DECEMBER 2025

METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY VOL. 22 ISSUE XI DECEMBER 2025

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Seasons of Gratitude

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METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY | DECEMBER 2025 | VOL. 22 ISSUE XI

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ON THE COVER

18 Gift Guide

Special presents for loved ones

By Sarah Kittle

FEATURES

20 A Season of Gratitude

Reflections across generations

By Jenna Abroo

22 Wrapped with Love

Friends of Foster Kids

By Eemi Toma

24 “Shall This Nation Die?”

Fr. Joseph Naayem and the 1915 genocide

By Weam Namou

26 Echoes of Ancient Gates

Artwork at CCF West Part II

By Dr. Adhid Miri

DEPARTMENTS

30 Deck the Halls

Holiday fun across metro Detroit

By Jenna Abroo

6 From the Editor

Power of belonging

By Sarah Kittle

8 Foundation Update

Programming at CCF West, Feeding the

Needy, Twinkle Town Tree

10 Noteworthy

Pastry Guru, Pomegranate, Dr. Kassab

Jabiro

28 Economics & Enterprise

Family Foundations

By Eemi Toma

36 Sports

Chaldean Hockey League

By Steve Stein

38 Health & Wellness

Seasonal Changes

By Joanne Jonna, MA, LPC

32 Telleskuf

Between past and present

By Ghazwan Ilyas

Translated by Hanan Qia

35 Telleskuf

In Arabic

By Ghazwan Ilyas

36

12 Guest Columns

End of life issues

By Dr. Samir Jamil

14 “Mr. Ambassador…Sayid al-Safeer”

By Mike Sarafa

40 In Memoriam

42 Events

CACC Board Election

16 Iraq Today

Parliamentary Elections

By Hanan Qia

X


FROM THE EDITOR

PUBLISHED BY

Chaldean News, LLC

Chaldean Community Foundation

Martin Manna

EDITORIAL

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Sarah Kittle

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jenna Abroo

Ghazwan Ilyas

Dr. Samir Jamil

Joanne Jonna

Sarah Kittle

Dr. Adhid Miri

Steve Stein

Eemi Toma

Hanan Qia

Weam Namou

ART & PRODUCTION

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative

PHOTOGRAPHERS

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Jose Marrero

Daniel Moen

SALES

Interlink Media

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Phone: (248) 851-8600

Publication: The Chaldean News (P-6);

Published monthly; Issue Date: December 2025

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The Power of Belonging

SARAH KITTLE

EDITOR

IN CHIEF

As we close out the year, this December issue

invites us to pause, reflect, and reconnect—

with our heritage, our families, and the

communities that sustain us. The end of the year

has a way of drawing us back to what matters most,

and across these pages you’ll find a theme that

carries through each story: the power of belonging,

whether expressed through gratitude, service,

shared history, or the simple joy of being together.

Our Christmas Gift Guide highlights the personal

touches that make the holidays meaningful—thoughtful

ways to celebrate the people who

anchor our lives. These gestures, small or grand, remind us

that the holidays are ultimately about relationships, not simply

rituals. That spirit of appreciation echoes through Seasons

of Gratitude, where multiple generations reflect on the

lessons, blessings, and responsibilities passed down through

family. Together, these features invite us to consider the ways

tradition continues to shape our present and guide our future.

We extend that same sense of connection to the broader

world. Mike Sarafa’s column, introducing five new ambassadors

to the Iraq–U.S. relationship, speaks to diplomacy grounded

in understanding, shared futures, and the belief that bridges

are built through mutual respect. Our Culture & History feature

on Telleskuf—told in both English and Arabic—reminds us of

historical roots and the endurance of the Chaldean people.

Meanwhile, Iraq Today offers essential context on the country’s

current elections, helping us stay informed about the

evolving landscape of the ancestral homeland. Together, these

pieces underscore the enduring ties between the community

here and the place from which it draws so much of its identity.

Closer to home, we spotlight the creativity, determination,

and accomplishments shaping the local Chaldean

American experience. From the second installment of CCF

Artwork to our profile of Joseph Naayem, we celebrate

individuals and organizations enriching our collective

story through art, innovation, and leadership. Our Family

Foundations article explores brothers working side by

side, showing how enterprise, trust, and family values often

intertwine to shape both business and legacy.

December also means togetherness and tradition.

Our Family Time guide shares festive activities

for all ages—opportunities to laugh, create, and

make memories that last long after the season ends.

The start of the Chaldean Hockey League season

brings friendly competition and community spirit

back to the rink, offering a reminder that connection

often grows strongest in shared moments of play.

And as joyful as this season can be, we also recognize

its emotional complexities. Our feature on mental

health around the holidays offers grounding insight

and gentle reassurance for anyone navigating seasonal

shifts, loss, or the pressure that can accompany year’s end.

Gestures, small or grand,

remind us that the holidays are

ultimately about relationships,

not simply rituals.

Finally, we look ahead with intention. The Chaldean

American Chamber of Commerce Board Election marks another

chapter in the community’s leadership and its vision

for the future—an opportunity to shape what comes next

with clarity and purpose.

In every article this month, you’ll find reminders of who

you are—people bound by history, hope, generosity, and resilience.

As we turn the page on another year, may this issue

inspire you to celebrate your roots, hold your loved ones

close, and enter the new year with renewed connection,

gratitude, and purpose.

Warmest wishes for a peaceful holiday season!

Sarah Kittle

Editor in Chief

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PUBLISHER'S CIRCLE

Join the

Publishers Circle

As the publication of record for Michigan’s

Chaldean community, the mission of the

Chaldean News is to preserve and archive

Chaldean heritage and history, and to tell the

ongoing story of Chaldean contributions to the

communities in which we live and work — in Michigan

and around the world.

In the past five years, the Chaldean News has

substantially increased its readership and social media

following, introduced new digital and website content, and

expanded storytelling with the help of small grant funding.

With the generous help of individuals and organizations,

together, we can ensure that this vital resource continues

to educate and connect the community, while evolving to

meet the needs of future generations.

We truly appreciate your support of our efforts to expand

and strengthen our coverage of the Chaldean community,

both locally and globally. We are excited about the

opportunities ahead, and your support will be essential

in helping us grow our digital presence, preserve our

cultural heritage, and tell even more compelling stories

about the Chaldean community.

You can take part in helping to preserve your

Chaldean heritage by joining the Publisher’s

Circle today. Together, we can continue to

ensure that the Chaldean News remains a

vital resource for generations to come.

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To learn more, visit chaldeannews.com

or contact us at 248-851-8600

Let’s grow the circle.


FOUNDATION UPDATE

Feeding Those in Need

The Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) has partnered with

the city of Sterling Heights for the 47th Annual Ken Stempowski

Memorial Food Drive, providing food assistance to families in

need this holiday season. Now through December 17, a donation

bin will be available at the CCF (Sterling Heights location) to accept

non-perishable food donations during office hours.

All donations benefit Community Food Bank of Macomb County,

which supplies Macomb County food pantries and meal providers.

Traditional cooking classes at Nana Bernadette Sarafa’s Kitchen have drawn enthusiastic crowds.

What’s Cooking at CCF West

Last month, guest chefs Samira Cholagh and May Denha guided participants through the art of

making Kleecha, Kahi, and Maa’Kacha. Hands-on sessions offered more than just recipes, they fostered

connections, cultural pride, and delicious memories.

Each session invites you to team up with fellow food lovers, learn from talented Chaldean community

members, and create authentic dishes in a welcoming, hands-on environment.

For more information regarding cooking demonstration classes, visit chaldeanfoundation.org to

register or contact Farah Shammami at farah.shammami@chaldeanfoundation.org.

Supporting Our Seniors

In partnership with MDHHS and Ageways Michigan, CCF West

hosted a meaningful community dialogue with Chaldean seniors

to help shape the Michigan Plan on Aging. Participants shared

personal experiences about aging in Michigan, highlighting key

needs around transportation, mobility, food access, and overall

well-being. Tammy Lemmer from the Michigan Department of

Health and Human Services (MDHHS) facilitated the discussion.

For more information about upcoming programs at CCF West,

contact Farah Shammami at farah.shammami@chaldeanfoundation.org

or visit the CCF West page on chaldeanfoundation.org.

Learning Proper Nutrition

Last month, our B.E.A.M. Project participants attended nutrition classes

at CCF West presented by Amy Safaoui, a Michigan State University

Extension Community Instructor fluent in Arabic. Amy works closely

with Arab and Chaldean communities across Oakland, Macomb, and

Wayne Counties, helping families build lasting healthy habits.

Standing for Braille, English as a Second Language, Acculturation,

and Mobility, the CCF’s B.E.A.M. Project equips individuals

with visual impairments with the skills and support they

need to live more independent lives.

Participants from the Chaldean Seniors in Conversation session.


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NOTEWORTHY

Jonathan Elias on Sweet Empire. Courtesy of Food Network.

Pastry Guru Back on Food Network

Jonathan Elias, Metro Detroit’s own “Pastry Guru,”

recently returned to the national spotlight with a

new appearance on Food Network’s Sweet Empire:

Winter Wars.

Competing among a select group of top dessert

artists from across the country, Elias showcased

his signature creativity, precision and larger-thanlife

pastry imagination in this high-stakes holiday

competition. His participation follows earlier Food

Network successes, further cementing his reputation

as a standout talent in televised baking. With

elaborate seasonal challenges and team-based

twists, Elias once again brought pride to his community—demonstrating

both his technical skill

and his growing influence in the world of confectionery

artistry.

Dr. Crystal Kassab Jabiro

Public School

Teacher Earns

Her Doctorate

Dr. Crystal Kassab Jabiro successfully defended

her dissertation titled “Ethnic Identity Development

of Chaldean American Youth” at Indiana

Wesleyan University on Friday, November 21,

2025. Her groundbreaking research examined

how Chaldean children form their identity

based on their culture. Overall, adolescents from

the first to third generations feel strongly connected

to their culture and take pride in being

Chaldean. The whole paper will be made public

online in the near future, and you can read the

results in the Chaldean News next month.

Dr. Kassab Jabiro has been teaching for 24

years in the West Bloomfield School District and

is the longest-running writer for the Chaldean

News. She lives in Commerce Township and has

two kids in college.

Pomegranate

Screening

Winner of over 50 international film awards

and now streaming in 25 countries, Pomegranate

by Weam Namou comes to the big

screen at Emagine Theater in Royal Oak

(200 North Main Street) on December 7

from 3pm to 6pm EST.

Pomegranate is a dramedy set in the

lead-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

It follows Niran, a young, liberal

Iraqi Muslim immigrant, as she grapples

with cultural identity, religious expectations,

and family pressures while living in

a predominantly Christian Iraqi American

neighborhood.

The in-person screening is followed by

a Q&A with members of the cast and crew.

Purchase tickets via Eventbrite using key

word “Pomegranate.”

The film Pomegranate screens in Royal Oak on December 7


Chaldean

Cultural Night Series

Art & Music

Thursday, December 11, 2025 | 5:30pm-7:30pm

2075 walnut lake road, west bloomfield, mi 48323

special guests

Fr. Patrick Setto

Reni Stephan

Join us for a special event featuring Fr. Patrick Setto and Reni Stephan. Listen to their

journey – where their ideas started, how they grew, and what drives them today.

Entertainment by Oday Al Janabi

Complimentary strolling appetizers and desserts

Complimentary beer and wine

Adults of all ages are welcome


GUEST COLUMN

End of Life Issues

Planning for compassionate care

“When fear knocks,

let faith answer the door.”

— Robin Roberts,

American broadcaster

In addressing this difficult

subject, I must first make

a clarification: I am not

a theologian or an ethicist. I

am a physician who has faced

end-of-life issues many times

over my 37-year career in pediatric

oncology. This article

is guided by the teachings of

the Catholic Church—its Catechism and

moral tradition—and by the Catholic

Medical Association, of which I was a

member. If I have made any errors, I

welcome correction and comment.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines

“end-of-life issues” as matters related

to someone’s death and the time just

before it, when it is known that they

are likely to die soon from an illness

or condition. More broadly, it includes

care for all those with terminal illnesses

that are advanced, progressive,

and incurable. These questions touch

the depths of our humanity, stir strong

emotions, and—more importantly—

demand careful moral reasoning.

Human life possesses inherent

dignity, rooted in who we are, not

in what we do. Life is sacred, a gift

from God, and deserves respect and

reverence. Yet, life is not the ultimate

good; our relationship with God is

the greater good. In Catholic belief,

death is not an end but a transformation

to eternal life. This faith does not

deny the pain of physical death—its

suffering and separation—but views

it as a passage. Life is changed, not

ended.

The Bible offers three essential

truths about the end of life:

• Life is a basic but not absolute

good.

• We are stewards of life,

not its masters.

• Death is understood within

faith in new life—the afterlife.

Planning for the End of Life

DR. SAMIR

JAMIL

SPECIAL TO

THE CHALDEAN

NEWS

Planning ahead is difficult

but important. Deciding one’s

wishes while healthy can

spare loved ones confusion

and stress later. End-of-life

planning allows individuals

to choose:

• Where they wish to

spend their final days (home,

hospital, hospice, etc.)

• What kinds of treatment

they want—or do not want—

such as palliative care.

Key elements of end-oflife

planning include:

1. Advance Directives — Legal documents

that outline one’s medical care

preferences if they become unable

to make decisions. These directives

guide doctors and caregivers in cases

of coma, severe injury, late-stage dementia,

or terminal illness.

2. Living Will — A written statement

of which treatments one would accept

or refuse if dying or permanently unconscious.

It can specify preferences about:

• Dialysis or breathing machines

• Resuscitation if the heart or

breathing stops

• Tube feeding

• Organ or tissue donation

3. Durable Power of Attorney — A

document naming a trusted person as

a healthcare proxy to make medical

decisions when the patient cannot.

Faith, Morality, and the End of Life

End-of-life decisions are painful for

patients and loved ones alike. Yet even

in suffering, we are called to make

choices grounded in faith and moral

clarity.

Catholic teaching provides guiding

principles:

Human Dignity — Every life is sacred

because we are made in the image

and likeness of God and called to

share in His divine nature.

The Redemptive Value of Suffering

— Suffering and death are not good

in themselves, but through the Cross

they can become redemptive, drawing

us closer to God and holiness.

We Cannot Use Evil Means for a

Good End — The Fifth Commandment

forbids intentionally killing the innocent.

Euthanasia, which seeks to end

suffering by ending life, is morally unacceptable.

As the Catechism states:

“Whatever its motives and means,

direct euthanasia consists in putting

an end to the lives of disabled, sick, or

“The administration of water and food, even when provided

by artificial means, always represents a natural means of

preserving life, not a medical act.” – St. John Paul II

dying persons. It is morally unacceptable”

(CCC 2277). The Hippocratic Oath

also affirms: “I will not give a lethal

drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I

advise such a plan.”

Ordinary vs. Extraordinary Means

— The sick and dying are not required

to undergo extraordinary treatments

that are excessively burdensome,

dangerous, or disproportionate to the

expected benefit (CCC 2278). For example,

giving chemotherapy to a patient

who is imminently dying may be extraordinary.

Nutrition and hydration,

however, are considered ordinary care

until they no longer provide benefit.

Challenge of Compassionate Care

Palliative care remains underused in the

United States. Despite advances in medicine,

a “save at all costs” mentality persists

among healthcare professionals,

often reinforced in medical training. Our

healthcare system tends to favor aggressive

interventions over compassionate,

reasonable care at the end of life.

Returning to natural moral law and

Catholic teaching:

Any action that directly and intentionally

kills an innocent person is

unjust. Withdrawing food and water

from someone who is not near death

and can tolerate it is morally equivalent

to murder. St. John Paul II wrote,

“The administration of water and

food, even when provided by artificial

means, always represents a natural

means of preserving life, not a medical

act.”

Patients must receive full, honest

information about their condition,

proposed treatments, risks, side effects,

and costs (Ethical and Religious

Directives for Catholic Healthcare

Services, U.S. Conference of Catholic

Bishops, 1994, No. 27).

Patients should be informed of all

morally legitimate treatment options.

The patient, in consultation with

the physician, decides the course of

treatment.

The patient’s judgment should

normally guide others’ decisions, unless

it is medically unwarranted or

morally wrong.

Treatment may be stopped when it

no longer provides benefit or imposes

excessive burden. Pain management is

essential and must not be neglected.

When death is imminent, patients

may forgo treatments that only prolong

dying.

Food and water may be withheld

only when they no longer provide benefit.

Ordinary care remains morally

obligatory; refusing extraordinary

treatment when death is imminent is

not suicide.

“Fear knocked at the door. Faith

answered. There was no one there.”

— Martin Luther King Jr.


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GUEST COLUMN

“Mr. Ambassador… Sayyid al-Safeer”

New ambassadors named

One of the great privileges

of my work with

the Iraqi Embassy

over the years has been meeting

and collaborating with

remarkable Iraqi diplomats

who have become brothers to

me—as we call one another.

Recently, Iraq’s Parliament

approved a long-delayed slate

of new ambassadors, and I

was thrilled to see at least five

of these colleagues elevated

to the rank of ambassador.

Each of them is a patriot who loves

Iraq, moves with ease in Washington,

appreciates the United States—especially

the expatriate community—is

fluent in Arabic and English, and is

smart, well-educated, and part of a

younger generation of leadership.

They are also decent, kind men, devoted

fathers and, most importantly

to me, friends.

As they await their next assignments,

I offer my congratulations and

introduce you to their backgrounds.

MIKE SARAFA

SPECIAL TO

THE CHALDEAN

NEWS

as a rising star in Iraq’s diplomatic

corps. Previously,

he served as Deputy Head of

the Department for U.S. and

American Affairs and, before

that, as Congressional

Affairs Officer at the Iraqi

Embassy in Washington

from 2020 to 2024, where he

became known on Capitol

Hill as a thoughtful advocate

for Iraq’s interests.

In 2012, Alhakim was appointed

Head of the Egypt-Sudan Section

in the Arab Department and was

posted to the Iraqi Embassy in Cairo

A seasoned voice in regional and

international dialogue, Dr. Shummary

participated in the U.S. State Department’s

International Visitor Leadership

Program in 2016, took part in a

U.S. Presidential Election Study Mission,

and is a graduate of the Georgetown

Leadership Seminar at the Walsh

School of Foreign Service. He holds a

Ph.D., master’s and bachelor’s degrees

in political strategic science.

His Excellency Nawfal Baha’a Musa

Nawfal Baha’a Musa is one of a small

number of Christians appointed to the

rank of Ambassador. His government

the First Iraqi Diaspora Conference,

among other roles.

His Excellency Mohammed Al Fityan

Mohammed Al Fityan assumed his

post as Chief of Protocol for the Foreign

Ministry in September. He manages

all official etiquette and ceremonial

activities, ensuring high-level visits

and events are executed with dignity,

precision and cultural sensitivity.

From 2020 to 2025, he served as

Deputy Ambassador of Iraq to the

United States, working closely with the

Ambassador on all aspects of the bilateral

relationship. During that time, he

built strong relationships in Congress,

at the State Department, with think

tanks and with other strategic institutions

in Washington. His earlier diplomatic

assignments included postings

in Kenya and at Iraq’s mission to the

United Nations in New York.

His Excellency Nezar Hassan Alhakim

Nezar Hassan Alhakim, an Ambassador

in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

currently serves as Head of the American

Department. He is widely regarded

His Excellency

Mohammed Al Fityan

His Excellency Nezar

Hassan Alhakim

from 2013 to 2017. There, he ultimately

became Acting Chief of Mission while

also leading the political and media sections

and engaging with Egyptian media

and the Arab League. Earlier in his career,

he served for two years as Consul at

the Embassy of Iraq in Kuwait.

His Excellency Dr. Mohammed

Shummary

Dr. Mohammed Shummary is newly

appointed to the ambassadorial rank,

bringing more than two decades of experience

in strategy and international

relations. He previously served as a

Professor of Foreign Affairs at Al-Nahrain

University’s College of Political

Science and as Chairman of the Sumeria

Foundation. He has been a Senior

Advisor to Sayyid Ammar al-Hakim

and led foreign-relations efforts for the

Hikma National Movement.

His Excellency

Dr. Mohammed

Shummary

service includes work with the World

Trade Organization through Iraq’s

Ministry of Trade, serving as an Advisor

to the Prime Minister on Minority

Affairs, and most recently serving as

Minister of Migration and Displacement.

He speaks Arabic, English, Turkish

and Syriac, hails from the Nineveh

Plain and has family in Michigan. His

extensive work on behalf of Iraq’s minorities

and displaced populations

includes serving as Chairman of the

Supreme Committee for the Relief and

Shelter of Displaced Families; Head

of the High Advisory Team for Coordination

of Assistance for Displaced

Persons in Nineveh; Head of the Central

Committee for Review and Referral

at the Ministry of Migration and

Displacement; and a member of the

Supreme Preparatory Committee for

His Excellency

Nawfal Baha’a Musa

His Excellency Krikor

Der-Hagopian

His Excellency Krikor Der-Hagopian

Currently assigned to the Office of the

President of Iraq, Krikor Der-Hagopian

has served as Senior Foreign Affairs

Advisor to the Prime Minister. An Armenian

Christian, he is married to a

Chaldean whose family lives in Michigan,

and his son is a student at the

University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Der-Hagopian’s government service

includes roles as Director General

of the Secretariat General of the Iraqi

Presidency, the Public Policies Department

and the International Relations

Division. He holds a master’s degree

from the University of Denver’s Josef

Korbel School of International Studies,

where his thesis focused on a political

strategy for Iraq’s path forward.

In his current role, he travels to

Washington several times a year to

strengthen ties between Iraq and the

United States. He frequently participates

in conferences and discussions on Iraq’s

geopolitical and foreign-policy role.

Conclusion

These five ambassadors represent the

best of Iraq’s emerging diplomatic leadership—capable,

principled and deeply

committed to strengthening Iraq’s place

in the world. Their professionalism and

character give me great hope for the future

of Iraq’s foreign relations and its

partnership with the United States.


Preserving tradition, one dish at a time…

Cooking Chaldean

In Nana Bernadette Sarafa’s Kitchen at

the Chaldean Community Foundation

RESERVE

YOUR SPOT

TODAY!

Visit website

for more classes

Farah Shammami

248-851-1200 x118

www.chaldeanchamber.org/ccf-west


West Bloomfield MI 48323


IRAQ TODAY

leverage in coalition talks.

Kurdish Leadership Maintained:

The KDP retains its position as the

dominant Kurdish party with 26 seats,

while the PUK holds 15 seats, maintaining

influence in both regional and

national politics.

Sunni Bloc Rise: The Progress Party

(Takadum), led by Mohammed Al-

Halbousi, secured 27 seats, signaling

a stronger Sunni voice and increased

weight in coalition negotiations.

Seat Distribution Considerations:

Iraq’s 329-seat parliament allocates

seats based on electoral district results.

The final counts now clearly define

parliamentary blocs and the balance

of power, shaping the election of

the parliamentary speaker, the presidency,

and the next cabinet formation.

Parliamentary Elections 2025

Final results and political analysis

BY HANAN QIA

The Chaldean Community Foundation

(CCF) Iraq Mission has

been closely monitoring the

2025 national parliamentary elections.

With permanent staff in the Nineveh

Plain and ongoing work and visits in

the region, the CCF has established

strong relationships with political

leadership. While the election results

brought no major surprises, the formation

of the new government is likely to

see some personnel changes, even as

the major parties and their coalitions

remain largely intact. CCF leadership

and staff maintain regular and positive

interactions with all major parties.

The Independent High Electoral

Commission of Iraq officially announced

the final results on November

16, 2025, revealing notable shifts in

Iraq’s political landscape. The Reconstruction

and Development Coalition,

led by incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed

Shia’ Al-Sudani, emerged as

the top vote-getter, positioning him to

lead the formation of the next government.

Key Observations and Analysis

Historic Win for Al-Sudani: The Reconstruction

and Development Coalition’s

46 seats give Prime Minister Al-Sudani

a strong mandate to form the next government,

reflecting public support for

his previous administration.

Top Parties and Coalitions Party/Coalition (English)

Strength of the Coordinating Framework:

Combined, the major parties within

the “Coordinating Framework” (Reconstruction

and Development, State of

Law, Sadiqoun, Badr, and National State

Forces Coalition) form a substantial parliamentary

bloc, providing significant

Coalition for Reconstruction and Development 46

State of Law Coalition 29

Takadum (Progress) Party 27

Sadiqoun Movement 27

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) 26

Badr Organization 21

National State Forces Coalition 18

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) 15

Iraqi Azm (Determination) Coalition 15

Ishraqa Tishreen Movement (Tishreen Illumination) 10

National Sovereignty Coalition 9

Asas (Foundation) Coalition 8

Others 78

Seats

Political Implications

The results set the stage for intense

negotiations among winning blocs,

including forming broader alliances,

electing the parliamentary speaker

and president, and appointing the

largest bloc’s candidate—likely Al-

Sudani—to form the next government.

The outcome underscores Iraq’s complex

power dynamics and suggests

that the coming months will be decisive

in shaping the country’s domestic

and foreign policy priorities.

Christian Minority Representation

Within Iraq’s 329-seat parliament, five

seats are reserved for the Christian minority.

Under the current electoral law,

all voters—including non-Christians—

can vote for these reserved seats. This

has led to political maneuvering, with

powerful parties mobilizing large groups

of voters to secure these seats as an

“easy gain” to expand their parliamentary

influence. As a result, the Christian

community often does not directly elect

representatives who genuinely reflect

their interests, leading to tension and a

sense of underrepresentation.

In 2025, influence over these seats

shifted from the Babylon Movement toward

the Kurdish Democratic Party. The

long-term implications of this change

remain unclear. Nonetheless, there is

hope that Christian representatives in

Parliament will faithfully represent the

needs and interests of Iraq’s Christian

population—an increasingly small community

that has maintained a historic

presence in the region for centuries.


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Jacob Bacall was born in 1955 in Telkaif-Mosul, Iraq, into a Chaldean

Jacob Bacall was born in 1955 in Telkaif-Mosul, Iraq, into a Chaldean

Christian family. He completed high school in Baghdad and pursued

studies Christian in Mechanical family. Engineering He completed in the high United school Kingdom. in Baghdad In 1977, he and pursued

immigrated studies in to Mechanical the United States, Engineering where he in joined the United his brother, Kingdom. Eddie, In 1977, he

in the immigrated family business to the operating United States, retail drug where stores. he joined Over time, his brother, Eddie,

business the transitioned family business into real operating estate, where retail Jacob drug found stores. his Over true time, the

Jacob calling.

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Christian

business family.

transitioned He completed

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estate, in Baghdad

where and

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found his true

studies calling.

Mechanical Engineering in the United Kingdom. In 1977, he

By the early 1990s, Jacob began investing in income-producing

immigrated

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Bacall

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properties and quickly built a reputation as a successful and

in the

forward-thinking

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entrepreneur.

1990s, operating Jacob retail

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development and property management, with investments

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calling.

expanding forward-thinking over the entrepreneur. years to include His shopping business centers, portfolio office focuses on real

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estate colleagues, development family and or friends? property Explore

management, with investments


family residential properties.

properties expanding the latest quickly over books the built from years a reputation author to include and

as a successful shopping and centers, office

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family historian, development

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deeply

properties.

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and investments

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buildings,

leadership position on the board of the Chaldean Iraqi American

Association Jacob senior has of Michigan remained living communities, (CIAAM), deeply the connected hospitality ventures,

oldest Chaldean to his heritage and multifamily

One residential hundred properties. percent of the author’s organization and is actively

in the involved United States, in the founded Chaldean in 1943. community. Additionally, He he has has served served on in every

Jacob the leadership boards royalties has remained of position the and deeply Chaldean proceeds on connected the Chamber are board to

donated his of heritage of Commerce, the to Chaldean and is actively Chaldean Iraqi American

involved Community Association in Foundation the of Michigan and community. the (CIAAM), Chaldean He Cultural the has oldest served Center. Chaldean in every organization

various Chaldean non-profit organizations.

leadership in the position United States, on the founded board of the in 1943. Chaldean Additionally, Iraqi American he has served on

Association An the author boards of and Michigan historian of the (CIAAM), at Chaldean heart, the Jacob oldest Chamber has Chaldean written of organization

three Commerce, books: Chaldean

in Chaldeans the United in States, Detroit founded (2014), in Chaldean 1943. Additionally, Iraqi American he has Association served onof

Community To purchase, Foundation please and visit the the Chaldean Mar Ibrahim Cultural Center.

the Michigan boards (2018), of the and Chaldean most recently, Chamber Chaldean of Commerce, Catholic Church Chaldean (2025),

Community co-authored Foundation with Bishop and Bawai the Chaldean Soro.

Cultural Center.

An Library author in and West historian Bloomfield, at heart, Michigan Jacob has or written three books:

An Jacob author Chaldeans order resides and online historian West Detroit at Bloomfield, at amazon.com

(2014), heart, Michigan, Jacob Chaldean has with written Iraqi his wife, American three Anne. books: They Association of

Chaldeans are Michigan proud in parents Detroit (2018), (2014), of and four most Chaldean children recently, Iraqi and American Chaldean grandparents Association Catholic to seven Church of (2025),

Michigan grandchildren. co-authored (2018), and with most Bishop recently, Bawai Chaldean Soro.

Catholic Church (2025),

Jacob co-authored Bacall with was Bishop born in Bawai 1955 in Soro. Telkaif-Mosul, Iraq, into a Chaldean

Christian Jacob family. resides He completed in West Bloomfield, high school Michigan, in Baghdad with and pursued his wife, Anne. They

studies Jacob resides in Mechanical in West Engineering Bloomfield, Michigan, in the United with Kingdom. his wife, Anne. In 1977, They

are proud parents of four children and grandparents to seven

are immigrated proud parents to the United of four States, children where and he joined grandparents his brother, to Eddie,

seven

grandchildren. grandchildren.

in the family business operating retail drug stores. Over time, the

business transitioned into real estate, where Jacob found his true

calling.


properties and quickly built a reputation as a successful and

forward-thinking entrepreneur. His business portfolio focuses on real

estate development and property management, with investments

expanding over the years to include shopping centers, office

buildings, senior living communities, hospitality ventures, and multi-

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CHALDEAN CULTURAL CENTER

The Chaldean Cultural Center (CCC) is entering an exciting new

chapter, moving to a state-of-the-art campus that will triple our

size and expand our impact. We’re looking for an inspiring, strategic

Executive Director to lead this growth, elevate our museum

and programming, and build dynamic collaborations with partner

organizations located on-site, including a TV studio, radio

studio, demonstration kitchen, gym, and classrooms.

This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of an institution

dedicated to sharing and celebrating the rich history, culture,

faith, and traditions of the Chaldean people.

What you’ll do:

Lead vision and strategy, develop engaging cultural and

educational programs, grow community partnerships, oversee

operations and staff, enhance visitor experience, and drive

fundraising and outreach.

What you bring:

Proven leadership in cultural or nonprofit organizations, strong

program-building skills, experience with partnerships and

community engagement, solid fundraising and budgeting skills,

and a passion for cultural heritage.

Why this role matters:

You’ll guide the CCC through a pivotal expansion and help

bring Chaldean stories, history, and pride to broader audiences.

Salary commensurate with experience

TO APPLY, EMAIL YOUR RÉSUMÉ TO

INFO@CHALDEANCULTURALCENTER.ORG


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FEATURE

A Season of Gratitude

Reflections across generations

BY JENNA ABROO

The holiday season is a time

where many people have a

whirlwind of emotions. Over the

two or so months, there are a variety of

holidays from Thanksgiving to Hanukkah,

to Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Oftentimes, we find ourselves reflecting

on the past year, and how we’ve

gotten to this point. Feelings of gratitude

always seem to revolve around

the holiday season.

While we are celebrating, it is also

important to be thankful for the things

that we have, and to be mindful about

how we express gratitude. The most

wonderful time of the year almost always

includes opportunities for people

to give to charity and to provide charity

to those in need. The season of giving

and gratitude no doubt sparks thankful

feelings all throughout. Our community

is so deeply connected to these values

through our faith, taught by the generations

that came before us. I was curious

to see how others felt about gratitude

during the holiday season, through a

familial multigenerational lens.

The Allos Family

I had the opportunity to sit down with

a very dear friend of mine, Raneen Allos,

and her mother Rana. Raneen, 27,

mentioned that some of her favorite

things during the holidays are spending

time with her family. “The time is

busy and chaotic but seems to slow

down with family get-togethers and

quality time with each other,” she

said. Her family always makes a point

to do at least one intentional activity

together during the holidays, spending

time at the light displays in Downtown

Rochester, exploring Downtown

Detroit, or driving to different neighborhoods

to see local light displays.

Rana explains that she loves to

see Christmas cards from relatives,

especially of the cute little nieces and

nephews. Rana and Raneen both proclaim

how they love gift giving to their

family members, and how “even a

small gift to show that you care” is one

Top of page: The Allos family at Christmas in 2004. Above: Women of the Jajou family at Christmas in 2022.

of the best parts of the season, along

with cooking and sharing meals with

their loved ones. One tradition that

the Allos family continues is going to

Christmas Eve Mass all together, and

spending every single Christmas with

their grandparents, even during the

COVID-19 pandemic, when they exchanged

sweets and gifts in the driveway,

masks in place.

The tradition of faith is a critical

pillar of the family, Raneen warmly

saying that she is so thankful “for the

birth of Jesus” and is “grateful to God

for giving us the life of His only Son.”

Rana continues this sentiment saying

that she feels grateful to have moved

to the U.S. and being able to “freely

practice our faith together without the

risk of persecution. I am thankful to be

free to live in our faith.” Rana concludes

with her most memorable Christmas,

and the Christmas she says she is most

grateful for. Her father, mother, brother

and herself moved to the United States

from Baghdad on December 14, 1991.

Her uncle came to pick them up from

the airport in an all white limousine,

a luxury they had only seen before in

relatives’ wedding videos. She recalls

driving home to her uncle’s house, excited

to see her family while sparkles of

white snow dusted the ground outside.

A couple of weeks later was their first

Christmas in the U.S., and she recalls

how special and memorable that time

was for her and her family.

The Jajou Family

The Jajou family also embodies holiday

gratitude across generations. Hana

Gorgees, 65, said she is most thankful

for “family gatherings all together

and good health.” Her mother, Bebe

Jamila Jajou, 95, added, “I am thankful

to God for giving good healthy lives

to our families.” Their granddaughter,

Dalia Jamil, echoed the sentiment: “I

am most thankful to wake up every

day healthy and able, for the health of

my family, and grateful that God gives

us new life.”

Family traditions are central to

the Jajous’ celebrations. Bebe Jamila

enjoys hosting the entire family and

preparing pacha for everyone to enjoy

together each Christmas. She and

her daughter and granddaughter take

pleasure in buying new clothes and

special outfits for the children. Dalia

hopes to continue the tradition of

bringing her entire family together

in her home. Bebe Jamila also recalls

playing the card game Kon Kan late

into Christmas morning in Iraq and

has passed the tradition down to her

children and grandchildren, who continue

it today.

When asked about their feelings

of gratitude, the response came down

to one main concept: showing love

through food. Bebe Jamila, her daughter

Hana, and her granddaughter Dalia

all agreed that “cooking traditional

Chaldean food like pacha, and klecha

for us to all eat together as a family”

is how they showcase their feelings

of thankfulness and gratitude. Bebe

Jamila lovingly prepares kubba for

the long days of holiday celebrations,

while Hana emphasizes how their

Catholic faith inspires her to give to everyone.

Dalia continues saying she always

“makes klecha to give to all of the

relatives, and non-Chaldean neighbors”

as a way to spread the kindness

of the Lord’s spirit. Bebe Jamila

concludes by saying that it makes her

happy to give to her family, neighbors,

and relatives near and far.

Gratitude appears throughout the

holiday season in countless forms: giving

back, spending quality time with

family, or preparing meals for loved

ones. Whatever the traditions, the values

of thankfulness and appreciation

are woven through our faith and culture,

passed down across generations

and sustained for years to come.


6TH, 7TH, AND 8TH GRADERS:

How can you make

a difference in

your community?

Start with an essay to enter

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nationalcivicsbee.org

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along the way.

Emily Brubaker

2024 National

Civics Bee Champion

Write an essay proposing your ideas

for improving your community.

• Use the 2026 Essay Application Guide to find this

year’s official prompt, judging rubric, writing tips, and

submission instructions.

• Read the Contest Rules. Public, private, charter, and

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Submit your essay by February 3, 2026.

• You’ll need permission from a parent or

guardian to apply.

• Create an account for the online application portal:

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NationalCivicsBee2026

• Submit your essay application by 11:59 p.m. on

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You’ll be invited to compete at the nearest live

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2nd Place $250*

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September 8, 2025 upon contest opening.


FEATURE

Wrapped With Love

“Friends of Foster Kids” spreads Christmas cheer

BY EEMI TOMA

Long before the holiday music

plays and the last gift is

wrapped, a small army of volunteers

gathers in a Macomb County

space to sort, wrap, and organize presents.

Each package is assembled with

care so that a child in foster care will

open something personal and know

they are not forgotten. For nearly 20

years, that work has been centered

around one woman and a simple

promise: to make sure no child in foster

care goes without at Christmas.

Theresa Toia started Friends of

Foster Kids from her home in 2006,

after a moment that would not let

her rest. Her daughter Jessica, then a

foster care caseworker, told her that

for the second year in a row, the children

on her caseload had not received

Christmas gifts. Theresa remembers

feeling shattered. As she wrote, “That

should never happen...children lose

hope when they feel they are forgotten.”

She and a circle of friends put

together personalized Christmases for

47 foster children that first year. The

effort grew quickly. Today, Friends of

Foster Kids is a Macomb County-based

501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves more

than 2,000 foster children each year

and has helped over 22,000 children

since its founding.

Theresa and her husband, Circuit

Court Judge Joseph Toia, are lifelong

Macomb County residents. Their family

is closely connected to child welfare

and health care. Their daughter Jessica

Toia Redford works in child protective

services, supervising licensing for Macomb

County. Their daughter, Marissa

Toia, works in health care while attending

nursing school and is a parent

herself. These connections, along with

Theresa’s lived experience, shaped the

vision behind Friends of Foster Kids.

Theresa describes the organization’s

core programs as the five C’s:

Care, College, Careers, Christmas, and

Coalition of Community Commitment.

Each area answers a different need for

children in care or for youth making

the transition into adulthood.

Under Care, Friends of Foster Kids

provides essentials when a child enters

care. Theresa lists coats, shoes,

clothing, hygiene products and a cozy

blanket among the basics. For older

youth, support shifts toward independence—matching

funds for car purchases,

auto insurance, rent, school

expenses, senior dues and prom costs.

Twice a year, senior graduates visit the

Prom Room for free formal wear, with

young men custom-fitted for suits and

accessories.

Theresa recalled one moment that

illustrates how quickly the organization

responds. A young man bound for

Ferris State had fallen behind because

he needed to retake a course. Forced

out of campus housing, he was living

out of his vehicle. He called Theresa

for help. “He had nowhere else to

turn,” she wrote. The charity paid for

the course so he could transfer credits

and register for the semester. Theresa

coordinated with financial aid, ensuring

he could continue his education.

Friends of Foster Kids also invests

heavily in higher education and independent

living. The College program

supplies storage bins, laptops or tablets,

school supplies, and dorm or

Friends of Foster Kids founder Theresa Toia and husband Judge Joseph Toia.

workshop necessities. The organization

awards scholarships each year

and provides household basics for

foster youth moving into independent

living.

Career preparation is another pillar.

Friends of Foster Kids runs job fairs

and life skills programs designed to

teach workplace habits, social skills,

etiquette, and financial literacy. Theresa

explained how they recruit companies

to participate with the goal of

opening real opportunities for youth.

Many companies bring human resources

staff who can offer interviews

and hiring information on-site. Theresa

emphasizes that young people

from foster care often have not had the

chance to observe workplace norms,

so local employers and volunteers step

in to provide hands-on training and

mentorship.

Of course, the Christmas program

remains the heart of the organization.

Each year, Theresa and her volunteers

build what she calls “their best Christmas

ever” by filling wishes, adding

cozy blankets and pillows, and including

small comfort items like a Beanie

Baby wrapped in a hand-crocheted or

sewn blanket. Theresa told one story

of three siblings who entered care on

December 23. Volunteers learned their

sizes, favorite colors, and wishes, purchased

missing items, and assembled

three large Santa bags. The gifts were

delivered on Christmas Eve to the

placement where the children would

wake up on Christmas morning. As

Theresa wrote, “If a child comes into

care, we take care of them. We have no

deadlines for the children.”

Friends of Foster Kids also builds a

Coalition of Community Commitment.

Theresa calls the volunteers “Angels.”

The coalition includes orthodontists

who provide braces to restore dental

health and self-confidence, CPAs who

help working foster youth file taxes

at no cost, attorneys who assist with

moving violations so insurance costs

do not rise, philanthropists who establish

scholarships, and police mentors

who build long-term relationships.

Each volunteer group brings professional

skills and human connection

that reach far beyond a single holiday.

Theresa described one particularly

painful case. After a former foster youth

was murdered, her brother—a 20-yearold

foster youth—needed funding

for his sister’s burial and headstone.

Friends of Foster Kids helped cover the

cost, preserving the sister’s dignity and

supporting the brother as he began to

grieve and heal. The organization ensured

the family could honor their culture

and find closure.

The road to a permanent home was

long and filled with obstacles. After

being forced out of rented space, Theresa

said she was determined to find a

year-round location. Securing a mortgage

felt daunting, yet she persisted


Simply delicious food served

by the finest Professionals

Santa’s bag is full of goodies for kids in foster care.

through faith, community support,

and the generosity of local donors. Today,

the organization has a permanent

headquarters.

Theresa is already focused on the

next step: building an endowment to

ensure the work continues for future

generations. As she wrote, “My dream

is to create a lasting foundation, an endowment

that will secure the future of

our mission long after I’m gone. I want

this organization to stand as a promise

to every foster child that they are never

forgotten, that there is a community

that believes in them, and that love and

hope can change the direction of a life.”

Theresa is clear about what motivates

her: lived experience and a sense

of responsibility. She said, “My personal

values and life experiences are

at the very heart of Friends of Foster

Kids. I’ve seen firsthand how a child’s

life can change when someone simply

shows up and cares.” She added

that the organization seeks not just

to meet material needs but to restore

hope and dignity to children who have

endured trauma. “Every gift we wrap,

every smile we see reminds me why I

began this journey,” Theresa wrote.

She concluded with conviction: “I will

never stop helping the foster children.

Because we cannot eliminate the need

for foster care, we must continue to

find ways to show the children they

are not forgotten and people do care.”

She is not alone in the work. Volunteers

return year after year. Community

professionals donate time and expertise.

And among those volunteers

is the writer of this piece. I have volunteered

with Friends of Foster Kids

during the Christmas season for four

years, have gathered many families

to donate and continue to support the

mission alongside other Angels. Each

year, I’m reminded that the true spirit

of Christmas is found not in what we

receive, but in the love we give.

Theresa shared how the gratitude

of young people keeps her going. As

she reported, “A few of the most meaningful

statements I have heard from

the youth are that this is the best experience

I’ve ever had

in foster care, and you

made me know that I

do matter!” That kind of

response is the daily reward

for long hours and

constant outreach.

For readers who want

to help, Theresa welcomes

volunteers, donations

and professional

support. The biggest

needs include transportation

solutions and help

with affordable auto insurance

and housing for

youth transitioning into

independence. The organization

accepts clothing,

hygiene items, new

toys for the Christmas

program and financial

contributions for scholarships

and emergency

needs. Theresa is also growing the endowment

fund to guarantee long-term

stability.

As the holiday season approaches,

the warehouse will soon fill with

laughter, the rustle of wrapping paper

and the steady rhythm of volunteers

working late into the night. Each package

represents a moment of joy waiting

to unfold.

Theresa’s words echo through every

act of kindness: “We cannot eliminate

the need for foster care, but we

must continue to find ways to show

these children they are not forgotten,

and that people do care.”

More information about Friends

of Foster Kids can be found at

friendsoffosterkids.org.

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FEATURE

Shall This Nation Die?

Father Joseph Naayem and the 1915 Genocide

BY WEAM NAMOU

In 1915, before the word genocide

existed, the people of the Ottoman

borders already lived its meaning.

Armenians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans

were driven from their homes, pushed

into the desert, and slaughtered by the

hundreds of thousands. Out of that

darkness rose one Chaldean priest’s

question, “Shall this nation die?”

Father Joseph Naayem was born in

Urfa (ancient Edessa), a historic city in

Mesopotamia that was home to generations

of Christians. By 1915, when

he was serving as a parish priest there,

the Great War had already turned the

Ottoman provinces into killing fields.

The empire’s rulers had set into motion

mass deportations that emptied

towns and villages of their Christian

populations. Armenians were the largest

group targeted, but smaller eastern

churches, including the AssyroChaldeans,

suffered as severely.

What Naayem witnessed and later

recorded was deeply personal. His own

father, a merchant respected by Muslims

and Christians alike, was imprisoned

in Urfa on false charges of aiding

rebels and secretly exporting grain to

the enemy. After months in custody, he

was executed without trial.

“I am patiently awaiting my fate,”

he wrote in a final smuggled note.

“My life is of little importance to me —

but my children, what will become of

them?”

Naayem’s book, Shall This Nation

Die? (published in 1920), recounts not

only his father’s death but the broader

collapse of his community. Convoys of

Armenian and Chaldean women and

children — starved, beaten, often kidnapped

— passed through Urfa every

day. The police stole from them; soldiers

carried away girls to abuse.

“These eyes of mine,” he wrote,

“have seen little children thrown on

manure heaps while life still lingered

in their bodies.”

The entire Christian quarter fell under

siege later that year, and Naayem

From left: Father Joseph Naayem. Escaping from the Turks in Bedouin disguise.

himself narrowly escaped the city.

Disguised in Bedouin robes and aided

by an Arab friend, he made his way

across the desert to Aleppo. Behind

him, Urfa burned.

By the time the fighting ended,

around 15,000 Christians — Armenians,

Chaldeans, Syriacs —had been

killed, their churches razed, and their

homes emptied.

Lord Bryce, who prefaced the book,

wrote, “The bloodstained annals of

the East contain no record of massacres

more unprovoked, more widespread

or more terrible than those perpetrated

by the Turkish Government

upon the Christians of Anatolia and

Armenia in 1915.”

Late that same year, Naayem was

summoned by his Patriarch to serve

as chaplain to Allied prisoners of war

in Anatolia. He arrived at AfionKara-

Hissar, a camp where British, French,

and Russian officers languished behind

barbed fences. Fluent in multiple

languages, Naayem acted as an interpreter.

His compassionate interactions

with the prisoners led to suspicions of

treachery among the Turkish authorities.

His situation worsened when three

British officers successfully escaped,

and he was subsequently accused of

aiding them, leading to his arrest.

What followed he called simply

“my prison experiences.” He was

beaten with clubs, his beard torn out,

left for days without food or water in

a flooded cell. Torture alternated with

interrogation: officials demanded his

private notes, convinced he was reporting

Ottoman crimes to the Allies.

At last, he was shipped to Constantinople

to face a court martial. His

“crime” proved to be a friendly letter

to a French prisoner addressed “Mon

bien cher Commandant.” He was acquitted

after 130 days, broken but alive.

Naayem reflected, “The future is no

light matter for the Christians. Unless

they obtain liberty to live, and bread

to eat, they will all die of hunger and

cold in those regions through which

the murderers have passed.”

The Ottoman Empire’s presence

in Mesopotamia lasted until the aftermath

of World War I. Following the

Empire’s defeat, the region came under

British control through the League

of Nations’ mandate system. The British

ended the Ottoman Empire’s rule

when they established the Hashemite

King Faisal I of Iraq on August 23, 1921.

The official English name of the country

changed from Mesopotamia to Iraq.

Fr. Joseph dedicated the rest of

his life to serving his community and

documenting the stories of other genocide

survivors. He spread news about

the genocide across the world. In the

early 1920s, he came to the United

States, where he established the Chaldean

Rescue Mission, headquartered

in New York City.

He made appeals at different colleges

and congregations for aid for the

thousands of destitute Christian widows

and orphans of the old Christian

nation. In his appeals, he explained

that the Turks and Kurds had massacred

more than half a million children

and women, and thousands more had

died through famine, which had been

raging for years.

Fr. Joseph spoke in front of large

audiences about the tragic story of

his people. He outlined the history of

Chaldeans, from its abode in Nineveh

and Babylon, and traced it to the present

day. It is a history of undying faith

in Christianity and the constant dwindling

numbers of survivors from generation

to generation.

Naayem spoke of the urgent necessity

of immediate relief for Chaldean

sufferers, who are members of a

race that is the remnant of the oldest

civilized nation in the world. At the

outbreak of World War I, there were

upwards of 700,000 Chaldeans living

in Mesopotamia. Turkish and Kurdish

depredations and religious persecution

wiped out fifty percent of them

and have driven the remainder from

their homes.

In 1923, Naayem helped bring fortytwo

Chaldean girls and young women

to the United States to train at American

convents. There was no religious

sisterhood in the Catholic Church of

Chaldea, although it had eleven dioceses.

For centuries, the attitude of the

Turks had made community life for

women impossible. These girls were

to return to Mosul to establish a congregation.

Twenty-four others would

train as nurses in Catholic hospitals,

and then they would return.

Father Joseph Raphael Naayem

eventually became a United States

citizen through naturalization. Some

of Joseph’s family members died in

Baghdad, Iraq, but most, including his

mother, passed away in Beirut, Lebanon.

He died on August 20, 1964, at the

age of seventy-six, in Chur, the oldest

town in Switzerland.

An Interesting Twist

Years later, a man named Joseph Naayem

did a web search on his own name

and was startled to find a book titled


give the gift of

clean this season

Newspaper clip from The Tablet, Brooklyn, NY, October 13, 1923.

“Shall This Nation Die?” authored by

someone with the same name.

Intrigued, he began to read and

soon recognized familiar surnames

woven throughout the pages.

“About three pages in, I thought,

this is depressing,” he recalled. “So I

skipped to the end—and the last line

read, ‘Thanks to the efforts of our Chaldean

Patriarch, we were able to reach

Mosul, where we arrived on March 2.”

Naayem was shocked. That was his

birthday!

“I felt like I was in the twilight

zone,” he said with a laugh.

When he called his father, Fareed,

he learned the truth: the author was

his great-uncle, the Chaldean priest

Father Joseph Naayem. That revelation

sparked a family-wide search as

Joseph II and his cousins began piecing

together their ancestor’s remarkable

story.

They discovered that Father Naayem

had traveled frequently between

the Middle East and the United States,

tirelessly working with the Chaldean

community. “He had shepherded the

Chaldean community through the

genocide,” said Naayem, a legacy he

now carries with pride

“When Christians visited him, he

would put them to work,” said the

younger Joseph. “He’d have them

handwrite Christmas cards and address

envelopes.”

Joseph II was born in Lebanon,

raised in London, and later worked in

Switzerland before settling in the UK,

where his mother—born in Baghdad—

now lives. His father passed away in

2018.

Father Joseph Naayem’s story is

one of unwavering faith and quiet

heroism. Amid the horrors of genocide,

he refused to let despair define

his people, instead devoting his life

to their survival, education, and hope.

Through his tireless work—rescuing

the vulnerable, chronicling atrocities,

and building bridges between continents—he

ensured that the voices of

the Chaldean community would be

heard and remembered.

Today, generations later, his legacy

lives on in the families he saved, the

communities he strengthened, and the

stories that continue to inspire. The

question he once asked, “Shall this

nation die?” finds its answer in the resilience,

courage, and enduring spirit

of the Chaldean people.

Father Joseph Naayem’s story lives

on through the modern adaptation

“Joseph Naayem: A Chaldean Priest’s

Story During the 1915 Genocide,”

written by Weam Namou.


FEATURE

Echoes of Ancient Gates

Artwork at the CCF West building

BY DR. ADHID MIRI

Part II

The history of doors in ancient

civilizations—and especially in

the Middle East—is remarkable.

Gates and wooden doors have existed

since the dawn of civilization. According

to the Bible, King Solomon commissioned

olive wood doors for his

temple. Ancient Mesopotamians and

Egyptians also used wooden doors in

their homes and temples.

More than simple entryways, doors

have served as witnesses to thousands

of years of human history. Though it is

difficult to pinpoint exactly when they

first appeared, doors have been essential

in nearly every culture for as long

as written records exist.

Doors carried social, symbolic, and

practical significance. They expressed

societal values, prosperity, and security.

Early doors were simple wooden planks

held together with pegs or iron nails.

As civilizations advanced, iron straps

and rivets reinforced doors—especially

in castles and fortified structures—

strengthening their defensive power.

In churches and monasteries,

doors took on spiritual meaning, featuring

religious carvings and iconography.

Oak, pine, and chestnut were

the most common woods, with iron

providing both reinforcement and

decoration. Even more impressive,

however, are the building technologies

behind these structures.

Ancient Nineveh—on the outskirts

of modern Mosul—was a major center of

trade and religion along the Tigris River.

It served as the capital of the powerful

Assyrian Empire, known for its writing

systems and regional control. A massive

wall surrounded the city, punctuated by

15 gates, including the Mashki Gate, or

“Gate of the Watering Places.” Highly

symbolic and iconic in the Mosul landscape,

the Mashki Gate was restored in

the 20th century but later destroyed by

ISIS using bulldozers.

Nineveh’s western wall contained

seven (or possibly eight) gates. The Step

Gate of the Palace, the second gate from

the northern wall, was constructed by

the Neo-Assyrian king Sennacherib

sometime between 694 and 691 B.C. He

gave it the ceremonial Akkadian name

Libūr-ēpissa, meaning “May Its Builder

Endure.” Although its precise location

remains unknown, its everyday name,

mušlālum ša ēkalli (“Step Gate of the

Palace”), suggests it led up to Sennacherib’s

palace on the citadel, possibly to

the harem or its northern wing.

Assyrian inscriptions from the seventh

century B.C. record that Nineveh’s

south- and east-facing walls contained

eight gates. The Sennacherib Gate was

the third among these. Built by Sennacherib,

its ceremonial name was

Sāpin-gimir-nakirī, or “The One Who

Flattens All Enemies.” During Ashurbanipal’s

reign, the gate was renamed

in his honor. Inscriptions dating to 691

B.C. confirm its construction between

mid-694 and early 691.

The ruins of Nineveh today are encircled

by remnants of the stone and

mudbrick walls built around 700 B.C.,

stretching roughly 12 kilometers. Only

five of the original 15 gates have been

explored by archaeologists. Though

rebuilt in the 20th century, Nineveh’s

gates continue to serve as cherished

symbols of Mosul’s ancient heritage.

The 1958 Freedom Monument

No monument in Iraq—or in much

of the Middle East—has achieved the

lasting fame and symbolism of the

Freedom Monument in Baghdad’s

Tahrir Square. Associated with pivotal

events in modern Iraqi history, it

is regarded as one of the most significant

monuments in the region. Since

its unveiling in 1961, it has remained

a steadfast symbol through successive

governments.

A replica is permanently displayed

on the exterior of CCF West.

The iconic monument is closely

tied to the establishment of the Iraqi

Republic and the overthrow of the

monarchy on July 14, 1958. It reflects

the struggles of Iraqi workers and the

sweeping political shifts of that era,

shaped by the rise of communist influence.

It stands as a national emblem of

the Iraqi people—their workers, farmers,

government employees and laborers—and

their collective will.

Throughout Iraq’s many revolutions

and political upheavals, the

monument has remained a unifying

symbol of freedom and the end of colonial

oppression.

The Story Behind the Monument

Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qasim

proposed the monument in 1959 to

commemorate the establishment of

the Republic. He commissioned architect

Rifat Chadirchi, who designed

a 50-meter-wide, eight-meter-high

banner-like structure inspired by the

massive demonstrations supporting

the 1958 revolution.

Chadirchi said he wanted the monument

“to symbolize all segments of

the population as an expression of their

being the heroines and fuel of the revolution,

standing up against any political

faction that sought to harm it.”

What is strange and sad about

the story of the monument is that the

sculptor, Jawad Seleem, passed away

several months before its inauguration.

It was then completed by his

lifelong colleague Mohammed Ghani

Hickmat and Saleem’s British wife,

Lorna, who had lived with him in

Baghdad since his return from studying

abroad in the late 1940s.

Creators: Jawad Saleem and

Mohammed Ghani Hikmat

Hikmat played a crucial role in completing

Nasb Al-Hurriyah (the Freedom

Monument), especially after Saleem’s

death. The monument’s 14 bronze

castings blend ancient Mesopotamian

imagery with modern themes. Its most

striking feature is the central figure of

a soldier breaking prison bars, symbolizing

the turning point from oppression

to liberation.

The scenes progress from turmoil

to hope: a small child as a symbol of

new beginnings, a grieving mother

honoring martyrs, symbols of agriculture

and fertility, and a unified Iraqi


The Historic Timeline

people. The piece incorporates ancient

Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian

artistic traditions alongside scenes depicting

the events of July 14, 1958.

The monument reads right to left,

beginning with suffering and ending

with freedom.

Freedom Monument Symbol

Interpretations

The Detainee: A chained man symbolizing

oppression before the revolution.

The Bereaved Mother: A grieving

woman representing the emotional

spark of revolution.

The Martyr: A fallen figure carried

by others, symbolizing sacrifice.

The Scream: A man shouting—the

first moment of rebellion.

The Fighter: Armed defender of

rights and protector of the revolution.

Woman With Child: Signifying

hope and a new generation.

Farmer: Symbolizing labor and the

working class.

Worker: Raising a hammer to represent

industry and progress.

Victorious Woman: Arms raised in

triumph and peace.

Cavalry: A mounted figure linking

Iraq’s ancient and modern heroism.

Liberated Prisoner: A man with

broken chains, symbolizing victory

over tyranny.

The Family: Representing stability

and the emergence of a new society.

Flying Birds: Emblems of peace

and freedom.

Rising Sun: The dawn of a new Iraq.

Together these symbols tell a powerful

story: Injustice → Suffering →

Revolution → Sacrifice → Victory →

Freedom → New Life. The monument

stands today in Sahat al-Hurriyah on

the Rusafa side of Baghdad.

The journey from the gates of ancient

Nineveh to the Freedom Monument

in Baghdad, and to the achievements

of the Chaldean community in

Michigan, shows that our history is alive

in every brick, every story, and every act

of perseverance. At the Chaldean Community

Foundation West building, this

legacy comes alive—reminding us of

the creativity, resilience, and unity that

define our people. By honoring our past

and celebrating our accomplishments,

we not only preserve our heritage but

also inspire future generations to carry

forward the spirit of community, hope,

and cultural pride.

2003 The Chaldean American

Chamber of Commerce is founded,

and a 15-person Board of Directors is

established.

2004 The first Chaldean American

Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner

is celebrated at Southfield Manor,

establishing an annual tradition of

honoring a Businessperson of the Year.

2004 Young entrepreneurs launch

and publish the first issue of the Chaldean

News in February.

2005 The Chaldean Iraqi American

Association of Michigan (CIAAM)

moves from Southfield Manor to

Shenandoah Country Club.

2006 Chaldean American Chamber

of Commerce hosts the first Chaldean

Festival in Southfield, attracting thousands

of festival goers.


of Commerce establishes a Political Action

Committee to support candidates

across party lines who are pro-business

and sympathetic to the concerns of the

Chaldean community.

2006 The Waad Murad Advocacy

Fund is established to help resolve

open cases of Chaldeans murdered in

their place of business, leading to the

establishment of the Chaldean Community

Foundation.

2006 Bank of Michigan, the first

Chaldean-owned bank, is established,

later becoming Level One Bank and

then First Merchants Bank.


of Commerce helps launch groups

to advocate for ethnic and religious

minorities in Iraq.

2008 The first Chaldean household

survey is completed with United Way

and Walsh College, confirming a population

of 113,000 Chaldean Americans

in Metro Detroit.

2009 The first Chaldean American

Day is proposed in Lansing.

2010 The Chaldean News partners

with the Detroit Jewish News to form

the “Building Community” initiative.

2011 Chaldean Community Foundation

opens its initial location in

Sterling Heights.

2012 Chaldean American Chamber of

Commerce board member Klint Kesto

makes history as the first Chaldean

elected to the Michigan State House of

Representatives.

2013 The Chaldean Community

Foundation and Chaldean American

Chamber of Commerce partner with

Mango Languages to develop an online

Chaldean Aramaic language course.

2014 The Islamic State of Iraq and

Syria (ISIS) invade the city of Mosul,

Iraq. Christians are given 24 hours to

leave the city or convert, pay a tax, or

be killed. Some 200,000 members of

the Chaldean community are forced to

flee.


opens a new 11,500 square-foot

community center in Sterling Heights.

2016 dBusiness economist estimates

Chaldean businesses contribute $10.7

billion to Michigan’s economy.


expands its annual scholarship

program for qualified Chaldean

students.

2018 Chaldean delegation travels to

Lansing to celebrate “Chaldean American

Day” at the state Capitol.

2019 The deportation of Iraqi

Christians from Metro Detroit, including

the tragic case of Jimmy Aldaoud,

highlights the community’s vulnerability.


adds a 19,000 square-foot addition

to Sterling Heights Center.


of Commerce establishes the Ark Angel

Fund to support early-stage start-up

businesses.


breaks ground on Tigris Tower, a

135-unit mixed use attainable housing

project to rejuvenate the North Van

Dyke Corridor in Sterling Heights.

Timelines are essential tools for understanding major turning

points and the relationships between significant events

in our community. For this timeline, we selected the period

from 2003 to 2025 to provide a visual representation of recent

history, focusing on key developments in both Iraq and

the United States.

The CCF Timeline places events in context, showing how

they relate to one another and to the broader historical landscape.

The dates help pinpoint when key moments occurred

and how they shaped our community. Important happenings,

figures, and milestones are highlighted with images to

provide a clear visual overview. The timeline begins with the

2003 regime change and continues through 2025.

2003- The U.S. invades Iraq on March 20, 2003, leading to

the displacement and eventual exodus of over one million

Chaldeans and other Christians.


Chamber of Commerce and Chaldean

Community Foundation purchase a

41,000-square foot property in West

Bloomfield to redevelop an abandoned

school building, establishing a

second community center.



Community Foundation establish a

presence in Nineveh to help Chaldeans

and other minorities in Iraq.

2023 The Chaldean household

survey shows a population of 187,000,

contributing $18 billion annually to

Michigan’s economy.

2024 Iraq›s Prime Minister Mohammed

Shia› Al Sudani visits the Chaldean

community in Detroit.


announces Tigris Tower II,

adding 82 units of attainable housing

surrounded by greenspace and parks

in Sterling Heights.


facilitates a sister-city relationship

between the city of Sterling

Heights and the District of Ankawa-

Erbil.

2025 Chaldean News works with the

Michigan Historical Commission to

install historical marker commemorating

the 7 Mile and Woodward area as

“Chaldean Town.”

2025 A delegation from the Chaldean

American Chamber of Commerce

and Chaldean Community Foundation

travels to Iraq, holding high-level

meetings establishing the Nineveh

Fund to help rebuild Christian villages

that were destroyed by ISIS.

2025 The Chaldean Community

Foundation’s new community center

in West Bloomfield opens its doors.

The facility houses Chaldean American


News offices, the Bishop Ibrahim

Library, Chaldean Museum, CN

Radio, CN TV, Chaldean Voice Radio,

a business incubator, demonstration

kitchen, and theater.


ECONOMICS & ENTERPRISE

Family Foundations

The Yasi brothers’ commitment to community

BY EEMI TOMA

Every family has its own story,

but some stand out because

they’re built on quiet strength

and shared purpose. For brothers

Rami and Noor Yasi, their path in real

estate and mortgage lending grew

from early lessons that shaped them

long before they entered the industry.

What began as a simple desire to

help others find stability has become

a lifelong calling rooted in

compassion and hard work.

Rami and Noor work in different

corners of the same world.

One helps clients find the right

home, while the other helps

them secure the means to make

that dream possible. Together,

they’ve built careers centered

on trust and guided by the belief

that helping others succeed is

the truest measure of success.

Rami Yasi: Building More

Than Homes

When Rami began his career in

real estate, he understood that

every home carries more than

walls and a roof. Each represents

a family’s hope for a new beginning.

As a licensed agent with

Real Estate One, he has spent

nearly a decade helping people

find that sense of belonging.

“My days are full but fulfilling,”

Rami said. “I spend my afternoons meeting

clients for showings or helping sellers

prepare their homes to stand out.”

He approaches each client with

patience and honesty—values he

learned growing up in a close family

that believed in treating others with

kindness.

For Rami, success comes from

relationships that last long after the

keys are handed over. Clients trust

him because he listens, explains and

never rushes a decision. “Real estate

is about people,” he said. “When you

put your clients first and lead with

integrity, everything falls into place.”

A shifting market has tested many

professionals, but Rami’s steady approach

has earned him respect across

the community. He often reminds

clients to stay prepared but open to

opportunity. “Don’t rush into a decision,”

he said. “But also be ready

to act quickly when the right home

comes along.”

Left: Rami Yasi is a licensed agent with Real Estate One.

Right: Noor Yasi is a mortgage lender.

Noor Yasi: A New Beginning in

Lending

Noor’s journey began along a different

path. Before entering mortgage

lending, he worked in banking and

accounting. When the pandemic led

to widespread layoffs, he faced an uncertain

future — a moment that ultimately

opened the door to something

new.

“I reached out to my brother

Rami,” Noor said. “He encouraged

me to get my mortgage license. I studied

during COVID, took the required

courses and passed my state exam.”

After earning his certification,

Noor quickly found his rhythm as a

loan officer. His financial background

helped him understand the numbers,

but his ability to connect with people

set him apart. “The most rewarding

part is being part of such an important

milestone in someone’s life,” he

said. “Buying a home can be stressful,

especially for first-time buyers,

so I guide them step by step, explain

things clearly and help them feel confident.”

A typical day for Noor involves

constant communication with clients,

underwriters and real estate

agents. He explains loan options,

reviews documents and checks on

active files — but his focus always

remains on the human side of the

job. “I take the time to explain everything

clearly so clients know what to

expect and can make decisions comfortably,”

he said. “My approach is

centered on education, transparency

and communication.”

His work ethic comes from the

same values that shaped Rami. “My

family instilled in me the values of

hard work, honesty and helping others,”

he said. “As a loan officer, I prioritize

integrity, clear communication

and going the extra mile so clients

have a smooth, stress-free experience.”

As the housing market continues

to evolve, Noor sees

promise ahead. “In Michigan,

the housing market is starting to

stabilize after a period of limited

inventory and intense competition,”

he said. “Buyer confidence

is improving, and the market

feels more balanced and sustainable

than it did earlier this year.”

Looking forward, Noor hopes

to deepen his expertise while

helping more families reach their

goals. “Keeping clients informed,

explaining complex terms in simple

language and anticipating

potential issues early on makes a

huge difference,” he said.

Brothers With a Shared Vision

Rami and Noor have built careers

that mirror each other in spirit.

Both believe in service, integrity

and the idea that success should

lift others. They often collaborate

on client referrals, but their

connection goes far beyond business.

Their story is one of gratitude

and giving back to the community

that shaped them.

Every home they help close and

every loan they approve carries the

same purpose that guided them from

the start. Their work is not just about

transactions. It’s about creating stability,

hope and confidence for the

people who trust them.

In many ways, their partnership

reflects the core of their upbringing.

The Yasi brothers have built something

lasting — something that reaches

far beyond their careers. They have

built trust: one family, one home, one

conversation at a time.


BALANCE

&

BREATHE

Participants gather at 11:00AM.

Classes run through March 2026.

FOR CAREGIVERS AND ADULTS 60 YEARS AND UP

MONDAY’S AND FRIDAY’S | 11:30AM - 12:15PM

Confortable activewear and gym shoes suggested.

This service is supported by a grant from The JFNA Center on

Holocaust Survivor Care and Institute on Aging and Trauma.

To register, contact Breaking Barriers at (586) 722-7253.


3601 15 mile Rd., Sterling Heights, MI 48310


FEATURE

Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo

Holiday Events

Around Metro

Detroit

The following list of events is also

located in the Metro Detroit area

and provides a great way to enjoy

all the merriment and glee the

season has to offer:

Deck the Halls

Holiday Fun Across Metro Detroit

BY JENNA ABROO

PHOTO COURTESY DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Ice skating at Campus Martius Park.

1. Wayne County Light Fest – November

20 to December 24

2. Magic of Lights at Pine Knob –

November 21 to January 3

3. Nite Lites at Michigan International

Speedway – November 21

to January 4

4. Holiday Walk at Meadow Brook

Hall (indoor display) – November

28 to December 30

5. Winter Wonder Lights at

Meadow Brook Hall – November

28 to December 30

6. Holiday Stroll in Canterbury

Village – November 28 to December

23

7. Hollydazzle at Michigan Renaissance

Festival – November 28

to December 31

8. Michigan Bright Lights – November

14 to December 30

9. Lincoln Park Parks and Recreation,

Breakfast with Santa –

December 6 and December 13

10. Ice Skating at Campus Martius

Park – November 22 to March 1

The holiday season always brings

cheer and joy to those who celebrate.

Festive outings, meals

with loved ones, and joyful gatherings

fill the coming months. One of the best

parts of the season is making cherished

memories with family. A great

way to do that is by finding fun activities

and places to visit that spread

holiday cheer. Christmas shopping,

visiting light displays, taking the kids

to see Santa, and caroling are just a

few traditions that help make the season

so special.

From Thanksgiving to Hanukkah,

Christmas, and New Year’s, the possibilities

for events and celebrations

are endless. Many Michiganders, including

myself, fondly remember seasonal

visits to Christmas Wonderland

at Bronner’s in Frankenmuth, ice skating

at the Warren Community Center,

and driving through neighborhoods to

admire holiday lights and decorations.

Though the season may feel long,

it passes in the blink of an eye. Time

off from work, kids home from school,

and the short winter days seem to fly

by. That’s why it’s important to make

the most of this time—investing in

memories with family and loved ones.

Fortunately, there are countless festive

events to enjoy.

The Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo

in Royal Oak is one of my personal

favorites. Tickets are available on the

zoo’s official website for dates between

November 22, 2025, and January 4,

2026. Wild Lights has been a Detroit

Zoo tradition for more than a decade,

celebrating its 10-year anniversary in

2022. The event has become a staple

for Metro Detroiters seeking holiday

fun.

The entire park is transformed

into a winter wonderland, featuring

millions of LED lights, themed zones

like the Enchanted Rainforest and

the Field of Lights, more than 500 illuminated

animal- and nature-themed

displays, and live music and performances

on select days. Visitors can

also enjoy seasonal treats such as hot

cocoa and other sweets. The event offers

fun for all ages and supports local

animal conservation efforts. For more

information and to purchase tickets,

visit detroitzoo.org.

The Big Bright Light Show in downtown

Rochester is another beloved

Metro Detroit tradition. Since 2006,

the city of Rochester has showcased

beautiful multicolored light displays

throughout November, December,

and January. The lights stretch along

streets and businesses in the heart of

downtown.

Originally launched to boost economic

activity for local businesses, the

Big Bright Light Show has grown over

nearly two decades into a spectacle of

1.5 million lights covering four blocks

of Main Street. The display attracts

more than 1 million visitors each year

and has gained numerous sponsors

from across Metro Detroit. One of the

best parts is that it’s a low-cost way

to enjoy the season—grabbing a hot


PHOTO COURTESY VISIT DETROIT

ONLINE DOESN’T

MEAN ON YOUR OWN.

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Schools offers trusted Kindgergarten–12th

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The Big Bright Light Show in Downtown Rochester.

chocolate or coffee while strolling the

cheerful streets is a simple pleasure

that captures the holiday spirit. The

display runs through February 9, 2026.

For more information, visit downtownrochestermi.com.

Glenlore Trails in Commerce offers

another way to experience the magic

of the season. This immersive, interactive

light and sound show presents a

“dazzling display of light, sound, and

wonder.” The mile-long trail includes

themed nights like “Aurora: Winter

Wizards,” which began November 21.

Visitors are guided through an illuminated

forest, becoming part of a story

in which the Winter Wizards work to

push back the gloom that threatens to

dim the holiday spirit. Glenlore Trails

offers a variety of ticket options, making

it a joyful experience for families

and groups. The displays run through

December 28, 2025. For more information

or to purchase tickets, visit glenloretrails.com.

No matter which holidays you celebrate,

attending community events and

making the most of the season’s cheer

is a wonderful way to enjoy the magic

of this time of year. From light shows to

downtown strolls, there’s truly no better

place to be during the most wonderful

time of the year than Metro Detroit.

May your holiday season be filled with

full tables, quality time with family,

and safe, festive fun for all.

Happy Holidays and a most Happy

New Year to all!

Scan the QR code or visit

https://deltadental.pub/chaldean_HKD

to watch our oral health series.

Keeping teeth healthy early on is important

to good oral health down the road.

Dental sealants are a great way to help

protect teeth from decay. This clear coating

is effective in young children when their

permanent molars appear.

Delta Dental of Michigan


FEATURE

Telleskuf: Between Past and Present

BY GHAZWAN ILYAS

TRANSLATION BY HANAN QIA

Telleskuf (Tel Keppe) is a Chaldean

name composed of two

parts: Tella Zqeepa — Tella

meaning “hill” and Zqeepa meaning

“upright” or “cross.” The town’s origins

date to the mid–second millennium

B.C.

Ancient manuscripts reference

Telleskuf. In the archives of the Chaldean

Diocese of Kirkuk, there is a manuscript

written in 1582 by Abraham bin

Bid‘a of Telleskuf. In the Monastery of

Our Lady, there are two more Chaldean

manuscripts written by Fr. Ibrahim of

Telleskuf — one in 1793 and another in

1794 — as well as another by Toma bin

Nisan of Telleskuf in 1819.

The Berlin Library also holds three

Chaldean manuscripts from Telleskuf.

Notably, the town is mentioned in

Yaqut al-Hamawi’s Muʿjam al-Buldan

(Geographical Dictionary), while neighboring

villages — including Tel Kaif,

Baqofa, Batnaya, and Alqosh — are not.

Al-Hamawi described it as: “Tell

Asqaf, pronounced as one word — the

Hill of Bishops — a large Christian village

belonging to Mosul, east of the

Tigris.”

Telleskuf lies in the northern

Nineveh Plain, administratively part of

the Tel Kaif District and ecclesiastically

belonging to the Chaldean Diocese of

Alqosh. The town occupies a central

position among its sister villages —

about 15 km south of Alqosh and 13 km

north of Tel Kaif — making it a strategic

midpoint and a natural link between

the northern Christian towns. Historically,

it served as a resting station and

meeting point for caravans traveling to

and from Nineveh.

The first elementary school in

Telleskuf opened in 1923–24. Today, the

town has six schools across all grade

levels, along with several public institutions

and government offices.

Agriculture remains an important

livelihood; the town’s fertile lands —

around 25,000 dunams (editor’s note:

one dunam is equal to 2,500 square

meters) — are cultivated with wheat,

barley, legumes, and melons. Some

residents also engage in trade, private

Telleskuf

businesses, and government employment.

In earlier times, many practiced

traditional crafts such as pottery, wool

spinning, carpet weaving, and leather

tanning — trades that have largely vanished,

replaced by carpentry, barbering,

and butchery.

Telleskuf is bordered to the north by

the Yazidi villages of Khushaba, Sreshka

and Dogat; to the west by Khattara

Kebir, Telsin and Meskalat; to the south

by Kfarouk, Kani Sherin, Falfil and the

Christian village of Batnaya; and to the

east by Baqofa, birthplace of the scholar

and bishop Mar Yaqub Augin Manna.

Before the ISIS invasion of 2014,

Telleskuf was home to over 2,500 Chaldean

families.

For deeper insights, we interviewed

Issam Shaba Falful, a well-known writer

and artist from Telleskuf, regarded as

one of the region’s prominent cultural

figures.

Neighborhoods and Old Quarters

Mr. Issam explains that, like other

towns and villages, Telleskuf consists

of many neighborhoods and traditional

quarters, separated by alleys, small valleys,

courtyards, and threshing floors.

Below is a list of all the old and modern

neighborhoods:

Old Neighborhoods of Telleskuf

1. Mahalla d-Dabbaghi (Tanners’

Quarter) – includes Bayta Yaqu Tooma

Dko and Bayta Mamiyi

2. Mahalla Shiwa Dqeebo (Mother Hen

Pond Quarter)

3. Hayy d-Dki

4. Hayy Jadda Itqeta (Old Street)

5. Mahally Dbay ‘Am Sawa and Bay

Kanuzzi

6. Hayy D-Dliya

7. Mahally Dbay Qasha

8. Mahally Dbay ‘Arbo, Bay Shmonka,

and Za‘ifa

9. Mahally Dbay Yedko (or Dbay ‘Ako)

10. Mahalla Mar Yaqub

11. Hayy Mar Gorgis

12. Alwola ‘Alaya

13. Mahally D-Tla

14. Hayy Ra’mta

15. Mahally Dbay Khamro

Modern Neighborhoods

1. Hayy al-Jundi (Soldier’s Quarter)

2. Hayy al-Salam (Peace Quarter)

3. Hayy Dki al-Jadid (New Dki)

4. Hayy al-Dhubbat (Officers’ Quarter)

5. Hayy Akkad (formerly “al-Hawasim”)

6. Hayy al-Noor (Light Quarter)

7. Hayy Ashur

The Market

Its strategic location made the market

of Telleskuf a major commercial hub,

offering everything visitors needed.

For decades, people from surrounding

areas — of diverse religious and

ethnic backgrounds — flocked to it.

However, ISIS devastated the town,

paralyzing all its facilities. Today,

residents are working hard to revive

commercial life and restore the market’s

past vitality.

Monasteries, Churches, and Shrines

Issam explains that Telleskuf is an ancient

historical town with many archaeological

sites, some dating back centuries

before Christianity. With the spread

of the faith, numerous monasteries and

churches appeared, particularly in the

early centuries. Here are the known

ones, though information is limited:

1. Monastery of Avni Maran – Remains

of the monastery cemetery and

its western wall still exist.

2. Monastery of Mar Sahdona (Sadona).

3. Church of Mar Yaqub al-Muqatta‘

(St. James the Intercisus) – before

renovation.

4. Church of Mar Gorgis (St.

George), the town’s patron saint –

renovated in 2019 under Fr. Dr. Salar

Bodagh.

5. Church and Shrine of Mart

Shmoni (St. Shmuni) – renovated in

2020.

6. Old Convent of the Nuns, near

the Church of Mar Yaqub al-Muqatta‘.

7. Shrine of the Virgin Mary.

Traditional Clothing

Traditional men’s attire included

the Karktha, Shawqta, Bshma, Shbukhtha,

Dmir, Shrowal and ‘Abaya,

with a head covering known as the

Bushiyya, later replaced by the Keffiyeh.

Over time, young men adopted

Arab-style garments such as the Saia,

Ghutra and ‘Iqal.

Women’s clothing has retained its

elegance and authenticity for centu-

TELLESKUF continued on page 35


LOOKING TO HIRE?

CAREER

SERVICES

WE HAVE THE PEOPLE!

POST YOUR OPENINGS AND HIRE ONE OF OUR JOB-READY CLIENTS TODAY!

WHAT WE DO

The Career Services Department provides one-on-one

guidance to help clients navigate job placement and build

successful careers.

• Career Fairs

• Employer Referrals

• Job Application Completion

• Training Opportunities

• Resume Building

• Cover Letter Writing

• FAFSA Completion

For more information,

please contact Elias Kattoula at 586-722-7253 or elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org

Chaldean Community Foundation | 3601 15 Mile Rd., Sterling Heights, MI 48310


Do you possess a passion for bettering the lives of others?

Join our ever expanding team!

HIRING

WE ARE

Case Worker - Sterling Heights and West Bloomfield

Communications Coordinator - West Bloomfield

Event Coordinator- Sterling Heights

Government Affairs Representative- Washington D.C.

Housing Liaison - Sterling Heights

Political Action Committee (PAC) Coordinator - West Bloomfield

Advocacy

Acculturation

For More Information

HR@chaldeanfoundation.org

586-722-7253

www.chaldeanfoundation.org/careers

Community Development

Cultural Preservation


CULTURE & HISTORY

TELLESKUF continued from page 32

ries. It includes the Qabaya, Shawqta,

Khassa, Bushiya, Mizir, Brmala,

Maqtanitha and Karktha.

Tragedies and Dark Events

Telleskuf has suffered numerous calamities,

the most devastating being

the Mongol massacre of 1236 A.D. In

a Chaldean poem by Giwargis Warda,

he vividly describes the atrocities committed

in Karamles, Erbil, Telleskuf,

and the Monastery of Beth Qoqe,

where thousands were slaughtered,

fields and houses burned, and churches

destroyed.

The Church of Mar Yaqub al-Muqatta‘

in Telleskuf was completely demolished.

Later, Telleskuf endured another

attack by the Mongol general Baryaq

in 1508, the same campaign that struck

Tel Kaif, Alqosh, and the Monastery of

Rabban Hormizd. In 1743, during Nader

Shah’s siege of Mosul, Persian forces

again invaded Telleskuf, leaving destruction

similar to that in Karamles,

Bakhdida, Bartella and other towns

east of Mosul.

Migration and Continuity

Telleskuf has not been spared the

waves of emigration that have

drained many Christian towns in

Iraq. Migration occurred in successive

phases, driven by hardship and

insecurity.

Despite all, Telleskuf remained

vibrant and alive with its Chaldean

Christian community until the ISIS occupation

in August 2014, followed by

another assault on May 3, 2015, crushing

hopes of return.

After liberation, the remaining residents

rebuilt their town with resilience,

clearing the rubble to revive their ancestral

heritage. Today, they strive to

preserve Telleskuf’s historical, social,

cultural, and spiritual legacy.

The people of Telleskuf have also

excelled abroad, forming thriving

Chaldean communities in San Diego,

California, Sydney, New South Wales

and other cities worldwide. They established

social associations and nurtured

distinguished figures who proudly uphold

their Telleskuf identity.

تللسقف بني املايض والحارض

اعداد غزوان القس يونان

تللسقف لفظة كلدانية تتكون من مقطعني ‏)تال زقيپا(‏

وتال تعني التل،‏ وزقيبا تعني املنتصب أو الصليب.‏

يعود تاريخ تأسيسها إىل حوايل منتصف األلف الثاين

قبل امليالد.‏ وهناك مخطوطات قدمية تتحدث عن

بلدة تللسقف،‏ ففي خزانة األبرشية الكلدانية يف

كركوك مخطوطة كلدانية قدمية كتبها أبراهام بن

بدعة التللسقفي سنة 1582. ويف خزانة دير السيدة

مخطوطتان كلدانيتان كتبهام القس إبراهيم التللسقفي،‏

إحداهام كتبها سنة 1793 وأخرى سنة 1794،

ومخطوطة أخرى كتبها توما بن نيسان التللسقفي سنة

1819. ويف خزانة برلني ثالث مخطوطات كلدانية أيضً‏ ا

كتبت يف تللسقف.‏ ولها ذكر يف معجم البلدان بخالف

القرى املهمة القريبة منها مثل تلكيف وباقوفة وباطنايا

والقوش إذ ال يوجد لها ذكر فيه،‏ قال ياقوت الحموي يف

وصفها:‏ تل أسقف بلفظ واحد،‏ أساقفة النصارى،‏ قرية

كبرية من أعامل املوصل رشقي دجلتها.‏

تقع وسط سهل نينوى الشاميل،‏ وهي تتبع إداريًا قضاء

تلكيف وكنسيًا أبرشية القوش الكلدانية.‏ البلدة تتوسط

املسافة تقريبًا مع شقيقاتها األخرى،‏ فهي تقع جنويب بلدة

القوش مسافة 15 كم تقريبًا،‏ وشاميل بلدة تلكيف 13 كم،‏

وبهذا يكون موقعها اسرتاتيجيًا جدًا لكونها حلقة الوصل

بني بلدات أبناء شعبنا يف سهل نينوى الشاميل،‏ إذ كانت

يف العهود املاضية محطة اسرتاحة وملتقى القوافل التي

تدخل نينوى ذهابًا وتخرج منها يف اإلياب.‏

بني عامي 1923 و‎1924‎ تم إنشاء أول مدرسة

ابتدائية يف تللسقف،‏ واليوم تضم البلدة ست مدارس

لجميع املراحل العمرية الدراسية.‏ باإلضافة إىل ذلك

توجد فيها عدد من املؤسسات والدوائر الحكومية.‏

فالزراعة تشكل موردًا مهامً‏ من مصادر املعيشة ألبنائها،‏

فيتم زراعة أراضيها الخصبة الشاسعة التي تبلغ 25000

دونم تقريبًا بالحنطة والشعري والبقوليات والبطيخ،‏

وكذلك هناك من يزاول التجارة واألعامل الحرة باإلضافة

إىل قطاع الوظائف الحكومية.‏ أما سابقًا فالبعض من

أهايل البلدة امتهن الصناعات الحرفية مثل صناعة

الفخار وغزل الصوف ونسج السجاد ودباغة الجلود

التي اندثرت تقريبًا،‏ وظهرت محلها النجارة والحالقة

والقصابة وغريها من الحرف.‏

يحدها من الشامل قرى األشقاء اإليزيديني خوشابا

ورسيشكة ودوغات،‏ ومن الغرب تحدها قرى حتارة كبري

وتلسني ومسقالط،‏ ومن الجنوب تحدها قرى كفروك

وكاين رشين وفلفيل إضافة إىل قرية باطنايا وهي إحدى

قرى أبناء شعبنا،‏ ومن الرشق تحدها قرية باقوفة

التاريخية الجميلة مسقط رأس العالمة الكبري مثلث

الرحامت املطران يعقوب أوجني منا طيب الذكر.‏ كانت

تسكن بلدة تللسقف قبل هجوم تنظيم داعش اإلرهايب

عام 2014 أكرث من )2500( ألف وخمسمئة عائلة من

الكلدان.‏

وملعرفة تفاصيل أكرث ومعلومات أدق استضفنا

الكاتب والفنان عصام شابا فلفل،‏ والذي يعترب من

الشخصيات الثقافية واألدبية املعروفة يف البلدة ويف

سهل نينوى بشكل عام.‏

الحارات واألحياء الشعبية:‏

ويف هذا الخصوص يتحدث لنا السيد عصام ويقول إن

تللسقف حالها حال باقي املدن والقرى،‏ تتكون من

عدد كبري من األحياء والحارات الشعبية،‏ تفصل بني

تلك الحارات واألحياء بعض األزقة أو بعض الوديان أو

الساحات العامة والبيادر وغريها.‏ وسنذكر أدناه جميع

األحياء والحارات التي تتكون منها تللسقف:‏

أ - حارات وأحياء تللسقف القدمية:‏

-1 محلة الدباغي ‏)محلة الدباغني(‏ محيل الدباغي

‏)بيت ياقو توما دكو وبيت ماميي(‏

-2 محلة شيوا دقيبو ‏)محلة مستنقع الدجاجة األم(‏

-3 حي الديك

-4 حي جادة اتقتا ‏)الشارع القديم(‏

-5 محيل ديب عم ساوة ويب كنوزي

-6 حي الدليا

-7 محيل ديب قاشا

-8 محيل ديب عربو ويب شمونكا وزعيفا

-9 محيل ديب يدكو أو محيل ديب عكو

-10 محلة مار ياقو

-11 حي مار كوركيس

-12 الوال عاليا

-13 محيل دتال

-14 حي رأمتا

-15 محيل ديب خمرو

ب - الحارات واألحياء الشعبية الحديثة يف تللسقف:‏

-1 حي الجندي

-2 حي السالم

-3 حي ديك الجديد

-4 حي الضباط

-5 حي أكد ‏)الحواسم سابقًا(‏

-6 حي النور

-7 حي آشور

السوق:‏

موقعها الحيوي جعل من سوقها مركزًا تجاريًا بارزًا،‏

يلقى قاصده كل املستلزمات املطلوبة،‏ حيث كان

أغلب سكان املنطقة من مختلف االنتامءات الدينية

والعرقية يتوجهون لهذا السوق،‏ والذي كان منتعشً‏ ا

لعقود من الزمن،‏ إىل أن دخلها داعش فحطم املدينة

وأصاب الشلل جميع مرافقها،‏ واليوم يحاول أبناؤها

مجددًا إعادة الحياة للحركة التجارية من خالل توفري

كافة االحتياجات الستقطاب الناس وإعادة السوق إىل

سابق عهده.‏

األديرة والكنائس واملزارات:‏

وهنا يتحدث ضيفنا السيد عصام بإسهاب بأن هنالك

ميزة يف تللسقف تجعلها مدينة أثرية تاريخية قدمية

قدم الزمان،‏ وتلك امليزة هي وجود العديد من األماكن

األثرية القدمية جدًا يف القرية وحواليها،‏ التي يعتقد

الباحثون بأنها قد بُنيت يف العصور الغابرة أي قبل

انتشار املسيحية بقرون عدة،‏ ويف عرص انتشارها أيضً‏ ا

ظهرت يف املنطقة وخاصة يف القرون األوىل العديد

من األديرة والكنائس،‏ وندرج أدناه ما توفر لدينا من

معلومات شحيحة جدًا حول تلك األديرة واألماكن

األثرية:‏

-1 دير أفني مارن

مقربة دير ابنيامرن يف تللسقف وبقايا الحائط الغريب

منه -2 دير مار ‏)سهذونا(‏ سادونا

-3 كنيسة مار يعقوب املقطع:‏ كنيسة مار يعقوب

املقطع قبل التجديد

-4 كنيسة مار كوركيس ‏)شفيع البلدة(:‏ كنيسة مار

كوركيس قبل التجديد الحديث – كنيسة مار كوركيس

بعد التجديد عام 2019 عىل يد األب الفاضل الدكتور

ساالر بوداغ

-5 كنيسة ومزار مارت شموين:‏ كنيسة مار شموين يف

تللسقف بعد التجديد عام 2020

-6 دير الراهبات القديم قرب كنيسة مار يعقوب

املقطع

-7 مزار مريم العذراء

األزياء:‏

زي الرجال يتكون من ‏)كركثا،‏ شوقتا،‏ بشام،‏ شبوكثا،‏

دمري،‏ رشوال،‏ عباية(‏ إضافة إىل غطاء الرأس الذي

كان عىل األغلب بوشية،‏ ومن ثم استبداله باليشامغ،‏

ومل يستمر هذا الزي بسبب توجه الشباب حينها إىل

ارتداء الزي العريب كالصاية والغطرة والعقال.‏

أما زي النساء فام زال لحد يومنا هذا محافظًا عىل

رونقه وأصالته منذ آالف السنني،‏ حيث يتكون من ‏)قبايا،‏

شوقتا،‏ خاصا،‏ بوشيه،‏ ميزر،‏ برماال،‏ مقطنيثا،‏ كركثا(.‏

النكبات والتواريخ املأساوية:‏

تعرضت تللسقف إىل نكبات عديدة،‏ كان أبرزها

املذبحة التي قام بها املغول عام ‎1236‎م.‏ فقد جاء يف

قصيدة كلدانية للشاعر كيوركيس وردا وصف بليغ

للمجازر التي أجروها يف كرمليس وأربل وتللسقف

ودير بيث قوقا،‏ فقتلوا اآلالف من سكانها وأحرقوا

الحقول واملساكن ودور العبادة وأبادوا الحضارة

ورشدوا اآلالف،‏ ومل يسلم منهم إال من فر هاربًا

ناجيًا بنفسه إىل الجبال القصية،‏ ومل تسلم كنيسة

مار يعقوب املقطع يف تللسقف فقد دُمّرت بكاملها.‏

وكذلك تعرضت تللسقف إىل هجوم عساكر بارياق

املغويل عام ‎1508‎م،‏ مثلام تعرضت تلكيف والقوش

ودير الربان هرمزد للهجوم نفسه،‏ كام قصدتها عساكر

نادر شاه الفاريس أثناء حصارها ملدينة املوصل عام

‎1743‎م،‏ فعملت فيها القتل والدمار والخراب مثلام

حدث يف كرمليس وباخديدا وبرطلة وتلكيف ومناطق

عديدة يف رشقي املوصل.‏

الهجرة واالستقرار:‏

مل تكن تللسقف مبنأى عامّ‏ وقع إلخوانها من القرى

والبلدات املسيحية من وباء الهجرة الذي ينخر يف

جسد وجودنا التاريخي،‏ حيث توالت عمليات الهجرة

عىل مراحل بسبب األحداث والظروف التي أثرت

عىل البقاء يف أرض الوطن.‏ رغم كل هذه املوجات

املتالحقة بقيت تللسقف زاخرة وعامرة بأهلها

الكلدان املسيحيني،‏ لكن الرضبة القاضية كانت حينام

احتلها داعش يف آب سنة 2014، وعاد يف 3 أيار 2015

ليحطم آمال العودة.‏ ومع هذا،‏ بعد التحرير مللم

من تبقى من أبنائها جراحهم وأزالوا الركام عن تراب

أرضهم األيب يك يستنشقوا منه تاريخ أجدادهم،‏ فإنهم

اليوم يحاولون بشتى السبل يك تبقى تللسقف بلدة

متمسكة بإرثها التاريخي واالجتامعي والثقايف والديني.‏

وهنا تجدر اإلشارة واإلشادة إىل أن التللسقفيني أثبتوا

تفوقهم وبراعتهم وهم يف بالد الغربة بعيدين،‏ فكوّنوا

جاليات كلدانية ناجحة ومؤثرة يف مدينة سان دييغو

بوالية كاليفورنيا األمريكية،‏ ويف مدينة سيدين بوالية

نيو ساوث ويلز األسرتالية،‏ ومدن وبلدان أخرى.‏

فلديهم اليوم العديد من الجمعيات االجتامعية

والشخصيات البارزة التي تفتخر بانتامئها إىل تللسقف.‏

ترجمها اىل االنكليزية مع العلم ان كثري من االسامء

املكتوبة بالعربية هي لفظات رسيانية تحتاج الحرص

يف ترجمتها اىل االنكليزية


SPORTS

Fierce Competition, Friendly Faces

Chaldean Hockey League blends skill, heart and community spirit

BY STEVE STEIN

The Chaldean Hockey League is

a delicate balance of fierce competition,

camaraderie and community.

Games in the weekly league are

hard-fought, and emotions run high—

especially in the playoffs, when the

coveted Telga Cup, the league’s version

of the NHL’s Stanley Cup, is on the line.

That intensity comes from familiarity.

League players aren’t strangers—

they’re friends, family members and

part of the Chaldean community.

New co-commissioner Michael

year. Two years ago, nearly $15,000 was

collected for the Help Iraq Foundation.

Sana and Kello took over the commissioner

duties this season from Kyle

Kassa, who moved out of the area to

study at the Midwestern University

College of Dental Medicine-Illinois, located

in the Chicago suburb of Downers

Grove. Kassa returns home occasionally

to play for Team Gold and see family.

Sana said he felt a responsibility to

help keep the league going after Kassa

stepped down.

“I had to step up. Kyle did an amazing

tive years. Later, he played for Bloomfield

Hills High School and he was a

member of the Oakland University

club team for four years. Off the ice,

Sana is a fashion designer and CEO of

Sana Detroit, which bills itself as the

largest streetwear brand in Detroit,

with a store in Somerset Mall in Troy.

Founded in 2004, the Chaldean

Hockey League has survived two interruptions:

a two-season pause to refocus

on its philosophy and a COVID-19

shutdown.

There are about 13 players on each

a single-game wild-card round that

eliminates two teams, the semifinals

and finals are best-of-three series.

Team Blue, guided by captain

Larry Kuza, won the league title and

Telga Cup last year, defeating Team

Red in the championship round of the

playoffs.

It was the first league championship

in seven years for Team Blue.

Marino Seman had the most points

for the team in the regular season and

playoffs.

Here are league standings after

PHOTOS BY JONAH KEJBOU

From left: 1. Team Blue celebrates its first

Chaldean Hockey League championship in

seven years last season. 2. Michael Sana,

pictured here during his Team Black playing

days, is now the Team Green captain and

co-commissioner of the Chaldean Hockey

League along with Jonathan Kello. 3. Team

Red, led by Josh Garmo, played in its fifth

straight Chaldean Hockey League playoff

championship series last season.

Sana, who is sharing the duties of running

the six-team league with fellow

new commissioner Jonathan Kello, described

the league this way:

“I love this league,” he said. “I know

hockey is just a game, but the players in

the league take it very, very, very seriously,

in a fun and respectful way.

“There’s no hockey league like

it anywhere. It’s so competitive, and

teams want to win so badly, but it’s like

playing a sport every week with your

family.”

Another aspect of the league that

Sana loves is its annual charity event

that raises thousands of dollars each

job. We need to keep that going,” he said.

In addition to being a co-commissioner,

handling the league’s social media

accounts and designing the teams’

jerseys, Sana has another new role

in the league. In his sixth year in the

league, the Bloomfield Hills resident

has taken over as Team Green captain

after playing the past four seasons for

Team Black. Normally a defenseman,

he’s a forward for Team Green.

Like many players in the league,

Sana has a hockey background. He

started playing hockey when he was

3, and was a member of the Rochester

Rattlers travel program in his forma-

of the league teams this season, including

about a dozen new players. A

draft was held before the season, with

each team allowed to retain two players.

Regular-season league games are

played Sunday mornings at the Novi

Ice Arena. Playoff games are held on

Sunday nights, mostly at the Detroit

Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills.

The playoffs are scheduled to begin

this season on February 9. They’ll

continue for five to seven weeks, depending

on the results of the post-season

games. The top two teams in the

regular-season standings receive byes

in the first round of the playoffs. After

seven games of the 2025-26 season:

Team Red: 5-1-0-1; 11 points

Team Blue: 4-2-0-1; 9 points

Team White: 4-2-0-1; 9 points

Team Black: 3-3-0-1; 7 points

Team Green: 3-4-0-0; 6 points

Team Gold: 2-5-0-0; 4 points

As the 2025-26 season heats up, the

Chaldean Hockey League continues to

deliver thrilling competition, lasting

friendships and a strong sense of community.

Whether on the ice or through

its charity efforts, the league remains

a place where family, camaraderie and

passion for the game come together

every week.


PROJECT LIGHT

PROJECT LIGHT

MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM

Emotional wellness is the ability to understand your

emotions and adapt to difficulties, stress, or changes

in life. Emotional wellness is important for overall

health and can lead to better physical health, stronger

relationships, and emotional resilience.

Project Light trilingual (Arabic, Chaldean, English)

licensed, professional therapists are here for you and your

best health. Through the process of therapy, you can change

self-destructive behaviors and habits, resolve painful

emotions, improve relationships, and explore issues that

may be hard to face alone.

Your therapist will help you to establish person centered

goals and determine the steps you will take to reach those

goals. Your relationship with your therapist is confidential

and our common therapeutic goal is to improve the quality

of life, no matter the challenge.

We invite you to seek out the Light of Project Light!

Serving Michigan residents ages 13 years and up regardless

of insurance status. Please call to request a Project Light

Intake at (586) 722-7253

CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY: The CCF and Project Light is committed to your

privacy and confidentiality and are sensitive to the stigma and stress that come with

seeking mental health support. Therefore, all counseling records are kept strictly

confidential. Information is not shared without client’s written consent. Exceptions to

confidentiality are rare and include persons who threaten safety of themselves others or in

circumstances of a court order.


3601 15 Mile Rd., Sterling Heights, MI 48310


HEALTH & WELLNESS

When the Seasons Change

Caring for ourselves through the darker months

BY JOANNE JONNA, MA, LPC

There’s a reason our hearts feel

different when the seasons

change. It’s not weakness, it’s

rhythm. As the days get darker, our

bodies slow down too. The holidays can

bring joy, but they can also overwhelm

and bring stress. In Chaldean homes,

this season is full of warmth and family,

but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy.

Many people find themselves pushing

to stay okay when what they really need

is a little space to rest and reset.

As the temperature drops and

schedules fill, we often feel torn between

wanting to keep up with everything

and the body’s natural urge

to slow down. It can feel like we’re

caught in between, a kind of limbo

that’s hard to sit with. The sun goes

down earlier, our motivation dips,

and even small things can start to feel

heavier. These changes aren’t personal

failures; they’re reminders that we,

too, are part of nature’s cycle.

I feel it too. When the holidays arrive,

there’s this mix of joy and pressure —

wanting to make memories for my kids,

manage work, and keep everything running

smoothly. I’ve learned that sometimes

the best gift I can give my family

is a calmer version of myself, even if that

means saying “no” or doing a little less.

Have you felt the winter blues

creeping in yet? I start to notice it when

I’m driving home from work and it’s already

dark, or when I have to push myself

a little harder to get out the door

in the morning. The “winter blues” are

more than just a mood. As sunlight

fades, our bodies produce less serotonin

— the chemical that helps regulate

happiness and calm — and more

melatonin, which tells us to rest. That

shift can leave us feeling sluggish, sad,

or unmotivated. For some, this pattern

becomes Seasonal Affective Disorder

(SAD), a form of depression that follows

the rhythm of the seasons.

Understanding this helps do away

with any shame. What you’re feeling

isn’t laziness or weakness—it’s your

body and environment working together.

Knowing that can help us respond

with care and compassion instead of

criticism. This is where self-compassion

matters most, by treating yourself

with the same understanding you’d offer

someone you love. You can practice

it by giving yourself permission to rest,

noticing when you’re being hard on

yourself, or simply placing a hand on

your heart and saying, “This is a hard

moment, and I’m doing my best.” Small

acts of kindness toward ourselves build

strength from the inside out.

And while these changes affect

everyone differently, our culture adds

its own layers to how we experience

them. In the Chaldean community, the

holidays often mean large gatherings,

shared meals, and a deep emphasis

on generosity and hospitality. These

are beautiful traditions, but they can

also bring pressure. Many of us feel we

“should” be happy, grateful, and social,

even when we’re tired, grieving,

or simply overwhelmed.

That tug-of-war — wanting to feel

thankful but feeling drained — can

deepen sadness or guilt. We might tell

ourselves, “Others have it worse,” or “I

should be fine.” But emotional health

isn’t a contest. We can appreciate what

we have and still admit when it’s hard

at the same time.

Therapeutic tools like Dialectical

Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance

and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

offer a balanced way to move through

the season. From DBT, we learn the

idea of “both-and” thinking — the

ability to hold two truths at once. You

can love your family deeply and still

need quiet time. You can feel grateful

and still feel sad. Both can be true.

Accepting that mix takes away the

pressure to perform emotionally and

makes space for something more real:

calm, honesty, and peace.

From ACT, we’re reminded to reconnect

with our values — the things that

truly matter to us. Ask yourself, “What’s

most meaningful to me this season?” If

your value is connection, that might

mean calling one friend instead of

hosting a big dinner. If your value is

faith, maybe lighting a candle, saying

a prayer, or attending one service is

enough. Small, meaningful actions that

match our values are far more healing

than pretending everything’s okay.

When motivation is low, our minds

need a bit of structure that feels doable.

Start small. Step outside for ten

minutes in the morning and feel the

light on your face. Take a short walk,

stretch, or move your body when you

can. Plan one thing to look forward to

each weekend — something simple,

like cooking a new dish or visiting

someone you love. Setting small, realistic

goals helps build momentum.

Progress doesn’t come from big leaps;

it comes from steady, gentle steps that

remind us we’re capable.

We all carry different parts within

us — one that wants to celebrate, another

that feels tired, another that

misses someone we’ve lost. Instead of

pushing those parts away, we can listen

to them with kindness. Ask yourself,

“Which part of me is speaking

right now? What does it need?” Just as

our faith teaches us to show compassion

to others, we can offer that same

grace to ourselves. Letting those parts

have a voice — even the quiet or sad

ones — helps us feel more grounded

and whole.

Our culture already gives us ways

to heal, if we slow down enough to

notice them. Faith practices — church,

lighting candles, quiet prayer — can

help us recenter. Cooking dolma or

kubba connects us to memory, meaning,

and belonging. When we gather

around food, it’s more than a meal —

it’s love, continuity, and comfort. Family

doesn’t have to mean perfection or

constant togetherness. Sometimes it

just means showing up in small, genuine

ways. The familiar smells, laughter,

and conversations remind us that

even in darker seasons, light still finds

its way to us.

If this season feels heavy, remember

— you’re not alone. Try one small

act of self-care: step outside, take a

slow breath, or sit quietly with a warm

drink for a few minutes. Healing rarely

happens in big moments; it grows

through small, consistent kindnesses

toward yourself. Even a tiny light — the

morning sun, a kind word, or someone

reaching out — can remind us that

brighter days always return. Reaching

out to a therapist, faith leader, or

trusted friend can bring a little more

light into this season — one gentle step

at a time.


PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS

Authorized Agent for:

Phone: (248) 851-2227

(248) 851-BCBS

Fax: (248) 851-2215

rockyhpip1@aol.com

ROCKY H. HUSAYNU

Professional Insurance Planners

Individual & Group Health Plans

Medicare Supplement Plans

31000 Northwestern Hwy. • Suite 110

Farmington Hills, Ml 48334

Over 46 years of experience.

Gabe Gabriel

Associate Broker,

Certified ABR, SFR

29444 Northwestern Hwy, ste. 110

Southfield, Michigan 48034

Office (248) 737-9500

Direct (248) 939-1985

Fax (248) 737-1868

Email MortgageGabe@aol.com

Angela Kakos

Producing Branch Manager - VP of Mortgage Lending

o: (248) 622-0704

rate.com/angelakakos

angela.kakos@rate.com

2456 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights, MI 48310

Guaranteed Rate Inc.; NMLS #2611; For licensing information visit

nmlsconsumeraccess.org. Equal Housing Lender. Conditions may apply • Angela Kakos

NMLS ID: 166374

Experience • Knowledge • Personal Service

Experience • Knowledge • Personal Service

TOP 1% OF REALTORS

2015 REAL ESTATE

TOP IN OAKLAND

ALL STAR -

TOP 1% 1% OF OF REALTORS REALTORS IN

2015 2025 REAL ESTATE

OAKLAND COUNTY COUNTY 1993 – 2015 - 2025

HOUR MEDIA ALL STARS –

IN OAKLAND

ALL STAR -

HOUR MEDIA

COUNTY 1993 – 2015

Proudly servingHOUR Birmingham, MEDIA

Bloomfield, Proudly Farmington serving Birmingham, Hills, Bloomfield,

Each office Each office is independently

is independently

West Farmington Bloomfield, Hills, the Lakes West Bloomfield, the

Proudly serving Birmingham,

Owned Owned and Operated and Operated Brian S. Yaldoo and surrounding Lakes and areas. surrounding areas.

Bloomfield, Farmington Hills,

Associated Broker

Each office is independently

West Bloomfield, the Lakes

Office (248)737-6800 Brian • S. Mobile Yaldoo

Owned and Operated

(248)752-4010

Toll Associated Brian Free (866) S. 762-3960 Yaldoo and surrounding areas.

Broker

Email: brianyaldoo@remax.com Associated Websites: Broker www.brianyaldoo.com

Office (248) www.BuyingOrSellingRealEstate.com

Office 737-6800 (248)737-6800 • Mobile (248)752-4010 (248) 752-4010

Email: Toll brianyaldoo@remax.net

Free (866) 762-3960

Email: brianyaldoo@remax.com www.BuyingOrSellingRealEstate.com

Websites: www.brianyaldoo.com

www.BuyingOrSellingRealEstate.com

JACQUELINE RAXTER, LMSW, LPC

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

PROGRAM MANAGER

ELIAS KATTOULA

CAREER SERVICES MANAGER

3601 15 Mile Road

Sterling Heights, MI 48310

TEL: (586) 722-7253

FAX: (586) 722-7257

3601 15 Mile Road


TEL: (586) 722-7253

FAX: (586) 722-7257

jacqueline.raxter@chaldeanfoundation.org

www.chaldeanfoundation.org

elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org


MARYANA SHABO

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH THERAPIST

For all your business and family

immigration needs

MARIAM ABDALLA

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH THERAPIST

CAMARON M. VOYLES

3601 15 Mile Road


TEL: (586) 722-7253

FAX: (586) 722-7257

maryana.shabo@chaldeanfoundation.org


Immigration Attorney & Partner

DIANE E. HUNT

Immigration Attorney & Partner

(248) 406-4100

www.antone.com | law@antone.com

31555 West 14 Mile Road, Suite 100

Farmington Hills, MI 48334

3601 15 Mile Road


TEL: (586) 722-7253

FAX: (586) 722-7257

mariam.abdalla@chaldeanfoundation.org


LISTEN TO OUR STORIES!

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chaldeannews.com


IN MEMORIAM

OBITUARY

Lewis Yaldo

Rami Nathniel

February 12, 1972

- October 10,

2025

Awatif Naimi

August 18, 1962 -

October 12, 2025

Mariya Hurmzi

July 1, 1939 -

October 13, 2025

Najah Polus Toma

October 23, 1955

- October 13,

2025

Dr. Gholam-

Hossein

Azarbayejani

March 5, 1934 -

October 17, 2025

Salim Hamama

July 1, 1937 -

October 18, 2025

Lewis Yaldo, devoted

husband, father,

grandfather, and

beloved uncle,

passed away on

November 1, 2025.

Born in 1928, he

overcame early

family hardships

to build a successful plumbing and

import business with his brother and

cousins. Lewis was cherished for his

toughness, generosity, and storytelling,

leaving a lasting legacy with his family

and the Chaldean community. He is

survived by his wife Juliet, children,

grandchildren, and extended family.

Najiba Razoky

July 1, 1939 -

October 18, 2025

Sabria Francis-

Garmo Azzou

April 15, 1933 -

October 19, 2025

Ramzi Putros

Yousif

July 1, 1941 -

October 21, 2025

Jamel Jabrow

July 1, 1933 -

October 22, 2025

Naiema Gorgis

Petrus

March 5, 1949 -

October 24, 2025

Bahjat Marogy

Shamasha

July 1, 1954 -

October 24, 2025

Khairi Gorguis

Samona

December 2, 1956

- October 25,

2025

Araxy Dawood

Yousif

May 7, 1940 -

October 25, 2025

Mansoor Eshaq

Mansoor

July 1, 1938 -

October 27, 2025

Randa Abo

Shasha

September 14,

1994 - October

27, 2025

Leila Malek

Sharrak

February 10,

1943 - October 27,

2025

Marqus Yakeera

July 1, 1941 -

October 28, 2025

Ely Asmar

January 15, 1968 -

October 29, 2025

Shirli Tominna

May 15, 1950 -

October 29, 2025

Najat Daabool

Mikha Ghareeb

July 1, 1944 -

October 30, 2025

Lewis Yaldo

July 1, 1928 -

October 30, 2025

Aeda R Hindi

July 1, 1936 -

November 1, 2025

Zarifa Mamooka

July 1, 1944 -

November 1, 2025

Suad Marooki

July 1, 1937 -

November 1, 2025

Suad Daoud Elias

Kinaya

July 1, 1940 -

November 2,

2025

Rajaa J Petros

March 10, 1970

- November 3,

2025

Lamie (Sam)

Salmo

February 18, 1954

- November 3,

2025

Joseph Sitto

November 25,

1952 - November

3, 2025

Sabah Soka

(Gasso)

July 1, 1942

- November 3,

2025

Shakria Louis

Mansor Kammon

July 1, 1932

- November 4,

2025

Marvan Talal-

Razooqi Batoo

May 30, 1985 -

November 7, 2025

Basila Mona

January 1, 1939

- November 7,

2025

Yalda Hanna

Kouza

December 26,

1926 - November

8, 2025

Widad Sahourieh

March 10, 1937

- November 8,

2025

Yalda Barkho

July 1, 1943

- November 9,

2025


Your Plan, Their Peace

A Conversation That Matters...

Leaving Your Legacy of Love

Engaging in heartfelt conversations with your loved ones

about everything from daily moments to significant

milestones is essential. These shared stories not only

strengthen your bonds today but will also carry

profound meaning when the time comes to honor and

celebrate your lives together. Embrace these

connections; they shape the legacies you leave behind.

Plan Today to Protect your Family

Create your Family Legacy

Avoid Costly Decisions

Make Your Wishes Known

Lock in Today’s Prices

Preserve Family Traditions

0% Interest Payment Plans

Support Mission Programs

Honor Your Catholic Faith

Protect Your Family

Daily Prayer for our Beloved

Deceased

DEC. 23 – JAN. 4

FISHER THEATRE

BROADWAYINDETROIT.COM

Groups (10+)

BroadwayInDetroitGroups@ATGEntertainment.com

(subject: SHUCKED)

Holy Sepulchre Catholic

Cemetery

To schedule an appointment for a tour of our

beautiful Chaldean sections or private estate areas,

please call us at:

(248) 350-1900 or visit cfcsdetroit.org

DOWNLOAD

OUR FREE

MOBILE APP!


EVENT

CACC Annual Meeting

& Board Election

The 2025 Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce Annual

Meeting & Board Election was held on Wednesday,

November 12 at CCF West, drawing nearly 150 attendees

for an evening of networking, community engagement,

and member connection. Guests explored exhibit booths

from nine corporate members before participating in the

Annual Meeting and voting for eight open Board seats

from thirteen candidates.

Clockwise from

top of page:

Board incumbent

Pamela Dover of

Comcast Business

addresses the

crowd of attentive

voters.

Henry Ford Health

participated in the

networking premeeting.

From left: Ghassan

Abdelnour, Simon

Jonna, John Ketty,

Layth Barash,

Shawn Shouneyia.

Voting booths were

assembled just

outside the Mar

Ibrahim Library

in Thomas Denha

Main Street at CCF

West.

CACC president

Martin Manna gives

a brief presentation

while the election

committee (from

left: Sal Shimoun,

Al Yaldo, Mario

Yaldo, and Tony

Kashat) look on.


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HONORS & RECOGNITION

Super Lawyers (Business Litigation, Michigan)

DBusiness Top Lawyers (Business Litigation)

Avvo Rating: Superb (highest rating)

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Go To Business Litigators, Michigan Lawyers Weekly

Oakland County Executive Elite 40 Under 40

Up & Coming Lawyers, Michigan Lawyers Weekly

Attorney on the Rise, Chaldean American Bar

Special Tribute Recipient from the Michigan Legislature

PRACTICE AREAS

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Real Estate Disputes

Business Breakups & Owner Disputes

Healthcare Litigation

Construction Litigation

Appellate Litigation

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024) 1

10/20/23 10:20 AM

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FEATURED ON AND AWARDS

ASSOCIATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

DECEMBER 2025

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