DECEMBER 2018

VOL. 15 ISSUE XI
METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY DECEMBER 2018
$
3
www.chaldeannews.com
THE INTERSECTION
OF ART AND FAITH
HOW CATHOLICISM INSPIRES A LOCAL
ARTIST’S CREATIVE TALENT
INSIDE
IRAQI NATIONALS TO BE RELEASED
CATCHING UP WITH FR. PIERRE
DIOCESE HIRES A CFO

MAY YOUR
Christmas
BE FILLED WITH THE BLESSINGS
OF FAMILY
It’s the holiday for spending time together. Rooms full of relatives
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abundance of exquisite, traditional dishes for all. During this joyful and
holy time of year, let Kroger help you make time with family extra special.
We have everything you need to celebrate the season with the most
important people in your life.
© 2017 The Kroger Co.

DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 3

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION
Help Wanted!
Please consider hiring one of
our many new Americans.
More than 30,000 Chaldean refugees have migrated to Michigan since 2007. Many
possess the skills and determination to work hard for you and your organization.
The Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) has a bank of resumes
of candidates qualified to do a variety of jobs. To inquire about hiring a
New American, call or email Elias at 586-722-7253 or
elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org.
Chaldean Community Foundation
Sterling Heights Office
3601 15 Mile Road
Sterling Heights, MI 48310
586-722-7253
www.chaldeanfoundation.org
4 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

CONTENTS DECEMBER 2018
THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 15 ISSUE XI
on the cover
18 THE INTERSECTION
OF ART AND FAITH
BY MONIQUE MANSOUR
How Catholicism inspires a local
artist’s creative talent
features
20 AN IRAQI UPDATE FROM
FR. PIERRE KONJA
BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO
18
22 IRAQI NATIONALS
TO BE RELEASED
Judge Goldsmith has given the government
30 days to release detainees
departments
6 FROM THE EDITOR
BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO
In the spirit of gratitude
8 IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS
BY MICHAEL SARAFA
10 NOTEWORTHY
12 CHAI TIME
14 ECRC CORNER
16 OBITUARIES
34 CHALDEAN ON THE STREET
BY HALIM SHEENA
Favorite gifts
36 EVENTS
Inside the food industry
24 HELPING THE HOMELAND
BY LISA CIPRIANO
26 SPECIAL LIAISON APPOINTED
FOR IRAQI CHRISTIANS
BY ASHOURINA SLEWO
26 NEW CFO TO GIVE CHALDEAN
EPARCHY A BOOST
BY PAUL NATINSKY
Bishop Creates Diocesan Financial Council
BY MICHAEL SARAFA
28 DESTINED TO BE BORN
BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO
One woman shares her story of
choosing life as an unwed mother
30 MARKETING ON
THE NEXT LEVEL
BY M. LAPHAM
Chaldean Community Foundation’s
First Annual Awards Dinner
DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 5

from the EDITOR
PUBLISHED BY
The Chaldean News, LLC
EDITORIAL
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Vanessa Denha Garmo
MANAGING EDITORS
Denha Media Group Writers
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Ashourina Slewo
Halim Sheena
Paul Natinsky
Lisa Cipriano
M. Lapham
Monique Mansour
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Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative
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CLASSIFIEDS
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In the spirit of gratitude
I
really do love the holiday season. I am a family
girl. I still get so excited about Thanksgiving
and Christmas but not exactly for the same
reasons I did as a kid. I do like a break from work
just like I did from school. I just get less days off
today. As a kid, I looked forward to hanging with
my cousins just as my daughter does today.
Running down the stairs to see what Santa
left under the tree and in my stocking was always
a delight and I have delighted in the same tradition
now as a parent. Today, it’s about spending
time with my family and being grateful for the
gifts I have been blessed with by God.
As you journey through life, somehow your
priorities change especially since my life journey became
dominated by my faith journey as I focus more on Christ.
I am grateful for my faith.
God blesses each and everyone of us with gifts. Upon
baptism, we are given specific gifts or graces from the Holy
Spirit called Charisms. We are called as Christians to use
these gifts to evangelize the faith.
That is exactly what artist Maysoun Seman does with
her amazing talent. We are so fortunate to feature a piece
from her collection on this month’s cover story – so fitting
for Christmas – the Holy Family.
Two pieces of Seman’s art were featured at a juried exhibition
and we are sharing that story with you.
I am grateful for her talent.
Our charisms may or may not be directly related to
our profession. I took a Called and Gifted workshop,
which I highly recommend everyone do; I discovered two
charisms of mine are writing and communications, both
of which are tied to my profession. Some people use their
charisms to only evangelize the faith and it’s not tied to
their vocation, however, it doesn’t mean that you are not
gifted with other talents.
Chaldeans in general are good in business. I always
look forward to our annual Entrepreneur Forum. This year
proved to be just as informative as previous years. Our
panelists were insightful and engaging. Each shared a perspective
from the view point of a restaurant owner. The
Chaldean News’ Ashourina Slewo wrote a recap of the
event and shared some highlights. I am personally grateful
to Zaid, Zeana, Serena and John for participating. I took
home some valuable information as I am sure everyone
VANESSA
DENHA-GARMO
EDITOR IN CHIEF
CO-PUBLISHER
who attended did.
I am grateful for the advice.
Sometimes what may seem like a nightmare
could turn into the biggest blessing of all. That
is exactly what happened to an unwed pregnant
teenager. She shares her courageous story of giving
birth to her child even though she felt pressured
to abort. This is truly a community tragedy.
Whether people want to admit or not, we have
a serious situation at hand. Girls having sex outside
of marriage and having abortions because of
the shame. That is just part of the story. There
are many others in marriages having abortions
for various reasons. I hope to address that side of
the story in a future issue. Right now, we are sharing one
story of one young lady who finds joy in being a mom.
I am grateful for her courage.
I am also grateful for the courage and openness from our
church following a very sad and serious story of a sub-deacon
accused of sexual misconduct with a minor. It has been
covered in the local news in a very balanced and fair way,
I might add. That is largely due to the fact that our church
leaders were up front and honest about the story. They did
the right thing from a moral and legal perspective. We are
merely recapping the story in our noteworthy section.
I am grateful for our servant leaders.
It’s not only the time of the year we are with family
and enjoy our downtime with friends too, but it’s the time
for the spirit of giving and gratitude. I always allocate a
specific time between Christmas and New Years to write
down my goals for the next year and to review what I accomplished
in the current year. On that list is always everything
I am grateful for as I thank God for the blessings.
And, it’s not just a Christmas tradition. A few years ago,
I added to my list the goal of expressing gratitude. Today,
I truly try to live with a spirit of gratitude every day!
Alaha Imid Koullen
(God Be With Us All)
Vanessa Denha-Garmo
vanessa@denhamedia.com
Follow her on Twitter @vanessadenha
Follow Chaldean News on Twitter @chaldeannews
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DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN 8/20/18 NEWS 4:01 PM7

it’s the LITTLE THINGS
After 15 years and
over 200 written
columns and articles,
I’ve decided to move
away from opinion pieces
and controversial topics and
cover the little things in life.
My new column will be entitled
It’s the little things…
I took this occasion to
review many of my past
columns which proved to
be a trip down memory
lane. I wrote much about politics
and religion, often at the expense
of making my partners and me a target
of those less open to intelligent
discourse. I famously called for Pope
Benedict to resign which caused
more trouble than it was worth despite
turning out to be very prescient.
I wrote extensively about Bishop
Ibrahim’s leadership of our Detroit
Diocese, Mar Delly’s ordination as
Cardinal and much more. I had the
unique honor of interviewing two
prominent American Cardinals —
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston
and Cardinal Tim Dolan of New
MICHAEL G.
SARAFA
SPECIAL TO THE
CHALDEAN NEWS
Jersey —and, very early
on, Archbishop Allen Vigneron.
I had much to say about
the situation in Iraq over
the years as well, including
a series of inept leaders and
the tightening noose on Iraq
by Iran. I am reminded now
that the precursor to U.S.
second Iraq invasion was
the 9/11 terrorist attacks
which history has proven to
be a total non-sequitur. I opined heavily
over the years on politics and elections,
including how much elections
do matter. Again, just this past month,
we’ve seen that this remains true.
I wrote about a chance encounter
with a Holocaust survivor in East
Lansing and a fascinating trip I took
to Cuba before the Cuban opening. I
took liberties with my pen to advocate
for Shenandoah when it was struggling
and to provide the community with
updates and explanations about Bank
of Michigan during my time as CEO.
While I tried to veer away from
writing about personal issues, I did
take the opportunity to talk about
my late father in one June issue for
Father’s Day. I also wrote an article
about Dad’s and Daughters which
drew heavily on my own experience
with my daughters. While my
oldest child was a toddler when we
started the Chaldean News, she grew
to pen several articles herself as a
high school and college student. After
the Newton massacre, I reminded
everyone to hug their children a little
more tightly from then on. The
world had changed.
I was an early partisan against
Kwame Kilpatrick whose character
flaws were evident to me but not so
much to many of the City’s movers
and shakers. More recently, I have used
this column to decry what I believe is
also a very flawed presidency. Among
other unprecedented things, Trump’s
bad hombre dragnet snagged hundreds
of Chaldeans who had already served
their time and were living productive
lives in the United States.
I wrote several obituaries for people
very close to me or that I admired
from afar. These include my Uncle,
Michael George, James Jonna, an
early pioneer, John Loussia whom
we lost prematurely and Fred Delly,
who was murdered going to work one
summer day in Detroit. The column
also paid a postmortem tribute to Jim
Bannon, the former Deputy Chief of
Police in Detroit during the Coleman
Young years.
I’m sure I will be moved to cover
similar topics and events in the future.
But going forward into 2019,
I want to cover the little things in
life. These might include some acts
of kindnesses, happenings in nature,
important world news that doesn’t
make headlines and more. As I grow
older, my appreciation for the little
things has grown immensely.
As we enter the Advent and
Christmas season, we have the greatest
example of the importance of little
things in the Baby Jesus who came to
earth in smallness and humility. Pope
Francis reminds us that a Christian
life is not one of epoch-making gestures
but small daily actions— “a witness
that begins in the morning…”
I will endeavor to shine a light on
these daily actions of others. I could
use your help. If you come across
any little things that might be worth
mentioning, let me know. I would
love to write about it.
Merry Christmas to all.
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DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 9

noteworthy
Sexual Abuse
in the Church
News broke in early November that
a sub deacon at St. Joseph Chaldean
Catholic Church had been charged
with sexual assaults on a teenage boy in
the parish. Hurmiz Ishak was charged
with a felony for allegations of multiple
sexual encounters with the boy.
Being held at Oakland county
jail with a cash or surety bond of
$300,000, Ishak is facing a total of
three counts of criminal sexual conduct,
two of which are first-degree
and the other is third-degree. All
charges relate to one victim.
Police told the Detroit News that
the alleged assaults began in May
of 2017 and were reported by the
parents to a pastor in October. The
church reported these allegations to
the Troy Police.
In his position as sub deacon at St.
Joseph, Ishak is what Fr. Rudy Zoma
described as an “elevated altar server”
with responsibilities such as setting up
the altar for everything from Masses
to weddings and funerals.
Following Ishak’s arraignment on
Wednesday, October 31, the church
put out a statement and Fr. Rudy spoke
with WXYZ about the alleged assaults
and the church’s duty to the wellbeing
and safety of the parishioners.
Fr. Rudy stressed that this matter
has not been and will not be taken
Year in Review
As the year comes to a close, we want to revisit our cover
stories from this year.
January: In our first cover story of 2018, Vanessa wrote
about a number of business trends to keep an eye on in the
new year. Industry professionals were consulted and provided
insight on everything from the booming marijuana
industry to the customer driven food industry.
February: For our annual wedding guide, we covered
the evolution of the traditional Chaldean wedding. Our
cover featured the story of George and Susie Essa, the first
documented Chaldean wedding on American soil.
March: The ongoing battle to save community members
from being deported to Iraq was the cover story in March.
While Judge Mark Goldsmith ruled that each detainee was
entitled to a bond hearing, the fight was far from over.
April: The April cover was all about the new beginnings
for the Our Lady of the Fields Camp as it opened
to the public in the Spring. Several community members
worked to make the new camp a reality.
May: Our May issue was about surviving loss. We talked
to several mothers throughout the community who had lost
a child. They were brave and strong as they told us about
their children, how they coped with the loss, and even offered
advice to anyone else who may be dealing with loss.
June: In our June cover story, we touched on the Iraqi
lightly as the church continues to cooperate
with the investigation.
“We are trying to assure the faithful
that we here at the church, we are
so much concerned about the safety
of their children. This is something
that we take very seriously,” Fr. Rudy
told WXYZ. “Everything has to be
given to them in a transparent way,
where there was an accusation and
we took action. Now we have to
unite together in a spirit of prayer.”
In the church’s statement, parishioners
are urged to turn to prayer
for all individuals involved. “At this
time, we are called to pray for all those
who are involved, most especially for
the victim. We try to the greatest
of our ability to maintain a safe and
healthy environment for all of our parishioners,
especially the children as
they are the most vulnerable.”
In the statement, the church
stresses their moral and legal obligations
in situations such as this. “There
is an appropriate protocol to be followed
in these cases, and it was observed
by St. Joseph church pastor.”
While the damage cannot be undone,
says the church, they urge others
who may be facing sexual abuse to
also speak up in an effort to prevent
any further abuse.
The church also urged parishioners
to redirect their energy from
“gossip and slander” to beg the Holy
Spirit to bring the “healing power of
Jesus to the hearts of all those who
are involved.”
Masses throughout the Diocese
were offered up for the victim and family
members, the sub-deacon and his
family and all of those who are suffering
with the emotional, physical and
mental pains caused by sexual abuse.
To report any sexual abuse, please
contact Diocesan Victim Assistance
Coordinator, Janan Senawi, at (248)
354-3066.
Celebrating
the Future
Chase Zebari was recognized
by as one of
Michigan’s “Up and
Comers” by the Michigan
Nurse’s Association.
In addition to this recognition,
Zebari was the recipient of the American
Nurses Association of Michigan’s
“Celebrating the Future” award in late
October. According to the American
Nurse Association, this award is intended
to “recognize and acknowledge
five nurses in Michigan who have demonstrated
outstanding achievement in
nursing that have been a licensed RN
for five years or less. This award is intended
to celebrate dedicated service,
encourage exemplary commitment to
the nursing profession, and promise to
grow in leadership in the advancement
of nursing in Michigan.”
elections and the work of community member and elected
officials who were working to amend immigration laws.
Community members worked with Congressman John
Moolenaar to amend the Nationality Act.
July: Our July issue was all about the midterm elections.
We wanted to help inform readers ahead of the primary
elections in August. From the gubernatorial race to
Chaldeans running for local office, we wanted to ensure
readers knew who was on the ballot.
August: With the cover of the August issue, instead
of sticking to our traditional back to school guide, we
decided to highlight the many universities and colleges
throughout Michigan.
September: The September issue featured the rapidly
growing Chaldean Moms of Metro Detroit Facebook
group. Thousands of women in the community have come
together in this group to form a sisterhood of sorts.
October: With five generations of tahini making spanning
two countries, the Ayar family graced our October
cover. The Ayar family started making tahini in Iraq and
have since brought their trade to the United States.
November: Our November issue featured a candid
conversation with Bishop Francis. Chaldean News
Co-Publishers Vanessa Denha Garmo, Martin Manna,
and Mike Sarafa sat down for a conversation with the
bishop about the community, the sexual abuse crisis,
and the church.
Our newest
generation
of lawyers
BY DILAM MATTIA
“The first duty of government is
to protect the powerless from the
powerful.”
– Code of Hammurabi,
circa 1772 B.C.
The Babylonian code of
law was enacted by Hammurabi,
the sixth Babylonian
King. It’s the oldest known
code of laws in recorded history.
That’s why today, we continue
to celebrate our new generation
of Chaldeans, embarking in the
field of law.
Carly Hakim Babi, daughter
of Carl and Azucena Hakim is
one of Michigan’s newest attorneys.
She received her JD, MBA
from Detroit Mercy earlier this
year. While in law school, she
represented indigent defendants,
and assisted community attorneys
in protecting the rights of
Chaldean immigrants.
A private swearing-in ceremony
took place on October 25,
2018 at the 35th District Court
in front of Chief Judge Michael
J. Gerou, where her husband,
Attorney Randy Ramzi Babi was
her attorney sponsor. The family
hosted a dinner to recognize
Carly and the historical legacy
of Chaldeans in lawmaking.
Attorney Carly Hakim Babi
now joins her husband as a partner
in the firm they have been
building for the past two years,
focusing in the areas of criminal
law and business. She will
be leading the firm’s family and
immigration practices. They can
be reached at 888-778-2224 or
www.thebossattorney.com
10 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

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DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 11

CHAI time
CHALDEANS CONNECTING
COMMUNITY EVENTS IN AND AROUND METRO DETROIT DECEMBER 2018
Saturday, December 1
Jingle Bell Run: Join the Arthritis Foundation
for the 2018 Detroit Jingle Bell
Run on Saturday, December 1 at 9:00
a.m. at the Corner Ballpark in Detroit.
“Grab your reindeer antlers, tie jingle
bells to your running shoes, hit the pavement,
and be part of the nation’s largest
holiday race series aimed to fight
arthritis. Whether you prefer to walk or
run, wear your ugly Christmas sweater,
or don the craziest holiday costume,
this 5K/10K through Corktown and
the riverfront is sure to spread smiles,
holiday cheer, and winning spirits.” The
Snowman Shuffle Kid’s Run will be taking
place on the baseball field. All proceeds
from the Jingle Bell Run benefit
the Arthritis Foundation. Pre-registered
participants will receive a shirt and finisher
medal. To register for the event,
visit www.jbr.org/Detroit For more information,
please contact Bill Wenzell
at 248-469-4406 or wwenzell@arthritis.org.
Saturday, December 8
Breakfast with Santa: The Rusty
Bucket Restaurant and Tavern is hosting
its annual Breakfast with Santa
event on Saturday, December 8 from
8:30 to 10:00 a.m. Families are invited
to Rusty Bucket located in Northville
Park Place to enjoy a personal oneon-one
visit with Santa and a delicious
breakfast made from scratch. The meal
is only $5 per person and includes
scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, fruit,
juice and coffee. Proceeds from Breakfast
with Santa will benefit Toys for
Tots. Seating is limited so make sure to
reserve your spot today by calling (248)
349-1399 or by going online at https://
www.myrustybucket.com/breakfastsanta-2018
Saturday, December 8
The Society Ball: Join the Detroit Historical
Society for a “free-wheeling,
black-tie extravaganza that will draw
upon Detroit’s rich and relatively unknown
cycling history to celebrate a
landmark year in which the Detroit
Historical Society won all three of the
nation’s most prestigious awards for
museums.” The Detroit Historical Society’s
Ball is the biggest source of annual
funding for the society’s educational
initiatives. This year’s celebration will
fund expansion of its award-winning
programming to serve high school students,
help design new curriculum materials,
and develop intergenerational
programming for the Discovery Room
in The Streets of Old Detroit. The seated
dinner and live auction begin at 6:00
p.m., and the late-night party takes
place at 9:00 p.m. For information on
tickets, please contact Mary Ann Bauman
at maryannb@detroithistorical.
org or 313-833-4143 or visit www.detroithistorical.org
Saturday, December 8
Winter Gala: The Italian American Bar
Association of Michigan is hosting
their 87th Annual Winter Gala at the
Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. This gala
will benefit the Friends of Foster Kids
charity. “Founded in 1931 as the Italian
Lawyers Club of Michigan, today the
IABAM remains one of the oldest and
largest ethnic bar associations in the
country. The IABAM is honored to have
an active roster of over 200 attorneys
and judicial members, including one
Michigan Supreme Court justice. Over
30 courts in the state proudly display
the IABAM flag.” For more information
about the annual winter gala, please
visit www.iabam.com/events
Wednesday, December 12
Holiday Schmooze: The ACS Foundation,
alongside their corporate sponsor
Acclaimed Home Care, will be
kicking off the holiday season with its
annual Holiday Schmooze and 10th
Anniversary Black and White Ball at
the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham
on Monday at 6:00 p.m. The evening
will include a first-class strolling dinner,
open bar, and dancing to the music of
the Killer Flamingos. Lori Herbert of
the Anthony Herbert Foundation will be
presented 2018’s Catalina Andres Humanitarian
Award. This event will benefit
the Twin Hearts Medical and Surgical
Mission in the Philippines. This
mission will bring medical supplies and
care, provide surgeries, and assist with
emotional trauma, therapy, health education
to the people in Cordoba. For
more information about this event or to
purchase tickets, email Karen Katko at
khkatko@hotmail.com
Thursday, December 13
Music: Get into the holiday spirit as the
Michigan Philharmonic performs holiday
favorites during Holiday Pops with the
Phil on Thursday, December 13, at The
Penn Theatre in downtown Plymouth
with two performances at either 6:00
or 8:00 p.m. “Music from the movies,
Broadway, around the world, and more
will delight audiences.” This kickoff to
the holiday season is not to be missed!
For more information about this event or
to purchase tickets, call 734-451-2112
or visit www.michiganphil.org.
Thursday, December 15
Charity Ball: Allnette is hosting their
first annual Angel Heart Christmas
Charity Ball on Thursday, December
15 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Hosted at
the Troy Community Center, the Angel
Heart Christmas Charity Ball will offer
“a night of fun and excitement, great
food and amazing prizes” – with all
funds raised to support children who
lost a parent or are in foster care. “All of
our Programs are gifted unconditionally,
we do not charge the individuals we
assist – your support goes a long way!
Please book your tickets today! Looking
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a gala benefit performance and silent
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arts program. The evening will include
a strolling cocktail and hors d’oeuvre
reception; a silent auction and raffle
with high-end experiences and a variety
of special themed-packages; and a musical
performance by some of Grosse
Pointe Theatre’s most gifted stars. The
ensemble will entertain guests with a
medley of songs from the Golden Age
including songs by Irving Berlin, Ira
Gershwin and Cole Porter, along with
several holiday favorites. Seating is
limited, be sure to reserve your tickets
today! For more information about this
benefit, sponsorship opportunities or to
purchase tickets, call 313-881-4004 or
visit www.gpt.org.
12 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

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DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 13

ECRC corner
Who is Jesus … in history, in the bible and to you?
It’s the time of the year
when the Christian world
will be celebrating the
feast of Christmas. This feast
is arguably the most popular
holiday season for Christians
and non-Christians alike, but
do we really know what this
feast is all about? The word
Christmas comes from the
old English Cristes Maesse,
the Mass of Christ.
Apparently, Jesus Christ
is the focus of the feast and in
order to celebrate this feast properly
one would need to know the person
of Christ. I want to shed some light on
the person of Jesus Christ from three
perspectives posed as questions: How
was Jesus understood throughout history?
How is Jesus presented to us in
the Bible? Finally, how should we understand
Jesus today?
Jesus throughout history
Historically, the person of Jesus
Christ has always been a controversial
figure. Jews, Romans and Gentiles
disagreed as to who this person
is. His followers on the other hand
and from the beginning of his public
ministry perceived him as the Maasai,
the savior of Israel.
This Messiah was understood by
some believers as God taking on a human
flesh. The letter to the “Diognetus”
which was written in the early part
of the second century attests to the
understanding of the person of Jesus
Christ as full man and full God. Some
other Jews thought the idea of God
becoming man is a challenge to their
core belief as Jews. Jews believed God
is one and they reminded themselves
of this reality twice daily through the
Shema prayer “Listen o Israel, the Lord
your God is one” for those Jews the
idea of the divinity of Jesus presented a
stumbling block to their belief in him.
Not only Jews but some Christians
throughout history were challenged
with the idea of the divinity of Christ,
so they attempted to simplify it by
presenting some logical alternatives
which led to many heresies. Some
attempted to put all the focus on the
human nature of Christ. the result of
that made Jesus a mere messenger created
by God (Arianism). Others attempted
to explain the person of Jesus
Christ by focusing solely on his two
natures. The outcome of that made
KARAM
BAHNAM
SPECIAL TO THE
CHALDEAN NEWS
Jesus two persons figure with
two natures (Nestorianism).
And others attempted to
explain the person of Jesus
Christ by focusing on his
divine nature only. The result
of that undermined the
humanity of Jesus (Monophysitism).
All these attempts and
others tried to explain the
person of Jesus by using reason
alone. Reason is good
but as I mentioned in my
October article, reason cannot work
independently from God, who is the
source of all reason. Giving the limitation
of the human mind, the approach
of reason alone could lead man to fall
in error (heresy). Heresies have always
been the product of man’s attempt to
explain a reality bigger than himself,
the result of that is a new set of teachings
that fit a particular mindset at a
particular time.
On the other hand, the church has
always understood Jesus as the savior of
the human race, the new Adam who
came at the fullness of time to re-do
what Adam did. Adam sinned as a
human person therefore atonement
for his sin had to be paid by a human
person, but since the gravity of Adam’s
sin against God was so great it needed
God himself to take on a human person
and pay the price of that sin. Jesus
accomplished that by living all his life
without committing a sin and then dying
on the cross as an atonement for
our sins. It is based on this reasoning
and what sacred scripture reveals to
us, the church proclaims Jesus as one
person with two natures (Human and
Divine), but is that what scripture
teaches us about Jesus?
Jesus in the Bible
The books of sacred scripture presented
Jesus to us as a complete man
and as a complete God in many occasions,
directly and indirectly. As a
man Jesus was born of a woman LK
2:7, grew up as a young man LK 2:40,
got tired JN4:6, was thirsty JN 19:28,
got hungry MK 11:12 and experienced
death MT 27:50. The bible
also shows Jesus performing acts that
only God is capable of performing.
He healed physical illnesses JN 9:6,
healed mental illnesses MT 17:14,
forgave sinners MT 9:1, raised the
dead JN 11:38, showed control over
nature MK 4:35 and many other
miracles. All these miracles were
performed by Jesus using his own
authority unlike all other prophets
before him.
The bible shows the uniqueness
of Jesus’s authority in the Sermon on
the Mount presented to us in the gospel
of Matthew chapter five. In this
chapter, Jesus teaches the crowd by
contrasting between what they have
learned before him by the prophets
versus what he is teaching them
now, so he repeatedly says “You have
heard before… but I say to you” as an
indication of the uniqueness of his
Godly authority. The bible not only
speaks of Jesus’ divinity through his
miracles but it clearly teaches it in
more than one place. For example,
the gospel of John starts with “In the
beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word
was God.” Jesus is the word and in
this verse the bible confirms the
equality between the word and God
Himself. All these bible verses and
others solidify the understanding of
the person of Jesus as fully human
and fully divine which is conditional
to his mission as a savior. The savior’s
mission is to bring humanity back to
God the father after the fall of Adam
in sin which caused complete separation
from God. In another word,
the savior’s mission is to bring the
human will back in union with the
divine will which can only be done
through the one who has both, Jesus
Christ. Jesus as God man is the missing
link that was needed to bring the
fallen human will to its union with
“Heresies have always been the product of man’s attempt to explain a
reality bigger than him self, the result of that is a new set of teachings
that fit a particular mind set at a particular time.”
the father’s eternal will and by doing
that, He made salvation possible.
What does that mean to us?
Jesus and me
As we prepare to celebrate the birth
of Jesus, we need to ask ourselves who
is Jesus to us? The English thinker
C.S. Lewis once said that in light of
everything, we know about Jesus from
reason and revelation, Jesus must be
one of three words that start with the
letter “L”. He is either a lunatic, a liar
or Lord. He reasons through that by
saying how can a person live all his
life without committing a sin, heal
the sick, raise the dead, claim to be
the road to eternal life be anything
outside of these three options. Well, I
can say with certainty that no human
being today would dare to claim that
Jesus was a lunatic or a liar that leaves
us with one option. He is our Lord
and if he is our Lord then the most
important question that we should
ask ourselves today is: Have we in our
life met this Lord personally? Only
when we meet Him personally will
Christmas have a real meaning.
Karam Bahnam has a BA in
Philosophy and is currently working
on his MA in Theology; he is a
co-founder of the Eastern Catholic
Re-evangelization Center (ECRC).
14 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

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DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 15

obituaries
RELIGION
RECENTLY DECEASED COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Dear Lord,
We pray that this New Year
will bring us closer to You.
May we take the time to get to know You.
Help us to truly celebrate the gifts
You have graciously given us
and use them to serve You and
spread Your word,
Heleen Mona
October 06, 1956 -
November 19, 2018
Hannia Acho
July 01, 1931 -
November 12, 2018
Hassina
Abdulnoor Abdal
January 07, 1930 -
November 18, 2018
Saleema Yaldoo
July 01, 1930 -
November 12, 2018
Mario Kasyohanan
October 12, 1999 -
November 15, 2018
Fareed Farhat
October 22, 2009 -
November 11, 2018
Mary Issa
July 01, 1936 -
November 14, 2018
Faris Nona
September 08, 1960
- November 10, 2018
Najiba Atisha
July 01, 1933 -
November 13, 2018
Basem Kabota
November 09, 2018
May we also see and love you
in all the people we meet,
so that in turn, they can see You in us.
We know that all human relations take time
if they are to grow and deepen.
This is also true of our relations with You,
the Father and the Holy Spirit,
which must grow over the course of our lives.
In this new year,
let us realise that every action of ours
no matter how great or small
enables us to be in touch with You.
Let us accept You in our lives,
in the way it pleases You,
as Truth, to be spoken,
as Life, to be lived,
as Light, to be lighted,
as Love, to be followed,
as Joy, to be given,
as Peace, to be spread about,
as Sacrifice, to be offered among our relatives,
friends, neighbours and all people.
Amen.
Prayer courtesy of Catholicdoors.com
Ibrahim Mossa
July 01, 1928 -
November 08, 2018
Kamala Iwas
July 03, 1929 -
November 07, 2018
Sam Dabish
February 24, 1951 -
November 07, 2018
Kyle (Khalid) Gozal
July 20, 1955 -
November 02, 2018
Suad Hano
July 01, 1946 -
November 02, 2018
obituaries
Ghaida Kas-
Mikha Kinaia
August 1, 1969 –
September 21, 2018
Razuk Hanna Sawa
July 01, 1934 -
November 02, 2018
Firyal Shamony
July 01, 1942 -
October 27, 2018
Muneer Nano
April 24, 1979 -
October 29, 2018
Khana Khoshaba
July 01, 1929 -
October 26, 2018
Faieza Ketty
July 10, 1951 -
October 29, 2018
Sabah Busha
July 01, 1938 -
October 25, 2018
Everlyn Yousif
December 25, 1959
- October 29, 2018
Raad J. Faranso
September 04, 1949
- October 25, 2018
Victoria Gabbara
March 08, 1942 -
October 28, 2018
Lonjeen Thwainey
July 01, 1931 -
October 24, 2018
There is a special angel in heaven,
That is a part of me
It is not where I wanted her,
But where God wanted her to be.
She was here, but just a moment,
like a night time shooting star,
And though she is in heaven, she isn’t very far.
She touched the hearts of many,
like only an Angel can.
I would have held her every minute, if in the
end I only knew Gods plan.
So I send this special message, to the heavens
up above, please take care of my angel & send
her all my love!!!
Love, Your husband Rafed, & kids Megan,
Miranda, and Anthony!
16 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

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DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 17

The intersection of art and faith
How Catholicism inspires a local artist’s creative talent
BY MONIQUE MANSOUR
When Maysoun Yatooma
Seman reflects back on
her childhood, it’s evident
that her passion for art was always
there. “I can remember being
around age seven when my family
would comment on and marvel at
my artistic abilities. Drawing came
easily to me, as did being a creative
person. But I did not give my artistic
talents much value and high school
was the last time I gave it any attention
at all.”
That is, until 2012. That’s the
same year Seman enrolled in a workshop
through the Archdiocese of Detroit.
“I discovered that my top three
gifts were craftsmanship, teaching
and evangelization. As a certified
catechist for the past 17 years, I
definitely used my artistic side when
teaching, but it wasn’t until after
taking the workshop that I began to
create art once again.” This reignited
the artistic spark in Seman and she
hasn’t stopped imagining, creating,
and crafting since.
Seman expresses her art in a variety
of mediums. She categorizes
the majority of her artwork as mixed
media. “I love combining a variety of
mediums such as oils, acrylics, watercolor,
charcoal, and India ink. I also
incorporate gilding and wood burning
with certain pieces. I love being
creative and so I use various materials
and mediums to accomplish what
I imagine.”
Seman has been inspired by a variety
of artists over the years. “Some
of my favorite artists are the artists of
the Renaissance…masters like Michelangelo,
Raphael, and Caravaggio.
I also admire the work of modern-day
artists like Neilson Carlin,
Ali Cavanagh, and David Kassan.”
Seman was born in Telkeppe, Iraq
and immigrated to the U.S. as a child
in 1980. She currently lives in Commerce
Township with her husband of
28 years and their four children. Her
art is inspired by her life – the trials
and the tribulations, the past and the
present. “All of that somehow ends
up being expressed in my artwork
through images of my Catholic faith,
which makes complete sense to me
because God is who my heart turns
to in times of trial or peaceful joy.
Art has definitely become a part of
my faith journey, and both my art
and my faith are tools of healing for
my heart and soul.”
Seman recently submitted four
paintings to the 7th Biennial Juried
Catholic Arts Exhibition. The purpose
of the exhibition is to, “give
artists who engage Catholic subject
matter an opportunity to dialogue
with the Church and pastors in the
hope of creating new, original artworks
for churches and liturgical
spaces,” according to their website.
The exhibition began in 2001, and
was established by the late Br. Nathan
Cochran, O.S.B. It is held on the
picturesque campus of Saint Vincent
College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
“After submitting my paintings to
the competition, I was notified a few
weeks later that two of them were
selected. Out of the 311 artworks
submitted by artists from across 30
states, 44 were then chosen to be
exhibited. I was very excited to be a
part of this nationwide juried Catholic
art exhibition that has received
international attention,” said Seman.
The opening reception took
place on October 28. The exhibition
is open until December 2 and it is
free and open to the public.
Seman experienced a whirlwind
of emotions during the reception. “I
remember the gallery doors opening
and the crowd gathering inside to
view the art pieces. I felt very blessed
to be able to share the experience
with two of my children who accompanied
me to the opening night.
I felt humbled that my artwork had
been chosen and placed amongst
great artists like Neilson Carlin, an
18 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

artist I follow and one whose work I
greatly admire.”
Seman also had the opportunity
to meet and speak with other Catholic
artists from across the nation.
“This was truly priceless because being
in a setting where you felt understood
and where your art is valued
and appreciated in its fullness...this
was extremely encouraging and affirming
for me.”
Two of Seman’s paintings selected
for the exhibition are mixed media
pieces. “Holy Family, Journey combines
oil paints, gold leaf and wood
burning on wood paneling while
Mary and Elizabeth, The Visitation
combines watercolor and wood burning
on maple wood.”
To Seman, love is the central
message of her faith. “In my view, to
be a Catholic is to strive to love each
and every person whom God brings
my way, to love them as Christ loves
me, without counting the cost. As an
artist, I identify first as a Catholic,
one who embraces the good parts of
her Chaldean culture to further nurture
my true identity which is found
in God my Father and not where I
was born or where I was raised or any
other secondary label of identity.”
Seman believes that everyone, not
just artists, have the ability to seek out
the beauty in their surroundings and
in the activities that make them feel
most alive. “Don’t be afraid to invest
in something that speaks to your
heart and soul in ways words cannot,
because most likely, that’s God calling
your heart to His.” Seman offered
some wise words to artists and aspiring
artists. “The best advice I could give
to those who have discerned they
have the gift of art is what Pope John
Paul II tells us in his Letter to Artists,
‘Artistic talent is a gift from God and
whoever discovers it in himself has a
certain obligation: to know that he
cannot waste this talent, but must develop
it.’”
Seman is active on social media
and her artwork and the inspiration
behind it can be seen on her Instagram
@myseman.art and on her
Facebook page @BlueSkiesArtStudio.
She also has a shop on Etsy of
the same name, BlueSkiesArtStudio.
She will be participating in Art Birmingham
2019 from May 11 to May
12 and in Plymouth’s Art in the Park
2019 from July 13 to July 15. Commissions
may be requested by messaging
her on her social media accounts
or by emailing 137cca@gmail.
com.
DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 19

An Iraqi update from Fr. Pierre Konja
BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO
What may come as a surprise
to most people who talk
to Fr. Pierre Konja about
Iraq is the normalcy of it all. “I grab
a bite to eat with friends in town and
the locally owned Christian restaurants
will even serve beer. I drove
to the store today and picked up few
things, the kids play Fortnite and
love Snapchat” said Fr Pierre, speaking
on a Sunday evening Iraqi time.
He even picked up an exercise
mat this day for his room at the
seminary where he is currently living.
“When my parents came to visit
I drove them through the North and
we felt comfortable the whole time.
My father left Iraq almost 40 years
ago and my mother almost 50 years,
which is the story for many Chaldean
families in Detroit, so we’ve lost
a connection to the country. When
I tell people that ALL my aunts,
uncles, cousins, and siblings live in
America, they’re surprised because
for people who left Iraq after the 90’s,
their families are spread around the
world in different countries.”
Fr. Pierre enjoyed his time with
his parents. “My parents loved their
visit to Iraq, there are still some
unsafe areas near Mosul that we
didn’t get to see, but we drove from
Ankawa, visited Shaqlawa and the
waterfalls, Alqosh and the great history
there, Duhok, Zakho, Amedia,
Aradan, and back to Ankawa. I think
it was bittersweet for all of us because
Iraq is truly a beautiful country with
a lot of natural resources, it’s just sad
to see how division, persecutions,
and wars can hinder such potential
development and stability.”
His day-to-day life is pretty uneventful
he explains. His official assignment
is the spiritual director at
St. Peter’s Chaldean Seminary in
Ankawa, which is a Christian village
just outside of Erbil, more than
an hour east of Mosul. He also spends
time learning Arabic, to speak as
well learning to read the written language.
“My Sourath is much better,”
said Fr. Pierre. “I preach every Sunday
in our native tongue and I am
much more comfortable today with
the language. I am tutored in Arabic
and I practice reading the language
every day, but Arabic is a difficult
language, I’m sure it’ll be a lifelong
journey to get comfortable with it,
but I’m happy with my progress.”
His main assignment is working
in the seminary while becoming immersed
in the language and culture.
“I love working with and praying
with the seminarians,” he said. “I
love the Chaldean Catholic church
and if I can potentially help a future
priest with his relationship with Jesus
so that the church can constantly be
renewed by the Holy Spirit, then this
is where God wants me today.”
In the midst of the normal were
small surprises. “I’ve been happily
surprised to see how people accept my
broken Sourath,” he noted. “They’re
very understanding that I’m from
America and are pleased that I’m at
least trying.”
At the seminary there are 14
seminarians, 11 of whom are native
Sourath speakers with the other
three stronger in Arabic. English is
often spoken in Iraq as much as Fr.
Pierre wishes it wasn’t so prevalent.
“I keep telling people to stop speaking
English to me, I want to better
my Sourath!” he said laughing.
Fr. Pierre left for Iraq last spring
but before he left, he did his research
and talked to several people already
living in Iraq about life in the country.
He also gained insight from others
who travelled there before him like
Fr. Patrick Setto and Fr. Fadie Gorgies
as well as seminarians Dc. Perrin Attisha
and Dc. Rodney Abasso.
As normal as it seems on most
days, the plight of the people is still
very real.
“People here have already
lived through ISIS and wars, sanctions
and turmoil for more than
40 years,” he said. “Some want to
reunite with family members who
have settled in other countries like
Australia, America, Canada, and
all over Europe.”
As much as there are people
deeply rooted in this country and
want to stay, many still want to leave.
“They don’t trust that this normalcy
will last for the next few decades,”
he said. “They are still very skeptical
and I can’t blame them, they’re jokingly
just waiting for ‘the next thing’
to happen in Iraq, while the current
economic instability causes stress for
many families.”
Although thousands of miles
away across the ocean, there are
still similarities with Chaldeans in
America. “The faith in Iraq is very
similar to the faith in the American
Chaldean community. Everyone has
crosses in their homes, they receive
their sacraments in the Church, and
they celebrate the feast days, but the
average household does not go to
mass every Sunday.” Fr. Pierre is not
assigned to a specific parish, but he
has observed this through his experiences
and conversations with the
people he’s met.
He left in early May 2018, and
will be home for a Christmas visit. Fr.
Pierre plans to return home in June of
2019 with a better grasp of Sourath
and a strong foundation in Arabic.
“I will be a life-long learner of the
language,” he said. “My hope is that
Iraq’s government and economy remain
stable for all people. There has
never been a time where I ever felt
unsafe. Now might be a time where
people can begin to consider making
a visit to their homeland.”
20 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

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of
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Photos: Amy Guip
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DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 21

Iraqi nationals to be released
Judge Goldsmith has given the government 30 days to release detainees
Nearly a month after hearing
arguments from the
Hamama litigation team,
Judge Mark Goldsmith has issued an
order for the release of Iraqi nationals
that continue to be detained by
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE).
The ruling was issued Tuesday,
November 20. In a 59-page opinion,
Judge Goldsmith wrote that “the
law is clear that the Federal Government
cannot indefinitely detain
foreign nationals while it seeks to
repatriate them, when there is no
significant likelihood of repatriation
in the reasonably foreseeable
future.”
Iraqi nationals detained for six
months or more must be released.
The government, ordered Judge
Goldsmith, must do so within 30
days of the order. These detainees
were part of a larger group of Iraqi
nationals that had been detained by
ICE in a sweep in June of 2017.
In his order, Judge Goldsmith
states that the detainees’ only crime
is “being caught between the United
States and Iraq’s diplomatic tugo-war
over repatriation,” and that
public interest “overwhelmingly favors
freedom over mass detention in
these circumstances.”
In addition to the release of these
detainees, Judge Goldsmith will also
be imposing sanctions on the government
for their failure to comply
with court orders, submitting “false
declarations of government officials,
and otherwise violating its litigation
obligations—all of which impels
this Court to impose sanctions.”
A huge victory for the community,
more than 100 detainees will
be returning home to their families
before Christmas.
For Candice Salman, this day
is what she has been waiting for
since her brother, David Hana, was
picked up from her family’s home on
June 11, 2017. Nearly a year and a
half later, her brother will finally be
able to come home.
Recalling the day several ICE
agents showed up at her family’s
door, Salman thinks of the horror
that ran through her family. “It was
horrible,” she said. “The look of
horror on my parents’ faces is something
I can’t erase.”
Being without her brother has
been difficult, she says. Not seeing
him or knowing how he is doing, has
been worse. “We are scared for his
safety, we didn’t know what would
happen to him,” Salman explained.
While this is far from the end for
Hana and the other Iraqi nationals,
it is a step in the right direction as
they continue to fight to stay in the
United States. None of this would
have been possible without the tireless
work of the Hamama litigation
team, says Salman.
“We are eternally grateful for our
lawyer Edward Bajoka, CODE Legal
Aid, Nadine Kalasho, Nora Youkhana,
and the ACLU of Michigan,”
said Salman. “I am beyond happy.
We can’t wait for our family to finally
be complete.”
While the detainees will be missing
Thanksgiving, they will be home
in time to celebrate Christmas with
their families.
“We don’t lock people up and
throw away the key for no reason.
They’ve already lost 2017, but we’re
glad they’ll be starting 2019 with
their families,” Miriam Aukerman
told the Detroit News. Aukerman
is the ACLU attorney on the case.
“What the judge said it’s a decision
about accountability and you can’t
lie to a federal judge and get away
with it. They were unjustly arrested
and taken into custody for removal,
not because of anything they did but
the changes in administration.”
This ruling, however, does not
signify the end. These Iraqi nationals
will be released to fight their immigration
cases from home.
The Chaldean Community
Foundation worked diligently with
Congressmans Sander Levin and
John Moolenaar as well as the Iraqi
consulate to advocate for the hundreds
of community members who
were detained and facing deportation.
This ruling from Judge Goldsmith
means the government has
to release all the detainees within
30 days of the order. The order will
allow these Iraqi nationals to come
home and fight their immigration
cases from the comfort of their
homes while getting back to their
normal routines.
REBECCA COOK / REUTERS
22 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

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DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 23

Helping the homeland
BY LISA CIPRIANO
Most everyone with ancestral
roots outside of the United
States feels some sort of a
connection to his or her homeland.
Some go back to visit. Others, go
back to help.
The Shlama Foundation was
created to do just that in the ISIS
ravaged ancient city of Nineveh in
northern Iraq.
After the invasion of ISIS in
2014, the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac
people of Nineveh were driven out
of their ancestral homeland. Nearly
13,000 homes, hundreds of churches
and close to 150 public properties
were destroyed.
The word Shlama means peace
in Aramaic and that’s exactly what
the foundation is tirelessly focused
on restoring to the region since the
invasion, initially, by providing the
diaspora much needed emergency
humanitarian aid in terms of food
and immediate shelter.
Now, its goal is to rebuild the
homeland and preserve the culture of
the nearly 200,000 people displaced
and forced to live in tents in crude
displaced camps.
Most of the families who remained
in Iraq have since returned
to what’s been left of their villages.
But, many others have yet to come
back to what’s left of their home and
there’s still much work to be done to
restore the dignity, rich culture and
quality of life that they once had.
“The needs have shifted in the region.
The people now are just trying
to pick up the pieces and put their
lives back together,” co-founder and
board member John David explained.
The focus of the Shlama Foundation
has also shifted to accommodate
the needs of the Assyrian Chaldean
Syriac people of Nineveh not only
by working to rebuild their burned
down homes, but also restoring their
desecrated and looted churches and
gravesites.
And, they need your help.
Prior to the invasion, Telkeppe,
was once a thriving town, rich with
ancient culture and a population of
5,500. Since the invasion and eventual
fall of ISIS in that region, only
47 families have returned to find
their homeland ravaged and their
ancient cemetery in pieces.
But, thanks to years of hard work
and dedication of the Shlama Foundation,
its donors and 40 Michigan
volunteers, the rubble has been
cleared, the entrance of the cemetery
has been repaired and the sacred
cross that stood at its gate for centuries
has been carefully restored and
re-erected.
“This is symbolic because it
shows that we are defying ISIS’ attempt
to uproot our indigenous ties
and erase our history in the region.
It will greatly boost the morale of the
families that are returning to their
ancient Nineveh town,” said David.
Sidewalk reconstruction, water
pipes and a motor for a well at the
site also were installed as part of the
now completed first phase of the
Telkeppe Cemetery project.
But, there is still plenty of work to
be done there.
The next phase is to restore and
replace the shattered gravestones of
the ancestors of the Telkeppe people
and eventually build a memorial to
tell the heartbreaking story of what
happened to the city.
The Shlama foundation needs
more funding to help make that happen.
Donations can be made specifically
for this important cultural
phase of the project at the foundations’
website. There is also a family
memorial request form for those who
would like to honor their relatives
laid to rest at the Telkeppe cemetery.
The Shlama Foundation also
needs a few more boots on the ground
for its spring 2019 mission trip.
“We have three more volunteer
opportunities that need to be filled.
The trip begins on March 21 with the
first half spent on volunteer projects
near southern Nineveh. The second
half will be spent on projects around
northern Nineveh. The experience
will conclude on April first with our
New Year celebration of Akitu,” David
explained.
You can still help the homeland
in many other ways without volunteering.
Donations can be made for specific
needs such as housing, community
development, cultural preservation,
and youth activities and
education which includes plans for a
youth community center and soccer
stadium.
You can also donate to the Gabara
fund for $20 a month to help support
the general effort.
“There is no future for us without
a thriving homeland and supporting
our people back home,” David concluded.
The Shlama Foundation prides
itself on transparency by also providing
individual donors with photos
and videos of the work that they are
helping to fund along with personal
video mentions, public donation listings
and receipts.
Sign up for their monthly newsletter
and follow the Shlama Foundation
on social media to watch help
turn in to hope in the rebuilding of
Nineveh.
To learn more about the Shlama
Foundation and become a donor or
volunteer to help the homeland, simply
go to: www.shlama.org.
Follow them on social media at:
https://twitter.com/shlamaf
https://www.facebook.com/
shlamafoundation/
https://www.instagram.com/
shlamafoundation/
24 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

HEALTH EQUITY FOR ALL
We know this city. We know its neighborhoods. And we know its
people. We’ve been meeting the needs of this community for 150
years. At Wayne State University, we believe our responsibility includes
serving the underserved of Detroit. It’s part of our medical mission.
From the millions of dollars in uncompensated health care our doctors
provide each year to the 34,000 volunteer hours our med students
contribute to the community, few do more to serve this city than
Wayne State. Why do we do it? Because we believe equality should
include health. And because Detroit is our neighborhood. And taking
care of our own is one more way we show we’re Warrior Strong.
Learn about the many health equity programs Wayne State contributes
to at wayne.edu.
DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 25

Special liaison appointed
for Iraqi Christians
BY ASHOURINA SLEWO
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According to Al Monitor, following
pressure from Vice
President Mike Pence, displaced
Iraqi Christians now have their
own liaison to the U.S. aid agency.
Max Primorac has been appointed as
the new representative “for minority
assistance programs to oversee the distribution
of US aid for Iraqi Christians
and Yazidis as they seek to rebuild their
lives,” reports Al Monitor.
Primorac was appointed by US-
AID Administrator Mark Green.
The appointment of Primorac
comes after Chaldean Cardinal Luis
Sako made claims that the U.S. had
Max Primorac
failed to provide the aid they had
promised to help rebuild villages torn
apart by the Islamic State, stating
that while there had been promises
of aid, he had failed to see any of it
materialize.
According to the Associated
Press, Green “said he disagreed with
Cardinal Luis Sako’s claims at a Vatican
news conference Tuesday that
promised U.S. aid for Iraq’s religious
minorities hadn’t materialized.”
While in Rome, Green also
briefed the Vatican officials about
“on-the-ground” results of the U.S.’s
aid to religious minorities in Iraq and
about the increase of aid to $300 million.
According to AP, these funds are
being allocated to the rebuilding of
electric and water systems, provide
security for schools, and various
other projects geared towards helping
Christians and other religious
minorities displaced by IS return to
their homes in Iraq.
This aid will help bring the displaced
individuals back to their villages
where they can begin moving
towards stabilization and normalcy.
The restoration of the aforementioned
basic services will provide the
push towards that stabilization.
A White house official told Al
Monitor that the appointment of
Primorac as the special representative
for minority assistance programs
will help ensure that the allocated
aid goes where it is needed the most.
According to Al Monitor,
“’To ensure help goes when and
where it’s needed most, USAID
has sent a special representative
for minority assistance
programs to work with churches
directly on how to best focus
our attention,” a White House
official told the publication.
Under the George W. Bush
administration, Primorac oversaw
a number of stabilization
and reconstruction projects
in Iraq. He has also served as
president of the Institute for
Stabilization and Transition.
From there he left to become a
senior adviser for the USAID’s
Middle East Bureau. In August,
Primorac became USAID’s envoy for
Iraqi minority groups.
The official also told Al Monitor
that the current administration
is prioritizing the admission of refugees
who face such extreme religious
persecution that they cannot return
to their home. Despite this prioritization,
though, the current administration
has only admitted a total of 23
Christian refugees from the Middle
East, according to the pro-immigrant
Christian coalition, the Evangelical
Immigration Table.
This number comes as Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo announced
in early October that the maximum
number of refugees accepted into the
country will once again decrease. In
the coming year, only 30,000 refugees
will be admitted into the country. This
is 15,000 less than the already historically
low allowance of 45,000.
26 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION
Help Wanted!
Please consider hiring one of
our many new Americans.
More than 30,000 Chaldean refugees have migrated to Michigan since 2007. Many
possess the skills and determination to work hard for you and your organization.
The Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) has a bank of resumes
of candidates qualified to do a variety of jobs. To inquire about hiring a
New American, call or email Elias at 586-722-7253 or
elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org.
Chaldean Community Foundation
Sterling Heights Office
3601 15 Mile Road
Sterling Heights, MI 48310
586-722-7253
www.chaldeanfoundation.org

New CFO to give
Chaldean Eparchy
a boost
BY PAUL NATINSKY
As the Chaldean Eparchy
of St. Thomas
the Apostle grows in
size and moves steadily into
the 21st century, the Bishop
and church leaders face increasingly
complex and time
consuming financial responsibilities.
To smoothly facilitate
these changes, Bishop Francis
Kalabat and the Diocese’s Financial
Council hired Walter
Nevolis as its chief financial
officer.
Nevolis comes to the job
fresh from five years as CFO
of the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Toledo, after spending
most of his career in finance
with manufacturing firms in
industries such as auto parts
and aviation.
Walter Nevolis
In his new role, Nevolis
will be responsible for a broad
range of financial management and accounting functions
in areas such as human resources, benefit plans,
insurance, investments, budgets, building projects, information
technology and other related areas.
The hiring follows several years of policy and process
development led, in part, by Monsignor Zouhair
Kejbou, who serves as Vicar for Finances for the Eparchy.
Monsignor Kejbou said the Canon law requires
the Eparchy to manage parishioner contributions
faithfully and transparently and dates back to the time
of Jesus, when a group of women provided for Jesus’
material needs so He could spend his time preaching,
teaching and healing.
Historically, the Dioceses have relied on Bishops
and their assistants to manage finances, but in recent
decades managing finances and the time it takes to
do so have led to the formation of Financial Councils
working in concert with CFOs, said Bishop Walter
Hurley, who retired from his post with the Grand
Rapids Diocese.
Nevolis will be reporting to Bishop Francis but will
work closely with the newly created Diocesan Finance
Council, (see related sidebar).
“One of the big aspects of the job is understanding
the Bishop’s needs. The Finance Council tries to identify
needs such as building improvements and church
programs and help him get
those things accomplished,”
said Nevolis.
“The bigger goals are
evangelization and getting
the message out and the
programs that go with that,”
he added. “The lynchpin in
all of this is the parish. The
parish has got to be financially
sound to accomplish
the things they need to get
done.”
Monsignor Kejbou said
Nevolis, who started his
new job Nov. 1, impressed
him as a committed Catholic
who is “sympathetic
and open,” and possesses a
knowledge and experience
of church finances from his
five years with the Ohio
Diocese.
“Once I talked to the
Bishop I was sold on the job,” said Nevolis. “It was like
I had known him a long time. My wife and I walked
out of dinner with him and I said, ‘This is the job.’”
Nevolis, who was selected from a field of 12 qualified
applicants, said the he took his first job within the
Catholic Church based on urging from his priest in
Ohio. “I got a tap on the shoulder from my pastor at
the time and he said, ‘Walt, I don’t know if you know,
but the CFO position at the diocese is open and they
are looking for someone.’”
Nevolis agreed to consider the opportunity. His
pastor didn’t wait for a decision and tossed Nevolis’
name in the hat. “It’s the church world, so when
they tap your shoulder, it’s a strong tap,” said Nevolis.
“You are guided. You think you are making the decision
yourself, but you’re pushed. It’s a calling. That’s
the difference between working for the church and
then just a job. You’ve got to be able to say, this is
something I believe in and this is something I’m being
called to.”
While the need for a CFO and help from lay people
with expertise in finance, legal matters and related
issues is well established, it will take Nevolis time to
familiarize himself with the financial picture at the
Eparchy and to help shape a plan that will continue
to satisfy both Canon law and civil law.
Bishop Creates
Diocesan Finance
Council
BY MICHAEL G. SARAFA
With the massive growth in the
Chaldean Diocese and ongoing
financial management
needs, Bishop Francis moved earlier
this year to formally create a Diocesan
Finance Council. They mulled over the
idea of the Council over the years but it
has not taken hold in the long run until
now. The need is not only there but the
Council is an actual requirement of the
Code of Canon Law.
Arkan Jonna and I met with Bishop
Francis and Monsignor Kejbou earlier
this summer to lay the groundwork
for the creation of the Council. It was
agreed that members should be steeped
in financial and legal knowledge as well
as board governance and fiduciary matters.
It was also agreed that the Finance
Council would operate under the provisions
of Canon Law. Experts from outside
the community were also tapped to
serve.
Rounding out the Council are CPA
Jason Alkamano, Attorney Neb Mekani,
Auditor Paul Cenko and CPA
Harry Cendrowski who also has worked
with the Archdiocese of Detroit. Attorney
Ramy Sesi joined more recently
and is heading up the Legal Committee
which has been tasked with reviewing
the legal structure of the Diocese and
proposing changes based on the current
times.
The vast resources of the Archdiocese
of Detroit have been made available
to assist with this endeavor. This
includes the assistance of retired Bishop
Walter Hurley who himself is a Canon
Law expert. Bishop Hurley formerly
served as Pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows
in Farmington Hills before being tapped
by Pope Benedict as Bishop of the Grand
Rapids Diocese. Just this past month,
the Vatican appointed him as Apostolic
Administrator of the Saginaw Diocese
after the sudden passing of their Bishop.
The first task of the Council was to
identify potential CFO candidates for
Bishop Francis to interview and hire.
This has been accomplished (see related
story on left). The new CFO will work
closely with Bishop Francis and the Finance
Council to put in place proper
reporting procedures for all the parishes,
the Diocese and all Diocesan related
functions.
The goal of the new Council is to
support the Bishop and all the clergy in
their ministries with an eye towards accountability
and transparency with and
among each other and all the faithful.
28 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

The voice of the community since 2003
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ADVOCACY. ACCULTURATION. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. CULTURAL PRESERVATION.

Destined to be born
One woman shares her story of choosing life as an unwed mother
BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO
I
write this story in first person instead
of a feature story because I was
indirectly involved. I was driving
my daughter home from ice skating
one early evening when I answered a
call from an unknown number which
is not typical of me. I usually let those
calls go to voicemail. Something compelled
me to answer and when I did a
woman on the other end of the line
asked if I was Vanessa Denha Garmo
from the Chaldean News. Speaking to
her on Bluetooth in my car, I answered
that I in fact was she. She proceeded to
say, “so, you are anti-abortion?”
My first reaction was “ahoo, seriously,
why did I pick up?” Then, I
immediately looked in the rearview
mirror at my daughter who had a puzzled
look on her face so, I took the
call off bluetooth.
“Well, I am pro-life, if that is
what you are asking.”
“Well, I just read your article in
the Chaldean News about abortions
and I assume you are anti-abortion,”
she replied.
We wrote a story about abortion
in 2015. Apparently, she was doing
Google searches on abortions and
came across my article.
I have had combatted conversations
sporadically over the years regarding
articles we have written so I
know how to handle the calls.
“How can I help you?” I asked.
“I am pregnant,” the woman responded.
“I am not married. My parents
will kill me if they find out and
I really don’t want an abortion but I
don’t know what to do.”
“Oh Lord, help me.” That was
what was going on in my mind. That
was not the response I expected. I
remember putting my hand on my
heart and feeling it beat and my
stomach felt tight. I wanted to talk to
her and prayed that the Holy Spirit
would guide my words yet, I had my
then 10-year-old in the car.
I asked her tell me her story. She
talked while I drove home which gave
me enough time to get my daughter in
front of the television to entertain her
while I chatted with this woman.
She told me her name. Yes, her
real name. I will not use it in this
article out of respect for her privacy.
So, I will call her “Grace” because it
was it was by the Grace of God that
everything unfolded as it did.
After a lengthy conversation, I
promised I would get her help. I immediately
called my gal pal and sister
in Christ, Teresa Tomeo, prolife activist
and talk-show host who suggested
I call Dr. Monica Miller, Director of
Citizens for a Pro-life Society.
Monica and I chatted for a while
and she immediately went into action.
She called Grace and then me
and suggested I go with her to meet
Grace’s parents.
“Not a good idea, Monica,” I
replied. I doubt this family is going
to respond well to the Editor of the
Chaldean News showing up at their
door wanting to discuss their unwed
pregnant teenage daughter.
Dr. Miller ended up convincing another
gal pal and sister in Christ Adora
Ibrahim to go talk to Grace about not
having an abortion. “I had a similar
response,” said Ibrahim. “I asked
Monica if she was sure she wanted me
to be the one to talk with her, knowing
that Chaldeans are private, and
they wouldn’t want another Chaldean
knowing their business. I wanted to
help the situation not hurt it.”
However, Ibrahim felt a tug at
her heart to meet with Grace. Meanwhile,
Monica kept me updated
about Grace.
“When I received the call, I knew
that I had to try my best to intervene
as I knew from past experience that
this woman was going to need real
help,” said Miller. “I knew that there
is a cultural shame that comes with
this pregnancy--out-of-wedlock, and
that Grace would need a lot of support,
a lot of encouragement, but
also if she did not receive the proper
support from her family – then Grace
also was going to need material aid,
and so Ibrahim and I sprang into action
and met Grace at a restaurant to
talk over her needs and ways to navigate
through her challenges.”
I have been wanting to catch up
with Grace for a while now and share
her story. One day Adora called me and
told me she had just met someone very
special – Grace’s beautiful daughter.
We ended up reconnecting because
of an on-going conversation with
Christina Marchetti, Director of Client
Services Mother and Unborn Baby
Care. This was the place that Dr. Monica
Miller referred Grace to during her
pregnancy. They focus on reaching out
to abortion-minded women online
and offering free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds,
and peer counseling.
“We provided her with a free
pregnancy test, ultrasounds, and peer
counseling,” said Marchetti. “We
also worked with her to try to figure
out a plan in the event that her family
would kick her out of their home.
Whenever a woman is pregnant and
at risk for homelessness or currently
homeless, we have resources for
housing for her during her pregnancy
and for after she has her baby. She
was also welcomed into our support
program and visited us to pick out
items for her daughter.”
I finally caught up with Grace on
the phone. I could feel her beaming
on the other end of the phone line
while she talked about her 8-monthold
daughter. “Just because I am
Chaldean didn’t mean I had to have
an abortion,” she said. “I realize that
now and I know there are girls who
have sex and have the abortion because
of the family.”
Grace didn’t want to be one of
those girls. “I really don’t believe in
abortion,” she said. However, she
was scared to tell her family that she
was pregnant so she never actually
told them, at least not verbally. She
wrote a note and packed her bags. “I
was sleeping from home to home often
driving around aimlessly waiting
for my friends to go home so I had a
place to sleep at night,” said Grace.
She eventually met with Dr. Miller
and Adora Ibrahim. “They gave me
hope,” she said. “They told me that everything
would be okay and they would
have my back and they did. They told
me that things will fall into place and
even if my family didn’t want me, they
would find me a home to live in.”
Adora also gave Grace a necklace
which Grace hangs in her car. “It has
always served as a reminder for me
that it’s all going to be okay.”
Grace was also under tremendous
financial pressure with some
owed bills. “I couldn’t focus knowing
I owed this money and Dr. Miller
helped out to calm my nerves so I
could focus on having the baby.”
As much as the help was greatly
needed and appreciated, Grace was
still very fearful. “I thought I would
be homeless,” she said. “I thought my
baby and I would have nothing and
we would be living on the street. I
thought my life was over.”
After a three-hour conversation
with Grace, Ibrahim eventually talked
with Grace’s mother. “Grace was
convinced that there was no way to
take a life of a child and she knew it
was murder and she could not bring
herself to kill her own child,” said
Ibrahim. “I remember telling her she
is a child of God. She is someone with
dignity, is loved by God, and that her
child too is loved by God. She began
tearing up and said that no one has
ever told her that before. But I knew
God had a plan for her and her child.
I remember praying everyday that she
would have the strength to keep her
child and allow her baby to live.”
Ibrahim began to be a support and
to build a relationship with Grace,
her mother and priest from the community
were also brought in to help.
“Grace is a courageous soul,” said
Miller. “She in a sense defied the cultural
conventions that dictated that
an unborn baby should die – to spare
that shame should come upon the
family – and of course, abortion is a
worse shame, a worse sin, but Grace
had a heart rooted in respect for life
and that made all the difference. I
am very proud of her!”
Grace is the exception, not the
rule in the community. Grace’s story
was very different from the other
Chaldean unwed women that are seen
30 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

at the center because of her strong intention
to keep her baby regardless of
the pressure she faced to have an abortion.
“Typically, when we see a woman
in her situation, she has already made
up her mind before coming to our
center,” said Marchetti. “They often
acknowledge that abortion is killing a
human being but that they can’t face
the shame of having a baby out of wedlock.
Grace was willing to risk losing
everything to be able to carry this baby
to term. She was fearless and protective
of her baby’s life.”
“My life was a disaster,” recalled
Grace. “I really thought it was all
over but I eventually did go back
home and my father didn’t speak to
me for months.”
The baby was finally born and,
“he texted me after I delivered,” said
Grace, “that same hour. He came to
visit me in the hospital and he truly
loves his granddaughter. I can honestly
say my daughter has brought
us closer together as a family,” said
Grace. “My dad adores her. He can’t
wait to see her in the morning before
he goes to work and he buys her toys
all the time. My mother buys her
clothes. She has brought us so much
joy. I love being a mom.”
As for the father of the baby who
is also Chaldean, Grace is trying to
work things out. “I was angry that he
didn’t have anything to do with me
when I was pregnant but he has since
come around and we are back together
and talking about getting married.”
He is in school working on a program
to get a career started and once
he is done, Grace has plans in place
for a certificate program and a career
for herself.
“Everyone told me not to give up
on him,” said Grace, “that once that
baby was born, he would fall in love
with me again. I do believe we can
make this work and have more kids
after we marry.”
Grace is living a much happier
ending than most Chaldean girls
faced with an unwanted pregnancy.
“It’s unfortunate that what often
motivates people’s actions are
what others will think and say,” said
Fr. Andrew Seba, associate pastor
of Holy Martyrs church in Sterling
Heights. “So many people are suffering
because they are afraid to
seek the proper help or support, they
need. They are afraid of the shortterm
potential scrutiny as opposed to
the long-term possibilities of joy.”
As Catholic teaching explains
that while pregnancy outside of marriage
is not to be encouraged, as a
church community we must remember
that the sin is in the act of sex
outside of the sacrament of marriage
and that the resulting pregnancies
are a blessing from God. “God has
called His people to respond to these
mothers and babies with support
and love,” said Marchetti. “Any
kind of shaming or pressure to end a
child’s life is a sin that one will be
held accountable for. It is important
for parents to have an open dialogue
with their children about God’s plan
for reserving sexual intimacy within
marriage and for the sacredness of
human life regardless of the situation
in which conception occurred.”
Chaldean clients tend to be the
most difficult and sensitive cases.
“Because of the vast amount of pressure
they feel to terminate, it can be
challenging to counsel them and offer
support,” Marchetti. “Our typical
client who faces an unplanned pregnancy
has concerns about finances
or a lack of support from their community.
In most of these cases, these
women feel empowered to choose
life because of the services we offer
throughout their pregnancy and after
they have their baby as well.”
For the Chaldean clients, their reality
is that they could lose their home,
family, and friends if they decide to
continue their pregnancy. “We experience
about five of these cases each year.
Recently we have contacted and met
with several members of the Chaldean
community to brainstorm the best
method to support these women,” said
Marchetti. “The best feedback that
I have gathered is that by connecting
these women with support within their
church community we can create a circle
around them with the encouragement
that they will need. Our hope is
that if a woman meets with a priest and
other members of the church and hears
them echo our message of the value
of this baby’s life and receives direct
support from them, she will be much
more likely to choose life. We would
also like to connect these women with
other moms who have walked in their
shoes and have chosen life despite the
obstacles they faced.”
As a church, we have a responsibility
to welcome these women and
babies into our communities. “If we
create an environment where women
feel judged, shamed, and unlovable,
we are creating an environment in
which women will continue to choose
abortion,” said Marchetti. “The
change must start from within.”
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DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 31

Marketing on
the next level
BY M. LAPHAM
Most mornings Trevor George
wakes up at 4:15 a.m., heads
to Starbucks, and is in the
office by 5:00 a.m.
This “go-get-’em” attitude is part
of what has made his marketing
company, Birmingham-based Blue
Wheel Media, a success. It is also
what allows him to give equal attention
to the family business, Trevco, a
wholesale licensed apparel manufacturer
located in Madison Heights.
Launched in 2011, it took George
a great deal of time and effort, but
he carved out a nice niche for Blue
Wheel. The media company offers
its clients progressive branding and
digital marketing ideas that it says
will impact the bottom line.
Businesses that have come to the
media company have enjoyed an increase
in revenue and found a corporate
culture that works for their needs.
“Our business exploded like never
before when we started working
with Blue Wheel Media,” said Christopher
Vos, director of marketing for
all Marygrove companies. “The success
of a company starts at the top.
Trevor runs an amazing company.
His passion for digital marketing is
felt through everyone we work with
at Blue Wheel. The best decision
the Marygrove Marketing Department
made was to sign on with Blue
Wheel. It is nothing but the best!”
The path to mastering marketing
arts that earned praise from his clients
began when George was in high
school. As a teenager he would go to
parties and, in the grand tradition of
many high school parties, they sometimes
ended in a less-than-desirable
fashion ... like the police showing up.
George took the initiative to seek
out a venue to rent and find some entertainment
to cut down on the lessfun
endings. It was more successful
than he imagined.
At the end of that first party,
George had $30,000. “I counted
money until my hands went black,”
he says.
After graduating high school, he
went to the University of Michigan
and joined a fraternity. There he
continued to plan parties and brought
in performers like Skrillex, Kid Cudi,
Deadmau5 and Steve Aoki.
George spotted an opportunity
in what was then a very new world
of social media and used sites like
Facebook to drive ticket sales. That
potential sparked his interest and he
began to look into ways to increase
the internet flow.
When he read the book, “SEO
for the Marketer, Not the Coder,” he
found his path in life – getting a product
in front of people using their internet
searches. He started attending
seminars on the subject, oftentimes
out in Silicon Valley. That’s where he
noticed a problem with the system.
Most online marketers were either
using SEO (search engine optimization)
or social media. George
decided they needed to be combined
along with creative branding, strategies,
analyzing trends and more.
That’s why he named his company
Blue Wheel. The ‘blue wheel’ is all
of the elements coming full circle
Putting all those elements together
attracts clients without their
own marketing divisions.
The maiden voyage of George’s
new business philosophy was with
his cousin’s company, Frankenmuth
Brewery. Now Blue Wheel has clients
all over the world and a second
office in New York. That office
has only one employee, a friend of
George’s from college.
The New York office has been so
successful it has doubled the number
of clients since 2015.
Being co-owner of Trevco also
helped. You might say it is George’s
secret weapon. He often uses the
company as a prototype for his ideas.
One such idea was Amazon marketing,
where you buy search words
and make connections among related
products. Working with Trevco,
George used social media and SEO
to connect Superman shirts to Superman
toys.
Blue Wheel launched the idea two
years ago, which was one year before
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos decided to
make selling these search words a bigger
part of the company’s business.
The willingness to put his own
company on the line for his ideas
often instills confidence in George’s
clients.
Not only has the strategy paid off
for Blue Wheel’s clients, it has been
recognized by the American Business
Awards. Blue Wheel won its Stevie
Award for the Most Honored Interactive
Agency in 2017 and three
Gold Stevie Awards for Marketing
Campaign of the Year in 2018 from
that organization. The wins were for
campaigns done for Grande Cosmetics,
Monark Premium Home Appliances,
and Marygrove Awnings.
The Stevie Awards are the
world’s leading business awards.
Formed in 2002, they acknowledge
Counterclockwise from bottom left:
Trevor George, Blue Wheel Media
headquarters, Trevco Warehouse
and generate public recognition of
the achievements and contributions
of organizations and working professionals
across the world. The award
judges are executives, entrepreneurs,
innovators, and business educators.
Blue Wheel Media significantly
grew Grande Cosmetics’ brand
awareness, which separated the company
from niche cosmetics brands
and made it a fan-favorite product
featured and sold at Sephora.
Monark Premium Home Appliances,
which sells luxury kitchen
appliances and high-end accessories
from notable brands, had done no
digital advertising before working
with Blue Wheel. The media company
enhanced Monark’s visibility
for desktop organically more than
370 percent and mobile more than
346 percent and obtained a 13 percent
lift in leads year-over-year as
well as a 105 percent increase in
showroom web traffic.
Marygrove Awnings has provided
high-quality retractable awnings in
Michigan for more than 80 years.
With Blue Wheel’s marketing efforts,
online sales increased by 80 percent
in 2017, contributing to the highest
sales figures in its history that year.
While a struggle at times, recently,
Blue Wheel has started to see
major growth, which allowed it to
increase its staff from 19 to 27.
George and his team know that
their ongoing success is keeping up
with a constantly changing digital
landscape and working to stay on
top of it.
A quote from Charles Darwin on
the Trevo website tracking its evolution
pretty much sums up George’s
philosophy. “It is not the strongest
or the most intelligent who will survive,
but those who will best manage
change.”
32 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

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chaldean on the STREET
Favorite gifts
BY HALIM SHEENA
With the season of giving upon us, we wanted to ask members of the community
what gift that they have given was their favorite and why!
The most memorable gift that I’ve given is a family
stocking! I got each family member a personalized
stocking with their names on it. We’re a family of
seven and I got it from Pottery Barn. They all match
and we put them on the fireplace every year!
– Merna Kesto, Sterling Heights, 22
My favorite gift that I ever gave someone was for my
boss. I got him a pair of Timberlands for his birthday
and he was so happy. He still brags about me getting
him them every time he wears them!
– Merna Yaldo, Sterling Heights, 18
The gift of song. I got to sing opera to my favorite
aunt before she passed away from cancer. I sang
“Ave Maria.” It brought her to tears and I knew she
finally approved of singing as my career. It was a very
special moment as well as my last time seeing her.
– Farrah Mechael, Farmington Hills, 22
My favorite gift that I have given is to my friend Hannah
for her 20th birthday. One of the birthday gifts I
gave her was a customized fortune cookie. She was
in the process of joining The Voice and had one audition
left. I had the fortune cookie say she will be on
The Voice and live out her dreams. It meant a lot to
her because she really appreciates sentimental and
personal gifts that are especially inspiring.
– Vanessa Polis, West Bloomfield, 22
“My favorite gift that I have given was something
small I grabbed from CVS. My dad wasn’t feeling
well and I had been working all day. I stopped off
at CVS for something else and got him something I
came across at the register - it was a bear wearing a
white coat that said “Feel better Teddy”. It was perfect
because my dad is a doctor and his name is Ted.
It was pure luck that I came across that at the time. I
got it for him and he got a kick out of it!”
– Tessa Naman, Bloomfield Hills, 21
Last year for Christmas, I bought my family a Berkey
Filter. It’s a specialized tap water filter that effectively
removes heavy metals, drug contaminants, microorganisms,
etc. This is not something the average
refrigerator filter does. I’m a huge health advocate
and love enhancing people’s health holistically.
– Mirna Jadan, Sterling Heights, 24
34 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

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the Chaldean News!
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event
Inside the food industry
BY ASHOURINA SLEWO
The Chaldean News hosted
their fourth annual Entrepreneur
Forum Tuesday, November
13 at Vinotecca in Birmingham.
This year’s panel was geared towards
the restaurant business with each
panelist having involvement in the
industry in one way or another.
The panelists include Zeanna Attisha
the co-owner of Sahara Restaurant
and Grill, John Jonna the owner
of Vinotecca and Vineology, Serena
Denha of the Donut Bar, and Zaid
Elia of 220 Merrill, Parc, the Duke
Cocktail Bar, and a number of Subway
restaurants.
Each panelist is an entrepreneur in
his or her own right and each has garnered
a considerable amount of media
attention over the years for their
respective businesses. With several
years of combined experience among
the entrepreneurs, they pulled from
their own experiences in the industry
to offer insight and advice.
Hindsight is 20/20, knowing what
they know now, the panelists discussed
some of the things they would
have done differently when they
were starting out.
For Attisha, she wishes marketing
had been broader in Sahara’s
early days. “The thing that I brought
to the light that I think was one
of the mistakes was that we didn’t
start advertising towards the American
community in the beginning,”
she explained. “Over the years, the
American public became more and
more interested in Mediterranean
and Middle Eastern food.”
Opening the doors of Donut Bar
at just 22 years old, Denha also found
herself learning many valuable lessons
throughout her journey.
“I think one of our biggest mistakes
when we opened was that we
just wanted to get opened that we
were not prepared,” said Denha. “On
the first day, we were closed by 10
a.m. That whole week it was closing
at noon and we didn’t know what to
expect. I think that was the biggest
mistake we made.”
Each panelist has worked to expand
or is working to expand their
ventures. These expansions, however,
are not snap decisions. With
careful consideration, each move is
carefully calculated.
With their third location in the
works, Attisha noted that the opportunity
to expand and become a
franchise has arisen, but poses certain
issues. “Everyone says ‘why don’t
you just open 20 franchises and have
them all over the place?’ Well, the
problem with that is the recipes and
the work that goes into our food,” she
said. “We buy our own produce, we
have our own butchers, we buy our
own meat. That’s hard to replicate.”
“I’ve been trying to get Sahara
to venture out and push organic and
fresh food and really advertise that
more,” Attisha said. “I think that’s
why District Detroit and Olympia
were interested in having a Mediterranean
restaurant in Downtown.”
Having transitioned from a grocery
store and gourmet foods to restaurants,
Jonna provided insight regarding
the transition and how his
business philosophy translated from
36 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018

one industry to another.
“Transition to me, is an entrepreneurial
quality and I think it’s based
on vision,” said Jonna. “Transitioning
from a grocery store to a gourmet
store to a restaurant requires a giant
leap of faith and, according to my
daughter, giving up insecurity.”
The opening of Vinotecca’s Royal
Oak location is the embodiment of
letting go of insecurities and taking a
leap of faith. Jonna recalls Vinotecca
being jam packed its opening week
with very little push from him. “This
was 20 years ago, we did absolutely
nothing. We got on our knees and
prayed,” he said. “We had no idea
who was going to show up. I believe
the reason we were packed is because
of word of mouth, we didn’t have social
media. There was no way to contact
anybody and we couldn’t afford
big marketing.”
On the other end, Elia believes
transition is based on opportunity. If
an opportunity presents itself, he must
look at it from every angle and consider
every possible outcome before
putting his time and energy into it.
“We only have so much bandwidth,
we only have so many hours
in the day and I can tell you the most
valuable thing we have is time,” he
said. “How we allocate our time and
how we allocate it amongst the business
we do and the relationships we
have and the opportunities we see, to
me, is the most important thing.”
In addition to the allocation of his
time, Elia also distributes his level of
involvement. “From my perspective,
because I have a wide variety of businesses,
the level of involvement has to
change,” he explained. “I can’t walk
into a restaurant and tell someone to
do something. Simply because of the
leadership level you have to dictate.”
As gratifying as his time in the
restaurant business has been, Jonna
does not encourage people to get
involved in the industry. “In this
industry, it is absolutely intensive. I
don’t encourage too many people to
go into it because it’s seriously hard
work, especially if you’re a startup
and trying to start a brand,” he explained.
“When you’re just opening
another McDonald’s, you just put the
sign up and people walk in. When
you’re building a brand, you’re taking
a huge risk.”
When building a brand, leadership
is pivotal. A strong sense of
leadership will give way to a more
cohesive and enthusiastic operation.
For someone like Elia whose level of
involvement is spread across a number
of stores, leadership takes a different
form.
“My job is simply, from the leadership
perspective, creating strong
leaders who can lead under the vision
I created and execute the plan
we created together,” explained Elia.
“My involvement requires delegation,
making sure people are following up,
are they executing our plans, and if
they’re not, telling people what they
sometimes don’t want to hear. That’s
a tough part of the business.”
In the food industry, criticisms are
a guaranteed aspect of the job. What
one person enjoys, others will detest.
When it comes to criticisms, Denha
knows she can’t please everyone and
instead of trying to change or conform
to what others want, she takes a step
back to recognize she creates a quality
product, regardless a few opinions.
“I’ve learned you can’t please everybody,
especially in the food industry,”
said Denha. “Joe Shmo will like my
vanilla bean glaze and Jose will hate it,
but I just can’t please everybody.”
This year’s Entrepreneur Forum
was made possible by the following
sponsors: Meijer, Walled Lake
Schools, Bank of Ann Arbor, Chaldean
American Chamber of Commerce
and Wireless Vision.
DECEMBER 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 37

event
First Annual
Awards Dinner
The Chaldean Community Foundation hosted their first annual awards dinner on Thursday, November
1. The inaugural gala was hosted at the Palazzo Grande in Shelby Township. Honored at the gala were
Jason Najor and Marianna Kattula for their ongoing dedication to the Chaldean Community Foundation.
Also recognized were Wireless Vision and Level One Bank for their contributions to the CCF Capital
Campaign. Through W3R’s generosity, two students were also awarded $5,000 STEM scholarships.
38 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2018