Continued from page 2.
 

Appointed as the Committee's President was Najib Jirji Badran, Treasurer and Secretary, Jirjis Fa ur and Mansur al-Hilu. Members included Najib Fi ani, al-Amir Amal Shihab, Dumat Fa ur, Niqula Dibs, Ghattas Faris, Tamir Ma luf Yusif al-Haddari, Yusif Zal am, Jurj Mubarik, Tubiya al-Khuri, Yussif Humsi and Butrus Karam. (22) al-Huda's commentary on the unity of the two clubs and their endeavors in assisting survivors and victims of the Titanic emphasized the significance of their actions and that credit is due them for they represented the virtues and integrity of "our countrymen." (23) al-Dalil applauded the unity of the two clubs in their patriotic and humane endeavors while al-Bayan labeled the unity as "two hands working like one." (24) Relief efforts, whether humanitarian or monetary, were resolute reflections of the true nobility, character and generosity of the Syrian. (25) Not to help would have been a disgrace. The Emergency Committee's work began fervently. Immediately, a special meeting was arranged to help raise money and collect donations for the General Relief Fund, established by the Mayor of New York. The Syrian community would be involved in collecting monetary contributions for an American-based relief fund that was set up for all survivors of the Titanic. Mir'at al-Gharb (26), al-Bayan (27) and al-Sa'ih (28) reported that al-Muntada al-Suri al-Imriki (29) of New York, although a politically based group, donated $50.00 from its special fund account. It was the first club to donate money to those affected by the disaster. (30) al-Muntada, along with al-Nahda al-Lubnaniyyah (31), which also donated $50.00 the following day (32), quickly appointed a special emergency committee to solicit donations from the society's membership and from among the Syrian community in general. The committee realized the moral and financial obligations due those affected by the disaster. (33)

Donations came in. By April 19th, Mir'at al-Gharb announced that al-Muntada had collected a total of $100.00 and donations were still coming in. A list of donors showing the amount of their contributions was published in the Arabic newspapers and was updated daily. Arabic newspapers were replete with gratitude for the immediate outpouring of assistance, al-Dalil insisted that the money raised was a reflection of who the Syrians were and how they were perceived by the American public. "What is more wonderful than to join ranks with everyone and to show everyone our humanitarian side." (34) Newspapers also praised the societies and clubs that continued to pledge their assistance and their efforts to raise money for the victims.

Amounts from community members varied from $10.00 to $.50, the community gave what it could and a list of names showing corresponding donation was published on April 23rd in al-Bayan and a complete list on the 26th in al-Huda. The $307.45 that was collected was sent in full to the General Relief Committee's Fund with a letter to Mayor Gaynor expressing the appreciation of the Syrian community to the American public and to the American relief agencies for assisting the survivors including the Syrians. (35) Arabic newspapers also praised and expressed the deep-felt appreciation of the entire community towards all the American relief agencies and charities for their assistance to all survivors and their attention to the families of those who had perished. (36)

Gaynor thanked the Syrian American Club of New York and the Lebanon League of Progress for the donations in a letter (37) he sent and which was published, translated into Arabic, in al-Sa'ih on 9 May 1912.

But assistance did not stop with the collection of donations. As with the thousands who surged on the White Star Line's headquarters in New York to learn the fate of their loved ones, the Syrian club, al-Ittihad al-Suri did the same but with a seven man delegation to administer to the needs of the arriving Syrians. On April 18th, most of the survivors, many of whom were Syrian, who had reached New York aboard the Carpathia, were taken to local hospitals to recover mainly from exposure and shock.

The receiving committee met and assisted the Syrians once the committee was permitted to communicate with them or when the survivors reached the hospitals. (38) An announcement was made to the community by al-Ittihad's secretary, Abbas Abu Shaqra in Mir'at al-Gharb on 19 April 1912:

   To All Syrians in New York
   From the Syrian Unity Club

   Due to the recent events concerning the Titanic disaster and
   there being a number of our Syrian countrymen among the
   passengers and among those who survived, the Syrian Unity
   Club has taken upon itself to care for those who survived the
   sinking. Last night they were brought in aboard the ship that
   reached port and will be reaching us. A Committee has been
   appointed to receive them and to ease their comfort...

The delegation hoped that it would be able to have the survivors released immediately under their auspices and to have them cared for in the community. Upon the arrival of the Carpathia, the receiving committee was "the sole delegation representing the community at the port of arrival". (39) The committee included: Dawud Haddari, President: Nadra Haddad, Vice President; Anton Sim an, Qaysar Sabbagh, Wadei Bahut, Tawfiq Biskinti and Abbas Abu Shaqra, Secretary. (40)

However, the delegation's request to have the Syrian survivors released to it was denied. Mir'ah al-Gharb explained on April 19th that the larger American relief agencies had moved them to local hospitals and found lodging for them in local hotels under the care and supervision of the ladies' charitable and humanitarian associations. Nevertheless, the committee began to collect information on the passengers and Abu Shaqra asked the community to send queries to the committee. (41)

The Syrian survivors were taken to St. Vincent, Bellevue and the Hebrew Shelter House. It was at the hospitals that members of the newly formed emergency committee of al-Muntada and al-Nahda collected the names of Syrian passengers.

From St. Vincent, Haddari telephoned the names of the Syrian survivors to the Arabic newspapers. Biskinti did the same from the Hebrew Shelter. The verification of names had begun. Survivor Fahim Ruhanna al-Za inni, described as a well-mannered young man, provided many of the details. On April 19, Mir'at al-Gharb_reported that, according to Biskinti, 125 Syrians had originally boarded the Titanic. However, al-Za inni had earlier reported the number to be between 95 and 105. (42)

Al-Za inni was the first to give the committee credible information. For example, he reported that Al-Amir Faris Shihab, a member of one of the more notable families of al-Hadath, Beirut, was among the victims.

On April 27th, al-Huda published a letter that had been sent by As ad Yusif Sim an, resident of Cheboygan, Michigan, inquiring about passengers who may have come from the village of Turza. In the same issue, Mu awwad Yusif al-Maqdasi from Tuham and resident of Owen Sound, Canada, inquired as to whether Sim an Jirjis Awn of Tuham had survived the sinking. In another instance, al-Huda published a request on May 6 from Tawfiq al-Hadathi inquiring as to whether any of the ship's Syrian passengers had been from Ottawa. Other requests included information regarding As ad Khalil, as to his hometown and as to whether he had been a passenger. Habib As ad of Gowganda, Ontario made a second request asking if Nasif Makhkhul Sa d and Karam Yusif Karam who were from Kafar Mishki were also passengers on the Titanic. Everyone understood that an anxious community wanted correct information.

The Committee and al-Ittihad's delegation's first-hand reports proved vital. Arabic lists clarified some passenger names and places of origin.

At Bellevue Hospital, Jirjis Fa ur, Treasurer of the emergency committee, met with the General Relief Committee and negotiated on behalf of Amanah and her children and her sister, Silanah. Due to his efforts, the Relief Committee decided to give Amanah and her children $100.00 and Silanah, whose husband had perished, $200.00. (43) Fa ur also spoke with the committee on behalf of Sha ninah Yusif. (44)

Father Ilyas Hanna al-Misri, Deputy of "His Eminence" the Patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church of Hama who was temporarily staying at St. Vincent, helped with the revision of passenger names. By April 23rd, in an al-Huda article entitled "al-Suriyyun al-Najun" (The Surviving Syrians), he was able to add names of those not previously identified.