Letters and News

♦ Mr. Fuad Badr, the general director of administration, wrote from New York saying, among other things: "The one encouraging thing so far is that the magazine The Woman's Voice has won the approval of the big advertising companies — and the owners of these companies know more about the state of publishing in our country than we know ourselves — and they acknowledge that it is the best Arabic magazine they have seen..."

♦ Articles on all manner of subjects are sent daily to the editorial office. Would that the magazine could take them all in, for there is in them a great deal that is pleasurable and charming. Perhaps the most deserving of mention among these articles are three. The first is entitled "Joan of Arc," by Miss Najat Hamid (Homs). How we wish the literary young lady had taken one of the Arab women strugglers as her living example of heroism and sacrifice. The second is entitled "The Cedar," by Miss Hanan Shams (Nabatiyeh), in which she says: "O immortal cedar! How magnificent is your aspect, seated upon your throne, surrounded by awe and majesty, in the heart of our beloved flag, symbol of independence and freedom... You look upon us with a look of reproach for our stagnation, as though you were saying: My dear children, why do you sleep so? Will you not wake from this slumber and follow the world that has gone ahead of you?... Rise from your slumber and restore to your country its former glory..."

As for the third article, its title is "Man's Happiness Is Woman," by Miss Azza Safa (Nabatiyeh). This article, as appears from its title, attempts to show how woman brings happiness to man by bearing all the pains of raising children, tending the affairs of the family, and the rest.

♦ A delegation of ladies of the Women's Charitable League Society in North Lebanon, presided over by the excellent Mrs. Awatif Bashir al-Uthman al-Mar'i, called upon His Excellency the Prime Minister and presented him a petition requesting the grant of a subsidy to the society for the completion of its project of founding a nursery school for poor girls in the village of Tinnin (Akkar). His Excellency the Prime Minister gave them fair promises, and they took their leave of him, thanking him for his sympathy and his zeal for charitable projects of this kind.

"The Woman's Voice" hopes that His Excellency the Prime Minister will keep his promise and extend a helping hand to this rising society, as he has to other societies and institutions, for the eminent services it renders in the field of charity and benevolence.

♦ The office of "The Woman's Voice" was honored by a visit from the excellent Mrs. Wadi'a Qaddura Khartabil, wife of Dr. Adib Khartabil, one of the notables of Tulkarm. She is one of the striving workers in the women's movement in Palestine.

She spoke to us at length about the women's movement in Palestine. Among what she said: "In Jerusalem the Women's Union is doing glorious work in the care of the child's affairs. It has a very fine athletic club, containing a library with books of the greatest usefulness, and a health center that contributes effectively to raising the general level of health. The Women's Union gathers together all the women's societies in Palestine: Jaffa — Haifa — Gaza — Tulkarm — Nablus — Ramallah — Nazareth — Acre." And these societies perform commendable, well-appreciated works in all the social, political, and literary fields...

When we asked her about the Tulkarm society, over which she presides, she answered: "In 1936 the society founded a kindergarten for children, with seventy pupils. It contributes to the government child-welfare institution which our society had earlier founded in 1930. The society has numerous charitable projects for aiding the needy. And we are today founding a club for ladies, embracing all intellectual, social, and athletic concerns. Most important of all, the society keeps step with the sincere patriotic spirit for which the town of Tulkarm is famous, and so all the members of the society hold themselves ever ready to do their share in supporting the right of the Arabs in Palestine."

We asked her about the activity of the Palestinian woman in the Palestine question, and she answered: "The Palestinian woman is firmly resolved to do her full share in the service of this cause of ours. The Palestinian woman lets no opportunity pass without seizing it in defense of our rights. And the Union is training the girls in the methods of passive defense, should disturbances arise in the future."

Here the president, Miss Ibtihaj Kaddoura, joined the conversation and offered her valuable opinion that attention must be directed toward effective propaganda in America, Europe, and the rest of the United Nations. Thus it appears that there is a pressing need to work on two fronts: the internal and the external.

♦ The Polish government has conferred upon our friend the great administrator Mr. Adib al-Nahhas, director of the Interior, the Polish Order of Merit, in recognition of his well-appreciated efforts in extending a helping hand to the Polish refugees. We congratulate Adib Bey on this recognition, which he deserves.

♦ The kindergarten of the Lebanese Women's League presented a lovely gift to the Child Welfare of the Women's Union. This gift, donated by those children, made a most welcome impression upon their little colleagues.

♦ Mrs. Lily Badre, a member of the supervisory committee of "The Woman's Voice," visited Palestine during the past month. There she made contact with the leaders of the women's movement, to acquaint herself with their activity in the social field; she also held a number of interviews in women's circles, their purpose being to gather the views that might be turned to account in working to strengthen the bond that ties "The Woman's Voice" to these circles. All this resulted in her great gratitude for the sincere good wishes which the finest women's circles expressed for the continued growth of this magazine, which alone expresses the refinement and progress the Arab woman has attained in the two fields of thought and journalism. The leaders of the women's renaissance promised to supply the magazine with news of their activity, that the ties among the Arab woman in all her lands might thereby be strengthened.

Mrs. Lily Badre's admiration was stirred by what she observed of the praiseworthy activity that stands out in the various brilliant works by which woman contributes to the service of society.

♦ The Alumnae Association of the American School for Girls, presided over by the excellent Mrs. Nadwa Massouh, never tires of making every effort to extend a helping hand to the poor and to those gifted girl students who are unable to pay their school fees in full. To this end it resorts to all manner of means to find the necessary money, chief among them the holding of literary and artistic entertainments. The latest entertainment, which it held in the assembly hall of the Girls' School, was unique of its kind in Tripoli, for it invited the orchestra of the Lebanese Academy under the direction of Mr. Alexis Boutros, which carried the audience aloft to the upper spheres on the strains of Brahms and Handel.

To the society's president, Mrs. Nadwa, and to its gracious members, sentiments of appreciation and admiration for their praiseworthy efforts.

♦ Miss Labiba al-Husseini delivered a lecture at the athletic club of the Women's Union in Jerusalem, entitled "A Review of the Book Jane Eyre." The lecture was a picture of the book Jane Eyre by its author Emily Brontë; then the lecturer offered her own views on the characters the book presents. When she had finished her talk, a pleasant discussion took place between her and the listeners about the book's characters and its author herself. A large audience attended the gathering, which ended amid applause and encouragement...

♦ The Women's Solidarity Society donated the sum of one hundred pounds to the fund of the Arab Nation in Palestine — a well-appreciated donation, and a generous deed of Her Majesty the exalted Queen of Transjordan, who presides over this society.

♦ The Society of the Myrrh-Bearers in Bethlehem distributed clothing to the value of 150 pounds on the occasion of the glorious feast of Easter, and this act of theirs left its good impression upon people's hearts.

♦ The Girls' Education Society in Haifa has opened a branch to teach girls the principles of sewing, at the society's expense. There are today in this workshop 73 girls who will master this trade after six months, and will then yield their places to another group of those whom harsh circumstances did not permit to graduate from schools for girls...

♦ Dr. Muhammad al-Muzayyin delivered a lecture in the hall of the Women's Union in Acre on the subject "Protecting the Child." A large number of ladies attended, listening to the valuable counsels which the excellent physician gave them. The Union's secretary, Mrs. Thurayya Muna, introduced the lecturer and thanked him, and all departed thanking the generous physician and the Women's Union, which had afforded them the opportunity of hearing him.

• The Women's Solidarity Society in Hebron held an entertainment whose net profit came to 72 Palestinian pounds, and it has earmarked the sum to be spent on the education of poor girl students.

• The Child Welfare Society in Jaffa has had good fortune, for an excellent physician has volunteered to supervise the dispensary it established two years ago. The society also held an evening entertainment attended by many, who departed praising the ladies in charge of this society's affairs.

• The hand of fate has snatched from the field of national struggle Mr. Qustantin Yanni, one of the pillars of the national and intellectual renaissance in this country. He was borne to his last resting place in a great funeral in which the leading figures and notables of Beirut took part, together with thousands of his admirers and mourners. The Woman's Voice offers to his sister, the great woman of letters Mrs. Mari Yanni, and to all the relatives, its most sincere condolences. May God grant him abundant mercy.

• The election of the members of the board of the Lebanon Club in Cairo for the year 1947 has taken place, resulting in the victory of Mr. Charles de Chedid, attorney, as president; Mr. Youssef Azar and Emir Farid Chehab as vice-presidents; Mr. Youssef Daoud, attorney, as treasurer; Mr. Antoine Eid as administrator; and Mr. Georges Waked as secretary. Elected to membership were Messrs.: Emile Lubnan, attorney; Antoine Razzouk, attorney; Najib Azar; Amin Badran; Georges Barakat; Sheikh Farid Yazbek; Ernest Tyan.

The Woman's Voice offers them its sincerest congratulations, and hopes that at their hands the praiseworthy efforts will be carried on, to raise the name of Lebanon high on the banks of the Nile, and to strengthen the bonds of loyalty and friendship between the two sister countries.

• The Ghassanids Organization in Beirut has issued a weekly newspaper that speaks in its name and expresses its point of view. Our hope is that it will do its share in directing Lebanese public opinion toward free conviction and sincere patriotism.

♦ A delegation of members of the Lebanese Al-Nahda An-Nisaiyah Society, headed by the noble Mrs. Evelyne Bustros, visited Nabatiyeh, where the society has begun opening schools in that region to combat illiteracy. May God bless the mission of the venerable president and of our gracious ladies, the members of this society, which has rendered Lebanon the most eminent of services.

♦ Miss Ibtihaj Kaddoura, president of the Arab Women's Federation of Lebanon, honored with a visit the Child Welfare Home in Musaytbeh — the first home for the care of poor children, and the home opened during her previous presidency. She was delighted with the little ones and with the care and attention they receive, and donated to them the sum of 25 Lebanese liras. After hearing them sing various songs, she attended the monthly session of the Child Welfare Committee and endorsed the committee's idea of spending the proceeds of Child's Day for the year '48 on the opening of the third home. Miss Ibtihaj's presence and her encouragement had the greatest effect in heartening the committee to press on with its humane work with an energy and a zeal that know no weariness.

♦ The exhibits of the Child Welfare Committee, and its part in the child-welfare exhibition at the American University of Beirut, made the greatest impression upon the spectators. The committee has received several letters in which their senders expressed their appreciation of the efforts the committee expends to raise the level of the poor child, and their admiration for the idea of "Child's Day."