JULY 2010

CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2010

JULY 2010 CHALDEAN NEWS

Robert W. Goodman, DDS, MS 

Sundus Hajji Goodman, DDS, MS 

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CONTENTS JULY 2010 

THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 7 ISSUE VI 

18 

on the cover 

18 Sound and Fury 

By Joyce Wiswell 

Iraq deportations called inhumane 

features 

15 Chaldean on the Street 

By Anthony Samona 

What’s the biggest challenge facing your generation? 

26 34 

20 Feeling the Heat 

By Weam Namou 

Tensions boil over at Iraq meeting 

26 Culturally Wired 

for Business 

By Vanessa Denha Garmo 

How culture has influenced our entrepreneurial efforts 

40 42 

departments 

6 From the Editor 

8 Noteworthy 

9 Community Bulletin Board 

10 Chai Time 

12 halhole 

14 Religion 

14 Obituaries 

16 One on One 

By Mike Sarafa 

Fr. Anthony Kathawa: Striving for holiness 

36 Kids Corner 

By Laura Abouzeid 

Avoid the summer daze! 

38 Classifieds 

40 Events 

Chaldean Commencement 

Father’s Day Talent Show 

30 Michigan’s 

Governor Race 

Candidates answer our questions 

34 Fun for All 


Good times at the Chaldean Festival 

building community 

22 Nurturing Ties 

By Robert Sklar and Vanessa Denha Garmo 

Study groups to explore Chaldean-Jewish 

relationship building 

23 Seeking a Role Model 


Community entrepreneurs share 

“the language of business” 

24 Making a difference 

By Alan Stamm and Justin Fisette 

Partnerships in compassion uphold 

Jewish and Chaldean values 

On the Cover: 

Community members protest deportations 

outside Mother of God Church on June 6. 

Photo by David Reed 


from the EDITOR 

Published By 

The Chaldean News, LLC 

Editorial 

Editor in Chief 

Vanessa Denha-Garmo 

managing Editor 

Joyce Wiswell 

Contributing Writers 

Laura Abouzeid 

Joe Gasso 

Weam Namou 

Anthony Samona 

Mike Sarafa 

proofreader 

Valerie Cholagh 

intern 

Laura Abouzeid 

art & production 

creative director 

Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

graphic designers 

Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

Joseph Sesi 

Photographers 

Nora Bahrou Downs 

David Reed 

operations 

Interlink Media 

director of operations 

Paul Alraihani 

circulation 

Paul Alraihani 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Crystal Oram 

sales 

Interlink Media 

sales representatives 

Sandra Denha Jolagh 

Lisa Kalou 

Crystal Oram 

managers 


Martin Manna 

Michael Sarafa 

subscriptions: $25 per year 

The Chaldean News 

29850 Northwestern Highway, Suite 250 

Southfield, MI 48034 

www.chaldeannews.com 

Phone: (248) 996-8360 

Publication: The Chaldean News 

Published monthly; Issue Date: July 2010 

Subscriptions: 12 months, $25. Publication Address: 

29850 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 250, Southfield, MI 

48034; Postmaster: Send address changes to: The 

Chaldean News 29850 Northwestern Highway, 

Suite 250, Southfield, MI 48034 

Culturally distinguishable 

Traveling to a foreign land 

is often coupled with 

excitement and anxiety, 

especially if you don’t speak 

the language, are familiar with 

the culture or understand the 

currency exchange. When 

Ron and I visited Spain on 

our honeymoon, we almost 

got duped by a con artist. 

Luckily, we asked our concierge 

about this guy offering 

us a tour service, saying 

he worked for our hotel, and 

they explained guys like that 

are known for swindling tourists. 

We were culturally distinguishable 

not as Chaldeans but as Americans. 

We were just visiting — not living in Europe 

— so we never really had to adapt 

to the country. 

Of course, here in the U.S., many 

of us are culturally distinguishable as 

Chaldeans. 

Imagine being forced to live in a foreign 

land. That is exactly what is happening 

to many Chaldeans who never 

became United States citizens and have 

been found guilty of a crime. Some of 

these Chaldeans left Iraq as infants or 

young children; they neither speak the 

Arabic language nor are they accustomed 

to the culture of the country. 

We feature this national story in this 

issue. Chaldean felons are not the only 

ones being deported — anyone born in 

a foreign land who has not become a 

U.S. citizen and who has committed a 

felon is being sent back to their birth 

country, regardless of how long they 

have lived in the U.S., and some Chaldeans 

being deported have lived here 

for 20 years or more. 

The story is complicated. The issue 

is controversial. So Joyce Wiswell went 

on a fact-finding mission to get the truth 

about who is being deported and why 

this is really happening. 

A significant portion of our editorial 

Vanessa 

denha-garmo 

editor in chief 

co-publisher 

this month reflects our culture. 

We highlight the Chaldean 

Festival, once again held in 

Southfield. It is not only an 

event that enables us to show 

our support for the Chaldean 

Community Foundation, but it 

is a place for non-Chaldeans to 

experience Chaldean heritage. 

I had the opportunity to 

sit down with Fr. Manuel Boji, 

who is now the Pastor of Holy 

Martyrs in Sterling Heights. 

He hopes to preserve our culture, 

language and community 

through his efforts at the new church. 

He has plans to incorporate many programs 

to be held at the educational facility 

that is part of the church’s structure. 

Our community continues to grow 

as more refugees arrive into the United 

States. The Chaldean Federation has 

led the efforts to help these Chaldeans 

adapt to life in our country. They are 

supported by the Chaldean American 

Ladies of Charity and the Chaldean 

Community Foundation among other 

groups. This past month there were two 

successful fundraisers for the refugees. 

These newcomers are bringing with 

them the culture that many of us have 

lost over the decades. They help us preserve 

our heritage as we help them adjust 

and create a new life in America. 

This past month, I was among more 

than 100 people who were given insight 

into the burial cloth of Christ. Ave Maria 

radio sponsored the presentation of the 

Shroud of Turin in collaboration with 

the E.C.R.C. at St. Thomas Church in 

West Bloomfield. 

The Shroud of Turin is a centuriesold 

linen cloth that bears the image of 

a crucified man, a man that millions 

believe to be Jesus of Nazareth. The 

question many ask: is it really the cloth 

that wrapped his crucified body, or is it 

simply a medieval forgery, a hoax perpetrated 

by some clever artist? 

Modern science has completed 

hundreds of thousands of hours of 

detailed study and intense research 

on the Shroud. It is, in fact, the single 

most studied artifact in human history. 

Yet, the controversy continues. 

Our faith is an important part of 

our culture. Tracing back the linen that 

wrapped the body of Christ was a fascinating 

presentation. I highly recommend 

attending the talk by Russ Breault, an 

Imagine being forced to live in a foreign land. 

That is exactly what is happening to many 

Chaldeans who never became United States 

citizens and have been found guilty of a crime. 

authority of the Shroud of Turin. 

Our culture is a composite of many 

influences — the Arab world, our historical 

roots, Catholic faith and our recent 

immigration to the United States. 

Our culture is indicative of our community 

and individual identities. 

Our culture distinguishes us from 

the masses. Let our culture always be 

upheld. 

Alaha Imid Koullen 

(God Be With Us All) 


vdenha@chaldeannews.com 

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noteworthy 

First Lady 

Inspires Teen 

Christina Choulagh was among 

a handful of Chaldean students 

who listened to First Lady Michelle 

Obama during a mentoring 

luncheon at the Detroit Institute 

of Art on May 26. 

The students were specifically 

selected to attend the Leadership 

Summit, which also featured 

former basketball player Magic 

Johnson, actor and director Spike 

Lee, and lawyer Denise Ilitch. 

Ilitch, a member of the Board 

of Regents of University of Michigan, 

was placed to sit with Choulagh 

and discuss her success. 

“My mentor talked about 

how she got to where she was, 

how there were times where she 

wanted to give up, and how all 

her hard work and dedication 

got her to where she is now,” 

said Choulagh. 

Obama also emphasized the 

importance of working hard and 

never giving up. “We aren’t born 

knowing how to run a country, run 

a business or create a magazine. 

We work for where we want to 

be in life and failure is an important 

part of success,” she said. 

Choulagh, who attends Lincoln 

High School in Warren, was 

selected by her Algebra teacher 

to attend the event. Although the 

First Lady was escorted away by 

her Secret Service agents before 

Choulagh was able to give her a 

hug, she was still happy to participate 

in the experience. 

Michelle 

Obama 

meets with 

Detroiters. 

“I was inspired by the speech 

and learned that you can’t give 

up on your dreams,” said Choulagh. 

“I think it’s something every 

teenager needs to hear before 

they graduate and get into the 

real world.” 

— Laura Abouzeid 

Hekmat Hakeem Dies 

Hekmat Dawood Hakeem died on June 22 in 

Michigan. 

Born in Telkaif in 1948, he was a law professor 

and unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Iraqi 

Parliament as part of the Chaldean National Congress 

slate. 

Hakeem told the Chaldean News in February 

that staunching the flow of Christians from Iraq 

was his biggest concern. “If forced immigration 

of our people continues for three more years, 

there will no Christians in Iraq,” he said. 

A funeral mass at Mother of God Church and 

burial at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield 

were scheduled for June 26, after press time. 

U.S. Lifts Restrictions on 

Refugees in Michigan 

The U.S. State Department is changing a two-year-old 

policy that limited refugee resettlement to the Detroit 

area because of Michigan’s struggling economy. 

The State Department had restricted resettlement 

in the area to those with close relatives. State Department 

deputy director of refugee admissions Lawrence 

Bartlett told The Associated Press the rules are being 

relaxed because most refugees with immediate family 

had been resettled and there was room for more. 

The government’s new policy allows for a refugee 

with any friend or family ties to resettle in the area. 

Meanwhile, CNN reports that 100,000 Iraqi 

refugees have been referred by the United Nations 

refugee agency for resettlement, composing approximately 

one-fifth of the total number of Middle 

Eastern refugees aided by the program. 

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio 

Guterres announced the figure on June 17 during 

his visit to Syria, which hosts approximately 45 percent 

of Iraqi refugees submitted for resettlement. 

He spoke about how huge an achievement this was 

for the UNHCR and the refugees. 

“One hundred thousand submissions of Iraqi 

refugees is a tremendous achievement,” Guterres 

said. “Many have been living in limbo for years.” 

UNCHR is assisting 511,760 Middle Eastern refugees, 

according to its 2010 fundraising report. The 

majority of the Iraqis submitted for resettlement by the 

UNHCR are moving to the United States. 

While 100,000 Iraqi refugees have been submitted 

since 2007, only around 50 percent of the submissions 

had departed for their new homes as of May 2010. 

Moving the individuals through security checks and 

working out state processing logistics have considerably 

delayed their departures, according to a UNHCR 

press release. Gutteres urged countries to continue to 

accept Iraqi refugees and for host countries to facilitate 

speedy departures of their coming residents. 

Voluntary repatriation in 2009 hit its lowest number 

in 20 years, according to UNHCR. And of the 

251,500 refugees who returned home last year, only 

38,000 were Iraqi. 

Vatican Says World Ignores 

Christians in Mideast 

The international community is ignoring the plight of Christians 

in the Middle East, the Vatican said on June 6. 

A working paper released during Pope Benedict 

XVI’s pilgrimage to Cyprus to prepare for an upcoming 

crisis summit of Middle East bishops in Rome also 

cites the “extremist current’’ unleashed by the rise of 

“political Islam’’ as a threat to Christians. 

In his final Mass in Cyprus, Pope Benedict said he 

was praying that the October meeting will focus the 

attention of the international community “on the plight 

of those Christians in the Middle East who suffer for 

their beliefs.’’ He appealed for an “urgent and concerted 

international effort to resolve the ongoing tensions 

Up in Smoke 

A fire destroyed two popular Chaldean businesses 

on June 2: Kashat International Foods and the 

Sahara Restaurant. 

The two businesses, located in a shopping 

center near Coolidge and Nine Mile in Oak Park, 

were a total loss. The fire began about 5:10 p.m. 

and though both Kashat and Sahara were open 

at the time, no injuries were reported. 

in the Middle East, especially in the Holy Land, before 

such conflicts lead to greater bloodshed.’’ 

The Vatican considers mostly Greek Orthodox 

Cyprus as a bridge between Europe and the Middle 

East and invited bishops to come to the Mediterranean 

island to receive the working paper to counter 

the exodus of thousands of Christians in recent years 

because of war and harsh economic conditions. The 

Vatican expects about 150 bishops to attend the October 

10-24 meeting in Rome. 

Campaign Launched for 

Bombing Victims 

The Iraqi Christian Relief Council (ICR Council) has 

started a worldwide campaign called Faith, Hope, 

Endurance to raise $15,000 for medical needs of 60 

students in Baghdeda, Iraq. 

On May 2, more than 200 Christian students were 

targets of two massive explosions. Militants attacked 

four buses carrying Mosul University students traveling 

from Hamdaniya in the Province of Dohok, Northern 

Iraq. Sandy Shabib and Radeef Al Aahruk were killed 

as a result of the blasts. Shattered glass left more than 

150 students drenched in blood and scarred. Many of 

them lost their eyes and limbs in this attack. 

To donate, visit www.iraqichristianrelief.org. 

People 

Niaz Saka Toma was ordained as a priest on June 18 

at Holy Family Chaldean Catholic Church in Windsor. 

Mar Ibrahim Ibrahim performed the ordination mass. 

Immigration Attorney Steven N. Garmo 

has been named by Michigan Super 

Lawyers magazine as one of the top attorneys 

in the state. He was also 

named in the magazine’s Super 

Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition. 

Garmo is a partner in Garmo 

& Associates, P.C. in Farmington 

Hills and Sterling Heights. 

Correction 

“Looking Back” in the June 21010 issue contained 

a number on inaccuracies. Gurgia Sheena 

is 80 years old and married Mikha at the age 

of 11 and ½. The couple arrived in the United 

States in 1965 and has eight children. 


Community Bulletin Board 

A-Plus 

Three Chaldean students graduated summa cum laude 

from West Bloomfield High School last month — an 

achievement of a 4.0 grade-point average or above for 

all four years. Caitlyn Norma Hakim was president of 

the Spanish Club and a member of the National Honor 

Society and International/Ethnic Festival Club. She’ll 

attend Oakland University to study anesthesiology. Andrew 

Lucas Samona (center), plans to study medicine 

at Oakland University. Jonathan Zora, a member of the 

National Honor Society, International Club and Spanish 

Club, will study pre-med at the University of Michigan. 

Sunday in the Park 

More than 6,000 people turned out for the 

St. George Chaldean Church annual picnic 

on June 20 at the Knights of Columbus Park 

in Utica. The good times included music, 

games, activities and vendors. Pictured here 

are some of the 75 volunteers who made 

it all possible, and volunteer leaders Jason 

Hanoush and Diana Brikho. 

The Mystery of the Shroud 

More than 100 people attended a presentation by Russ 

Breault, who has been researching the Shroud for more 

than 25 years and founded the Shroud of Turin Education 

Project, Inc. to advance awareness and study of 

this profound mystery. An accomplished lecturer, he 

has captivated hundreds of audiences from New York 

to Hawaii. His presentation took place at St. Thomas 

Chaldean Catholic Church in West Bloomfield on June 

18. The event was sponsored by Ave Maria Radio in collaboration 

with the E.C.R.C. Both Mike Jones and Tom 

Loewe from AM 990 were present as well as E.C.R.C. 

coordinators. Neran Karmo welcomed the attendees. 

The Shroud of Turin has intrigued millions of people over 

the centuries who believe it to be the actual burial cloth 

that wrapped Jesus in the tomb. This ancient burial cloth 

bearing a blood stained image of a crucified man has 

also intrigued scientists, historians and medical experts 

with the possibility of its authenticity. 

Remembering the D Man 

Danny Kassab passed away 

last August but his spirit lives 

on through a new foundation 

his family has established. The 

D-MAN Foundation, Danny’s 

Miracle Angel Network, will help 

survivors of spinal cord injuries. 

Danny, who died at age 23, was 

left paralyzed from the neck 

down after being stuck by a car 

as a child. The D-Man Foundation 

holds its first fundraiser on 

July 22, the “Hollywood Night 

Event” at the Lafayette Grande in 

Pontiac. For details, visit www. 

mydman.com or contact Tina 

Drake at (248) 267-0208. 

The Best Medicine 

Giggles, tee hees and 

guffaws filled the air at 

Shenandoah Country Club 

on June 10 at Laughing 

Out Loud for Charity. 

Sponsored by the Chaldean American 

Ladies of Charity and the Adopt-A-Refugee 

Family Program, the event’s proceeds went 

to helping out women in need. Among the 

many who came out for a good laugh were 

Gloria Kassa and Lillian Shallal. 

Have an item for the Bulletin Board? 

Send it to Chaldean News, 

29850 Northwestern 

Highway, Southfield, MI 48034, 

or e-mail info@chaldeannews.com. 


CHAI time 

chaldeans conNecting 

community events in and around metro detroit JULY 2010 

[Thursday, July 1 – Sunday, July 5] 

Fireworks: Annual Salute to America at 

Greenfield Village in Dearborn. 6-10 p.m. 

(313) 982-6001 or www.thehenryford.org. 

[Thursday, July 1 - Monday, July 5] 

Festival: The Comerica CityFest at the 

New Center in Detroit features five days 

of food, shopping and live music. (313) 

872-0188 or www.newcenter.com. 

[Friday, July 2 – Sunday, July 5] 

Fireworks & Festival: Mt. Clemens 

Stars and Stripes Festival located 

at the Riverfront. (586) 469-4168 or 

www.starsandstripesfest.com. 

[Saturday, July 3] 

Fireworks: Birmingham’s fireworks 

display at Lincoln Hills Golf Course begins 

at dusk. (248) 644-1800. 


Fireworks: Shelby Township’s fireworks 

display at Stoney Creek Metropark begins 

at dusk. (586) 781-4242. 


Fireworks: Walled Lake Tiki Night and 

fireworks display on Wolverine Lake. 

www.wolverinelake.com. 

[Sunday, July 4] 

Fireworks: Oakland County Boat 

Club fireworks display in Keego Harbor 

takes place over Sylvan Lake beginning 

at dusk. www.sylvanlake.org. 


Fireworks: St. Clair’s fireworks take 

place at Palmer Park beginning at dusk. 

www.bluewater.org. 

[Wednesday, July 7] 

Cigars: Monthly Smokandoah cigar 

club meets at 7 p.m. at Shenandoah 

Country Club. (248) 683-6363. 

[Friday, July 9 - Sunday, July 11] 

Boat Race: Hydroplanes race at 

speeds up to 200 mph on the Detroit 

River during the Annual Gold Cup. 

www.gold-cup.com. 


CFL Tryouts: The Chaldean Football 

League holds open tryouts at West Bloomfield 

High School at 9 a.m. sharp. You must 

be a Chaldean male or married to somebody 

Chaldean, and at least 18 years old, to 

participate. Visit www.chaldeanfootball.com 

or call Derek Dickow at (248) 521-2900. 

[Thursday, July 22] 

Fundraiser: The D-MAN Foundation’s 

First Annual Hollywood Night Event at the 

Lafayette Grande in Pontiac raises money 

for those living with spinal cord injuries. 

The event is sponsored by Guardian 

Angel Home Health Care. To purchase 

tickets visit neptix.com or call (248) 267- 

0208. Cost is $150 per person or $250 

per couple. www.dmanhollywood.com or 

contact Tina Drake at (248) 267-0208. 

[Saturday, July 24 - Sunday July 25] 

Festival: The 39th Annual Arab and 

Chaldean Festival takes place at 

Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit. The 

Children’s Fair is on Saturday and 

the Fashion Show is on Sunday. 

www.arabandchaldeanfestival.com 

or (248) 960-9956. 

[Monday, July 26] 

Poker: Shenandoah Poker Tournament 

for members 21 and older begins 

at 8 p.m. (248) 806-9100. 


Seminar: St.Joseph Hospital 

in Pontiac holds free 

one-hour seminars regarding 

orthopedic procedures 

and joint replacement. 6 

p.m., Franco Communications 

Center. To register 

call (800) 372-6094. 

[Friday, July 30 – 

Sunday August 1] 

Art Show: Hot Works presents 

the 8th Annual Orchard 

Lake Fine Art Show in West 

Bloomfield. Young artists 

ages 5-12 are invited to enter their 

original works of art into the Youth Art 

Competition. www.hotworks.com 

10 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2010

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Adam Elias and 

Ashton George 

Proud parents Elias & Melody Arabo and 

big sister Emily are so blessed to welcome 

identical twins, Adam Elias and Ashton 

George, to their family. The boys arrived 

on November 30, 2009 at 1:33 and 1:34 

p.m. Adam weighed 6 lbs., 15 oz., and 

Ashton weighed 6 lbs., 2 oz. Adam’s loving 

godparents are Mark Shamoun and Marilyn 

Kassa. Ashton’s loving godparents are John 

Saroki and Lana Elia. The twins are the 

sixth and seventh grandchildren for George 

& Nawal Arabo and the 11th and 12th 

grandchildren for George & Bushra Saroki. 

May God bless them always. 

Genevieve Rose 

Logan Elizabeth Lousia would like to 

announce the birth of her baby sister, Genevieve 

Rose. Proud parents are Jimmy & 

Francesca Lousia. Genevieve was born on 

March 22, 2010, weighing 6 lbs., 2 oz. and 

measuring 20.5 inches. Loving grandparents 

are Raad & Sandra Lousia, Edward 

Abbo and Elham Abbo. Genevieve will be 

baptized by Joseph Abbo and Stephanie 

Weinberger. 

Charlotte Heather 

Jeffrey & Allena Najor are happy to 

announce the birth of their daughter, 

Charlotte Heather. She was born on April 

8, 2010 and weighed 6 lbs., 11 oz. She 

measured 20 inches. Proud grandparents 

are Nadia & the late George Najor and 

Ramzi & Widad Attisha. Godparents are 

Allena’s siblings, Robert and Rania Attisha. 

We welcome her with love. 

Brooklynn Rose 

Michael is proud to announce the birth of his 

baby sister, Brooklynn Rose. God blessed 

Joshua & Olivia Bock (Zoma) with Brooklynn 

on March 3, 2010. She was born in 

Plano, Texas, weighing 8 lbs., 4 oz. and 

was 21 inches in length. She is the second 

grandchild for Drs. Brooks & Pamela Bock, 

Susan Bock & James Brown, and Ahlam 

Zoma & the late Mundher Zoma. 

[Wedding] 

Steve and Holly 

On May 21, 2010 Steve Romaya and 

Holly Kejbo exchanged vows of love in the 

holy sacrament of marriage at St Thomas 

Chaldean Catholic Church. Steven is the 

son of Basim & Pat Romaya and Holly is 

the daughter of Joseph & Widad Keijbo. 

The reception was held at Coach Insignia 

in the Renaissance Center. May God bless 

them in their new beginning of life together 

as one. Holly & Steve would like to thank 

everyone for their well wishes and for making 

their evening very memorable. 

Adam Elias and Ashton George 

Genevieve Rose 

Charlotte Heather 

Brooklynn Rose 

Steve and Holly 


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RELIGION 

obituaries 

places of prayer 

chaldean churches in and around metro detroit 

THE DIOCESE OF ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE IN THE UNITED STATES 

St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Diocese 

25603 Berg Road, Southfield, MI 48033; (248) 351-0440 

Mar (Bishop) Ibrahim N. Ibrahim 

www.chaldeandiocese.org 

MOTHER OF GOD CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

25585 Berg Road, Southfield, MI 48034; (248) 356-0565 

Rector: Rev. Manuel Boji 

Parochial Vicar: Rev. Wisam Matti 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays except Tuesday, 10 a.m.; Tuesday, St. Anthony prayer 

at 5 p.m. followed by mass at 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 5:15 p.m. in English; Sunday: 

8:30 a.m. in Arabic, 10 a.m. in English, 12 noon in Chaldean, 7 p.m. in English 

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP MISSION 

Located inside St. Sylvester Church 

11200 12 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48093; (586) 804-2114 

Mass Schedule: Sunday 12:30 p.m. in Arabic and Chaldean 

SACRED HEART CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

310 W. Seven Mile Road, Detroit, MI 48203; (313) 368-6214 

Pastor: Rev. Jacob Yasso 

Mass Schedule: Friday, 6 p.m. in Chaldean; Sunday 11 a.m. in Chaldean 

MAR ADDAI CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

24010 Coolidge Highway, Oak Park, MI 48237; (248) 547-4648 

Pastor: Rev. Stephen Kallabat 

Parochial Vicars: Rev. Fadi Habib Khalaf, Rev. Suleiman Denha 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 12 noon; Sunday, 10 a.m. in Sourath and Arabic, 

12:30 p.m. in Sourath 

ST. GEORGE CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

45700 Dequindre Road, Shelby Township, MI 48317; (586) 254-7221 

Pastor: Msgr. Emanuel Hana Isho Shaleta 

Assistant Pastor: Rev. Basel Yaldo 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m.; Saturday, 5 p.m.; Sunday: 8:30 a.m. 

in Chaldean, 10 a.m. in Arabic, 11:30 a.m. in English, 1 p.m. in Chaldean. 

Baptisms: 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. 

ST. JOSEPH CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

2442 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 48083; (248) 528-3676 

Pastor: Msgr. Zouhair Toma (Kejbou) 

Parochial Vicar: Fr. Rudy Zoma 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Chaldean; Saturday, 5 p.m. in English and 

Chaldean; Sunday, 8 a.m. in Chaldean, 9:30 a.m. in Arabic, 11 a.m. in English, 

12:30 p.m. in Chaldean, 2:15 in Chaldean and Arabic. Baptisms: 3 p.m. on Sundays. 

ST. MARY HOLY APOSTOLIC 

CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST 

4320 E. 14 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48092; (586) 825-0290 

Rector: Fr. Benjamin Benjamin 

Mass Schedule: Sunday, 9 a.m. in Assyrian; 12 noon in Assyrian and English 

ST. THOMAS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

6900 Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; (248) 788-2460 

Pastor: Rev. Frank Kalabat 

Rev. Emanuel Rayes (retired) 

Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jirgus Abrahim 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Sourath; Saturday, 5 p.m. in English; 

Sunday 9 a.m. in English, 10:30 a.m. in English, 12:30 p.m. in Sourath 

ST. TOMA SYRIAC CATHOLIC CHURCH 

25600 Drake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48335; (248) 478-0835 

Pastor: Rev. Toma Behnama 

Fr. Safaa Habash 

Mass Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 6 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. 

All masses are in Syriac, Arabic and English 

Habib (Harry) George Qashat 

Habib (Harry) George Qashat, who was 

known well to all who have lived and 

worked in the Detroit Metropolitan area, 

passed away in peace at Providence St. 

Johns Hospital, on May 31, 2010. He was 

a businessman and a philanthropist. 

Habib was born on August 4, 1932. 

He arrived in the U.S. in 1954 from Baghdad, 

Iraq and became a U.S. citizen in 

1963. He graduated from Highland Park 

High School and the Electronics Institute of Detroit with 

High Honors. He assisted in bringing his family from Baghdad 

to the U.S. where his family prospered. 

He married Wanda Lee Shelby (deceased) of Corbin, 

Kentucky, in 1957. He is survived by his four children, Susan 

Mary Qashat, Patricia Georgette Hatfield, Linda Elizabeth 

Hendricks, and Steven George Qashat, United States 

Navy, Retired. He is also survived by his grandchildren, 

Elizabeth Marie Morin, Benjamin Francis Qashat, Jamie Lee 

St. Amand, Veronica Thaise Gibbs, Jessica Lynn Hatfield, 

Jeremy Leigh Hatfield, Sarah Lynn Hendricks and Christopher 

Steven Qashat, and many great-grandchildren. 

In 1982, Habib married Claire Shaya Qashat, now deceased, 

and is survived by his loved and adopted daughter 

Dahlia Shaya Qashat Hermiz, as well as grandchildren Brooke 

Claire and Alyssa Rose of Arizona. 

He was the son of the late George Qashat and Jamelia 

Zeto Qashat. He is also survived by Souad KasMikha Abboud, 

Manual George Qashat, Zuhair (Steven) George Qashat, 

Adnan Qashat, Asaad George Qashat, Selwa Naami, 

and Robert George Qashat. He is loved and will be missed 

by many friends and his family. 

Zuhaira Jendo 

Zuhaira Jendo of West Bloomfield passed 

away in her home the morning of June 

3, 2010, of a sudden heart attack while 

cooking breakfast. 

Born in Iraq on November 2, 1939, 

Zuhaira was always an exceptional eldest 

daughter, mother, wife, sister, aunt, cousin 

and friend to many. She was saved by Dawood 

Jendo at her all-girls school in Iraq during 

the big flood. She then married him and 

together they had seven beautiful children. 

Zuhaira is survived by her beloved mother Jamila; her 

husband Dawood; her son Mouayad, his wife Sana, and 

their five children Ashley, Stephanie, Alvin, Crystal and 

Celina; her son Mazin; her daughter Mona; her daughter 

Maisam, her husband Peter and their children Olivia, Ivan 

and Drake; her daughter Manal, her husband Eddie and 

their children Sabrina and Kyle; her daughter Montaha, her 

husband Don and their son Martial; her daughter Najwa; 

and her best friend Julette. She is also survived by four sisters, 

six brothers, 15 nieces, eight nephews, great-nieces 

and nephews, cousins and friends. 

Also known as “Zouie” to her loved ones, she always 

strived for nothing but the best for her children and grandchildren. 

She loved them all unconditionally and lived to see 

them happy every day of their lives. Her heart was always 

open to others, while she made sure your stomach was always 

full. She loved watching her daily soap operas in Arabic 

and Chaldean, along with following the religious channel 

and the daily masses on television. 

She was a firm believer in God, having faith in the good 

of people and always kept those who were dear to her heart 

in her prayers. She will be deeply missed by many and will 

now become the angel watching over this family. 

Recently 

deceased 

Community 

members 

Lewis Francis 

June 20, 2010 

Mary Toma 


Shatha Georges 


Zuhair Shina 


Shamon Shaouni 


Warina Shuker 


Naima Jadan 


Hannyia Sesi 

May 31, 2010 

Submit your love’s 

one obituary to info@ 

chaldeannews.com, 

or send it to Chaldean 

News, 29850 Northwestern 

Highway, 

Southfield, MI 48034. 


chaldean on the STREET 

What is the biggest challenge facing your generation? 

By Anthony Samona 

Today’s graduates face many trials as they contemplate their future. We asked them to 

name a few at the Chaldean Commencement on June 11. 

The energy crisis. Oil has to run 

out at some point, and we take 

it for granted because we think 

there is a lot of it. Especially with 

the oil leak happening now in 

the Gulf, which is affecting our 

planet, there should be more 

forms of alternative energy in 

homes and buildings to save 

these resources. Switching to 

more hybrid and electric cars 

would also help the environment. 

It is a scary thought what other 

challenges we will have to face 

in our generation. 

Mike Atchoo, 18 

Troy 

Economically, it is much harder 

for teens to continue their education 

at the college level. Not 

as many private parties are doing 

well enough to offer as many 

scholarships, so we are very 

lucky to get whatever we can. 

It’s not as easy for most people 

to be able to give back to the 

community anymore. Journalism 

has faced and will face many 

more challenges as online blogs 

and newspaper/newsmagazine 

participation increases and 

paper news is eliminated altogether. 

People can get factual 

updates anywhere, anytime, 

even from their cell phones. 

Olivia Najor, 18 

Royal Oak 

In school, many Chaldeans 

tend to stay in their own clique. 

Although it is great to stick to 

our people, we are not encouraged 

to branch out and make 

friends with teens of other races 

and ethnicities. Chaldeans in 

our community should be open 

to making friends with people 

based on their reputation and 

personality, not based on their 

race. It’s very beneficial for 

people to have a wide variety 

of friends with different races, 

and Chaldeans, along with other 

teens, should strive to make as 

many close friends as possible 

no matter what their race. 

Jonathan Nafso, 17 


We must work to overcome 

the negative stereotypes that 

our community faces on a daily 

basis. Chaldeans are hit with 

phrases like, “Oh, how many 

party stores does your dad 

own?” or, “All Chaldeans go 

to OCC.” Little do they know 

that Chaldeans are going 

beyond stereotypes, becoming 

successful in all aspects of life 

and expanding their education 

to the fullest. As a community, 

we have achieved so much and 

we need to continue to excel in 

order to break these negative 

stereotypes. 

Michael Nafso, 17 


The generation gap. Many Chaldean 

parents are old-fashioned 

and do not understand our ways 

of life growing up in America. 

The many different backgrounds 

and race of friends in my 

generation, the way we talk 

with slang words, and the many 

differences we share between 

the two generations is very hard 

for our parents to understand. If 

I hang out with friends who are 

not Chaldean, my parents will 

be very concerned about their 

different lifestyles because our 

ways of living are different than 

many other cultures. 

Alexander Salem, 17 


Global warming is becoming 

worse and worse and not 

enough people are caring about 

the environment and the world 

we live in. I still see people 

throw their cigarettes out their 

car windows and polluting a 

great amount. By doing this, 

they are decreasing the chances 

of making our environment a 

healthy one. It is a challenge 

for us because we’re going to 

have to deal with environmental 

problems that the generations 

ahead of us left for us. 

Jessica Istifo, 18 

Sterling Heights 

Besides global warming, clean 

energy and terrorism, the biggest 

challenge we face as Chaldeans 

is preserving our ancient 

language and rich culture. We 

speak one of the oldest languages 

in the history of the world, 

and have a beautiful culture that 

is focused on love, family and 

faith in God. It’s scary to think 

about how much our language 

and culture will fade away with 

the future generations. We need 

to keep the Chaldean language 

alive by teaching it to ourselves 

and to the younger generations. 

If we lose our language, 

we could lose our culture and 

identity as well. 

Christina Kashat, 21 


Being first-generation Chaldeans 

in America, It is up to us to pass 

down our native tongue to our 

children so they can pass it 

down to their children, and so 

on. Keeping our roots alive and 

strong is very important for our 

community. Many first-generation 

Chaldeans do not know how to 

speak fluent Chaldean, which is 

going to be a challenge because 

this can cause our language to 

slowly die out for the generations 

to come. 

Vania Daoud, 18 

Commerce Township 

A challenge facing our generation 

is to keep our Chaldean 

traditions alive to future generations. 

Organizing Chaldean 

classes in the community is a 

great way to teach Chaldeans in 

our generation more about our 

culture and ways of life. That 

way, we can pass these down to 

future generations and keep our 

Chaldean culture strong. 

Chanel Ayar, 20 

Southfield 

Our biggest challenge will be 

adapting to a global economy 

and facing the environmental 

issues that the human population 

has created on a local, national 

and international scale. These 

are challenges that our generation 

must face now and in the 

future. We must also work to 

improve international relations. 

Alexander Yaldo, 18 



ONE on ONE 

Fr. Anthony Kathawa: Striving for holiness 

Anthony Kathawa, 25, became 

the Chaldean community’s 

newest priest 

when he was ordained on May 

22. He recently sat down with 

Chaldean News Co-Publisher 

Mike Sarafa to talk about his 

new life. 

CN: You’re the second American-born 

Chaldean priest and 

the only one in the Eastern Diocese. 

Why have there been so 

few in the past and why are more 

joining the seminary today? 

FA: In the old days, priests 

from the Old Country had a hard 

time filling the needs of American-born 

young people. They 

had a harder time adapting to 

the culture and the language. 

Oftentimes, there was a generation 

gap and big age differences. 

Now with Fr. Frank, Fr. 

Wissam, Fr. Andy and me, there 

are more priests for young people 

to identify with. We have a 

chance to have a greater impact 

on the youth. More recently, the 

older priests have also adapted well to 

communicating better with the younger 

generation. Everyone recognizes the 

importance of this for the future of our 

church. 

CN: What are your plans to bring 

the youth back to the Chaldean Church, 

not necessarily non-churchgoers, but 

those who attend the Latin Rite? 

FA: The Chaldean Church has a 

rich liturgy, tradition and history. Even 

Rome encourages the Eastern Rite 

people to remain loyal to their churches. 

The Latin Church in America has 

done a good job in attracting youth and 

building strong parishes. So has the 

Chaldean Church. We need to do a 

better job of educating people on the 

beauty and historical significance of the 

Fr. Anthony with Mar Ibrahim Ibrahim, his grandfather Gorgis Kathawa (far right) and his great uncle Salim 

Kathawa (far left). 

Chaldean Mass. And young people 

have to step forward and give the Chaldean 

Church a chance. They have to 

meet us halfway. We can cater to their 

needs without throwing away our traditions. 

Chaldeans shouldn’t go to the Latin 

Rite just for convenience — if it’s closer, 

or the Mass schedule is better for 

them, or the dress code is more lax. 

CN: You can go to a Latin Church 

in shorts and sandals but not the Chaldean 

Church. You have to dress up. 

FA: People should be respectful 

of God, themselves and others. How 

you dress is more a statement about 

community pressure than about the 

Church. But if the Bishop invited you 

to dinner at his house, you would dress 

appropriately. Church is God’s house 

and should be treated as such. God 

deserves the best. 

CN: How do you feel about being 

assigned to Mother of God? 

FA: Even though St. Joseph is my 

home parish, I was very excited. It’s our 

Cathedral and the heart of the Church. 

To be working near the Bishop is a 

blessing. I have a lot to learn and he is 

a great mentor. From Mother of God, 

I can attract from all areas for retreats, 

Bible study and pilgrimages. It is a 

central location. And I plan on using 

the Chaldean Camp. It is a wonderful 

investment for our faith and spiritual 

growth — a place to get away from our 

busy lives and spend time with God. 

Last year I did three retreats there with 

65 people each time. There will be 

more to come. 

CN: What do you think of E.C.R.C. 

and their mission? 

FA: They do great work. The KAI- 

ROS retreats change people’s lives. 

They teach dozens of classes and their 

students become catechists and teachers. 

They will grow larger and 

there is much work to be done 

among the youth and refugees. 

CN: What are your thoughts 

about materialism as it relates 

to weddings, communions and 

other religious events? 

FA: Our community is very 

hard working and we have had 

much success. Our parties can 

be wonderful celebrations. Money 

is not the problem. Everyone 

likes nice things but we can’t let 

it control us. The challenge is 

how we focus our attention. The 

focus should be spiritual, not 

worldly. The importance of these 

events is the blessings and graces 

of the sacraments. We have 

things here that our forefathers 

in Iraq could not even imagine. 

But these things are perishable 

and short lived. God is everlasting 

love and happiness. 

CN: You, like me, don’t speak 

fluent Chaldean. Will that hinder 

your work? 

FA: What makes a good priest is 

holiness, which is what I strive for. I 

have much to learn including more 

about theology, Chaldean language, 

history and traditions. The more I learn, 

the better able I will be to serve. 

CN: How did your family play a role 

in your becoming a priest? 

FA: There’s no way I’d be a priest 

without the support of my family. My 

parents made God a priority in our 

house, which planted the seeds of 

priesthood. We prayed together every 

night and my dad made us go to 

Church every week when I was little. 

As I got older, this chore became a desire. 

When I told my Mom and Dad I 

was going to join the seminary, it was 

difficult news for them to accept. But 

ultimately, they were happy, and if I had 

left the seminary for some reason, it 

would have broken their hearts. 

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13857_DT_Eng_v4 


sound and fury 

Iraq deportations called inhumane 

Photo by David Reed 

By Joyce Wiswell 

Life was going in the right direction 

for Basam Jarges. Released 

after 20 years in prison, he 

married his long-time girlfriend, got 

a job at a hotel and started school. 

But all that changed on May 18 with 

a 5:30 a.m. knock on the door. 

Agents with U.S. Immigration 

and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 

took Basam from his Chicago home 

and a few days later deported him 

to Iraq on a chartered flight with 

other Iraqi Christians. There, his 

wife Nawal charges, he was left at 

the airport with inadequate travel 

documents and underwent intensive 

interrogation by Iraqi authorities. 

A Christian Iraqi noticed the 

proceedings and took pity on the 

men, Nawal said. He brought them 

to his restaurant and let them call 

their families in America. Basam 

is now living in Baghdad “with no 

electricity and no cold water,” Nawal 

said. “And he can’t leave the house 

without fearing for his life.” 

“My husband was here in the 

U.S. for over 30 years,” she added. 

“He knows nothing about Baghdad. 

He can speak Chaldean, but not 

Arabic.” 

Jarges, who was convicted of 

conspiracy to distribute cocaine, is 

not alone. As of June 14, 41 Iraqis 

have been deported since October 

and 2,724 are in removal proceedings, 

according to ICE spokesperson 

Gillian Brigham. That includes 56 

people currently detained in an ICE 

facility. Though ICE does not break 

down the numbers by religion, it is 

believed that 10 Chaldeans have 

been deported from Detroit, and that 

an additional 500 or 600 Chaldeans 

across the U.S. could be affected, 

said Joe Kassab, executive director 

the Chaldean Federation of America 

(CFA). Accurate numbers are hard 

to come by, he said, because many of 

these men have gone into hiding. 

The U.S. government is having a 

disconnect when it comes to Iraq’s religious 

minorities, critics say. On one 

hand, an increasing number of refugees 

are being admitted to the U.S., 

but on the other, some Christians are 

being deported. In one case, advocates 

claim, a man was deported to Iraq, 

kidnapped and released, then allowed 

back in the U.S. under asylum. 

In most cases the men, who David 

C. Koelsch calls “as American as 

apple pie,” were deported after serving 

prison sentences. Others failed 

to gain political asylum. After being 

flown out of the U.S. and deposited 

in the Baghdad airport, they are left 

to fend for themselves with little or 

no language skills and a Christian 

target on their back. 

“These are really, really heartbreaking 

cases,” said Koelsch, director 

of the Immigration Law Clinic at the 

University of Detroit Mercy. “These 

men may have done something stupid 

when they were young, but they paid 

their price to society. We are talking 

about people who don’t speak Chaldean 

or Arabic. For all intents and 

purposes they are American.” 

Clearing a Backlog 

Deportations are nothing new — 

ICE is currently in the process of deporting 

1.6 million people, Brigham 

said. But the numbers of Iraqis has 

increased dramatically; in all of FY 

2009, only 15 Iraqis were deported. 

The Iraqi government had not been 

supplying the necessary paperwork to 

send these people back, but now issues 

each a “laissez passer,” a travel 

document good for one use. 

The deportees do not have passports, 

which makes their situations 

more bleak, critics say. Many of the 

affected people came to the United 

States as children with their families 

and lack birth certificates and other 

legal documentation. As convicted 


Opposite page: 

Sarah Alsragr at a 

deportation protest 

outside Mother of God 

Church in Southfield 

on June 6. 

felons, they are barred from U.S. 

citizenship. 

ICE is charged with apprehending, 

detaining and removing deportees, 

but it’s only following orders — 

an immigration judge actually makes 

the call to deport. A change in policy 

is needed, said Kassab. 

“We need to educate immigration 

judges not to send religious minorities 

back to Iraq at this time,” he said. 

“More important is a policy change 

from higher up in the administration 

but how you do that, I don’t know.” 

Judges are under the false impression 

that Iraq has stabilized and become 

safer for its religious minorities, 

Kassab said. But they remain in danger 

of persecution by Islamic fundamentalists. 

While the Iraqi government 

does not condone the mistreatment, 

it is “so frail and weak that it can’t 

protect the minorities,” he said. 

The U.S. is “basically sending 

these men to a death sentence,” said 

CFA Chairman Dave Nona. “Most 

of these people have no friends or 

relatives in Iraq.” 

They are viewed suspiciously 

as Americans and suspected of being 

spies, Nona said, thus “become 

open targets to insurgents and fundamentalists.” 

Nona acknowledges that not everyone 

has sympathy for convicted 

felons. “I would say, human rights also 

apply to people who have made mistakes,” 

he said. “It’s double jeopardy 

to expose them to a second sentence 

after they have served their time.” 

Koelsch said that besides drugs, 

some convictions include criminal 

sexual conduct, rape, child molestation 

and food stamp fraud. “The crimes 

in some cases are pretty horrible so the 

average person may not have a lot of 

sympathy for them. But at some point 

we have to have mercy and compassion 

for people,” he said. “Just because they 

are immigrants do we subject them to a 

higher penalty than everyone else?” 

The CFA and Koelsch have appealed 

to officials at ICE, the U.S. 

State Department and U.S. Senator 

Carl Levin for help. “They promise 

they will try to do something,” said 

Nona. “The officials coming from 

this administration seem to be a lot 

more attentive and genuinely listening 

to the concerns of the community, 

as opposed to some from the 

previous administration.” 

‘A Nightmare’ 

Terri Sitto of Farmington Hills is frantic 

with worry about her two brothers, 

Aboud, 45, and Omar, 39. Both were 

deported to Iraq on May 25. 

The Sitto brothers were arrested 

for cocaine trafficking in 1990. Omar 

was sentenced to life, but released 

in February after serving 19 years. 

Aboud, who had a separate trial, 

spent five years in prison and after 

his release, two and a half years in 

ICE custody. He had been free for 12 

years until his deportation. Terri 

insists both her brothers are 

innocent of the crime, calling 

it a case of being “at the wrong 

time, wrong place.” 

When the Sittos arrived in 

Baghdad, they were told by Iraqi 

officials that their documents 

were fake, Terri said. After more 

than three hours of questioning, 

they were released but discovered 

their luggage had been stolen. 

Aboud speaks a bit of Arabic 

but Omar, who had been in 

the U.S. since age 9, does not. A 

man overheard their plight and 

told them, “If you speak English 

or Chaldean, you’re dead. Your 

Arabic shows you are not an 

Iraqi. Don’t even take a taxi.” 

At the advice of the man, the brothers 

walked for five hours to a Christian 

church, Terri said, being beaten and 

pelted with rocks along the way. 

A priest tried to get the men passports, 

but authorities refused to issue 

them because they said their travel papers, 

which do not include photo ID, 

are fake. Now the two are hiding out in 

another church in a sort of limbo. 

“They have nothing, no clothes, 

no family or friends, and they can’t 

work without documents,” said Terri 

Sitto. “It’s a nightmare. It’s inhumane 

what they did to them.” 

Challenging Policy 

Sathab Abbo Ousacho, an immigration 

attorney with Troy-based Ellis 

Porter, has seen several deportation 

cases firsthand through her pro bono 

work with the CFA. 

“We’re not challenging the law 

per se, we’re challenging the policy,” 

she said. “From a humanitarian and 

empathetic perspective, many have 

served their sentences and reformed 

their lives. In some cases, deportation 

candidates were released years 

ago and have since established upstanding 

careers and lifestyles and 

become valuable members of society 

and the community. They own businesses, 

employ workers, and have 

families. It’s a broad-reaching web.” 

Senator Carl Levin and his brother, 

U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, wrote a letter 

to Homeland Security head Janet 

Napolitano on June 2 detailing abuses 

against Iraq’s Christians. “In light of 

these events, we remain gravely concerned 

for the safety of Chaldeans, Assyrians 

and other Iraqi Christians,” the 

men wrote. “We ask that you use any 

discretionary tools available to delay 

the removal of Iraqi Christians who 

Nawal Jarges will move to Iraq to join her 

husband, Basam. 

are facing deportation until conditions 

in Iraq allow for their safe return.” No 

official answer had been received by 

press time, but Kassab said deportations 

appeared to be slowing. 

Meanwhile, at least 60 Iraqis who 

failed to gain asylum have been deported 

from several European countries 

including Britain, Sweden, Denmark 

and the Netherlands, according 

to the United National refugee agency 

UNHCR. The agency has been 

urging governments not to force the 

Iraqis to return, citing continued attacks 

and human rights violations. 

“Our position reflects the volatile 

security situation and the still high 

level of prevailing violence, security 

incidents, and human rights violations 

taking place in these parts of Iraq,’’ the 

agency said in a June statement. 

On June 18, the BBC reported 

that more than 40 Iraqi asylum seekers 

deported from Britain have alleged 

that they were beaten by British 

border police to force them to board 

and then leave the plane. UNHCR 

said it is investigating. 

Back in Chicago, Nawal Jarges 

— who was born in the U.S. — is 

making plans to move to Iraq to join 

Basam. The couple hopes to make it 

to Northern Iraq, where Christians 

are generally safer than in Baghdad. 

“I love my husband,” she said, “and 

I will not be without him again, 

America or no America.” 

Protect 

Yourself 

Besides to not break the law, 

there’s an important lesson to be 

learned from the recent deportation 

trend: Anyone who plans to 

live permanently in the United 

States is well-advised to become 

a legal citizen. 

About a third of Michigan’s 

Chaldean community are not 

citizens, estimated Joe Kassab, executive 

director of the Chaldean 

Federation of America (CFA). 

Many have been in the United 

States since they were children, 

but never achieved citizenship. 

That leaves them with little legal 

recourse in the face of deportation. 

While a Green Card allows 

permanent legal residency in the 

United States, it does not offer 

the same rights as citizenship, 

such as voting. 

“In many cases it’s a function 

of being lazy or believing that 

the naturalization process poses a 

great challenge, but the benefits 

far outweigh the inconveniences,” 

said Sathab Abbo Ousachi, 

an immigration attorney with Ellis 

Porter who volunteers for the 

CFA. “People are beginning to 

see the potential risks of not becoming 

naturalized citizens.” 

A potential citizen must be a 

permanent resident of the U.S. 

for at least five years, or be married 

to a citizen for at least three. The 

first step is to file a form called the 

N400 with U.S. Citizenship and 

Immigration Services, a division 

of Homeland Security. Eventually, 

applicants are fingerprinted 

and must pass a test on U.S. history/civics 

and basic English skills. 

Some exceptions are made for 

people older than 65 who have 

been in the U.S. for 20 years. 

When it comes to deportation, 

Ousachi said it is important for people 

to understand their rights. Detainees 

are encouraged to demand 

legal representation, and should 

avoid signing any documents without 

consulting an attorney. 

Those who suspect they could 

be vulnerable to deportation 

should seek legal counsel or call 

the CFA. But be wary of a lawyer 

who promises to fix the situation 

for a stated fee — until a policy 

change comes from the Obama 

Administration, these deportations 

are perfectly legal. 

Learn more at www.uscis.gov. 

The CFA is also a resource; visit 

www.chaldeanfederation.org. 


feeling 

the heat 

Tensions boil over 

at Iraq meeting 

By Weam Namou 

Things became so heated at a June 1 town 

hall meeting on Iraq that the speakers, 

members of the U.S. State Department, 

had to be escorted out by police officers. 

This was the second time Deputy Assistant 

Secretary of State Michael Corbin and his colleagues 

addressed the community. Their first visit 

in December 2009 was met with noncooperation 

and some hostility, but the tempers of many audience 

members really boiled over this time. 

Corbin was accompanied by Lawrence Bartlett, 

Deputy Director of the Office of Refugee Admissions. 

Hundreds of Chaldeans jammed the American 

Polish Cultural Center in Troy for the event. 

“This is an opportunity to have an exchange 

about Iraq,” said Corbin, “a subject I know you care 

much about, as I do.” 

He emphasized that the Obama Administration 

is very committed to a partnership with Iraq 

as they bring the troops home; by late August only 

50,000 U.S. troops will remain in the country. 

“Although security is still a vital issue and we 

continue to work on making conditions better in 

Iraq, we also want to focus on building the economy 

in order to move from a security-dominated 

relationship to a relationship dominated by health, 

education and culture,” Corbin said. 

Corbin said the U.S. administration wants Iraq 

to return to where it was in the 1950s and ‘60s, 

when it had the best universities, hospitals and cultural 

centers in the Middle East. 

“We want to focus on the future of Iraq and its 

success so people can return to Iraq and contribute 

to rebuild it,” he said. 

Bartlett said that while last year the United 

States admitted 75,000 Iraqi refugees — more than 

all other countries in the world combined, he said 

— the ultimate goal is to help these people return 

to Iraq. 

At first, it appeared that the crowd of about 

1,000 Iraqi-Americans was listening patiently 

while Corbin discussed such issues building up a 

U.S. embassy presence in Iraq, placing more U.S. 

civilians to work there, and the importance of optimism. 

But it quickly became apparent during the 

question and answer session that many in the audience 

were furious about the recent wave of deportations 

by Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

(see related story, page 18). 

Photos By David Reed 

“My son was just sent to Iraq to get killed!” one 

man shouted. “Do you understand?” 

People cheered and clapped. 

What followed was an ongoing angry verbal 

rampage through the tears and screams of relatives 

whose fathers, husbands, sons or brothers have recently 

been deported to Iraq. 

Some of the comments: 

• “You’re here talking about Iraq when Iraq 

is over and done with. My son was sent back to 

a country without a government. He doesn’t even 

know how to speak Arabic! What will happen to 

him there?” 

• “Shame on you for this decision!” 

• “Saddam slaughtered us in Iraq and the U.S. 

is slaughtering us here!” 

• “Saddam only executed those who assaulted 

him, not just anyone!” 

• “America stole our oil and did nothing 

good!” 

Above and left: 

Audience members 

vent their frustration. 

Bottom left: 

People stayed to 

talk to the media 

after police escorted 

the speakers out. 

Below: 

A beleaguered 

Michael Corbin 

talks to the crowd. 

To calm the atmosphere, interpreter Dunya 

Mikhael suggested that Corbin speak into the microphone, 

“Dialogue! Dialogue!” 

He took her advice, but was silenced by people 

hollering, “Sit down! Sit down!” 

It was obvious that the fire wasn’t going to be 

put out as more and more stood up and, clustering 

together, accused the panel of lies, not caring and 

not helping. 

“They’re feeding us this wonderful hot-air stuff,” 

said immigration attorney Eman Jajonie-Daman. 

“Meanwhile, they’re shipping people to a volatile 

country. The men who have committed crimes 

have long ago paid their dues to society and have 

been clean ever since. We can’t condemn them for 

life.” 

“I went to a priest for help and all he said to me 

is ‘son, I’ll pray for you,’” said one man. “I have a 

wife and children. Sending me back will destroy 

our whole family. What good is there in that?” 


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nurturing ties 

Study groups to explore Chaldean-Jewish relationship building. 

“Our efforts will lead to grassroots initiatives that will leverage shared 

knowledge and friendships into durable, meaningful collaborations 

— strengthening our community and our region.” 

arthur horwitz, publisher, jewish News 

Robert Sklar 

Editor | Detroit Jewish News 


Editor | Chaldean News 

Fourth of a nine-part monthly series 

Four committees are being developed 

to build and expand 

on relationships between 

Southeast Michigan’s Chaldean and 

Jewish communities. The ad hoc 

committees will focus on: 

• Economic Development; 

• Arts & Culture; 

• Social Action; 

• Education. 

The committees sprang from an 

outpouring of interest generated from 

the May 4 dinner celebrating “Building 

Community,” the nine-monthlong 

initiative between the Chaldean 

News and the Detroit Jewish News. 

The initiative ends in January. Its 

goal is to enlighten the Jewish and 

Chaldean communities about each 

other’s common roots and the potential 

for working together in pursuit 

of a better quality of life for all 

Metro Detroiters. Both ethnic groups 

maintain strong ties to their ancestral 

homelands in the Middle East 

— Iraq for the Chaldean community 

and Israel for the Jewish community. 

Both groups also are significant players 

in the economic, philanthropic 

political, cultural and religious vigor 

of Southeastern Michigan. 

Against this backdrop, each of 

the “Building Community” committees 

will have co-chairs: one Jewish 

and one Chaldean. Each panel also 

will have an equal number of Chaldean 

and Jewish members. 

“We would like to convene the 

eight co-chairs at the outset, assisting 

them in selecting their committee 

members, then letting them 

do their thing,” said JN Publisher 

Arthur Horwitz, who developed 

“Building Community” with Martin 

Manna, co-publisher of the Chaldean 

News. 

The JN, published each Thursday, 

and the Chaldean News, a monthly 

coming out near the first of each 

month, are both based in Southfield. 

Some of the collaborative ideas 

that bubbled up from the “Building 

Community” introductory dinner on 

May 4 at Shenandoah Country Club 

in West Bloomfield were: 

• Chaldean-Jewish youth theater 

productions; 

• Exhibits at the Holocaust Memorial 

Center in Farmington Hills 

(for example, Chaldean deaths 

in the Armenian genocide and 

Chaldean American soldiers who 

helped liberate Dachau, a German 

concentration camp); 

• Chaldean and Jewish cuisine (possible 

cooking classes; a joint cookbook); 

• Business mentorships and internships; 

• Refugee settlement. 

“When people ask what will happen 

after the formal ‘Building Community’ 

initiative concludes in January,” 

Horwitz said, “it will be these 

kinds of grassroots initiatives, taken 

by similarly motivated people in the 

Chaldean and Jewish communities, 

that will leverage shared knowledge 

and friendships into durable, 

meaningful collaborations, further 

strengthening our communities and, 

by extension, our entire region.” 

An additional idea for collaboration 

germinated at the June 16 young 

entrepreneurs’ event hosted by Horwitz 

and Manna at TechTown on the 

Wayne State University campus in 

Detroit. That idea envisioned young 

Chaldean and Jewish entrepreneurs 

serving as mentors to Detroit high 

school students enrolled in a special 

entrepreneurs curriculum involving 

University Preparatory Academy 

in Detroit and the University of 

Michigan-Dearborn College of 

Business. 

“Our publications will continue 

to bring our communities 

together in a region that currently 

lacks hope for the future. 

At our Entrepreneur Forum, you 

felt a desire from the participants 

for us all to do more,” said Manna. 

“The ‘Building Community’ initiative 

is building long-lasting friendships, 

building business partnerships 

and will help build the new economy 

Michigan so desperately needs.” 

Creative director, Deborah Schultz 

Senior copy editor, David Sachs 

College 

of Business 

WHAT’S YOUR VIEW? 

AS PART OF THE “BUILDING COMMUNITY” INITIATIVE, 

THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-DEARBORN IS SURVEYING 

READERS OF THE CHALDEAN NEWS AND THE JEWISH NEWS. 

WE ASK THAT YOU TAKE THREE MINUTES TO COMPLETE AN ONLINE 

SURVEY REGARDING YOUR VIEWS OF THE JEWISH AND CHALDEAN 

COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN. 

ALL RESPONSES ARE CONFIDENTIAL AND ANONYMOUS. 

PLEASE VISIT 

HTTP://TINYURL.COM/BUILDINGCOMMUNITYSURVEY 

TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY. 


Seeking A New Model For Prosperity 

Community entrepreneurs share “the language of business.” 

Left photo: TechTown panelists included Charlie Rothstein, founder of Beringea; Anmar Sarafa, CEO of Steward Capital Management; Josh Linkner, founder/chairman of ePrize; Saber 

Ammori, CEO of Wireless Vision. Center photo: Josh Levine of Huntington Woods converses with Michael Shallal of West Bloomfield. Right photo: Saber Ammori shares views 

with Jack Miner of West Bloomfield and Francine Wunder of Beverly Hills. 

Photos by Kiya Gibbons 


Editor | Chaldean News 

The budding Chaldean News/ 

Jewish News partnership included 

a discussion about the 

future of Michigan, economic growth 

and jobs by a June 16 panel focused 

on entrepreneurship. 

In April, the two Southfield-based 

publications launched a historic collaboration, 

“Building Community,” 

in which both newspapers highlight 

the similarities and 

challenges the two ethnic 

communities face 

in Metro Detroit. 

The collaboration 

called for three educational 

forums; the first 

was held at TechTown 

on the Wayne State 

University campus inside 

the Detroit building 

that once housed 

the team that designed the Chevrolet 

Corvette. The conversation centered 

on engaging entrepreneurs and creating 

economic development within 

Michigan. 

The panel — composed of Jewish 

and Chaldean entrepreneurs — included 

Josh Linkner, founder and chairman 

of Pleasant Ridge-based ePrize; Charlie 

Rothstein, senior managing director 

and co-founder of Beringea (Michigan’s 

largest venture capital fund); Anmar 

Sarafa, chief investment officer of 

Bloomfield Hills-based Steward Capital 

Management; and Saber Ammori, 

CEO of West Bloomfield-based Wireless 

Vision. R.J. King, editor of Detroitbased 

DBusiness magazine, moderated 

the discussion. 

Topics of the evening kept flowing, 

including: diversifying our economy, 

emerging sectors, retaining talent, 

investment capital, the future of 

the state and its economic stability. 

“The state needs a business 

plan that will attract business 

and create jobs. We need 

leaders with a vision.” 

Anmar Sarafa, 

Steward Capital Management 

Looking Forward 

As the world changed, Michigan stayed 

stagnant and did not embrace new business 

models, according to the panel. 

“The best thing we can do,” said 

Linkner, “is to emerge beyond old 

business models and look at new models 

that are based on creativity and 

innovation. This region is primed for 

growth. We have talent, a city with 

a soul and rich entrepreneurial heritage. 

As we leap forward into future, 

we need to look at digital media, the 

film industry and alternative energy 

and make a new Detroit.” 

Diversifying the economy does not 

mean we discount the auto industry, asserted 

Rothstein. The auto companies 

are getting into alternative energies 

and the region is leading the nation 

in alternative energy products such as 

batteries manufactured by companies 

like A123 Systems in Livonia. 

The panel agreed that the state 

needs better leaders who understand 

business models. 

“We have to look at the state as a 

very large corporation,” said Sarafa. 

“There is something wrong with the 

business model. The state needs a 

business plan that will attract business 

and create jobs. We need leaders 

with a vision.” 

When the question was posed 

about what the next governor needs 

to do, Ammori talked about capitalism 

and the free market. 

“We are stifling our business in 

this state,” he said. “We need to get 

our companies healthy again. I believe 

in the trickle-down effect. We 

hear about a turnaround and job creation, 

but in order to have that, we 

need to get our companies healthy 

again so they can create jobs.” 

A Game Plan 

The vision that Michigan’s business 

leadership needs to adopt must encompass 

talking to college graduates 

and asking them what they want and 

what they need in order to stay in the 

state, Rothstein said. 

More than a business-minded 

team of people, the state needs a viable 

metropolitan city. In order to attract 

businesses and young talent, a 

thriving big city is imperative. “We 

need an urban core,” said Linkner. 

“If you look at the most successful 

regions around the world, they 

have two things going for them,” 

said King. “They have great places to 

live, and they have a high percentage 

of college graduates and above. That 

is where Detroit needs to get to.” 

“Detroit needs to be fixed or forgotten,” 

said Rothstein. 

Thriving cities also have a masstransit 

system, which has been discussed 

for decades by the leadership 

of Southeast Michigan, but never 

implemented. 

The capacity audience of more 

than 60 people with varied business 

backgrounds offered their own input 

into the discussion. Concerns about 

misconceptions about the region as 

well as how to launch a new business 

were addressed. 

Strengthening Ties 

The panel agreed that the collaboration 

between the Jewish and the 

Chaldean communities in Southeast 

Michigan should be expanded. 

“We are ambassadors of a shared 

vision,” said Linkner. 

“We all need to go out to communities 

and talk about our similarities 

instead of our differences. 

We need to talk more about building 

bridges instead of destroying 

them. We have a common vision of 

education and business success. We 

need to celebrate those similarities 

and find opportunities to work as a 

team.” 

“We are bounded by the same 

work ethic,” said Sarafa. “We share 

the language of business. We are 

able to speak it the same way; we are 

able to pursue it the same way. And 

I think that is one thing that binds 

both communities together. It is one 

reason this collaboration has been 

so successful thus far.” 

Our fourth two-page monthly spread, developed 

by the Farmington Hills strategic 

communications firm Tanner Friedman, 

appears today on pages 24-25. 


C O MM U N I T 

Y 

Making a difference 

Partnerships in compassion uphold Jewish and Chaldean values 

By Alan Stamm and Justin Fisette 

Above, from left: 

Participants in 

Walk for Project 

Chessed raised 

funds for the 

nonprofit to 

provide pro-bono 

care to medically 

uninsured 

Jewish adults. 

CALC volunteers 

gather at World 

Refugee Day to 

raise awareness 

and show support 

to refugees 

worldwide. 

For Chaldeans and Jews, true faith 

involves more than weekly worship, 

holiday festivities and other 

family rituals. Community services 

are as integral as religious services. 

“In the community, our focus is to 

strengthen Jewish identity, build Jewish 

community and grow Jewish philanthropy 

to help those in need,” says Scott Kaufman, 

CEO at the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit, 

a fund-raising hub in Bloomfield Hills 

for 19 agencies providing social services, 

education, health care and recreation. 

Chaldeans embrace the same sense of 

responsibility. “In terms of giving, people 

are still donating to the church, but seeing 

the other community organizations and giving 

to them as well,” says LeeAnn Kirma, 

president of the Chaldean American Ladies 

of Charity (CALC), a 500-member group in 

Farmington Hills that turns 50 next year. 

“Each organization does something another 

doesn’t, so we all work together.” 

These Metro Detroit communities, which 

share historical and cultural overlaps, also 

exchange compassion and charitable experiences. 

“It’s been part of our mission 

since Day One to help everyone, regardless 

of nationality,” says Beverly Fine, president 

of the Greater Detroit Chapter of Hadassah, 

part of an international Jewish network dating 

to 1912. 

Two areas in particular provide a natural 

meeting ground – refugee support and 

health care. 

Basil Bacall, founding chairman of the 

Adopt-a-Refugee-Family Committee at the 

Chaldean Federation of America, describes 

diverse support for Iraqis arriving to build 

new lives. “A lot of Jewish families have 

taken notice,” he says of the three-year-old 

program. “It wasn’t that long ago when a 

similar thing was happening in the Jewish 

community – refugees persecuted because 

of religious beliefs.” 

Refugee saga echoes 

The modern-day resettlement is aimed at 

helping families that fled to Syria, Jordan, 

Lebanon and other countries because of discrimination 

and civil war in Iraq. The nonprofit 

committee here matches displaced 

Chaldeans with U.S. donors of money for 

housing, food, clothes, furniture and other 

essentials. Donations also are collected in 

canisters at shops, salons and restaurants. 

“We’ve helped more than 50,000 people,” 

Bacall says. “We have tremendous community 

support, inside and outside [Chaldean 

circles]. We have high school kids who band 

together to donate $10 per month to help 

sponsor a family together. One individual 

sponsors 33 families by himself.” 

The Chaldean Federation absorbs most 

administrative costs, with several donors 

earmarking their gifts to cover the rest. 

“The backbone of our organization really 

is that 100 percent of donations go directly 

to help displaced families,” stresses Bacall, 

who visited refugees in Syria at the humanitarian 

initiative’s start. 

Starting this summer, generosity without 

borders also brings health care to local 

Chaldeans – just as it does to Jewish residents 

under a similar charitable model. 

Chessed inspires Bismutha 

The original template was framed in late 

2004, when Jewish Family Services in West 

Bloomfield created Project Chessed with 

more than 50 doctors who volunteered 

to see uninsured patients without cost. 

(Chessed is Hebrew for kindness.) The program, 

which has served 3,200 people, now 

has more than 700 doctors. Nine hospitals 

and two diagnostic centers also participate. 

“We grew in response to demand for ac- 


cess to health care,” explains founding 

director Rachel Yoskowitz, one of eight 

full-time staffers. “As community awareness 

increases, more physicians come to 

the program. The Jewish community has 

the same issues as the greater Detroit 

community – unemployment, lack of insurance. 

We’re just a microcosm.” 

To help address that universal need, 

Yoskowitz and her team are working with 

Dr. Nahid Elyas, a Southfield internist 

who is president of Chaldean American 

Association for Health Professionals. He 

leads the new Project Bismutha, which 

adopts the Aramaic word for healing. 

Support comes from the Chaldean Federation, 

CALC and churches. 

“This is a project for free health care 

for the community for those who don’t 

have it,” explains Elyas, whose initiative 

has accepted 100 uninsured patients for 

a six-month trial that includes discounted prescriptions. 

“Refugees coming from back home lose insurance after 

only a few months here, and they need healthcare. 

Bismutha aims to fill the gap between government assistance 

and work-related healthcare.” 

The Chessed approach is “a very replicable model,” 

comments Yoskowitz. “Every community just needs to 

fine-tune it.” At Bismutha, Elyas voices gratitude for “a 

great partnership and friendship with Jewish Family Services 

and Project Chessed.” 

Meaningful roles for women 

Parallel paths also are taken by CALC and the Greater 

“A lot of 

Jewish 

families have 

taken notice. 

It wasn’t that 

long ago when 

a similar 

thing was 

happening in 

the Jewish 

community.” 

– Basil Bacall, Chaldean Federation 

refugee program chairman 

Detroit Chapter of Hadassah, 

which each have 

an impact greater than 

women’s groups in past 

decades. 

Anti-drug programs 

and youth mentoring 

are among programs 

developed by CALC, the 

nation’s longest-serving 

Chaldean service 

organization. “Our role 

has changed drastically 

through the years from 

a more social gathering 

and behind-the-scenes 

work to increased community 

activism,” says 

Kirma, the president. 

Similarly, Hadassah 

provides a GirlForce esteem-building 

focus for 10- to 14-year-olds and Check It 

Out breast self-exam lessons for high school junior and seniors. 

It also finances medical research at Hadassah Hospital 

in Jerusalem. “Over the years, our community service 

projects have definitely blossomed,” says president Fine. 

“Our women enjoy being involved in the community.” 

For Metro Detroit’s 121,000 Chaldeans and 72,000 

Jews, commitment to helping those in need is a matter 

of faith. 

Alan Stamm and Justin Fisette are writers for 

Tanner Friedman, a marketing communications 

firm in Farmington Hills. 

P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R 

G O L D S P O N S O R S 

S I LV E R S P O N S O R S 

Rooted in faith 

For thousands of years, Jews and 

Chaldeans have given back to 

their communities. For many, it’s 

simply a way of life and rarely 

questioned. 

“We always paid our dues and 

got involved, just thought it was 

something you do,” said LeeAnn 

Kirma, president of the Chaldean 

American Ladies of Charity. “We 

younger women became a part because 

our mothers were members.” 

But if you look deeper into 

both faiths, you will see the sense 

of community and giving lies in 

the bedrock of both Judaism and 

Catholicism. 

In Judaism, two Hebrew phrases, 

tzedakah and tikkun olam, symbolize 

the importance of building a 

strong community through taking 

care of your fellow man. Tzedakah, 

which translates loosely to “charity,” 

is actually much more than that. 

Charity evokes the thought of generosity, 

while tzedakah describes a 

ladder of giving — initially giving 

begrudgingly and transitioning to 

giving willingly and anonymously. 

This relates directly to tikkun olam, 

or “repairing the world,” in which 

giving is designed to help others 

be self-sufficient to create stronger 

communities. 

The Chaldean community follows 

closely in the footsteps of 

Jewish charitable giving by focusing 

on building a strong community 

through ties with the church. 

“Through conversations and 

meetings, certain programs in the 

Jewish community have successfully 

transferred to the Chaldean community 

in order to help their people,” 

said Scott Kaufman, CEO at Jewish 

Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. 

As the accompanying story 

describes, initiatives like Project 

Bismutha and the Chaldean Federation 

are modeled directly after 

their Jewish counterparts. With 

most Chaldeans living close to 

their church and family, the embrace 

of strong community relations 

and support for neighbors 

clearly are rooted in faith. 

“The act of giving should be 

based on the inner person, when 

they feel that what God has given 

them should be shared with others,” 

says Father Manuel Boji of 

the Chaldean Catholic Church. 

– Justin Fisette

culturally wired for business 

How culture has influenced our entrepreneurial efforts 


When describing the Chaldean 

culture one would 

be sure to mention the 

fact that Chaldeans have close family 

ties and are entrepreneurs. But 

what most people may not have studied 

or even realized is how the two 

are intertwined. At least no one has 

studied this until now. 

Charles (Chuck) Spurlock, a 

professor at Oakland University, in 

2003 began to research the Chaldean 

community for his Ph.D. program 

in sociology at Michigan State 

University. He first connected with 

Chaldean Americans Reaching and 

Encouraging (CARE). Through 

CARE he met several Chaldeans and 

interviewed 56 men and women for 

his study. 

“The Chaldeans I spoke with 

mentioned the importance of taking 

care of parents or helping siblings,” 

said Spurlock. “This obligation is carried 

so far as to place the family first 

and the person second. Fathers and 

older brothers often delayed their 

personal interest to foster the welfare 

of the family. Sometimes this meant 

foregoing potentially lucrative professional 

careers. And in many cases, 

the collective efforts entailed the cooperation 

of all family members, who 

supported family businesses with long 

hours of hard work.” 

The entrepreneurial lifestyle of 

the community is not surprising. According 

to a study commissioned by 

the Chaldean American Chamber of 

Commerce and conducted by Walsh 

College and the United Way, more 

than 60 percent of Chaldeans own at 

least one business. 

However, the connection between 

culture and business success is 

not widely known. Spurlock listened 

as Chaldeans talked him through 

their Iraqi life stories as they relayed 

their personal accounts about business-building 

efforts from Telkaif to 

Baghdad. 

He discovered that this entrepreneurial 

zeal remains a vital component 

to their personal identity, 

which paid huge dividends in maintaining 

their cultural roots in 

the United States. By being 

great at business, Chaldeans 

have contributed to the founding 

of their churches, social organizations 

and political clubs 

in the Detroit metropolitan 

area. “It is hard not to have a 

place to be strictly Chaldean,” 

said Spurlock. 

He studied the social networks 

of the Chaldean community 

and how families meet 

endlessly. “It became clear to 

me that Chaldeans rely on family 

or kinship ties to accomplish 

what is perhaps an impossible 

task — to maintain a distinctive 

community for 100 years in the 

United States without losing 

their ethnic identity to the pull 

Photos by David Reed 

of American mainstream culture. I 

was simply amazed.” 

Mark Kassa is not surprised by 

Spurlock’s findings. His family’s entrepreneurial 

roots were planted by 

his grandfather, David Kassa, who 

partnered with his brother Jack to 

open a store called 2nd and Brainard 

Market. 

In 1952, David opened another 

store, Shop Rite Market in Detroit, 

which he operated for more than 

10 years. In 1966 David’s two sons, 

George and Joe, carried on the tradition 

by partnering with the purchase 

of K & G at Gercheval and Garland 

in Detroit. The two brothers met 

Chaldean women and married, had 

Above: 

Heartland Market’s 

Mark Kassa chats 

with Sam Baillo 

Left: 

Raad and Ryan Kathawa 

at Ryan’s Foods. 

their own children, and 

their children are today 

partners with each other. 

Mark is partners today 

with Dave Kassa, 

Phillip Kassa, Paul Kassa 

and Christopher Kassa 

— all grandchildren of 

the elder David Kassa. 

The Chaldean News 

caught up with him at 

Heartland Market in 

Farmington Hills. “We 

are a team,” said Kassa 

as he explained the reason 

for the family’s business 

success. “Our biggest attribute 

is trust.” They may not always agree 

just like siblings, cousins and partners, 

but their mutual respect for 

their family, their culture and their 

identity is what binds them. 

“We know there is an ultimate 

BUSINESS continued on page 28 


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Mazin Sandiha owns numerous businesses with his siblings, 

including this Save a Lot food store. 

BUSINESS continued from page 26 

common goal to succeed and provide 

for our families,” said Kassa. “We have 

all worked together since childhood.” 

Not only have they grown up in 

the businesses and with each other, 

each plays a key role in the business 

by bringing various skill sets to the 

daily operation. 

Raad Kathawa came to the United 

States more than 40 years ago and 

said his current work ethic, which he 

now passes down to his three children 

including 25-year-old Ryan, 

who works with him, was something 

instilled in him in Iraq. 

“Our cultural influences in business 

started many years ago in 

Chaldean Christian villages in the 

Nineveh Valley,” said Kathawa. “It 

wasn’t uncommon for entire families 

to work the farm — fathers, 

sons, cousins, everyone. Even when 

families moved out of the villages 

to larger cities, they continued that 

same mentality of operating family 

businesses.” 

Raad’s grandfather on his mother’s 

side left northern Iraq for Baghdad, 

became a fabric merchant and operated 

the business with his brothers. 

When Raad and his family moved 

to America, he first went into business 

with his brothers. As the years 

passed, they had families of their 

own and today Raad and his son 

Ryan manage Ryan’s Supermercado 

in Mexicantown. 

Like Kathawa, Nick Sandiha and 

his siblings partnered in retail businesses 

decades ago. They started out like 

most Chaldeans, in the retail service 

industry owning and operating grocery 

stores, which are still a key holding in 

their portfolio. Over the last 15 years, 

they have ventured into owning, developing 

and managing commercial 

real estate, gas stations and hotels. Today, 

older nieces and nephews are joining 

the family business. 

Tying culture with the Chaldean 

Catholic faith, 

Sandiha agrees that 

the Chaldean culture 

influences business 

success. “First 

and foremost is our 

strong belief in the 

Lord Jesus Christ; 

without Him nothing 

is possible,” said 

Sandiha. “As most 

Chaldeans back 

home, my father 

came from a very 

hard-working, closeknit 

family. Nothing was given to them 

and they had to work day and night to 

help support the family. It’s that same 

strong belief, hard work ethic, dedication 

and drive that have played a huge 

role in our success today.” 

This is all reflective of Spurlock’s 

research. “Chaldeans are very good 

at building social capital through social 

networks and this is part of their 

‘tool kit.’ Social networks are driven 

by distinctive cultural features 

brought from Iraq but persevered in 

the United States by family traditions. 

These in turn make Chaldeans 

great at building networks and these 

social ties have been incorporated 

into family business.” 

Spurlock described how a collective 

attitude towards the family’s 

welfare and family business is part of a 

person’s identity. It is not imposed but 

rather “is part of a person’s everyday 

life, without conscious deliberation. 

Rather, Chaldeans just know they 

need to take care of their families.” 

Chaldean roots are deep and imbedded 

in those roots is a strong work 

ethic. “These values were instilled in 

us by our grandfather,” said Kassa. 

“He always stressed the fact that success 

is a result of dedication to church 

and family, cohesiveness, strong family 

values and hard work.” 

“Without holding onto our culture 

that we took with us to the 

larger cities in Iraq and eventually to 

the U.S., it would be difficult to be 

successful,” said Kathawa. 

“Trust, loyalty, respect and hard 

work are key to the success of any 

business,” said Sandiha. “We are 

blessed and fortunate to have these 

traits within our family. For the most 

part we always figure out ways to 

make decisions when there are differences 

of opinion. We have a sense 

of cohesion. Deep down, we really 

care about each other and we can get 

through the difficult times that every 

business faces.” 


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Virg Bernero, Democrat 

Mayor of Lansing 

What is your impression of the Chaldean 

American community? 

Michigan is a multi-ethnic and multifaith 

society — and we are better off 

as a result. The Chaldean American 

community is a huge part of what 

makes Michigan great. The family 

values and entrepreneurial and innovative 

spirit exhibited by the community 

in the face of economic hardship 

speaks volumes. 

With 61 percent of Chaldean 

households owning their own business, 

the Chaldean American community 

continues to give back to 

their local communities as an economic 

driver. 

I am proud to have many Arab 

Americans in my inner circle of advisers 

and friends. 

Diversifying the economy is the big 

buzzword since the auto industry’s retraction. 

What are your specific plans to 

diversify Michigan’s economy? 

I will pursue the same aggressive 

and successful diversification strategy 

that we have followed in the City of 

Lansing. Like many urban core cities, 

Lansing has an abundance of 

obsolete, abandoned industrial facilities 

and we’ve transformed many of 

these buildings into homes for cutting-edge 

technology companies in 

areas like bioscience, nanotechnology 

and nuclear particle accelerators. My 

jobs plan includes improving access 

to capital for small businesses and using 

economic incentives to put old 

buildings back into use. We can build 

on the foundation of diversification 

already established in areas like advanced 

battery technology, homeland 

security and medical technologies. 

Name three specific things to help Michigan’s 

economy that you will implement 

in your first year as governor. 

My state bank proposal will open 

up credit opportunities for businesses 

by partnering with Michigan-based 

community banks and credit unions to 

make loans for new equipment and facility 

expansions that create new jobs. 

I will create Michigan International 

Business Investment Zones (MIBIZ) 

to take advantage of the federal EB-5 

program that offers permanent U.S. 

residency to foreign nationals who invest 

at least $500,000 in a new venture 

that employs at least 10 Americans. 

michigan’s 

governor race 

Candidates answer our questions 

The race is on for a new leader to replace the 

term-limited Jennifer Granholm as Michigan’s 

governor. The primary election is on August 3; the 

top Democrat and Republican will face off in the 

November 2 general election. 

The Chaldean News asked the major candidates 

to answer the following five questions. 

I will create Michigan manufacturing 

zones that would offer tax incentives 

to a business for reusing a brownfield 

— an obsolete manufacturing site 

— to manufacture something. 

At least 61 percent of Chaldean households 

own their own business. What will 

you do as governor to help small businesses? 

I will eliminate the onerous and 

confusing MBT surcharge. I will reorganize 

the MEDC into divisions 

that concentrate assistance in the 

entrepreneurial sector, more specifically, 

into the growth of Stage II small 

businesses, urban re-development 

(sense of place) and the extension of 

a public/private incubation network 

for start-up businesses. Third, existing 

incentives and new incentives 

will be changed and/or created that 

focus on value-added goods and services 

businesses, i.e. manufacturing 

and their Michigan supply chain, 

whether that be tables and chairs, 

cars or software. 

Why on earth do you want to be governor? 

Given Michigan’s troubles, it has 

to be the most thankless job in the state. 

Citizens across Michigan have 

told me that they need a dramatically 

different kind of leadership at the 

State Capitol. They think their state 

government is broken and so do I. 

Our current leaders have delivered 

little more than the same old partisan 

bickering, presiding over budget debacles 

and state government shutdowns 

in two of the last three years. 

I’ve had it with our Michigan being 

redlined, our businesses cut off 

from credit, our families evicted from 

their homes. 

It’s time to put the public interest 

ahead of the personal and private interests 

of paid lobbyists. It’s time to 

make Michigan work for us again. 

Michael Bouchard, Republican 

Oakland County Sheriff 



As an American with Lebanese 

descent, I share the rich cultural and 

family values with the Chaldean 

American community. My decision to 

run for governor was rooted in the fact 

that I want a Michigan where our children 

can find a job and their families 

can flourish. This love and respect for 

family has been instilled into me by my 

Lebanese-American mother. 

During my years as an elected official, 

I have always made an effort 

to develop a strong working relationship 

with the Chaldean American 

community. As governor, I will 

continue to build that relationship 

and ensure the Chaldean American 

community’s concerns are heard in 

Lansing. 





Michigan needs to once again be the 

place to do business. I have introduced 

my “Principle for a Permanent Prosperity” 

plan, which encourages long-term 

job growth by cutting business taxes 

and restricting government growth and 

spending so job creators can make decisions 

about their future investments 

knowing they’ll have an economic climate 

that fosters future success. 

In order for Michigan to create 

the environment for economic 

growth and investment, we must assure 

job creators they will have the 

tools necessary for success over the 

long-term. I will focus on rightsizing 

government, ensuring taxes and 

regulation stay low, and fostering 

an economic climate which allows 

Michigan residents and businesses to 

thrive in a global economy. My proposals 

focus on Michigan’s long-term 

success and ensuring that job providers 

can and will succeed. 




Jobs will be my No. 1 priority as 

governor. I have introduced my “Stop 

Wasting Time, Start Creating Jobs” 

plan, which would institute critical 

reforms to cut government red tape 

and break down other barriers that 

stifle job creation. There is no time 

to waste. Government should be 

working with, rather than against, 

job creators and making it easier for 

them to grow and invest here. My 

plan calls for a freeze of all pending 

regulatory rules until a review of existing 

regulations is completed. As 

governor, I would not sign any regulatory 

bills into law until a detailed 

cost-benefit analysis is done on behalf 

of the citizens and job providers 

it would affect. I recognize that the 

top two creators of jobs are business 

startups and businesses that expand. 

Therefore, I would focus government 

efforts and incentives more on growing 

businesses in Michigan. 





Virg Bernero 

Michael Bouchard 

Mike Cox 

Andy Dillon 

Peter Hoekstra 

Rick Snyder 

Eight out of 10 jobs created in 

Michigan are small businesses. I 

have been a small business owner 

and know how it feels to sign the 

front and the back of a check. I have 

outlined in my short-term economic 

plan and long-term economic plan 

crucial steps that need to be taken 

immediately to make Michigan 

friendlier to our small business owners. 

My blueprint to fix Lansing and 

get Michigan back to work draws on 

my experience as a small-business 

owner and as a former state senator 

when I helped bring Michigan to 

better economic times in the 1990s. 




In my conversations with families 

all across our state, people are worried 

and families are struggling. We 

all know someone – a family member, 

neighbor or friend – who have 

lost their job. Therefore, I believe 

the next governor needs the knowledge, 

experience and backbone to 

make the tough choices and just as 

important to see them through. 

The bottom line is if we cannot 

create a Michigan where our children 

can find a job and compete globally, 

then we have failed as leaders, which 

is unacceptable. Consequently, I am 

running for governor for the next 

generation, not the next election. 

Mike Cox, Republican 

Attorney General 



The Chaldean American community 

is an irreplaceable part of 

the hard-working fabric that makes 

Michigan the greatest state in the nation. 

I am proud to have the endorsement 

of many members of the Chaldean 

American community including 

Frank Jonna, Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce chairman. 

Like many of you, 60 years ago my 

parents immigrated to Michigan because 

it was the economic engine of 

the world — a beacon of hope and a 

shining state on a hill. 

Sixty-one percent of Chaldean 

families own a business and 39 percent 

own more than one business. 

Your community is a major part of the 

economic engine driving this state. 





My first priority is to reinvigorate 

Michigan’s economy. 

That’s why in addition to cutting 

wasteful spending by $4 billion I will 

implement a $2 billion tax cut, cutting 

the Michigan Business Tax by 

50 percent (and eventually phasing 

it out) and repealing the 2007 personal 

income tax increase. Making 

these changes, Michigan will go from 

having the third worst business tax 

to the seventh best. 

I will also focus on putting more 

dollars into the classroom to improve 

Michigan’s K-12 education system so 

our next generation has the tools and 

the know-how to succeed in the 21st 

century economy. 




First, I will cut spending and 

right-size government. Second, I 

will cut taxes for every job-provider 

and taxpayer. Third, and most importantly, 

I will show true leadership 

by implementing my 92-point plan 

to turn around Michigan. 

For too long, Michigan has suffered 

from failed leadership from 

Governor Granholm. As governor, 

I will right-size Michigan government 

and make $4 billion in specific 

spending cuts. 

I will also implement a $2 billion 

tax cut by cutting the Michigan 

Business Tax (the “Jobs Tax”) in half 

(and eventually phasing it out) and 

repealing the 2007 income tax hike. 




Empowering small business owners 

and job makers means spending 

less and taxing less. By cutting government 

spending by $4 billion I will 

make sure bureaucrats in Lansing 

tighten their belts the way job makers 

have been tightening theirs for years. 

I will also cut the jobs tax in half 

immediately (on the way to phasing 

it out completely) and will eliminate 

the Granholm-Dillon 2007 income 

tax increase, providing an immediate 

home-state stimulus for small 

business owners. Letting you keep 

more of your money means less waste 

in Lansing and more money infused 

directly into our families and our 

economy. 




Michigan needs change. Our 

economy is failing, our infrastructure 

is crumbling, our children are leaving 

and residents are losing hope. Michigan 

is at a crossroads but Lansing is 

driving us in the wrong direction. 

Our state suffers from a jobs deficit 

but just as importantly, we are suffering 

from a leadership deficit. As 

a Marine, a homicide prosecutor and 

as Attorney General I’ve made the 

tough calls, the tough cuts and the 

tough decisions. I’m tough enough 

to lead Michigan and I’m running 

for governor because our friends and 

neighbors can’t afford four more years 

of the broken status quo. 

Andy Dillon, Democrat 

Speaker Of The House 



Michigan is privileged to have 

such a large and diverse Chaldean 

American community. I am proud 

that our strong Chaldean presence 

has made Michigan a valuable source 

for the Chaldean perspective when it 

is sought on both a state and federal 

level. This perspective is valuable 

and appreciated in its contribution 

to the rich tapestry of cultures Michigan 

has come to offer. 





The future growth and development 

of the State of Michigan 

depends on our recognition of our 

unique strengths and our willingness 

to build on them. Michigan is 

rich in the resources and workforce 

necessary for renewed prosperity. I 

would increase support for the assets 

we already reap great benefits 

from: Research and Development, 

Advanced Manufacturing, and our 

thriving Agricultural and Tourism 

Industries. 

election continued on page 32 


election continued from page 31 




1) I have a comprehensive 12- 

point urban agenda plan that aims 

to fight for access to jobs, access to 

transportation, access to health care, 

and public safety in the neighborhoods. 

2) We need to consider creative 

solutions to balancing Michigan’s 

budget. Vital programs like education 

and public safety should be the 

very last budget items to see the cutting 

block. We must look at tax reforms 

and unnecessary spending. 

3) We have been divided along 

partisan lines in the State of Michigan 

for far too long. I would continue 

to work tirelessly to nurture a bipartisan 

approach to problem solving. 




Michigan needs to utilize revenue 

more efficiently while encouraging 

growth and success for our 

businesses. I would eliminate the 

Michigan Business Tax in favor of a 

simpler and fairer tax and continue 

my strong support of the 21st Century 

Jobs Fund. 




I am running for governor because 

it is going to take a new kind of 

leader with unique qualifications to 

turn Michigan around. I am the only 

candidate with both business turnaround 

experience and government 

experience. I still live a short distance 

from the neighborhood where I 

was born and raised. I love Michigan 

and am inspired by my children and 

the residents of Michigan to commit 

to its revitalization. 

Peter Hoekstra, Republican 

U.s. Congressman 



I have a lot of admiration for the 

Chaldean community. Respect for 

family and faith, as well as advocating 

hard work is ingrained in the community. 

As an immigrant myself, I have 

a clear understanding of what many 

Chaldean families have gone through 

or are currently experiencing. From 

my experience on the House Intelligence 

Committee and my visits 

to Iraq, I know in great detail about 

the atrocities committed against the 

Chaldean people by Saddam’s regime. 

I look forward to working with 

the Chaldean community to return 

Michigan to prosperity and will count 

on the hardworking men and women 

of the Chaldean community to help 

Michigan be a leader again. 





The government should not be 

in the business of picking winners 

and losers. Lansing is not going to 

determine which industry is going to 

be the next foundation for the state. 

We need to create an environment 

where businesses can succeed and 

where entrepreneurs are interested 

in investing in the state. 

One of the strongest industries in 

the state right now is its oldest: agriculture. 

As much as the government 

has tried to pick the next industry 

for the state, it is best left to the free 

market to determine and get the government 

out of the way. 




The next governor can have an 

immediate impact on the state by 

getting the bureaucracy out of the 

way. Across the state, the message 

is the same, the current administration 

has said ‘no’ to growth through 

new regulations and delays. I will 

have the state focused on growth and 

investment from day one and hold 

bureaucrats accountable. Also, I will 

streamline and shrink the government 

to reflect the needs of Michiganders. 

I will work with the legislature 

on creating a tax code that attracts 

investment and growth. A tax code 

that makes the state competitive, 

provides businesses the certainty 

they need to make business decisions 

and reduces the tax burden. 




Small businesses represent the 

heart of our economy. All levels 

of government must implement an 

agenda that supports their growth 

by reducing costly regulations and 

taxes. 

We need to streamline the government, 

reduce paperwork and 

have the bureaucracy stop being an 

impediment to growth. At the state 

level, we need to start with the regulations 

that go beyond the federal 

standard that makes it more difficult 

to do business in Michigan than other 

states. 

My goal is to eliminate the Michigan 

Business Tax. I want to address 

the tax code in a comprehensive 

manner that broadens the tax base 

so that rates can be low across the 

board. We need more taxpayers in 

the state, but first we need more employers 

in the state. 




Admittedly, the state has very serious 

issues that need to be overcome. 

Michigan finds itself facing trying 

times and is looking for leadership. 

I have a passion for the people of 

Michigan. They deserve better jobs, 

better schools and better lives. Michigan 

has enormous potential and can 

once again succeed. All the state 

needs is leadership to implement 

pro-growth reforms. I know that I 

have both the business and legislative 

experience to lead this state and 

implement the reforms necessary so 

that families can stay in Michigan. 

Rick Snyder, Republican 

Businessman 



My impression of the Chaldean- 

American community is that it is 

a close-knit, family-focused, hardworking 

community who are entrepreneurs, 

innovative thinkers and 

small business leaders all across our 

great state. Michigan’s economic recovery 

will happen with the success 

and growth of small businesses and 

the business prowess of the Chaldean 

American community will be 

instrumental in making that happen. 

I believe it is time to embrace our diversity 

in order to create a hopeful, 

positive culture and attitude where 

all Michiganders can win together. 





The role of government is to create 

an environment where businesses 

are able to flourish. Throughout 

my career I have placed emphasis 

on diversification, as that is a key 

backbone of a strong economy. 

When I was chair of the MEDC, I 

focused on diversifying Michigan’s 

economy. I believe that the Michigan 

Business Tax should be eliminated, 

as it allows government to 

pick winners and losers thus being 

fundamentally unfair. By leveling 

the playing field, Michigan will be 

able to cultivate a globally competitive 

economy with a diverse business 

base, enabling job growth and 

prosperity for everyone. 




The success of small businesses 

in the state of Michigan is what’s going 

to revitalize Michigan’s economy 

— they are the backbone of our 

economy. The MEDC needs to be 

refocused to help those small businesses. 

It’s important to reduce their 

overall tax burden, reduce regulations 

making compliance easy and 

affordable and keep government out 

of their lives. 

I’m a business person and I have 

spent most of my life creating and 

growing start-ups companies and 

small business from scratch. As the 

only candidate with the proven record 

of job creation, I know what it 

takes to make businesses successful. 




This is the most common question 

I’m asked. Michigan is in an 

economic disaster and it’s the career 

politicians who have led us there. 

We’ve lost a million jobs in the past 

decade and we deserve better. I’m fed 

up with the way things have been 

done and it’s time for new leadership 

and fresh faces. As the only non-career 

politician running for governor 

I believe it’s time for common sense, 

real world solutions. I’m not running 

for governor for personal gain; rather, 

I’m running because I love Michigan 

and I’m the best candidate to create 

more and better jobs. 


2010 Elections 

NOTE from the 

PRESIDENT 

LeeAnn Kirma 

It is an honor and privilege to continue 

in the footsteps of this organization’s 

past presidents and lead ers. I am 

looking forward to another year as 

the CALC President. Con gratulations 

to the new and re-elected Executive 

Board Members and Advisory Board 

Members. 

On May 13, CALC celebrated its 49 th 

Anniversary Mass at St. Thomas 

Chaldean Church. Many of us who 

attended reflected on our charity and 

the act of giving back to our Chaldean 

Community. An individual’s act of 

giving back comes in many forms. 

It may be volunteering your time, 

supporting events, donating items 

to our warehouse, or helping out 

monetarily. The key is that you get 

involved. 

Thank you to all of our members, 

volunteers and Community Partners 

who make our events and programs 

possible. We could not do it without 

you. CALC wishes everyone a 

wonderful, safe and beautiful summer. 

With Pride in the Past… 

Confidence in the Present… 

Hope for the Future… 

32000 Northwestern Hwy 

Suite 150 

Farmington Hills, MI 48334 

248-538-8300 

www.calconline.org 

info@calconline.org 

On May 26 at our 49th Annual General 

Membership meeting, four nominees were 

submitted for election to the Executive Board: 

LeeAnn Kirma, Gloria Kassa, Julie Garmo and 

Suhair Kallabat. The members attending voted 

to approve these nominations. Elections of 

Officers were held thereafter with the new 

Executive Board members named as follows: 

LeeAnn Kirma – President 

Gloria Kassa – Vice President 

Jane Shallal – Treasurer 

Julie Garmo – Secretary 

Ann Antone, Margaret Butti, Shahnaz Hanaee, 

Lillian McKay Shallal, Suhair Kallabat. 

Our Advisory Board Members are also as follows 

(with new 2010 appointments bolded): 

Marisa Abbo, Lamia Arcori, Betty Babbie, 

Maureen Bacall, Anita Bahri, Rosemary 

Bannon, Julia Hakim, Norma Hakim, Rita 

Foumia, Nadira Kannu, Marcine Karmo, Antonia 

Kassab, Clair Konja, Faiza Manjo, Linda Mikhail, 

Barb Nagarah, Jennifer Najor, Sally Najor, Lisa 

Paulus, Nidhal Rassam, Sulafa Roumayah, 

Venus Sadek, Reem Samona, Rachel Savaya, 

Renee Yaldo, Firyal Yono, Rula Yono 

CALC Scholarship Program 

Each year CALC sponsors an Academic 

Scholarship through the Chaldean Federation 

of America Scholarship Program. This year’s 

high school recipient was Candace Sheena of 

Walled Lake Western. Ms. Sheena plans on 

attending Wayne State University and majoring 

in biology. Later she plans on transferring to 

Ferris State University and attend optometry 

school. Congratulations to Candace and all of 

the 2010 College and High School Graduates. 

Chaldean Angels 

The Chaldean Angels of Charity adopted a 

platoon this past spring. On April 17th more 

than 12 Chaldean Angels put together care 

packages at Shenandoah Country Club for 

the adopted platoon of 35 soldiers. The care 

packages included a variety of tasty snacks 

and hygiene products. If you know of any high 

school girls interested in being an Angel, please 

contact the CALC office at (248) 538-8300. 

Gallabia 

The Second Annual Gallabia hosted by CALC 

and St Toma Syriac Church was held at Regency 

Manor in Southfield. More than 430 women 

enjoyed an evening with family and friends 

that was filled with dancing, music, games and 

a Chinese raffle. 

LOL For Charity 

On June 10, nearly 300 people attended 

the Laughing Out Loud for Charity event at 

Shenandoah Country Club. On this evening 

CALC and the Adopt-A-Refugee Family Program 

came together for one cause – helping others, 

specifically women in need. The evening’s 

proceeds will go towards helping women 

in need within our Chaldean Communities 

domestically and internationally. Coco from 

WJLB emceed and comedian Amer Zaher 

provided us an evening filled with laughter. 

Thank you to all of our sponsors: University 

Foods, John Paul Home Care, U.S. Ice, Oakland 

Business & Tax Advisors & CPAs, Cavalier, Bank 

of Michigan, Yaldo Law, Heaven Hill Distilleries, 

Top That Table, 7 Restaurant and Ultra Lounge, 

I Signs, and the entire LOL Committee for 

making this evening a success. 

CALC Warehouse 

For nearly two and half years, through the 

generosity of Louie Boji and his donation 

of space, the Chaldean American Ladies of 

LOL FOR ChARitY At ShEnAndOAh COuntRY CLub. 

GALLAbiA niGht At REGEnCY MAnOR. 

EMPOWERING Chaldean GIRLS to develop 

and express their STRENGTHS 

Do you want to: 

• Hold onto your voice and stay true to yourself? 

• Enhance your judgment and critical-thinking skills for wise and 

healthy choices? 

• Counter trends towards self-doubt and improve self-esteem? 

You will learn how to develop strength, courage, body wisdom, 

compassion, confidence, honesty and communication skills. 

• Friendships 

• Building Identity 

• Honoring Our Diversity 

• Problem Solving 

• Avoiding Drugs, Tobacco & Alcohol 

• Rights and Responsibilities 

• Peer Pressure 

• Communication 

• Relationships 

• Mind, Body, Spirit 

Moms are welcome to participate in special sessions 

throughout the program. 

Charity has been able to operate a warehouse 

to service families in dire need of basic 

necessities. CALC has been able to provide 

clothing, furniture, large and small appliances, 

electronics, mattresses, bedding, toiletries, 

and much more through your donations and 

those of others. They are ultimately stored in 

the warehouse to be available when needy 

families call for help. 

CALC is very grateful and blessed to have been 

able to utilize this facility without charge. The 

space has recently been leased and CALC is 

currently in a temporary location in Hazel Park 

through another generous donor, Joe Zetouna. 

We are asking for your assistance to help us 

find a more permanent location so we can 

continue to operate the warehouse. Since the 

opening of the CALC warehouse in September 

of 2007 we have been able to service 706 

families and more than 2,800 individuals. 

Type of space we are looking for: 

Space: 3,000-4,000 square feet 

Empowered 

Voices facilitates 

these goals and 

much more! 

dates: June 24th - August 26th • Every Thursday 6:00PM - 8:00PM 

Who: Chaldean girls ages 11 to 14 

Location: St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church (Basement Classrooms) 

Price: Free of Charge (snacks provided) 

Contact the CALC office at 248-538-8300 to reserve your spot. 

Building Structure: A bare facility (four walls) 

with no offices is preferred 

Structure: Warehouse or storefront-type 

property 

Locations: Southfield, Madison Heights, Farmington 

Hills, West Bloomfield (southern part), 

Bloomfield Hills, Troy, Sterling Heights, Warren, 

Royal Oak, Oak Park, or surrounding areas 

We would appreciate any help you can provide 

in recommending or helping secure a new location 

for our warehouse operations. Please 

contact the CALC office at (248) 538-8300 

if you know of anyone who might be able to 

help us. 

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide. 

advertisement 


fun for all 

Good times at the Chaldean Festival 


Charlotte Yatooma giggled as 

her father Stephen used all 

his might to swing at the 

“Bull Pen” to win his daughter a 

prize at the Fifth Annual Chaldean 

Festival. 

“We wanted to get the kids out 

and support the Chaldeans at the 

same time,” said Tanya Yatooma as 

she watched her husband and daughter 

together. 

The festival, held June 11-13, was 

presented by the Chaldean Community 

Foundation, the charitable arm 

of the Chaldean American Chamber 

of Commerce, and the City of 

Southfield. Despite the expectedbut-never-appearing 

rain, thousands 

of people were happy to come out 

and have fun with continuous live 

entertainment, carnival games and 

rides, merchant booths and food. 

Whether racing a “horse” or 

throwing darts at balloons, children 

and adults were having a great time 

trying to conquer the games. Prizes 

included an array of stuffed animals 

and other carnival memorabilia that 

were proudly carried around by their 

winning owners. 

The biggest winner of the weekend, 

however, was Jerry Shaba, 

whose $10 ticket won him $3,680 in 

the 50/50 raffle. 

Game attendant Mike, who declined 

to give his last name, said it 

was a good crowd. “It’s been great 

to see all the fun everyone is having 

trying to win prizes and participating 

in a little friendly competition,” 

he said. “The people here are very 

friendly and seem to really be enjoying 

themselves.” 

Many visitors sat down to relax 

while listening to the live entertainment, 

which consisted of a variety of 

both Chaldean and American music. 

There were many booths to visit 

including the “Sports and Custom 

Tees” tent where you could buy a teeshirt 

saying “Kiss Me I’m Chaldean,” 

“Pimp My Camel” or “Ok Yella Bye.” 

A giant chair from Royce Furniture 

was a hit, inspiring many snapshots. 

The E’rootha (Chaldean Assyrian 

Syriac Youth Union) cultural 

display booth showed off traditional 

outfits that were worn in different 

Iraqi Chaldean villages. Volunteers 

Nessma Bashi and Olivia Bahoora 


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were eager to get the word out about 

the organization’s programs while 

also enjoying all the festivities. 

“One of my favorite parts of 

the festival has been at night when 

people start doing various Chaldean 

dances. The food has also been really 

good, and overall the whole weekend 

has been lots of fun,” said Bashi. 

Although the E’rootha booth 

displayed the diversity that exists 

between Iraq’s villages, it didn’t take 

a display to view the more distinct 

differences of ages and nationalities 

among the festival guests. Many non- 

Chaldeans, including African Americans, 

Asians, Arabs and Jews, were 

on hand to participate in traditional 

Chaldean cultural activities such as 

getting a henna tattoo. Traditional 

food included kebob sandwiches and 

tekratha, with special 18-inch-long 

meat pies made by cookbook author 

Samira Cholagh. 

“There’s been a lot more mix of 

cultures other than Chaldeans this 

year,” said Mason Katty, “although 

the one thing in common is everybody 

seems to be having a good 

time.” 

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KIDS corner 

Avoid the summer daze! 


As the school year comes to the end, 

many of you may be eager to alter 

your days from studying and 

schoolwork to swimming and sleeping 

in. 

But did you know that children 

who read during the summer gain 

reading skills, while those who 

do not often fall behind? Studies 

show that students who read regularly 

during the summer remember 

what they learned from the previous 

year, and are more likely to progress 

and do better on tests — while those who 

didn’t have lower scores. 

That means you could actually forget what 

you already know and have to learn it all over 

again! And one summer off could turn into a 

whole school year of struggling. 

However, unless you’re reading a book 

from the Goosebumps series, don’t be 

afraid! All it takes is reading as few as five to 

six books to prevent this spooky situation! 

“I have seen students who come back to 

school in the fall and have to spend the first 

couple of months playing catch-up,” said 

Riva Hannish, a teacher at West Utica Elementary 

in Shelby Township. 

Hannish suggests using Readers Theater, 

which can be found online or in bookstores. 

The program lets you role play and become 

a character. 

You can even kick it up a notch and wear 

costumes and use funny voices while reading! 

Whether it’s a book, play or even a comic 

book, reading is an easy and fun way to hold 

on to your skills. “Cause if you don’t 

use it, you lose it!” 

Here’s a list of books to help get you started. 

Grades 1-2 

Adler, David A. Young. Cam Jansen and 

100th Day of School. Cam Jansen is looking 

forward to the class’s 100th day of 

school party, but the celebration takes a turn 

when the pizza disappears. 

Amato, Mary. Chicken of the Family. 

Henrietta’s sisters try to convince her she is 

really a chicken, so Henrietta sets off for the 

farm to find her real family. 

Applegate, Katherine. Never Glue Your 

Friends to Chairs. Roscoe Riley comes up with 

a plan to keep his classmates in their seats. 

Arnold, Tedd. The Twin 

Princes. Twin chicken princes 

take part in a contest to determine 

who will inherit the throne. 

Grades 3-4 

Bruel, Nick. Happy Birthday, 

Bad Kitty. Bad Kitty’s birthday 

party seems to be going well 

until her presents begin to 

disappear. 

Cheshire, Simon. The 

Curse of the Ancient Mask: 

And Other Case Files. Become 

a detective and see if you can 

solve a mystery. 

Cleary, Beverly. Ribsy. When 

Ribsy gets lost at the shopping 

center, he begins a series of humorous 

escapades to find his family. 

Grades 5-6 

Codell, Esme Raji. Sahara Special. Struggling 

with school and her feelings since her 

father left, Sahara gets a fresh start with a 

new and unique teacher. 

DiCamillo, Kate. The Magician’s Elephant. 

Orphan Peter sees a fortune teller 

who leads him on an adventurous journey 

involving an elephant and magician. 

Forester, Victoria. The Girl Who Could 

Fly. Piper is a strong-willed girl with extraordinary 

talents who decides to jump off 

the roof. 

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classified listings 

BUILDINGS FOR LEASE 

10 MILE/DEQUINDRE AREA 

2,400 OR 4,800 sq ft. 

Light Industrial. 

Great rates! 

IMMEDIATE Occupancy! 

Zahler Enterprises 

(248) 324-008 

2.000 SQ.FT. BUILDING 

for Lease or Sale w/GREAT visibility 

on a corner lot. Currently a Coney 

Island but build to suit. Close to a 

hospital, in a high-traffic area! Flint 

Township. For more info, call Najib: 

(248) 635-2999 

BUSINESS FOR SALE 

DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM 

Retail Location for Sale. Turn-Key 

with Inventory & Fixtures. 6-figure 

sales in 2009. Established Customer 

Base. Serious Buyers Only. (248) 

544.3320 or (248) 797.7300 

BUSINESS FOR SALE 

ROYAL OAK, high-traffic 

count on Main Street location! 

Perfect for a cozy bistro restaurant 

w/carry out, outside food area 

service, plenty of parking and 

customers waiting for you! Great 

landlord w/aggressive rates! MUST 

SEE dynamite location. For more 

info please call: (248) 763-4527 

PROPERTY FOR SALE 

1.12 ACRE SITE 

is improved & ready to build 

11 condos. Price per site of 

$19,990.00. Also zoned for senior 

living! Great Visibility off 13 Mile Rd., 

Warren. Owners are aggressive so 

bring all offers!! Mike (248) 709- 

9119 Sine & Mongahan, GMAC RE 

HOUSE FOR SALE 

OAK PARK, Unique 3-bedroom 

1,450 sq ft California ranch! Freshly 

painted, new carpet throughout, 

finished basement w/lav & patio off 

family room. Lease, Lease w/option 

to purchase or sale. Immediate 

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Office: 1-248-737-6800 

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Each Office independently Owned and Operated

events 

1 2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

chaldean commencement 

Photos by David Reed 

Plenty of pomp and circumstance were on hand at the 2010 Chaldean 

Commencement, held on June 11 at Shenandoah Country Club. 

This is the 28th time the Chaldean Federation of America has 

saluted community high school and college graduates. 

1. Alex Salem of 

Walled Lake Central. 

2. Applauding 

the future. 

3. Nathima Atchoo 

sponsored a 

scholarship won 

by Lavina Sadik of 

Lamphere High. 

4. Joseph Dallo of 

Southfield Lathrup 

and his mother, Ferial. 

5. Michael Nafso 

and Brandon Ayar of 

West Bloomfield High 

flank Raquelle Ayar 

of Lakeland High. 

6. Hekmat Mansour 

reads a poem. 

7. Simaon Mansor 

congratulates his 

friend, Rani Roffo, a 

summa cum laude 

graduate of Sterling 

Heights High School. 

8. Kyle Aleyas and 

Natalia Yaldo of 

Stevenson High 

School. 


To stop 

the spread 

of flu, 

we started your list of things 

to ask your doctor: 

1. 

____________________________________________ 

2. 

____________________________________________ 

3. 

____________________________________________ 

4. ____________________________________________ 

5. ____________________________________________ 

6. ____________________________________________ 

7. ____________________________________________ 

The best place to start if you want to stop the spread of the flu 

is to talk to your doctor or healthcare provider. The vaccine is 

the safest and most effective way to fight the flu. While there 

are some supplies of H1N1 vaccine available now, in the fall 

the seasonal flu vaccine will also protect you from H1N1. 

Spread the word. Talk to your doctor. Stop the spread. 

michigan.gov/flu 


events 

1 

2 

3 

6 

4 

5 

father’s day 

talent show 

Photos by Nora Bahrou Downs 

The Ishtar Cultural Association hosted a community 

talent show and Father’s Day party on June 18. 

The event, held at the Royalty House in Warren, 

featured live entertainment and lots of good fun. 

1. The winners: 

First place Alvin 

Daryiosh (center), 

surrounded by 

third-place winner 

Melanie Shammami 

(left) and 

second-placer 

Monica Yousif 

2. Tania Hermiz 

3. Kal Shaya and 

Matthew Kysia 

4. Two-year-old 

Lilianna Abrou 

likes what she 

sees 

7 

5. Miranda Kattula 

6. Emcees Renee 

Gabbara and 

Randy Abro 

7. Alex Shammami 

does the Rubik’s 

Cube in 

60 seconds 


2009 

RESIDUAL 

VALUE 

AWARD 

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together. Visit us online or call us today. 

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happyspizza.com

JULY 2010

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