA Hall. Dr Issam Rizek president of 1995/96 opened the meeting by welcoming all the guests that included Mayor Ramez Jeraysi,, the new president Judge Khalil Abboud who had just retired from the presidency of the Magistrate Courts of the North in Israel. We are grateful to Judge Abboud to have accepted the presidency of the Rotary Club of Nazareth for another time. Judge Selim Jubran and his wife Nina also the new president of the Magistrate Courts in Nazareth
Judge Gilbaz and most of the members and their wives and some guests that are friends of the Rotary Club of Nazareth.
In his short farewell speech Dr. Issam mentioned some of the important activities of the club during the last year some of which were on a District and others on the club basis.
Towards the end of his speech he said that together with his Board of Directors decided to donate what money they had collected during last year to some Medical, Cultural and Social Institution in town as follows:
English Hospital 10,000- Shekels (Dr. Nakhle Bishara)
Italian Hospital 10,000- = (Padre Serafino)
French Hospital 10,000- = (Dr. Selim Nakhle)
Old Age Home
(Easter Quarter) 2800,-
Old Age Home
(Nazareth) 4000,-
St. Anne Sisters 3000.-
Don Guanella School 3000-
Institute for the Blind 1000.-
Carmel Hospital 2000,-
Rambam Hospital 1500,-
Finally Dr. Issam thanked all the members of the Board and the club who had helped him and worked with him to reach the goal they had set at the beginning of the year, then wished the new Board all success in the coming year.
Dr. Basel Fahoum read the wisdom of the day from a book by Jubran Khalil Jubran.
Asaad Yunis proposed the International Toast to Nazareth in Pennsylvania United States of American.
Elias Zaher proposed the Ladies Toast.
Mrs Camilia Jammalia responded in a toast for men.
Yusef Srouji bid farewell to the old guards and welcome to the new ones through verses including their names.
The Mayor Ramez Jeraysi in his message to the Rotarians mentioned one of the most important problem facing us all now is the drug addiction and the widespread violence among the youth and that we should all work together, Municipality, Rotary and all the other institutions in Nazareth to fight and stop this phenomenon.
Dr. Issam called on Judge Abboud gave him the President Pin, handed over to him the Rotary Bell and the new president started the Rotary year of 1996/97 by ringing it to bring in order the first meeting of the new
Year.
