JULY 2021

VOL. 18 ISSUE VI 

METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY JULY 2021 

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CONTENTS JULY 2021 

THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 18 ISSUE VI 

departments 

6 FROM THE EDITOR 

BY PAUL JONNA 

“We’re baaack!” 

7 GUEST COLUMN 

BY VENAR AYAR 

The COVID Relief for Employers 

that You May Not Know About 

22 

8 FOUNDATION UPDATE 

10 NOTEWORTHY 

11 CHALDEAN DIGEST 

12 IRAQ TODAY 

BY DOREEN ABI RAAD, CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

Chesterton High School opens in Iraq, 

with an emphasis on classical education 

14 FAMILY TIME 

BY DANIELLE ALEXANDER 

5 Family Summer Vacation Ideas 

on the cover 

22 RECOVERING FROM COVID: 

BUSINESSES ADAPT 

BY PAUL NATINSKY 

features 

24 THE ART SPREAD: 

HEALING THROUGH ART 

BY LISA CIPRIANO 

26 ‘SHEIKH TANK’ NIGHT TO 

KICK OFF FALL INVESTING 

FOR ARK ANGEL FUND 


28 BRIGHT BEGINNINGS 

BY SARAH KITTLE 

30 SHENANDOAH GOES PRIVATE 


16 RELIGION 

Bishop’s Special 

Appointments Announced 

18 IN MEMORIAM 

20 COMMUNITY PROFILE 

Haithem Sarafa: A Profile of Giving 

32 CULTURE & HISTORY 

The Jewish Community of Iraq – 

History and Influence 

BY ADHID MIRI, PHD 

36 SPORTS 

BY STEVE STEIN 

Sacred Heart Doubles Duos 

Pump Out Victories 

38 DOCTOR IS IN 

DR. JUSTIN KAMMO AND SHAYOTA 

The Importance of 

Orthodontics and Dentistry 

40 CLASSIFIED 

42 EVENTS 

18th Annual Golf Outing 

Scotch & Cigars PAC Event 


from the EDITOR 

PUBLISHED BY 

Chaldean News, LLC 

Chaldean Community Foundation 

Martin Manna 

EDITORIAL 

ACTING EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Paul Jonna 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Sarah Kittle 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Danielle Alexander 

Venar Ayar 

Lisa Cipriano 

Dr. Justin Kammo 

Sarah Kittle 

M. Lapham 

Adhid Miri, PhD 

Paul Natinsky 

Dr. Jomana Shayota 

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Chaldean News 

30095 Northwestern Hwy, Suite 101 

Farmington Hills, MI 48334 

www.chaldeannews.com 

Phone: (248) 851-8600 

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

monthly; Issue Date: July 2021 

Subscriptions: 

12 months, $35. 

Publication Address: 

30095 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 101, 

Farmington Hills, MI 48334; 

Permit to mail at periodicals postage rates 

is on file at Farmington Hills Post Office 

Postmaster: Send address changes to 

“The Chaldean News 30095 Northwestern Hwy., 

Suite 101, Farmington Hills, MI 48334” 

“We’re baaack!” 

We are halfway 

through the year 

and now that everything 

is opening back up, 

we are hitting the ground 

running. The Chaldean 

American Chamber and 

the Chaldean Community 

Foundation are again hosting 

in-person events, and it 

seems like everybody wants 

to get out of the house. 

The recent golf outing 

and PAC fundraiser photos featured 

in our Events section tell the story. 

Masks have been put away, handshakes 

are back, and people are relieved 

to see familiar faces once 

again. It is almost scary how quickly 

things are feeling like ‘normal.’ 

As with anything, the only way out 

is through. We have come through this 

extremely difficult period, which has 

impacted our businesses. Paul Natinsky 

interviewed a few business owners and 

got some input from elected officials 

who wanted to talk about what has 

been referred to as the current “labor 

shortage.” Everyone has an opinion on 

the unemployment subsidies and the 

effect they have on hiring practices. 

We cover the difficulties of the hiring 

and interview process. 

Gearing up for interviews of their 

own is the Ark Angel Fund (AAF), 

which is hosting a Shark Tank-like 

event called “Sheikh Tank” this September. 

Based on the premise that the 

Chaldean community is full of good 

ideas, the Fund investors are looking 

for the next big thing in business. Note 

that while the AAF normally hears 

pitches from anyone who piques their 

interest, this particular opportunity is 

PAUL JONNA 

ACTING EDITOR 

IN CHIEF 

for the Chaldean community 

only. Hopefully, they will discover 

some top-notch talent! 

“Top-notch talent” 

is what I would call the 

Scared Heart Tennis Team 

and their unbelievably good 

pairs, sisters Marisa and 

Kayla Nafso and friends 

Angelina Kakos and Noor 

Simon. These girls have 

played their hearts out and 

it shows! Coached by Chris 

Shaya, this team has plenty to feel 

good about. 

Another pair that is touching 

hearts is Rawan Ita-Diaz and Nadin 

Said, two Chaldean women who 

started The Art Spread, an organization 

that promotes healing through 

art. Reaching cross-country (Rawan 

is here in Michigan while Nadin is 

on the west coast), the non-profit 

is growing in leaps and bounds. 

Rawan’s inspiration for the organization 

was a life-changing injury. The 

only way out is through… 

Addressing a real need in the 

community, the Chaldean Community 

Foundation has developed an 

early childhood education (ECE) 

program called Bright Beginnings. 

Sarah Kittle writes about the importance 

of ECE and how the CCF 

is identifying and targeting specific 

skills, working with the whole family 

to benefit not only the children but 

the entire community. 

In Family Time, we bring you 5 

exciting summer vacation ideas. After 

reading Danielle Alexander’s article, 

I’m trying to decide where to 

take the kids this summer. There are 

many great choices but the ones in 

this column really stand out. 

We began profiling community 

members this month, starting with Haithem 

Sarafa. Haithem has always had a 

heart for the community and gives back 

whenever and however he can. It was 

a pleasure to profile him; look for more 

profiles in upcoming issues. 

Dr. Miri is always entertaining 

with his colorful stories of the past, 

The Chaldean American Chamber and the 

Chaldean Community Foundation are again 

hosting in-person events, and it seems like 

everybody wants to get out of the house. 

and his “part II” of the story of the 

Jewish community in Iraq is no exception. 

His stories are hard to compress 

for print; there’s so much content that 

we have decided to place the more extended 

version on our website. Enjoy! 

We also cover Shenandoah 

Country Club’s move to become a 

private golf club. Struggling through 

the COVID crisis, Shenandoah has 

come out on the other side prepared 

to be more profitable than ever. 

Such is life. 

With gratitude, 

Paul Jonna 

Acting Editor in Chief 

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6 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2021

GUEST column 

The COVID Relief for Employers 

that You May Not Know About 

By now, just about 

everyone has heard 

of PPP loans, EIDL 

Loans, and the various 

grants available to employers 

that have been negatively 

impacted by COVID-19. 

However, there is another 

COVID relief program that 

many people don’t know 

about called the Employee 

Retention Tax Credit 

(ERC). It’s largely unknown 

because when it was first rolled out it 

didn’t apply to a lot of people (you 

couldn’t claim the credit if you got a 

PPP loan), but the rules have since 

changed. Under the new ERC rules, 

many businesses that were impacted 

by COVID are entitled to tens, or 

even hundreds of thousands of dollars 

in COVID relief funds – over 

and above any PPP or EIDL loans 

they might have already received. 

VENAR AYAR 

SPECIAL TO THE 

CHALDEAN NEWS 

Who qualifies for the 

credit? 

Any employer that meets 

any one of the following 

three conditions is a potential 

candidate for the ERC: 

The business was fully 

or partially suspended due 

to a government order, and 

it had more than a nominal 

impact on the business. 

The business experienced 

a significant decline 

in gross receipts for any one quarter 

in 2020 or 2021, compared with the 

same quarter in 2019. The definition 

of “significant decline” varies 

depending on whether the quarter 

pandemic (that’s a partial suspension). 

Since the restaurants meet the 

first test, it wouldn’t even matter if 

they made twice as much money during 

COVID as ever before – they still 

qualify for the credit. 

How is the amount of the credit 

calculated? 

The amount of the credit is calculated 

based on a certain percentage 

of qualified wages the business paid. 

The exact percentage depends on 

the year in which the quarter you are 

claiming the ERC for falls in. For 

quarters in the calendar year 2020, 

the credit would be 50% of the qualified. 

For quarters in the 2021 calen- 

you can claim per employee is $5,000 

for 2020 (50% of $10,000), and 

$28,000 for 2021 (70% of $40,000). 

So, what’s the catch? 

The only catch is that you cannot 

claim the ERC for wages that were 

paid using money the business got 

from the PPP program. So, this is 

where it starts to get complicated: 

to do it right (and get the maximum 

amount possible), you would have to 

analyze all the payroll records for the 

relevant quarters’ week-by-week and 

employee-by-employee and allocate 

the wages between the PPP program 

and the ERC program. The goal is 

to try and make sure you are getting 

100% of your PPP loan forgiven, 

while also getting the biggest ERC 

credit possible. Because the definition 

of “qualified wages” is different 

depending on if you are talking about 

“The ERC is what’s known as a refundable tax credit that is available 

to employers and applied against your payroll (not income) taxes. 

The maximum amount you can get is $33,000 per employee.” 

So how does it work? 

The ERC is what’s known as a refundable 

tax credit that is available 

to employers and applied against 

your payroll (not income) taxes. 

The maximum amount you can get 

is $33,000 per employee. What we 

mean when we say the credit is refundable 

is that the IRS will cut you 

a check for the full amount of the 

tax credit - even if the amount of the 

credit is more than the payroll taxes 

you paid. It’s very similar to a grant 

in this way. A non-refundable credit 

would wipe your tax bill out and carry 

forward, but refundable means you 

still get money back. 

you are looking at is in 2020 or 2021. 

To qualify for 2020, your sales would 

have had to go down by more than 

50%. For 2021, they would have had 

to go down by more than 20% (compared 

to the same quarter in 2019). 

The business was started after 

February 1, 2020, and it has annual 

revenue of less than $1 million. 

Remember – the business only has 

to qualify for any one of the three tests 

to qualify for the credit. For example, 

just about every sit-down restaurant 

would qualify for the credit under the 

first test due to the fact that their indoor 

dining capacity was limited by 

a government order throughout the 

dar year, the amount of the credit is 

70% of the qualified wages. 

For most employers, qualified 

wages include wages paid to employees 

other than the owners of 

the business and their relatives – up 

to a certain maximum amount per 

employee. The maximum amount 

of qualified wages you can claim per 

employee depends on – you guessed it 

– which year we are dealing with. For 

2020 credits, the maximum qualified 

wages are $10,000 per employee (total 

for the year). For 2021, the maximum 

qualified wages are $10,000 per 

employee, per quarter ($40,000 for 

the year). So, the maximum credit 

PPP forgiveness or ERC claims, doing 

the allocations could get pretty 

involved. 

This is a huge opportunity for 

businesses to take the negative impact 

of the pandemic and turn it into 

a positive. If anyone has any specific 

questions about how this works, you 

are welcome to call my office at 248- 

691-5555, and I would be happy to 

spend some time answering your 

questions free of charge. 

Venar Ayar is the Principal Attorney 

at Ayar Law, a Farmington Hills based 

law firm specializing in Tax Law for 

individuals and businesses. 

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FOUNDATION update 

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. 

Legacy Fund 

The Chaldean Community Foundation 

is proud to announce a recent 

grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. 

Legacy Funds administered by the 

Community Foundation for Southeast 

Michigan. 

The grant will go towards funding 

a sports sampling camp for immigrant 

youth at the Chaldean Community 

Foundation. Stay tuned for more information 

regarding the camps soon. 

Parlor Event 

It has been almost a year since the CCF revealed the newly expanded center. With the lifting of pandemic restrictions, 

the Foundation was pleased to hold a small-scale parlor event on the evening of June 2. Business leaders and community 

members enjoyed refreshments and hours d’ oeuvres after a tour of the building – learning more about current programs, 

services and future plans. To cap off the event, a presentation and short video allowed attendees an inside peek of how 

programs continued throughout the pandemic. If you would like to contribute to the CCF, visit www.chaldeanfoundation. 

org to learn more about the ways you can help. 

2021 Academic 

Scholarship Program 

Launching Soon 

Through support from w3r Consulting, 

Yvonne Nona Memorial Scholarship 

Fund, Drs. Nathima and Peter 

Atchoo Family Foundation Scholarship 

Fund, and the Abdulkarim and 

Jamila Sesi Memorial Scholarship 

Fund, the CCF will award more than 

$60,000 in scholarships this year. 

Students can apply online beginning 

Monday, July 12, 2021. For more information, 

please visit our website at 

www.chaldeanfoundation.org. 

Save the Dates 

November 11, 2021 

The Chaldean Community Foundation 

is excited to announce its 3rd 

Annual Awards Gala! This will be 

the premiere annual event to celebrate 

the success of a healthy and vibrant 

Chaldean community here in 

Southeast Michigan. The event will 

take place at the Palazzo Grande at 

54660 Van Dyke Avenue in Shelby 

Township. 

For sponsorship information, call 

586.722.7253 or visit www.chaldeanfoundation.org. 

Southeastern Michigan Association Chiefs of Police Visit CCF 

On June 3rd, the CCF hosted the Southeastern Michigan Association Chiefs of Police (SEMACP) at their facility for a 

luncheon. 45 police chiefs visited the facility and learned more about CCF’s service offerings and ways the Foundation 

helps the community. 

August 1, 2021 

Make a difference and help our displaced 

brothers and sisters obtain 

much needed medications. The 

CCF’s Project Bismutha program will 

be holding a Walk-A-Thon to help 

fundraise and provide the necessary 

medications for families in need. 

The event will take place at 

Camp Chaldean, 1391 Kellogg Road 

in Brighton. It includes a Mass with 

Fr. Rodney at 12:30 PM followed 

by a family picnic. To register, visit 

https://caahp-usa.org/events/2021- 

walk-a-thon/. 


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noteworthy 

Local Designer Awarded 

PHOTO BY BETH SINGER 

Hour Media’s Detroit Design 

magazine is a regional upscale 

home magazine showcasing 

the luxe metropolitan Detroit 

market. For nearly 20 years, the 

magazine has linked readers to the 

state’s leading designers, builders, 

architects, home-accessory manufacturers, 

and more. With captivating 

photography, fascinating stories, and 

updates on must-attend design-industry 

events, they inspire readers to 

fashion their homes with the best in 

luxurious design and fine furnishings. 

Each year, the magazine hosts a 

Detroit Design Awards ceremony, 

honoring architecture firms and 

consulting companies in categories 

such as custom designed millwork, 

stairs and railing, decorative glass 

and mirror, flooring and rugs, interior 

use of stone and tile, lighting, 

and more. 

Sandra Lousia is a designer with 

her own company, SLS Designs, 

Inc. The company has been in existence 

for 8 years but she has been 

in the business for 15. She keeps 

busy within her own community, 

gaining clients by word-of-mouth. 

While working on a photo shoot 

in a house she designed with C-arc 

Design, a high-end luxury residential 

and commercial architectural 

design firm in Bloomfield Hills, the 

photographer was so impressed she 

nudged Sandra to submit the design 

for the Detroit Design Awards. Sandra 

submitted that design and a few 

others, and C-arc Design placed in 

the top three 6 times, including a 

first-place award for her bar design. 

We caught up with Sandra at 

home and talked by phone. “It’s 

such a blessing to be recognized in 

this way,” Lousia shared. “It’s a lot 

of hard work – some of these designs 

take years.” 

Above, from left: Vino Lousia, Sandra Lousia, Alexis Wright, Terry George and Calvin George. 

Top of page: The winning design. 


chaldean DIGEST 

What others are saying about Chaldeans 

Iraq’s Upcoming Election Likely to Disenfranchise Indigenous Assyrians 

The Assyrian flag flutters over the town of Alqosh, 45 kilometers 

north of Mosul, on September 19, 2014. 

Recently, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission 

(IHEC) canceled election participation for citizens 

abroad, disenfranchising nearly 1 million Iraqi citizens in 

advance of early parliamentary elections set for October. 

In a public statement, IHEC announced that the ruling 

comes as a result of “several technical and financial, legal, 

and health obstacles” that could prevent applicants abroad 

from receiving their biometric voting cards by Election Day. 

Bishop Yaldo: Post pandemic and war, our Church 

is revitalized by Pope and youth 

CHALDEAN CHURCH 

MOHAMMED SAWAF/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES 

The commission’s decision was met with mixed reactions, 

with many Iraqis in support. They argue that 

citizens in diaspora should not be making decisions for a 

country they do not reside in—a belief popularized since 

2003 due to the corruption and failures of expatriates, 

who played a dominant role for Iraqis in the U.S.-led 

invasion and subsequent formation of the current government 

and constitution. 

Although this stance has some validity, it fails to consider 

the negative effects the decision will have on Iraqis 

living outside the country, particularly on Indigenous minority 

groups such as the Assyrians. Ethnic Assyrians comprise 

the majority of Iraq’s Christians, with many identifying with 

their church classifications, such as Chaldean or Syriac. 

With competition and deliberate interference from 

external parties amid ongoing population drain, Assyrians 

have struggled to secure legitimate representation. The results 

of the 2018 Iraqi parliamentary elections suggest that 

Assyrians have been effectively excluded from the political 

process. Only one allocated seat—held by the Assyrian 

Democratic Movement—was earned through grassroots 

mobilization, without endorsement or funding from 

ruling parties. 

– Neil Joseph Nakkash, Newsweek 

Baghdad celebrated the first communions of 210 boys and girls this month. 

After the dark years of sectarian violence 

and the still ongoing but “improving” 

situation in the Covid-19 

pandemic, the Iraqi Church, “wants 

to start again with young people and 

Pope Francis’ visit, a moment of celebration 

that continues to bear fruit.” 

Monsignor Basilio Yaldo, auxiliary 

of Baghdad and close collaborator 

of the Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal 

Louis Raphael Sako spoke to AsiaNews 

about the atmosphere of celebration 

for First Communions celebrated 

with over 200 young people from 

the diocese. 

“We are optimistic, especially in 

Baghdad,” says Yaldo, “the heart of 

the country from which to build the 

future.” 

On June 6, Yaldo presided over a 

Mass in the capital with 210 boys and 

girls who celebrated their First Communion. 

A moment of celebration, 

with the church full of family members 

and faithful while respecting - the 

patriarchate is keen to specify - all the 

safety rules to prevent coronavirus outbreaks. 

“The situation has improved a 

lot, especially in Baghdad,” confirms 

the prelate, but “attention must remain 

high, while the vaccination campaign 

that we strongly support continues 

throughout the country.” 

Many activities have restarted 

such as catechism, youth meetings, 

and masses, designed to give hope 

after past sufferings. “We are working 

on a general gathering of young 

people scheduled for next month,” 

says Yaldo, “a moment of prayer, 

celebration and reflection on the 

Pope’s visit, this will be the theme 

on which we focus…an extraordinary 

event that we must keep alive 

and whose teachings we must put 

into practice, renewing the message 

of hope for Christians in Iraq and 

throughout the Middle East.” 

– Asia News 

The church at Camp Chaldean in Genoa 

Township, shown April 29, 2021. 

Proposed Chaldean 

church retreat 

center hits another 

roadblock with 

Genoa Township 

Southfield-based Chaldean Catholic 

Church of the U.S.A. is proposing 

a more than 28,000-square-foot retreat 

center and two-story dormitory 

with 40-bedroom units for up to 80 

people next to St. George Shrine at 

Our Lady of the Fields Camp on Kellogg 

Road. It is often called “Camp 

Chaldean.” 

An existing campground on the 

property features cabins, a banquet 

hall, a high ropes course, a beach and a 

shrine for prayer and mass. The church 

The Chaldean Church 

hopes to build a new retreat 

center and dormitory but 

has run into roadblocks. 

operates a youth camp there. Families 

and groups also rent cabins and the 

banquet center for private events. 

The Chaldean Church hopes to 

build a new retreat center and dormitory 

but has run into roadblocks 

put up by the Genoa Township 

Planning Commission amid neighbors’ 

concerns about traffic, noise, 

lights, and a purportedly adverse effect 

on home property values. 

The Commission is giving the 

Church time to address those concerns 

and submit a revised plan; a 

public hearing will be rescheduled at 

a later date. 

– Jennifer Timar, Livingston Daily 

GILLIS BENEDICT/LIVINGSTON DAILY 


IRAQ today 

Chesterton High School opens in Iraq, 

with an emphasis on classical education 

BY DOREEN ABI RAAD, CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

Catholic education is taking 

another step forward in Irbil 

in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, affirming 

the country’s historical leadership 

role in academia. 

In the fall, Mar Qardakh School, 

a kindergarten through ninth grade 

Catholic institution, will open a 

high school, the Chesterton Academy 

of St. Thomas the Apostle, in 

the northern Iraq city. 

Named for G.K. Chesterton, the 

renowned early 20th century English 

writer, philosopher and lay theologian 

who became Catholic, Chesterton 

schools employ the classical approach 

to education, emphasizing history, 

language studies and literature. 

The academy is one of several initiatives 

established under Chaldean 

Archbishop Bashar Warda of Irbil to 

help Christians remain in Iraq. The 

Christian presence dates to apostolic 

times. In 2003, there were 1.5 million 

Christians in Iraq, but today 

observers estimate about 250,000 

remain. 

In summer 2014, more than 

120,000 Iraqi Christians were uprooted 

from their homes in Mosul 

and the Ninevah Plain by Islamic 

State militants and sought refuge 

in the Irbil Archdiocese. The archdiocese 

coordinated emergency aid, 

housing, education, and pastoral care 

for the displaced families. 

Aside from Mar Qardakh School, 

which is internationally accredited, 

Archbishop Warda has established 

three other schools. In 2015, he 

founded the Catholic University of 

Erbil. He most recently established 

Maryamana Hospital, also in Irbil. 

The institutions serve people of all 

faith traditions and cultures. 

“Education is the key to building 

bridges of peace, reconciliation and 

coexistence, especially in the Middle 

East,” Archbishop Warda told Catholic 

News Service. 

In developing the academy, 

Archbishop Warda invited a delegation 

from the U.S.-based Society of 

Gilbert Keith Chesterton to Irbil to 

see the education work already underway. 

The society’s mission is to 

promote Catholic education, evangelization, 

and the church’s social 

In September 2021, the Archdiocese of Irbil and the U.S.-based Chesterton Schools 

Network will launch St. Thomas Chesterton Academy, a classical Christian secondary 

education track for students at Mar Qardakh School in Irbil, Iraq. 

teaching. 

The visit originally was scheduled 

for February 2020 but was postponed 

to coincide with Pope Francis’ pastoral 

visit to Iraq this past March. 

Andrew Youngblood, director 

of curriculum for the Chesterton 

Schools Network, said Archbishop 

Warda welcomed the society’s team 

to Iraq three days before the pope’s 

March 5 arrival. 

“Over the next few days, we were 

able to tour schools, the hospital, and 

the university that the archbishop 

has created,” Youngblood told CNS. 

“We heard the stories about the internally 

displaced people that arrived 

in Irbil in 2014, whom he helped organize 

into camps and then quickly 

moved into housing so that they had 

greater safety and dignity. 

“We saw the sustainable world 

that he is creating to provide these 

people health care, education and 

jobs. He truly is a shepherd who cares 

for his flock,” Youngblood added. 

To the delegation’s surprise, Kurdish 

officials approved the Chesterton 

Academy within 24 hours. 

“Much of the goodwill we experienced 

is attributable to the respect 

people have for the archbishop and 

to the excitement people had because 

of the papal visit,” Youngblood 

said. 

But Youngblood also felt there 

was “an overwhelming amount of 

grace involved” leading to the academy’s 

development, the network’s first 

in the Middle East. 

The first Chesterton Academy 

opened in 2007 in the Twin Cities 

area of Minnesota. The network now 

has 30 schools. Officials are aiming 

for 150 schools within a decade. 

“My vision is to create an environment 

where students are empowered 

to acquire and value knowledge 

and skills to support them through 

different aspects of their lives,” said 

Hala Warda, headmistress of Mar 

Qardakh School. She is not related 

to the archbishop. 

“My hope is to raise students who 

are lifelong learners, who can contribute 

to their local as well as global 

communities,” Hala Warda said. 

There is a strong U.S. connection 

as well among the archbishop, Hala 

Warda and a Franciscan-run university 

in Ohio. 

On May 15, Hala Warda received 

two master’s degrees from the Franciscan 

University of Steubenville, 

CNS PHOTO/COURTESY ARCHDIOCESE OF IRBIL 

one in business administration and 

another in science in education administration. 

Archbishop Warda was on campus 

the same day to receive an honorary 

doctorate degree for his advocacy 

and outstanding service to Iraqis 

suffering from persecution, terrorism 

and unrest during the country’s recent 

tumultuous past. 

For the archbishop, the bond with 

the university had been established 

earlier. In 2019, for example, he and 

the university’s president, Franciscan 

Father David Pivonka, signed a 

memorandum of understanding that 

includes cultural exchanges and the 

development of programs between 

the Catholic University of Erbil and 

Franciscan University of Steubenville. 

That bond was strengthened 

when Father Pivonka led a university 

delegation to Irbil, joining the Chesterton 

society team. 

“The archbishop realizes the importance 

of making progress in education,” 

Hala Warda said. “Thanks 

to his efforts, Christian families have 

greater hope for a bright future for 

their children.” 

Further, she said, the pope’s visit 

“brought so much attention to our 

Christian communities in Iraq.” 

“It was very emotional for our 

people to realize that they are not 

forgotten by their Christian brothers 

and sisters,” Hala Warda told CNS. 

“Chesterton Academy’s collaboration 

with Mar Qardakh School will 

serve as another example that we are 

not forgotten, and there are efforts to 

help us get back on our feet and become 

an integral part of our society 

once again.” 

Most Mar Qardakh students 

come from low-income households 

and many of them attend school 

tuition-free. 

“We greatly depend on contributions 

from generous individuals and 

organizations to maintain our educational 

work,” she said. 

Editor’s Note: Information about 

donating to Mar Qardakh School 

through St. Thomas Mission is online 

at stmiraq.org. 


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FAMILY time 

5 Family Summer Vacation Ideas 

BY DANIELLE ALEXANDER 

Even though Michigan summers are what 

we Michiganders live for, taking a family 

trip this season just makes sense since the 

kiddos are already out of school. Whether you 

would like to stay in the state or venture somewhere 

else, I encourage you to book that trip. 

Raquel Jalou Orow, the owner of Pure Star 

Travel in Troy, agrees. “With many airlines and 

hotels taking the proper safety measures to keep 

travelers safe, as well as with the vaccine now 

out, I absolutely encourage everyone to travel 

this summer,” Orow says. “Traveling allows us to 

hit the refresh button in our lives and rejuvenates 

our body and mind.” 

Hilton Head, South Carolina 

If you are in the mood for southern hospitality, 

Hilton Head is another favorite of Orow’s, especially 

for those who are seeking an action-packed 

adventure including bike riding, tennis, fishing 

and more. It is also the home of Harbour Town 

Golf Links, which, since 1969, has been where 

the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour has been 

hosted. 

“While there, I suggest taking a ferry to Savannah, 

and you will find yourself on River Street 

where you can enjoy shopping and dining,” Orow 

Mackinac Island 

As a kid, all I remember about Mackinac Island 

is the fudge (and the stuff all over the street 

that resembled but definitely was not fudge), so 

when my husband told me he wanted to book 

a trip with the kids there last August, I was 

not overly excited. I also knew that after many 

months of being at home, we all needed to unplug 

and get out. 

To my surprise, even during the pandemic, 

it was one of my favorite family trips! The kids 

loved that we got to leave our car behind and 

take a ferry to the island. Although you can rent 

them, we decided to not only bring our bikes 

with us, but also the bike carrier in case the kids 

got tired of pedaling. This made getting around 

the island so much easier, and we never had to 

book or wait for a horse-drawn taxi to take us 

into town. 

Between visiting Fort Mackinac, shopping in 

town and dining at a variety of restaurants (our 

favorite being Woods Restaurant), our days were 

pretty full. We stayed at the Inn at Stonecliffe 

where we could wind down at the outdoor pool, 

which I would highly recommend! 

Top of page: Raquel Orow, Amelia Orow, Alaina Orow and Gabrielle Mekani enjoyed their time at Freshfields Village 

in Kiawah Island. Above: Overlooking Kiawah Island, Huda Jalou, Najeb Jalou, Jacob Orow, John Orow, Raquel Orow, 

Amelia Orow, Alaina Orow, Gabrielle Mekani and Dianna Jalou pose at The Ocean Course’s 18th hole. 

Grand Rapids 

Although I would easily repeat our Mackinac Island 

trip, I was interested to hear a travel agent’s 

perspective. Out of the four family trips she suggested, 

the first was Grand Rapids, which is only 

a couple-hour drive from the metro Detroit area. 

“From world-class golf to beautiful beaches to 

a vibrant downtown, Grand Rapids has it all,” 

Orow says. 

For the family, she highly recommended both 

John Ball Zoo and Frederik Meijer Gardens, one 

of the nation’s most significant sculpture and 

botanical experiences. It includes the state’s 

largest tropical conservatory, five indoor theme 

gardens, outdoor gardens, nature trails, a boardwalk 

and more. If you have toddlers or younger 

children, Orow said to consider visiting Millennium 

Park, where you will find a six-acre beach 

and splash pad complete with sprayers, buckets 

and splashers. 

says, “You could also hop on a guided history tour 

aboard a trolley and learn about over 300 years of 

history.” 

Kiawah Island, South Carolina 

If you were hoping for a vacation full of rest and 

relaxation or wanted to bring along the grandparents, 

Orow said another spot in South Carolina to 

check out is Kiawah Island. 

She had two restaurant suggestions: The Ryder 

Cup Bar, which is located at the 18th hole 

of the Ocean Course, and Mingo Point Oyster 

Roast and BBQ. At the Ryder Cup, you can sit 

on the veranda and enjoy a cocktail while taking 

in incredible views of the Atlantic. It is also the 

perfect spot to watch the kids play on the practice 

green while you enjoy dinner. Mingo Point is a hit 

as well since they roast oysters on an open fire and 

serve “the best” ribs and pulled pork. 

Jackson Hole and Grand Teton 

National Park, Wyoming 

Orow described this family trip destination as a 

“400-square mile gem with everything you need.” 

If you are in the mood for thrill-seeking activities, 

there is white water rafting, rock climbing, hiking 

and fishing. 

For animal and nature lovers, she recommends a 

visit to Yellowstone National Park where you can not 

only stumble upon bison, wolves, moose, elk, bears 

and more, but you can see -firsthand - Old Faithful. 

Also visit the Grand Prismatic Spring, which, because 

of its breathtakingly bright colors is the most 

photographed thermal feature at Yellowstone. 

Since freelance writer Danielle Alexander did Mackinac 

Island with her family last year, she is currently deciding 

which of Orow’s four trip recommendations she plans to 

take the fam on this summer! 



RELIGION 

Bishop’s Special Appointments Announced 

Mar Francis Y. Kalabat, Bishop 

of the Chaldean Diocese of 

St. Thomas the Apostle, recently 

announced the changes that will 

take place within the Church as regards 

to the Chaldean clergy, effective August 

1. You may notice some new faces; 

we wanted to introduce them here. 

Father Manuel Boji, who currently 

serves as Pastor of Holy Martyrs 

Parish in Sterling Heights, will 

enter retirement. He has served 

with distinction, and we wish him 

luck and Godspeed. Father Selwan 

Taponi will be taking over for him. 

Father Selwan currently serves as 

Administrator of St. Paul Parish in 

Grand Blanc. 

Father Fadi Philip, who currently 

serves as Pastor at Our Lady 

of Perpetual Help in Warren will be 

replaced by Father Rudy Zoma, who 

is currently with St. Joseph Parish in 

Troy. Father Fadi will become Pastor 

at Sacred Heart Parish in Warren. 

Father Sameen Balius, currently 

serving as Pastor of Sacred Heart 

Parish has been appointed Pastor 

of St. Joseph Parish in Troy, and 

Father Pierre Konja, Associate 

Pastor at Holy Cross in Farmington 

Hills will become Pastor of St. 

Thomas Parish in West Bloomfield. 

Associate Pastor at Mother of 

God Parish in Southfield Father Patrick 

Setto has been appointed Administrator 

to that Parish, extending 

his service there for one year, and 

Father Matthew Zetouna, Associate 

Pastor at Mart Mariam Parish in 

Northbrook, Illinois will have his 

service there extended for a year. 

Father Andrew Seba has been 

appointed Associate Pastor at St. 

Joseph Parish in Troy. He will also 

be ministering periodically in Jacksonville, 

Florida. Father John Jaddou 

will also stay at St. Joseph as 

Associate Pastor for another year. 

Father Sanharib Youkhana will 

be appointed as the Director of Hospital 

and Nursing Home Ministries, 

an extension of his liturgical responsibilities 

at Mother of God Parish 

in Southfield, and Deacon Sermed 

Ashkouri will continue to serve the 

Chaldean Mission in Wayland, Massachusetts. 

These changes are designed to 

keep the clergy active within the 

community and infuse new ideas and 

relationships into the Parishes. St. 

Paul Parish assignments have yet to 

be announced. 

Father Manuel Boji Father Selwan Taponi Father Fadi Philip Father Rudy Zoma 

Father Sameen Balius Father Pierre Konja Father Patrick Setto Father Matthew Zetouna 

Father Andrew Seba Father John Jaddou Father Sanharib Youkhana Deacon Sermed Ashkouri 


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Do you support tobacco-free parks in Sterling Heights to 

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in MEMORIAM 

RECENTLY DECEASED COMMUNITY MEMBERS 

Sahiel Hindo 

Jul 1, 1954 - 

Jun 2, 2021 

Wardi Yalda 

Youanes 

Feb 13, 1951 - 

May 30, 2021 

Thamer 

Hanna Namo 

Jun 7, 1965 - 


Adel Noja 

(Noocha) 

Nov 21, 1943 - 


Susan Qashat 

Sep 16, 1959 - 


Jirjis Yousif Asee 

Jul 1, 1934 - 


Labeba Jazrawi 

Mar 19, 1935 - 


James “Jim” 

Mansoor 

Sep 23, 1950 - 


James Mike 

Rayes 

Feb 18, 1970 - 


Joseph “Joey” 

Saywa 

Mar 15, 1989 - 


Ramzi Elyia 

Danial 

Mar 2, 1958 - 


Butrus Jibrael Aal 

Eshaq 

Jul 1, 1940 - 


Mudhafar Hasso 

Jan 15, 1941 - 


Bernadette 

Jerjees Rabban 

Jul 1, 1935 - 


Nouri Antoon 

Yasso 

Apr 1, 1931 - 


Nadira “Bell” 

Asmaro 

Feb 28, 1961 - 


Ferial Hesano 

Sep 5, 1949 - 

May 20, 202 

Souad Oram 

Poota 

May 2, 1951 - 


Shafika Yalda 

Jul 1, 1928 - 


Sabah Aziz 

Hanna 

Apr 1, 1937 - 


Adward Bole 

Jul 1, 1948 - 


Abdulahad 

“Ghazi” Abdal 

Jul 1, 1937 - 


Adela Sitto 

“Intisar” Nalou 

Dec 13, 1941 - 


Sami Aziz Paulos 

Abouna 

Jan 19, 1947 - 


Raid Shamoon 

Aishoo 

Apr 2, 1972 - 


Bernadet Aziz 

“Nawal” Peter 

Dec 17, 1946 - 


Suham Bahoura 

Yeldo 

Jan 1, 1947 - 


Sami Ghazi 

Shallal 

Nov 2, 1960 - 


Juliet Azaria 

Gewarges 

Jul 1, 1947 - 


Mariam Ishak 

Hanna 

Mar 4, 1947 - 


Hassina Ayar 

Denha 

Sep 2, 1930 - 


Binyamen Toma 

Israul 

Oct 25, 1945 - 


Hilwa Ayoub 

Mousa 

Jul 1, 1930 - 


Saad Mekhail 

Sep 26, 1970 - 


Marta Shamoon 

Jan 7, 1936 - 


Abdel Ahad Tobia 

“Abed” Seiba 

May 1, 1940 - 


Cheryl Yaldoo 

Apr 12, 1958 - 


Jule Shaba 

Jul 1, 1933 - 


Viyolet Saleem 

Mati 

Jul 1, 1931 - 


Bushra Razoqi 

Bato 

Apr 10, 1963 - 



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community PROFILE 

Haithem Sarafa: A Profile of Giving 

BY M. LAPHAM 

Haithem Sarafa came to 

America from Iraq as a child, 

found opportunity and success, 

then made a life-long commitment 

to give back to his community. 

He has helped students get a good 

education, made Christmas merry for 

a lot of people, including the less 

fortunate, and resurrected a brewery 

deeply engrained in Michigan history. 

Born in Baghdad in 1957, he 

came to America in 1963 with his 

parents Karim and Bernadette. He 

credits them for teaching him to give 

back to the community. Karim was 

the president of Southfield Manor for 

two terms from 1969-72. Bernadette 

was heavily involved in the Chaldean 

Ladies of Charity. 

“I enjoy giving back,” says Sarafa. 

“It is what my parents raised us to 

do.” 

They also taught him the value 

of education and sent him to Brother 

Rice High School in Bloomfield 

Hills. After graduating in 1975, he 

continued to give back to the school, 

sending all three of his sons there. 

“(Brother Rice) was a great place 

for my education, development, and 

my spirituality,” Sarafa says. Over 

the decades, many Chaldeans have 

passed through the halls of Brother 

Rice High School. Haithem Sarafa 

was the first to join its Spirit of 

Blessed Edmund Society. 

Sarafa jokes that his father once 

told him, “If you stay with a place 

and keep showing up, they will eventually 

give you an award.” 

In truth, it was the charity work 

he did for the school, specifically Boxing 

Night, that earned him the place 

in that society. The annual Boxing 

Night includes fellowship, food and 

drinks, casino games and University 

of Michigan collegiate boxing. The 

main event features an alumni match. 

All the money goes to the alumni 

scholarship fund. This year it raised 

enough for 18 scholarships. 

Like his father, Sarafa attended 

the University of Michigan. 

He earned a Bachelor of Business 

Administration in Accounting from 

the Ross School of Business in 1979, 

joining Bendix Corporation as a staff 

accountant. In 1980, he returned to 

U-M and graduated from the Ross 

School of Business in 1982 with his 

Haithem Sarafa plays Santa Claus for the Chaldean Community Foundation’s Breaking Barriers program. 

MBA in Finance. 

As Sarafa’s father was preparing 

to change careers, he convinced his 

son to come along with him to Law 

School at University of Detroit. The 

younger Sarafa graduated with a Juris 

Doctorate in Real Estate and Tax 

Law in 1985. 

After a stint practicing law in 

Farmington Hills, he found himself 

president of Domino Farms. He 

oversaw the formation of a petting 

zoo, a Frank Lloyd Wright Museum, 

a classic car collection, and one of 

his favorites, a golf course on Drummond 

Island for the company’s lodge. 

What meant the most to him, 

however, was the Christmas light 

show, which he felt he had to save. 

The first show in 1991 was a disaster. 

It disrupted traffic so badly people 

complained, and Domino Farms decided 

one year was enough. 

However, Sarafa did not see it 

as an irredeemable mess. He saw a 

good idea that could use some tweaking. 

He brought the lights back in 

1993, charged people $5.00 to take 

the drive, and made a deal with local 

charities to man the show one night 

a year. At the end of the night, the 

money would go to whichever charity 

was working. 

In those years, he helped raise 

more than a million dollars for various 

southeastern Michigan charities. 

He was named Ann Arbor Ambassador 

of the Year in 1994. 

When founder Tom Monahan 

sold Domino Farms in 1994, Sarafa 

left. From there he moved to his 

brother’s newly formed investment 

firm, Zaske, Sarafa, and Associates. 

They invested in a variety of 

things including a shopping center as 

far north as Traverse City. However, 

their most notable investment was 

the Frankenmuth Brewing Company, 

the oldest brewery in Michigan. 

It was originally bought on behalf of 

a client, but the sale fell through, so 

Sarafa and his brother took ownership. 

Sarafa is president of the brewery, 

which also has restaurant and banquet 

hall. Despite a history of overseeing 

restaurants from his Dominos 

Farms days, he acknowledges owning 

a restaurant is a tough business, but 

says he enjoys the work. Through 

the brewery, he found another way to 

give back. 

In his history of giving, this would 

mean the most to him personally, 

and again it would have to do with 

Christmas. 

In 2015, Sarafa had a stroke, and 

fortunately, for the most part, recovered. 

However, he could no longer 

shave. 

Frankenmuth is well known as 

the “Christmas Capital,” so after a 

number of people commented on 

his resemblance to Santa Claus, he 

decided to take up the role and play 

Father Christmas. 

“Being in Frankenmuth at Christmas, 

it made sense,” he says. The act 

of spreading joy in the famous red 

suit fits Haithem well. When people 

ask him to do things in the Santa 

outfit, he can’t wait to say “yes!” 

Each year he plays Santa for the 

kids in the community and gives them 


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the whole Christmas experience. All 

the money he raises goes to the Chaldean 

Community Foundation. 

He even has his younger brothers 

appear as elves, but the story 

does not end there. During the holiday 

season, Sarafa goes into grocery 

stores dressed as St. Nick and pays for 

the groceries of select families. 

Sarafa’s community outreach 

does not stop at his former schools 

or places of business, or even the 

Foundation. The grocery purchase 

embodies his philosophy – Pay it Behind 

You. It is a campaign he started 

to encourage people to help others. 

He gives out “Pay it Behind You” 

business cards after he pays for someone’s 

groceries, meal, or whatever. 

The card gives the basic idea and a 

link to the website. The idea is to encourage 

people to either do the same 

or give some money to charity. The 

website offers plenty of examples and 

links. 

Sarafa is certainly a man who 

has had a lot of luck in his life, but 

never let success stop him from being 

the change he wanted to see in the 

world. 

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Recovering from COVID: Businesses Adapt 


Of all the difficulties emerging 

during the pandemic and 

in the economic recovery 

emerging in its wake, the largest, by 

far, is a lack of workers and the CO- 

VID “hangover” among those who 

are returning to work. 

Some industries have fared better 

than others in the battle to bring 

back workers as rising vaccination 

rates and declining cases of COV- 

ID-19 allow many workplaces to get 

back to business. 

“Nobody is incentivized to work 

when they are making more money 

through government benefits, whether 

it’s stimulus money, the state or federal 

unemployment 

money,” 

said Jason Najor, 

an entrepreneur 

who owns businesses 

in several 

industries, 

including a cell 

phone remanufacturing 

com- 

Jason Najor 

pany, a banquet 

hall and several Beyond Juice healthy 

convenience food restaurants. 

“You are competing with your 

government, which means you have 

to pay people at least $17, $18 an 

hour. 

“When you do that, it eats into 

your profit margin, which would 

cause you to increase your selling 

prices, then your clientele gets upset 

at you so you’re going to lose business. 

So, when you lose business then 

how can you afford to pay people? It’s 

a vicious cycle.” 

He says the cumulative total 

of government benefits adds up to 

about $17 per hour and points out 

that leaves people with a choice to 

work for $17 per hour or do nothing 

and make the same money. 

Workers Slow to Return 

“Our biggest 

challenge has 

been quite simply 

getting applicants 

in the 

door to re-staff 

to pre-pandemic 

levels. We utilize 

recruiting 

Sylvester Sandiha tools such as indeed, 

hotel talent agencies, hiring 

The staff at Super Fair Cellular 

signs, referral bonuses, etc. and we 

just aren’t getting any action,” said 

Sylvester Sandiha, who, with his 

family, operates Pinnacle Hospitality, 

a hospitality management and development 

firm that operates a number 

of hotel businesses. 

“In the majority of cases, for the 

few applicants we do get, they either 

don’t show up for interviews or when 

hired just don’t come into work— 

even with an increase in pay and bonus 

structures,” he said. 

Najor said he is short workers in 

all of his businesses; his cellular company 

is short 10 people, Beyond Juice 

is short 20 people and the banquet 

hall is short 5 to 10 people. 

More government help? 

Some legislators 

are hearing 

the message 

and getting to 

work on solutions. 

According 

to the Wall 

Street Journal 

in June, “A proposal 

from Senator 

Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and 

Rep. Andy Levin 

Representative Andy Levin (D-MI) 

would give federal funding to local 

workforce-development groups to 

provide job training and placement 

for people out of work for more than 

six months; a group that is more 

likely to experience long-term problems, 

such as lower future wages and 

lifetime earnings and lower rates of 

homeownership. 

On the Republican side, Representative 

Kevin Brady of Texas 

and Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho 

have proposed allowing states to 

use federal jobless aid to make onetime 

payments of between $600 and 

$1,200 for people who find a job after 

receiving unemployment benefits. 

“The proposals would also accelerate 

a planned increase in funding for federal 

re-employment services, which 

connect benefit recipients with potential 

employers, and expand eligibility 

to contractors and gig economy 

workers,” reported the Wall Street 

Journal. 

Currently under congressional 

consideration is the Long-Term 

Unemployment Elimination Act, 

co-sponsored by Levin in the U.S. 

House of Representatives. 

Representative Levin said in a 

statement to the CN: “As someone 

who used to run a state workforce 

system, I know that people who have 

been out of the workforce for a prolonged 

period have the hardest time 

getting back in the game. My Long- 

Term Unemployment Elimination 

Act works with the state and the 

local workforce boards to get these 

people directly into subsidized job 

training that leads to an in-demand 

job with a local employer. We have 

got to deal with this issue and its 

complexity, to get American workers 

the skills and support they need 

to overcome their barriers to employment 

and provide employers the 

skilled workforce they need to fire on 

all cylinders once again.” 

That measure would, “provide 

targeted funding to local areas to 

generate work opportunities and 

get these Americans back into the 

workforce,” according to a congressional 

press release. The legislation 

provides supports to help people 

overcome the barriers keeping them 

out of the workforce – such as transportation, 

childcare, job readiness 

training, substance abuse treatment, 

or assistance finding a permanent job 

– and training programs that build 

skills to sustain permanent employment. 

“The jobs would generally last 

for one year,” the report explains. 

“This would provide enough time 

to accomplish valuable work and 

build solid experience and could be 

extended for an additional year to 

support apprenticeships and other 

on-the-job training.” The job could 

be at a private business, non-profit, 

employment social enterprise, or 

government agency. 


“With mandatory federal funding, 

the program can grow large 

enough to serve anyone who is longterm 

unemployed and wants to participate,” 

the report goes on. “The 

plan is designed to address long-term 

unemployment under all economic 

conditions — the program will automatically 

expand during periods 

of high unemployment. The bill also 

provides competitive grants to local 

areas to support innovation and investment 

in areas hit hardest by high 

poverty and chronic joblessness, 

which would give additional flexibility 

and support in the places where it 

is needed most.” 

According to the release, “These 

grants would support locally-driven 

development, worker-owned enterprises, 

and other strategies to ensure 

that area residents are part of the 

process and benefit from the results.” 

Still, recent government efforts 

from both sides of the aisle appear focused 

on the supply side, on workers, 

and they tend be one-size-fits-all. 

However, it is the massive financial 

incentives in COVID relief measures 

that erode workers’ motivation 

to return. Further, businesses face 

uneven challenges as they struggle to 

get to the gold standard—2019 revenue 

and profit levels. 

Uneven Challenges 

Some restaurants have been able 

to shift to a carryout-only format, 

reducing their real estate footprint 

and moving to online only ordering, 

which eliminates the need for 

cashiers. Najor said Chipotle burrito 

shops have experimented with this 

model. 

Big box retailer Costco bumped 

up its wage structure, but has increased 

the number of self-checkout 

stations, resulting in fewer, higherpaid 

employees, said Najor. 

However, in some cases, reducing 

physical space and employees is not 

an option. Sandiha said hotels cannot 

reduce their hours, reduce the 

space needed for their business, or 

automate employee functions. 

Still, they have trouble recruiting 

employees despite paying well above 

minimum wage. Short employees, 

Sandiha said managers end up working 

front desk shifts, preparing rooms 

and doing laundry. 

Everyone businessperson interviewed 

for this story views wellintended 

government efforts to provide 

worker relief as a disincentive 

for people to return to work. 

Sandiha said COVID protocols 

have created a grab-and-go dining 

policy, hampering the hot breakfast 

spreads many hotels offer their 

guests. Rooms are cleaned and serviced 

during guest stays only upon 

request. 

The overall effect is reduced amenities 

for guests, who then sometimes 

write bad reviews about their hotel 

stay, despite well-publicized temporary 

changes posted on the businesses’ 

website and disclosed when guests 

book their stay. 

Sandiha and Najor reported many 

applicants applying for jobs to satisfy 

unemployment benefit conditions, 

but very few who respond to follow 

up calls and show up for scheduled 

interviews. 

Government subsidies for workers 

will phase out beginning in September 

when federally enhanced 

unemployment benefits end and extended 

state unemployment benefits 

revert to the standard 26 weeks. 

Everything costs more 

Still, Najor said 

the COVID labor 

force hangover 

will continue 

into 2022 

and a cycle of 

reduced labor 

and increased 

costs will be 

slow to fade. 

Commercial 

Kevin Denha 

real estate landlord Kevin Denha 

has seen prices for contract electricians, 

plumbers and other tradespeople 

increase 15-20% since the 

beginning of the year. He said his 

company, Vision Investment Partners, 

employs a small office staff but 

relies heavily on contractors. 

He said many of his contractors 

cannot respond quickly due 

to labor shortages of their own and 

cannot commit to smaller jobs. He 

has been forced to turn to handymen 

and other alternatives to keep 

his tenants’ properties well maintained. 

“You have to have a whole roster 

of people to fall back on. You 

have to have multiple vendors. I 

don’t like doing that, but it’s the 

nature of the game right now,” he 

said. 

For Denha there is a silver lining 

of sorts in that the high cost of 

construction ensures that is more 

COVID continued on page 41 

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The Art Spread: Healing Through Art 

BY LISA CIPRIANO 

Sometimes beauty and purpose 

emerge from tragedy and 

struggle. That is exactly what 

happened to then 27-year-old architectural 

student and design specialist 

Rawan Ita-Diaz when her life’s path 

and purpose changed forever after 

being struck by a vehicle in 2017, 

leaving her wheelchair-bound. 

“That accident took all of that 

away. It took all of my independence 

away. I suffer from mental and physical 

limitations due to my injuries. I 

felt very alone.” she explained. 

Ita-Diaz’s life changed drastically 

that day. So she naturally turned to 

art, specifically painting, as both a creative 

and emotional outlet. And from 

there, the seeds of The Art Spread 

were sown to help others do the same. 

“It’s my therapy and mental relief. 

I don’t know what I would’ve been doing 

for the past four years while I try to 

improve myself physically. Art found 

me and it’s my life now. It is my purpose” 

she said. 

Ita-Diaz and 

her cousin, Nadin 

Said, together 

developed the 

idea of The Art 

Spread to help 

others with various 

life struggles 

find relief and 

personal expres- 

Nadin Said, 

Co-founder and 

Managing Director 

sion through 

art; the same relief that Ita-Diaz has 

found and so desperately needed. 

The name ‘The Art Spread’ was 

chosen because they want to share 

art and spread awareness of mental 

health issues at the same time. The 

organization’s main focus is inclusion 

so that others can feel a sense of community 

and understanding and won’t 

feel so alone, like Ita-Diaz once did. 

The two cousins, who came separately 

to the United States from 

Iraq as refugees in the 1990s, are no 

strangers to adversity and perseverance 

and felt that they could help 

others. Ita-Diaz and Said worked together 

to create The Art Spread - a 

non-profit, 501c3 organization with 

the mission of helping support those 

with mental, physical and societal 

challenges showcase their experiences 

through art. 

They got to work by building 

their online presence and brand, 

Clockwise from top of page: 1. The Art Spread event participants with swag. 2. Co-founder and Creative Director Rawan Ita-Diaz. 3. 

Featured speaker on multiple sclerosis, Lindsey Joy Holcomb. 

hosting a virtual launch event for 

The Art Spread this past March. 

“We got like 60 subscribers that 

first day. It was a really great response! 

We have all kinds of people 

from young professionals looking to 

deal with the stresses of a new job, 

to artists, to college students looking 

to do this at home as a stress relief, 

to parents looking to get their kids 

involved.” explained Ita-Diaz. 

The idea of hosting their art and 

therapy workshops and events virtually 

was a big success, not only due 

to the COVID-19 pandemic but also 

the mobility issues that others like 

Ita-Diaz face. 

“COVID has made things more 

virtual, overall. But, even before the 

virus, if you couldn’t leave your home 

because of various issues, it was so hard 

to become involved in anything. So, 

we really wanted to recognize and accommodate 

that,” said Ita-Diaz. “But, 

if you want to meet in person, you can 

also come out to a park with us and 

paint. It was important to us to include 

both a virtual and in person experience 

to include everyone,” she added. 

The Art Spread also serves as 

a source of much needed connection 

and healing for those struggling 

with loneliness, isolation and mental 


JOHN LOUSSIA 

CANCER FOUNDATION 

Educating the community about 

the importance of prostate cancer 

screening and men’s health. 

The John Loussia Cancer Foundation provides 

financial assistance to those impacted 

by the high cost of medical expenses, 

in memory of the late John Loussia. 

The Art Spread offers healing and expression through art. 

health challenges due to or worsened 

by the abrupt life changes brought on 

by the COVID-19 world pandemic. 

“Out last event was on mental 

health awareness and how it’s just 

skyrocketed since COVID. We had 

a licensed therapist who was able to 

give tips on how to cope and guide 

them on how they can reach out to 

a professional for help,” Ita-Diaz said. 

In fact, at least one participant 

of that event confided that it helped 

her decide to see a therapist for her 

mental health issues. Ita-Diaz feels 

like she is helping to break down 

some barriers. 

“There were three Middle Eastern 

women in that mental health 

group and we were discussing how in 

our Chaldean culture, we traditionally 

don’t talk about mental health. 

Now, it’s changing a bit, but they 

never really used to recognize it,” she 

explained. “It’s hard enough to deal 

with mental health issues without 

having to be afraid to talk about it or 

ask for help,” added Ita-Diaz. 

Coping with anxiety and brain 

issues like multiple sclerosis are also 

topics that The Art Spread has tackled 

and its members have painted 

through. 

You don’t have to be an artist to 

enjoy the benefits of The Art Spread. 

Ita-Diaz creates downloadable templates 

that relate to each month’s 

subject matter for The Art Spread’s 

participants to print and use to paint 

along with her during an event. In 

the end, each work of art reflects the 

uniqueness of each participant’s personal 

journey through use of color 

and individual technique. 

“Quite often we can express our 

feelings more through colors than 

words, and I’m one of those people,” 

Ita-Diaz stated. 

Another way that The Art Spread 

brings people together through art is 

by promoting an ever-growing list 

of featured artists and helping them 

earn a living through their work. Its 

website offers pieces for sale to those 

who find a connection with the personal 

experience reflected in them or 

just simply because of their beauty. 

There are monthly newsletters, You- 

Tube tutorials, and artist interviews 

available to subscribers as well. 

If you would like to learn more about 

how to become involved in The Art 

Spread, visit www.theartspread.org. 

You can also follow them on YouTube 

by typing “The Art Spread” in the 

search bar and on social media at 

spread_art (Instagram) and SpreadArt 

(Facebook). 

Did you know? 

PROSTATE 

CANCER 

IS THE 

SECOND LEADING 

CAUSE OF DEATH 

ON AVERAGE MEN LIVE ABOUT 

5 YEARS LESS 

THAN WOMEN 

MEN HAVE A 

HIGHER DEATH RATE 

FOR MOST LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH 

INCLUDING CANCER, HEART DISEASE, DIABETES AND SUICIDE 

APPROXIMATELY 

34,000 MEN 

IN THE U.S. DIE EACH YEAR FROM PROSTATE CANCER 

MEN 

AS MANY PHYSICIAN VISITS 

MAKE HALF FOR PREVENTION AS WOMEN 

1 IN 8 MEN 

MEN 

ARE LESS INSURED 

THAN 

WOMEN 

PLEASE CALL YOUR PRIMARY CARE 

PHYSICIAN TO SCHEDULE YOUR ANNUAL EXAM 

IN 

MEN 

WILL BE DIAGNOSED 

WITH PROSTATE CANCER 


‘Sheikh Tank’ Night to Kick Off Fall Investing 

for Ark Angel Fund 


Passing the hurdles of funding its 

first project and meeting its $1 

million capital goal, the Ark 

Angel Fund is getting ready to host 

its own version of the popular venture 

capital reality TV show, “Shark 

Tank.” 

In Shark Tank, a panel of wealthy 

celebrity investors hear pitches from 

eager entrepreneurs peddling everything 

from dog accessories to hightech 

gadgets and energy drinks. 

In the Ark Angel version, there 

will be panelists and pitches, but the 

structure will be more like the singing 

contest, American Idol - hearing 

proposals and choosing a winner - 

said Fund Advisor Tommy Haji. 

The talent on the advisory board 

is indisputable. Haji has a background 

in manufacturing and has 20 

years’ experience with Ford Motor 

Company. He has two engineering 

degrees as well as experience in real 

estate, logistics and retail. 

Martin Manna, the Fund manager, 

has a long history of working 

in the nonprofit business and has an 

MBA focused on banking and securities. 

Andrew Dickow, another Fund 

advisor, is the Managing Director of 

Townsend Street Capital, a leading 

lower-middle-market private equity 

fund based in Birmingham. Dickow 

was formerly a finance leader for 

General Mills. 

Saber Ammori and Nick Sandiha 

round off the advisory panel. Ammori 

is Chief Executive Officer and 

co-founder of Wireless Vision. He has 

over 25 years of experience in business 

management and operations. 

His entrepreneurial drive has led him 

to start several successful businesses, 

most of them retail oriented. Sandiha 

is a Managing Partner at Keystone 

Capital Management, a domestic limited 

liability company that has been 

in operation for almost 13 years. 

Slated for a September date at 

the Chaldean Community Foundation’s 

Wireless Vision Gymnasium, 

the event will feature an audience, 

five panelists and four presentations, 

with details to be determined. Haji 

said Ark Angel Fund will begin promoting 

the September event in July. 

A key feature of this event is 

Tom Haji 

that all of the presenters will be 

from within the Chaldean Community 

(the fund generally hears pitches 

from the community at large) and 

money may be awarded on the spot. 

Haji said all of the evening’s contestants 

will be thoroughly vetted so 

There will be 

panelists and 

pitches, but the 

structure will be 

more like the singing 

contest, American 

Idol — hearing 

proposals and 

choosing a winner. 

Andrew Dickow 

that the fiscally prudent Fund can be 

confident that the winner meets the 

Fund’s criteria and risk threshold. 

Haji said the idea for the ‘Sheikh 

Tank’ event preceded the Ark Angel 

Fund. It is a happy coincidence that 

the Fund provides a space for the 

event and that the event can help 

the Fund find qualified inventors and 

entrepreneurs. 

Founded in September 2020 under 

the umbrella of the Chaldean 

American Chamber of Commerce, 

the Fund seeks to kick-start new and 

early-stage businesses. 

The Fund makes awards of 

$25,000 to $100,000. Profits are distributed 

to the members. 

Saber Ammori 

To date, Fund committee members 

have heard about seven pitches. 

They have invested in a car servicing 

business, but other presenters have 

not met the committee’s standards. 

The name of the startup is Fix 

My Car. It provides mobile repair 

technicians to your home or office to 

handle common vehicle repairs, service 

and inspections. The whole idea 

is to save on time and cost versus traditional 

repair shops. 

As for the others, Haji said there 

has been no shortage of compelling 

business ideas including: a scrolling 

billboard; infrastructure for a 

camera-guided traffic control system; 

an augmented reality system that 

creates virtual, changeable real estate 

models; and a modern furniture 

manufacturer. 

Despite impressive presenters and 

interesting ideas, Haji said several of 

the companies presented with uncomfortably 

high valuations of their 

businesses and most were seeking 

loans, which the Fund does award. 

Committee members prefer equity 

investments. 

Ark Angel plans to continue 

hearing two or three pitches a month 

with the eventual goal of making six 

to eight investments per year. The 

Sheikh Tank event will give the 

Fund a push in that direction, with 

the dual benefit of helping Chaldeanowned 

businesses and benefitting the 

Chaldean Community Foundation. 

The September event is seeking 

Chaldean inventors and entrepreneurs 

in the technology, food and 

beverage, consumer product, retail, 

or e-commerce sector. The aspiring 

company must be based in the United 

States and have a valuation of less 

than $10 million. They also require 

a total addressable market (TAM) of 

over $250 million as well as a clear 

exit strategy. The prize is a potential 

investment of up to $100,000. 

The end goal for the fund remains 

to scale and sell companies, returning 

a profit to investors. For its part, 

the Fund will use its endeavors to 

benefit the Chaldean community. 

“We’re doing this primarily to support 

start-up businesses and provide 

long-term support to the Chaldean 

American Chamber of Commerce,” 

said Haji. “Our management fee will 

go toward the Chamber’s mission 

and core services.” 



Bright Beginnings 


Early childhood, or the period 

of time from a child’s birth to 

when they enter kindergarten, 

is a crucial period in the life of 

a child. It is when they first learn to 

interact with others, and it is when 

they begin to develop individual 

habits and interests that may stay 

with them for life. 

But it is so much more than 

that. Children of this age are learning 

critical social and emotional 

skills, developing trust and relationships. 

Studies have shown 

that when children are comfortable 

and trust the people 

around them, they learn more 

quickly and successfully. Motivation 

and self-esteem are also 

highly affected by early childhood 

education (ECE). 

Preliminary education is important 

as it directly relates to 

a child’s pre-literacy, prewriting 

and pre-math skills. It also affects 

school readiness and other skills 

that prove essential to educating 

a strong workforce that can 

contribute to a successful global 

economy. The benefits of early 

childhood education can better 

entire communities, not only the 

child or their families. 

That is why the Chaldean Community 

Foundation (CCF) established 

their ECE program called 

“Bright Beginnings.” Bright Beginnings 

was created through a partnership 

with the Michigan Department 

of Education (DOE). Sam Mclaren- 

Fahey, CCF Citizenship Program 

Manager, says, “Up until 2020, almost 

all of our services focused on 

adults in the community. We knew 

there was a need for youth programming, 

and we had begun the conversation 

of what that would look like.” 

She adds, “Simultaneously, the 

Michigan DOE saw the need for immigrant/refugee 

youth programming that 

connected early childhood aged children 

with programs that would help 

them prepare for kindergarten. Knowing 

that we have a relationship with 

the immigrant/refugee community, the 

partnership was created to accomplish 

both organizational goals.” 

Much of the most critical brain 

development in children takes place 

before they reach kindergarten. In a 

preschool setting, children learn crucial 

skills like listening, sharing, and 

taking turns. They also learn how to 

healthily express emotions and cope 

with feelings that might otherwise be 

overwhelming. Learning to cooperate 

with other children is especially important 

for those that are only children 

or have no siblings in the home. 

One of the most significant benefits 

of ECE is teaching children a love 

for learning. At this age, lessons are 

presented as fun games and activities. 

They get to discover new things 

and are exposed to different environments 

than they have at home. And 

don’t forget the music, toys, and art 

supplies! These introductions serve 

as a catalyst for wanting to know 

more and can help develop a passion 

for lifelong learning. 

Positive reinforcement 

Children enrolled in preschool programs 

experience significantly more 

positive reinforcement than their 

peers that are not attending a program. 

The programs also emphasize 

building a strong attention span, a 

skill that will help them all through 

life. In preschool, children start understanding 

when it is time to work 

and when it is time to play. 

Most children these days have a 

tablet, Nook or Kindle with which to 

watch TV or, increasingly, videos on 

YouTube. But watching TV is a passive 

activity; it does not require any 

participation from the viewer. 

The structured activity of preschool 

helps kids feel safe and secure, 

and they come to develop healthy 

study habits and equate school with 

good feelings. That is one of the primary 

goals. 

For Bright Beginnings, qualified 

families must have a child in the 

0-5 age range to register for one of 

the 3 levels of classes (infant, toddler, 

preschool). The adult/caregiver 

must be able to attend all classes and 

stay in the classroom with their child 

the entire time. Each family must go 

through a brief intake and complete 

a questionnaire at the beginning and 

end of the course. 

The program involves the 

entire family and works in two 

parts: the Parent/Child classes 

and the Family Resource Hour 

appointments. The classes consist 

of 12 weeks of programming 

for parents to learn best practices 

and activities with their children 

that they can do at home. 

On Friday mornings, infant 

classes are held for children 

aged up to one and a half. 

Toddler classes for kids aged 

one and a half to three are on 

Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 

preschool classes for kids aged 

three to five are on Mondays 

and Wednesdays. All-week 

programming is a huge commitment 

to the community. 

Says Mclaren-Fahey, “The goal 

is to promote both early literacy and 

more parent/child interaction. In 

each class, instructors will speak/sing 

in both English and Arabic to support 

caregivers whose primary home 

language is Arabic while also promoting 

the English language skills.” 

ECE programs have a physical 

component as well. Getting into the 

habit of being active at an early age is 

key to overall lifetime health. Making 

music, clapping, dancing, and 

other fun activities can help develop 

children’s fine motor skills. Singing 

songs can build brain and body coordination. 

The skills that children 

learn while participating in music 

contribute to the child’s overall brain 

development. 

Each Bright Beginnings class period 

includes music and movement, 

circle time, small group work, and 

story time. The topics for the toddler 

and preschool classes include: 

all about me; shapes; weather; colors; 

transportation; farm animals; zoo 

animals; healthy foods; community 

helpers; bugs and insects; and emotions. 

The preschool classes also focus 

on kindergarten readiness skills. 

During the 12 weeks of class, families 

are introduced to programs like 

Great Start/Head Start, Young 4s, 

and other free or low-cost full time 

preschool resources in the area. 

Focus on the family 

The CCF also offers Family Resource 

Hour Appointments. Says Mclaren- 

Fahey, “These are afternoon appointments 

open to anyone with a child 

aged 0-5. Families don’t need to be 

enrolled in the classes to make one 

of these appointments.” 

In the Family Resource Hour, the 

CCF Bright Beginnings staff assists 

with any early childhood questions 

or needs. They can help find preschool 

programs and enroll families; 

staff can also handle kindergarten 

enrollment and answer questions 

about navigating the school system. 

Appointments can be used to 

help families find dentists, pediatricians, 

or other health resources for 

their children. This also includes 

finding resources for families who 

may have questions about their 

child’s development. They can also 

be used to learn new activities to do 

at home with their children. 

CE programs focus on harnessing 

kids’ natural curiosity. Teachers 

encourage children to ask critical 

questions like “why,” “what,” and 

“how,” (as if they need instruction 

on that!) The better they understand 

the world around them, the more interested 

they are in learning. 

Study after study has shown that 

children who attend an ECE program: 

are less likely to go to prison; 

are more likely to attend college; are 

more likely to own their own home 

later in life; are less likely to be on 

government assistance as an adult; 

and are less likely to develop drug 

dependency issues. 

UNESCO (United Nations 

Educational, Scientific and Cultural 

Organization) says, “Early 

childhood care and education is 

more than preparation for primary 

school. It aims at the holistic 

development of a child’s social, 

emotional, cognitive and physical 

needs in order to build a solid and 

broad foundation for lifelong learning 

and wellbeing. ECCE has the 

possibility to nurture caring, capable 

and responsible future citizens.” 

An investment in ECE for our 

children is an investment in our future. 



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 

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

Left: Overview of Shenandoah 

Country Club 

Below, from left: 1. Splashpad 

fun on the pool’s opening day. 

2. The new pool area is making 

a splash. 3. Poolside service. 

Shenandoah Goes Private 


Shenandoah Country Club, 

with its lush rolling hills and 

long history of community 

building, has in 2021 taken the next 

logical step to become a private club. 

With more than three decades of service 

to more than five generations of 

Chaldean-Americans, Shenandoah 

was already exclusive to some extent. 

Historically, country clubs have 

been solely the domain of the 

wealthy – mostly white, older men – 

the ‘upper echelons of society.’ Those 

coveted memberships have been an 

aspiration for some and a birthright 

for others. 

But before COVID-19 made its 

grand entrance, country clubs across 

the country were failing. According 

to a National Club Association 

study in 2014, club memberships had 

dropped 20% since 1990, and a study 

by the Pellucid Corporation found 

that from 2002 to 2016, the number 

of golfers in the country declined by 

nearly 10 million. More than 400 

American golf courses closed between 

2017 and 2019. 

Conversely, 2019 saw the expansion 

of Shenandoah - the club, the 

course, the outdoor pool and dining 

area. With the COVID pandemic 

fueling the “work from anywhere” 

mentality, driving ranges and tee 

sheets were filled to capacity. In fact, 

according to Golf Pass, 2020 was 

the “best year for golf rounds since 

1997, when Tiger Woods first broke 

through at the Masters.” 

The National Golf Foundation 

reports that rounds played in the US 

are up by 50 million year-over-year. 

This newfound enthusiasm for golf is 

shaking up the private club business 

after a decade of oversupply, maturing 

memberships and club closures. 

As for Shenandoah, according to 

club president Raad Kathawa, “The 

community deserves a private club. 

We felt for a long time that with the 

younger generation getting into golf, 

we needed to make that change.” 

The benefits of going private? Private 

courses get less play and more 

care than public courses, facilities are 

typically better stocked and staffed 

and will sometimes include chipping 

areas and practice bunkers as well as 

the usual driving range and practice 

green. Of course, you are playing the 

same course over and over so there 

has to be some challenge and intrigue. 

Private courses 

also offer speed and 

serenity. Tee times 

may be 10 minutes 

apart rather than 

the 7-8 minutes for 

public course, and 

weekdays and Sunday 

afternoons are 

Raad Kathawa usually less congested. 

“The course is 

in better repair, “says Kathawa, “Tee 

times are available, and golf revenue 

is better.” 

That may explain why 89% of the 

members at Shenandoah were in favor 

of going private. Kathawa states, 

“We are currently at 260 golf members 

committed, with another 30 on 

the waiting list. This exceeds our expectations.” 

Shenandoah, like many country 

clubs, offers a pool area (with new 

splash pad), fitness center and all 

manner of social activities. Because 

the club is now private, members 

have a better opportunity to get to 

know each other and create familylike 

bonds. 

The true cost of membership adds 

on your restaurant monthly minimum, 

fees for carts, bag storage, locker 

and tournaments, miscellaneous 

assessments, and then there are the 

huge tips. Club membership starts to 

approach economic sense, however, 

when golfers pair up. Two or more 

avid golfers at the same home address 

can make a family club membership 

efficient, even if they have to live at 

the clubhouse all season. 

COVID-19 affected businesses 

everywhere, and Shenandoah was no 

exception. “It was a major setback,” 

says Kathawa. “Without banquet 

earnings, our bread and butter, we 

were bleeding.” Revenue was down 

by 70%. They needed to make more 

revenue on the golf side. 

“With God’s help, and members 

paying dues, the PPP (Paycheck Protection 

Program) money helped us 

stay afloat,” states Kathawa. 

Even now, the club suffers with 

staffing issues. They have had to 

change operation hours and pay out 

“a lot of overtime.” Kathawa shares, 

“We are still short nine line cooks 

throughout our three kitchens.” 

The new pool/splashpad/kitchen, 

a $3 million project that was 

financed through member’s dues 

collected, can serve more than 500 

diners on any weekend. Members are 

happy that the poolside services no 

longer rely on an inside kitchen. 

New pool rules and a newly instituted 

dress code are just some of the 

changes you’ll see at Shenandoah. 

“We will continue to make changes 

as the average age of our members 

decreases,” says Kathawa. 

PHOTOS BY DANY ASHAKA 



FOUNDATION 

ENGLISH AS A 

SECOND LANGUAGE 

NOW REGISTERING FOR SPRING AND SUMMER CLASSES 

ESL 1 Beginner 

CLASSES START WEEK OF JULY 12 

MONDAYS 6-9 

ESL 2 Intermediate 

CLASSES START WEEK OF JULY 12 

TUESDAYS 6-9 

ESL for Citizenship 

CLASSES START WEEK OF APRIL 13 

WEDNESDAYS 6-9 

Classes meet once per week in person 

ASSESSMENT AND REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! 

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 


CULTURE 

The Jewish Community of Iraq - History and Influence 

BY ADHID MIRI, PHD 

PART II – The Farhud and Exodus 

In just a few decades of the 20th 

century, most of the Jewish communities 

- some with histories 

stretching back thousands of years - 

have been ‘ethnically cleansed’ from 

Arab countries. They fled not war, 

but systematic persecution. 

Once an ally of Israel during the 

Shah years, the Islamic Republic of 

Iran is now acting as enemy. The 

number of Iranian Jews has fallen 

drastically, from 80,000 to about 

20,000 since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. 

For centuries, Jews were well integrated 

into Iraqi society. Iraq was 

a generally a tolerant, multicultural 

society, with an Islamic majority 

composed of both Sunnis and Shiites, 

and significant Kurdish, Christian, 

and Jewish populations. From 

the late Ottoman period onward, as 

Iraq modernized, Jews formed an important 

segment of the middle and 

working classes—active in business, 

government, professions, academics, 

music, literature, and the trades. 

In 1910, records show approximately 

50,000 Jews living in Baghdad, 

roughly a quarter of the population 

of just over 200,000. By 1949, 

an estimated 130,000 Jews lived in 

Iraq, primarily in Baghdad, Basra, 

Hilla and Mosul. In the Kurdish region 

of Iraq, over 20,000 Jewish people 

lived in the villages and Kurdish 

towns such as Zakho, Aqra, Duhok, 

Amadiyya, Zibar, and Sulaymaniyah. 

Many immigrated to Israel in the 

early 1950s. 

The Jewish community of Baghdad 

ran a variety of religious, educational, 

and social welfare institutions. 

Community documents 

provide a vivid and unparalleled record 

of Baghdad’s Jewish communal 

life from the end of the Ottoman era 

to the early 1970s. 

As seen from the many locations 

mentioned in their corporate letterheads, 

prominent Jewish families 

in Baghdad established branches of 

their businesses in Britain, India, and 

the Far East. Maintaining their financial 

and familial ties with Iraq, they 

formed an international network in 

which Iraqi commerce was an essential 

component. The Sassoons and 

several other prominent Baghdadi 

Jewish families played an influential 

role in the development of business 

and manufacturing in Bombay, Hong 

Kong, Singapore, and elsewhere in 

the Far East. 

The Farhud 

When the Iraqi State became independent 

in 1929, there was an 

increase in anti-Semitism, which 

accelerated after the appearance of 

the German ambassador A. Grobbe 

in Baghdad in 1932. In the days of 

the pro-Axis revolution of Rashid 

Ali Al-Gailani, riots against the Jews 

took place with the passive support 

of both the army and police. 

The Farhud (1941) 

The unraveling of Jewish life in 

Iraq began in the mid part of the 20th 

century, accelerating after the rise 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. 

By this time there were approximately 

150,000 Jews living in Iraq. 

Many of them worked in banking, 

commerce, government offices and 

farming. When the Farhud pogroms 

broke out immediately following the 

overthrow of the Rashid Ali government, 

which was inspired by the pro- 

Nazi Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin 

al-Husseini, the city of Baghdad was 

in a state of power vacuum. 

The set of circumstances that 

allowed the pogroms included a 

combination of Nazi propaganda, 

including: the foundation of the 

“Al-Fatwa,” the Iraqi version of the 

Hitler Jugend (Youth); the influence 

of the Arab Revolt in Palestine; and 

the rage of the mob following the 

Iraqi defeat and heavy losses in the 

Anglo-Iraqi War. 

Following the collapse of a shortlived 

pro-Nazi government and before 

British forces entered Baghdad, 

violent rioting ensued. From June 

1 to 2, 1941, an estimated 180 Jews 

were killed, and hundreds were injured, 

while great numbers of Jewish 

homes and businesses were looted 

and destroyed. The most horrific acts 

of murder and rape were committed. 

Rioting mobs circled Baghdad neighborhoods 

armed with knives, axes, 

and firearms, some even carrying objects 

and furniture looted from Jewish 

homes. The murder victims were 

buried in a mass grave in Baghdad. 

There was also looting in many other 

cities at around the same time. 

The Iraqi Jewish Farhud experience 

proved to be a turning point for 

the Jewish community. The Farhud, 

with its unprecedented anti-Jewish 

outbreak of violence, forever ended 

the comfort, safety, and continuity of 

Iraqi Jewry. 

In 1945 there were frequent demonstrations 

against the Jews and especially 

against Zionism, and with 

the proclaimed partition of Palestine 

in 1947, the Jews were in danger of 

their lives. Many received harsh legal 

sentences and were forced to pay 

heavy fines. After the establishment 

of Israel in 1948, the practice of Zionism 

became a capital crime. 

1948, the year of Israel’s independence, 

was a rough year for the 

Jews of Iraq. In July, the government 

passed a law making all Zionist activity 

punishable by execution, with a 

minimum sentence of seven years’ 

imprisonment. 

In August, Jews were forbidden 

to engage in banking or foreign currency 

transactions. 

In September, Jews were dismissed 

from their jobs at the railways, 

the post office, the telegraph department, 

and the Finance Ministry on 

the grounds that they were suspected 

of “sabotage and treason.” 

In October, the discharge of all 

Jewish officials and workers from all 

governmental departments was ordered 

and the issuance of export and 

import licenses to Jewish merchants 

was forbidden. To end the horrible 

year, in December the Iraq government 

suggested to oil companies 

operating in Iraq that no Jewish employees 

be accepted. 

A major event occurred in September 

of 1948 when Shafiq Ades, 

a wealthy Iraqi- Jewish businessman 

of Syrian origin, was executed by 

hanging on charges of selling weapons 

to Israel and supporting the Iraqi 

Communist Party. He was born to 

a wealthy family based in Aleppo, 

Syria, and had migrated to Iraq and 

based himself in Basra. 

Ades’ main business activity was 

the establishment and management 

of the Ford Motor car company agency 

in Iraq. He also partnered with a 

Muslim named Naji Al-Khedhairi 

in purchasing military metal scrap 

left in Iraq by the British army and 

selling the unusable parts after usable 

parts were sold to the government of 

Iraq. 


In July 1948, Iraq made Zionist 

affiliation a criminal offense. When 

arrested, Ades was accused simultaneously 

of being a Zionist and a 

Communist. Ades accumulated business 

and personal ties with high-profile 

Iraqi notables and officials and 

even had accessibility to the regent 

Abdul Ilah. The Ford importer was 

by 1948 the wealthiest Jewish individual 

in Iraq. 

With one historian calling it the 

“greatest shock to the Jewish community 

[of Iraq],” the execution of 

Ades had a profound impact on the 

Jewish community. Ades was both 

assimilated to Iraq and a non-Zionist 

Jew. The affair significantly reduced 

support for assimilation into Iraqi society 

and increased support for emigration 

as a solution to the crisis in 

the Iraqi Jewish community. There 

are streets in the Israeli cities that are 

named after Ades. 

In 1950, the ban was lifted and 

the Iraqi government issued an edict 

allowing the Jews to leave the country 

if they forfeited their Iraqi citizenship. 

The government of Israel, 

the Jewish Agency and the Joint 

Organization combined to carry out 

“Operation Ezra and Nehemiah,” in 

which 120,000 Jews were brought to 

Israel from Iraq. The edict decreed 

that each Jew of age ten and up could 

take a limited amount of money with 

them as they left. Many Jews were 

forced to leave their significant property 

behind for free. 

One year later, the property of 

Jews who emigrated was frozen and 

economic restrictions were placed 

on Jews who chose to remain in the 

country. 

In 1952, the Iraqi government 

closed the borders of the country 

once again and did not allow the remaining 

Jews to emigrate. Iraq’s government 

barred Jews from emigrating 

and publicly hanged two Jews after 

falsely charging them with hurling 

a bomb at the Baghdad office of the 

U.S. Information Agency. 

Eleven years later, in 1963, the 

newly established Ba’ath government 

imposed further restrictions on 

the Jews. The sale of property was 

forbidden, and all Jews were forced 

to carry yellow identity cards. 

In 1967, following the Six Day 

War, the treatment of Jews worsened. 

Some 3,000 were arrested and fired 

from their jobs, their bank accounts 

were frozen, Jewish-owned businesses 

were closed, trade deals signed 

by Jews were voided, and many telephone 

lines in Jewish homes were 

disconnected. Jews were placed under 

house arrest for long periods of 

time or restricted to the cities. 

Persecution was at its worst in 

1968. On January 27th of that year, 

scores of Iraqi Jews were jailed upon 

the discovery of the so-called local 

“spy ring” composed of Jewish 

businessmen. Fourteen men, eleven 

of them Jews, were accused of spying 

for Israel. The accused were put 

on staged sham trials, at the end of 

which some were sentenced and 

hanged in public squares in Baghdad 

while others died of torture. Due to 

international pressure, the Iraqi government 

allowed the remaining Jews 

to leave for Israel. As of 2014, there 

were only an estimated 60 Jews living 

in Baghdad. 

Many Iraqi Jews felt rage and frustration 

at their loyalty to the state 

being doubted. Shalom Darwish, the 

secretary of the Jewish community 

in Baghdad, for instance, refused to 

renounce his Iraqi citizenship and 

chose to flee the country covertly. 

“I inherited my Iraqite’s from my fathers 

and grandfathers just as I inherited 

the blood in my veins,” he wrote. 

Clockwise from top left: 

1. Bar-Mitzvah Celebration in 1961 

2. Iraqi Jews with Hakham Sasson Khadhoori 

3. Iraqi Jews being airlifted to Israel in the Exodus of 1950-1951 

4. 1947 Iraq’s Beauty Queen Renee Dangoor (in Arabic) 

5. Baghdadi Jewish Girls wearing traditional Abayya 

“I could not turn my citizenship into 

a piece of paper that you hand to a 

clerk to be put together with hundreds 

of others. My Iraqi citizenship 

was born thousands of years ago, before 

the grandfathers of those claiming 

to be Iraqis ever came to Iraq.” 

The Jewish community in Baghdad 

was founded in the mid-eighth century 

and from the 9th-11th centuries 

was the seat of the Exilarch (Resh 

Galutah). 

The community continued to 

function to the extent possible from 

1950 through the 1970s despite significant 

constraints. The recovered 

documents provide a vivid picture 

of the persistence of Jewish organizational 

life in Baghdad with the dwindling 

numbers of Jews and increasing 

insecurity. Jews and other minorities 

faced ongoing persecution following 

the revolution of 1958 and the rise 

of the Ba’athist Party in 1963, culminating 

in the public hanging of nine 

Jews in January of 1969. 

In response to international pressure, 

the Baghdad government quietly 

allowed most of the remaining 

Jews to emigrate in the early 1970s, 

even while leaving other restrictions 

in force. Most of Iraq’s remaining 

Jews were now too old to leave. They 

had been pressured by the government 

to turn over title, without compensation, 

to over millions of dollars’ 

worth of Jewish community property. 

Only one synagogue continued to 

function in Iraq, “a crumbling buffcolored 

building tucked away in an 

alleyway” in Bataween, once Baghdad’s 

main Jewish neighborhood. 

Baghdad’s Jewish quarter, in Taht al- 

Takia, no longer exists. 

The Jewish community had a 

presence in many Iraqi cities and 

provinces such as Hilla (Babel), 

A’anna, Rumadi, Duhok, and Erbil. 

In recent years, Jews in Iraq were 

permitted to live in two cities only – 

Baghdad and Basra. They numbered 

about 500 in total. 

Operation Ezra and Nehemiah 

From 1949 to 1951, 104,000 Jews 

were evacuated from Iraq in Operation 

Ezra & Nehemiah (named after 

the Jewish leaders who took their 

people back to Jerusalem from exile 

in Babylonia beginning in 597 

JEWISH continued on page 32 


JEWISH continued from page 31 

B.C.E.); another 20,000 were smuggled 

out through Iran. 

The number of Jews in Baghdad 

decreased from 100,000 to 77,000 

and after the mass exodus to Israel. 

In 1968, there were only an estimated 

2,000 Jews left in Iraq. With the 

establishment of Israel, hundreds of 

young Jews were arrested on charges 

of Zionist activity and two Zionist 

leaders were publicly hanged in 

Baghdad. On January 27, 1969, nine 

other Jews were hanged on charges of 

spying for Israel. 

Iraqi activists still regularly 

charge that Israel used violence to 

engineer the exodus. The synagogue 

bombings of 1950 were such event. 

Iraqi nationalists threw bombs at 

Jewish institutions and synagogues in 

Baghdad, and Iraqi law forbade the 

Jews to leave the country. 

From the start of the emigration 

law in March 1950 until the end of 

the year, 60,000 Jews registered to 

leave Iraq. 

Two months before the expiration 

of the law, by which time about 

85,000 Jews had registered, another 

bomb at the Masuda Shemtov Synagogue 

killed either 3 or 5 Jews and injured 

many others. While Israeli officials 

of the time vehemently deny it, 

historians report that “the belief that 

the bombs had been thrown by Zionist 

agents was shared by those Iraqi 

Jews who had just reached Israel.” 

Iraqi authorities eventually 

charged three members of the Zionist 

underground with perpetrating 

some of the explosions. Two of those 

charged, Shalom Salah Shalom and 

Yosef Ibrahim Basri, were subsequently 

found guilty and executed, 

whilst the third was sentenced to 

a lengthy jail term. Salah Shalom 

claimed in his trial that he was tortured 

into confessing, and Yosef Basri 

maintained his innocence throughout. 

Education 

Until Operation Ezra and Nehemiah, 

there were 28 Jewish educational institutions 

in Baghdad. Sixteen were 

under the supervision of the community 

committee and the rest were 

privately run. The number of pupils 

reached 12,000; many others learned 

in foreign and government schools. 

An estimated 400 students studied 

medicine, law, economics, pharmacy, 

and engineering in these schools. In 

1951, the Jewish school for the blind 

was closed; it was the only school 

of its type in Baghdad. The Jews of 

Baghdad had two hospitals in which 

the poor received free treatment, and 

several philanthropic services. Out 

of 60 synagogues in 1950, only seven 

remained in 1960. 

The Alliance School (the Israeli 

Federation) is considered one 

of the oldest schools that provided 

service to the Israeli community in 

Iraq. It was established in 1864 and 

worked to allocate classes for teaching 

religious books to the Jews and 

preaching its concepts, especially 

the Talmud. It had always taught the 

Hebrew and Arabic languages, in addition 

to the general curriculum, and 

it is clear that the aforementioned 

school graduated caravans of young 

men, most of whom played a prominent 

role in Iraqi society. 

Branches of the school were 

established in Mosul, Basra and 

Amara. In 1903, the Israeli Union 

Association established a school for 

girls’ education in Baghdad, then in 

Basra, Mosul and Amarah. In 1921, 

construction was completed for the 

Laura Khadouri School for Girls, 

built by Azar Khadouri and named 

Clockwise from top of page: 1. Mr. and Mrs. Naim and Renee Dangoor 

2. King Faisal I visited the Baghdad Jewish community with 

Chief Rabbi Ezra Ruben Dangoor and community notables 

3. Sir Naim Dangoor and Queen Elizabeth II 4. Tomb of Al-Kifil, 

near Al Hilla, believed to belong to the biblical prophet Ezekiel. 

after his wife. 

Education spread in Baghdad 

as the number of pupils enrolled in 

Jewish schools in Iraq reached 8,228 

- distributed among only twenty-six 

schools in five Iraqi cities. Resources 

for the schools came from multiple 

destinations but most of them were 

the outcome of what the wealthy 

Jews donated in Iraq. 

Jews in Israel 

With Jews largely gone from Iraq, 

memories survive in Israel. Drive 

west to the shores of the Mediterranean 

- just a day’s journey geographically 

but a world away politically - 

and there is a lament inscribed at the 

entrance to the Babylonian Jewry 

Heritage Centre in Israel - “The Jewish 

community in Iraq is no more.” 

It is no accident that such a somber 

epitaph to Iraq’s Jews should be 

found in Israel, where tens of thousands 

of them fled after 1948 amid 

the violent spasms that accompanied 

the birth of that state. 

That transplanting of an educated, 

vibrant, and creative community 

unquestionably enriched Israel, but it 

also denuded Iraq of a minority that 

had long contributed to its political, 

economic, and cultural identity. 

This article is dedicated to preserving 

the memory of the near-extinct 

Jewish communities, which can 

never return to what and where they 

once were - even if they wanted to. 

Seen in this light, it is an expression 

of a common tragedy of oppressed 

indigenous, Middle Eastern people. 

The story is repeated in the 21st century 

as their fellow Christian, Yazidis, 

Mandeans and others struggle for 

recognition and restitution. 

Read more about the Jews in Israel on 

our website at chaldeannews.com. 

Acknowledgement of excerpts from 

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, Nostalgia Journey 

in the History of the Jews of Iraq by 

Yousif Rizq Allah Ghanima, and online 

interviews of Iraqi Jews by Kamal Yaldo. 

Special editing by Jacqueline Raxter. 


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sports 

Sacred Heart Doubles Duos Pump Out Victories 

BY STEVE STEIN 

Two all-Chaldean girl’s tennis 

doubles teams were double 

trouble for their opponents 

this spring. 

Sisters Marisa and Kayla Nafso 

and close friends Noor Simon and 

Angelina Kakos were state champions 

at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, 

respectively, for Bloomfield Hills 

Academy of the Sacred Heart, which 

won the Division 4 team state championship 

for the third straight year 

and seventh time since 2012. 

The Nafso sisters and Simon and 

Kakos each were the No. 1 seed in their 

bracket at the state tournament and 

went undefeated in four matches there. 

Their season records were equally as 

impressive. The Nafso sisters, who live 

in Bloomfield Hills, were 21-3. Simon, 

a Bloomfield Hills resident, and Kakos, 

from Rochester Hills, were 23-3. 

Their accomplishments were particularly 

remarkable because only 

Marisa Nafso, a junior, had substantial 

playing experience for Sacred 

Heart before this season, mainly because 

there was no season last spring 

because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As a freshman in 2019, Marisa 

Nafso won a No. 2 doubles state 

championship with senior Nolwenn 

Crosnier. They were 20-5. Marisa 

Nafso also was 7-2 at No. 3 singles. 

Simon, a senior this season, was 2-1 

at No. 3 doubles in 2018 and 0-3 at 

No. 3 and No. 4 doubles in 2019. Kakos, 

a junior this season, was 3-0 at 

No. 4 doubles in 2019. 

Neither the Nafso sisters nor Simon 

and Kakos had played tennis 

together competitively before this 

season, but they weren’t strangers to 

the sport. 

“Kayla and I practice together 

year-round and know each other’s 

strengths and weaknesses,” Marisa 

Nafso said about herself and her sister, 

a freshman this season. “We also play 

two other sports together for Sacred 

Heart (basketball and field hockey),” 

she said. “That helped us build our 

communication and teamwork skills 

prior to this tennis season.” 

Being doubles partners and sisters 

had its advantages and disadvantages, 

the sisters said. In the end, they 

said, the advantages outweighed the 

disadvantages. 

“Because we were doubles partners, 

we were around each other 

From left: Number one doubles state champions Marisa (left) and Kayla Nafso. Number three doubles state champions Angelina 

Kakos (left) and Noor Simon. 

more than we usually are,” Marisa 

Nafso said. “That was challenging 

because it made it difficult to separate 

home life from tennis. 

“Plus, because we’re so close, we 

found it challenging to control our 

emotions at times when we were 

playing. We could pump up each 

other quickly, but we could get down 

on ourselves if even one of us was 

having a bad day.” 

Simon said she’s close friends 

with Kakos, and their families are 

close. “Angelina and I have hung 

out together a lot,” Simon 

said. “Because of that, we 

were able to communicate 

well during our matches. We 

didn’t get mad. We talked 

things out.” 

Kakos said she and Simon 

were on the same wavelength 

on the tennis court because 

of their friendship. That was 

important to her because of 

why she enjoys playing doubles. 

“I like having a partner to rely 

on, and for a partner to rely on me,” 

she said. 

First-year coach Chris Shaya 

guided Sacred Heart to the team 

state championship. The Gazelles 

scored 29 points at the state tournament 

in early June in Kalamazoo, 

beating runner-up Traverse City St. 

Francis by six points. 

“Our girls did a great job at the 

state tournament, even though only 

four had ever played at state before 

this season and we didn’t play our best 

Chris Shaya 

tennis there,” Shaya said. “We were 

young this season, but we had a lot of 

hidden gems. The girls got better at 

handling pressure as the season went 

on. St. Francis had a lot of juniors and 

seniors. They thought this was the 

year they could get us. They couldn’t.” 

Neither the Nafso sisters nor Simon 

and Kakos faced an opponent 

from St. Francis in the state tournament. 

The Nafso sisters rallied from 

a second-set loss to defeat Delanie 

Minnema and Caroline Rudolph 

from Grand Rapids Northpointe 

Christian 7-6 (3), 

2-6, 6-1 in the No. 1 doubles 

state championship match. 

That was the only set 

the Nafso sisters lost at the 

state tournament. 

Simon and Kakos didn’t 

lose a set in Kalamazoo. 

They defeated Hannah Nelson 

and Brooke Tietz from 

Grand Rapids West Catholic 

7-6 (5), 6-4 in the No. 3 doubles 

state championship match. 

Shaya, 41, a former star high 

school tennis star in Michigan and 

Florida and University of Michigan 

tennis player, has been giving private 

tennis lessons for nearly 20 years. He’s 

the tennis director at Bloomfield Tennis 

& Fitness in Bloomfield Township. 

Shaya coached the Troy High 

School boy’s tennis team in 2005 and 

2006, leading the Colts to a fifthplace 

finish at the state tournament 

both years. He put together his lineup 

at Sacred Heart before the season 

with input from the players. 

“I asked for feedback. I didn’t 

want to be a dictator,” he said. “As 

it turned out, everybody on the team 

got along so well that constructing 

the lineup took care of itself.” 

Marisa Nafso and she and her sister 

each wanted to play No. 1 doubles, 

“but we weren’t sure we would 

play together because we’re sisters. 

I was supposed to play singles, but I 

thought I could be more of an asset 

to the team as a doubles player.” 

Shaya said his theme for the season 

was simple. “We didn’t want to have 

any self-inflicted wounds, like a double-fault 

on a serve or a missed return. 

The girls bought into that,” he said. 

The girls also bought into other 

aspects of Shaya’s coaching. “What 

our coach said always made a lot of 

sense,” Kakos said. “Coach Shaya 

always said to worry only about our 

match, to focus on what we needed 

to do,” said Simon, who graduated 

from Sacred Heart this spring and 

plans to attend Oakland University 

in pursuit of a career in dentistry. 

Kayla Nafso said a key to Sacred 

Heart’s success was everyone having 

mutual respect for each other. 

“Everyone got along well, upperclassmen 

and lowerclassmen,” she 

said. “Our success also was the result 

of the coaching and support we received 

from our coaches and parents. 

Every practice was a great practice 

and every match brought us closer 

together.” 

PHOTOS BY SUE SPANGLER 


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DOCTOR is in 

The Importance of Orthodontics and Dentistry 

With regular visits to the 

dentist from a young age, 

a dentist can help identify 

an ideal time to refer a child to an orthodontist 

for early intervention. At 

this time, the orthodontist can evaluate 

and address any complications 

that the patient may have. The orthodontist 

and the dentist can work in 

conjunction to correct these problems 

– such as missing teeth and skeletal 

deficiencies – while taking advantage 

of the patient’s growth period. 

What is an orthodontist? 

An orthodontist has completed two 

years of additional training after dental 

school. Their scope of practice 

is limited solely to the movement 

of teeth. When most people think 

about orthodontics, they think about 

bulky metal braces. New offerings 

include esthetic options for patients 

such as Invisalign treatment – aimed 

to recreate your natural smile with 

function and beauty in mind. 

DR. JUSTIN 

KAMMO 


CHALDEAN NEWS 

DR. JOMANA 

SHAYOTA 


CHALDEAN NEWS 

A visit to the orthodontist can 

help prevent serious oral health problems 

by addressing spacing between 

teeth, overcrowding, and a misaligned 

bite. It is important to have properly 

aligned teeth with a stable bite to allow 

for better function and hygiene. 

Most importantly, an orthodontist 

can improve your smile to get you the 

confidence boost you need. 

In an era when “do-it-yourself” orthodontics 

are in abundance, it is imperative 

to educate the public on the 

importance of monitoring all orthodontics 

directly by a professional. This 

can ensure that teeth are only being 

moved in a healthy environment. 

Dental care is very important 

General dentists offer comprehensive 

dental care to patients of all 

ages, ranging from preventative care 

to aesthetic dentistry and facial aesthetics. 

In both children and adults, 

dentists address common issues such 

as cavities, broken or missing teeth, 

and cosmetic concerns. Some have 

introduced cosmetic dentistry and 

facial aesthetics, such as Botox and 

filler, into their practice to help patients 

both look and feel their best. 

Collaborative efforts between an 

orthodontist and dentist are often 

the main factor in comprehensive 

cosmetic cases. Often times, neither 

orthodontics or cosmetic veneers 

alone create the result that a provider 

and patient are satisfied with. Rather, 

the combination of the two creates a 

seamless and esthetic outcome. 

It is imperative to see a dentist 

regularly to maintain a healthy 

mouth. A dentist is trained to diagnose 

decay but also to recognize its 

effect on your overall health. Many 

people neglect their oral health, either 

due to lack of finances or lack 

of prioritizing. However, more often 

than that, patients’ fear of the dentist 

can cause long lapses in care. By 

providing a positive and comforting 

environment, dentists gain the trust 

of their patients and instill confidence 

that quality pain-free care will be provided. 

Dr. Justin Kammo (Orthdontist) 

and Dr. Jomana Shayota (Dentist) 

provide comprehensive dental and 

orthodontic care at Dental House and 

Aesthetics. Their office is located at 

32749 Franklin Road, Suite 200, 

in downtown Franklin. They can be 

reached at (248) 973-8102. 

Exclusively at 

Ruth Sinawi 

Design Consultant | Novi | 248-504-4233 

At GW Design Studio, we’re dedicated to helping you create your dream home 

through the fine art of home design. From accent pieces to entire collections, we celebrate 

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Visit the GW Design Studio inside these Gardner White locations 

ANN ARBOR 

3725 Washtenaw Ave. 

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MACOMB TWP. 

45300 Hayes Rd. 

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AUBURN HILLS 

4445 North Atlantic Blvd. 

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43825 West Oaks Dr. 

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CANTON 

39453 Ford Rd. 

(734) 844-3190 

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1032 S. Rochester Road 

(248) 209-6005 

FEATURED 

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30095 Northwestern Highway, Suite 101 


A TTORNEYS & C O UNSELORS AT LAW 

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PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS 

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or I’ll Buy It! 

844-SOLD-BY-Z • SoldByMarkZ.com 

Phone: (248) 851-2227 

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Fax: (248) 851-2215 

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ROCKY H. HUSAYNU 

Professional Insurance Planners 

Individual & Group Health Plans 

Medicare Supplement Plans 

31000 Northwestern Hwy. • Suite 110 

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Over 40 years of experience. 

Palladium 

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30095 Northwestern Hwy, ste. 103 

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Office (248) 737-9500 

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Email MortgageGabe@aol.com 

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HealtH Insurance 

& MedIcare specIalIst 

stephen M. George 

office 248-535-0444 

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Contact me for a free consultation 

on Health Care Reform, Medicare 

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Safaa Macany 

VP of Mortgage 

Lending 

o: (248) 216-1255 

c: (248) 229-4422 

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www.rate.com/SafaaMacany 

30600 Northwestern Hwy 

Suite 410 


Guaranteed Rate NMLS: 2611 • NMLS ID: 138658, LO#: MI - 138658 

ANGELA KAKOS 

Ranked In The Top 1% Nationwide! 

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FOUNDATION 

SANA NAVARRETTE 

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER 

2456 Metropolitan Pkwy, 

Sterling Heights MI 48310 

(16 & Dequindre) 

CHALDEAN 

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CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 


FOUNDATION 

SANA NAVARRETTE 

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 

30095 Northwestern Highway, Suite 101 


CELL (248) 925-7773 

TEL (248) 851-1200 

FAX (248) 851-1348 


www.chaldeanchamber.com 

www.chaldeanfoundation.org 

Experience • Knowledge • Personal Service 

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TOP 1% OF REALTORS 

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Owned and Operated Brian S. Yaldoo and surrounding areas. Hills, 

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Owned and OperatedBrian BrianS. Office (248)737-6800 • Mobile Yaldoo 

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Each office is independently 

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CAREER SERVICES MANAGER 

3601 15 Mile Road 

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TEL: (586) 722-7253 

FAX: (586) 722-7257 

elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org 


COVID continued from page 21 

cost-effective for his current tenants 

to stay put, rather than move 

to other accommodations. 

Najor said his banquet hall, Regency 

Manor in Southfield, got “decimated.” 

Not just on labor issues, but 

suppliers have labor problems, which 

translate to increased costs. Suppliers 

have to pay higher wages and pass it on. 

For example, he said, beef tenderloin 

went from $10 a pound to $18 

a pound. Chicken breasts went from 

$1.92 per pound to $2.62 a pound, an 

over 30% increase. 

30850 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 200 

BINGHAM FARMS, MI 48025 

TEL: (248) 996-8340 CELL: (248) 925-7773 

FAX: (248) 996-8342 


www.chaldeanchamber.com 


Some COVID effects 

Twitter: @ChaldeanChamber 

are here Instagram: to stay @ChaldeanAmericanChamber 

Some pandemic-driven changes 

will normalize over time as workers 

shake off the dust of long layoffs and 

rediscover the need for income as 

their subsidies evaporate. But other 

changes are likely to be long-lasting. 

Commercial real estate professional 

Kevin Jappaya of KJ Commercial 

Real Estate said the Zoom 

meeting trend accelerated by the 

pandemic was trending up before 

COVID set in and is likely to stay as 

part of the mix. He thinks changes 

in office space needs will also endure. 

“There is no 

argument that 

the demand for 

office space has 

softened. In addition, 

we have 

seen a large increase 

in companies 

sub-leasing 

Kevin Jappaya 

their space. Some 

companies have 

found this is a cost savings event… 

removing the lease line item of their 

income statement. 

“On the other hand,” he said, “we 

have seen many companies review 

their layouts and office flow to provide 

a better experience and, in many 

cases, tenants have expanded due to 

this. I also believe that many employers 

will realize that in most cases, inperson 

work is more productive than 

work from home and the demand for 

office space will come back. It will 

take time for this to happen.” 

Whatever shape the business 

world takes as we move from 2021 

into 2022, it seems clear there will 

be less getting ‘back to normal’ and 

more adapting to the ‘new normal’ as 

businesses adapt to a changed environment. 


events 

18th Annual Golf Outing 

Clockwise 

from top left: 

1. The two 

finalists for the 

putting contest 

ended up tying; 

both donated 

their winnings 

to the CCF. 

2. The delicious 

dinner in 

Shenandoah’s 

ballroom was 

sponsored 

by Ascension 

Michigan 

3. Lunch on 

the patio was 

sponsored 

by Harvest/ 

Sherwood Foods 

4. The 2021 

winners of the 

coveted Chaldean 

Cup, from left: 

Hani Kassab, 

Sam Yono II, 

Raad Kello, and 

Jonathan Kello. 


The Chaldean American Chamber hosted the 18th Annual Golf Outing 

at Shenandoah Country Club on June 17. It was a full round of golf for 

144 golfers, preceded by lunch and followed by a cocktail hour, dinner and 

awards. The weather was perfect. Special thanks to presenting sponsor 

MotorCity Casino + Hotel, dinner sponsor Ascension Michigan, cocktail 

hour sponsor U.S. Ice and lunch sponsor Sherwood/Harvest Foods. 

Scotch & Cigars PAC Event 


The Chamber PAC is back in action, with a Scotch & Cigars fundraiser 

on June 23 hosted at the home of Johny and Leila Kello on Wing Lake. 

Attendees had the opportunity to meet with many dignitaries, including 

Attorney General Dana Nessel, Senators John Bizon, Michael MacDonald, 

Aric Nesbitt, Jim Runestad, Wayne Schmidt, Curt Vanderwall, and Roger 

Victory; Mayor Ken Siver of Southfield and Mayor Michael Taylor of 

Sterling Heights; Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido; Oakland County 

Prosecutor Karen McDonald; Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter, 

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, Judges Diane D’Agostini and 

Debra Nance, and Representatives John Damoose and Matt Hall. 

Clockwise from left: 1. Attorney General Dana Nessel shakes hands as 

Chamber president Martin Manna looks on. 2. The private PAC event was well 

attended, and everyone seemed to have a great time. 3. Dignitaries had the 

opportunity to network with each other as well, as evidenced by this photo 

of (l to r) Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido, Senator Jim Runestad 

and Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter. 4. From left: Macomb County 

Executive Mark Hackel, Matthew Scheider, host Johny Kello, and Nick Gorga. 


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JULY 2021

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