History of District 2490
The history of our district reflects the circumstances that have occurred in in the Middle East over the past 75 years.
The original establishment of a district in this region was due to the devoted efforts of Clare Martin, area manager for Shell Oil and the successful mission of General Commissioner James W. Davidson of Rotary International who was assigned to open up the region to Rotary. As a result District 89 was established.
The District comprised Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan and Syria. By 1950, Rotary international accepted that communications between Israel and the rest of the District was no longer possible and granted autonomy to Israel's three clubs in Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv and Haifa. They were recognized as a "Non-districted Area." Past President of the Jerusalem Rotary Club, Mark Jaffee was named Administrative Advisor. He was succeeded by equally distinguished Rotarian Dr. Wolf Cegla, who, with his successor, Wellesly Aaron, pressed the case to establish a separate Israel Rotary District.
The first club to join the original three after the establsihment of the State of Israel was in Nazareth in 1952. There were 19 clubs in Israel by 1956. In 1960, thanks to the continued lobbying of Rotary International by Wesley Aaron, Rotary International finally recognized District 2490. There were 27 Clubs in the new District and Wesley Aaron become its first District Governor.
Lucien Harris, a leading member of the Jerusalem Rotary Club since 1961 was elected District Governor in 1975. The District Governor Designate for 2003-04, Irene Lewitt, will be the third District Governor from our club and the first women DG in the region.
Today there are 61 clubs in District 2490 from Elat on the Red Sea to Kiryat Shmoneh at the foot of Mount Hermon.
