JUNE 2021

VOL. 18 ISSUE V 

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4 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2021

CONTENTS JUNE 2021 

THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 18 ISSUE V 

30 34 

departments 

6 FROM THE EDITOR 

BY PAUL JONNA 

Grow to change 

22 

on the cover 

22 CLASS OF 2021 

BY SARAH KITTLE 

features 

26 THE STERLING HEIGHTS 

CITY COUNCIL RACE 

BY PAUL NATINSKY 

28 MEET AT STELLANTIS 


Middle Eastern engineering team 

30 JEWS IN IRAQ 

BY ADHID MIRI, PHD 

Their history is our history 

33 BISHOPS VISIT 


Two church leaders visit Michigan 

7 YOUR LETTERS 

8 GUEST COLUMN 

TAD ROUMAYAH 

Returning to Work in a Post-COVID 

Workplace 

10 FOUNDATION UPDATE 

Breaking Barriers love story 

12 NOTEWORTHY 

Najah “Jimmie” Atisha 

14 CHALDEAN DIGEST 

Cardinal Sako on politics and religion 

16 IRAQ TODAY 

BY MOHAMMED TAWFEEQ 

At least 82 killed in massive 

Baghdad hospital fire 

18 FAMILY TIME 

BY DANIELLE ALEXANDER 

Preventing the “summer slide” 

20 IN MEMORIAM 

27 ONE ON ONE 

Meet Macomb County’s Newest Prosecutor 

34 CULTURE & HISTORY 

BY ADHID MIRI, PHD 

A Journalist’s Journey – Abu Gibran Part II 

38 THE DOCTOR IS IN 

BY DR. NEIL JADDOU AND DR. JOSE NETO 

Wearing a mask 

42 EVENTS 

CCF Town Hall and Chamber QNM 


from the EDITOR 

PUBLISHED BY 

Chaldean News, LLC 

Chaldean Community Foundation 

Martin Manna 

Grow to change 

EDITORIAL 

ACTING EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Paul Jonna 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Sarah Kittle 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Danielle Alexander 

Dr. Neil Jaddou 

Sarah Kittle 

Adhid Miri, PhD 

Paul Natinsky 

Dr. Jose Neto 

Tad Roumaya 

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Publication: The Chaldean News (P-6); Published 

monthly; Issue Date: June 2021 

Subscriptions: 

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“The Chaldean News 30095 Northwestern Hwy., 

Suite 101, Farmington Hills, MI 48334” 

PAUL JONNA 

ACTING EDITOR 

IN CHIEF 

Life is all about 

growth. Even during 

a pandemic, we 

grow, we learn, we change, 

or we stagnate – stuck 

in our old ways of doing 

things. There isn’t really 

a choice anymore. The 

COVID-19 outbreak of 

the early twenty-first century 

will be remembered 

as the greatest disruption 

of everyday life in human 

history. It has changed the way we 

communicate, socialize, do business, 

and get together with family. 

It affects the way we shop, work, 

and live. Everything has changed. 

Every single person on the planet 

has felt the impact of the “lost 

year.” 

We are celebrating our graduates 

in the story Class of 2021; 

they have worked hard and not 

given up, although it may have 

been tempting. The struggle is real. 

Isolation changes us – the way we 

operate and the way we think. It 

might have been easy to say, “I’ll 

just wait until next year and hope 

it gets better,” but they decided to 

stay the course. They deserve every 

single accolade they receive. 

Another award that we are 

marking in Noteworthy is Najah 

“Jimmie” Atisha’s Spirit of Detroit 

Award, bestowed upon him by the 

Detroit City Council. Jimmie is an 

individual who has greatly benefited 

the community in which he has 

worked for more than 40 years, and 

that community came out to celebrate 

his retirement. They 

are not happy he’s sold 

Chalmers Garden Food 

Market or that he’s retiring, 

but rather want to celebrate 

with him the years 

of steadfast service and his 

“above and beyond” actions 

that have earned him 

the love and faithfulness 

of an entire neighborhood. 

Love and faithfulness 

are sentiments that resound 

within our coverage of Fouad 

Manna (Abu Gibran) in A Journalist’s 

Journey. Dr. Miri takes us 

through Manna’s trek to America 

and the various newspaper publications 

he was a part of. One thing 

they all had in common was intelligence 

and integrity. The personalities 

and the characters really shine 

through in the second part of our 

story. 

Dr. Miri gives us more history in 

his article on the Jewish community 

in Iraq. The first part of this twopart 

series outlines the many ways 

in which the Jewish community 

and the Chaldean community are 

intertwined. A shared history and 

shared geography make for many 

connections. 

The MEET at Stellantis article 

introduces us to the team at Chrysler 

made up of individuals of Middle 

Eastern descent. Encompassing 

the entire region, the group has 

Palestinians, Israelis, Muslims, and 

Christians all working together for 

a common goal. It is encouraging to 

say the least. 

Also encouraging were the visits 

from our clergy, Archbishop 

Warda and Bishop Yaldo. Both expressed 

gratitude for the work being 

done here in the US on behalf 

of the Iraqi people. Both hold out 

hope for a safer and more secure 

future Iraq, one that will see the 

tide of immigration turn and have 

Christian families resettling in the 

region. Many people doubted that 

Pope Francis would actually visit 

there. His successful trip awakened 

hope in so many hearts. 

Awakening hope is something 

our children do for us. Every parent 

hopes for better for their children. 

This month, Family Time is 

all about preventing the “summer 

slide,” worse this year than ever. 

With kids not getting the social interaction 

they require and the fine 

motor skill refinement they normally 

get in school, there are things 

we as parents can do and Danielle 

Alexander lays them out for us. 

We also cover some community 

members running for office, the 

new rules concerning wearing of 

face masks, what to expect when 

returning to work, and we meet 

Macomb County’s newest prosecutor. 

All in all, sometimes change 

is good for everyone. It gives us a 

chance to grow. 

With gratitude, 

Paul Jonna 

Acting Editor in Chief 

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your LETTERS 

Dear Editors: 

Dr. Adhid Miri has been recognized for this extraordinary 

ability to write in-depth informative stories. That writing 

ability was fully on display at The Chaldean News 

in a series of articles he wrote regarding the history and 

background of Southfield Manor and then the transition 

to Shenandoah Country Club. The series was extremely 

well-written but something was missing. 

The readers could see the amazing details of the facts 

and the people who made the Southfield Manor great. To 

name so many people and describe what they did took a 

great deal of research and a terrific memory. But what Dr. 

Adhid Miri has left out is not only was he an observer, but 

an active participant as well. What is most noteworthy is 

that Dr. Miri, himself, was a leader at Southfield Manor 

and Shenandoah during the very difficult and formative 

years of its transition. 

He doesn’t mention, because of his humility, all the 

wonderful things that he did and all of the talents he 

brought to guiding our community into the future. 

Very Truly Yours, 

Ronald G. Acho 


GUEST column 

Returning to Work in a Post-COVID Workplace 

You are returning to 

work and you have 

questions. We have 

answers. 

Can my employer legally 

require me to get a 

COVID-19 vaccine? 

COVID-19 shots are going in 

arms, and employees across 

the country are returning 

to their workplaces. Since 

early May 2021, over 35 

percent of Americans were fully 

vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Over 80 percent of Americans 

live less than five miles from 

a vaccination site. Studies 

continue to show that COVID-19 

vaccinations are safe and are up to 

94 percent effective at preventing 

symptomatic COVID-19. However, 

the accessibility and demonstrated 

safety and efficacy of the vaccines 

does not mean that everyone is on 

board. 

But many workers who are 

dragging their feet or refusing 

COVID-19 vaccinations may be 

in for a rude awakening when they 

discover that their employer feels 

differently about the importance 

of inoculating its workforce. And if 

their employer tells them to get a 

COVID shot or get a new job, an 

employee who refuses vaccination 

will likely become unemployed. 

According to guidance from the 

Equal Employment Opportunity 

Commisson (EEOC), employers 

can legally mandate COVID-19 

vaccinations for employees and, in 

most cases, fire employees who do 

not get the vaccine. Moreover, an 

employer can legally require that 

an employee show proof of receipt 

of a COVID-19 vaccination. With 

that said, there are some narrow 

legal exceptions to an employer’s 

requirement that an employee be 

vaccinated against COVID-19. 

These exceptions fall under two 

federal civil rights statutes that 

provide for employee rights in the 

workplace: the Americans with 

Disabilties Act (ADA), which 

applies to employers with 15 or 

more employees, and Title VII 

of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 

which applies to employers with 10 

or more employees. 

Employers can exclude 

the unvaccinated if they 

are a “direct threat” 

The EEOC’s guidance 

does not explicitly say 

that employer-mandated 

vaccinations are lawful, 

but it does not need to. 

Most employees in Michigan 

and across the country 

work on an “at-will” 

basis, which means they 

can be fired for almost 

any reason other than those prohibited 

by federal, state, or local laws, 

such as race, gender, pregnancy, age, 

religion, or disability. And, generally, 

TAD ROUMAYAH 

SPECIAL TO THE 

CHALDEAN NEWS 

that reason can include the refusal 

to get a vaccination required by the 

employer. 

However, if a COVID-19 

vaccination mandate screens out or 

tends to screen out a job candidate or 

employee whose disability precludes 

them from getting the vaccine, then 

under the ADA the employer must 

demonstrate that the unvaccinated 

employee would present a “direct 

threat to the health or safety of 

individuals in the workplace.” 

According to the EEOC, 

an employer can exclude an 

unvaccinated employee from the 

workplace if it concludes that their 

presence creates a direct threat, 

including “a determination that an 

unvaccinated individual will expose 

others to the virus at the worksite.” 

To determine whether an 

unvaccinated employee represents a 

“direct threat” to others’ health and 

safety, the EEOC advises employers 

to conduct an individualized 

assessment of the employee’s 

circumstances considering the 

following four factors: 

• The duration of the risk posed 

by the employee 

• The nature and severity 

of the harm the employee could 

potentially cause 

• The likelihood that the 

potential harm will occur. 

• The imminence of the 

potential harm 

Employers must make 

“reasonable accommodation 

However, even where a direct threat 

exists by an unvaccinated employee 

whose disability precludes the employee 

from taking the vaccine, an 

employer still must attempt to reduce 

the threat posed by the unvaccinated 

employee through reasonable 

accommodation, according to the 

ADA. An employer cannot exclude 

a disabled and unvaccinated employee 

from their workplace “unless there 

is no way to provide a reasonable accommodation 

(absent undue hardship) 

that would eliminate or reduce 

this risk so that the [disabled] unvaccinated 

employee does not pose a direct 

threat,” the EEOC advises. 

Religious objections 

The anti-discrimination provisions 

of Title VII of the Civil Rights 

Act of 1964 may protect workers 

if their “sincerely-held religious 

beliefs” prevent them from getting 

a vaccination. Importantly, such 

beliefs do not include political or 

personal views. The legal burden is on 

the employee to prove the legitimacy 

of their sincerely-held religious 

beliefs. According to the EEOC, if 

the employer has an objective basis 

for questioning either the religious 

nature or the sincerity of a particular 

belief, practice, or observance, then 

the employer may request additional 

supporting information verifying 

the particular belief, practice, or 

observance. 

As employers must do with 

individuals whose disabilities prevent 

them from getting vaccinated, they 

also must make accommodations for 

those with a sincerely-held religious 

objection unless doing so would cause 

“undue hardship” to the employer. 

In sum, an employer can legally 

mandate that its workforce be 

vaccinated against COVID-19, and 

it can legally require its employees 

to produce proof of vaccination. 

An employee’s political or personal 

views are insufficient to form a legal 

exception to an employer’s required 

vaccination policy. However, certain 

(albeit limited) legal exceptions 

do exist to an employer’s required 

vaccination policy, such as disabilities 

and sincerely-held religoius beliefs, 

which prevent an employee from 

being inoculated. 

Tad T. Roumayah is a senior 

shareholder with the law firm of 

Sommers Schwartz, P.C., and 

represents employees subjected 

to discrimination, whistleblower 

retaliation, wrongful discharge, 

wage and hour violations, and other 

workplace disputes. He also advises 

companies on human resource policies, 

procedures, and other employmentrelated 

matters. 



FOUNDATION update 

Chaldean Refugees Find 

Love & New Life in Michigan 

In honor of Immigrant Heritage 

Month and World Refugee Day, we 

wanted to feature the story of Gabarail 

Youhana and Noora Dawood. 

Gabarail Youhana, 58, left his native 

land, Iraq, in seek of refuge from 

religious persecution in 2008. In addition 

to the fear and apprehension 

of coming to a new country alone, 

Youhana had one additional barrier 

when creating a new life in the U.S. 

– his inability to see. 

After joining family in Michigan, 

Youhana was referred to the 

Chaldean Community Foundation’s 

(CCF) Breaking Barriers program, 

which provides services and advocacy 

to individuals with special needs, 

including its Braille ESL Acculturation 

Mobility (BEAM) project that 

was launched in April 2014 to service 

the growing need of visually impaired 

refugees. 

Noora Dawood, 38, left Iraq to 

CCF welcomes Bishop Basilio Yaldo from Iraq 

find refuge in 2007 and arrived in 

Michigan in 2012. Like Youhana, 

Dawood utilized the CCF’s services. 

Through assistance with her CCF 

provided caretaker and her participation 

in BEAM, Dawood gained the 

ability to read Braille, critical mobility 

skills and most importantly, a 

sense of independence. 

Youhana, who gained citizenship 

through the CCF, also gained 

extensive knowledge and skills participating 

in the BEAM project, including 

learning Braille, in addition 

to learning how to use a computer 

and iPhone. Youhana was able to 

enhance his social skills with the 11 

other students involved in BEAM, 

including Noora Dawood, after the 

two met in class. 

In September of 2015, Youhana 

and Dawood married and moved 

into an apartment together. In August 

of 2017, they welcomed to the 

world their daughter Pearla. After 

the birth of their daughter, they decided 

to move near family in Shelby 

Township to help assist them in raising 

Pearla. 

Both Gabarail and Noora said 

that they will always be thankful for 

the Chaldean Community Foundation 

and the BEAM Project. They 

said that their dreams came true 

when they met each other and with 

the both of them being blind, they 

thought starting a family was impossible. 

The CCF welcomed back Bishop Basilio Yaldo from Iraq, along with Sister Maryam. During his visit, Bishop Basilio 

Yaldo learned more about the services and programs offered at the CCF, and toured the newly expanded center for 

the first time. 

The visit included many different stops along the way, including meeting with CCF board members, a look into 

some of the programming running at the CCF, and discussions about CCF’s mission. Bishop Yaldo also discussed the 

Pope’s visit to Iraq along with some personal anecdotes from his visit with Pope Francis. 

COVID Vaccine Clinic 

Kids that are 12-16 years of age can 

now get the vaccine through the 

CCF’s COVID-19 Vaccine clinics. 

Those under the age of 18 must be 

accompanied by a parent or legal 

guardian in order to receive their 

vaccination. The CCF, in partnership 

with the Macomb County 

Health Department and FEMA, are 

continuing COVID-19 vaccinations 

in their gymnasium every Thursday 

and Friday through June 4th (date 

is subject to change). Nearly 3,000 

doses have been administered to 

the community so far. The CCF will 

continue to provide access to those 

who are seeking to receive their CO- 

VID-19 vaccinations. For more information, 

please call 586.722.7253. 

Internet Safety 

On Thursday, May 20th, the CCF 

welcomed representatives from the 

FBI Detroit Field Office, Sterling 

Heights Police Department, Warren 

Consolidated School District and 

their very own Behavioral Health 

Program Manager, Jacqueline Raxter 

a discussion regarding internet safety 

and the dangers of sextortion. 

The panel was very informative 

about the dangers that can occur 

online and how to practice safe behaviors 

when texting, on social media 

and when using the internet. The 

importance of tracking and monitoring 

internet usage of children has 

never been more important. 

The Internet Safety Town Hall 

is a must watch for parents who are 

seeking to learn more about how to 

keep their child or family members 

safe when interacting on the Internet. 

To watch the Internet Safety 

Town Hall, you can view it on CCF’s 

Facebook page @chaldeanfoundation. 


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noteworthy 

Above: Jimmie and members of the Detroit Police Department 

Right: Spirit of Detroit Award presented to Najah “Jimmie” Atisha 

Local Market Owner 

Receives Award 

Chalmers Garden Food 

Market, located at Chalmers 

and Wilshire in Detroit, has 

been serving the community for 

over 40 years. Najah Yacoub Atisha, 

known to his customers as “Jimmie,” 

has been a staple in the area and his 

retirement is a bittersweet note, as 

his market is the only surviving in 

an area that has been described as a 

“food desert.” 

Atisha immigrated from Iraq 

to the United States in 1970 and 

opened his first store at Ward and 

Plymouth in Detroit. It was called 

Jimmie’s Market. 

In September of 1979, Atisha 

purchased an old Harley Davidson 

Motorcycle shop and converted 

it into Chalmers Garden Market. 

He had six children to put through 

school and worked hard to make 

that a reality. They are now all 

professionals in their field of study; 

son Jacob has worked alongside his 

father in the market. 

Atisha was not your average 

convenience store owner. He 

provided credit to his customers, 

donated funds, food, cars, and 

provided rides to customers who had 

no transportation. He left for a few 

years but returned to the Market 

where his community missed him 

and he, them. 

One friend and customer wrote 

on behalf of the community: “When 

others left Detroit and abandoned 

the community, Jimmie stayed. In 

fact, he stayed open even through 

the pandemic as an essential worker 

providing needed food and goods for 

the community. 

“Jimmie did not meet a stranger. 

He treated the community as family 

and the community loves him. He 

knows neighbors by name. He knows 

their grandmas, mothers, sons, and 

daughters. He allowed jitney service 

to help provide transportation to families 

that did not have transportation 

back in the day. Jimmie is an excellent 

example of a community hero 

and essential worker.” 



chaldean DIGEST 

What others are saying about Chaldeans 

Patriarch Sako: a civil state against the political use of religion 

Mixing religion and politics is “a 

distortion” because the two are “different.” 

Democracy “is not an ornament,” 

but guarantees “freedom, 

human rights, and dignity, a way to 

spread the culture of life and make 

the economy prosper,” said Cardinal 

Louis Raphael Sako. 

The Chaldean patriarch spoke 

May 19 at a conference titled “The 

Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Unity and 

Constitution” organized by the University 

of Kurdistan Hewlêr in Erbil, 

Iraqi Kurdistan. 

“For the progress and unity of 

peoples,” the Chaldean primate 

noted, “it is necessary to establish a 

true democracy, with a civil constitution 

that is protected by competent 

government institutions, and which 

respects the freedom of individuals 

and groups.” 

Cardinal Sako’s address comes 

more than two months after Pope 

Francis‘ historic visit to Iraq, ahead of 

the country’s parliamentary elections. 

Scheduled initially for June, they are 

now set to be held on 10 October, unless 

there is any further delay. 

Voters will be able to choose the 

328 members of Iraq’s Council of 

Representatives, who will in turn be 

called upon to choose the new President 

of the Republic, Prime Minister, 

and government. 

In his speech, the Chaldean primate 

urged his fellow Iraqis to accept 

the separation of religion and state in 

any new constitution, for Kurdistan 

and Iraq, a “civic” charter that recognizes 

political pluralism and ethnic 

and religious diversity. 

For Cardinal Sako, “A civil constitution 

must be in harmony with 

the new reality, a constitution that is 

based on universally recognized principles 

identified by international law 

and human rights, such as recognition 

of pluralism, gender and diversity.” 

He warns that “The inclusion of 

religion in politics is a distortion of it 

and its sublime values.” By contrast, 

a “civil state is the system of managing 

public affairs, embracing all religions, 

cultures, groups and languages 

and administering their public affairs 

fairly, and it does not interfere with 

the religious choices of its citizens.” 

The Chaldean patriarch used 

the occasion to thank the leaders of 

the Kurdistan Region for welcoming 

hundreds of thousands of Christian 

and Muslim refugees who fled Mosul 

and the Nineveh Plain following the 

rise of Islamic State (IS) in the summer 

of 2014. 

– Asia News 

SAINT-ADDAY.COM 

YELP 

The Chaldean primate spoke at a conference organized by University of Kurdistan Hewlêr in Erbil, in the presence of the top leaders 

of Iraqi Kurdistan. 

10 Millennials on the way to sainthood 

Ten individuals who have played video games and 

Googled are on the road to canonization, according to an 

article on Aleteia.org. 

These latter-day saints include Basman Yousef Daud 

(1982-2007) and Gassan Isam Bidawed (1984-2007). 

They were subdeacons in the Chaldean Catholic Church 

of Mosul, Iraq. They were traveling with a Chaldean 

Catholic priest, Ragheed Aziz Ganni and Servant of God 

Wahid Hanna Isho and his wife. The group was returning 

after Fr. Ganni had celebrated Sunday Mass, in defiance 

of terrorist threats. The car was pulled over and the group 

was ordered to convert to Islam. 

When they refused, the four men were murdered, leaving 

Isho’s wife to tell the story. 

– Meg Hunter-Kilmer, Aleteia 

Fr. Ragheed 

Ganni 

CATHOLIC HERALD 

Eddie’s Gourmet serves homemade food. 

Dining Around the D: 

Eddie’s Gourmet 

A favorite neighborhood restaurant 

in Oak Park is off to a fresh start. 

Eddie’s Gourmet Restaurant & Bar 

adapted last year when Michigan’s pandemic 

safety order ended service inside 

restaurants and bars. Everything was 

going well with the carryout orders; 

then, a grill grease fire on October 15 

shuttered the place. Regular customers 

were afraid — especially because of the 

COVID pandemic — that they’d never 

dine at Eddie’s again. When owner 

Eddie Hanna reopened on March 1, 

happiness reigned. 

The friendly man running the 

place is Eddie Hanna, an Iraqi-born 

Chaldean. 

“I started here at 17 as a dishwasher 

and worked my way up,” he said. 

Hanna bought Giorgio’s in 2003. 

Family members working with 

Hanna are his wife, Wasa, who makes a 

dynamite pistachio pie, and their cooking 

son, Brandon, one of the couple’s 

21-year-old male triplets. The Eddie’s 

Gourmet staff provides energetic and 

efficient service from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. 

Monday-Saturday. Something else 

fairly new to mention is Eddie’s liquor 

license. Now adults may order beer, 

wine and hard liquor drinks. 

– Esther Allweiss Ingber, 

The Jewish News 


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At least 82 killed in massive 

Baghdad hospital fire 

BY MOHAMMED TAWFEEQ 

Baghdad (CNN) 

At least 82 people died in a 

huge hospital fire April 24 

in Iraq’s capital city of Baghdad, 

the Iraqi Interior Ministry said. 

Another 110 people were injured 

in the blaze at Ibn al-Khatib Hospital, 

according to ministry spokesman 

Major General Khaled Al-Muhanna. 

The fire is believed to have started 

after oxygen tanks exploded, according 

to two health officials at the 

hospital. 

Murtadha Riyadh’s grandmother 

and aunt were both on the hospital’s 

second floor ICU ward when the fire 

erupted. 

He was nearby picking up medicine 

for his grandmother when he 

suddenly heard explosions, he told 

CNN. “I ran back to the hospital. I 

called them to check on them. They 

told me, ‘Don’t come up, we are being 

evacuated,’ but they could not 

make it.” 

“I rushed to the first floor (of the 

hospital) to help but I could not, I 

was suffocating. Then fire broke out,” 

Riyadh said. 

Minutes later health workers and 

neighborhood volunteers started carrying 

out charred bodies. 

Social media videos showed a 

chaotic scene as firefighters scrambled 

to put out the blaze and health 

workers tried to evacuate patients. 

Health workers and civil defense 

teams were ultimately able to save at 

least 200 people, including patients, 

according to Iraq’s Health Ministry. 

But neither Riyadh’s grandmother, 

Noriya Fatthala, 75, nor his aunt, 

Rajaa Ali, 60, would be among the 

survivors. 

“Both my grandmother and my 

aunt died of suffocation,” Riyadh 

told CNN at a morgue in Baghdad 

where he waited to collect their bodies, 

bloody gashes from his failed rescue 

attempt still visible across one 

arm. 

“No one could imagine this could 

happen, but it’s all bad management,” 

Riyadh told CNN. “I blame 

(the) health sector.” 

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al- 

Kadhimi has said that 10 million 

Iraqi dinar ($6,800) will be given to 

family members of each victim. 

The United Nations Secretary- 

General’s Special Representative for 

Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, expressed 

“shock and pain at the enormity 

of the tragic incident” affecting 

Covid-19 patients at the hospital, 

according to a statement from her office 

Sunday. 

Journalists Aqeel Najim in Baghdad 

and Eyad Kourdi in Gaziantep 

contributed to this report. 


Join the Chaldean 

American Chamber 

of Commerce. 

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Members Strong! 

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BUSINESS 

CORPORATE 

MEMBER 

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with opportunity to exhibit 

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sponsor key events 

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Chamber website 

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Report/Annual Directory 

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Join 

today 

and refer 

a friend! 

Now more than ever, 

we need each other. 

Contact Sana Navarrette at 

snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com 

or 248-851-1200 for more information 

30095 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY, SUITE 101. FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334 

248-851-1200 • CHALDEANCHAMBER.COM 


FAMILY time 

Preventing the “Summer Slide” 

BY DANIELLE ALEXANDER 

After a school year of either no 

face-to-face instruction, lessthan-normal 

face-to-face 

instruction, on and off face-to-face 

instruction and/or socially distanced 

and masked face-to-face instruction, 

no one can argue with the fact 

that the pandemic has affected our 

children, especially our youngest 

ones who are not yet old enough to 

sit still during a virtual lesson or work 

on skills by themselves. 

Curious about the lack of formal 

schooling and its effect on children, I 

caught up with kindergarten teacher 

Candice Abro to hear about her 

experiences with her students this 

last school year, as well as Cyndi 

Barash, owner and operator of Oneon-One 

Tutoring, to learn about 

how consistent learning activities 

throughout the summer months 

could help children bridge the gap— 

one that is likely much wider than in 

years past. 

Relearning how to work 

independently and without 

technology 

As a teacher, the most challenging 

part of virtual schooling for Abro was 

the fact that she could not provide 

her five- and six-year-old students 

with the physical, hands-on support 

they needed, nor did she have full 

control when it was time for them to 

practice skills on their own. She said 

that while learning online, many of 

her students had a parent nearby, 

and although Abro appreciated their 

support, she said that sometimes 

parents would just give their son or 

daughter the answer, which took 

away from critical thinking skills. 

“When we came back in-person, 

I noticed many gaps in student 

learning, and [a lot] had to do with 

skills that students need to work on 

independently,” Abro explained. 

“[It’s important to] give students 

a direction, give them time (set a 

timer) and walk away, so they can 

work on their own.” 

Abro said her students’ fine 

motor skills, or the ability to make 

movements using the small muscles 

in their hands and wrists, were 

definitely lacking when they returned 

to in-person school and needed to 

be restrengthened. According to 

healthline.com, fine motor skills are 

crucial because the ability to use the 

smaller muscles in the hands allows 

children to perform self-care tasks, 

such as brushing their teeth, eating, 

writing, cutting with scissors and 

getting dressed without assistance. 

Abro also noticed that many 

of her students did not remember 

or know how to play or take turns 

playing because they have been so 

used to being on an iPad or tablet: 

“Children at this age should be 

doing as many hands-on and techfree 

learning activities as possible,” 

she said. She recommends parents 

encourage and regularly play board 

and card games with their children 

this summer, as well as give their 

children opportunities to play alone 

and grow their imagination as play 

helps with so many academic skills. 

Getting caught up and avoiding 

the “summer slide” 

Abro has always encouraged and even 

worked with students over the summer 

to prevent the so-called summer 

slide; however, given this last year, 

she said it would be a great idea to get 

your child in an in-person routine this 

summer, whether that be tutoring to 

strengthen academic skills or a summer 

camp, class, or even playdates to 

improve in social areas. 

Barash, who started tutoring faceto-face 

with students again in June 

2020, said parents have been very 

relieved to have this support in-place 

for their children throughout the 

school year, many planning to continue 

during the summer months. 

“This has been a very challenging 

year for most students and parents,” 

she said. “There were many districts 

that continued to teach virtually for 

a duration of the school year, and 

this was a disadvantage to the students 

and definitely affected them, 

especially with having already lost 

the end of the last school year due to 

the pandemic.” 

Like Abro, Barash and her team 

of certified teachers with graduate 

degrees in education have also been 

observing a lack of critical thinking 

and fine motor skills and, as a result, 

are constantly practicing these skills 

with students, so that when they return 

to school in the fall, they are 

where they should be. 

“We encourage them to infer, 

become independent learners, ask 

questions, as well as problem solve, 

and we have tools that we use to 

work on their fine motor skills,” she 

said. “Summer is a great opportunity 

and extremely beneficial to continue 

learning and ensure that there isn’t a 

gap in their academics.” 

If you are interested in enrolling 

your child in tutoring or another inperson 

program this summer, reach 

out to your child’s teacher to see what 

they suggest your son or daughter 

needs practice on, so they can be as 

successful as possible in the fall. 

Danielle Alexander is the owner of 

Edify LLC, a tutoring, editing, and 

freelance writing business. 


BRIGHT BEGINNINGS 

EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM 

SEPTEMBER SESSIONS 

NOW ENROLLING! 

JULY MORNING CLASS 

LIMITED SPOTS 

AVAILABLE! 

Infant and Parent Class 

AGES 0-1.5 YEARS OLD 

FRIDAYS 10:00-11:00AM 

Toddler and Parent Class 

AGES 1.5-3 YEARS OLD 

TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS 9:00-11:00AM 

Preschool and Parent Class 

AGES 3-5 YEARS OLD 

MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS 9:00-11:00AM 

Family Resource Hour Appointments 

1:00-4:00PM MONDAY-FRIDAY 

Call 586-722-7253 or visit 

chaldeanfoundation.org 

for more information 

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 3601 15 MILE ROAD, STERLING HEIGHTS, MI 48310 586-722-7253 CHALDEANFOUNDATION.ORG 


in MEMORIAM 

RECENTLY DECEASED COMMUNITY MEMBERS 

Laheeb Yousif 

Barbat 

Jul 31, 1969 - 

May 6, 2021 

Selma Malko 

Mansour 

Aug 14, 1963 - 


Shaeia Miya Safar 

Jul 1, 1946 - 


Khoshaba Slaiwa 

Jul 1, 1933 - 


Saeed Hana Wakila 

Jul 1, 1925 - 


Salem Hanna 

Jaberoo 

Jul 27, 1957 - 


Ablahad “Steve” 

Bahoura 

Feb 25, 1961 - 

Apr 30, 2021 

Douglas 

Michael Kassa 

Apr 24, 1961 - 


Gurgia Sheena 

Jul 12, 1929 - 


Samriah Misho 

Kachucha 

Apr 15, 1931 - 


Luise Yousif Kajy 

Jul 1, 1950 - 


Salam Manuel 

Watha 

May 25, 1954 - 


Saad Yousif 

Sep 27, 1955 - 


Eleshwa Rais 

Jul 1, 1923 - 


Basim Kalyana Eyo 

Jul 1, 1970 - 


Nasser Kinaia 

Apr 14, 1957 - 


Osama Salim 

Loosya 

Dec 12, 1974 - 


Sabah Zaya Hanna 

May 26, 1959 - 


Wadee Hermiz 

Jul 1, 1932 - 


Elyas (Dawood) 

Yousif Abona Kass 

Jul 1, 1935 - 


Shoushani Hana 

Kachal Lossia 

Jul 1, 1921 - 


Falah Shaba 

Jul 1, 1942 - 


Ferial Mansour 

Jul 1, 1942 - 


Sabah Iskander 

Shamou 

Jul 1, 1935 - 


Nazar Oraha 

Shaffou 

Jun 15, 1948 - 


Francis Elias 

Sinawe 

Apr 10, 1945 - 


Nasir Mona 

Jul 1, 1940 - 


Youel Yousif 

Shamoon 

Jul 1, 1933 - 


Kareem Hanna 

Yousif 

Nov 29, 1942 - 


Sabria Kammo 

Mikhana 

Aug 1, 1925 - 


Ann Stephen Kasha 

Aug 31, 1976 - 


Allen Williams 

May 22, 1940 - 


Yousif Hermiz Najor 

Jul 1, 1932 - 


Nissan Esho Nissan 

Jul 1, 1933 - 


Violet Shaker 

Shaman 

Jul 30, 1935 - 


Sadia Yousif Abdal 

Jul 1, 1939 - 


Josephine Mati 

Feb 10, 1950 - 


Najiba Meekha 

Jul 1, 1943 - 



CHALDEAN COMMUNITY 

FOUNDATION 

Help 

Wanted? 

As our Nation plans 

to rebuild after this 

unprecedented time, 

please consider 

investing in one of our 

many new Americans. 

HOW WE HELP: 

The Career Services Team 

at the Chaldean Community 

Foundation offers one-on-one 

assistance to help individuals 

identify their goals and 

develop their careers. 

SERVICES INCLUDE: 

• Resume Building and Cover Letter Writing 

• Job Application Completion 

• FAFSA Completion 

• Mock Interviews 

• Employer Referrals 

• Training Opportunities 

• Career Fairs 

• Access to Transportation via the 

Michael J George Chaldean Loan Fund 

To inquire about hiring one of our clients and having your business added to our job bank, 

please call or email Elias at 586-722-7253 or elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org 

CHALDEAN 

AMERICAN 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 



Class of 2021 

Celebrating the graduates 


Every graduating class has its moments and its 

challenges, but the Class of 2020 and 2021 

have faced innumerable hurdles that included 

on-again/off-again classes, distance learning, 

Zoom mishaps, divisive rhetoric, confusion about 

safety issues, and the loss of face-to-face socialization, 

finally culminating in virtual commencements. 

“Distance learning,” like “social distancing,” is 

a term we are all now too familiar with. Hands on 

classes are difficult to conduct on a computer screen, 

and mental health issues such as anxiety have skyrocketed 

among this age group. Are they now prepared 

to face the future? Who knows? 

Some graduates have faced even bigger hurdles. 

Adriana Mansour was the sole survivor of a boating 

accident that ended her siblings’ lives and drastically 

changed her own. Like the other graduates, 

she needed support and encouragement, but unlike 

most others, Adriana also required a parapro, a 

paraprofessional educator to help her navigate assignments 

and projects. 

This may have influenced her decision to study 

to be an occupational therapist at Oakland Community 

College, followed by Oakland University. It will 

not be easy, and she will be on her own – no parents 

or parapro in the classroom. But she is ready. “She 

works harder than anybody,” says her mother, Ann. 

The commencement ceremony at West Bloomfield 

High’s football field will be split into two 

parts, one in the morning and the other in the 

afternoon. Adriana is lucky to be having an inperson 

ceremony, although they are limited to two 

people per student for attendance. Many schools 

have gone virtual with their graduations, although 

recent changes in guidelines may affect planning. 

Adriana says, “It just feels good to do things on 

my own.” Ann and John Mansour have given their 

daughter a deep-seated faith which has sustained 

her through years of hardship. After the accident in 

2013, she struggled to learn to walk, talk, and take 

care of herself again. Recovering from a traumatic 

brain injury is no small feat, and Adriana has proceeded 

with uncommon grace. 

Initially requiring a feeding tube and hours of 

therapy five days a week, Adriana is proud of her 

progress. She was in fifth grade when the incident 

occurred and missed from September to January. 

After months of incredibly hard work, she was able 

to return school - at first only half-time - and was 

eventually able to catch up with her classmates, 

with help from her parents and her parapro. Although 

she’s lost some friends, she’s made new 

ones, even with her now limited social skills. 

As far as the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting 

lockdown, “Staying home was nothing to us,” 

says Ann. Anyone with a disability or limited mobility 

would agree. 

In a letter to the New York Times, reader Christine 

Skirbunt-Kozabo wrote, “Ask any person who 

was chronically ill or disabled before the pandemic 

how life changed for them during the pandemic 

and we can’t say it changed as much as the average 

“healthy” person’s life did. We were already used to 

being at home. We were already painfully adjusted 

to missing events. Eventually, you stop missing certain 

things and accept the home life because you 

have to adapt to your new normal or you will go 

insane with grief from your life’s lost possibilities.” 

Rather than wallow in grief, Adriana became 

determined to succeed. Although she does grieve 

for her brother Alexander and sister Gabrielle on 

a daily basis, she stays motivated to go on for their 

sake. She is an inspiration to many. 

Some students’ studies seem unaffected 

by the pandemic. James Haugh is graduating 

from Lake Orion High School, 

who is hosting their ceremony at 

DTE Energy Music Theater. 

Despite the large venue (it 

sells over 15,000 tickets 

for concerts), students 

are limited 

to four tickets 

per graduate. 

He will be going 

to Central 

Michigan University 

next year on a 

full scholarship and also 

has plans to study abroad, 

says his mother Lisa (Yatooma) 

Haugh. 

College graduates have experienced 

loss from the pandemic as well. 

Nadya Herfi, who graduated with a Bachelor 

of Science in Human Biology from Michigan 

State University (MSU) last year, went without 

all the pomp and circumstance that goes along 

with graduation. Her twin sister Alanah graduates 

from MSU this year with a Double Bachelor of Arts 

in Political Theory, Constitutional Democracy and 

Management, and older sister Mariah earned her 

Juris Doctor at U of D – Mercy’s Law School this 

year. 

The family is saddened by their inability to 

celebrate like they want to. “Even though Nadya 

graduated last year, she was shafted in every way 

due to COVID,” say her aunt, Jenny Kalasho. She 

was glad to be able to submit the photos of all three 

for this publication. 

Some cannot contain their excitement anyway, 

in spite of all the restrictions. Valerie Brikho 

told us she is “super excited” to have her first born 

graduate high school. Her son Gabriel will graduate 

from Troy Athens this year. 

To most people, the act of graduating itself is a 

huge accomplishment, and for many in the immigrant 

community, it is a lifelong dream to see their 

children get that diploma. Sacrifice and hard work 

paved the way for the next generation and set an 

example of perseverance that has been called upon 

this year more than ever. 

And of course, graduating is graduating. Freedom 

from studies, at least for the summer, and the 

self confidence that comes with accomplishment 

contribute to the overall feeling of well-being. 

The Class of 2021, whether high school or college, 

have overcome great obstacles to face a future 

that is more uncertain than ever. But they will 

prevail. This class will succeed in ways we 

cannot even imagine. 


Hannah Tomina 

Bloomfield Hills High School 

High School Diploma 

You have completed an amazing 

chapter in your life; continue 

allowing God to light your path. 

Best of luck at U of M! 

Love, Patrick, Kelly, 

Raegan & Sophia 

Ronnie Joseph 

Shunyia Jr. 

Brother Rice High School 

Congratulations on graduating from 

high school! We are so proud of your 

accomplishments and can’t wait to see 

what the future has in store for you! 

May God bless you always. 

– Love, Mom, Dad and Bella 


CONTRATULATIONS 

TO THE GRADUATES! 

Adriana Mansour 

West Bloomfield High School 

Alanah Herfi 

Michigan State University 

Angela Marie Yaldo 

Stevenson High School 

Anthony Shawn Hanaee 

Royal Oak High School 

Cameron Sid Roumayah 


Gabriel John Brikho 

Troy Athens High School 

Haley Anne Shammas 

Troy High School 

Hannah Tomina 


Kaylee Antoon 

Marian High School 

Marcella Yono 

Walled Lake Central High School 

Mariah Herfi 

U of D Mercy Law School 

Michael Rayis 

Birmingham Seaholm High School 

Nadya Herfi 

Michigan State University 

Nathan Lirato 

Wayne State University 

Nathan Shammami 


Nathan Watha 


Savanna Romaya 

Mercy High School 

Giulianna Somero 



Yousif Brikho 

University of Detroit 

School of Dentistry 

Doctor of Dental Surgery 

I would like to thank my family and 

my friends for being there for me every 

step of the way. Special shout-out 

to my sister, Dr. Reema Brikho, who 

paved the way for me.” 

– Dr. Yousif Brikho, DDS 

Kristen Kenaya 

Marysville High School 

High School Diploma 

Behind you, all your memories. 

Before you, all your dreams. 

Around you, all who love you. 

Within you, all you need. 

Love, Dad, Mom, Sydney, 

Kylie and Kristian 


Two Chaldean candidates vie for 

Sterling Heights city council seats 


Paul Manni 

Paul Manni, 26, and Steven 

Bahoura, 42, hope to increase 

Chaldean representation on 

Sterling Heights City Council this 

fall. Both candidates want to give 

the substantial Chaldean population 

in the city of 132,000 an amplified 

voice. 

“My goal is to represent the community. 

Be the voice for those who 

cannot speak,” said Manni, who 

works in the cellular phone and real 

estate industries and has interests in 

his family’s grocery store. 

Manni said many Chaldean residents 

in Sterling Heights need help 

understanding business and property 

tax hikes and further assistance in 

lowering rates. “I have an issue with 

the elected officials and the lack of 

transparency in the city right now,” 

said Bahoura. He also thinks, “Our 

pensions and emergency funds are 

underfunded.” 

Bahoura has issues with the City 

Council’s political direction. He 

says, “(the council position) is a 

non-partisan seat and it’s supposed to 

be non-partisan, but in fact they do 

act very partisan with the left-liberal 

ideology that they are bringing to the 

city.” Bahoura said he hopes to prevent 

Sterling Heights from becoming 

like Portland or Seattle, which 

he said suffer from Antifa-influenced 

violence. 

The race is crowded and bigger 

than in past election cycles. Fifteen 

candidates—including incumbents—will 

vie for six council seats 

in an August 3 primary that will narrow 

the field for a November 2 runoff 

election. Manni says this is the city’s 

first primary election and that terms 

have been lengthened from two years 

to four, another first. 

Among the major issues facing 

the city, both candidates say they 

want to reduce wasteful spending. 

Manni said, “What I love personally, 

is our parks, ponds, etc., make 

sure they are clean, make sure they 

are maintained, make sure Sterling 

Heights is a beautiful city.” 

As is the case with much of the 

state, roads are a major issue. “They 

neglect our roads in areas where Chaldeans 

live. Fourteen Mile to 16 mile 

and Dequindre to Van Dyke. If you 

go and look at those roads, they are a 

complete disaster,” said Bahoura. 

Manni said, “None of the city 

Steven Bahoura 

council members represent the west 

side of Sterling Heights—Mound 

Road, Ryan Road, Dequindre Road. 

One of the biggest challenges I will 

face if I am elected is representing 

(residents living on) those three 

roads. The whole west side of Sterling 

Heights has no representation.” 

Both candidates are political novices 

seeking their first elected office. 

Bahoura’s mission is strictly one 

of community service. He has no 

aspirations to seek other political 

posts. His sole focus is improving life 

for the Chaldean community in Sterling 

Heights. 

Manni wants to take his voice to 

the state Legislature or even an international 

post as an ambassador. In 

addition to English, he speaks fluent 

Arabic, the language spoken in his 

household, and Chaldean, which he 

largely learned through church connections 

and his own directed efforts. 

A devout Catholic, Manni said 

many of his connections in the 

community come from his involvement 

with Holy Martyrs Chaldean 

Church, where he has reached out to 

community members of all ages and 

made efforts to expand his knowledge 

of Chaldean culture and history. 

“I’m a 75-year-old trapped inside a 

26-year-old’s body,” he says. 

Manni is building his name in 

the community through the churchbased 

community in which he is enmeshed. 

He is also reaching out to 

first responders and veterans, whom 

he says are venerated members of the 

community. 

After being “in and out of trouble” 

as a youth, Bahoura, a realtor and investor, 

opened his first business at age 

21. He has lived in Sterling Heights 

since 2003. He’s ramping up his campaign 

with door-knocking campaign. 

As Michigan’s fourth largest 

city—behind Detroit, Grand Rapids 

and Warren, and ahead of Ann 

Arbor, Lansing and Flint—the issues 

and constituencies in Sterling 

Heights promise to get more complex 

and diverse over time. 

With this year’s election looking 

more like a horse race than a city 

council contest, both candidates will 

have to work hard to emerge from a 

large field packed with hard-to-beat 

incumbents for the chance to bring 

a louder voice to the city’s Chaldean 

community. 

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ONE on ONE 

Meet Macomb County’s 

Newest Prosecutor 

Chaldean News: How does your new 

role as prosecutor differ from being a 

representative? Are you better able to 

serve the community? How can the 

community better serve you? 

Peter Lucido: Although I am not 

passing bills or sitting in committee 

hearings now, my priorities are 

the same as they were as a legislator: 

making sure that Macomb County 

gets the representation it deserves 

and that it is a safe place for families 

and businesses. I ask the community 

to be good stewards. Look out for 

one another, and do not hesitate to 

reach out to law enforcement if you 

are in need. 

CN: You have experience on various 

committees such as Public Safety and 

Election & Ethics. How does that help 

you in your current position? 

PL: Some of the most important 

qualities for a public servant to have 

are humility, accountability, and a 

strong moral compass. You need to remember 

where you are from, and why 

your constituents put you in office. I 

always remind my staff that “we have 

nothing if we don’t have ethics.” My 

committee work reinforced the importance 

of those traits, and I intend 

to carry these with me throughout my 

career as the Prosecutor. 

CN: You have had several careers, 

including publisher of Macomb Now 

Magazine. Do you feel that the media 

has a responsibility to the public? How 

do you feel it is being managed? 

PL: Media has a great deal of influence 

in shaping how most people 

view the world around them, especially 

regarding the judicial system. 

It is easy to want to publish a story 

that your audience wants to hear, but 

the news has a duty to cover the hard 

truths of the story. News reporters 

need to take their time and get all 

the facts when covering a case. 

CN: You belong to several area chambers, 

including the Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce. Are you looking 

to communities such as these for staffing 

needs? 

PL: We are always looking for ways 

to get the community involved in 

the office. For example, we have just 

brought in a new wave of interns 

from several colleges, universities, 

and law schools in the area. We 

need diversity in government and in 

law enforcement to ensure that we 

are ready to tackle the challenges 

ahead of us. 

CN: What is your stance on public 

safety versus free enterprise? Are you a 

fan of the MI Vacc Plan? 

PL: I will always encourage the public 

to follow safety guidelines, but 

like everyone I’m eager for COVID 

rules to be lifted and for life to return 

to normal. The sooner people can go 

back to work, the better. The best 

way we can get to that point, is to 

make sure people feel safe. 

CN: What do you see as Macomb 

County’s largest looming problem? 

What can you do about it? Will you prioritize 

any crimes for prosecution? 

PL: Opiate addiction is one of the 

biggest problems facing law enforcement 

nationwide, and we are looking 

to combat it here in Macomb County 

as well. We work closely with all law 

enforcement. When they bring in 

drug dealers or violent offenders, we 

prosecute those cases to the fullest extent 

under the law. 

Cavities are contagious! The germs that cause 

them can pass from parents to children by 

sharing spoons, cups, or straws. Help prevent 

cavities with regular visits to your dentist. 

Delta Dental of Michigan 


Stellantis Employee Resource Group 

Hopes to ‘MEET’ Soon 


As the former Fiat Chrysler 

Automobiles (FCA) becomes 

Stellantis, the company’s 

Middle Eastern employees 

are also undergoing change. 

Employees from throughout the 

Middle East have joined to form an 

Employee Resource Group (ERG) 

called Middle Eastern Employees 

Together (MEET). ERGs provide 

mentoring for employees as well 

as cultural sharing experiences for 

members. 

The idea for the group is the 

brainchild of Bashar Cholagh, a 

purchasing executive at Stellantis. 

In 2016, Cholagh noticed that 

there were Asian, Latin American, 

and other cultural and regional 

groups of employees that formed 

ERGs, but no such group for Middle 

Eastern employees, despite the 

fact that there is a substantial number 

of employees from that part of 

the world among Stellantis’ 18,000 

employees. 

So, Cholagh joined the Asian 

group and shortly thereafter began 

laying the groundwork for a 

Middle Eastern group. In 2018, he 

put together a proposal. Stellantis 

approved it and Cholagh launched 

the group in 2019. The next steps 

Bashar Cholagh 

were finding officers, creating a 

board and committees, and then 

recruiting members. 

Cholagh made a point of constructing 

a board representative of 

the entire region, not just Chaldeans. 

He found passionate Palestinians, 

Israelis, Muslims, and 

Christians to populate the board 

and serve on its committees. MEET 

has three committees that are representative 

of the group’s focuses. 

Samhar Kashat chairs the Community 

Committee, which liaises 

with non-profit community organizations 

affiliated with various 

Middle Eastern MEET members. 

Kashat, who works as a business analyst 

in the IT department at Stellantis, 

like Cholagh, is Chaldean. 

Kashat’s committee meets monthly, 

as does the MEET board, to review 

opportunities and plan activities. 

The Cultural Committee helps 

Middle Easterners learn about one 

another’s cultures, using a Stellantis 

intranet to share recipes, educational 

materials, and music. 

Cholagh said a 15-week You- 

Tube series on delicacies from 

around the Middle East went over 

extremely well, receiving many 

“likes” and much positive feedback. 

In the midst of community activities 

and cultural celebration, 

MEET provides a mentorship program 

through its Career Committee 

that features 150 mentors from 

the vice president and director 

ranks within Stellantis. They are 

from a wide array of departments 

within the company and are not 

necessarily Middle Eastern. 

The popular Career program 

was the first to launch, right at 

the onset of COVID. Mentors and 

mentees—who are from the midlevel 

ranks—meet on a monthly 

basis for a half-hour sit-down. Discussions 

can be wide ranging or on 

specific issues. Common discussions 

include overcoming obstacles 

and providing guidance. The mentors 

help ambitious employees to 

align their work with their career 

aspirations. The approach ends up 

combining mentorship with networking. 

Before being forced into “virtual” 

mode, the MEET program began 

with a bang. MEET launched 

in November 2019, two months 

before COVID shut much of the 

world down. There was a huge celebration 

at Stellantis Headquarters 

in Auburn Hills, right in the middle 

of the 15,000-person building. 

The program featured ethnic dancers, 

Middle Eastern music, baklava 

and other culinary delicacies. 

MEET has survived its inaugural, 

pandemic-dampened year, and 

it and continues to grow. Cholagh 

estimates the 300-member group 

eventually will reach 1,000 members. 

About half of the current 

roster are Chaldeans. About 80 

percent of the group is in metro 

Detroit, but Cholagh says that’s 

because most of the company’s employees 

are based here. He expects 

to recruit Stellantis employees from 

other regions. 

While MEET plans to actually 

meet, physically, that occurrence 

will have to wait for 2022. The 

group’s pandemic protocols are 

governed by those of Stellantis, 

and the company plans to delay inperson 

events through the end of 

the year. 

The delay hasn’t stopped 

MEET’s leaders from dreaming up 

plans for the future on their Zoom 

calls, including possible partnerships 

with hunger fighters Forgotten 

Harvest and volunteer homebuilders 

Habitat for Humanity. 

Kashat is eager to roll up his 

sleeves and get back to work with 

in-person MEET activities as soon 

as it’s safe to do so. He said he likes 

that the group “explores a lot and 

it shows there is a lot of care from 

Stellantis and the MEET Board, especially 

how we reach out and how 

we get involved.” 

As he looks toward next year, 

for Cholagh, the reward is also simple. 

He enjoys “seeing the (Middle 

Eastern) community uplifting each 

other and working together.” 


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The Jewish Community of Iraq – 

History, Influence, and Memories 

BY DR. ADHID MIRI 

Part I – The History 

Memory binds people together, 

giving them a shared 

history and memory. Without 

a shared history, it is difficult to 

feel a sense of place or identity. The 

Chaldean and Jewish communities 

have a long history of shared places 

and memories and were confronted 

with the same challenges and moral 

questions as the original citizens of 

modern-day Iraq. The two original 

ancient but minority communities 

of Babylon share contemporary and 

historical experiences through their 

physical presence in the region of 

Mesopotamia; they also share a journey 

of hopes and disappointments 

based on integration and national 

consciousness. 

In the Baghdad-Iraq multicultural 

society of the twentieth 

century, the two communities were 

intertwined and lived together in 

old neighborhoods, spoke a similar 

Mosuli dialect and shared common 

names like Dawood, Yousif, Ibrahim, 

Ya’acob, Murad, Moussa, Naiem, Salim, 

Salman, and Naji. It is not a surprise 

that the journey binds the two 

communities again as they live side 

by side in Oak Park, Southfield, and 

West Bloomfield in Michigan. 

The chronology of Jews in Iraq 

stretches back some 4,000 years to 

the biblical patriarch Abraham of 

Ur, and to the Babylonian monarch 

Nebuchadnezzar, who sent Jews into 

exile there more than 2,500 years 

ago. Iraqi Jews constitute one of the 

world’s oldest and most historically 

significant Jewish communities. 

Babylonian rulers such as Nebuchadnezzar 

ruled the known world, 

and one word from them sufficed to 

move armies from place to place. 

Jerusalem was always an attractive 

occupation target. Upon the destruction 

of Jerusalem, a new phase began 

in the history of the people of Israel, 

such as the exile of Babylon, which is 

of course in modern-day Iraq. 

In 539 BCE, the Babylonian Empire 

officially ended when the city of 

Babylon itself fell to the Persian Empire, 

headed by King Cyrus. One of 

his first acts following this conquest 

was to issue the famous Proclamation 

of Cyrus, which granted freedom of 

religion to all peoples of the empire 

and granted Jews autonomy in the 

land of Israel. The residents of Babylon 

continued to enjoy prosperity 

under the new rulers, and only some 

50,000 Jews returned to the land of 

Israel. Historian Josephus Flavius 

noted that the Jews of Babylon were, 

“tens of thousands untold, their 

number beyond count.” 

When the Babylonians conquered 

the southern tribes of Israel 

and enslaved the Jews, these 

Jews distinguished themselves from 

Baghdad Synagogue. 

Sephardim, referring to themselves 

as “Baylim,” Hebrew for “Babylonian.” 

They were descendants of the 

immigrants of the Iraqi Jewish communities, 

who now reside within the 

state of Israel. They number around 

450,000. In later centuries, the region 

became more hospitable to Jews 

and it became the home to some of 

the world’s most prominent scholars, 

those who produced the Babylonian 

Talmud between 500 and 700 BCE. 

Iraqi Jews lived in a land that was 

physically and culturally linked to 

the central sacred texts of Judaism. 

Babylonia in Ancient Mesopotamia 

is imbedded in biblical lore. According 

to Jewish tradition, the Garden 

of Eden was in the fertile region 

between the Tigris and Euphrates 

Rivers. Iraqi Muslims and Iraqi Jews 

both revered local sites of tombs associated 

with biblical leaders and 

prophets, such as Daniel, Ezekiel, 

Ezra, and Jonah. 

Like the Jews of modern times, 

the Jews living back then between 

the Euphrates and the Tigris supported 

their brethren in the Holy Land. 

Proof of the solidarity between the 

Jewish communities of Babylon and 

Judea can be found in the writings 

of the Jewish-Egyptian philosopher 

Philo, who claimed that one of the 

reasons that prevented the Governor 

of Syria from placing an idol in the 

Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem 

was fear of the reaction by the 

Jews of Babylon. 

Jewish prophets and sites in Iraq 

are second in number only to the 

Holy Land. They include more than 

9 holy shrines that Jews historically 

made visits to when on holiday and 

at other times. Some of these shrines 

are also sacred to Muslims, such as 

the grave of the prophet Ezekiel. 

Above his tomb entrance, the tiles 

carry a Hebrew inscription that says: 

“Here is the tomb of our master Ezekiel.” 

In the late 18th century, the Jewish 

community of Baghdad began to 

recover. In 1774, there were 2,500 

Jews living in the city, or about 3% 

of the city’s population. By 1893, the 

Jewish numbers had risen significantly, 

to about 50,000 souls constituting 

approximately 35% of the city’s population. 

The number of synagogues 

rose from 3 to 30. 

This demographic growth was reflected 

in the community leadership 

as well. The hereditary leadership 

which previously prevailed, headed 

by a “community president,” who 

always belonged to one of the most 

powerful families in the city and conducted 

reciprocal relations with the 

authorities to solidify position, died 

out. 

From the second half of the 18th 

century through the beginning of the 

19th, Turkish rule deteriorated and 

the attitude towards the Jews became 

harsh. Many wealthy members of the 

community fled to Persia and other 

countries. 

With the opening of the Suez Canal 

in 1869, the situation of the city’s 

20,000 Jews improved – along with 

the general economic situation – 

and many Jews from other localities 

settled in Iraq. In 1884, there were 

30,000 Jews listed living in Baghdad 

and by the beginning of the 20th 

century that number grew to 50,000. 

From the end of the Ottoman period 

until 1931, there was a “General 

Council” of 80 members, with 20 rabbis 

among them. A law was passed in 

early 1931 to permit non-rabbis to assume 

leadership. In December 1951, 

the government abolished the rabbinical 

court in Baghdad. 

During these centuries under 

Muslim rule, the Jewish community 

had its ups and downs. By World 

War I, they accounted for one third 

of Baghdad’s population. In 1922, 

the British received a mandate over 

Iraq and began transforming it into a 

modern nation-state. 

Until the British occupation of 

World War I, the Jews suffered from 

extortion and the cruelty of the local 

authorities. Many young men 

were recruited into the army to serve 

in the dangerous Caucasus mountains. 

With British entry to Baghdad 

on February 3, 1917, there began 


a period of freedom for the Jews of 

Baghdad and many of them were employed 

in civil service. 

The Jewish community enjoyed 

economic prosperity and its leaders 

took a place in the textile and 

cotton trade with the British, who 

controlled these markets. In the 

first half of the 19th century Jewish 

families began to establish trading 

and entrepreneurship colonies 

outside of Baghdad as well, in the 

great cities of South- and East Asia 

– Hong Kong, Calcutta, Bombay, 

Singapore, Shanghai and others. 

The Baghdadi Jews 

In 1917, following the fall of the 

Turkish Empire, the British took 

over the ‘Land of Two Rivers’ and 

gave control of it to King Faisal I. 

The reign of Faisal I is considered 

the golden age of Iraq’s Jews in the 

20th century. The Jewish community 

received representation in the Iraqi 

parliament, and its trade ties with the 

British tightened further. The latter 

gave the Jewish merchants a few import-export 

lines owned by the British 

West Indies Corporations, thus 

allowing them control over a large 

part of the goods entering Iraq. 

During the British Mandate beginning 

in 1920, and in the early 

days after independence of Iraq in 

1932, well-educated Jews played an 

important role in civic life. Throughout 

this period, the authorities drew 

heavily on their talents for their ties 

outside the country and proficiency 

in foreign languages. 

Iraq’s first minister of finance, 

Yehezkel Sassoon, was a Jew. Iraqi 

Jews played a vital role in the 

development of judicial and postal 

systems. Records from the Baghdad 

Chamber of Commerce show that 10 

out of its 19 members in 1947 were 

Jews. The first musical band formed 

for Baghdad’s nascent radio in the 

1930s consisted mainly of Jews. 

In the 1936 Iraq Directory, the 

“Israelite community,” numbering 

at about 120,000, is listed among 

the various other Iraqi communities, 

such as Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, 

Muslims, Christians, Yazidis and 

Sabeans. Hebrew was also listed as 

one of Iraq’s six languages. 

The prominent Jewish trader Hezkell 

Sassoon nicknamed “The Rothschild 

of the East,” was the first Jewish 

Treasury Minister in Iraq, a leader 

of the Iraqi national movement, a 

statesman and financier. Sir Sassoon 

Heskell, KBE (17 March 1860 – 31 

August 1932) also known as Sassoon 

Effendi (from Turkish Effendi, a title 

meaning Lord), along with Gertrude 

Bell and T.E. Lawrence, were instrumental 

in the creation and the 

establishment of the Kingdom of 

Iraq post-Ottoman rule and founded 

the nascent Iraqi government’s laws 

and financial structure. 

During his period as Minister of 

Finance, Sassoon founded all the financial 

and budgeting structures and 

the laws for the Kingdom. He looked 

whole-heartedly after the interests of 

the monarchy and the proper fulfilment 

of its laws. Rather famously, one 

of his most financially prolific deeds 

for the State was during negotiations 

with the British Petroleum Company 

in 1925. Through a pure stroke 

of genius and foresight, Sir Sassoon 

demanded that Iraq’s oil revenue be 

remunerated in gold rather than sterling. 

At the time, this request seemed 

bizarre since sterling was backed by 

the gold standard, nevertheless, his 

demand was reluctantly accepted. 

This concession benefited Iraq’s treasury 

during World War II, when the 

gold standard was abandoned, and 

the value of sterling plummeted. He 

Clockwise from top left: 

1. Family of Hakham Ezra Dangoor. 

2. Head Rabbi Hakham Ezra Ruben Dangoor. 

3. Khadouri and Basrah Jews. 

4. Sir Sassoon Heskell in State Dress. 

thus secured countless additional 

millions of Iraqi dinars for the state. 

This is something that the Iraqi Nation 

remembers with much appreciation 

and admiration. 

A far-sighted statesman with a 

profoundly deep knowledge of Iraq 

and other countries, Sasoon was immensely 

well-travelled and well acquainted 

with most major European 

statesmen of the time. Sasoon Heskell 

was buried in Paris but certainly 

deserves a statue in the heart of old 

Baghdad. 

Jewish personalities excelled in 

various fields and disciplines in Iraq 

- in art, literature, journalism, and 

medicine. The journalist Niran Al- 

Bassoun stated, “I am the daughter of 

Iraq, in my body the Tigris and Euphrates 

flow. Like an artery and vein, 

and no one can take Iraq away from 

me, even if they remove me from 

Iraq. I was forcibly displaced from the 

heart of Iraq, but no one was able to 

take Iraq from my heart.” 

There was ferocity and an open 

mindedness to the domination of 

the Iraqi Jews in the field of printing 

and publishing, as evidenced by the 

printing presses that they established 

during the first half of the twentieth 

century. They branched out and mastered 

other fields as well. 

In medicine, the field was dominated 

by Dr. Jack Abood Shabby, 

Dr. Munier Suliman, Dr. Albeer Hakim, 

Dr. Dawood Gabbay, Dr. Gurgy 

Rabi’eh, and Dr. Ihsan Samra. 

Heavily involved in philanthropy 

were Manheim Daniel - Basrawi, 

Sassoon Sousa, Naiem Jala’adi 

(Khalasachi) from Hilla, journalist 

Salim Basoon, Niran Basoon and 

others, who defined themselves as 

“Arab Jews” and combined the Arab- 

Muslim culture with the Jewish one 

in their works. 

Iraq has one of the world’s oldest 

cultural histories and boasts a rich 

heritage. Iraqi Maqam is a type of 

Arab maqam music found in Iraq that 

is around four hundred years old. The 

collection of instruments used in this 

kind of music, called Al-Chalghi al- 

Baghdadi, includes a Qari’ (vocalist), 

Santur, Jawza, Dunbug/Dumbug, and 

occasionally, Riq/Naqqarat. The focus 

is on the poem sung in classical Arabic 

or an Iraqi dialect (called zuhayri). A 

JEWISH continued on page 32 


JEWISH continued from page 31 

complete maqam concert is known as 

Fasl l (plural Fusul) and is named after 

the first maqam: Bayat, Hijaz, Rast, 

Nawa, or Husayni. A typical performance 

includes the sections Tahrir, 

sometimes Badwah, Taslum, or Finalis. 

In Iraqi folklore and in the recording 

industry, most notable are 

famed singer Salima Murad Pasha, 

who was married to Iraq’s top singer 

Nadhum Al-Ghazali, the composer 

brothers Dawood and Salih Al-Kuwaiti, 

and Maqam singers Filfil Gurjy 

and Yousif Horisho. 

Chalghi Al-Baghdadi was a special 

and unique form of music, distinct to 

Baghdad and its music lovers. “Chalghi” 

is a Turkish word (Jalaghi Kayfi), 

that means a musical group (the band, 

rapture group or the music crew), and 

for a long time ,Jewish religious singer 

were the pioneers of the art and were 

called “the Sadnesses.” Among those 

that made a name for themselves were 

Shimon Al-Muallem and Shlomo, as 

well as others who mastered playing 

musical instruments especially for the 

maqam. 

Iraqi Maqam is a genre of Arabic 

Maqam music found in Iraq that is 

at least four hundred years old. The 

ensemble of instruments used in this 

genre, called Al-Chalghi al-Baghdadi, 

includes a Qari’ (singer), (Santour) 

(Jawza), (Tabla or Dunbug), 

and (Riqq). 

The Jews of Baghdad monopolized 

Al-Chalghi Al-Baghdadi, so 

that it can be said that Al-Maqam 

Al-Baghdadi is distinctly associated 

with the Jews of Baghdad, as the 

names of the pioneers are always 

mentioned any time the music group 

for Al-Maqam and Chalghi Al- 

Baghdadi is played. 

According to historians it is not 

possible to forget the string instrument 

of Al-Santor played by the 

famed Pettou Hocky Salih Rahmin 

and Al-Bhoudi, and the Jawza- Mini 

Chello player Bassoun Ephraim 

Shawl, the Danbak (small drum) instrumenter 

Zengi Shawol Haron, and 

the Daff (hand-held drum) by Zengi 

Shimon Hesqel. 

Nearly all the members of the 

Baghdad Symphony Orchestra were 

Jewish. Yet this flourishing environment 

abruptly ended in 1947, with 

the partition of Palestine and the 

fight for Israel’s independence. Outbreaks 

of anti-Jewish rioting regularly 

occurred between 1947 and 1949. 

The persecution of Jews within 

Clockwise from top of page: 1. Jewish Chalghi Band (Baghdadi Folklore Music). 

2. Mi’er (Meer) Basri. 3. Jewish family Wedding - Basra 1945. 

Iraq, and especially the support for 

Nazi Germany voiced by certain 

Pan-Arab nationalists, pushed Iraqi 

Jews towards communism. Often, 

joining the ICP marked an Iraqi, as 

opposed to an Arab, choice. Being 

an Iraqi communist meant seeing the 

Kurds and the Turkmans, the Shi’es, 

the Sunnis, and the Christians as 

comrades in a shared struggle. 

The establishment of the State of 

Israel and the War of Independence 

(which the Iraqi army took part on 

the Arab side) created a chokehold 

around the necks of Iraq’s Jews, who 

were seen as a fifth column and as 

having double loyalties and identities. 

Iraqi nationalists threw bombs 

at Jewish institutions and synagogues 

in Baghdad, and Iraqi law forbade 

the Jews to leave the country. 

The unraveling of Jewish life in 

Iraq began in the mid part of the 20th 

century, accelerating after the advent 

of Nazism in Germany and the proliferation 

of anti-Jewish propaganda. 

In June 1941, in the aftermath of the 

defeat of the pro-Nazi Iraqi regime, 

an anti-Jewish attack broke out in 

Baghdad during the Jewish festival 

of Shavuot. The unprecedented attack, 

known as the Farhud (“violent 

dispossession”) shattered the sense of 

safety and security of the Jews. 

Before the United Nations Partition 

Plan for Palestine, Iraq’s prime 

minister Nuri Al-Saied told British 

diplomats that if the United Nations 

solution were not “satisfactory”, 

“severe measures would be 

taken against all Jews in Arab countries”. 

In a speech at the General 

Assembly Hall at Flushing Meadow, 

New York, on Friday, 28 November 

1947, Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Fadel 

Jamalli, included the following 

statement: 

“Partition imposed against the 

will of most of the people will jeopardize 

peace and harmony in the Middle 

East. Not only the uprising of the 

Arabs of Palestine is to be expected, 

but the masses in the Arab world 

cannot be restrained. The Arab-Jewish 

relationship in the Arab world 

will greatly deteriorate. There are 

more Jews in the Arab world outside 

of Palestine than there are in Palestine. 

In Iraq alone, we have about 

one hundred and fifty thousand Jews 

who share with Muslims and Christians 

all the advantages of political 

and economic rights. Harmony prevails 

among Muslims, Christians, 

and Jews. But any injustice imposed 

upon the Arabs of Palestine will disturb 

the harmony among Jews and 

non-Jews in Iraq; it will breed interreligious 

prejudice and hatred.” 

It seems today that prediction has 

played out. 

Next month will feature the second 

part of the story of the Jews in 

Iraq: The Exodus. 

Sources include Wikipedia and 

articles by Shamuel Moreh, Saad 

Salloum (policies and ethnicities of 

Iraq, Minorities in Iraq), Abbas 

Baghdadi (Baghdad in the Twenties), 

Mazin Lattif (Iraqi Jews), Yacoub 

Yousif Goreyh (The Jews of Iraq), 

Judge Zuhair Karim Abboud, Maher 

Chmaytelli - Jeffrey Heller - Stephen 

Farrell, and Nostalgia Journey in the 

History of the Jews of Iraq by Yousif 

Rizq Allah Ghanima. Additonal editing 

by Jaqueline Raxter. This article has 

been edited for print. View the full text 

article at chaldeannews.com. 


Left: Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, 

president of Franciscan University 

(left), and Dr. Daniel Kempton, 

Franciscan University vice president 

for Academic Affairs (right), present 

Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda, 

CCsR, with his honorary doctorate 

of humane letters. Credit Franciscan 

University of Steubenville. 

Bishops Visit Chaldean Community 


As steadfast Catholics, the 

Chaldean community in 

the United States, and especially 

here in Michigan, is a beacon 

of hope for displaced Christians 

everywhere. Recently, Archbishop 

Bashar Matt Warda and Bishop Basil 

Salim Yaldo made separate trips 

to the US and both made time to 

visit the community here. 

Archbishop Warda was in the 

States to receive an honorary doctorate 

from Franciscan University 

of Steubenville, Ohio. It was their 

largest graduating class in history, 

partly due to the fact that many 

2020 grads opted to wait for their 

commencement. 

Humble as always, Warda offered 

as role models for the graduates the 

young people of Iraq, “not much 

older than yourselves,” who turned 

to their faith in the face of the 2014 

Iraqi genocide at the hands of ISIS. 

Said Warda, “Should they flee to 

safety? Shall they remain in their 

country and bear witness? At the 

time of greatest trial, they placed 

their faith fully in Christ and surrounded 

themselves with others 

who were committed in the same 

way.” 

“Archbishop Warda has been a 

voice for the thousands of Christian 

families who have seen their 

homes, villages, and churches destroyed 

and sought refuge in Erbil,” 

said Franciscan University President 

Father Dave Pivonka, reading 

from the citation before presenting 

the archbishop with his diploma. 

“He’s helped care for their most basic 

needs . . . He’s paved the way to 

a brighter future through promoting 

education and founding schools, 

including the Catholic University 

in Erbil,” which includes cultural 

exchanges and the development of 

programs with Franciscan University. 

Warda was also the speaker 

at the University of Dallas’ commencement 

in May. A leading international 

voice for the persecuted 

Christians of northern Iraq, Archbishop 

Warda is the chief administrator 

of pastoral care and relief services 

for nearly 20,000 threatened 

Christian families in that region. He 

is well known for his wide-ranging 

support of the Christian refugees in 

Iraq, and for promoting interreligious 

dialogue. As part of his efforts 

to support the continuing Christian 

presence in Iraq, he founded the 

Catholic University in Erbil, which 

was inaugurated in 2015. 

Archbishop Warda has been 

Bishop Basilio Yaldo visits with community 

leaders and staff at the Chaldean 

Community Foundation on May 11, 2021. 

instrumental in introducing classical 

education to Iraq, creating a 

partnership with the Franciscan 

University of Steubenville. He personally 

campaigned for the support 

of the American school, which collaborates 

with Erbil in setting up 

educational trips to Iraq and scholarships 

for Iraqi students to attend 

the school in the states. The two 

universities work jointly on a number 

of projects, including the development 

of language classes in Arabic 

and Aramaic. 

Bishop Basilio Yaldo, who recently 

helped plan the safe and secure 

visit of Pope Francis to Iraq, 

came to Michigan to celebrate a 

birthday with family members. He 

made time to visit the Chaldean 

Community Foundation (CCF) and 

meet with community leaders and 

staff on May 11. 

Yaldo stressed the importance 

of the work the CCF does and expressed 

the gratitude of the Christian 

community in Iraq. There 

is much work to be done on the 

ground in Iraq, and the people there 

appreciate the organized support of 

organizations such as the Chaldean 

Community Foundation, not only 

for their generosity, but also for the 

fact that they do not forget about 

the beleaguered community there. 

Bishop Yaldo shared anecdotes 

about the Pope’s historic visit, including 

the competition among 

high-ranking officials for the Pope’s 

attention. It is Vatican protocol 

that the Pope only meet with the 

President of foreign countries; yet, 

in Iraq, the Prime Minister is the 

one in power. Therefore, a meeting 

had to be arranged between Pope 

Francis and Mustafa Al-Kadhimi at 

the airport when the papal delegation 

arrived. 

More than 400 journalists were 

in Iraq for the Pope’s visit. In honor 

of Pope Francis’ purpose in coming 

to Iraq, March 6 was declared a National 

Day of Tolerance. With only 

three months to prepare what would 

normally take a year, Bishop Yaldo 

and his team went into overdrive. 

At one point, all of the Vatican staff 

tested positive for COVID and had 

to be replaced. Three practice runs 

took place; everything had to be 

planned down to the most minute 

detail, all while making sure that 

protocol was followed, and no one 

was offended. That was no small job. 

In the end, the Pope’s visit was 

a resounding success which helped 

streamline the efforts of those working 

for religious tolerance and freedom. 

300 doves were released following 

the Mass where Pope Francis 

said prayers in the Aramaic language, 

the tongue of Chaldeans and 

Jesus Christ Himself. 


CULTURE 

A Journalists’ Journey: 

Fouad Manna (Abu Gibran) Part II - USA 

BY ADHID MIRI 

In part two of this story, we continue 

our travels in the new world 

and cover the experiences, the 

challenges, the ups and downs, special 

situations, the humor, the temper, 

and the characters that make it 

so colorful and memorable. 

Journalism in the New World 

The machine noise, the smell of ink, 

coffee, cigarettes up late at night and 

the joy of bringing forth a new issue 

of the newspaper while working in 

Baghdad were memories Manna held 

close upon setting foot in the New 

World. With thoughts only of survival 

and obligations to support his 

family, he initially postponed his true 

career interest. 

Fouad worked first at a local Coca-Cola 

factory alongside 20 other 

Iraqi workers, but not for long. It 

seems that this beginning shaped 

his future thinking and accelerated 

his upcoming projects. Manna says, 

“I could not stay far from the press, 

especially after I knew closely about 

the sad reality of the press within the 

Iraqi Chaldean community.” 

Two Iraqi immigrant newspapers 

were published in 1970 in Detroit. 

The first was Al-Mashriq, “The Sunrise,” 

published by Hanna Yatouma. 

This publication was mainly concerned 

with the social matters of the 

community. Manna used to write 

about various topics and send them 

articles from Baghdad. The second 

paper was the “New World” published 

by Yousif Antoun. 

Manna shares, “I had an overwhelming 

desire to establish a new 

newspaper in the diaspora; to be its 

owner, its editor-in-chief, and be 

independent from all outside influences 

whatever they were.” So, the 

Al-Hadaf was born and issued. 

Al-Hadaf - “The Objective” 

The Al-Hadaf weekly newspaper was 

first published in Detroit in September 

1970. Its offices were located on 

7-Mile Road near the Sacred Heart 

Church between John R. and Woodward 

Avenue. It focused on cultural, 

social, and political areas of interest. 

Eight issues were printed at the print 

shop of Muhammad Kharroub, who 

owned a linotype printing press. 

Later that same year, Manna decided 

to purchase his own printing 

press. Fouad notes, “The first of my 

many problems was to find the Arabic 

letters, and I was fortunate to find 

those letters (rough and soft) in New 

York City through two newspapers 

- Al-Islah and Al-Huda, owned by 

ex-priest Alphonse Schores. These 

letters were expensive but important 

to complete the work.” 

The weekly work continued at 

Al Hadaf newspaper until 1976. One 

of the incidents that Manna cannot 

forget occurred in the early seventies 

when mercenaries of the Baath 

in Detroit contacted him and offered 

a large amount of financial aid to 

support his magazine, in exchange 

for his support for the policy of the 

Baath in Iraq. 

Manna was subjected to many 

intimidations by the regime’s agents 

deployed among the Arab expatriates. 

He remained steadfast and 

unaffected by the hostile foes and 

refused to bend his principles and 

bow his head to them. He went on to 

expose their policies, agents, and the 

corruption dollars which were being 

distributed here and there in Detroit. 

“Truthfully, had it not been for 

the existence of the Iraqi Democratic 

Union in Detroit,” says Manna, “and 

its honorable stand in the early 1980s 

against the Baath Party, and the lessons 

it taught to its agents within our 

community, the Ba’athists would have 

been dominant to this day within the 

Iraqi community in Detroit.” 

By 1978, Fouad was the editorin-chief 

of Al-Rabita, “The League 

Newspaper,” working with a group of 

intellectuals from the Chaldean community. 

It described itself as “a comprehensive 

political and cultural newspaper.” 

Only 8 issues were published. 

In 1980, Manna partnered with 

Adel Akrawi, Amer Dado, and 

Salah Corrie to start the publication 

Voice of the Free Newspaper, the 

mouthpiece of the Iraqi Progressive 

Democratic League. Says Manna, 

“We published 8 issues directed at 

Ba’athists, Saddam Hussein and their 

mercenaries in Detroit.” 

In 1986, in cooperation with 

Youssef Nadhir, Fouad joined Al- 

Ruwad, “The Pioneers” magazine. 

“I helped publish 4 issues before 

moving on,” recalls Manna. 

In 1987, Al-Hadaf newspaper resumed 

circulation for a short period. 

Al- Muntada – “The Forum” 

In 1994, the first issue of the magazine 

Al-Muntada was published, focusing 


on the fields of literature, culture, society, 

and politics. It encouraged new 

writers of both sexes to participate 

and write in the publication. 

The late Adel Akrawi played an 

important role launching the publication 

and funded the first three issues. 

He also contributed to paying 

the first installments of computers 

that were used for typesetting. 

The existence of an independent 

physical building for the print shop, 

the presence of dedicated newspaper 

staff, and the support of broad social 

relations provided fertile grounds to 

attract intellectuals, activists, and 

politicians to the Al-Muntada salon 

and away from the community 

social cafes. This group needed a 

suitable environment for dialogue, 

conversations, and free-spirited discussions. 

This place became a center 

for many among the interested and 

educated within the community. 

“I was never bothered by the 

tense discussions or the high degree 

of their intensity,” says Manna. “I 

was happy to be among the best 

intellectuals of the community 

that gathered under the roof of Al- 

Muntada magazine. These Saturday 

sessions developed a lot after 

the year 1994 as politics entered 

the scene and the Al-Muntada was 

opened to broader range of Iraqi dignitaries 

who were visiting Detroit 

and honored us by their presence in 

our Saturday meetings.” 

Over time, Al-Muntada turned 

into a constant, lofty, and wellknown 

landmark, not only for expatriates, 

but also those coming to 

Michigan from Iraq, other states, or 

Arab countries. 

Some of them are at the forefront 

of the Iraqi political scene, 

including: Dr. Faleh Abdul-Jabbar, 

Dr. Faieq Butti, Hamid Majeed 

Musa, Dr. Barham Salih (current 

Iraqi President), Dr. Fuad Maasum 

(former Iraq President), the poet 

Muthafer Al-Nawab and Dr. Ahmad 

Al-Chalabi. 

The concept of routine weekly 

meetings at the Al-Muntada became 

very popular, and was recognized as 

a distinct gathering of intellectuals, 

a hallmark of the cultural events 

and political activities in Detroit. 

The attendants were an amazing 

mix of professionals, writers, artists, 

intellectuals, and even the unemployed 

that met and discussed ideas 

in all fields and directions. It was 

truly like an educational classroom 

and an opportunity for many to 

learn the principles of civil debates, 

the styles of different dialogue processes 

(albeit in the Iraqi way). But 

what distinguishes it most was the 

group would return the following 

Saturday to continue the dialogues 

in a fraternal spirit again. 

“The atmosphere was so friendly 

and intimate that I became addicted 

to it, and if one of the regulars went 

absent for a week or two, we would 

launch an investigation and do all 

we can to find the reasons,” recalls 

Manna. “What united us was our 

love for Iraq, our attachment to our 

culture, the principles of freedom, 

and hope for a better future away 

from dictatorship and dark ages 

policies.” 

Al-Muntada continued until the 

year 2009, when it ceased publication 

after electronic subscriptions 

dominated the reading world. 

Political views 

We asked Abu Gibran if he had ever 

belonged to the ‘left,’ and he replied, 

“I grew up in a family environment 

that included many political activists 

within its members; some were martyred, 

others were arrested, and few 

of them died.” 

The fifties and sixties were years 

of political turmoil in Iraq. “When 

I entered the world of journalism,” 

says Manna, “the profession brought 

me closer to some of the best intellectuals 

and politicians, and as printing 

press workers we were in a difficult, 

unenviable position on the eve 

of every political change.” 

“This is how I got acquainted with 

the Iraqi left, and I say it sincerely, 

that I have great respect for them,” 

states Manna. “From this movement 

came the best nationalists and the best 

fighters who sacrificed themselves for 

the nation, and the situation continues 

to this day. Wherever the Iraqi left 

is present, there you find intellectuals, 

poets, writers, and politicians.” 

Because this answer was diplomatic, 

I wanted to know more of it. 

“In the general classification,” muses 

Manna, “I am biased towards leftist 

general thought, and I think that it 

is the best thought produced for humanity. 

It calls for equality, social 

justice, and freedom.” 

Al-Muntada Regulars 

This was a place like no other. One 

cannot talk about the cultural salon 

(Diwan) and its star Abu Gibran 

without talking about the friends 

that orbited in his sphere over the 

years. There were many colorful 

characters at different stages during 

Al-Muntada years: 

JOURNEY continued on page 36 


JOURNEY continued from page 35 

(Old timers) Bishop George 

Garmo, Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim, 

Yousif Nadhir, Shamasha Joe Najor 

(Uncle Joe), Jamil Sulaka, and Saieb 

Shouniyyah. 

(Regulars) Ghazzi Shaffo (Abo Shirooq), 

Massoud Hawrami (Abo Azad 

“Mr. 17%”), Wilson Kassab (Abo Henry), 

Mazin Ayoub, Adil Bacall, Issam 

Bacall, Talat Misho, Talal Samouna, 

Annan Bidawid, Fouad Zora, Kamal 

Yaldo, Samir Kashat, Qieyo Qiryakos 

Akash (Abo Hazem), Nabil Bidawid, 

Ramzi Kas-Korkis, Dr. Atheer Karmo, 

Namir Kitto, and Dr. Adhid Miri. 

(Visitors) Fadhil Pola (Abo Alabbas), 

Hamid Tomeka (Abo Ammar), 

Dr. Nouri Mansour, Yousif Arabo Al- 

Numan, Hikmet Jajjoni (Abo Hawa), 

Aboud Kas-Korkis, Dr. Shakib Halabu, 

Jacob Bacall, Jasim Rizzouqi, 

Sabah Summa, Iraq Soccer Captain 

Abid Kdhum , Badri Al-Tai’ie (Abo 

Wassan), Eddie Putrus (Abo Ammar), 

Ghanim Akrawi, Raad Kathawa, 

Jack Zia, Salam Aboona, Hikmat 

Atto, Dr. Nouri Mansour, Amir Jamil, 

Imad Dhia Al-Khirsan (Abo Ahmmad), 

Ramzi Jiddo and, Dr. Radhi 

Abdil-Nabby, Sarmad Yousif Rizq Allah, 

and Giberal Yousif Abouna. 

Iraqi Presidents Barham Salih, 

Fouad Ma’asoum, Politicians 

Ahmmed Al-Chalabi, Imad Al-Khirsan, 

Ibrahim Al-Zubaidi, Dr. Faieq 

Butti, Hamid Majeed Moussa, Ghazwa 

Al-Khalidi, Shammim Rassam. 

Falih Hasson Al-Daraji, 

Manna’s final thoughts on the subject? 

“To be honest with the reader, and with 

myself, I am happy and proud of what I 

have accomplished with the support of 

our generous community, and what my 

lifelong colleagues have provided over 

the years. I am proud of my pen brothers, 

writers, authors, newspapers, and all other 

cultural platforms and their contributions. 

Certainly, it was an experience that I do 

not know if it will be repeated, but I have 

a clear conscience and loved every moment 

of it.” 

Special acknowledgment for contributions 

by journalists Kamal Yaldo, Ibrahim 

Al-Zobaidi, Dr. Faieq Butti, and historic 

material by Mazin Ayoub, Adil Bacall, 

and the book by Fouad Manna (Bishop 

Yacoub Eugene Manna 2016). Special 

thanks to Jacqueline Raxter for additional 

editing. This was the most enjoyable 

article I was privileged and honored to 

write. ~ Dr. Adhid Miri. This article has 

been edited for print. View the full text 

article at chaldeannews.com. 


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COVID-19: The New Dos 

and Don’ts for Mask Use 

BY NEIL JADDOU, MD AND JOSE FERRAZ NETO, MD 

On May 13, 2021, the Centers 

for Disease Control (CDC) 

announced a new guideline 

regarding the use of face masks during 

the pandemic. It was based on several 

studies with fully vaccinated individuals 

which strongly suggested that 

those individuals have a very small 

possibility to get infected or transmit 

the virus to others. Two days later, 

the Michigan Department of Health 

and Human Services (MDHHS) adopted 

those recommendations for all 

Michiganders. Navigating through 

those guidelines can be an arduous 

task so we compiled a list addressing 

the most frequent questions to aid 

you with these new changes. 

Do I need to use a mask if I am fully 

vaccinated? 

No, according to CDC and MDHHS 

updated guidelines, fully vaccinated 

individuals no longer need to wear 

a mask or socially distance indoors 

or outdoors, except that businesses 

have the right to require you to wear 

a mask. 

mask-free even if you are in an environment 

with unvaccinated individuals. 

I am fully vaccinated, but experiencing 

COVID-19 symptoms, 

should I wear a mask? 

Yes, you should wear a mask and 

practice social distancing until you 

can get tested for COVID-19 and it 

shows a negative result. 

I need to travel domestically or internationally, 

should I wear a mask? 

Yes, even if you are vaccinated, all 

travelers are required to wear a mask 

on all trains, airplanes, buses and 

other forms of public transportation, 

including transport hubs such as airports 

and train stations. 

Do I need to wear a mask if I am 

going to Church? 

No, according to the Chaldean Dioceses 

of St. Thomas, “masks are now 

optional and no longer mandatory 

(based on new Michigan state orders 

and guidance issued by the CDC).” 

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What does fully vaccinated mean? 

Fully vaccinated means that period 

two weeks after taking the second 

dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine 

or two weeks after taking Johnson & 

Johnson single-dose vaccine. 

If I am in a setting with people 

with uncertain vaccination status, 

should I use a mask? 

Fully vaccinated individuals can go 


going grocery shopping? 

No; however, some establishments 

can still require you to wear a mask. 

For example, stores which do not 

require a mask for fully vaccinated 

people include Kroger, Costco, Target 

and Walmart. The list continues 

to grow daily. 

DOCTOR IS IN continued on page 41 

PHONE: 248-851-8600 FAX: 248-851-1348 



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DOCTOR IS IN continued from page 38 


going to the gym? 

No, unless the venue requires it. 


performing any outdoor activity? 

No, according to MDHHS, whether 

you are vaccinated or not, you can 

perform those activities without 

wearing a mask. 

Do I need to wear a mask in school? 

School policy can vary significantly, 

and masks should be used if required. 

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Twitter: @ChaldeanChamber 

Instagram: @ChaldeanAmericanChamber 

Children over 2 years of age who are 

not fully vaccinated are still required 

to wear a mask. 

Do I need to wear a mask to visit 

the hospital, a healthcare facility or 

nursing home? 

Yes, fully vaccinated or not, you 

should continue to wear a mask in 

healthcare settings. 

Do I need to wear a mask if I take 

an Uber/Lyft? 

Yes, even if you are vaccinated, 

masks should be worn. 

How will someone verify their 

vaccination status? 

Businesses, schools, airlines and 

other places may ask for vaccination 

proof, but as of now there is not any 

system in place to check those records. 

Everyone must be honest with 

themselves and wear masks until 

they are fully vaccinated. Not doing 

so can place themselves and others 

at risk. 

These recent changes are a great 

milestone in the fight against CO- 

VID-19. By July 1, 2021, new rules 

may come out to possibly eliminate 

the masks altogether. However, we 

should not believe that the struggle 

is over. Much effort is required from 

ordinary citizens to keep this momentum 

going. We strongly advocate 

everyone to get vaccinated. It is 

the best proven way to eradicate this 

virus, and it is not only good for you, 

but also your family and your community. 

Dr. Neil Jaddou is a former professor 

of Microbiology and Immunology. 

Currently he is a medical director of 

Somerset Family Medicine (SFM) in 

Troy and Sterling Heights. Dr. Jose 

Neto is a medical extern at SFM. 


event 

Chaldean 

Chamber Fun 

After Five 

The Chaldean Chamber hosted 

their first in-person event of the 

year, a Quarterly Networking 

Meeting (QNM) Fun After Five 

on May 4. Sponsored by Horizon 

Bank and held at Zao Jun, the 30 

or so attendees really enjoy seeing 

and engaging with different people 

after months of isolation. 

CFF Town Hall 

on Internet 

Safety 

On May 20, the Chaldean 

Community Foundation hosted 

an Internet Safety Town Hall. 

The panel featured representatives 

from the FBI Detroit Field Office, 

Sterling Heights Police Department, 

Warren Consolidated Schools, and 

Project Light Program Manager 

Jacqueline Raxter, and discussed 

best practices for promoting safe 

behaviors when texting, on social 

media and when using the Internet. 

Watch the Internet Safety Town 

Hall on the CCF Facebook page @ 

chaldeanfoundation. 

2

JUNE 2021

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