Ang Magiting - The Official Web Site of Rotary Club Makati North

“Dynamic force in Jewish life”

By: Sec. Bob Hecks
Jan. 12, 2011

Our guest speaker was a rabbi representing Chabad Lubavitch, “a philosophy, a movement and an organization” and a “dynamic force in Jewish life.” We also learned about our younger members, none of whom were present at the meeting, and about an exciting program for a special weekly meeting the following week and PP Bert Lingad’s generous offer for our weekly meeting on January 26.

Recruiting new members and retaining them was a feature of Pres. Mac’s Message. He advised us that some of our new members enjoy the fieldwork in which they have been so active more than they enjoy our regular lunchtime meetings. This generation gap – the absence from our membership of RCMNers with 5-15 years service who should now be taking on the leadership of our club – is the main cause of our perennial problem with finding candidates for president. We recruited during those years but it seems we could not retain them.

RCMNers welcomed with enthusiasm the news of a special meeting on the evening of Tuesday 18 January at the Marriott Hotel. Gambling is not the usual way of raising money for Rotary activities but PP Ato Magadia had this foolproof way of getting members’ involvement. Objectives were achieved – see page ___.

Rabbi Yossef Yitzchak was introduced by Pres. Mac who met him by chance walking through Market Market. Rabbi Yossef hailed him and said “You’re Jewish, I can tell from your face” or something like that. The rabbi was mistaken but they became friends, hence our guest speaker.

“We disobeyed God so often” said Rabbi Yossef, outlining the history of the Jews as described the Jewish Torah, also the basis of the first five books of the Christian Bible. He outlined the basic principles of Jewish belief, which reads much like the Ten Commandments listed in Exodus and Deuteronomy.

The Jewish community in the Philippines numbers about 2000, many of whom are in Cebu. Chabad Lubavitch has about 300 members and is headquartered in Bgy. San Miguel, Makati. The movement is engaged in teaching understanding of Jewish religious philosophy and serves as a community center and an address for Jews visiting the Philippines to tour or on business trips or looking for Kosher food and other Jewish services.