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Brazilian Theologian Philippe Gebara
At the museum: (from left to right) Mrs. L. Haddad, Mr. P. Gebara, Mr. E.
Nabhan, Mr. R. Khatlab (Apr 2011).
On Wednesday, 6th April, the Lebanese Emigration
Research Center of NDU was delighted to receive a
third-generation Lebanese-Brazilian, Mr. Philippe
Alcantara Gebara Tavares, accompanied by LERC’s Latin
America Liaison Officer, Mr. Roberto Khatlab. Only 22
years old and already a philosopher from the Université
Féderal de la Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Mr. Gebara is now
in Lebanon studying at the Greek Catholic (Melkite)
seminary in Raboueh.
TV Crew of SAT-7
KIDS Shooting at NDU
Museum
Mr. Roy Abou Khalil and team of SAT-7 KIDS
(April 2011)
On Wednesday, 6th April, a
television crew led by Mr. Roy Abou
Khalil of SAT-7 KIDS arrived at the
NDU Stone Wing and Migration
museums to film for a program
called اعم فشتكن . The team,
coming from the station’s office
in Beirut, were led through the
collections of historic photographs,
documents, letters, paintings,
books, magazines and other original
materials with a commentary by
LERC’s Chief Indexer Mrs. Liliane
Haddad.
Mr. Gebara was shown around the LERC offices, the
archives and the library, and then given a presentation
of all the materials collected by LERC in its electronic
database.
Inspired by a sense of history Mr. Philippe Gebara went
on to recall his family’s ancestry. His grandmother, he
said, was born in Zahleh as Thérèse (Yunes) Maalouf,
now Gebara. His grandfather Roland Gebara was born
in Syria but Philippe’s great-grandfather on his father’s
side, Khalil Michel Gebara, also hailed from Zahleh and
there married his cousin, Hélène Gebara. Thrilled at
being back in Lebanon, Mr. Philippe Gebara expressed
his love for the country, the beauty of its nature,
and the human and religious beauty of its people, as
living witnesses to their past. Mr. Philippe Gebara had
already contributed through Mr. Roberto Khatlab his
own collection to LERC’s archives under the name of
Philippe Gebara Collection.
Both visitors were then taken on a tour of the Lebanon
Migration Museum at NDU to see first-hand the
original items displayed.
Chair of Westasian History at Erfurt
University, Professor Birgit Schaebler
Professor B. Schaebler at the Lebanese Emigration
Archives and Database (April 2011).
On Thursday, 28th April, 2011, the Lebanese
Emigration Research Center welcomed Professor
Birgit Schaebler, Professor of History and Chair of
Westasian History at Erfurt University in Germany.
After stints at Berkeley, University of California,
and a Master’s in History, Islamic Studies, Political Science from
Erlangen-Nuremberg, Professor Schaebler obtained her Ph.D. at the
latter university in History, with minors in Islamic Studies and Political
Science in 1994. A prolific writer, she has published many books
and articles on history, globalization, culture, ethnicity, integration,
Muslims, Islam, and religion, especially in Syria and Iran. She has
been awarded various fellowships, scholarships, research affiliations,
and membership in professional associations, as well as being a much
sought-after lecturer.
Professor Schaebler visited LERC at the pressing recommendation
of Ms. Mara Albrecht, a PhD cvvandidate at the University of Erfurt,
who visited LERC last fall. Professor Schaebler discussed with Director
Hourani LERC’s activities and research infrastructure, Director Hourani’s
own work on the Lebanese Kurds in Lebanon and Germany, and
Professor Schaebler’s work and interest in the Kurds among other
common research interests. Both agreed to continue their discussion
concerning joint research ventures.