What is Rotary?

Prof. Mohammed Wattad* and Adv. Wisam Asmar** 

Many times, we have encountered false ideas about Rotary, such as the belief that it is an elitist group, a secret society, or part of the Freemasons – all of which are entirely wrong. These prejudices mislead the public about one of the most important and admirable volunteer groups in the world. Therefore, it is essential to explain what Rotary truly is, including its purpose and goals.

The need to write this piece arises not only from the desire to correct misconceptions but mainly because, in our view, Rotary’s existence and growth are essential for any society aiming to foster values of altruism.

Rotary is a diverse, multicultural, and nonpolitical international organization that operates regardless of religion, nationality, ethnicity, or gender. It functions through social entrepreneurs—business leaders and independent professionals who excel in their fields and are organized into social clubs. These individuals work to build professional connections based on their vocations, actively participate in community life, and promote humanitarian projects worldwide.

Rotary members are professionals, managers, businessmen, and businesswomen, as well as leaders who leverage their networks and skills to share their experience and improve the lives of local communities worldwide. The common thread among all is the desire for a better society.

The Rotary organization has nearly 1.4 million members, organized into about 53,000 clubs across roughly 240 countries and regions worldwide. This includes the Arab world in general, and specifically in Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, the Gulf States, and more.

Through the Rotary Foundation, which supports it, the organization concentrates on seven key areas: (1) peace and conflict resolution; (2) disease prevention and treatment; (3) water, sanitation, and hygiene; (4) maternal and child health; (5) basic education and literacy; (6) economic and community development; and (7) environment.

The success of Rotary is evident in the millions of people who have experienced improvements in their standard of living, development, and progress, thanks to the support of Rotary International. Together, we picture a world where people come together and take action to create lasting change across the globe, in our communities, and within ourselves.

Rotary International was established in 1905 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, by Attorney Paul Harris, the founding president, along with three other businesspeople: Tailor Hiram Shorey, Coal Dealer Silvester Schiele, and Mining Engineer Gustavus Loehr. At their very first meeting, the four laid the groundwork for Rotary, which emphasizes that regard for others should take priority over an individual’s desire to care only for himself. This allows for the practical application of caring for the collective good through personal success. Therefore, a compelling equation is formed—without contradiction—between the individual and the collective, resulting in benefits and victory for both sides. As a result, the goal of a “win-win” situation is fully achieved.

The name “Rotary” was chosen for the organization based on the agreement that the weekly meetings of the four founding members would rotate among their offices. However, over the years, especially with the development of the organization and the establishment of additional branches around the world, the term “Rotary” took on an extra meaning, signifying that a Rotary year begins each year on July 1 and ends on June 30 of the following year. During this time, officeholders in each club rotate annually. This also promotes a key principle: in Rotary, there are no “masters” or “squatters” in leadership roles for extended periods. Instead, members serve for a fixed term of one year, during which they must prove themselves and lead the organization in general, and the clubs specifically, towards new achievements and higher peaks. They leave their mark by supporting, promoting, developing, and nurturing society.

Hence, Rotary is not just another volunteer organization, but rather a business organization with a supplementary voluntary dimension, working to encourage and develop ideals of service to the community based on business initiatives in general, and also to cultivate and promote four additional aspects in particular: (1) acquaintance as a foundation for community service; (2) high ethical standards in business and professional activities; (3) the ideal of serving the community in all activities of the club member, on interpersonal, business, and community levels; (4) promotion of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through business and professional activities.

These objects are not purely theoretical; their implementation is supervised, examined, and inspected through the Four-Way Test, which helps determine whether a specific activity aligns with the spirit of Rotary, considering: (1) Is it the truth? (2) Is it fair to all concerned? (3) Will it build goodwill and better friendships? (4) Will it be beneficial to all involved?

For Rotary to succeed in reaching all its goals, each Rotarian’s approach must be consistently evolutionary and developmental, while also being revolutionary at key moments, especially during times of crisis.

Among the famous ventures in which Rotary has achieved great success is the Polio Plus project, aimed at eradicating The Polio disease. This project began in 1985, during which more than $600 million in U.S. dollars was successfully raised, and tens of thousands of hours of community volunteer work were contributed to fight this severe disease. All these efforts together enabled the vaccination of more than two billion children against polio. Rotary’s success in this effort was also, and primarily, reflected when the project served as an inspiration for the World Health Organization, which decided in 1989, following Rotary’s example, to eliminate the disease by the year 2000.

Rotary in Israel is organized into a Rotary zone called Zone 2490 and is part of the geographical area Zone 21A, along with other countries from Central and Eastern Europe. The zone is organized into 58 clubs, operating in three clusters, with about 1,140 members. The zone works to create business, social, and international opportunities for its members, who volunteer to promote their communities and guide the younger generation towards excellence.

At the head of each District of the Rotary organization is a Governor, who is elected to this senior position based on their leadership skills, Rotary knowledge, and ability to work with others to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives. Over the years, five Arab members of the Society have been elected to this position within Rotary Israel. The first was late Judge Salim Joubran (1992/1993), later the Deputy President of the Supreme Court; the second was late Youssef Srouji (1999/2000), an economist and business entrepreneur; the third was Emil Al Asmar (2015/2016), a certified public accountant and senior accountant at a leading company; the fourth was Bashir Nuseir (2023/2024), a licensed public accountant; and the fifth and current Governor (2025/2026) is Prof. Mohammed Wattad, a law professor, President of Ramat Gan Academic College, and former Dean of the Faculty of Law at Zefat Academic College.

Rotary’s goal is to change the world. Central to this idea is the belief that Rotarians think globally but act locally. They set the highest goals they can and accomplish them, each in their small part of God’s creation. When these local efforts add up, they collectively create global change.

Contrary to the common belief that the Rotary organization is elitist and exclusive, it is genuinely open to everyone. Paul Harris, the founding President of Rotary himself, summed it up best when he said: “Rotary is the place where ordinary people do extraordinary things.” Therefore, Rotary aims to connect with leaders from all parts of society who seek the success of the whole as a continuation of their own success, thereby empowering and guiding them towards diverse goals and audiences. Anyone with the self-confidence to acknowledge the success of others and see their prosperity as vital to their own ongoing success is welcome to join Rotary and turn their vision into reality.

* Prof. Mohammed Wattad, Governor of Rotary Israel (2025/2026), and Past President of the Rotary Stella Maris Haifa Club (2020/2021). 

* Adv. Wisam Asmar, Chairman of the Public Relations Committee at Rotary Israel (2025/2026), and Past President of the Rotary Stella Maris Haifa Club (2021/2022).