The Commercial and Industrial Club
| File:CIC new logo.jpg | |
| Formation | 1938 |
|---|---|
| Type | Service club |
| Headquarters | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Location |
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Official language | Hebrew, English |
President | Yona Bartal (2020 – present) |
Key people | Aliza Somekh-Keren (CEO) |
| Website | ci-club |
The Commercial and Industrial Club is a Club of economists, industrialists, general managers, businesspersons and freelancers from various business fields in Israel.
The club was established in 1938 (before the State of Israel was born) by economists and visionaries, who were trade and manufacturing leaders in the State. The club serves as a meeting platform for officials from all walks of the Israeli economy.
The core activity of the club is motivated by social values, and promotion of businesses. The social gatherings constitute common ground for the creation of social projects, to promote the next generation of young entrepreneurs, as well as for the creation of business connections between the members of the club for the advancement of the Israeli economy.
The club's administrative backbone includes the club president, Yona Bartal, honorary presidency, board members and the club general manager, Aliza Somekh-Keren.
The club hosts senior public figures from the fields of government and politics, managers of global companies, leading economists, businesspersons, scientists and social leaders, who deal with issues relevant to the national agenda.
The club offers its members:
- Opportunity to express opinion and influence public opinion leaders and policy makers.
- Collaborations with organizations and companies with a compatible socio-economic agenda.
- An environment for networking and business connections between club members.
- Participation in outdoor events that include touring of sites, some of which are not open to the general public.
- Opportunities for business collaborations between club members to promote state and private projects.
- The Club, together with economy leaders, promote a relevant agenda through joint social projects and position papers for the benefit of the State of Israel's economy.
History[edit]
The club was founded on February 10 1938, during the period of the Zionist settlement, by leading industrialists, persons of liberal professions and Jewish merchants. The formation of the club was inspired by British social and trade clubs. The foundation scroll was signed by industrialist Yaakov Botkowski, lumber merchant Moshe Svirsky, and Meir Arison. The founders also included insurance business person Herzl (Hertz) Goldenberg, one of the founders of the "Yardenia" insurance company who has been active in the club for many years.
At the beginning, the club served as a place for social gatherings on Fridays. Its participants were men only, opinions and ideas were exchanged and connections were made in the political, economic and legal fields.
On May 20 of that year, a founding assembly convened and the organization's goals were expanded to create fair trade relations and activities for the benefit of trade and industry development in the Chambers of Commerce and Government. In that year's report, President Yaakov Botkowski presented the club's success in the Community ransom fundraiser.
As part of the club's activities, lectures were given on various topics, and tours were held with the help of the Jewish National Fund for getting more familiar with settlements throughout the land of Israel.
In 1941, the club purchased its permanent building, at 17 Nachmani Street in Tel Aviv, and in the late 1960s, after the building was sold, it relocated its operations to the Zionists of America House, then to the "Doctors House", and afterwards to the Sokolov Journalists House (Beit Sokolov) at the Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel. Since 2010, the club has operated mainly from the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Tel Aviv.
Along with the club's president, elected once every two years and can serve only two consecutive terms, there is a 12-member board that establishes committees on leading topics: scholarships, foreign relations, community activities, an admissions committee, special various events.
Over the years, the club has hosted presidents, prime ministers, ministers, MKs, chiefs of staff, ambassadors, judges, writers, intellectuals and senior businessmen, including: David Ben-Gurion, Levi Eshkol, Abba Even, Menachem Begin, Yosef Burg, Chaim Herzog, Yitzhak Rabin, Yitzhak Shamir, Chaim Laskov, Shaul Mofaz, Israel Meir Lau, Tommy Lapid, Ehud Barak, Uzi Arad, Jacob A. Frenkel, Stanley Fischer, Yossi Sarid, Carmi Gilon, Ariel Sharon, Amos Oz and more. President Shimon Peres holds a record 38 appearances.
In 2007, the club celebrated its 70th anniversary, in a special event at the Beit HaNassi, The Presidential official home.
Among the club's presidents were: Yaakov Botkowski, Hillel Hillman, Dr. Arnon Rozensky, Israel Levin, Ephraim Guzman, Arie Weinberg, Dr. Chaim Teichman, Dr. Asher Halperin, Moshe Neuderper, Moshe Shamir, Yitzhak Gatnio, Rami Guzman, Mira Friedman Hemo, Chaim Aharon, Amir Makov, Rafi Priel, Orly Avrahami, Dan Bernitzky, Amnon Dotan and the current president, Yona Bartal.
The club established a scholarship fund named after Colonel Ilan Ramon, and grants scholarships to gifted and needy high school students in Tel Aviv, mainly in the neighborhoods of South Tel Aviv and Jaffa. The funds were donated by club members, and by business firms that invest in promoting economic and technological projects in Israel.
During COVID-19 pandemic[edit]
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, online meetings were held with a number of leading decision makers.
- Prof. Jonathan Gershoni (de:Jonathan Gershoni) gave a talk on progress in developing the vaccines for the coronavirus.
- Towards the 2020 United States presidential election, The club hosted a debate between Prof. Itamar Rabinowitz and former consul Alon Pinkas.
- Hanukah candle lighting with singer Yizhar Cohen
- Meeting with leading women in business, with the participation of Galia Albin, owner and manager of Tahina El-Arz factory (he:טחינת אל ארז), Julia Zaher, and Liora Birnhak, owner and CEO of the factory Man'amim.
External links[edit]
- The club's web site (Hebrew)
- "Commercial and Industrial Club Meets with 3 Latin-American Ambassadors in Israel", in diplomacy.co.il
- "THE 70th anniversary celebrations of the Commercial and Industrial Club were launched at Beit Hanassi on Sunday", The Jerusalem Post, DECEMBER 4, 2007
- "Human Capital", in calcalist.co.il, December 10, 2015 (Hebrew)
Picture Gallery[edit]
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Prime Minister David Ben Gurion at a club event
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Moshe Dayan speaks at the club. To his left is the club president, Dr. Arnon Rozensky
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Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin speaks at the club.
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Abba Eban speaks at the club.
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Club president, Yona Bartal, speaks at the club.
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A debate between Itamar Rabinowitz and Alon Pinkas, moderated by club president Yona Bartal.
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A meeting at the Commercial and Industrial Club
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Chemi Peres speaks at the club.
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