The Ahliah School Alumni and Old Scholars Association organized this annual mujadara lunch as part of Ahliah School centennial celebrations. The event took place in the courtyard of the school. The proceeds of this traditional event go to developing the school and supporting the scholarship fund.
This yearly reunion gathers a large number of graduates from different generations with members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, administration, and friends of Ahliah.
Layla Fawaz, President of the Alumni Association, welcomed the attendees and thanked them for their ongoing commitment and support for the school. Nadim Cortas, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, announced that, on this occasion, the school is honoring five alumni who graduated more than 75 years ago:
Haybat Makhzoumi Ghaleb El Turk, Soumaya El-Khauli Naufal, Nida Makdessi Maalouf, Huda Fawaz Haddad, and Huda Takieddine Hamadeh.
In a word about the history of the school, Ahliah alumna Nidal Al-Achkar, saluted the pioneering spirit of the late Ms. Marie Kassab who founded Ahliah one hundred years ago as a national independent, not for profit school. The school's initial success brought big support from citizens and dignitaries from all over the county, the Arab world, and the diaspora. A boarding section was opened and a scholarship fund established that brought together students from Beirut and the rest of the country and region.
Nidal highlighted the role of the second principal,Wadad Cortas, who created different programs and streams for the students to follow and invited speakers on a weekly basis to address the students on different timely topics. With the help of Alexi Boutros, she introduced music to the school and formed a choir which became the nucleus of the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA). This attracted good numbers of expatriate students and more students from the Arab world. Nidal emphasized that Wada Cortas instilled self-confidence and empowered the women students. She then mentioned that Mr. Nicolas Zayyat and Dr. Najlaa Hamadeh played major roles in the continuity and the development of the school.
Nidal Al-Achkar ended her word by saying that during the last decade, under the leadership of Rida Ayache, the school achieved a major transformation in its education programs and facilities to meet the demands of the 21st century. The special attention given to teach student resulted in an excellent rate of acceptance in universities. Its successes, earned it dual accreditation by the top education bodies in the USA and Europe respectively: The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the Council of International Schools (CIS).
The attendees enjoyed the different plates of mujaddara and salads while listening to musical performance by the Lebanese School for the Blind Choir of Baabda, whose founding principal, Wadad Lahoud, is an Ahliah graduate.
