MEN’S CLUB NEWS
BY HOWARD ARKIN
Men’s Club Guest Speaker: Author Saul Fathi
Something to Look Forward To
About fifteen minutes after
this picture was taken,
NST Men’s Club members
began to arrive. It was only about
one month ago, but it already feels
like years. But in the “olden days”
when restaurants were open and
we were able to gather in groups,
you could expect to hear conversations
the likes of which have not
been heard since those that were
spoken at the Algonquin Round
Table almost a century ago. Some
of the discussions are enlightening,
some are outrageous, and many are
extremely humorous. Lots of them
are bound to keep a smile on your
face the entire day.
I’m extremely grateful for the
opportunity to listen and learn
from my well-informed and smart
tablemates. This is what kept me
coming back three days a week
and is one of the things I’m most
looking forward to when our lives
get back to normal (and they will).
If you are a member of the Men’s
Club and have not come down to
any of the breakfasts, you’ve really
been missing something. Please join
us as soon as we can get together
again. Don’t let the picture of the
empty table fool you--quite often,
seats have to be added.
See you at Buffy’s…someday
soon...
On Thursday, February 13,
the North Shore Towers
Men’s Club was pleased
to welcome Saul Fathi as the evening’s
guest speaker.
A noted author and lecturer, Saul
was born in 1938 to a prominent
Jewish family living in Baghdad,
Iraq. Following the independence
of Israel in 1948, a wave of
anti-Semitism occurred in Iraq.
Rather than face religious persecution,
Saul’s family chose to flee
to this newly formed state. Saul was
now embarking on the phase of his
life that would eventually bring him
“Full Circle,” which would aptly be
the title of one of the many books
he has authored.
In Israel, he received an electrical
engineering degree from the Israeli
Airfare Academy of Aeronautics
and practiced as a certified electrical
engineer. 1958 found Saul in
Brasilia, Brazil, where he started
his own engineering business. It
was then on to the United States
on a student exchange visa where
in return for a three-year army commitment,
Saul received free college
tuition and as well as United States
citizenship. He eventually received
his degree from the University of
Virginia and went on to work as
an executive at several Fortune 500
companies. Saul retired in 2003 and
now resides with his wife Rachelle
in Central Islip.
Prior to beginning his lecture,
Saul passed out papers highlighting
12 topics that he would be discussing.
The subjects ranged from
North Korea and South Korea, the
Middle East, as well as the current
Ukrainian situation. Given the
time constraints of the lecture, it
would seem impossible to cover all
of those topics, and unfortunately
it was.
Being a history buff myself, I
found Saul’s recollection of history
to be quite accurate, yet some
of his personal views to be rather
controversial. His first view that
was controversial was his argument
that unification between
North and South Korea would be
mutually beneficial, but he places
almost all of the responsibility on
South Korea. Saul also expressed
a controversial view regarding the
territory of Crimea. He argues that
because the Ukraine was part of the
Soviet Union and Russia for 300
years that they should understand
that Russia is entitled to Crimea. He
also argues that the Ukraine should
not be a member of either NATO or
the EU. I think that most people in
this country would disagree.
Saul proved to have a tremendous
knowledge of history and provided
a very stimulating lecture. I am sure
that we will hear from him again in
the future.
FULL
CIRCLE
You’re stuck at home anyway,
so why not read a good book?
“Full Circle” received the 2005
Distinguished Honor Award from
the Military Writers Society of
America and can be ordered on
Amazon. Here’s an excerpt from
one review:
“The author tells his story simply
and honestly and this is the
great appeal of the tale. Historical
events are described in detail,
both as they were observed and
as they were experienced by the
author. This book could be a
point of education for thousands
of people in this country alone.”
– Amazon.com
For more info about the author
and his other books, visit sausilasfalthi.
com.
Saul Fathi at the Men’s Club
Men’s Breakfast Club Meetings
MEN’S CLUB EVENTS
The Men’s club has canceled all events for April and until further
notice until the coronavirus is under control. We value the safety of
our members and we are better off safe than sorry. If you have any
questions, please call Jerry Siegel at 347-235-4513. Be well.
24 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ April 2020
/Amazon.com
