MENS’ CLUB BY PAUL NETTLER Our speaker at our May 11 meeting, Saul Silas Fathi, truly has an encyclopedic knowledge of his subject matter, “Great Women in World History.” The subject must have struck a chord, as the large card room was almost filled to capacity. Saul picked seven women in history and described the impact they had on our civilization. Sarah, wife of Abraham, the mother of monotheism and hence all three major religions topped the list, followed by Mary, mother of Jesus. As in Christianity, Mary is revered in the Qur’an as the mother of Jesus through divine intervention, although it rejects Jesus as the son of God. Jesus and his 12 disciples are responsible for establishing Christianity as the world’s largest religion. Cleopatra, must have been some seductress, seducing two of the most powerful men in the world, Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony, and make them give up everything to be with her. She convinced the Egyptians she was descended from the Goddess “Isis,” and was the last Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, having her brother, who was next in line, killed. Talk about sibling rivalry. She eventually committed suicide. Saul feels all this led to the fall of the Roman Empire. Khadijah is not a familiar name, but she was the first wife of Muhammad, a learned woman which was unusual for women at that time. She introduced Muhammad, who had a huge thirst for knowledge but was illiterate his whole life, to the Jewish and Christian scriptures, and was the first woman to convert to Islam. Joan of Arc is much more familiar; the peasant girl who received divine guidance in her dreams to lead the French troops. At the age of 19, dressed as a man, she won several important victories during the Hundred Years War, until she was captured by the enemy. She was condemned to death and was the only person in history to be burned at the stake three times. Considered a national heroine of France, Joan was canonized in 1920. Skipping several centuries, we come to Indira Gandhi who served as India’s Prime Minister four terms. She led India during the victory of East Pakistan over Pakistan and the creation of an independent Bangladesh and authorized the development of nuclear weapons, lest India be left behind in the deadly arms race. Her dislike of President Nixon resulted in India, which had been one of America’s biggest munitions’ customers, switching its purchasing to Russia, thus coming under their influence. Wrapping up Saul’s list was Golda Meir, who lived in the U.S. before settling in Israel. Meir rose through the ranks and Ben-Gurion called her “The best man in my government,” and was one of the twenty-four signers of Israel’s Declaration of Independence. Prime Minister during the Yom Kippur War, Meir, it’s felt by many, did not mobilize Israel’s forces fast enough. The possibility of using “The Bomb” existed, but she bravely and wisely held off. Meir sacrificed much, and in 1974, she resigned because she felt it was the will of the people. Recently back from snow birding, Current Events Meeting Chairman, Lee Hiller, returned on May 8 to a full house. Many thanks to Gary Darche for pinch hitting during Lee’s winter hiatus. As usual, the meeting was spirited, yet gentlemanly, starting with a brief discussion on the current efforts of the Mets and the Yankees. Naturally, the antics of Donald and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were analyzed with the feeling there are conflicts of interest, to which Al Chumsky replied with the quote of the day: “All politic is organized crime.” Someone pointed out when discussing the new healthcare bill that Trump is the consummate salesman. He knows repetition is the essence of good advertising and by constantly repeating how wonderful the new Health Care Act (read Trump Care) is, he convinces people it’s true. The opinion of many is he’s Robin Hood in reverse. The next big topic was the New York State free tuition bill, Governor Cuomo’s pet project. With many educators in the group, it was like throwing them raw meat. One question: Where will the money come from? The law doesn’t provide the cost of room and board, books, etc., about 60% of the total cost. Some suggestions included extending high school to 14th grade to see if students are truly ready for college and having high-priced faculty teach more hours. The next meeting of the Current Events Group will be held on Monday, June 12, at 10:30 a.m. in the Coleridge lounge. Our next monthly club meeting on Thursday, June 8, at 7:30 will be sponsored by both the Men’s Club and the UJA and held in Towers on the Green. Featured speaker former New York Yankee Ron Blomberg (see exclusive NST Courier interview on page 6), known as the “Great Jewish Hope” during the 70s, will discuss being the first designated hitter in baseball history, the first Jewish player to ever suit up in pinstripes and the anti-Semitism he faced from fans and players alike. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Ron share his personal story. Seating is limited—you must RSVP to Sherri Candel at 516-762-5896 or candels@uifafeny.org. The next meeting of the Book Group will be held on Monday, June 19, at 10:30 a.m. in the Coleridge lounge, where “The Hare with Amber Eyes” by Edmund De Wall will be discussed. It follows the history of a wealthy European family, not unlike the Rothschilds, from 1870 to 2009. Bernie Jacobson will lead the discussion. Reserved copies of the book are at the Glen Oaks Library. If you have any questions, call Ralph Edwards at 347-235-0472. On May 2 and May 9, several members visited the Apple Store in Manhasset for a group tutorial on the use of cell phones. It was informative even for those who consider themselves experts. If interested, a tutorial on the iPad can be arranged. For information call Art Rose at 917-301-2689. On April 27, a group of about 15 of us had lunch at the Jolly Fisherman in Roslyn. It was a pleasant lunch, which sowed the seeds for what will be the Men’s Club version of ROMEOS—Retired Old Men Eating Out. Once a month, we’ll get together for lunch on an informal basis at a restaurant our in-house maven, Steve Weiland, will choose. Other June activities include a trip to Belmont racetrack on the 22, which will include lunch and an excursion to the Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City on June 26. Our weekly breakfasts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Buffy’s at 9:15 continue to be popular, especially for new members. If you would like to speak to our president, Arnie Rabinowitz, his number is 516-317- 6705. If you would like to speak to our Events Committee Chairman, Jerry Siegel, his number is 347-235- 4513. And to join our Men’s Club, call Joe DiGiovanni at 516-965-9225. We are now 109 members strong and Joe would love to hear from you. Golda Meir 24 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ June 2017
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