FEBRUARY 2020

VOL. 17 ISSUE I
METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FEBRUARY 2020
$
3
www.chaldeannews.com
Wedding
Guide
ANNUAL
INSIDE
TOP TEN CHALDEAN
STORIES 2010-2019
7 WAYS TO MAKE
THE SUPER BOWL
FUN FOR THE KIDS
WHAT DO THE CHANGES TO
MICHIGAN’S AUTO INSURANCE
LAW MEAN FOR YOU?
UNDERAGE VAPING
POSES RISK TO YOUTH
A VALENTINE’S DAY
GIFT GUIDE

FEBRUARY 2020 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

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2020
THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 17 ISSUE I
38
26
departments
6 FROM THE EDITOR
BY PAUL JONNA
Coming Together
8 GUEST COLUMNS
BY OMAR BINNO
It’s your wedding, so make some noise
BY ADHID MIRI, PHD
9 Iraq, Iran and the U.S. –
The soleimani triangle
10 FOUNDATION UPDATE
12 CHALDEAN DIGEST
16 FAMILY TIME
BY DANIELLE ALEXANDER
7 Ways to Make the Super Bowl Fun for the Kids
18 CHAI TIME
20 OBITUARY
21 IN MEMORIAM
34 ECONOMICS AND ENTERPRISE
BY SARAH KITTLE
King of Cakes
BY SARAH KITTLE
35 Bring on the Zaffa with
Zaffet Joseph Entertainment
36 CHALDEAN ON THE STREET
BY HALIM SHEENA
What would you change about
Chaldean Weddings?
46 KEEPING UP WITH THE CHALDEANS
on the cover
24 ANNUAL WEDDING GUIDE
BY MONIQUE MANSOUR
“Honey, Pack Your Bags!” All about
destination weddings
26 FOCUS ON THE LOVE,
NOT THE PARTY
BY PELAR ESSHAKI
28 LESS IS MORE THIS
WEDDING SEASON
BY BIANCA KASAWDISH
features
14 THE TOP TEN CHALDEAN
STORIES 2010-2019
38 VALENTINE’S DAY GIFT GUIDE
40 WHAT DO THE CHANGES TO
MICHIGAN’S AUTO INSURANCE
LAW MEAN FOR YOU?
BY JOEL ASHTON
42 UNDERAGE VAPING POSES
RISK TO YOUTH
BY ASHLEY ATTISHA, ESQ.
44 GIVING HEARTS TO
SUPPORT SURVIVORS
BY STACY BAHRI
FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 5

from the EDITOR
PUBLISHED BY
Chaldean News, LLC
Chaldean Community Foundation
Martin Manna
EDITORIAL
ACTING EDITOR IN CHIEF
Paul Jonna
MANAGING EDITOR
Ashourina Slewo
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Danielle Alexander
Joel Ashton
Ashley Attisha
Stacy Bahri
Omar Binno
Pelar Esshaki
Bianca Kasawdish
Sarah Kittle
Monique Mansour
Adhid Miri
Halim Sheena
Ashourina Slewo
ART & PRODUCTION
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative
PHOTOGRAPHERS
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CLASSIFIEDS
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SALES
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CONTACT INFORMATION
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Chaldean News
30095 Northwestern Hwy, Suite 101
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
www.chaldeannews.com
Phone: (248) 851-8600
Publication: The Chaldean News (P-6);
Published monthly; Issue Date: FEBRUARY 2020
Subscriptions: 12 months, $35.
Publication Address:
30095 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 101,
Farmington Hills, MI 48334;
Permit to mail at periodicals postage rates
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Postmaster: Send address changes to
“The Chaldean News 30095 Northwestern Hwy.,
Suite 101, Farmington Hills, MI 48334”
Coming Together
Our annual wedding
guide is one of our
most highly anticipated
issues of the year. Readers
look forward to hearing
about the latest trends coming
to a wedding near them.
This year, writer Bianca
Kasawdish caught up with
event planners extraordinaire,
Lawrence Yaldo and
Andrew Keina, co-founders
of Top That Table. For over
15 years, Lawrence and Andy have
been creating and pulling off celebratory
events that rival A list celebrity
parties.
While Chaldean weddings are
known for their grandeur and sometimes
over the top styles, Yaldo and
Keina explained that this wedding
season is all about keeping it simple;
less is more, they explained.
Agreeing with the “less is more”
sentiment this wedding season is
Jonathan Elias, who is better known
as the Pastry Guru. Featured on the
Food Network’s Halloween Baking
Championship, Elias knows a thing
Managing Editor’s Note
PAUL JONNA
ACTING EDITOR
IN CHIEF
or two about cakes. With
several years of cake making
for weddings under his belt,
the Pastry Guru is noticing
a move in the direction of
simple and sophisticated
themes.
On the other end of the
spectrum, the Zaffet Joseph
Entertainment company
believes “more is more”
when it comes to the age
old and beloved zaffa. Joseph
Toma, who grew up with a passion
for entertaining, took the zaffa
we typically see at Chaldean weddings
and amplified it. Instead of one
drummer, Toma created a team of
dancing drummers to make the zaffa
entrance unforgettable.
Aside from all being prominent
players in the wedding industry,
there is a common thread that ties all
these vendors together: it’s all about
the coming together of the bride and
groom to celebrate their union as
one.
While they each have their own
ideas of what trends are going to be
I have been fortunate enough to
work on the Chaldean News for
nearly three years. After the Chaldean
Community Foundation purchased
the publication, I was even
more fortunate to be appointed to
the Managing Editor position. Since
then, I have been entrusted with
helping to produce this publication
each month. As much as I have enjoyed
working with the amazing editorial
board committee to transform
the Chaldean News, the time has
come for me to move on.
Over the last few years, I have covered
several stories that will stick with
me for years to come. Most prominently,
the deportation crisis will stay
with me. As I covered the class action
lawsuit, Hamama v. Adducci , and
tried my best to amplify the stories of
community members impacted by this
crisis, I also dealt with my own father’s
potential deportation. This story is
more or less popular, these industry
professionals are committed to working
with engaged couples in making
their dream wedding a reality.
This thread is not just common
among wedding industry professionals,
but is actually a common thread
that ties the Chaldean community
together as a whole. From Iraq to
the United States, the Chaldean
community has faced adversity and
challenges, but our community has
always banded together to ensure the
long-term progression of our culture.
It does not matter where in the
world we are, our community understands
the importance of unity.
This unity is not specific to our community,
though. We have only been
able to thrive because we understand
the importance of extending a hand
across communities to build meaningful
lasting relationships to benefit
each community in which we live.
Paul Jonna
Acting Editor in Chief
personal to me. Having the opportunity
to be on the ground floor covering
it is one I would not have had if it were
not for the Chaldean News.
I’ve enjoyed telling the stories of
so many talented and driven individuals
in our community; these individuals
inspire me. I look forward to
reading these stories in future issues.
Thank you to everyone who has
read my articles, offered feedback,
and supported my work!
– Ashourina Slewo
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GUEST columns
It’s your wedding, so make some noise
One of the biggest
cornerstones in a
Chaldean’s life is
their wedding day. From
picking the hall to picking
flowers, decorations, and
the evening’s entertainment,
Chaldean weddings
have become legendary to
the point of grandly being
portrayed on an episode of
‘Lifestyles of the Rich and
Famous.’
Weddings are landmarks in one’s
life, and Chaldeans certainly don’t
fall short of making their marriage
celebration a memorable one. From
arriving to the hall on a helicopter or
drawn in a horse and carriage, to lavish
decorations, floor-stomping dances,
and great food: one night leaves
a lifetime impression on friends and
families of the couples.
I have to say, though, that for the
last ten years or so, the entertainment
at these weddings has become
more like a concert than a celebration.
The music is great; the song
selections are current; and the beats
are thumpin! It’s the “thumpin” that
has become an issue, though. It seems
to be the current trend amongst the
local bands to perform at a painfully
loud volume.
I remember being at a poolside
birthday party at Shenandoah Country
Club last summer, and at the same
time there was a wedding upstairs in
the main ballroom. Imagine how
loud the music must have been for
those who were outside, on Shenandoah’s
lower level, to hear the bass
banging from the music in the upper
OMAR BINNO
SPECIAL TO THE
CHALDEAN NEWS
hall. Countless complaints
by both couples and attendees
have gone unheeded by
the entertainers.
What most people don’t
realize in the heat of having
fun is just how dangerous
this level of noise can be to
your hearing.
Lauren Dadisho, an audiologist
with Michigan
Otolaryngology Surgery Associates,
based out of St. Joseph
Mercy, Ann Arbor, has actually
measured the noise levels at several
weddings.
It seems to be
the current trend
amongst the local
bands to perform
at a painfully loud
volume.
“The decibel (dB) level of noise
has averaged at 110, and has, many
times, reached 120dB,” Dadisho
said. “The Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA)
provides that permissible noise exposure
duration at 110dB is only 30
minutes. With every 5dB increase in
noise level, that time is cut in half.
For example, at 115dB, OSHA’s permissible
exposure time is only 15
minutes. Being exposed to this noise
level for longer than the permissible
time has the potential to damage
your hearing. Wearing hearing protection
consistently in these environments
can help prevent hearing
damage.”
People constantly complain
about walking out of weddings with
headaches, ringing ears, and not being
able to talk, or having to scream
at someone next to them during the
wedding, as a result of the loud noise.
Professional musicians have attended
and assessed some of these events, and
they’ve emphatically stated that these
bands bring a sound system powerful
enough to easily sustain a concert/
venue of 2,500-5,000 attendees.
Even worse, many people are not
aware that it can take only one situation
to cause some irreversible damage
to their hearing. I was once in a
room for only three minutes, with a
guitar track playing at a tremendously
loud volume. After walking out of
the room my left ear was throbbing
with pain, and ringing; and it has
never been the same, since.
“What people don’t know is that
these kinds of situations affect everyone
differently,” Dadisho said. “Some
people’s ears are more susceptible to
damage than others.”
Another questionable tradition
at weddings is the late dinners. Normally,
our receptions start at 8:00
p.m., and dinner is served at 9:30
p.m. or even as late as 10:00 p.m.
According to Healthline.com, some
researchers have established that calories
play a role in mice as to when
they ate. Calorie burning seemed to
work in conjunction with the mice’s
circadian rhythm.
The research, however, hasn’t
demonstrated anything concrete in
humans. In fact, it appears that with
humans, it depended more on what
was eaten, rather than just eating at
any point in the day. What the research
did stress is that people make
poorer choices of what to eat at
night, because they’re more tired; so
junk food becomes more appealing.
Whether or not calorie intake
later in the day or at night contributes
to weight gain is an ongoing
debate; and thus far, the research is
inconclusive. However, it’s widely
accepted that most people’s metabolism
slows down with age. So eating
a hardy dinner that late brings into
question whether or not this can
contribute to health issues.
It is still uncertain if eating late
directly or indirectly causes weight
gain or not, but it should be noted
that it’s much easier to burn calories
off earlier in the day. The research
also showed that people who eat
closer to their bedtime take in more
calories than people who eat earlier
in the day.
Weddings are monumental celebrations
within the community. As
such, the festivities should also be
done tastefully, and with people being
mindful of the factors that could
enhance the celebration and make it
an even more colorful chapter in the
pages of their life’s story.
Omar Binno attended the University
of Detroit Mercy, where he earned
a Bachelor’s degree with a double
major in English Literature, and
Communications; and a Master’s
degree in Public Relations and
Marketing.
JOIN OUR
GROWING TEAM.
The Chaldean News is looking for
motivated candidates to fill full-time salaried
sales positions. Qualified candidates should
email a resume to info@chaldeannews.com.
8 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

Iraq, Iran and The U.S. - The Soleimani Triangle
“
HE that makes war
without many
mistakes has not
made war very long.’’ So
said Napoleon!
As U.S.-Iran tensions
flare, Iraq is caught in the
middle between the rock
and the hard place. Iraq
knows it’s turning into a
battlefield for the U.S. and
Iran, but its hands are tied.
Secret documents show
how Tehran wields power in Iraq. Iranian
intelligence reports largely confirm
what was already known about
Iran’s firm grip on Iraqi politics.
Successive Iranian regimes have
managed to convince many Shiites
outside Iran that their strength and
safety lies in the strength of Iran, and
that they must work to strengthen
the power of Iran in order to protect
them as weak minorities!
General Qassim Soleimani and
Iran’s supreme leader launched an
aggressive regional imperial project
that made Iran and its proxies the
de facto controlling power in Beirut,
Damascus, Baghdad and Sana.
In recent years Soleimani began
expanding Iran’s imperial frontiers.
For the first time in its history,
Iran became a true regional power,
stretching its influence from the
banks of the Mediterranean to the
Persian Gulf. Soleimani understood
that Persians would not be willing to
die in distant battlefields for the sake
of Arabs, so he focused on recruiting
Arabs and Afghans as an auxiliary
force. He often boasted that he could
create a militia in little time and deploy
it against Iran’s various enemies.
And therefore, it was Soleimani
and his proxies, his “kingmakers”
in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq who
increasingly came to be seen, and
hated, as imperial powers in the region,
even more so than America.
This triggered popular, authentic,
bottom-up democracy movements in
Lebanon and Iraq that involved Sunnis
and Shiites locking arms together
to demand noncorrupt, nonsectarian
democratic governance.
Iran’s strategic ambitions stretches
all the way to the Mediterranean.
To achieve that objective, it must secure
strategic corridors to build a railroad
system, a superhighway that cut
ADHID MIRI, PHD
SPECIAL TO THE
CHALDEAN NEWS
via the Christian areas and
the Nineveh plains from
its borders through Iraq.
To split and tear apart the
heart of geography, the Iranian
vault must go through
the strategic Nineveh plain
area.
Finally, it was Soleimani’s
project of making
Iran the imperial power in
the Middle East that turned
Iran into the most hated
power in the Middle East for many
of the young, rising pro-democracy
forces — both Sunnis and Shiites —
in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.
On January 3rd, the world
changed. The American strikes with
the drones that killed Qassim Soleimani
and his Iraqi lieutenant Abu
Mahdi Al-Muhandis were a shock
we had not faced for decades. Soleimani
was believed to be outside the
border of a hit. Soleimani himself
clearly thought that. But this is was
his big mistake. Soleimani pushed
his country to build an empire but
drove it into the ground instead.
Over the course of two decades,
his partner Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis
was the engineer behind all foreign
strategic gains of Iran in Iraq and the
region. He was behind the terrorist
attacks in Lebanon, Kuwait, Bahrain,
Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Bulgaria,
and the United States.
And it was not days after the
retribution of the powerful general,
until another mask of the Iranian
regime was exposed, when the Revolutionary
Guard coerced under the
pressure was behind the shooting
down of the Ukrainian plane, despite
the fact that it was a civilian plane
launched from its lands. This sparked
hatred among the Iranians, of whom
most of the plane’s passengers were
the unfortunate victims.
This is what spread the new uprisings
in Lebanon. The spark of awareness
soon moved to the Iranian interior,
which made Khamenei wonder
what his regime wants to spend its
capabilities on (1) countries outside
its borders and independent peoples,
or (2) his own people suffering poverty,
narrowing freedoms, and basic
human dignities.
In the wake of Soleimani’s killing
and the downing of the Ukrainian
jetliner, Iran is now on the
defensive. The “protest” against the
United States Embassy compound
in Baghdad in December 2019 was
almost certainly a Soleimani-staged
operation to make it look as if Iraqis
wanted America out when in fact it
was the other way around. The protesters
were paid pro-Iranian militiamen.
No one in Baghdad was fooled
by this.
President Trump made it clear
that the U.S. presence is to maintain
a free and independent Iraq and support
its sovereignty when threatened
by ISIS and Iran-controlled militias.
Most Iraqis know the U.S. played
a decisive role in defeating Islamic
State and have no interest in becoming
Tehran’s colony.
After seventeen years of Americans
and Iranians influencing the
Iraqi political scene, the Iraqi people
are left oppressed and defeated. The
U. S. policy to dislodge Iran, reverse
the mistakes of the past, regain the
trust and hopes of the Iraqi people remain
uncertain. One thing is certain,
a “government of the people, by the
people, for the people” does not exist
in Iraq. As the classic Iraqi saying
goes “after the ruin of Basra.”
General
Qassim
Soleimani
FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 9

FOUNDATION update
Record-Breaking Year
Construction continues on the CCF’s
19,000 square foot expansion to the
current facility. The next phase of
the project will include heating and
cooling, electrical, and plumbing
processes and installing the exterior
limestone. The expanded facility will
Census 2020
include a new lobby, rooms for office
space, education and medical uses, as
well as a multifunctional gymnasium,
and life skills area to provide new senior
and youth programs. A spring
completion and ribbon cutting ceremony
is expected.
April 1, 2020 is count day!
The CCF was awarded a grant though the Community Foundation of
Southeast Michigan for a 2020 Census awareness campaign targeted towards
immigrants and the Chaldean community across the tri-county region. The
CCF’s 2020 Census Campaign will work to provide an accurate count of Chaldeans
in Southeast Michigan and the tri-county areas of Macomb, Oakland
and Wayne Counties where Chaldeans reside. Chaldeans were vastly undercounted
in 2010, as their race was not listed in the questionnaire and there was
confusion as to what they should write when checking the “Some other race”
box.
Race: Report the person’s race in the first column and any additional
details in the second column. You may report more than one group.
The category “White” includes all individuals who identify with one
or more nationalities or ethnic groups originating from the Middle East,
which includes Chaldeans.
From left: Gymnasium; Lobby; Life Skills Center
The Chaldean Community Foundation
has raised $5.4 million of its
$8 million goal through its capital
campaign to support the expansion
and housing efforts. To learn more
about our mission, go to www.chaldeanfoundation.org.
ADVOCACY IN ACTION
CCF Advocated for the Review of over $1,000,000 of medical billings!
On April 26, 2018 the Chaldean
Community Foundation (CCF) informed
the Michigan Department of
Health and Human Services (MD-
HHS) that several Medicaid beneficiaries
aged 65 years and older were
having difficulty in filling prescriptions,
were being balanced billed
and denied access to healthcare by
medical providers. MDHHS and the
Medicaid health plans researched
the matter further and recognized
the beneficiaries’ enrollment status
according to state records was
indicating that the beneficiaries
had Medicare coverage as primary
and Medicaid coverage as secondary.
At that time, based on State
requirements, the Medicaid health
plans were contractually restricted
from paying primary coverage for
these members. It was discovered
that these beneficiaries were being
placed into the Medicaid secondary
enrollment category based on their
age, which typically would qualify
them for Medicare. However, it was
learned that these beneficiaries had
resided in the United States for less
than five years and therefore were
not eligible for Medicare coverage.
Through a collaboration with
MDHHS and the Medicaid health
plans, this issue was addressed, and
policy changes were made. Based on
these changes, to date, the Medicaid
health plans resolved the inappropriate
billing issues for beneficiaries,
with billed charges in excess of
$1,000,000 and Medicaid allowable
amounts in excess of $400,000. The
CCF is continuing to jointly monitor
the enrollment status of their
mutually served beneficiaries to ensure
Medicaid coverage is being effectively
delivered to beneficiaries
served by the Medicaid health plans
and the CCF.
As a Chaldean American, how do I fill out the Census?
An important part of completing the Census form will be to write in your
family’s origin (ethnic background e.g. “Chaldean”) to ensure an accurate
count of the Chaldean community. Census information will be mailed to
homes beginning in mid-March. You can complete the Census via internet,
phone, or mail-in paper questionnaire.
For more information, please contact the CCF at (586) 722-7253 or visit www.chaldeanfoundation.org/census.
Record-Breaking Year
2019 was a record-breaking year for
the Chaldean Community Foundation
(CCF) as it provided services
to nearly 33,000 individuals and
families in need, approximately
20% of whom were non-Chaldean.
CCF Case workers assisted clients in
translation and interpretation, filing
unemployment claims, coordinating
advocacy services, arranging transportation
to medical appointments,
completion of FAFSA applications,
school enrollment paperwork, governmental
assistance applications,
resume writing, completing job applications,
job interview coaching,
and linking them to hundreds of employers
in our job bank. CCF also assisted
in resolving payment disputes,
identifying low income housing and
completing the accompanying paperwork,
just to name a few.
Immigration: The Immigration
team filed nearly 3,000 immigration
applications in 2019, provided citizenship
classes to 293 individuals and
helped 926 New Americans become
U.S. Citizens. In addition, the CCF
provided advocacy to more than 1,400
Iraqi nationals at-risk of deportation
and more than 500,000 ethnic and religious
minorities displaced by war.
Employment: The Career Services
team organized 9 job fairs with
companies including Trevco, Reliant
Industries, Nino Salvaggio, The Elia
Group, Fisher Dynamics, DSG Staffing
and local law enforcement agencies.
More than 1,200 job placement
services were conducted, and 874
clients were placed in jobs.
Educational Services: CCF provided
Beginner and Intermediate
English as a Second Language (ESL),
and Basic and Advanced Computer
classes to 336 students in 2019. In
addition, the CCF hosted 32 community
forums providing beneficial
information including health awareness,
financial literacy, voting rights,
as well as opioid and vaping trends to
nearly 2,600 individuals.
Assistance for individuals with
special needs: 5,249 individuals with
disabilities were served through our
Breaking Barriers Program (respite,
counselling and advocacy services
provided).
Project Bismutha: $101,000
worth of in-kind services, 407 physician
appointments, 2,513 prescriptions
valued in excess of $15,667 and
$44,686 worth of lab work thanks
to a generous grant from Ascension
provided through the Chaldean
American Association for Health
Professionals.
10 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

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FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 11

chaldean DIGEST
What others are saying about Chaldeans
Chaldean Chamber wants senator’s aide
to resign over Facebook post
Detroit News
By Craig Mauger
Lansing — The president of the
Chaldean American Chamber
of Commerce says a Michigan
Senate employee should resign
or be fired over Facebook posts
he made about Chaldeans’ use
of “Black Bridge card money.”
The employee is LaMar Lemmons,
a former state representative
who now works as chief of
staff for Sen. Betty Jean Alexander,
D-Detroit. Lemmons has
apologized for making what he
called an “over-generalization,”
and said he should have put “a
qualifier” in his Facebook post.
“By not putting those qualifiers
in, I hurt some people so
I apologize,” Lemmons said on
Thursday.
Chaldean community finds home after leaving Iraq
10News
By Natay Holmes
EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) —
The City of El Cajon has become
a home away from home
for many Chaldeans.
They are a Catholic- Christian
community who migrated
to the U.S. from northern Iraq.
El Cajon has the second largest
number of Chaldean residents in
the country.
“We as Chaldeans believe in
the hope, and the resurrection,
and the hope of what Jesus gives
us,” says Father Daniel Shaba.
The church is the center of
the Chaldean community in
El Cajon. Hundreds of people
gather at St. Peter Chaldean
Catholic Cathedral for services
each day.
Many Chaldean families
left their home country of Iraq
searching for a better life, after
decades of war and violence
against Christians and the
church.
“We all share the same story
of leaving and fleeing this persecution
in Iraq,” says Shaba. He
Lemmons said his discussion
of Chaldeans started with posts
about the seven core principles
of Kwanzaa. Lemmons said a
Facebook friend began chiding
the African-American community
while boasting about Chaldean
achievements.
Eventually, Lemmons posted,
“Our Chaldean brothers
used Black Bridge card money
to establish banks! Bridge cards
as you know, are redeemed for
cash, right? They have established
a multi-billion dollar empire
from mostly Black dollars in
the Black community.”
Lemmons added, “... (T)hey
are now becoming major players
in the legal cannabis industry
even as many where (sic) engaged
in the illegal drug industry
prior to legalization, right?”
says his family stayed in Greece
before being cleared to come to
the U.S. in 1994.
According to the church, the
first known Chaldean migrant
came to San Diego in 1951.
Within 30 years, the population
grew to approximately 2,500.
Today, nearly 40,000 Chaldean
families have made El Cajon
their home.
“The best part of El Cajon
is the community,” says doctor
John Kasawa.
Kasawa sees 15 to 20 patients
a day, many of whom are Chaldean.
Kasawa says he’s one of few
Chaldean doctors born in the
U.S. He practices holistic and
western medicine. Kasawa says
Martin Manna, president
of the Chaldean American
Chamber of Commerce, said
Lemmons was generalizing and
accusing Chaldeans of illicit
acts. Manna said the situation
had led others to make negative
posts, including levying threats
on social media.
“I am hopeful that the leaders
in the black community will
see this for what it is,” Manna
said on Thursday. “It is clearly
discriminatory, hateful and trying
to incite violence.”
On Wednesday, the Chaldean
American Chamber issued
a statement calling Lemmons’
post “insensitive, hurtful and
wrong” and asked him to resign.
On Thursday, Manna said Lemmons
should be fired.
his culture sparked his interest in
becoming a doctor.
“They planted the seeds of
how natural foods and drinking
can have a very beneficial effect
on longevity and really quality of
life,” Kasawa said.
Detective Louie Michael,
with the El Cajon Police Department,
says he’s grateful for his
parents’ bravery.
“At age 5, my dad was in the
military, under that regime, and
then we escaped from Iraq to
Turkey in a refugee camp and
then came here at the end of
‘93,” says Michael.
He has been with El Cajon
Police Department for more
than ten years.
US Court Ruling
Renews Iraqi Christians’
Deportation Fears
Christianity Today
By Griffin Paul Jackson
The Iraqi Christian at the center of a classaction
suit challenging the detention of
fellow Iraqi nationals in the Detroit area
was granted a major victory in court Tuesday
and will be allowed to stay in the U.S.
and become a citizen.
The decision in favor of Sam Hamama
comes days after a legal setback for hundreds
of others who had been detained by
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) and released more than a year ago so
they could litigate their individual cases.
Last Friday, the Sixth Circuit Court of
Appeals rejected the classwide decision
freeing the Iraqis from detention, potentially
leading to redetainment and a renewed
threat of deportation.
“The whole point of the federal litigation
was to give people time to fight their individual
immigration cases,” Margo Schlanger,
one of the lead counsels in the case, told CT.
“Hundreds of people assisted by the class action
have done that, and, while some have
lost, lots of them have won. For many others,
the individual immigration cases are still
pending. So Sam’s victory is one of many,
we’re happy to say.”
In 2017, more than 1,400 Iraqis living
in the United States, most of whom had either
overstayed visas or have criminal convictions,
were living under “final removal
orders” that made them targets for deportation.
Hundreds of these Iraqi nationals were
rounded up in ICE raids and held in detention
facilities meant to house them until
they could be deported.
The move was part of a policy shift spurred
by the Trump administration’s travel ban, as
Iraq agreed to begin accepting deportees in
exchange for being removed from the list of
banned countries.
But the process faced a major obstacle.
America has committed itself to not repatriate
anyone into circumstances of likely
persecution or torture. Supporters of the detained
Iraqis have argued Iraq presents just
such dangerous circumstances.
Due to violence and the ongoing persecution
of Christians in Iraq (more than
300 of the detained Iraqis are Chaldean
Christians), the prospect of deportations
was met with enormous pushback. The dilemma—detaining
deportees for a country
too dangerous to accept them—meant the
Iraqis were held in prolonged detention,
with no end in sight.
12 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

Archbishop: Iraqis have ‘big anxiety’ after
drone kills Iranian general
Catholic News Service
By Dale Gavlak
AMMAN, Jordan – Iraqis fear their
country, already weary from years of war,
may be dragged into a conflict between
the United States and Iran, following
the U.S.-targeted killing in Baghdad of
Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani.
“We prayed during the days of
Christmas for peace on earth, and
the timing of this revenge from
America creates in us a big anxiety
about what will happen,” Chaldean
Catholic Archbishop Yousif Thomas
Mirkis of Kirkuk, Iraq, told Catholic
News Service by phone.
“This can also divide the population.
Some are against. Some are for,”
Mirkis explained, but warned that the
assassination of Soleimani, known as
the architect of Tehran’s proxy wars in
the Middle East, could spark further
sectarian divisions in Iraq between
Sunni Muslims and Shiites.
Many of the recent demonstrations
rocking the capital, Baghdad,
and southern Iraq were against the
growing influence of Iran and Soleimani’s
al-Quds Force inside Iraq.
Soleimani was widely seen as the
second-most-powerful figure in Iran,
behind Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
Iran’s supreme leader. Soleimani is
believed to have been responsible
for hundreds of U.S. service member
deaths in Iraq. He was also Iran’s
main strategist in the Syrian conflict.
“We only pray that the situation
can be calm and peaceful. We are
waiting to see,” Mirkis said. “The situation
in Baghdad and the South is
more troubled. But Kirkuk and Kurdistan
region is still calm. Until now,
this is all that we can say.”
Chaldean Chamber, CCF halt plans for
satellite site in Iraq
Crains Detroit
As conflicts in Iraq grew following
Iran’s attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq,
the Chaldean American Chamber of
Commerce (CACC) and the Chaldean
Community Foundation (CCF)
have halted plans to establish a satellite
site in Northern Iraq.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in
Baghdad issued a security alert telling
Americans to “depart Iraq immediately,
via airline while possible, and failing
that, to other countries via land.”
Analysts say Soleimani was a
“much more powerful figure” than
former al-Qaida chief Osama bin
Laden or Abu Bakr Baghdadi, the
now-deceased leader of the so-called
Islamic State.
Analysts say Soleimani
was a “much more
powerful figure” than
former al-Qaida chief
Osama bin Laden or
Abu Bakr Baghdadi,
the now-deceased
leader of the so-called
Islamic State.
The Soleimani killing was
sparked by a series of escalating attacks
between the U.S. and Iranian-backed
forces. It began with the
Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite militia
Kataeb Hezbollah’s firing of 31
rockets into a base in Kirkuk province
Dec. 27. The attack killed an
American contractor and wounded
several U.S. and Iraqi servicemen.
In response, the U.S. bombed five of
the militia’s sites in Iraq and Syria.
Militia supporters retaliated by setting
fire to the wall and attacking the
U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
The CACC and CCF had been
working on a plan for a satellite location
for the last few months. This location
would have served as an extension
of their collaborative work with a U.S.
government agency and contractor to
attract investment in the rebuilding
efforts in Iraq along with providing social
services to those in need.
Chaldean American Chamber calls for Lemmons’
resignation over Facebook comments
The Chaldean American Chamber of
Commerce is calling for the resignation
of LaMar Lemmons, chief of staff for
sate Senator Betty Jean Alexander, in
response to a recent Facebook post taking
aim at the Chaldean community.
In the post, Lemmons said, “Our
Chaldean brothers used Black Bridge
card money to establish banks!”
He added, “They have established
a multi-billion dollars empire from
mostly Black dollars in the Black
community…and they are now becoming
major players in the legal
cannabis industry even as many were
engaged in the illegal drug industry
prior to legalization; right?”
Lemmons’ comments were “insensitive,
hurtful and wrong,” the chamber
said in a statement emailed to
Crain’s. “The Chaldean and African
American communities have a long
history of friendship, partnership, and
overcoming adversity.”
Two days after the post, Lemmons
posted an apology on Facebook,
prompted by Chaldean friends who
were offended and thought his comments
racist. He disagreed, but said
his original post was “a knee-jerk
response which led to an overgeneralization
on my part, which is why I
apologized.”
Lemmons has made similar comments
in the past, says chamber
president Martin Manna, and they
shouldn’t be tolerated coming from
a state employee. “I wouldn’t tolerate
this from staff. Certainly, the state
senate shouldn’t either.”
Chaldean chamber says it will seek
ethnic intimidation charges over charter
commissioner’s Facebook post
The Chaldean American Chamber
of Commerce said it plans to seek an
ethnic intimidation charge against
Detroit Charter Commissioner Joanna
Underwood in response to comments
made on Facebook last week.
Underwood’s comments were
made on Michigan senate staffer La-
Mar Lemmon’s page, on the post that
prompted Chamber president Martin
Manna to call for Lemmons’ resignation.
A group of Chaldean community
activists had planned to rally in Lansing
on the issue but have postponed
the rally at the request of the Chamber.
Manna plans to meet with Senator
Betty Jean Alexander, who has
Lemmons as her chief of staff, along
with Senators Jim Runestad and Michael
MacDonald, and Senate Minority
Leader Jim Ananich as facilitator.
“Our goal is to provide education
and cultural competency awareness to
Lemmons and issue a joint statement,”
Manna said. “We have agreed to a faceto-face
dialogue…our demands for his
resignation stand. His actions led to racist
comments from Detroit City Charter
Commissioner Joanna Underwood…
inciting violence and hatred against
Middle Eastern business owners, referring
to them as rapists and terrorists.”
Underwood says she was reacting to
comments made by Chaldeans on Lemmon’s
post. Manna takes exception to
that. “If any member of our community
engages in activity like that, we don’t
condone that behavior…we expect the
leaders in the African American community
to do the same.”
FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 13

The Top Ten
Chaldean Stories
2010-2019
1. Bishop Francis' installment (2012)
2. Islamic State takes over Mosul (2014)
3. Deportation Fears (2017)
4. Celebrating Michael George (2013)
5. Judge Goldsmith issues order for the
release of Iraqi Nationals (2018)
6. Holy Martyrs Opens up (2010)
1
7. Klint Kesto gets elected (2012)
8. CCF breaks ground on
19,000 sq. ft. expansion (2019)
9. Cultural Center Opening (2017)
10. Justin Meram goes pro (2011)
7
10
2
4
9
8
3
5
Visit chaldeannews.com
to read the complete articles.
6
14 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

”
hello!
Marian offers a
well-established
all girls education
including
an extensive
offering of college
preparatory,
honors and AP
courses with athletic
and co-curricular
programming that rivals
the most competitive
private and public
schools in Michigan.
Spring Information Night
for Middle School Students
Tuesday, March 24
7 PM
Marian is a Catholic college preparatory school for young women,
sponsored by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
For admission information, call (248) 644-1946. www.marian-hs.org
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FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 15

FAMILY time
7 Ways to Make the Super Bowl Fun for the Kids
BY DANIELLE ALEXANDER
Super Bowl Sunday is upon us, and although
we’d all love to kick back with a cold one and
watch the game, this just isn’t a reality for
those of us with little ones around. Here are some
suggestions, though, on how to keep the kids both
busy and entertained during the big game this year.
Football Field Party Table
Whether this ends up being where the kids eat
their Super Bowl snacks or complete their footballthemed
arts and crafts, this fun football field party
table from anightowlblog.com will surely keep
them sitting for a while. With green felt, white
duct tape, white vinyl and pre-cut numbers, you
and/or the kids attending can easily create this
look for your own get together.
Super Bowl-Themed Snacks
Kids are seemingly always hungry but seem to be
hungriest when their parents have just sat down.
With that said, stock up on easily accessible, kidfriendly
munchies like the following, so you can
watch at least some of the game:
Pigskins in a Blanket
A delicious option is Pigskins in a Blanket by Pillsbury.
These crescent dog footballs require two, 8 oz.
cans of Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls and
48 cocktail-size smoked link sausages or hot dogs.
Don’t forget the mustard, so that you (or the kids!)
can draw on the stitching!
Fruit-Filled Football Helmet
To encourage healthier eating on what is usually
more of a junk food-filled evening, check out this
Football Helmet Fruit Salad. Buy a full watermelon
at the store, cut it into a helmet shape and hollow
it out, saving the watermelon for one of many additions
to the finished fruit salad. To prevent choking,
be sure to spend time dicing the fruit (especially
grapes!) into smaller-sized pieces just in case a
little one helps themselves without anyone seeing!
Nutter Butter Referees
Whether your favorite team wins or loses, a celebratory
dessert is a must for kids (and adults!) on the
Super Bowl. Check out these basketball referees,
which can easily become football ones! You’ll need
four ingredients: 20 Nutter Butter cookies, 4 oz. of
vanilla candy coating, black frosting and edible candy
eyes. After melting the candy coating, dip half of
the Nutter Butter into the coating and place on wax
paper to set. Once hardened, draw four black vertical
lines down the vanilla candy coating and create
their faces. Don’t forget to stick on the eyes!
Note: keep a watchful eye of these snack as
some guests and/or kids may have allergies to nuts!
Football Bingo
With playpartyplan.com’s printable football bingo
cards, you’ll just need scissors, markers of some sort
(Goldfish, pretzels, etc. would work!) and prizes to
play. Each card includes a number of things you’d see
football players do, as well as a variety of footballrelated
items that are sure to come up throughout
the Super Bowl game. During the game,
have the kids join you on the couch, and
when they notice an action or item from
their bingo card occur on TV, they’ll
use their markers to cover each box
until they get a bingo. Football-related
prizes may be fun; however,
you know your crowd best!
Commercial Bingo
The bingo game does not have
to stop when the commercials
come on. Instead, switch out
the kids’ playing cards to thesassysouthern.com’s
Big Game
Commercial Bingo one. Encouraging
a blackout card may
even keep them engaged (and
therefore sitting) longer!
Homemade Football
This Super Bowl-themed craft from selectionsbysisters.com
would be fun for most children, but
it is definitely a good one for the younger-aged
kids as it is not messy and can be completed in
only a few minutes. You’ll need brown construction
paper, shredded newspaper, white yarn,
scissors, a single-hole punch and glue. Depending
on the ages of the children, you can either
allow them to follow the steps to create their
own football or you can prepare the materials
in advance, prior to guests arriving.
Football Coloring Pages
Coloring may seem like a cop-out when it
comes to party planning, but it can really
go a long way, especially when there are
multiple page options and plenty of copies
to go around. Twistynoodle.com has a
handful of fun, football-themed coloring
choices for children of all ages.
Football Word Search
Kids, even starting as young as four, can
participate in not just finding words in a
football word search like this but discovering
as many as they can during one of
the commercial breaks. Whoever finds
the most words during the time frame
wins a prize!
Freelance writer Danielle Alexander is
the managing editor for Detroit Mom and
editorial coordinator for West Bloomfield
Lifestyle and Birmingham Life magazines.
She wishes everyone a fun Super Bowl
and Happy Valentine’s Day.
16 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

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FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 17

CHAI time
CHALDEANS CONNECTING
COMMUNITY EVENTS IN AND AROUND METRO DETROIT FEBRUARY 2020
Thursday, February 6
Charity: Join the American Heart Association’s
CycleNation event Thursday,
February 6, at Oakland University
in Rochester Hills to take a stand
against the brain health epidemic and
be a part of the solution within your industry
and community. Did you know
that 80 percent of strokes are preventable?
That’s why we’re starting a
heart revolution in America to wipe out
stroke and heart disease. But we can’t
do it alone. Show the world what true
commitment looks like by investing in
the American Heart Association and
its American Stroke Association division
to bring CycleNation to life in metro
Detroit. Your investment will launch
a new annual event in metro Detroit
that will bring together thousands and
raise millions to support our mission
and fight for heathier lives around the
world. Sponsorship and cycling teams
of four are still available! For more
information, please contact Theresa.
Gray@heart.org.
Friday, February 7
Houseplant Sale: Step into a tropical
oasis and shop for houseplants that
are sure to brighten up your home or
office during the Winter Houseplant
Sale in the Conservatory Greenhouse
at Cranbrook House and Gardens.
Purchase assorted planters, begonias,
bromeliads, dish gardens, jade,
monstera, rubber tree plants, spider
plants, succulents, and more in support
of the preservation and beautification
of the National Historic Landmark
estate. Cranbrook House and
Gardens Auxiliary volunteers will be
available to answer your plant questions
while you explore the demonstration
gardens and plants for sale. The
Winter Houseplant Sale is free to attend
and open to the public on Friday,
February 7, and Saturday, February
8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more
information, please call 248-645-3149
or visit housegardens.cranbrook.edu.
Saturday, February 8
Classical Performance: Be a part of
one of Detroit’s most diverse classical
performances, the 23rd annual Sphinx
Competition Finals Concert, at 7:30
p.m. Saturday, February 8, at the Max
M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center.
Eighteen musicians from around the
country will come to Detroit to compete
in the Sphinx Competition for young
black and Latin string players. At the
Finals Concert, the three finalists compete
for the $50,000 Robert Frederick
Smith Prize and solo appearances with
major orchestras. Audiences will experience
the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra,
led by guest conductor Roderick Cox,
and Sphinx founder Aaron Dworkin’s
new spoken word multimedia work, The
American Rhapsody. The Sphinx Organization
will also host SphinxConnect, a
global convening known as the epicenter
for artists and leaders in diversity,
Feb. 6-8 at The Westin Book Cadillac
Detroit hotel. Registration includes access
to sessions, performances, networking
opportunities, and more. Visit
sphinxmusic.org for more information.
Wednesday, February 12
Theater Performance: Based on
Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews
with American workers, Working
paints a vivid portrait of the men and
women that the world so often takes for
granted: the schoolteacher, the phone
operator, the waitress, the millworker,
the mason, and the housewife, just to
name a few. Nominated for six Tony
Awards, this musical has been updated
for a modern age. Working will run
from February 12 through March 8 at
the Meadow Brook Theatre, Michigan’s
largest producing theater, located on
Oakland University’s campus. For tickets,
call the box office at 248-377-3300
or visit ticketmaster.com.
Friday, February 14
Beijing Guitar Duo: Celebrate Valentine’s
Day at the intimate Cube at The
Max as Pro Musica Detroit welcomes
the Beijing Guitar Duo for its Detroit debut
concert Friday, February 14. Classical
Guitar magazine says they have “the
star potential to serve as inspiration for
new generations of guitarists to come.”
Meng Su and Yameng Wang made
their New York debut in Carnegie Hall
in 2010. Su’s honors include victories
at the Vienna Youth Guitar Competition,
and Wang was the youngest guitarist to
win the Tokyo International Guitar Competition.
Their debut CD, Maracaípe,
received a Latin Grammy Award. Pro
Musica concerts are unique: Audience
members sit in cabaret seating close to
the performer, and artists are encouraged
to speak directly to the audience
about the works and composers they
are performing. Afterward, everyone
mingles with the artists at a sumptuous
afterglow reception. Individual tickets
start at $25 and are available at promusicadetroit.com
and dso.org.
Friday, February 12
Red for Women Luncheon: The American
Heart Association’s 16th annual Go
Red For Women (GRFW) Luncheon
will take place in downtown Detroit on
Friday, February 21, at Little Caesars
Arena. This signature event, presented
by DTE Energy and Toyota Motor North
America, will be emceed by WDIV Local
4 news anchor Kimberly Gill and will
feature Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as the
keynote speaker. The luncheon aims to
unite hundreds of women across metro
Detroit and provides a platform for survivors
of heart disease and stroke to
share their stories. In the United States,
cardiovascular diseases kill approximately
one in three women each year,
but up to 80 percent of cardiovascular
events can be prevented. Heart disease
is also the number one killer among
women, more deadly than all forms of
cancer combined. GRFW aims to help
raise awareness, inspire action, and
save more lives. To learn more, please
contact Annie.Hill@heart.org.
Friday, February 28
Fundraising Gala: The Shelby Community
Foundation invites you to a
Snowflake Social fundraising gala
with a “Flair of Amethyst” at 6 p.m.
on Feb. 28 at The Palazzo Grande
in Shelby Township. Entertainment
will be provided by The Dave Bennett
Quartet, which has performed
throughout the United States. Bennett
has also been a featured soloist
at Carnegie Hall. The “Flair of Amethyst”
evening will also be highlighted
by jewelry and basket raffles. A silent
auction of “experiences” has been
crafted for gala guests only. For 14
years, the Shelby Community Foundation
has hosted fundraising events
to support community grants and
scholarships for Shelby Township
residents. Tickets include a strolling
dinner, an open bar, and entertainment.
The cost is $80 per person or
$900 for a private table of 10. To purchase
tickets, visit shelbycommunityfoundation.org,
our Facebook Events
page, or Eventbrite, or call or text
586-909-5305.
Saturday, March 7
Gala and Auction: Eton Academy,
a Birmingham school for students
with learning differences, invites you
to attend “2020 Vision: Our Future
Is Clear,” a formal gala and auction,
on Saturday, March 7, at 6 p.m. This
elegant event includes a formal sitdown
dinner with silent and live auctions
and a raffle. It is the school’s
largest fundraising event of the year
and a celebration of the students and
community. Proceeds raised from
this event go directly to much-needed
scholarships, assistive technology
needs for classrooms, and essential
specialized training for teachers.
Tickets are $200 per guest and can
be purchased online or by calling Kelly
Dewald at 248-642-1150. For more
information, visit etonacademy.org.
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FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 19

OBITUARY
Always loved,
Never forgotten,
Forever missed.
Paul Vincent, Pioneering
Attorney in Chaldean
Community, Humanitarian,
Dies at 78
Nasser Tobia Garmo
April 6, 1944 - January 5, 2020
A golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands at rest,
It broke our hearts to see you go, God only takes the best.
They say that memories are golden, Well maybe that is true,
But we never wanted memories, We only wanted you.
Your life was love of labor, Your love for your family true,
You did your best for all of us, We will always remember you.
We sat beside your bedside, Our hearts were crushed and sore,
We did our duty to the end, Until we could no more.
In tears we watched you sinking, We watched you fade away,
And though our hearts were breaking, We knew you could not stay.
Our lips cannot speak how we loved you,
Our hearts cannot tell us what to say,
But only God knows how we miss you, In our home that is lonely today.
Subscribe today!
- THE FAMILY OF THE BELOVED NASSER TOBIA GARMO
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When Paul Vincent, one of
the Chaldean community’s
first attorneys, became
sick last year, he was philosophical.
“If this is the end for me, I can accept
that. I have lived a long and fulfilling
life,” he said. Indeed, Paul, who died
at the age of 78 on January 17, 2020,
positively affected the lives of others
in vast and impactful ways.
Born in Tel Kaif, Iraq, Paul immigrated
to the U.S. with his family
when he was nearly 10 years old. As
a young immigrant in America, he
faced no shortage of barriers.
But Paul was tenacious.
Throughout his schooling, he
overcame language and cultural
hurdles, ascending to the top of his
class at Wayne State University’s law
school. After law school, he started
his own practice and married his devoted
wife Michele who, throughout
their nearly 50-year marriage, anchored
him in every arena. Together
they had three children: Renee, Steven,
and Robyn.
Paul’s unwavering passion for
justice and equity led him to carve
multiple paths that would improve
people’s lives. In his law office, that
meant accepting a healthy amount of
pro bono casework and giving a voice
to the unheard. Outside of the office,
it meant helping people who were
suffering more than 6,000 miles away
from his Southeast Michigan home.
During the first Gulf War, Paul
became increasingly distraught as he
contemplated the immense human
toll. So he launched the nonprofit organization
Victims of War to import
medicine and food to Iraqi civilians
suffering under U.S sanctions. He
traveled back to his war-torn home
country multiple times and partnered
with the Red Cross to distribute supplies
to those who needed it.
Back in the U.S., amid rising tensions
toward Iraqi-Americans, he became
a tireless advocate for peace in
the Middle East. He met with high
ranking officials, from President Bill
Clinton to Iraqi diplomats positioned
near Saddam Hussein. Appearing
on local, national and international
news programs, he reminded viewers
that it was Iraqi children paying the
greatest price. His efforts led him to
far-flung countries throughout Africa
to procure food and medicine and
forced him to pause much of his law
practice.
When he finally returned to the
office, Paul was eager to revive his
work as a trial lawyer defending the
marginalized. Still, he remained connected
to what was happening in Iraq
as his law practice continued to flourish.
For respite from the stressors of
running his own practice, Paul could
be found on the green. Golfing with
longtime friends was a weekend pleasure
and Paul would mold his son
Steven and grandson Dominic into
formidable golfers, too.
Even as he grew older, Paul remained
fiercely dedicated to his work,
nurturing what would become a 50-
year career. When Steven joined him
to practice law in 2008, it was a point
of pride for Paul who loved watching
his family achieve and grow. He
watched his daughter Renee become
a teacher and work toward a PhD,
and his daughter Robyn cultivate a
journalism career.
It was Paul’s grandchildren who
also brought him significant joy. He
described Iris, Ana, Dominic, Cecilia,
and Lily as “the light of his life.”
Paul is survived by his wife Michele;
daughters Renee and Robyn;
son Steven (Nicole); grandchildren
Iris, Ana, Dominic, Cecilia and Lily;
siblings; sisters-in-law; brother-inlaw;
nieces; nephews and cousins.
20 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

in MEMORIAM
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery & Southfield Funeral Home
RECENTLY DECEASED COMMUNITY MEMBERS
The Deceased Faithful Mass
The Deceased Faithful Mass
Bahjat Malakha
July 01, 1943 -
January 15, 2020
Eman Kinaya
Jan. 21, 1956 -
Jan. 15, 2020
Shammamta Maizy
July 01, 1929 -
Jan. 11, 2020
Tony Kada
Nov. 02, 1973 -
Jan. 09, 2020
Friday, February 21, 2020 • 12 p.m. Mass
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Mausoleum
Rotunda Chapel
25800 W 10 Mile Rd., Southfield, MI 48033
Most Reverend Francis Y. Kalabat Presiding
Farook (Frank)
Sabo
July 01, 1940 -
Jan. 09, 2020
Violet Hanna
Kassab
Feb. 18, 1943 -
Jan. 09, 2020
Asmar
Asmar
April 01, 1953 -
Jan. 08, 2020
Kiryakos
Khemmoro
Dec. 01, 1940 -
Jan. 06, 2020
Hospitality following Mass
For more information call (313) 879-3773
Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery
Aradin Shabo
July 01, 1978 -
Jan. 05, 2020
Dura Abro
Dec. 01, 1930 -
Jan. 05, 2020
Aves Zuhair
Kenaya
March 04, 1977 -
Jan. 05, 2020
Nasser Tobia
Garmo
April 06, 1944 -
Jan. 05, 2020
Southfield Funeral Home
Nibras Hanna: (586) 457-0121
Younis Shamas
Dec. 15, 1952 -
Jan. 03, 2020
Hikmat Habib
Abouna
Jan. 15, 1948 -
Jan. 03, 2020
Rahim Bahri
June 11, 1951 -
Jan. 03, 2020
Mujnta Jejo
July 01, 1936 -
Jan. 03, 2020
Yakoub Bethoon
July 01, 1936 -
Jan. 02, 2020
Hani Jajo Moshe
July 01, 1929 -
Jan. 01, 2020
Sami Toma Koja
July 01, 1934 -
Dec. 31, 2019
Victoria Elias Najar
July 01, 1940 -
Dec. 30, 2019
Khedher (Ramzi)
Orow
July 01, 1942 -
Dec. 27, 2019
Gurgia Razouki
July 01, 1934 -
Dec. 27, 2019
Khalid (Zuhair)
Bahoura
July 01, 1942 -
Dec. 26, 2019
Jalal Shammami
January 18, 1954 -
Dec. 25, 2019
Sawsan Sheto
July 01, 1928 -
Dec. 21, 2019
Tom Mati
May 08, 1953 -
Dec. 19, 2019
FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 21

22 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

Wedding
ANNUAL
Guide
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARKIS PHOTO
April 13: Paul
and Ashley
FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 23

ANNUAL WEDDING GUIDE
“ Honey, Pack Your Bags!”
All about destination weddings
BY MONIQUE MANSOUR
A
destination wedding; it’s a
type of celebration that is
becoming more and more
popular among millennial couples.
In fact, according to WeddingWire.
com, one in four couples choose a
destination wedding as their way to
tie the knot and formally commit to
one another. A destination wedding
can be a domestic destination or an
international destination, depending
on what a couple wants.
Amira Bajoka of Rena Travel and
Tours in Sterling Heights is a travel
agent well accustomed to helping
couples, family members, and guests
book and travel to destination weddings
of all kinds. “I love working
with people and travel is always so
exciting. I love helping people find
their perfect vacation destinations
and packages,” said Bajoka.
“Destination weddings are definitely
becoming very popular and
they can happen anytime of the year.
I have been creating unique destination
weddings for the Chaldean
community for several years. Warmer
areas tend to be the most common,
with locales such as the Bahamas,
Mexico, and the Caribbean,” said
Bajoka. “Many people like the idea
of having a small and intimate gathering
as they share their time in a
special place with all of their close
loved ones, which can make a destination
wedding a good choice.”
Though destination weddings
can be fun and intimate, there are a
few pitfalls couples should be aware
of. “It is always challenging planning
a wedding when you cannot actually
visit the venue or taste the food yourself.
So, for destination weddings,
you are mostly relying on pictures
and reviews,” said Bajoka. “Also,
keep in mind that if you plan to have
your wedding in another country,
then you’ll need to look into what
documents are required to be legally
married there. Most countries require
proof of your birth certificate
and/or a valid U.S. passport. There
may be other stipulations as well. For
example, France wants proof of residency,
and won’t marry you unless
you’ve lived in the country for a set
period of time.”
For advice to aspiring couples,
Bajoka recommends the following.
“Plan early! There is a lot of organization
and planning required for any
wedding, but especially for a destination
wedding. This kind of wedding is
not for brides who like to be in control
of every little thing on their big
day. As I mentioned before, you will
have to make decisions without being
there in person, so keep this in mind.”
Bajoka recommends planning
a destination wedding at least six
months to one year in advance, and
thinks highly of family friendly resorts
that are all inclusive for destination
wedding locales. “Anywhere
warm where all guests of the wedding
can enjoy!” she said.
Dalia Atisha of The Event Planner,
Inc. in West Bloomfield has noticed
a rise in domestic destination
weddings. “Most are close to home
such as Up North or West of Michigan,
as well as Chicago and Florida
and California,” said Atisha. “Part of
the reason for the rise could be that
couples want a more intimate setting,
and want to change things up
for some variety. In addition, they
may want to celebrate their wedding
for more than a day, and with a destination
wedding they are planning
a bigger rehearsal dinner, a full day
wedding, and a-day-after brunch to
end the celebrations.”
Atisha suggests that couples who
are really considering a destination
wedding to take a good and hard
look at their guest list. “And consider
the dates that work for your guests
and for those that you really want to
attend your wedding,” she explained.
“Also, be mindful that many close
family and friends may not be able
to attend. Additionally, destination
weddings can sometimes be more
costly as the guest list does shrink,
and the venues that the weddings
are being hosted at don’t tend to accommodate
large volumes like our
venues do in Metro Detroit, so cost
per person is usually much higher. It
would be wise to be mindful of your
budget before you settle on a destination.
Also, planning a wedding
long distance can be a challenge if
a couple doesn’t have a professional
helping them with the logistics.”
Atisha also wants couples to be
aware of familial expectations to host
a wedding celebration upon their return
for guests who were unable to
make it to the destination. “In some
familial situations, the couple may
still be expected to host a wedding
ceremony and post ceremony celebration
immediately following the
destination wedding. If that happens,
they are incurring more costs there.”
If Atisha were to have a destination
wedding of her own, she knows
exactly where it would be. “Northern
Michigan in the summer, as Michigan
is the perfect in the summer! Sometime
at the end of June or at the beginning
of July would be just lovely.”
Noor Arafat of Noor Travel and
Tours in West Bloomfield has also
noticed a rise in popularity of couples
wanting a destination wedding.
“In my experience, destination weddings
have been popular in the last
four years among Chaldeans and
Chaldean couples. Some of the more
popular destinations include Riviera
Maya, Mexico, Hawaii, and Florida,”
said Arafat. “Destination weddings
provide appealing advantages, including
making the planning easier
on the couple, as well as turning the
wedding into a long vacation like an
event.”
“My biggest piece of advice for
couples considering a destination
wedding is to book it as a package
through something like Delta Vacations
or Apple Vacations, as they
offer more incentives. Find a travel
agent who is familiar with destination
weddings and keep the guest list
short!” said Arafat. “And remember
to not assume that a destination
wedding will be cheaper.”
If Arafat were to have a destination
wedding of her own, she knows
exactly where it would be. “Without
a question, it would be Riviera Maya
in Mexico! It’s easily accessible with
lots of flights from major gateways.
It hosts renowned beautiful beaches
and crystal clear waters. There are
an abundance of resort options that
range from affordable to luxurious,
and there are lots of activities for
sightseeing, scuba diving, and shopping!”
Who doesn’t like the sound of
that?
24 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARKIS PHOTO
FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 25

ANNUAL WEDDING GUIDE
Focus on the love,
not the party
The months leading up to your wedding
can be incredibly exciting, but
more often than not, engaged couples
find themselves overcome with anxiety
as they realize all the work that must be
done before their wedding day.
To make matters worse, there is
no shortage of people with an opinion
about how their wedding should unfold.
Combine that loss of control with the
pressure of setting and hitting a budget
and you’ve got a perfect recipe for stress,
family feuds, fighting with your fiancé
and lots and lots of tears. That certainly was the
case for my wife and I during our engagement.
Almost as soon the adrenaline from our proposal
wore off, reality started to sink in – “we have
a wedding to plan.” What started off as nervous
excitement and fun weekend trips to wedding
shows quickly turned ugly. Just weeks into the
planning we were at each other’s throats, fighting
over the hall, the invitations, the music and
whether or not we needed a fruit table – just to
name a few. I was trying to balance my fiancé’s
dream wedding with my mom’s dream wedding
while my American fiancé was trying to figure out
how to get the chicken dance to mesh with the
Zaffa.
While there was no shortage of things to stress
about, there is one thing stands out as the biggest
point of contention during the planning – the wedding
budget.
There was a lot of pressure to make this night
perfect. After all, we would only get one shot at
this and it was tempting to try and make the wedding
everything to everyone, especially when we
were able to keep telling ourselves “the envelopes
will cover it.”
When I look back at our wedding with 20/20
hindsight, we overspent in so many frivolous ways.
I can break the bad purchases and the motivations
behind them into three categories:
“Top Shelf”
These are things not every wedding has, but we felt
pressured to go with the best. e.g. Top shelf liquor,
tons of flowers, Filet Mignon with other dinner
add-ons and the most expensive photographer.
“What mom wants”
If I had my way, I wouldn’t even had these things at
our wedding, but the pressure from parents, friends
and relatives were overwhelming. e.g. Inviting
relatives and family friends we didn’t know and selecting
a band that was not our first choice.
PELAR ESSHAKI
SPECIAL TO THE
CHALDEAN NEWS
“The latest gimmick”
This list grows with every wedding season.
When I got married, every wedding at
the time had a fruit table, and belly dancers
at dinner were all the rave. Over the
years many of these gimmicks have come
and gone, but I’d have to give honorable
mention to the chocolate fountain, photo
booths and late night taco bar as a few of
my favorites.
For us, when it was all said and done, I’d
estimate that we could have saved $15,000
- $20,000 by downgrading or eliminating
things we didn’t really need at our wedding. But
instead, we literally kicked off our marriage in the
worst possible way, worrying about money.
After the last guest left the hall and all the
lights were turned on, my new wife and I headed to
my mom’s house to count envelopes. The hall was
holding a $30,000 check that was being cashed in
the morning. As the first group of envelopes started
opening up, the cash and checks were turning into
impressive piles. I remember thinking I’d never
seen so much money in one spot before. But as the
basket of envelopes started to dwindle, the math
wasn’t pointing to a happy ending. It was going to
be close.
In those moments I can vividly recall the
deep regret that started flying through my head as
I thought about all the dumb things we splurged
on. “Why did we get the belly dancers? We should
have just gotten a DJ! We didn’t need that stupid
fruit table!”
Instead of enjoying a blissful night with my new
wife, I was furiously ripping open envelopes. I was
terrified. Filled with stress and anxiety that was
growing with every envelope I opened. I had no
backup plan. I was panicking.
In the end, we covered the check, but barely. We
spent the $700 we “made” on our wedding day within
the first few days of our honeymoon. When we
got home, we settled into our new life, but we didn’t
have anything in the bank. Instead, we had a bunch
of credit cards that we racked up on our honeymoon.
What a great way to start off our marriage – in debt.
While we had a plan to pay it off within a
year, it never materialized. Life happened. My dad
passed away suddenly. My wife became pregnant.
My job changed. My wife became pregnant again,
with twins and stopped working.
Just like that, within eighteen months of being
married, our family had almost tripled, our income
was cut in half and we were flat broke and in serious
financial distress. The only way to put food on
the table and not lose the house was to work 3 jobs.
At twenty four years old with three kids and a wife,
I was working eighteen hour days, six days a week.
I was tired. I was stressed. I was a bad husband,
a bad father, a bad son, and a terrible employee. It
was only with a lot of prayer and the grace of God
that our family ever recovered from that and made
it out of those tough times. Times I never would
have had to experience if we would have been able
to start our marriage with that $20,000 in the bank.
Instead, we dumped that money into the top shelf
bar, the twelve tables of third cousins I’d never met
and the over-the-top belly dancers.
Not even close to worth it.
Don’t get me wrong, we had a great wedding.
One for the ages. But it wasn’t the flowers or the
food or the photographer that made the night.
That night was magical because my wife and I got
to celebrate our love for each other with the people
who mattered most.
In the end, I traded eighteen months of my
marriage for a bunch of stuff that didn’t add to our
night and only stressed us out. I will never get that
precious time back. It’s the price I paid for succumbing
to all those outside pressures I guess. A
cost I hope and pray you are wise enough to avoid
this wedding season.
Pelar Esshaki has been married to his wife Laura for
thirteen years and has nine children. He and his family
live in Rochester Hills and they are very active in the
Chaldean church marriage ministry. Pelar and his
wife teach marriage prep to engaged couples getting
married in the church, lead a marriage retreat through
E.C.R.C and serve as marriage mentors in the
Chaldean and Latin Rite church.
26 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 27

ANNUAL WEDDING GUIDE
Less is more this wedding season
Industry professionals say it’s all about the vibe
BY BIANCA KASAWDISH
With the new decade in full
swing, so is the next season
– engagement season.
While the holidays are the most popular
time to get engaged, all the focus
is now on the celebrations, the looks,
the styles we will see at weddings in
the months to follow.
When it comes to weddings, the
industry has evolved and grown to be
an entire production, with no detail
spared. Experts in the industry, Top
That Table was built from the ground
up by co-owners Lawrence Yaldo and
Andrew Keina. The duo has designed
and planned events together
for more than 15 years.
They brought in Steve Potres just
over four years ago as the lead floral
designer, elevating their company to
the next level of creating memorable
events for their clients. Top That Table
has become a one stop wedding
shop, providing the entire experience
from all levels, from event styling
to planning, coordination, design
and more.
When it comes to trends, Yaldo
shares that trends in the wedding
and event industry rapidly change.
“At Top That Table, we stay in tune
with all trends. However, we strive to
create our own trends, be leaders and
most importantly, be trend setters,”
he says.
In an industry that is ever-evolving,
Yaldo shares there is always room
for growth and expansion. “It’s up to
you as the designer to see how far you
want to take it. There will always be
events and the need for event professionals
to help create these events.”
On their vision for this year,
Yaldo shares, “The most common
trend we are seeing with our brides
is a minimalist look with florals and
more emphasis on the overall vibe of
the event.”
While wedding dresses are known
to be extravagant, a more simple gown
can have just as much elegance and
impact as one that is adorned with
jewels or with layers of fabric. Brides
should wear something they feel the
most like themselves in and it is for
this reason that minimalism is in.
With any event, it’s all about
the details. All of these little things
come together to create the look and
feel of the overall event, and the possibilities
are truly endless. The entire
wedding should be a reflection of the
couple and their style. After all, it’s a
day that marks the rest of their lives
together.
Lighting, florals and colors are
all key components in the wedding
planning process and set the tone for
the wedding overall, so each of these
should be carefully selected.
“A major detail than can really
take things to the next level is bringing
in things that aren’t typically seen
at weddings, whether it’s additional
entertainment or a decor aspect that
guests don’t typically see,” explained
Yaldo. “For instance, carpeting the
ballroom or video mapping can add
quite the elevation to an event.”
The results of creativity and
thinking outside the box are well
worth it. Your wedding day will
become more memorable to your
guests, and more importantly to you,
knowing you handpicked each and
every detail to make it special.
Weddings are very personal, and
each one is different in their own
way. Yaldo offers advice to couples
planning their weddings, “Our biggest
advice is making sure the wedding
is about you as the couple.
Sometimes bringing in other opinions
to the table can brew conflict
and take away from the enjoyment
process of hosting a wedding.”
Remember, it’s your day. Whatever
style you choose or vibe you create,
what you’ll want to remember
most is how special it was to you.
28 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 29

ANNUAL WEDDING GUIDE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARKIS PHOTO
September 21:
Raymond and
Shahad
30 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

March 21:
Ammar
and Diana
LET US DESIGN YOUR DREAM KITCHEN
FREE In-Home Estimates
Full Remodeling Services Available
Shelby Township • West Bloomfield
www.lafata.com • 586.930.1701
July 6: Anthony
and Christina
FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 31

ANNUAL WEDDING GUIDE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARKIS PHOTO
September 21:
Raymond and
Shahad
32 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

MAKE YOUR NEXT EVENT LIT
June 14: Dani
and Christine
SPECIALIZING IN UP LIGHTING
& LIGHTING FOR ALL EVENTS
Randy Daoud
(734) 756-4032
randyslighting@gmail.com
randyslighting
@randy’slighting
July 6: Anthony
and Christina
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Valet Parking 248.821.7424
FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 33

ECONOMICS & enterprise
King of Cakes
Catching up with pastry guru Jonathan Elias
BY SARAH KITTLE
When we last spoke with Jonathan Elias,
aka the “Pastry Guru,” he was knee deep
in wedding cake. On the cover of the
December 2017 issue of The Chaldean News, the
chef was fresh off the Food Network, eventually
placing second on the channel’s fanciful Halloween
Baking Championship. In the cover photo he
held in his hand a simple cake that he was sure he
could teach us all to bake. As if... Jonathan’s baking
wizardry is a gift he seems to have been born
with and for that, he is thankful.
“I am grateful to God for everything,” says Elias,
“He always puts things in place for me.” His deep
Catholic faith and strong family foundation are the
pillars upon which his business is built. He baked
his first cakes for family and they were the ones who
encouraged him to bake more. He found out fairly
quickly that he enjoyed the process and went on to
earn a degree in pastry arts, starting his own business.
And thus, the Pastry Guru was born.
“It’s a very difficult field,” said Elias in the 2017
interview. “You should chase the dream though.
Don’t be scared.” For Elias, the dream is making
engaged couples’ dreams come true by designing
wedding cakes that fit their vision - usually the
bride’s vision. “Grooms care more about flavor
than the look,” says the baker.
But Elias does more than bake the cakes. Among
other tasks, he consults with couples, meets with
planners, stocks supplies, and promotes his brand
on social media. Elias admits that social media has
been very, very good to him: “It’s huge - a free form
of advertisement!” In fact, it was through social
media that the Food Network found him and also
where videos of one of his custom-made wedding
cakes descending from the ceiling went viral.
“People were asking me, ‘Where’s the cake?’”
Elias recalled, laughing at the memory. “I replied, ‘I
don’t know. I set it on a table and walked away…’”
At that instant a collective gasp could be heard as
the cake descended from amidst the flowers on the
ceiling. “It was the greatest moment!”
That moment was the culmination of the collaborative
efforts of the Pastry Guru and Top That
Table, an event design team consisting of Lawrence
Yaldo, Andrew Keina and Steve Potres. As events
become more and more experiential, these kinds of
partnerships will become vital.
“Height and weight restrictions were noted and
calculated,” says Elias. It would have been a huge
fail if the gigantic wedding cake had fallen from
the sky; and no laughing matter as it weighed hundreds
of pounds. It was a stressful moment for all
involved. “Things are generally pretty stressful,”
Elias says of weddings in general which rarely allow
for do-overs if something goes wrong. “Much more
so than any other kind of event, it’s supposed to be
a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
That cake’s descent was a surprise to everyone
except the planners and the bride and groom.
“It was funny to think that whole time, the cake
was up there and none of the guests knew,” said
Elias. “It was nerve-wracking for all of us that were
aware. It wouldn’t work at just any venue but the
end result was fantastic! All the phones were out,
taking pictures and video.”
Currently wedding cakes are becoming simpler
and more sophisticated says Elias; more clean lines
and less rosette waterfalls. Of course, there is always
that one cake...
Sometimes the Pastry Guru can get a client to
understand that what they want isn’t reasonable
or even feasible. “I offer them another option,” he
says. “Fads don’t last. I ask them if they’d still love
it in 20 years.” In order to tailor-make his creations,
Elias prefers being shown the wedding invitations,
flowers and other chosen decor that help him get
a feel for the couple’s tastes in order to make their
cake special and uniquely suited to them.
Elias also hopes that his story will inspire others
within the community. Growing up in a Chaldean
household, entrepreneurship and hard work were qualities
that were encouraged, and ones that have served
him well in his work. But there aren’t many Chaldean
artists, and ‘artist’ was the Pastry Guru’s stock answer as
a child to the question being asked of children around
the world: “What do you want to be when you grow
up?” Cake creation is definitely an art; one where Elias,
with his ‘artistic hands,’ has found a calling.
Pricewise one might think that the Pastry Guru
is out of their league because of the fame and notoriety
brought about by the televised competition
and the press. It’s true that people recognize Elias
in public, but it’s also true that his prices remained
steady in the years following his first appearance on
television and only began to rise this year due to
market and demand.
Nowadays, the Pastry Guru’s business includes
an experiential component for the wedding guests
as well. Dessert tables have evolved; they’re now
dessert “stations,” becoming more interactive by
offering options for sauces and fillings; allowing
consumers to apply their own toppings, thus providing
a personalized exchange for each guest. It’s
all about the experience.
Asked if he had a favorite station, Elias doesn’t
hesitate. “Crème Brulee,” he says with feeling. “It’s
clean and classy, and perfect for a wedding - just
the right amount of fancy.” Other options include
custom crepes, cannoli — even a Krispy Kreme ice
cream sandwich station! If you can dream it, it will
likely make its way to a dessert station.
When asked about his favorite cake, more often
than not it will be the last cake that Elias has created.
Currently, it is an enormous confection that
towers over its creator. “There’s this trail of sugar
flowers, but other than that, it’s very clean. The edible
gold leaf and the sheer size make a bold statement.
It has presence.”
Bold statements are ‘in’ for wedding fashion
and Elias likes the trend. Even as extravagant as
Chaldean weddings tend to be, the move toward
clean lines and unfussy icing is undeniable. Simple
and elegant cakes featuring geometric shapes are
becoming more commonplace.
If there’s one thing the Pastry Guru wishes he
could communicate to his clients it’s this - different
doesn’t necessarily mean better. Asked about the future
of wedding cake styles and trends, Elias predicts
even more bold styles with daring colors and other
extras that ‘make a statement.’ Is he looking forward
to that? “We’ll see,” he replies with a laugh.
34 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

Bring on the
Zaffa with
Zaffet Joseph
Entertainment
BY SARAH KITTLE
Chaldean weddings are famous
for their fun, overthe-top
traditions of music
and dance. Handed down through
generations, the ‘Zaffa,’ is the traditional
dance of the bride and groom
as they enter the reception after the
wedding, one that has proven to be
timeless.
Widely mislabeled as Arabic, the
Zaffa (sometimes spelled ‘Zaffah’ or
‘Zeffah’) predates Islam, originating
many years before in ancient Egypt.
The celebratory wedding march is a
musical procession of drums, horns,
pipes, sometimes even belly dancers
and men carrying flaming swords.
If this sounds like the entrance
of ‘Prince Ali’ in Aladdin, you’ve
got the picture. When the procession
reaches its destination, the family
and friends of the newly married
couple join in the festivities, dancing
and merry making. It is the ultimate
in celebrations.
If you’ve seen a Zaffa procession
at a wedding in recent years, you’ve
likely seen Zaffet Joseph Entertainment
in action.
Founded by Joseph Toma, Zaffet
Joseph Entertainment was birthed by
a small group of young and talented
musicians with a passion to entertain
crowds and make music. In addition
to Toma, the group includes Saad
Botrus as drummer, percussionist, and
equipment manager; Emilio Shina as
DJ, keyboardist, and drummer; and
Entonio Shina as drummer. Over the
years Zaffet Joseph has expanded to
include a wide variety of additional
musicians in their performances but
the main team members continue to
play a major role in each event.
Typical Chaldean weddings have
many hundreds of guests and holding
their attention is no easy matter! But
the talented musicians of Zaffet Joseph
are in demand not only for weddings,
but also many other celebrations
in the Detroit area, including
birthdays and engagements, due to
their distinctly Middle Eastern music
and their ability to capture and hold
the attention of a great many people
so efficiently.
Toma says he grew up with a passion
for performing until one day
simply being a performer was no longer
enough. He wanted something
different and with all of his creative
passion the young entrepreneur determined
to see his vision come to
life. That vision ultimately revolutionized
the entertainment industry
and made the Zaffa an invaluable
part of Chaldean American culture.
Toma’s vision included multiple
drummers and was the concept that
led to the formation of Zaffet Joseph
Entertainment. The rest of his performers
share his passion for entertaining,
right down to the youngest,
and Toma believes that’s what sets
them apart from any other troupe of
entertainers and makes their performances
so memorable.
The Zaffa provides an important
element when it comes to any party,
but can be the highlight of a wedding.
It is the first moment of celebration
after the bride and groom
are officially pronounced husband
and wife. The Zaffa helps to create
a memorable grand entrance as they
dance into their wedding reception
together for the first time as a couple.
The drummers dance around them,
keeping the beat and kicking their
heels with joy. It’s easy to imagine
the same dance being performed centuries
ago to music being played on
the same instruments.
Toma and his team of Chaldean
entertainers have a passion for helping
guests enjoy themselves and have
a great time, no matter the event.
“We keep the Zaffa tradition alive
through the use of the same traditional
instruments that were used
back home in many of our ancestors’
weddings,” says Toma. “At Zaffet Joseph
we add our own twist, making
the most up-beat, fun, and memorable
music to date.”
The live music option offers
many different types of entertainment
choices: keyboard players, zorna
players, tabol drummers, violinists,
percussionists, saxophonists and
more. Zaffet Joseph Entertainment
lets the clients choose what they
want and customizes every package
especially for them.
The company website, ZaffetJosephEntertainment.com,
and Instagram
page, @zaffetjosephentertainment,
are full of pictures of happy
people, dancing, singing and clapping
- often surrounding a beaming
bride and groom. In addition to live
musicians, Zaffet Joseph’s services
include DJs, belly dancers and even
event planning.
“We leave everlasting joy and
memories in the hearts of the
guests, forever,” says Toma. “What
is truly special about our services is
that we make sure every guest on
the dance floor is dancing and enjoying
themselves throughout the
whole night.”
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ZAFFET JOSEPH ENTERTAINMENT
FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 35

chaldean on the STREET
What would you change?
BY HALIM SHEENA
Chaldean weddings are known for their grandeur and creativity, leaving their mark on many. We wanted to know
what others would change about these sometimes over the top weddings. We asked members of the community
what they felt needed to change about Chaldean weddings.
The lengths women go to prepare for weddings.
Looking for the perfect, appropriate dress can take
weeks, and the logistics involved with booking stylist
appointments for hair and makeup can be a nightmare.
It’s an unspoken cultural expectation that makes
the experience feel more stressful than enjoying the
celebration itself.
– Maria Banou, 26, Bloomfield Hills
Let’s keep speeches to a minimum. No one wants to
hear every embarrassing detail about the bride and
groom. I would also change the stigma of making
things “bigger and better,” and keep the focus about
love and marriage.
– Chris Hesano, 27, Commerce Township
I love our Chaldean weddings but I feel that many of
the weddings today are just too over the top. I would
like to see weddings go back to being simple and elegant,
and start at an earlier time rather than 8 p.m.
on a Sunday evening, where the guests tend to leave
right after dinner. An elegant garden wedding followed
by a reception early in the evening on a Saturday or
Sunday could be beautiful and guests may stay longer
to enjoy the celebration.
– Karen Narra, 53, Shelby Township
In between all the glamour, dances and pure joy at
Chaldean weddings, people often forget the true meaning
behind the celebration. What needs to change is
the amount of guests that show up to the ceremony
verses the reception. Many people are spending so
much time preparing for a wedding, not a marriage. We
must remember what is really happening when we are
standing at the altar declaring our vows... we are being
united and establishing a covenant before Christ.
– Melanie Mensor, 21, Sterling Heights
Someone asked me today, when I get married would I
have my wedding at Penna’s or Shenandoah, I said neither
and she said “well where else would you have it?”
If I could change one thing it would be that a significant
percentage of the Chaldean community feels restricted
to only having their weddings at Penna’s or Doah. You
could give the excuse that the food is good (which it
really is) but that just seems silly to me because if that’s
the case you could still get them to cater. The Metro
Detroit Area is full of gorgeous places to have a wedding.
The Detroit Yacht Club, Scarab Club, Jam Handy,
all I’m saying is I think we can get a little more creative
than Penna’s or Doah. Of course this doesn’t go for everyone
but I’m sure there are Chaldeans out there who
feel the way I do, unfortunately I can’t say I know any.
– Marianna Foumia, 23, Rochester Hills
Often times when I have a conversation with a non-
Chaldean, I hear “I’ve always wanted to attend a
Chaldean wedding.” Chaldeans have left their mark in
metro Detroit in terms of throwing the hottest parties,
all year round. That being said, I am a big advocate
of preserving the culture as much as possible. I have
noticed that as years go on, our community has abstained
from traditional khigga dances more and more.
Girls are opting to dance in the middle and too many
men spend the night at the bar, gawking at potential
brides of their own. It is crucial for the preservation
of our culture that we teach each other these unique
dances. Otherwise, in 50 years we will be seeing less
Siskani and more Cupid Shuffles!
– Daniel Shikwana, 23, Shelby Township
36 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

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FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 37

VALENTINE’S DAY
Gift Guide
Find the perfect Valentine’s Day flair for that special person in your
life with the Chaldean News’ ultimate Valentine’s Day gift guide!
Shop our gift guide from local Chaldean owned businesses.
For him
Cufflinks Inc.
$75
Woodford Reserve Bourbon $44.99
The Contemporary Man
Remind the man in your life that you are thinking
of him by getting the perfect gift for Valentine’s
Day. Whether it’s a new pair of cufflinks,
a stylish pair of socks, great smelling cologne, or
a delicious bottle of his favorite Bourbon, there’s
something for that special man in your life!
Shinola Leather Laptop Bag $795
Ermenegildo
Ties and Pocket
Squares $195
Happy Socks Mix Gift Box Men’s Crew Cut $48
Murdock London Bailey Gift Kit $65
38 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

111Skin
Mastering Mask
Edit $320
Voluspa Candles Gift Set $75
Jo Malone London Cologne
Intense Collection $155
Purple Sky Gold Bracelets
ranging from $50 -$200
For her
Elegant Style
Love is in the air! Make sure you know exactly
what she likes by selecting a luxurious gift of
love, from jewelry, candles, box roses, to
exquisite smelling perfume. She will surely
feel special with personalized jewelry
from Purple Sky jewels, and completely
shocked at home with beautiful the
roses from Rose De’Lamour, or set
the mood with wonderful scented
candles by Voluspa Candles.
Rose De’Lamour box roses $165
FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 39

LEGAL update
What Do The Changes to Michigan’s
Auto Insurance Law Mean For You?
JOEL ASHTON
Since last June, the headlines
have been filled with news
about changes to the Michigan
auto insurance law. There has been
repeated mention of the expense of
automobile insurance and the need
for reform. But what do the changes
mean for you, your family or your
business? We may not give it much
thought, but driving or riding in a car
comes with great risk – risk of injury as
well as risk of being sued for the negligent
driver or owner of that vehicle.
The following is a brief explanation of
the big changes happening to Michigan
law governing car accidents.
The general idea of
these changes is that
the lack of required
lifetime PIP medical
expenses should
decrease the cost of
car insurance.
Michigan Law
Michigan law has required and will
continue to require an owner of an
automobile to obtain automobile
insurance, including mandatory PIP
and bodily injury coverages. PIP
(personal injury protection) coverage
is essentially coverage that you
obtain to pay for your own medical
treatment and wage loss (among other
benefits) if you are injured in a car
accident. The “no fault” part of the
name of the law comes from the fact
that your own insurance provides
these benefits regardless of if you
were at fault in an accident. Bodily
injury coverage is essentially the insurance
that protects you if you are at
fault in an accident and get sued by
someone you injured.
PIP Coverage
Arguably the biggest change to
the law is that, effective July 2020,
Michigan residents will no longer be
required to buy lifetime medical expense
coverage for injuries sustained
in a car accident. Instead, there
will be an option for tiered coverage
($250,000 or $500,000, but $50,000
or even an opt out provision is available
for some people with Medicare
or other coverages). This means, for
example, that for a reduced premium
you could decide to obtain $250,000
in PIP medical expense coverage,
in which case your insurance would
only pay up to $250,000 in medical
expenses on your behalf and you
would be liable for any additional
medical expenses.
Negligence Coverage
A less publicized change, also effective
July 2020, is that the required
amount of bodily injury coverage is
being raised from $20,000 per person/$40,000
per accident to $250,000
per person/$500,000 per person, with
an option to reduce it to $50,000 per
person, $100,000 per person. These
are the amounts that your insurance
will pay to protect you per person or
per accident should you be sued for
your negligence.
Another important change is the
recoverable damages. Currently, the
law limits the recovery in a bodily
injury case to damages for pain and
suffering as well as excess wage loss.
However, as of July 2020, an injured
person will also be able to recover excess
PIP expenses from you if he or she
chose a PIP tier less than unlimited.
This means that, as a driver or owner
of an automobile in Michigan, we will
also have exposure for the medical expenses
incurred by someone we injure
due to our negligence in a car accident.
Will These Changes
Save You Money?
Maybe not. The general idea of these
changes is that the lack of required
lifetime PIP medical expenses should
decrease the cost of car insurance.
However, the increased exposure and
higher required bodily injury limits
may cause an increase in cost which
offsets the savings on the PIP side.
There are other changes being made,
such as limiting how insurance carriers
can set premiums, which are
designed to decrease the cost of the
overall insurance, but this begs the
question of whether you should opt
for anything less than lifetime PIP
medical expenses.
In the big picture, the savings for
opting for tiered PIP coverage rather
than lifetime coverage is relatively
minimal. The new law requires a
25% to 35% decrease on the PIP portion
of your car insurance premium,
but this should not be confused with
a decrease in your full auto insurance
premium. As an example, I recently
reviewed the premium for my
22-year-old daughter’s insurance for
her 2018 Fusion. She pays approximately
$1,050 every six months; of
which only $155 is allocated for PIP.
Were she to opt for the $250,000
PIP expense tier, should would save
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35% on that portion of her premium
which equates to a savings of approximately
$54. Granted, there is an
associated payment for the Michigan
Catastrophic Claims Association
(the MCCA -the entity that exists to
pay for medical expenses for people
catastrophically injured in car accident)
of $100 which will be reduced
to $50 due to the changes in the law.
The real question is whether the savings
of $104 is worth the sacrifice of a
lifetime medical expense benefit.
This is more than a dollars and
cents decision. You should think
about what happens if you opt for
tiered coverage, are involved in a serious
car accident, and incur medical
expenses or need treatment in excess
of your limited PIP coverage. How
will you pay for this “excess” treatment?
Will you even be able to receive
the excess treatment? One option
may be private health insurance
– but you will need to make sure that
your health insurance covers automobile
accidents. Think about this – will
you have private health insurance?
Many get their health insurance coverage
through employment. What if
you are no longer able to work and no
longer have private health insurance?
What if you have private health insurance,
but have a high deductible
and cannot afford to treat? Automobile
insurance does not include copays
or deductibles. What about your
choice of doctors or facilities? There
are no restrictions on choice of doctors
or facilities under the No-Fault
system. What if you do not have
private health insurance? You are
then potentially looking at Medicaid,
Medicare or, possibly, bankruptcy.
What Should You Do?
Most importantly, consider your own
specific life situation and financial
needs. Beyond just talking about the
costs for certain packages, talk with
your insurance agent to decide what
makes the most sense for you, your
family and your business.
To have insurance protection approaching
what you had before these
changes, you would need to opt for unlimited
PIP medical expenses and consider
raising or maintaining your bodily
injury limits at an appropriate level.
Remember, keeping the same bodily
injury limits as before the changes really
is not the same amount of coverage
because there is additional exposure.
Additionally, if you do not already
have uninsured and underinsured motorist
benefits, talk to your agent about
these important benefits that provide
protection if you are injured by someone
who is either uninsured or does
not have enough insurance to cover
your injuries in a car accident.
Insurance is expensive. However,
unless you absolutely cannot afford
automobile insurance without opting
for the lesser protections available
under the new No-Fault law, we
highly recommend that you consider
retaining lifetime PIP medical expense
coverage as well as appropriate
negligence coverages.
Joel Ashton is a partner at Cummings,
McClory, Davis & Acho, a full-service
law firm based in Livonia and with offices
located throughout Michigan as well as
California, Missouri and New York. His
practice focuses on automobile accident
and insurance law, representing both
individuals and insurance companies.
FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 41

Learn more about our
Portrait of a Graduate and Enroll
TODAY!
Underage vaping
poses risk to youth
Michigan businesses are doing their part
to protect youth from vaping dangers
BY ASHLEY A. ATTISHA, ESQ.
www.WBSD.org
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The Michigan Department of
Health and Human Services
recently announced that 89.5
percent of retailers refused to sell tobacco
to minors under age 18.
Throughout the summer, random
unannounced inspections were conducted
statewide to measure the rate
of illegal sales of tobacco to Michigan
youth. With adult chaperones,
youth inspectors visit retailers, attempt
to make tobacco purchases
and record the results. A total
of 356 retailers were visited; of
those 319 refused to sell tobacco
to a minor.
The Alcohol, Drug Abuse and
Mental Health Administration
Reorganization Act requires all
states and territories to conduct
regular inspections. States must demonstrate
their tobacco vendor compliance
rate meets or exceeds the federal
minimum of 80 percent through random,
unannounced inspections of tobacco
retailers.
In Southeast Michigan, it’s no secret
the Chaldean community operates
many of the businesses involved
in tobacco retail. People are quick to
point the finger at business owners;
however, it is clear business owners
are not completely to blame for the
rise of youth vaping.
The health consequences related
to vaping is a national issue that is
receiving bipartisan attention at the
federal level. While traditional cigarette
and tobacco usage among teens
declined over recent years, the use of
e-cigarettes soared, with 26.7 percent
of high school seniors reporting having
vaped in the past 30 days.
So how are high school students
accessing vape pens and electroniccigarettes?
Students are purchasing vape
pens from older friends that are 18
years old and in high school or in
college. Students of legal age are purchasing
packages of vaping devices
and distributing them to friends in
social settings.
The difficulty for parents seeking
to protect kids is recognizing
the problem. The first step is for
parents to identify vaping devices.
Many vaping products are designed
to mimic everyday products such as
pens, highlighters, and USB drives.
A parent may think their child is
highlighting important notes for an
exam when in reality they are getting
an addictive nicotine buzz.
The next step is for parents to educate
themselves on the health consequences
of vaping and tobacco use and
have conversations with their children.
Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine
which is highly addictive and can
harm adolescent brain development.
The FDA does not require e-cigarette
manufacturers to stop using potentially
harmful substances; some of the chemicals
in e-cigarette vapor may cause
heart disease, lung disease, and cancer.
As of January 14, 2020, there
have been 2,668 lung injury cases
associated with use of e-cigarettes
or vaping products reported to Center
for Disease Control. Sixty deaths
have been confirmed in 27 states.
Tobacco and electronic cigarette
resources are available at the Chaldean
Community Foundation.
If you or a loved one is seeking
assistance to quit tobacco use and
vaping please call the Michigan Tobacco
Quitline 1-800-784-8669. Teenagers
can text “Start My Quit” to 855-891-
9989 or visit www.mylifemyquit.com
for resources to quit vaping.
42 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

Cummings, McClorey, Davis & Acho, P.L.C.
Attorneys and Counselors at Law
Ronald G. Acho
racho@cmda-law.com
Robert L. Blamer
rblamer@cmda-law.com
Strength AnD exPerienCe to
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• Automobile accidents
• Wrongful death claims
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Insurance claims
• Dog bites
• Pedestrian accidents
• General negligence
• Liquor liability injuries/ Dram Shop
• Construction site accidents
• Burn Injuries
• Slip-and-fall injuries
• Social Security Disability claims
• Workers’ compensation claims
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FEBRUARY 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 43

SOCIAL SECURITY
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One in eight women in the
United States is diagnosed
with breast cancer. Every
two minutes a woman in the U.S.
hears the words no one ever wants to
hear: “You have cancer.”
Fedaa Al Sammak was that one
in eight. Her life changed in 2018
following her diagnosis. Though she
was able to find it at an early stage
when the cancer is most treatable, it
still took its toll on her.
Unable to work while undergoing
treatment and surgery, she was looking
for help. To make matters worse, her
husband’s health also took a turn for
the worse around the same time. He
passed away on June 29, 2018, leaving
Al Sammak with an uncertain future
and two pre-teen children to raise.
In her search for answers and support,
she looked to the Chaldean
Community Foundation for help.
There, she found a guardian angel in
the form of Vivian Esshaki Shouneyia.
While Shouneyia tragically lost
her battle with breast cancer, her
family has ensured her legacy lives
on as a support system for people
suffering from life-changing health
issues.
Following her untimely death,
Shouneyia’s family established
the Giving Hearts Fund administered
by CCF. The fund helps those
with a cancer diagnosis by providing
financial support during times
of duress due to health and medical
reasons.
As Shouneyia would say, “There
are blessings all around us.” Or, as Al
Sammak said, “If you look for angels,
you’ll see angels.”
Through CCF’s affiliate Giving
Hearts, Al Sammak received assistance
for her living expenses during
her treatment. Given the loss of her
husband and her inability to work at
the time, Al Sammak was incredibly
grateful for the program’s support.
That didn’t fully alleviate her
worries about the treatment. Thankfully,
good news was on the horizon
for Al Sammak. Her treatment was
successful. She joined the ranks of
breast cancer survivors and was ready
to get her life back.
Following surgery to remove
much of the cancerous cells from her
body, Al Sammak began to look for
work. She had to adjust to her new
life not only as a widowed mother
of two, but as one of more than 3.5
million breast cancer survivors in the
U.S. Thanks to the Career Services
department at CCF, she was able to
find a new job and get back to work.
Her new situation in life didn’t
stop her from continuing to move
forward. She was recently approved
for a car loan through the Michael J.
George Chaldean Loan Fund to make
getting to and from work easier. Now
she’s embarking on the next part of
her remarkable journey, enrolling in
CCF’s citizenship preparation class
that started October 7, 2019, to prepare
for the next chapter in her life.
For most, the combination of losing
their husband and fighting cancer
would cause someone to become
angry. Not Al Sammak. She continues
to have a positive outlook on life,
eternally grateful for the help and
support she received while undergoing
surgery and treatment.
As Al Sammak’s recovery continues,
she’s looking to take another
step forward. Beyond finishing her
journey to become a U.S. citizen,
she’s also looking to move her family
into a bigger living space.
Through all the turmoil she’s experienced
over the last year and a
half, she has remained positive and
grateful for those who provided a
helping hand in this fight.
In 2019 alone, more than 41,000
women in the U.S. were diagnosed
with breast cancer. Early intervention
has been proven to help improve
survival rates. Find resources
through the National Breast Cancer
Foundation for early detection.
44 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS
Your Home
Guaranteed
or I’ll Buy It!
844-SOLD-BY-Z • SoldByMarkZ.com
Phone: (248) 851-2227
(248) 851-BCBS
Fax: (248) 851-2215
rockyhpip1@aol.com
ROCKY H. HUSAYNU
Professional Insurance Planners
Individual & Group Health Plans
Medicare Supplement Plans
31000 Northwestern Hwy. • Suite 110
Farmington Hills, Ml 48334
Over 40 years of experience.
Palladium
Financial GrouP, llc
MOrTGaGE brOKEr NMLS 128686
GabE GabriEl
NMLS 128715
30095 Northwestern Hwy, ste. 103
Farmington Hills , Michigan 48334
Office (248) 737-9500
Direct (248) 939-1985
Fax (248) 737-1868
Email MortgageGabe@aol.com
www.palladiumfinancialgroup.com
Jason S. Samona, D.O.
Orthopedic Surgery
Hand, Elbow and Shoulder Surgeon
Auburn Hills
3100 Cross Creek Pkwy
Suite 150
248-475-0502
Warren
11012 E. 13 Mile Rd
Suite 112
586-573-6880
West Bloomfield
2300 Haggerty Rd
Suite 1110
248-863-9254
www.msspc.org
Safaa Macany
VP of Mortgage
Lending
o: (248) 216-1255
c: (248) 229-4422
smacany@rate.com
www.rate.com/SafaaMacany
1700 W. Big Beaver
Suite 225
Troy, MI 48084
Guaranteed Rate NMLS: 2611 • NMLS ID: 138658, LO#: MI - 138658
ANGELA KAKOS
Ranked In The Top 1% Nationwide!
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 FOUR YEARS IN A ROW
Call to get PRE-APPROVED now!
248-622-0704
2456 Metropolitan Pkwy,
Sterling Heights MI 48310
(16 & Dequindre)
Experience • Knowledge • Personal Service
Experience • Knowledge • Personal Service
TOP 1% OF REALTORS
TOP
TOP
1% OF
1% IN OAKLAND REALTORS
OF REALTORS
IN
COUNTY IN OAKLAND 1993 – 2015
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2015 REAL ESTATE
ALL2015 STAR 2018
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HOUR MEDIA ALL ALL STAR STAR - –
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Proudly serving Birmingham,
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Proudly serving Birmingham,
Each office is independently
West Bloomfield, the Lakes
Bloomfield, Lakes and Farmington surrounding areas.
Owned and Operated Brian S. Yaldoo and surrounding areas. Hills,
Each office is independently Associated Broker West Bloomfield, the Lakes
Owned and OperatedBrian BrianS. Office (248)737-6800 • Mobile Yaldoo
(248)752-4010and surrounding areas.
Toll Associated Free (866) 762-3960
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Email: brianyaldoo@remax.com Websites: www.brianyaldoo.com
Office Office (248) www.BuyingOrSellingRealEstate.com
(248)737-6800 • Mobile (248)752-4010
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Email: brianyaldoo@remax.com Websites: www.brianyaldoo.com
www.BuyingOrSellingRealEstate.com
Each office is independently
Owned and Operated
CHALDEAN
AMERICAN
CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
CHALDEAN COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION
SANA NAVARRETTE
DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
CHALDEAN
AMERICAN
CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
CHALDEAN COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION
30095 Northwestern Highway, Suite 101
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
CELL (248) 925-7773
TEL (248) 851-1200
FAX (248) 851-1348
snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com
www.chaldeanchamber.com
www.chaldeanfoundation.org
Natalie Sadik, MD
Psychiatrist
(248) 765-2477
3011 West Grand Blvd
Detroit, MI 48202
Suite 406
drsadik@metrodetroitpsychiatry.com
ELIAS KATTOULA 30850 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 200
CAREER SERVICES MANAGER BINGHAM FARMS, MI 48025
TEL: (248) 996-8340 CELL: (248) 925-7773
FAX: (248) 996-8342
snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com
www.chaldeanchamber.com
3601 15 Mile Road www.chaldeanfoundation.org
Twitter: @ChaldeanChamber
Sterling Heights, MI 48310
Instagram: @ChaldeanAmericanChamber
TEL: (586) 722-7253
FAX: (586) 722-7257
elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org
www.chaldeanfoundation.org
SANA NAVARRETTE
MEMBERSHIP MANAGER
www.chaldeannews.com
Tania Yatooma
Account Executive
30095 Northwestern Hwy, Suite 101
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
(248) 851-8600 ext. 120
(248) 851-1348 fax
tania@chaldeannews.com
Jaguar Land Rover Troy
Sammi A. Naoum
1815 Maplelawn Drive
Troy, MI 48084
TEL 248-643-6900
MOBILE 248-219-5525
snaoum@suburbancollection.com

keeping up with the CHALDEANS
Keeping Up With The Chaldeans
Keeping up with the Chaldeans (KUWTC) is a weekly podcast hosted by Anthony Toma and Junior Binno. This podcast
highlights members of the Chaldean community. This is a roundup of some of the latest KUWTC interviews.
Agent Dawn Pullis –
December 17, 2019
In this episode of Keeping up with the Chaldeans,
Toma and Binno sit down to talk with State Farm insurance
agent Dawn Pullis. As the owner of a couple
of her very own offices, Dawn talks about her professional
journey as well as her personal journey of living
with cancer and adopting her three children.
Heather Gappi – December 19, 2019
Toma and Binno hosted the talented and hardworking
Heather Gappi on the show to talk about
her photography business. Heather’s studio is located
in downtown Royal Oak Michigan and her
packages range from newborn photos to posing
with Marshmellow the friendly horse.
Scott Kuza – December 24, 2019
In this special episode of Keeping up with the
Chaldeans, Toma and Binno host their good friend
Scott Kuza all the way from sunny Los Angeles.
Scott is a career actor, poet, and all-around artist
who has a very fascinating story to tell.
Chris George – December 31, 2019
Toma and Binno sat down with Chris George,
Chairman and Co-Founder of SUBTA and CEO
and Co-Founder of the Gentleman’s Box. George
discussed both of his businesses and his journey
with both.
Norman Shaya and Patrick Dabish – January 14, 2020
Toma and Binno welcome Norman and Patrick to the show for some sports talk! The pair host a sports
and entertainment podcast called Front Runners Pod. If you ever want to listen to insightful sports commentary
or just want to keep up with the world of sports, tune in to their show which is available on
almost every podcast platform.
Yvonne Gevargesian – January 2, 2020
In their first episode of the new decade, Toma and
Binno welcomed Yvonne Gevargesian on to talk
about Aloria Skincare. Yvonne has learned her
craft from a variety of institutions around the world
and is recognized for her talent by industry leaders
as a master in her craft.
Shatha Uebler – January 7, 2020
From stage manager to professional medical biller,
our guest Shatha Uebler has quite an interesting
story to tell! Shatha sits down with Binno to discuss
her company ‘Better Way Billing’ and how important
her services are.
Doug Saroki – January 9, 2020
Famed auto salesman Doug Saroki joins the guys
for their 61st episode. Doug has many years selling
cars under his belt and shares a bit about his journey
with Toma and Binno.
Ronnie Babbie –
January 16, 2020
In this episode, Toma and Binno sit down with
Ronnie, a philanthropist, and founder of Gahchi
Media. Gahchi is a new age marketing and
consulting company with a full video production
staff and nationwide reach. Ronnie also
discusses his personal dedication to feeding as
many homeless people he can.
Terry Kashat –
December 26, 2019
Toma and Binno sat down to talk with Terry
Kashat in this episode of Keeping up with the
Chaldeans. Terry is an aspiring entrepreneur, a
mortgage broker, and the owner and operator
at Connect Loans located in West Bloomfield
Michigan.
46 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

CHALDEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
17TH ANNUAL
AWARDS DINNER
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020 6:00 P.M.
SHENANDOAH COUNTRY CLUB
5600 WALNUT LAKE ROAD
WEST BLOOMFIELD, MICHIGAN 48323
DINNER COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Zaid & Zaina Elia
The Elia Group
HOST COMMITTEE
Joseph Hurshe
Ascension
Salam Elia
Elia Law, PLLC
Dr. Nahid Elyas
Ascension
Sean Koza
Group 10 Management
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
GOLD SPONSOR: $10,000
• One table of 10 (Prime seating)
SILVER SPONSOR: $5,000
• One table of 10
BRONZE SPONSOR: $2,500
• One table of 10
No single tickets/tables available
LIMITED TABLES REMAIN
CALL 248-851-1200 FOR DETAILS
AND SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
SPONSORED BY
WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT BY
GOLD
TABLE TENT
AFTER HOURS
SILVER
BAR
SOCIAL MEDIA
VALET

14505 MICHIGAN AVENUE
DEARBORN, MI 48126
WWW.SUPERIORONLINE.COM
313-846-1122