Shweiry Of The Month Honorees

Shweiry of the Month Honorees 

The success of Shweir.com is the result of your participation and sharing.  
Each month we will honor the person (s) who made a big impact and difference 
that benefits Shweir, its people and/or Shweir.com.   

The following are our present & past Honorees:  

Congratulations to all of the Honorees mentioned above 
and to everyone who participated and helped make Shweir.com a great success.  
Thank You.  The Team at Shweir.com.

SHWEIRY OF THE MONTH 

 January 2001

HABIB KHALIL MOUJAES

 Habib strong ties to the Shweir.com and his initiative and dynamic character successfully led to  provide computers for the schools in Shweir.  In Collaboration with Shweir.com he helped raise money, purchase and install the Computers for the Shweir High and Elementary Schools.  

He is always in contact with the web page and provides us with up to date information on activities in the hometown.  Shweir.com is privileged to have such a great person, like Habib who believes and supports our efforts, and are very fortunate to actually have him as a direct link to Dhour Shweir.  We are positive that we will join hands in the future on many projects for our beloved village.  Thank you Habib

Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome our January Shweiry Honoree, Habib Khalil Moujaes:   

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Bio:  Son of Khalil & Souad Moujaes (Owner of Cinema Roxy , and the bowling alley in Dhour).

Habib was born in 1956, in Dhour Shweir and attended the College des Apotres in Jounieh, Lebanon. After graduating from H.S. he served with the Lebanese army for 6 months prior to its demise during the civil war.  He returned to Dhour (Under siege) and stayed there until it was overrun. He and his family had to flee Lebanon to the United States after he was injured in the summer of 1976.  In the US he attended Kent State University, then the University of Akron.  He graduated with BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1981.

His first professional experience was for BFGoodrich Company in Akron, Ohio, where he held various positions up to Plant Engineer.

In 1986 he returned to Dhour to try to start a new business.  The economic situation was not favorable, so he returned to the US and started a consulting firm with a colleague from BFG.  He waited until the situation improved in Lebanon, sold his business and returned for good to Dhour where he has established and currently running his successful company,  Fincorp Engineering.

 He is married to Monda Riachy and the couple are the proud parents of Omar (10) and Tiffany (7) both are attending Brumana High School

 This year his company moved into a new facility in Ain El Sindianeh with a 10,000 sq. ft. modern building. They manufacture equipment for the Flexible Foam Factories.  The company employs 8 technicians and one secretary.  They are approved contractors for the United Nation Industrial Development Program: (UNDP), The UN office for project services (UNOPS), The French Agency for development (AFD) and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Most of the manufactured equipment is destined for the African Continent, We also have customers in Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Algiers, Tunis, and Morocco in addition to our Lebanese customers.

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Since we do not have a profile photo of Habib, we will use one from Shweir.com archives

 Habib Moujaes, on behalf of the Shweirieh bil Mahjar, and the team at Shweir.com, we send to you our gratitude and our sincere thanks for your leadership and bold initiatives to make our first project a reality by introducing the first computers to Shweir Hi-School and the community.  See Computers to Shweir.  You achieved that with a very small budget.  This is a perfect example of how to achieve our goals and spend our resources wisely. 

Your "Brrr" photo of Dhour in the snow was felt by Shweirieh around the world.   

Congratulations Habib!

SHWEIRY OF THE MONTH

February 2001

DR. KLEE BENVENISTE

"MY GREAT-GRANDPARENTS AMIN AND KAMMILIE ABOTOMEY ... CAME FROM SHWEIR TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA AROUND 1890."  

They say there is something in the water of the Ains (springs), some say it is in their blood, others say it is a feeling in the heart and soul that makes them yearn for Shweir, their hometown, their forefathers birth place.   

There is no better example of these sayings than our February Shweiry Honoree.  You see, Dr. Klee Benveniste never lived or even visited Shweir, yet she knows more about Shweir and its history than many people who lived there.  From the moment that Dr. Klee logged on to Shweir.com in early February, she has been like a beacon of light.  Just take a look at the Shweir Bulletin Boards (old and new), you cannot help but see many meaningful and profound entries by Dr. Klee.  Her love for Shweir and its people radiates through the web pages like her smile and it is contagious.  

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Klee the bride	Klee the Doctor	Amin Abotomey,  her great-grandfather	Kammilie Abotomey,  her great-grandmother
Amin and Kammilie with their 4 sons and 3 daughters in South Australia around 1895; Klee's grandmother is about two years old, sitting in her mother's lap. The oldest son Samir, standing, was the first to arrive in 1887	Klee's grandmother Elizabeth ("Kitty") as a young woman, around 1910	Amin Abotomey and Sons, General Store, Fruiterer and Confectioner  - Peterborough, South Australia, 1897	A. Abotomey and Sons, Clothing Manufacturers  -  Adelaide, South Australia, around 1915

"I have mentioned on the Bulletin Board about displaying items of cultural heritage and encouraging the redevelopment of craftsmanship. Attached is a scan of my great grandfather's 19th century watch chain from Lebanon, possibly even from Shweir. It belonged to Amin Abou Taameh and has been handed down, generation after generation to me. It has silver-plated metal links, and the green stones are decorated with a leaf design and channel-set into the post-and-rail links. It would have been made pre-1890. I think others would be interested to see it".

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Author

Topic:   We are like guardian spirits

Klee Member

posted 03-15-2001 06:39 AM           We are like guardian spirits watching over the village That spreads over the mountain close to heaven Drawn down by elderly knights performing a sword and shield dance And women spreading their scarves in a giant circle in holy places Praying "Remember us". We whisper in electric voices amongst ourselves "Can they hear us?" "When will they answer?" says one of us "How can we gain their attention" says another "We will visit them" says a third, "for they know that whoever leaves this place, something of him stays here forever, and draws him back again". So the knight prances with Saif oo Terse The dance of the spirits of Shweir: "Return, return, o guardians, Your people need you" And from every direction we are drawn home.

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Congratulations Dr. Klee, it is our privilege to know you. 

We would like to present to you with the symbolic keys to Shweir,  

since it not feasible yet, may we present you with symbolic keys to Shweir.com. 

Sample communications from the Bulletin Board

Author	Topic:   Shweir.com of the month
George Matar Administrator	posted 10-12-2001 10:22 AM           Month of September have passed , and October is almost half over. If I may Humble Anwar a little and Nominate him for the honor of both months. I would have liked to share it with him but, honestly I don't deserve it. Sure I was with him in Shweir most of the time, but it was him that brought all of you the news and pictures, while I am struggling and some of you think I am enjoying my long and extended vacation in New Orleans, and here in Aruba. No Anwar has to be the Man. If there is anybody that can share the honor, are all these wonderful Shweirieh that wrote reports on the events of the Eid. Anwar, "U Numba 1"....Yes "U'd da Man" IP: Logged
lamloum_k Member	posted 10-12-2001 11:43 AM           i agree with u Aamo George I think Anwar should be elected as Shweirieh of the month! He has been working really hard!! lamloum IP: Logged
Klee Member	posted 10-13-2001 05:48 AM           Yes, he definitely lit up the website in kodachrome, fujicolor and 16-bit highcolour. And especially impressive was the effort he made to find places and relatives that meant a lot to those of us overseas. It was really appreciated. You are a very appropriate Shweirie of the Month Anwar. IP: Logged
Nabil E. Matar Member	posted 10-13-2001 03:26 PM           Yes, I agree with you all, In my book Anwer deserves not only to be the Shweiry of the month but Shweiry of the year. My friend you are some thing else IP: Logged
Paul Woodfield Member	posted 10-14-2001 11:12 PM           I couldn't agree more. Not only were many photos taken (and Anwar did make sure he included everybody), but he and George took great care of Sitty (Helena Ataya), Janice and Miriam - not to mention myself, in Shweir making us all feel very included. All much appreciated, my friend. Paul IP: Logged
Waleed Moujaes Member	posted 10-15-2001 08:33 AM           I haven't spoken to anybody in Shweir since August, and he/she hasn't mentioned Anwar. The way he presented his trip, the organized photographs with the exact dates (although the time was California's!!!), his enthusiasm,... is admirable!!! Can you image that he who hasn't been to Shweir in 30 years, was able to find Dr. Klee's grandfathers supposedly place of living who left Shweir more than 100 years ago!!! Anwar is the honoree of the year. point. IP: Logged
George Matar Administrator	posted 10-15-2001 11:18 AM           Why are you so quite Ya Anwar? Have wore out the letters on the keyboard? IP: Logged
Webmaster Administrator	posted 10-16-2001 03:22 AM           My sincere appologies for being out of touch for a while... Don't want to bore with details... Suffice it to say that I was anxious to post as many photos and had to deal with some condos I have near Seattle and etc. etc. NOw you guys and ladies are about to make me blush... Thank you very much for your kind words and the honorary nomination. Well, if you recall, I was the shweir.com honoree for June of 2000. As Shweir.com Webmaster, if I may exercise some "discretionary power", I would be very happy instead to recognize some who have not yet been honored. There is someone in particular I have in mind. That person does not surf the net, but what she did and said deserve recognition... ok, I am talking about Helena Ataya... Imagine, 90 year young Helena and her support team walked all the way from the other end of Shweir all the way to Saha in Dhour and attending the Festival, spoke to the audience in classic Shweiry Arabic that I have not heard since my aunts passed away many years ago and she told the crowd that she plans on coming next year... George looked at me and said that what that lady is doing is the best advertisement for Shweir to bring the Mughtaribeen next year... and imagine that about 1:00 a.m. when the Hafli in Saha was finished, they were planning on walking back to Shweir... and they were prepared with flash lights... now that is impressive... I know that between George, Janice, Mirriam, Paul and I, we can write something great about Helena and honor her. Thank you all for your support and for keeping the momentum going. Anwar IP: Logged
Paul Woodfield Member	posted 10-23-2001 11:24 PM           Mind you Anwar, a lot has happened since June last year!!! I would be happy to write something up about Sitty. Shes still travelling around in Egypt at the moment. She gets out more than I do - now thats sad!!! I will start typing..... Paul                         IP: Logged
Habeeb M. Nacol Member	posted 10-24-2001 07:49 AM           As evidenced in this web page, Shweir has many caring, talented, energetic as well as visionary individuals. Some are creative and originators like Hilda and George, others like me are reactors, others are silent yet forceful doers like Elie and Alfred and we have wonderful lightning rods like Ghassan and Elias. We have the level headed ankors like Klee, and those that bring in a touch of freshness like the incomparable Lamloum-I am crazy about her. Her parents must be bursting with pride! What a great bunch of people, including you Elusive! However, once in a blue moon someone special surfaces that embodies all the goodness, humanity, leadership and all the attributes of greatness. This individual has never ceased to amaze me since I had the great fortune to meet him. And when I think that he has outdone himself, he comes up with something more worth while and spectacular. Let me weigh in and say Anwar you embody everything good that Shweir has or should have. Only a poet or an artist can paint the picture that you have composed of your trip to Shweir. There is something in this collection for everyone. You have made our village alive once again for so many of us that have never seen it or as in my case have forgotten some of its wonderful people and places. Person of the month and of the year? Certainly. God bless you Anwar and I love you brother . IP: Logged
Elias Khonaisser Administrator	posted 10-24-2001 11:54 AM           Working in the tech field and building web pages as a hobby makes me appreciate what Anwar is doing because i know how much time and effort is put into presenting all the material and the details that go along with it and the frustration sometimes when the software is just not behaving the way you want it to. i will add my voice to habeeb's and there is no better words to describe or thank you than what Habeeb said. Amen to that. Anwar for shweirie of the month and the year. Elias                          IP: Logged
Webmaster Administrator	posted 10-26-2001 02:53 PM           Ya Habeeb el Alb, you just left me speechless or in this case writeless... I am so touched by what you all wrote... God, do I have the best family in the world or what... I have and continue to act on the belief that I could not have done that much without the support of our team of Shweir.com and should there be any important acknowledgement, I would like to share that with Al Mukhtar and/or the Matar Brothers because with their energy, diplomacy and broad knowledge,we worked so well together. As such, I hubly accept your vote of confidence and invite the Matar Brothers to join me as honorees for October... Now we still have to name an honoree for September. I would like to nominate Helena Ataya for September because she is setting a great example for a 90 year young Mughtarebeh visiting her home land and as I understand it she has expnaded her tour to include the Middle East... now she is in Egypt. So, Paul, get us a nice write up to do Helena justice... We welcome your nomination for more candidates because we have November and December quickly approaching ... With much appreciation and love to all, Anwar