Letters and News

◉ The Women’s Charitable Society of Tripoli has decided to establish a shelter for little girls, which it has named “Dar al-Yatima.” For this purpose it has rented a special building, and has engaged a schoolmistress, a governess, and a maid, so as to begin work as quickly as possible under the supervision of the society’s president and members. The people of Tripoli have welcomed this noble idea and have begun lending their efforts to the subscription which the society set going as of June 15. The committee has decided to accept ten orphan girls in the first year, in the hope of doubling the number in the future. We wish it success in the service of suffering humanity.

◉ The Child Welfare Society in Tripoli has founded a kindergarten that today numbers sixty children of the various communities and classes. The school has been fitted out with everything a child needs for his upbringing according to modern principles and the methods followed in advanced countries. The delegation of the Women’s Union visited this institution during its visit to Tripoli and expressed great admiration for the progress and activity it saw there toward raising the child’s level and giving him a sound upbringing.

◉ On the afternoon of Monday, the first of July, a company of the ladies of Lebanon gathered to attend the ceremony of distributing certificates to twelve nurses, the first class to be graduated by the nursing school founded by the First Lady of Lebanon. After hearing a gracious word from one of the hospital’s doctors, the First Lady distributed the certificates to the graduates, and the guests then passed to a table laden with all kinds of sweets.

◉ Makassed College for Girls held its annual celebration on the school’s stage, where educational culture — learning, letters, and acting — shone forth in a manner that testified to fruitful efforts and wise guidance. No small number of holders of the elementary baccalaureate appeared upon the stage.

That is a brilliant result, giving promise of a fine future for the Lebanese Arab girl, upon whom reliance rests in building the future of a new generation through which the nation’s desire for progress and advancement shall be realized.

◉ At the same time an exhibition was held, for which the school set aside a special wing consisting of five spacious rooms, adorned with all kinds of handwork — sewing, embroidery, painting, drawing, and other things that testify to sound taste, precision of workmanship, and fine judgment in selection.

◉ Her Ladyship the First Lady of Lebanon left Lebanon on the tenth of July for America, to seek treatment, passing by way of France. This journey of hers will take three months, after which she will return to the homeland, which will take pleasure in welcoming her back to its hills.

And “The Woman’s Voice” wishes her a blessed journey, filled with health and complete recovery.

◉ A decree has been issued conferring the silver Lebanese Order of Merit, with palms, upon Mrs. Asma Abi al-Lama’ and Mrs. Emilia Trad.

◉ The jury chosen by the BBC, composed of Messrs. Khalil Mardam Bey, Ma’ruf al-Arna’ut, and Shafiq Jabri, met and examined the entries in the poetry competition, and the first prize was won by the woman of letters of al-Fayha’, Miss Mary Ajami.

◉ The Palestine Broadcasting House and the press have marked the passing of five years since the death of the poet of Palestine, the late Ibrahim Tuqan. His sister, the poetess Miss Fadwa Tuqan, has finished writing a book about him, which the General Culture series will publish next month.

◉ We have learned that the able Lebanese actress Miss Lima Fa’ali has decided to retire definitively from the art of the stage, as she has resolved to marry and to devote herself to the care of family affairs.

◉ Dr. Jamal Karam Harfush arrived in New York this week aboard the steamer “Marine Shark.” She has gone to the United States to study the modern methods of public health care, the organizations for the betterment of offspring, and the methods of child welfare in particular. She intends to travel for two or three months through the largest cities of the Republic, and then to spend the rest of the year in study at Columbia University. She was received by representatives of the Near East College, which is drawing up for her the program of her studies and the itinerary of her travels in America.

◉ We have received the following from Mr. Najib al-Sayegh: “Greetings. Miss Jacqueline Hakimian published an article in issue 40 of your magazine, which appeared in the month of July 1946, in which she stated that she had asked me two questions — the first concerning woman’s practice of the profession of law, and the second my opinion of marriage — and that I answered them as published in her said article.

Since the Miss who wrote the article asked me no question whatever, and since I made no statement of this kind to her, I have written this letter, requesting its publication in the first issue of your esteemed magazine to appear. Accept, Madam, my highest respect.”

We apologize to Mr. Sayegh for the occurrence of this error.

◉ The cultural society attached to the Women’s Solidarity Association in Acre, Palestine, issued invitations late last month to a literary evening which it held at the Ahli Cinema. The invitations were addressed to women and men alike.

The evening was opened by the president of the cultural society, Miss Najla Nasser Issa, with a word of welcome,

which she followed with a brief word on the aims and purposes of the association and the projects it seeks to accomplish.

Then the speaker of the evening, the great woman of letters Mrs. Asma Tubi, delivered a valuable lecture entitled “We Want to Live,” in which she set forth the strong ways that will fit our people for a happy life. The distinguished authoress treated the present condition of our nation admirably. We went in to hear the lecture, every one of us asking how it is that “we want to live,” and what effective paths will fit us for life — and we came out, every one of us knowing how to live.

After that Mr. Nasser Issa recited a poem of well-filled verses in which he praised the honored lecturer, setting forth her valuable labors in the literary renaissance in Palestine.

The evening was closed with a word of thanks from Miss Violette Awad to all who had answered the invitation of the Solidarity Association, and to all who had supported it, whether materially or morally.

◉ The educated young women and young men of the town of Joun have firmly resolved to work in the cause of right and good. They called one another to form a bloc, united in inclination and in aim, rising above destructive selfishness and the hateful spirit of estrangement; and so they organized themselves into a body which they have named “the Cultural League.” Among the first fruits of their work were the founding of a reading library which, despite its recent origin, contains close to three hundred books in Arabic, French, and English, and the establishment of a night school for teaching the illiterate.

The League’s annual elections were held on the fourteenth of July, with these results: Mr. Hanna Estephan won the presidency; Mr. Samir Suleiman, the vice-presidency; Miss Huda Abd al-Nour, the secretaryship; Mr. Fuad Fawaz, the treasurership; and Mr. Hassan Abd, the responsibility of overseeing the library.