Shalom Club - Paraguay
by Josefina Duarte de Benitez
With great pleasure I am sending you and the readers of Shalom Magazine
a copy of the Resolution of Benjamin Aceval Municipal Council and
pictures of the inauguration of the "Jerusalem Square."
In a joint enterprise carried out by the Shalom Club, Paraguay's Jewish
community and the Municipality and residents of Benjamin Aceval, it was
decided to approve the project of building a public square in
commemoration of 3000 Years of Jerusalem. The surrounding walls will
replicate the gates of Jerusalem's Old City and the Western Wall. It
will be called "Jerusalem Square," and will have recreation areas for
the benefit of children, youth and adults.
In this manner and from this far away country, in the heart of South
America, we pay homage the eternal city in its celebrations.
Shalom Club - Czech Republic
A special meeting of the Czech Republic Shalom Club on the occasion of the
Tu B'Shvat festivities (traditional Jewish tree planting day) took place
this past January, 1997, at the Agricultural University in Prague, with the
participation of 40 people. The event was organized by Shalom Club
President Vera Matlova (Volcani Institute, 1993) and Mr. Milan Slavick
(Aharon Ofri Study Centre, 1995) from the Czech Science University.
Vera Matlova addressed those present on the occasion of the first meeting
of the Shalom Club in 1997 and mentioned that the first weeks of the new
year mark new beginnings: the signing of the Hebron Agreement between
Israel and the Palestinian Authority and the Czech-German Declaration. She
added that although Israel and the Czech Republic are not geographic
neighbours, there are ample opportunities for cooperation between the two
countries.
First Secretary at the Israeli Embassy, Yuval Fuchs, congratulated the
members of the Shalom Club for their initiatives and activities which he
compared to the festivities of Tu B'Shvat, as planting the seeds of
cooperation.
Also present in the reunion was Yonathan Shaulski, an Israeli agricultural
expert on field crops and extension on a short term mission to the Czech
Republic. He thanked the Shalom Club members for inviting him to their
meeting and outlined the existing opportunities for cooperation between the
two countries and his personal desire to share his knowledge with others.
The video movies "Bridges to Peace" and "Planting the Seeds of Peace" were
screened, followed by refreshments commemorating the Tu B'Shvat
festivities.
A letter of congratulations on the occasion of the annual meeting of the
Czech Shalom Club was received from Mr. Mitsuo Nagumo, President of the
Shalom Club in Japan, following the meeting of both Shalom Club secretaries
in Tokyo. Since this meeting a special exchange program was started between
the two clubs. Mr. Nagumo wrote: "Although there are thousands of miles
between us, I think we can have a close relationship and nice exchange in
various ways. Shalom Club - Japan celebrated its 25th anniversary last
year. We now have some 200 members, consisting of trade union and
cooperative society staff members, farmers, journalists and others who
graduated from the Afro-Asian Institute in Tel Aviv."
Shalom Club - Chad
Peace and Assistance Between Nations
Dear Editor, Colleagues and Shalom Readers,
Shalom, Shalom at the beginning of 1997 - I am absolutely delighted to
inform you that since October 3, 1996, the Chad Shalom Club has been
officially authorized to operate by the Chad Minister of the Interior and
Security. The large Shalom Club family is growing by leaps and bounds! We
render thanks to the Almighty, the Creator.
The goals of the Chad Shalom Club (Peace and Assistance Between Nations)
are as follows:
- Chad's socio-economic development
- to combat famine and desertification
- to raise awareness about environmental problems
- to maintain good ties with Israel and its development partners by
organizing conferences, seminars and training programes in order to promote
the exchange of information on development
- to seek information and grants for development training
- to establish cooperatives and small-scale projects and businesses in Chad
- encouraging development associations to take part in courses organized
and sponsored by MASHAV and its partners.
To achieve these aims, it is vital that Chad-Israel diplomatic relations be
re-established. We are above all counting on the following:
- the goodwill of the alumni and former students of the courses organized
by MASHAV for putting into practice the courses given in Israel
- MASHAV for following-up its alumni
- Israel's friends throughout the world.
Our achievements:
- The President of the Chad Shalom Club, Mr. Ngarti Mbaidoum, is the
coordinator of several Special Education Centres for Blind and Deaf
Persons. He is Director of the Handicapped People's Division of the Chad
Bible Reading League.
- Shalom Club economic adviser Mr. Adogre Dok Mbamo coordinates the
irrigation of several hectares in a number of villages in Chad.
- Mr. Asdjim is the stalwart head of the Mid-Chari farmers' union.
- Mr. Madjerim Laoukounda Nelson has just established savings and credit
cooperatives in Kelo and Moundou.
- Our friends Nelngar Younane Dijmade Golsinda, Nadji Telro and Mbaiassel
Rene are showing their mettle in the Water Resources Department.
- Our sisters Sainibi Agnes and Ndoninga Rachel are staunch militants in
the CLTT and UST trades unions fighting for the workers' cause in Chad.
President of Chad Shalom Club Andre Ngarti Mbaidoum
POB 2279
N'Djamena
Chad