Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/837516
12 June 15 • 2017 jn Film about the Jews of Kerala, India, builds bridges between West Bloomfield and Israeli Rotarians. W ith apologies to Charles Dickens, I'd like to share a A Tale of Two Cities — West Bloomfield and Ramla, Israel — whose respective Rotary clubs recently signed an "Agreement for Partnership." They are now officially sister clubs. "Our similar attitudes about the positive influence both our clubs have in our com- munities fostered the idea of connecting and working jointly with our Israeli coun- terpart on international projects," says West Bloomfield Rotary Club member Geebee Thimotheose. Dr. Henry Maicki, president of the West Bloomfield Rotary, adds: "We look forward to getting acquainted with our fellow Rotarians and working together on projects that will make a difference in the world." You might say it's a Rotary version of tikkun olam, of helping to repair the world. As described on its website, Rotary International is "grassroots at its core, whose members believe they have a shared respon- sibility to take action on our world's most persistent issues including fighting disease, providing clean water, advocating for chil- dren, supporting education and promoting peace." The motto is "Service Before Self." That's been the mission for more than 112 years. The organization has amassed 1.2 million volunteer members in more than 35,000 clubs. It was during the process of chronicling the burgeoning relationship between the Rotary clubs of West Bloomfield and Ramla that a riveting back story emerged surround- ing the circumstances that led to this col- laborative union in the first place. As it turns out, the formal introduction and subsequent partnership between the two clubs evolved from sheer coincidence; an unintended con- sequence of the research and filming for a documentary by Geebee Thimotheose. COEXISTENCE EXPLORED By day, Geebee, 47, is a partner with the Farmington Hills-based private venture capi- tal fund, Kyyba Ventures. But, in his spare time, he's a passionate historian with an insa- tiable thirst for learning about his heritage. A Nasrani Christian, born in the state of Kerala on the southwest coast of India, Geebee has longed to tell the story of his unique birth- place and how for centuries it has remained a safe haven for people of all faiths — Jews, Christians, Hindus and Muslims. Undeniably though, it's the story of how the Jews coexisted with their neighbors in Kerala that has had the most profound impact on Geebee. "Kerala," Geebee says, "tells a different TOP: Chendamangalam Jewish Synagogue in Kerala, India. jews d in the continued on page 14 Alan Muskovitz Forging A Partnership