Bridge & the ACBL
In retirement, Reza’s and Georgie shared a major enthusiasm for Duplicate Bridge, Reza came to the game in later life. And his patronage has been a major benefit to many in Florida and in the New York metropolitan area. In Florida, Reza’s namesake of the Khatib Bridge & Education Center remains a local institution.
For many years, Dr. Khatib and Georgie shared contributed to organized bridge by supporting local tournaments, administering club games and subsidizing youth bridge and new player education in both New York and Florida. Georgie was hands-on in the creation and operation of the club. Most recently in 2024, Dr. Khatib “doubled down” on his commitment to the Bridge Center by providing a new low-cost club mortgage to its membership.
Aside from his enjoying bridge as a life master, frequent player, club founder, club director, and bridge teacher, Reza was made the lifetime voting Chairman of the Bridge Center Board. He has also been the organizer and sponsor of other clubs. And he was Manager and Director of the ACBL’s Piper’s Landing Bridge Club, established during his tenure as a resident there.
The American Contract Bridge League is the parent body for Bridge in the USA through its network of brick-and-mortar and on-line bridge clubs in all 50 states and it’s affiliates overseas. The ACBL honored Dr. Khatib in 2021 with a memorable Lifetime Tribute in the December issue of their monthly newsletter The ACBL Bulletin. Members also have the option of loging in to the ACBL Website to view the complete Online Bulletin.
If you play or would like to give Bridge a try, visit their website or contact your local club to consider ACBL membership.
A 501(C)3 Organization
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“After getting to know a little about bridge I decided to help others who wanted to learn the game. For years Georgiana and I were club volunteers and extended financial support to Bridge for players of all ages in the communities where we made my homes.” Dr. Reza Khatibdf |
Bridge is a game for ladies and gentlemen, and new players are quickly taught the procedures and requirements that make the game enjoyable recreation for all. And Bridge is definitely addictive! Many believe it is the ultimate trick-taking card game and has been enjoyed by many millions of people throughout the world. Much research has been done on how playing bridge can impact positively someone’s mental health and help the brain to stay young and healthy.
Study has shown that bridge players of age 55-91 years outperformed non-players in measures of working memory and reasoning. It is believed by many that senior citizens who play a board game may have a lower risk of dementia than those who do not. And the club’s most senior members have made great contributions to the club in return! Read about the club’s recent honors given to long-time member and contributer Mr. Bob Ward.
Supporting Youth Bridge
Reza and Georgie were strong supporters of youth bridge from their years on Long Island, New York, where they contributed regularly to tournaments and the development of school-based Bridge programs. Their efforts continued once they moved to South Florida.
In 2013 their financial support and Stuart’s newly consolidated Bridge club collaborated to create the Youth Bridge in Martin County Project, subsidized by Dr. Khatib, led by club members Judy Thompson and the late Sonya Gray as project coordinator, and with the help of players such as Bridge club manager Harry Falk and Bridge Director Sally Swing. The project was active for over two years and built student Bridge club interests in four Martin County schools before ending due to relocation of key staff members, and later suffering Sonya’s untimely death. There were also difficulties with increased security requirements imposed on prospective mentors and project volunteers.
In Spring of 2025 Reza’s Stuart Bridge Center launched its participation in the Jumpstart Bridge Initiative, founded by Grand Master Judy Tucker and operated with the full endorsement of the ACBL. Through an annual endowment now provided by the Khatib Foundation and with the collaborative support of the Center, we hope for great growth potential in Martin and surrounding counties, and Florida at large, as well as any positive assistance the endowment makes to the national Jumpstart Bridge program.
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Other Bridge Instruction
In addition to it’s open games for advancing players, student games for new players and instructional games for returning players are an important part of weekly Bridge Center activities. Long time club members and staff such as Sally Swing, Donald Thompson, Sharon
McCarty and student game volunteers are great assets to weekly instruction.
Most players are drawn to the competitive challenge of Bridge, and can get quite excited over a great hand or play challenge. And at times it can be easy to forget that players who are new to the game can be quite fragile about their developing skills and common mistakes they are likely to make. Established players are always asked to treat the newer player with extra care and encouragement; They are important to the future of the game! We join with the American Contract Bridge League, Florida’s local ACBL District 9 and duplicate bridge fans everywhere to affirm how important it is to be nice when enjoying our wonderful game!
Bridge is a game of bidding and play, and professional teachers and players have been brought in to the bridge center from time to time to offer their expertise and help others learn this complex game. Fund raising special seminars have been supported by one-time fees and special added contributions by Dr. Khatib. In leading such seminars one famous player and friend of the club has been Ms. Barbara Seagram, with her personal approach to helping both new and experienced players.
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An outstanding nationally known tournament player and bridge teacher is Harry Falk and Bridge Center History
Dr. Khatib on the origins of the club: “Georgie and I thought about local bridge a great deal, and I had started playing bridge with a nice gentlemen names Ralph Campbell. In those days it was necessary to go to Vero Beach or Palm Beach for silver points, and I said to Ralph that we should have a new home club in Stuart to be able to score silver points (won at tournament play) locally.
I asked the help of Carrie Philipbar, a well known attorney and excellent bridge player, and an initial membership board was formed with me as President, Howard Sodokoff, Treasurer, Carrie Philipbar, Attorney and author of our bylaws, Bill Koke, and Ralph Campel. We depended on National Tournament Director and club partner Harry Falk (see photo). Harry had directed earlier Martin County games from Palm City, and sent a proposal to all bridge players for startup funds. My promise was to match the total collected from the intended membership. Harry was always with us, and was the Club’s long-time Managing Director.
Planning with local players was extensive. The board membership and bylaws were presented to the whole membership and approved. During the first few years some changes were made to the board with addition of Carol Helderlein, Jerry Shaw, Steve Levine and Bob Crandall. Bob crandall was elected by the Board to be the second president when my 4-year term expired. I remained as a founder and permanent board member, and chairman of the board. Georgie gave wonderful service as board secretary.
We started looking for a new and permanent home for the club. We talked to the Martin County Commissioner, who proposed 5 acres of 25 Acres land opposite Pipers Landing Yacht and Country Club, but most of it was under water! So we turned that offer down, and Bill Koke suggested his church on Mapp Road in Palm City as a site. Then church representatives offered an acre of land for an amount of $20,000, but wanted to require that the building be used on Saturdays and Sundays to feed the needy – a worthy goal, but not compatible with our intent for the bridge center play on weekends. We declined that offer. Later, the property owned by the Church of Christ in downtown Stuart came on the market and I provided $100,0000 to purchase it.
In addition to the Bridge & Education Center in Stuart, I obtained an ACBL sanction to convert the social bridge game of the Pipers Landing Yacht and Golf Club into an official ACBL weekly event. And quite recently the Bridge Center asked me to become the their landlord, to minimize their tax expenses and improve the club’s long-term stability. I was happy to provide the Bridge Center with a low-interest mortgage”. The Bridge and Education Center held a special game in honor of Dr. Khatib’s 94th birthday. At that game, the Center’s membership chairperson Carol Helderlein presented hims with a commemorative plaque and expression of gratitude for all his contributions to the club.
Bridge over the Internet
Several on-line bridge sites have been launched on the Internet, with Bridgebase.com having extensive game offerings at most times of day, and 7 days a week. Players around the world emjoy Bridgebase regularly, playing in games run by ACBL personnel,or though virtual or “E-Clubs” such as those provided by special Khatib partners such as the Southeast Carolina Cooperative.
During the pre-pandemic era, senior citizens enjoyed playing in-person games and often could receive free educational lessons through the Bridge Center. During the pandemic and thereafter many players continue to enjoy on-line play for its convenience, and the ability to reach out to old and new friends easily where ever they may be. During the 2021 COVID panedemic, on-line carried the day for many players sheltering at home, and often still does. Face-to-face has resumed at most clubs nationwide, but the popularity and convenience of on-line play continues to attract players to events for both local and tournament play.