OCTOBER 2010

2 CHALDEAN NEWS OCTOBER 2010

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CONTENTS OCTOBER 2010 

THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 6 ISSUE VIII 

on the cover 

22 Michigan Chooses 

By Vanessa Denha Garmo and Joyce Wiswell 

Gubernatorial candidates answer community concerns 

24 The Running Mates 

By Mike Sarafa 

Meet Brenda Lawrence and Brian Calley 

22 

features 

32 Out of Africa 

By Laura Abouzeid 

Teacher spends a memorable month in Morocco 

departments 

8 From the Editor 

10 YOUR LETTERS 

12 Guest Columns 

An appetite for accomplishment 

By Sabreen Nafsu 

What you will not hear about Iraq 

By Adil E. Shamoo 

Have patience with the ever-improving 

Shenandoah 

By Neb Mekani 

15 Noteworthy 

17 Community Bulletin Board 

18 Chai Time 

Cider Mills & Haunted Houses 

20 Religion/Obituaries 

43 Looking Back 

By Joe Gasso 

Jamila Thomas: Stalled on Ellis Island 

44 In the Kitchen With 

By Mark Kassa 

Mirage Café’s fabulous fatoush 

47 Economics and Enterprise 

By Steve Stein 

Fresh Ink: New tattoo shop makes its mark 

48 Classifieds 

50 Kids Corner 


Fall into Autumn 

34 Highly Profitable? 

By Joyce Wiswell 

Medical marijuana attracts entrepreneurs 

36 Ask, Seek, Knock 

By Crystal Kassab Jabiro 

Father Solanus healing mass attracts believers 

38 Beneath the Surface 

By Weam Namou 

Politics bedevil Chaldean Federation 

46 Chaldean on the Street 

By Anthony Samona 

On what should Michigan’s new governor focus? 

building community 

26 Intercultural Tour 

By Robert Sklar and Vanessa Denha Garmo 

Chaldean-Jewish communities host visits to Shenandoah, JCC 

27 Banking on the Future 

By Joyce Wiswell 

Jewish, Chaldean communities continue to intermingle, interact 

28 Spirit of Wellness 

Is Interfaith 

By Alan Stamm and Justin Fisette 

Jews, Chaldeans address genetic risks and need for care 

sports 

40 Sports Roundup 



from the EDiToR 

PubLiSHED by 

The Chaldean News, LLC 

EDiToRiAL 

EDiToR iN CHiEf 

Vanessa Denha-Garmo 

MANAgiNg EDiToR 

Joyce Wiswell 

CoNTRibuTiNg WRiTERS 

Laura Abouzeid 

Justin Fisette 

Joe Gasso 

Crystal Kassab Jabiro 

Mark Kassa 

Sabreen Nafsu 

Anthony Samona 

Adil E. Shamoo 

Robert Sklar 

Alan Stamm 

Steve Stein 

PRoofREADER 

Valerie Cholagh 

iNTERN 

Laura Abouzeid 

ART & PRoDuCTioN 

CREATiVE DiRECToR 

Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

gRAPHiC DESigNERS 

Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

Joseph Sesi with Sesi Design Group 

PHoTogRAPHER 

David Reed 

oPERATioNS 

Interlink Media 

DiRECToR of oPERATioNS 

Paul Alraihani 

CiRCuLATioN 

Paul Alraihani 

CLASSifiEDS 

Crystal Oram 

SALES 

Interlink Media 

SALES REPRESENTATiVES 

Jonathan Garmo 

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: October 2010 

Subscriptions: 12 months, $25. Publication Address: 

29850 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 250, Southfi eld, MI 

48034; Postmaster: Send address changes to: The 

Chaldean News 29850 Northwestern Highway, 

Suite 250, Southfi eld, MI 48034 

Leading the way 

Last month I wrote a blog 

about leadership. There 

is no more important time 

in our lifetime where leadership 

for the state is desperately 

needed. We are at a serious 

crossroads in Michigan. This 

election will determine what 

path this state will take. 

Since the inception of the 

Chaldean News, we have 

covered political races on a 

local, national and international 

level because we believe 

being informed is a necessity 

when making a decision regarding who 

to vote for in the elections. 

This month we are featuring a Oneon-One 

section with the candidates but 

we did things a bit differently this 

time. We asked various members 

from our community groups to 

pose questions that they wanted 

answered from the candidates. 

We thank all of them for taking 

the time out to participate in this 

important issue. 

As I explained in my blog, entrepreneurs 

take on leadership 

roles in our companies and organizations. 

It is an assumed position when owning 

a company. However, not all leadership 

styles are the same or effective. 

Have you assessed the leadership 

styles of the men and women running 

for offi ce? What kind of a leader do you 

think Bernero or Snyder will make? 

I was recently asked to create my 

own defi nition of what a leader is for a 

graduate class. I believe that leadership 

is a process of using one’s personal 

beliefs, skill set, experience and knowledge 

to motivate and infl uence a group 

of individuals to achieve progress and 

make change. As Christians, we do this 

by including God’s image. We use our 

moral compass to guide our hearts and 

minds in doing the right thing. 

Leadership is also infl uenced by our 

Vanessa 

Denha-Garmo 

EDITOR IN CHIEF 

CO-PUBLISHER 

communication techniques. An 

effective leader must be an effective 

communicator. If you 

cannot communicate — your 

message, your purpose and 

your agenda — no one will follow 

your lead. 

The State of Michigan 

like any organization needs 

a clear mission and a leader 

with a vision. Throughout the 

year, the leader should implement 

strategies, programs 

and procedures that include 

the mission statement. 

The complexities of running the state 

cannot be explained on these pages or 

in our One-on-One in this issue but we 

hope to give you a glimpse into these 

two men vying for this coveted seat. 

Do your research before you cast 

that vote and make sure your vote is for 

the man you believe can best lead this 

state. 

Recently during a Sunday mass, the 

priest talked about the need to pray for 

our leaders. I began to think about leadership 

– this country, this state and our 

community. And not only should we pray 

for them but we should thank them. 

This community has been fortunate 

to have many talented and fearless leaders 

over the years who try to make progress, 

needed change and a difference. 

We feature our various organizations 

on a regular basis and those who lead 

the way. We need to acknowledge and 

thank those who make a difference in 

our lives. We need to say thank you to 

those who strengthen our community. 

The Chaldean American Ladies of 

Charity is celebrating 50 years next 

year. The Chaldean American Chamber 

of Commerce is among the largest 

local chambers in the state and they are 

less than 10 years old. The Chaldean 

Federation of America has helped hundreds 

of refugees with few resources. 

The Chaldean American Student Association 

has representation in seven 

colleges in the state. The list goes on. 

It is no easy task running a company 

or community organization. Our 

community groups deserve acknowledgement 

and praise. They are doing 

great things for our community. Part 

of this has to do with our natural entrepreneurial 

sprit. Many Chaldeans 

i believe that leadership is a process of using 

one’s personal beliefs, skill set, experience and 

knowledge to motivate and influence a group of 

individuals to achieve progress and make change. 

have this natural talent. 

And yes there are elected leaders 

who deserve praise and recognition 

as well. 

The success of a leader is dependent 

on his or her followers. Stand 

behind the best man for the job — the 

man who will truly lead our state out of 

this recession and into prosperity. 

We need the best man to lead the 

way. 

Alaha Imid Koullen 

(God Be With Us All) 


vdenha@chaldeannews.com 

 

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OCTOBER 2010 CHALDEAN NEWS 9 

6/22/10 11:29 AM

your LETTERS 

something about mary 

I am very disappointed that you left one 

of the greatest Catholic high schools 

in the Metro Detroit area off the list 

of schools to consider [“Choosing 

Catholic Schools,” September 2010]. 

How could you in the “heart of the 

Chaldean community” miss Orchard 

Lake St. Mary’s Prep? It’s a school 

which has seen countless numbers 

of young Chaldean men graduating. 

I am Chaldean and part of a great 

brotherhood of former students of this 

great institution and am deeply offended 

by this grievous omission. Since 

1983, St. Mary’s has been a second 

home to many of us who have gone 

through her beautiful campus. The 

Chaldean News has done a great disservice 

to us whom without St. Mary’s 

might not be the men we are today. 

St. Mary’s not only gave me a great 

education but taught me and countless 

other Chaldean boys how to be 

men of a proud Chaldean community. 

Please right a wrong by mentioning this 

to your readers. 

– John P. Roumayah, Class of 1986 

Orchard Lake St Mary’s Prep 

Editor’s Note: We featured Orchard 

Lake St. Mary’s Prep in “High School 

Highlights,” May 2009. Leaving it off 

the list was an obvious oversight. It is 

now included in the list on our 

website, www.chaldeannews.com. 

the Big Picture 

I read Jacob Bacall’s guest column 

(“Golf Course a Drain on Shenandoah,” 

September 2010) and I can understand 

his frustration. 

When your hand is hurting because 

a fi nger is injured, do you cut off the fi n- 

ger or do you try to repair it and make 

it better? 

To sell the course or to redevelop it 

into something other than a golf course 

is shortsighted. Approximately 100 

members golf but as our membership 

develops, more will golf. 

Cutting expenses will not make 

Shenandoah golf money, but more golf 

will. More rounds, more outings, more 

leagues, more events and more usage 

of the pro shop and Mixed Grille are the 

keys to profi tability. 

The facility is underutilized and 

there are reasons for this. Could it be 

that prices for a round of golf are high, 

the grounds are not as pristine as they 

could be or perhaps the Mixed Grille is 

not user-friendly? A little more advertising 

for golf banquets and outings might 

help. 

It’s certainly easier for some to collect 

a paycheck and maintain the premises 

in lieu of taking those necessary 

steps to improve the overall operation. 

Expense cutting might make a few 

more dollars in the short term, but if we 

expect longevity, then we need to do 

more golf-related business 

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GUEST columns 

What you will not hear about Iraq 

By Adil E. 

Shamoo 

SPECIAL TO THE 

CHALDEAN NEWS 

Iraq has between 25 and 50 

percent unemployment, a 

dysfunctional parliament, 

rampant disease, an epidemic 

of mental illness and sprawling 

slums. The killing of innocent 

people has become part of daily 

life. What a havoc the United 

States has wreaked in Iraq. 

UN-Habitat, an agency of 

the United Nations, recently 

published a 218-page report 

entitled “State of the World’s 

Cities, 2010-2011.” The report 

is full of statistics on the status 

of cities around the world and their 

demographics. It defines slum dwellers 

as those living in urban centers 

without one of the following: durable 

structures to protect them from climate, 

sufficient living area, sufficient 

access to water, access to sanitation 

facilities, and freedom from eviction. 

Almost intentionally hidden in these 

statistics is one shocking fact about urban 

Iraqi populations. For the past few 

decades, prior to the U.S. invasion of 

Iraq in 2003, the percentage of the urban 

population living in slums 

in Iraq hovered just below 20 

percent. Today, that percentage 

has risen to 53 percent: 

11 million of the total 19 million 

are urban dwellers. In the 

past decade, most countries 

have made progress toward 

reducing slum dwellers. But 

Iraq has gone rapidly and 

dangerously in the opposite 

direction. 

According to the U.S. 

Census of 2000, 80 percent 

of the 285 million people living in the 

United States are urban dwellers. 

Those living in slums are well below 

5 percent. If we translate the Iraqi statistic 

into the U.S. context, 121 million 

people in the United States would be 

living in slums. 

If the United States had an unemployment 

rate of 25-50 percent and 

121 million people living in slums, riots 

would ensue, the military would take 

over and democracy would evaporate. 

So why are people in the United States 

not concerned and saddened by the 

Why are people in 

the United States 

not concerned and 

saddened by the 

conditions in Iraq? 

conditions in Iraq? Because most 

people in the United States do not 

know what happened in Iraq and what 

is happening there now. Our government, 

including the current administration, 

looks the other way and perpetuates 

the myth that life has improved 

in post-invasion Iraq. Our major news 

media reinforces this message. 

I had high hopes that the new administration 

would tell the truth to its 

citizens about why we invaded Iraq 

and what we are doing currently in the 

country. President Obama promised 

to move forward and not look to the 

past. However problematic this refusal 

to examine the past — particularly 

for historians — the president should 

at least inform the U.S. public of the 

current conditions in Iraq. How else 

can we expect our government to formulate 

appropriate policy? 

More extensive congressional 

hearings on Iraq might have allowed 

us to learn the myths propagated 

about Iraq prior to the invasion and 

the extent of the damage and destruction 

our invasion brought on Iraq. We 

would have learned about the tremendous 

increase in urban poverty and 

the expansion of city slums. Such 

facts about the current conditions of 

Iraq would help U.S. citizens to better 

understand the impact of the quick 

U.S. withdrawal and what our moral 

responsibilities in Iraq should be. 

Adil E. Shamoo is a senior analyst at 

Foreign Policy in Focus, founder and 

editor-in-chief of the journal Accountability 

in Research, and a professor 

at the University of Maryland School 

of Medicine. He is Chaldean and a 

native of Iraq. 

Have patience with the ever-improving Shenandoah 

On behalf of the entire 

Board of Shenandoah 

Country Club, I 

thought this would be a good 

time to bring everyone up to 

date on the status of the club 

as we get close to the end of 

our first full year since the restructuring 

of our debt. 

We are happy to report 

good news. As of September 

1, we have 765 members 

in good standing. This is 167 

more than the 598 members 

we had at the end of last year. All 765 

members have paid their dues for the year, 

revenues are up, expenses are down and 

the club is operating at a small profit. 

We are also happy to report that 

dues for 2011 will remain at $1,500 

for the year. For the first time since 

we moved to Shenandoah, the income 

from our operations is enough to cover 

all of our expenses for the year. In fact 

the dues we will collect for 2011 will 

not be used for 2010. This is a great 

accomplishment, and one that we 

should all be proud of. 

By Neb Mekani 


CHALDEAN NEWS 

That being said, everything 

is not perfect. While we are 

current on all of our payments 

and have no trouble making 

them, we need to find a way to 

reduce our debt. We will continue 

to look for solutions and 

strive towards getting things 

as close to perfect as we can. 

We continue to recruit new 

members, we continue to 

work on customer service and 

we continue to work on cutting 

expenses so that the club 

can be as profitable as possible. We are 

also in the process of trying to lower our 

property taxes. 

There have been some ongoing 

discussions that certain departments 

of the club are not profitable. Unfortunately, 

the fact is that every single 

department of the club outside of the 

banquet hall loses money. The Mixed 

Grille, activity rooms, golf course, 

swimming pool, gym and restaurant all 

lose money. However, these losses are 

more than offset by the revenue generated 

from the banquet facilities. 

Rather than looking at the club as individual 

pieces, it is better to view it as 

one body with many parts. All of those 

parts taken together make up the whole, 

and just because one or two parts do not 

do as well does not mean that we should 

get rid of them. The Mixed Grille is a 

wonderful place to sit and have a drink 

or get something to eat, and it allows 

non-members to experience our club and 

our facility. The golf course was recently 

ranked as the No. 4 public golf course in 

the state of Michigan, and in the top 100 

in the country. The fact that these two 

centers lose money ignores their contribution 

to the club as a whole. 

However, that is not to say that 

we as the board and the management 

should not continue to look at reducing 

any losses and making all departments 

profitable. We have a duty to look at all 

expenses and costs. 

The club is a lot of things to a lot 

of people. To some, it is a place to sit 

and have a drink after a long day of 

work. To some it is a place to have a 

nice dinner. To others, it is a place for 

them and their children to socialize with 

other members of the community. In 

reality, every single part of the club is 

important to some group of members. 

Not having all of these amenities at the 

club would adversely affect our members 

and our membership, regardless 

of whether they use the facilities or not. 

The most important thing that we ask 

of you is that you be patient with the club 

as it recovers. We cannot expect too 

much too soon. Please keep in mind that 

it was less than a year ago that it looked 

like we were going to lose the club and 

today, thanks to the support and contributions 

of all of our members, we are 

thriving. We would like to express our appreciation 

to all of the members for making 

our club as great as it is today. We 

have come a long way, but there is still a 

long way to go. By working together, we 

can meet the challenges ahead. We are 

in a very good place right now and are 

moving in the right direction. Let’s keep 

the positive momentum going. 

Neb Mekani is president of the 

Shenandoah Country Club 

Board of Directors. 


Merfit Yaldo, 

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The situation may be URGENT 

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guEST columns 

Chaldean Commencement Essay Winner: 

An appetite for accomplishment 

“ 

Be patient and tough; 

one day this pain 

will be useful to 

you.” This quote by Roman 

poet Ovid has been a guiding 

light to me throughout my life. 

Many people come to a fork in 

the road when driving through 

the road of life. The deciding 

factor between those who fail 

and those who accomplish is 

whether one is able to choose 

the right path or not. The thing 

that keeps me motivated most 

is the fear of failure. Many people 

start off motivated to accomplish their 

dreams, but as time goes by, this motivation 

is diminished by exhaustion. 

However, the moment where one 

starts to fi nally see results from working 

so hard towards something can 

be life-changing. The feeling is euphoric, 

spiritual, out-of-body. I know, 

from experience, that I can achieve 

what I want to achieve if I really put 

my mind to it. 

Experiencing the incredible feeling 

of accomplishment only once is 

enough to keep the hunger for this 

feeling alive; I have felt it many times 

before, and inching closer and closer 

to fi nally enrolling at Michigan State 

University, my appetite is starving for 

it once again. 

I was one of those kids that did 

not grow up in a typically structured 

household. From birth up until the 

age of 10, my family and I lived in 

a fairly big house in Southfi eld. Because 

I am the youngest and only girl 

of four children, I was pretty spoiled; 

however, I was also blind as to what 

was to come for my family. 

My father owned a supermarket in 

Detroit for more than 20 years. In the 

summer of 2002, his store went out 

saBreen 

nafsu 


CHALDEAN NEWS 

of business, and in February 

2003, we lost our house due 

to bankruptcy. After that, my 

family was divided and everyone 

went their separate 

ways. I naturally wanted to 

be with my mom so I followed 

along with her, not knowing 

that she did not have a plan 

and that we’d actually be 

homeless for a few days. 

Out of desperateness 

and for the sake of her children, 

she was forced to 

move back in with my dad into an 

apartment. This was a bad situation 

for everyone involved because 

my parents were constantly fi ghting. 

However, my mom felt that she had 

to stay with my dad because she did 

not have an education and she needed 

to depend on him for support. 

Refl ecting on my childhood always 

motivates me because it helps 

me to see exactly what I do not want 

to become. I never want to put my 

future children in the position I was 

in, worried about if they are going to 

have a place to live or if they will have 

someone there to love and take care 

of them. Seeing my mom in such a 

helpless state ignited a fi re in me to 

establish myself as a strong woman. 

I believe that as a woman, being able 

to support yourself and stand on your 

own two feet is very important and 

that the movement of women from the 

traditional role in the household to independence 

is a move that has to be 

made. 

Although my family and I have had 

our ups and downs, I am still extremely 

close with them. I hold my brothers 

in particular closest to my heart. 

One of my brothers was diagnosed 

with schizophrenia and depression in 

2006. Seeing the progress my brother 

has made from then to now has encouraged 

me to better myself just as 

he has. Before his diagnosis, I was 

never really sure of what I wanted to 

be. When I saw what he was going 

through and how he overcame the 

obstacle of not only a mental disability, 

but also dealing with the breakup 

of our family, it helped seal my dream 

of one day becoming a psychologist. 

Lastly, the thing that helps motivate 

me most is my spirituality. A 

tremendous reason why I grew up in 

No one should 

have to feel 

alone in this 

world. 

a divided household is because my 

mother started following the Jehovah’s 

Witness religion. As a young 

girl, I did whatever my mom told me 

to do, which meant following the Jehovah’s 

Witness faith. The Chaldean 

culture is based heavily upon the 

Catholic faith, so when we joined a 

religion so radically different, there 

was a huge dispute between pretty 

much everyone in my family against 

me and my mom. There was an enormous 

amount of pressure on me to 

choose one side or consequently get 

alienated by the other. 

Such ultimatums pushed me to 

explore my faith. I now consider myself 

simply spiritual and do not identify 

with any religion. People always 

ask me, “If you’re not Catholic, how 

can you identify with the Chaldean 

culture?” My answer is that the Chaldean 

community as a whole pushes 

a strong relationship with God more 

than anything else. Though I may 

not follow the traditional Catholic 

faith, my closeness with God helps 

me connect with other Chaldeans. 

I once felt like an outcast. Meeting 

other Chaldeans who have beliefs 

similar to mine that are simply afraid 

to speak up motivates me to be the 

voice that is not heard. No one should 

have to feel alone in this world and I 

hope to inspire my peers as well as 

future generations to not be afraid to 

discover who they are outside of what 

people tell them they are supposed to 

be. 

I am a fi rm believer that everything 

happens for a reason. Without hindrance, 

I would have never become 

the person that I am today. I have 

learned to take the negatives and turn 

them into positives, to be optimistic 

as opposed to the pessimistic person 

I was before recognizing the contributive 

signifi cance of every single 

experience. The knowledge I have 

drawn from these experiences has 

motivated me to be successful in the 

pursuit of my aspirations. Some may 

view graduating from high school as 

the end of a long road; I view it as the 

beginning of the journey ahead. 

Sabreen Nafsu is the fi rst-place 

winner for high school students in 

the 2010 Chaldean Commencement 

essay contest, which asked the 

question, “What motivates you to accomplish 

your dreams?” A graduate 

of Southfi eld Lathrup, she plans to 

study psychology at Michigan State 

University. 

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noteworthy 

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Benedict XVI at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, 

in Edinburgh, Scotland, upon his arrival in Great Britain for a four-day visit. 

Pope Admits failures 

in Abuse Scandal 

Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged 

on September 16 that the Catholic 

Church had failed to act decisively or 

quickly enough to deal with priests who 

rape and molest children. He said the 

church’s top priority now was to help 

the victims heal. 

The Pope’s comments to reporters 

traveling with him to the United 

Kingdom from Rome marked his most 

thorough admission to date of church 

failures to deal with pedophile priests. 

The issue has reignited with the recent 

revelations in Belgium of hundreds of 

new victims, at least 13 of whom had 

committed suicide. 

Pope Benedict’s four-day state visit 

was overshadowed by anger over the 

abuse scandal in the highly secular 

country, where Catholics are a minority 

at 10 percent and have endured centuries 

of anti-Catholic persecution. Polls 

have indicated widespread dissatisfaction 

in Britain with the way Pope Benedict 

has handled the crisis, with Catholics 

nearly as critical of him as the rest 

of the population. 

Anger over the scandal runs high in 

Britain in part because of the enormous 

scale of the abuse in neighboring Ireland, 

where government reports have 

detailed systematic abuse of children 

at church-run schools and cover-up by 

church authorities. 

– Associated Press 

AP PHOTO/LEFTERIS PITARAKIS, POOL 

Aziz Says He’ll 

Die in Jail 

Tariq Aziz, the Chaldean man who 

once served as the international face of 

Saddam Hussein’s regime, said he will 

die in an Iraqi jail due to his old age and 

lengthy prison sentence. 

During a brief interview with The 

Associated Press on September 5, 

Aziz said that considering he is 74 

and faces more than two decades in 

prison for crimes related to his role in 

the former regime, he expects to die 

behind bars. 

“I have no future. I have no future. 

I’m 74 years old now,’’ said Aziz. “So I 

have no future.’’ 

Aziz served for years as Saddam 

Hussein’s foreign minister, establishing 

an international reputation as a vociferous 

defender of the late dictator’s 

regime who was received by governments 

around the world. But his years in 

prison, repeated court cases and illness 

have left him frail, hobbling on a cane. 

In the interview at the Iraqi High Tribunal, 

Aziz declined to talk about such 

topics as politics, the U.S. troop withdrawal 

or his treatment at the hands of 

Iraqi offi cials. 

The English-speaking Aziz has been 

convicted in two cases stemming from 

the Saddam-era. Last year, he was 

convicted and sentenced to 15 years 

for his role in the 1992 execution of 42 

merchants found guilty of profi teering. 

He also received a seven-year prison 

sentence for a case involving the forced 

displacement of Kurds in northern Iraq. 

Aziz is currently on trial in a longrunning 

case in which he is accused 

of being part of a campaign targeting 

members of the Shiite Dawa Party, of 

which Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is 

a member. 

Aziz has suffered several strokes, 

and during recent court appearances 

has shuffl ed to and fro in the courtroom 

with the aid of a cane. “I’m sick 

and tired but I wish Iraq and Iraqis 

well,’’ he said. 

New ‘Ambassador’ 

Appointed to iraqi 

Catholics 

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Monsignor 

Giorgio Lingua as the Holy 

See’s representative to Iraq and Jordan 

on September 4. The new apostolic 

nuncio will begin the position at a 

time in which the Iraqi Church struggles 

to fi nd peace. 

No stranger to international relations, 

Msgr. Lingua has been a member 

of the Vatican’s diplomatic corps 

since 1992. In the last 18 years, the 

Italian priest has worked at diplomatic 

posts in the Ivory Coast, the U.S., Italy 

and Serbia, in addition to serving in 

the Holy See’s Secretariat of State 

section for relations with states. 

Msgr. Lingua was ordained a 

priest in 1984 and has a license in 

canon law. Besides Italian, he speaks 

French, Spanish and English. 

He enters the Iraqi nunciature as 

Church offi cials in the nation cry out 

for assistance and protection after the 

departure of American combat troops. 

The country, said one offi cial in an interview 

with Vatican Radio in August, 

is already unsafe for minority groups, 

and as U.S. forces are reduced, the 

situation can only worsen. 

Chaldean Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon 

Warduni of Baghdad said that they will 

become the “scapegoats” for the three 

major groups in the country — Shiites, 

Sunnis and Kurds — after the U.S. 

withdraws. He added in the August interview, 

“We desire, we ask, and we 

scream for peace and security.” 

Msgr. Lingua replaces Archbishop 

Francis Assisi Chullikatt, who had 

held the position for more than four 

years before being appointed as the 

Holy See’s permanent observer to the 

United Nations last July. 

www.catholicnewsagency.com. 

Reprinted with permission of the 

Assyrian International News Agency 

(aina.org). 

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NoTEWoRTHy 

Rukni “Rock” Abboud 

Chaldean Runs in 

beverly Hills 

Rukni “Rock” Abboud is running for a 

seat on the Beverly Hills City Council. 

A village resident since 1974, he is a 

member of the Planning Board. He attended 

Groves and holds an MBA from 

Lawrence Tech University. 

“As a marketing executive my ability 

to manage, administer, and execute a 

project from inception to reality is well 

proven,” he said. 

Abboud said his three biggest issues 

are balancing the budget, public 

safety and the Baldwin library. 

“To balance the budget, drastic 

measures will be recommended and 

implemented. Where necessary, right 

sizing the leadership and cross training 

the administrative staff. This includes 

every department contributing 

to the shortfall,” he said. “Since most 

of the budget is consumed by public 

safety, we need to revisit that department 

and see where voluntary or more 

mandatory concessions can be made. 

Finally, the library is vital and essential 

to the community. However, since 

the current council is not considering 

the current expiration contract option 

for renewal, my action plan 

is to create an annual membership 

ensuring that every 

resident is entitled to the 

benefi ts the library offers.” 

Check it out 

Chaldeans are blogging on 

the site www.ahealthiermichigan.org. 

Read Chaldean-related 

health blogs 

from the Chaldean American 

Health Professionals, members 

of the Chaldean American Ladies 

of Charity and Chaldean trainers from 

the Art of Strength West Bloomfi eld. 

There are also some health excerpts 

from Chaldean News stories. Get 

health and fi nancial tips from the experts 

at the site. 

Sandra Alexander 

People 

Eliya “Louie” Boji has been reappointed 

to the Michigan Civil Rights 

Commission by Governor Jennifer 

Granholm. His new term runs until December 

31, 2014. 

Randall A. Denha has once again 

been named by Michigan Super Lawyers 

as one of the top attorneys in 

the state for 2010. He is the founder 

and managing member 

of Denha & Associates, 

PLLC in Birmingham, 

concentrating on estate 

and business succession 

planning, asset protection 

planning and planning for 

high-net worth individuals 

and families. 

Also on the Michigan 

Super Lawyers list is Sandra 

Alexander, who has 

been named a 2010 Rising 

Star. She practices in the 

areas of commercial litigation, 

business and real estate transactions, 

probate administration and estate 

planning. A former board member 

of the Chaldean American Bar Association, 

she practices law with Resnick 

& Moss, P.C. in Bloomfi eld Hills. 

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Community Bulletin Board 

Hear This 

Lynette Toma has co-authored a children’s 

book, “I Can Dance Too,” about a girl who 

is hearing impaired but succeeds in dance 

class thanks to her hearing aids. A native of 

West Bloomfi eld, Toma now lives in San Diego 

where she and her fellow author, Victoria 

Ames, work as speech therapists. “We hope 

we can send a message out to people that all 

children, no matter what obstacles they have 

in life, can achieve their goals,” said Toma. 

“Living in America, we embrace differences 

in people but Chaldeans have not assimilated 

to that culture and it’s very sad to me.” Learn 

more at www.amesandtomabooks.com. 

Golden 

Olympic gold medalist Peggy Fleming 

was the keynote speaker at the Mothers, 

Daughters, Sisters & Friends luncheon on 

September 20. This was the sixth year for 

the event at Shenandoah Country Club. 

Proceeds benefi t the Francee & Benson 

Ford Jr. Breast Care & Wellness Center at 

Henry Ford West Bloomfi eld Hospital. “It 

takes your breath away a bit,” Fleming said 

of her 1998 diagnosis, which came on the 

30th anniversary her gold medal performance 

in fi gure skating. Henry Ford experts 

recommend that women start annual mammograms 

at age 40, younger if they have a 

family history of breast cancer. 

Cultural Accolades 

The Ishtar Cultural Center 

received a 2010 Diversity 

Distinction Award from the city 

of Sterling Heights. Pictured 

is director Lawrence Mansour 

receiving congratulations from 

U.S. Rep. Candice Miller at the 

September 9 awards dinner 

at the Sterling Inn. The Ishtar 

Cultural Center is dedicated to 

bringing together the people of 

the Chaldean Assyrian Syriac 

community through programs 

and classes that explore the 

roots, history and language 

of the Aramaic culture. Visit 

aramaicstudies.com. 

you know you’re 

Chaldean When … 

… You say “open the 

light” instead of 

“turn the light on.” 

… You have at least 

30 cousins. 

… You brag about 

your kids even if 

they’re bad. 

Add your two cents at info@chaldeannews.com. 

Healthy Outlook 

Upcoming changes to health care 

and their impact on business were 

top of mind at the September 15 

Industry Outlook with the Chaldean 

American Chamber of Commerce. 

Members enjoyed refreshments at 

Regency Manor in Southfi eld while 

receiving an update from the Health 

Alliance Plan’s Rory Lafferty and Jamie 

Spriet, seen here with chamber 

member 

Rocky Husaynu. 

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 oCTobER 2010 

[Saturday, October 2] 

Expo: Henry Ford Health System invites the community 

to a day devoted to women’s health with educational 

seminars, health screenings, a farmers market, 

vendors and more. Henry Ford West Bloomfi eld 

Hospital, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Register for this free event at 

www.henryford.com/healthyintuitions. 

[Sunday, October 3] 

Open House: Detroit Capuchin Ministries holds a family 

day hosted by friars and docents who will guide participants 

through the Solanus Casey Center and soup 

kitchen on the St. Bonaventure Monastery grounds in 

Detroit, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Tour is free and light 

lunch and desserts will be served. To secure a spot or 

for more information, call (313) 579-2100. 

[Tuesday, October 5] 

Seminar: Join the discussion on new advances in 

diagnosis and treatments for autism in the third-fl oor 

conference room at the Henry Ford Medical Center 

in Novi from 6:30-8 p.m. Light refreshments will be 

provided. For registration and further information call 

(800) 436-7936 or visit henryford.com/hottopics. 

[Friday, October 8] 

Workshop: Learn how to defuse, disarm or defl ect 

someone’s non-physical bullying attack with Tongue 

Fu. It was created to help cope with rude, uncooperative 

people and to teach you how to get along with 

anyone, anywhere, anytime. Students should bring a 

notebook and pen. Fee is $50. Session is instructed 

by Vanessa Denha-Garmo, editor-in-chief and copublisher 

of the Chaldean News. 6-9 p.m., The Community 

House in Birmingham. www.communityhouse. 

com or call (248) 644-5832. 


Fundraiser: Join the Chaldean American Chamber of 

Commerce team in the Making Strides Against Breast 

Cancer walk on Belle Isle in Detroit. Last year, the 

chamber team came in sixth place for raising more 

than $6,000. Make donations at cancer.org/stridesonline 

and clicking on the Chaldean Chamber team 

page, or call (248) 996-8340. 

Culture: Detroit Harmonie celebrates the region’s diversity 

with ethnic food, drinks, art and music. Community 

member Rita Sitto is coordinating the Chaldean 

segment with food from Anaam’s Palate of Commerce 

Township and line dancers from the Ishtar Cultural Association. 

Nine other cultures will be showcased at 

the event geared toward young professionals. Virgil 

H. Carr Cultural Arts Center, Detroit. Tickets are $30. 

www.detharmonie.com. 

[Saturday, October 9-Sunday October 10] 

Celebration: Join the bus trip to celebrate the 

legacy of Mother Angelica at the Civic Center in 

Canton, Ohio. For more information call Souriya at 

(248) 931-5471. 

[Thursday, October 14] 

Seminar: Learn about the new advances in treating 

psoriatic arthritis in the third-fl oor conference room at 

the Henry Ford Medical Center in Novi from 6:30-8 

p.m. Light refreshments will be provided. For registration 

and further information call (800) 436-7936 or 

visit henryford.com/hottopics. 

[Friday, October 15-Sunday October 17] 

Art Fair: The Indoor Great Lakes Art Fair at the Rock 

Financial Showplace in Novi offers more than 200 

booths of arts and crafts. $7 for adults, free for children 

12 and under, and parking is free. www.greatlakesartfair.com 


Football: The Second Annual Powder Puff Football 

Game between East and West Side Chaldean women, 

followed by the 31st Chaldean Football League 

Championship. 6 p.m., West Bloomfi eld High School. 

$5 donations benefi t the Chaldean Federation of 

America. For more information contact Candace 

Dickow at candace@944.com for Powder Puff or 

Derek Dickow at derekdickow@hotmail.com for CFL. 


Gala: The Arab American and Chaldean Council hold 

its 31st Annual Civic and Humanitarian Awards Gala 

at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. Event begins 

at 6 p.m. Contact Kimberly at (248) 559-1990 or 

visit www.myacc.org. 

[Sunday, October 17] 

Marathon: Annual Detroit Free Press & Flagstar Bank 

Marathon in Detroit has more than 10,000 participants 

and features a full marathon, a half marathon and other 

assorted runs. www.freepmarathon.com. 


Halloween Party: One of the area’s largest Halloween 

extravaganzas takes place at the Rock Financial 

Showplace in Novi with fortune tellers, DJs, dancers, 

performers and more. Discounted pre-sale tickets can 

be purchased at www.Neptix.com. (248) 566-4499 or 

info@HauntedKingdom.com. 


Waste Collection: Wayne County’s Department of 

Public Services holds a Household Hazardous Waste 

Collection for county residents to dispose of unwanted 

household chemicals. Collection is scheduled from 

8 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Downriver Community Conference 

in Southgate. 

[Tuesday, October 26] 

Cooking Classes: Learn how to make Takratha at the 

Chaldean Cultural Center located inside of Shenandoah 

Country Club at 7 p.m. Free and open to the 

public. Register by October 22 by emailing abacall@ 

chaldeanculturalcenter.org. (248) 681-5050. 

[Thursday, October 28] 

Seminar: Experts discuss the weight-management 

programs that may work best for you in the private 

dining rooms at the Henry Ford West Bloomfi eld 

Hospital. 6:30-8 p.m.; light refreshments will be provided. 

For registration and further information call 

(800) 436-7936 or visit henryford.com/hottopics. 

‘TiS THE SEASoN 

CiDER MiLLS 

AND APPLE 

PiCkiNg 

Ashton Orchards 

& Cider Mill 

3925 Seymour Lake 

Road, Ortonville 

(248) 627-6671 

Blake’s Orchard 

& Cider Mill 

586-784-5343 

17985 Armada 

Center Road 

Armada 

Diehl’s Orchard 

and Cider Mill 

1479 Ranch, Holly 

(248) 634-8981 

www.diehlsorchard.com 

Erwin’s Orchards 

and Cider Mill 

61019 Silver Lake, 

near South Lyon 

(248) 437-4701 

erwinorchards.com 

Franklin Cider Mill 

7450 Franklin Road, 

Bloomfi eld Hills 

(248) 626-2968 

franklincidermill.com 

Goodison Cider Mill 

4295 Orion Road 

Rochester 

(248) 652-8450 

Long Family 

Orchard & Farm 

1342 Commerce Road, 

Commerce Twp. 

(248) 360-3774 

longsorchard.com 

Middleton Cider Mill 

46462 Dequindre Road, 

Shelby Twp. 

(586) 731-6699 

Paint Creek Cider Mill 

& Restaurant 

4480 Orion Road, 

Rochester Hills 

(248) 651-8361 

Parmenter’s Northville 

Cider Mill 

714 Baseline Road, 

Northville 

(248) 349-3181 

Rochester Cider Mill 

5125 N. Rochester Road 


(248) 651-4224 

Yates Cider Mill 

1950 E. Avon, 


(248) 651-8300 

yatescidermill.com 

HAuNTED 

HouSES 

Blake’s Spooky 

Hayride and 

Haunted Barn 

71485 North Avenue 

Armada 

(586) 784-9710 

blakefarms.com 

Deadly Intentions 

20999 Dequindre, 

Warren 

(248) 797-0676 

deadlyintentionshaunt.com 

Dementia at Hampton 

2600 Club Drive, 


(248) 693-7170 

Erebus 

18 South Perry, Pontiac 

(248) 332-7884 

hauntedpontiac.com 

Nightmare Realm 

3860 Newton Road, 

Commerce Twp. 

(248) 363-9109 

multilakes.com 

Realm of Darkness 

37 Turk, Pontiac 

(248) 338-0029 

therealmofdarkness.com 

Urban Legends 

666 House 

9810 E. Eight Mile 

Road 

Detroit 

(313) 366-1874 

moneybackhauntedhouse.com 



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 

HOLY MARTYRS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

43700 Merrill, Sterling Heights, MI 48312; (586) 803-3114 

Rector: Rev. Manuel Boji 

Parochial Vicar: Rev. Ayad Khanjaro 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 9 a.m. in Chaldean; Saturday, 5 p.m. in English; Sunday: 

9 a.m. in Chaldean and Arabic, 10:30 a.m. in English, morning prayer at noon, high 

mass at 12:30 p.m. in Chaldean. 

MOTHER OF GOD CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

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

Rector: Rev. Wisam Matti 

Parochial Vicar: Rev. Anthony Kathawa 

Bible Study: 7-9 p.m. for High School Ages in English; 7-9 p.m. College/Young Adult 

in English 

Mass Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8 a.m. mass in English; Tuesday, 9 p.m. mass 

in English; Wednesday, noon-midnight, adoration; Saturday, 5:15 p.m. in English; Sunday: 

8:30 a.m. in Arabic, 10 a.m. in English, 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 

Mary Bata Shaya 

Mary Bata Shaya, our loving mother 

and grandmother of three generations, 

passed away on August 5, 

2010 at the age of 96. She was born 

on May 1, 1914 in Baghdad, Iraq. 

She married her late husband, Elia 

Mansour Shaya, in 1928 and emigrated 

to the United States in 1969. 

Mary was mother to five children 

who reside in the Metro Detroit area: 

sons Mansour, Emanuel and Zuhair 

Mansour; and daughters Souad Seba 

and Violet Kaddis. 

Farewell my precious grandmother, 

your race on earth is done. You now 

live in heaven with God and his gracious son. Although 

my heart mourns for you and my eyes are 

filled with tears, I am thankful that I had you to love 

and guide me through the years. You were always 

an inspiration, your strength, it knew no bounds; I 

know that God has blessed you with many heavenly 

crowns. So farewell my precious grandmother, 

you will always be in my heart, I will remember your 

gentle teachings, from which I’ll never part. 

Craig James Ankawi 

Craig James Ankawi was born on October 

22, 1991 and suddenly passed 

away on June 9, 2010. 

He is survived by many family members 

including his father and mother 

Raad and Vicki; grandmother Viola 

Colden; brothers Bryan and Brett; sister-in-law 

Michelle; sisters Krystal and 

Robyn; and niece and nephew Bryanna 

and Calvin. He is also survived by many 

aunts, uncles and cousins. 

Craig was always an extremely 

happy young man. He was full of life 

and enjoyed living life to the fullest. His 

smile was contagious and he knew how 

to light up a room. He had an excellent work ethic and 

always surrounded himself with his co-workers. He had 

many friends and he enjoyed playing basketball, video 

games and poker with them. Although Craig’s time with 

his loved ones was very short, the memories and love he 

gave will live on forever. 

God bless you always Craig. May you shine down 

upon us with your beautiful smile and your heart of gold. 

May you always be our special angel from heaven above. 

Recently deceased 

Community members 

Sabiha Kappouta 

September 17, 2010 

Habib Daoud 


Violet Karim 


Harby Dawood 


Mikhael Atto 


Faheema Shammami 


Submit your loved 

one’s obituary to info@chaldeannews.com, 

or send it to Chaldean 

News, 29850 Northwestern 

Highway, Southfield, MI 48034. 


Community 

Health 

Initiative 

you 

are 

not 

alone 

The Chaldean Community Foundation through the Michigan Department of Community Health 

provides refugee counseling services for Iraqi refugees and other community members in need. 

The Foundation has partnered with St. John Eastwood Clinics to deliver the best counseling available 

to individuals who have suffered trauma and stress from the war in Iraq and its subsequent persecution 

of minorities. 

Many of you have languished for years in countries like Jordan and Syria, unable to work or send 

your children to school, before getting permission to come to the United States. Now that you are 

here, the idea of starting over can feel overwhelming and nearly impossible. We can help you sort out 

and deal with these negative feelings. 

Services include: Medications • Transportation (needs will be assessed upon request) • Interpreters 

If you, a loved one or friend are in need of the above services, please contact: 

Chaldean Community Foundation 

248-996-8340 

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY 

FOUNDATION 

A Chaldean Chamber affiliate providing 

services & support to our community! 

Funding provided by the Chaldean Community Foundation through the Michigan Department of Community Health. 


michigan’s 

Gubernatorial candidates answer 

community concerns 

By Vanessa Denha Garmo and Joyce Wiswell 

Michigan residents are going to vote between two very distinct candidates for governor 

on November 2. With term limits, Jennifer Granholm is unable to run for a third 

term. Residents will choose between a current mayor and a businessman. 

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, a Democrat, is facing Republican and self-financed businessman 

Rick Snyder. After both candidates won very competitive primaries, Snyder 

started the general election campaign with a double-digit lead over Bernero in a Rasmussen 

Reports survey. 

As of press time on September 24, the latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone 

survey of likely voters shows Snyder picking up 51 percent support, while Bernero had 38 

percent. Two percent prefer some other candidate, and 9 percent are undecided. 

The Chaldean News decided to take a different approach to our One-on-One — question 

and answer section — this month. We were curious to know what our community 

leaders wanted to ask of the candidates. Here are the results. 

Virg Bernero is the Democrats’ choice. 

Dave Nona 

Chairman, Chaldean Federation 

of America 

Q: Many Iraqi Chaldeans are coming to Michigan as refugees 

as a result of U.S. actions in Iraq. Do you believe 

the U.S. has a moral responsibility towards the Chaldeans 

and other religious minorities of Iraq? As governor, will 

you support more state funding for the refugees? 

Virg Bernero: Christians and other religious minorities 

in Iraq are now facing terrible persecution 

just because of their faith. As governor, I will work 

to fund programs to assist Iraqi refugees at the state 

level and at the federal level by working with our 

congressional delegation. 

Rick Snyder: The United States, and especially 

the state of Michigan, has always been a beacon to 

those yearning for freedom and to escape the yoke 

of oppression and tyranny. This is especially the case 

with Iraq and Iraqi Chaldeans. Yes, we all have a 

moral responsibility to help. Michigan’s next governor 

will likely face another staggering budget deficit 

of between $1 billion and $2 billion, and the pressure 

to fund essential services will be greater than 

ever. That’s why I have proposed to implement 

“Value for Money” budgeting. We have to ensure 

that the taxpayers are receiving value for the limited 

tax dollars being spent. I will work closely with legislators 

and community leaders to identify programs 

that return value for the investment and then make 

sure we have a prioritized plan to fund them appropriately 

within the state’s financial means. 

Martin Manna 

Executive Director, Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce 

Q: The Chaldean community is comprised of many 

small business owners. The Michigan Business Tax 

can be very onerous on them. What is your plan to help 

businesses with their tax burden? 

Rick Snyder: I have proposed eliminating the 

Michigan Business Tax and replacing it with a flat 

6-percent tax for corporations. This will cut business 

taxes by $1.5 billion. Every business in Michigan 

will see its business taxes reduced or eliminated 

under my plan. Small business owners and main 

street businesses that pay the alternative profits 

taxes will see their tax rate go from 1.8 percent to 

zero. They will be exempted altogether under this 

proposal. Larger C corporations will see the MBT 

and its accompanying surcharge replaced with a 

simple, fair and easy-to-administer 6-percent flat 

tax. Small business owners can read more about my 

plan at www.rickformichigan.com. 

Virg Bernero: Michigan’s tax system is broken 

and must be revamped to reflect the realities of today’s 

economy and set us on course for future prosperity. 

My administration will work to eliminate the 

MBT surcharge as part of a comprehensive overhaul 

of state business taxes to make Michigan the most 

competitive state in the nation for new job-creating 

investments. Small businesses especially need a fair, 

predictable and favorable tax system. I also support 

tying tax incentives to job creation, rewarding companies 

who hire Michigan workers, but rolling back 

incentives for companies who outsource jobs or fail 

to meet job creation targets they originally promised 

in order to secure an abatement. Our business tax 

structure must reward job creation and value-added, 

export-oriented production. We must also continue 

to pressure Congress to enact changes in federal law 

that allow states to capture sales tax revenues lost 

to Internet commerce, estimated at more than $300 

million annually in Michigan. 


choice 

Republican Rick Snyder is a political newcomer. 

LeeAnn Kirma 

President, Chaldean American 

Ladies of Charity 

Q: We have many professionals within the population 

of recent Iraqi Christian immigrants. Many, if not the 

majority, do not have the means to attend schooling in 

the U.S. to obtain certification or continuing education 

in their profession. How will you help the nonprofit 

organizations helping these people obtain the necessary 

credentials to practice their profession? 

Virg Bernero: Working with members of the community 

and the nonprofit agencies that serve them, 

I believe we can create an expedited system for immigrants 

with a professional background to get licensed 

more quickly in the field in which they are 

trained. 

Rick Snyder: We need to bring all the stakeholders 

to the table to address this issue. Representatives 

from the Chaldean community, non-profit associations 

and employers all need to have a voice in 

this process. My administration will be proactive in 

removing the bureaucratic impediments created by 

government agencies so that trained professionals 

arriving in Michigan will be able to secure the credentialing 

they need to enter the workforce. With 

Michigan leading the nation in unemployment and 

underemployment, we cannot afford for good workers 

who want to work and be productive to remain 

outside of the labor force due to state government 

red tape and administrative barriers. 

Mike Sarafa 

President, Bank of Michigan 

Q: What specifically would you do to ease the regulatory 

burden on good community banks thereby increasing 

access to credit for small businesses that have been 

cut off by the regional and national banks? 

Rick Snyder: Capital flows to places where there 

is less risk. The best way to achieve more capital 

availability in this state is to create an environment 

that is less risky. That is undeniably tied to 

the economic health of this state. My proposals 

to reinvent Michigan’s corporate tax system and 

regulatory systems will improve the economy 

over time. 

Unfortunately, in the meantime, federal regulators 

have placed high capital reserve requirements 

on loans extended by any bank in Michigan, even 

those that have consistently conducted business 

in a prudent, safe manner. While these capital requirements 

cannot be undone by changes in state 

law, the governor and the Office of Financial and 

Insurance Regulation should actively advocate for 

federal rule changes that recognize the difference 

between those who caused the financial problems, 

and those who did not. 

Virg Bernero: Access to capital is the number 

one biggest challenge facing businesses in Michigan. 

Wall Street banks have redlined Michigan 

businesses, refusing access to capital to allow our 

businesses to grow and expand. Wall Street banks 

have redlined Michigan businesses and so even 

profitable businesses cannot grow and create jobs. 

This is one of the largest obstacles to job creation 

in Michigan and I’m the only candidate with a 

plan to address it. 

My jobs plan calls for the creation of a Main 

Street Bank that will partner with small, Michigan-based 

lenders to spur small business lending. 

If we finally break the credit crunch logjam 

we can unleash our entrepreneurs’ potential and 

they can create hundreds of thousands of new 

jobs. It has worked in North Dakota, and we can 

make it work here. 

We can also provide incentives to small employers 

to grow jobs here in Michigan. As governor, 

I will lay out the red carpet for business, not 

the red tape. That means facilitating the start-up of 

new businesses, making credit available and easing 

the burden on startups. I’ve proposed the establishment 

of a Main Street, state-operated bank that 

can partner with small businesses in emerging, jobcreating 

industries to give credit to our businesses. 

Remi Kathawa 

University of Michigan 2011, Chaldean 

American Student Association 

Q: Many Michigan college students are being forced to 

look beyond our state’s borders for a job upon graduation. 

What is your plan to keep our young people working 

and thriving in the state of Michigan? 

Virg Bernero: We have great institutions of 

higher learning in Michigan, but too many of 

the best and the brightest leave Michigan after 

graduation. My administration will work to create 

an environment and to provide incentives 

that will increase our ability to retain the talent 

that our publicly funded universities create 

every year. I’ve already done this in Lansing — 

we transformed our downtown with a focus on 

entertainment and Lansing was recently named 

one of Kiplinger’s top 10 Best Places for Young 

People to Live In. 

And nothing keeps young people in a city 

like jobs. I proudly stand by my record as mayor 

of Lansing as an example of how to create jobs. 

High-tech, green energy and even GM jobs have 

all contributed to the 6,000 jobs that have been 

created or retained during my five-year tenure as 

mayor. We must transform all of Michigan’s cities 

like we are doing in Lansing to compete with 

other top places like Chicago, D.C., and New 

York. 

Rick Snyder: Making sure our children have 

the opportunities they need to stay in Michigan 

and have a career here is one of the points of 

my 10-Point Plan to Reinvent Michigan. The 

first priority for state government to help keep 

youth in Michigan is to create the best environment 

for young people to find jobs and an exciting 

living environment. A business-friendly and 

globally competitive Michigan will provide the 

career opportunities young workers desire. Cities 

should offer youth leadership roles so they can 

help shape their growth and uniqueness. The 

CANDIDATES continued on page 24 


Brenda Lawrence and Brian Calley: 

The running mates 

By mike sarafa 

One chose a fellow mayor, the 

other a young legislator. The 

contrasts are sharp. One is 

female, one is male. One is black, 

one is white. One is from southeast 

Michigan, one is from mid-Michigan. 

As the Democratic and Republican 

nominees for 

governor came out of 

their respective state 

party conventions, 

both were hoping for 

a surge in the polls 

following their selections 

for lieutenant 

governor. 

But, in the end, 

both picks were safe 

and are not likely to 

weigh heavily among 

the other factors on 

voters’ minds — like Brenda Lawrence 

jobs and the economy. 

Brenda Lawrence 

was tapped by Democrat 

Virg Bernero as 

his running mate. As 

mayor of Southfi eld, 

she is well known to 

the Chaldean community. 

She captured 

much attention by 

challenging L. Brooks 

Patterson for Oakland 

County executive in 

2008 but was only able 

to capture 41 percent 

of the vote. Lawrence 

has been re-elected 

as mayor twice by big Brian Calley 

margins (she ran once 

un-opposed) since fi rst 

unseating long-time incumbent 

Donald Fracassi in 2001. 

Lawrence fi rst became involved 

in public service as an active member 

of the Parent Teacher’s Association 

in Southfi eld. She was then elected 

to the Southfi eld Board of Education 

and eventually became its president. 

In 1997, she was elected to 

the Southfi eld City Council before 

becoming mayor four years later. 

Bernero and Lawrence worked 

together as part of the national Mayors 

Automotive Coalition (MAC) 

– which Bernero founded – and she 

traveled with him to Washington, 

D.C. to fi ght to win bridge loans for 

Michigan’s auto companies. 

“I’ve seen Virg in action fi ghting 

for Michigan and I’m honored to 

stand with him now,” said Lawrence 

in a statement. “We will stand up to 

the special interests that have held 

back our businesses and hard-working 

families for too long. Mayor Bernero 

and I have brought economic 

development to our cities and we 

will do the same for Michigan.” 

Brian Calley took a 

different path to elective 

offi ce, fi rst becoming 

active with the local 

Republican Party 

in high school and 

then getting elected 

to the Ionia Board 

of Commissioners in 

2002 while still in his 

20s. During the same 

period, Calley began a 

career in banking after 

graduating from Michigan 

State University. 

His career included a 

stint as vice president 

of Irwin Union Bank 

of Lansing. 

In 2006, Calley 

made his foray into 

state politics, beating 

out six other opponents 

in the Republican 

primary for state representative. 

He easily 

won the general election 

that same year and 

was re-elected in 2008. 

He currently serves as 

the ranking member of 

the House Tax Policy 

Committee. In 2008, 

Calley was named the 

“Legislator of the Year” 

by the Small Business 

Association of Michigan. That, and 

his background in banking, has made 

his selection by Snyder of particular 

interest to the Chaldean community. 

Calley’s addition to the top of the 

ticket for Republicans interrupted 

his bid for the State Senate. But the 

combination of Snyder/Calley creates 

a strong pro-business ticket. 

“He was a community banker, so 

he knows what it takes to work with 

small businesses and to create jobs 

and to make things happen at the 

Main Street level,” Snyder said. 

“And then he’s been a successful 

legislator. He’s had two terms in the 

House and he’s recognized as somebody 

who can work across the aisle and 

get the support of both parties to come 

together and show real results.” 

canDiDates continued from page 23 

state should also establish publicprivate 

partnerships to connect 

willing leaders in various sectors 

of Michigan’s economy to young 

workers in mentorship programs. 

Michigan should offer fi nancial 

incentives to young professionals 

who choose to live in its cities and 

to employers that are willing to include 

tuition re-payment programs 

as an employee benefi t. 

Q: Entrepreneurship is the cornerstone 

of the Chaldean community. 

Many small and start-up business are 

struggling within our state now, which 

can deter young entrepreneurs. How 

will you improve the opportunities for 

entrepreneurs in our state? 

Rick Snyder: The best way to improve 

opportunities for entrepreneurs 

is to eliminate the impediments of 

starting and running a small business. 

Earlier, we covered the elimination 

of the MBT, which would be a major 

improvement. In addition, we will 

need to reduce the regulatory burden 

and work to help businesses succeed 

instead of creating barriers to success. 

We also need to refocus our economic 

development efforts to make sure we 

are nurturing talent already here in 

Michigan. I helped found Ann Arbor 

Spark, the economic development 

arm in Washtenaw County. It’s been 

recognized nationally as a leader in 

community-based economic development. 

AA Spark has a chief talent 

officer whose job is to work directly 

with young professionals and budding 

entrepreneurs to maintain a local 

pool of talented workers. Having a 

strong and qualified local workforce is 

a key factor businesses consider when 

deciding where to locate or invest. 

We need to take the successes we’ve 

had at AA Spark and apply them 

statewide. 

Virg Bernero: Through my 

Main Street Agenda, I will leverage 

our state’s assets to free up capital 

for small businesses and entrepreneurs. 

One way of achieving this is 

through my innovative Main Street 

Bank proposal. As mentioned previously, 

my state-operated bank 

will make direct loans to businesses 

in emerging, job-creating industries 

to give credit to our businesses. It 

has worked in North Dakota, and 

there’s no reason we shouldn’t be 

doing the same in Michigan. 

NahiD elyas, m.D. 

PresiDeNt, ChalDeaN 

ameriCaN assoCiatioN 

oF health ProFessioNals 

Q: Do you support a cap on malpractice 

suits against physicians? 

Virg Bernero: No. 

Rick Snyder: Yes. In the 1990s, 

Michigan was a leader in medical 

malpractice reform and is held 

up as a model to other states. We 

have struck a fi ne balance here in 

Michigan that has worked. Patients 

and their families have the ability 

to seek redress in the civil courts 

for legitimate malpractice claims. 

Physicians can treat patients without 

fear of frivolous lawsuits. 

steveN N. garmo, immigratioN 

attorNey, ChalDeaN ameriCaN 

bar assoCiatioN 

Q: Should Michigan enact immigration 

legislation similar to Arizona’s, which 

requires immigrants to carry documentation 

and law enforcement to make 

immigration status checks part of their 

regular policing duties? 

Rick Snyder: No. The federal government 

needs to address immigration 

reform. 

Virg Bernero: No, I do not support 

Arizona-type immigration laws. 

I support enforcing existing laws, 

fi nding a path to citizenship and 

bringing the underground economy 

into the light so we can gain revenue. 

I do not believe we should put 

border control on the shoulders of 

local law enforcement. 

Q: The Michigan Secretary of State offi 

ce has refused to renew driver licenses 

for many residents until they present 

documentation of their immigration 

status. Do you support this policy? 

Virg Bernero: Yes. As stated before, 

we must work to bring our underground 

economy into the light so 

we can gain revenue. Finding a path 

to citizenship for all of our residents 

will only create a stronger Michigan. 

Rick Snyder: Michigan already 

has laws in place that require proof 

of citizenship or legal status before 

being issued a valid driver’s license. 

I think it is suffi cient to enforce existing 

law. 


2ChaldeanNews_BarronAd.qxp 9/22/10 1:40 PM Page 1 

Judge 

Marc 

Barron 

Public Service, Exclusively 

It’s what Marc Barron has always wanted to do. Serve his community. 

Marc grew up right here, attending local schools and graduating Andover 

High School. When he got his law degree, he joined the Oakland County 

Prosecutor’s Office. He spent twelve years as Assistant Prosecuting 

Attorney for Oakland County. After six years, he was promoted to Major 

Crimes Prosecutor, one of only seven who handle the most difficult cases 

in Oakland County. 

In six years as judge, he has made a mark by hard work and careful attention 

to each case. This year, the Michigan Supreme Court chose him to 

serve as the new Chief Judge of the 48th District Court. And he was honored 

as the only District Judge commended at Oakland County’s Salute to 

Justice, given the Chairman’s Award for Distinguished Service. 

From the very first, Marc Barron has been focused on public service. He 

serves us all, every day he takes the bench. 

On November 2nd, Re-elect Judge Marc Barron 

CHIEF JUDGE OF THE 

48TH DISTRICT COURT 

Appointed by the Michigan Supreme 

Court, 2010 

JUDGE OF DISTRICT COURT 

Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, 

Bloomfield Township, Keego Harbor, 

Orchard Lake Village, Sylvan Lake, 

West Bloomfield Township. 

Six years service 

ASSISTANT OAKLAND COUNTY PROSECUTOR 

Handling major crimes. 

Twelve years service, 1992-2004 

BLOOMFIELD HILLS SCHOOLS FOUNDATION 

Board of Directors 

CARE HOUSE OF OAKLAND COUNTY/ 

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT COUNCIL 

Advisory Board 

JVS 

Board of Directors 

OAKLAND COUNTY 

Domestic Violence Fatality 

Review Team 

OAKLAND COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION 

Inns of Court, Team Leader 

OAKLAND COUNTY TEEN COURT 

Presiding Judge 

SALUTE TO JUSTICE 

The Chairman’s Award for 

Distinguished Service 2010 

GRADUATE 

Andover High School, 

The University of Arizona and 

The American University 

Washington College of Law 

MARRIED 

to Lori for thirteen years. 

Father of two, Brooks, 2 

and Quinn, 6 months 

Election Day 

Tuesday, November 

2 

Paid for by Marc Barron for District Judge, 990 Pierce, Birmingham MI 48009 • 248-403-6029 • JudgeMarcBarron@aol.com • ©Voter Information Services 2010 


intercultural tour 

Chaldean, Jewish communities host visits to Shenandoah, JCC. 

ROBERT SKLAR 

EDITOR | DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 

VANESSA DENHA-GARMO 

EDITOR | CHALDEAN NEWS 

Seventh of a nine-part monthly series 

An architectural tour spotlighting 

two landmark 

buildings in West Bloomfi 

eld will be the fi rst public event 

of the grassroots workgroups that 

grew out of Building Community, 

the 2010 initiative succeeding in 

enabling the Chaldean and Jewish 

Chaldean communities to mingle, 

appreciate each other’s culture and 

work together to improve the quality 

of life in Metro Detroit. 

The Monday, Nov. 15, event 

will begin at 6 p.m. at Shenandoah 

Country Club, on Walnut Lake 

Road, east of Drake, with wine and 

hors d’oeuvres. Architect Victor 

Saroki of Victor Saroki & Associates 

in Birmingham, who designed 

Shenandoah, will lead a tour of 

the Chaldean-owned center 

from 6:30 to 7:30. 

Participants then will drive 

to the Jewish Community 

Center at Maple and Drake. 

JCC Executive Director Mark 

Lit and architect Joel Smith of 

Neumann/Smith Associates in 

Southfi eld will lead a tour from 

7:45 to 8:45. His fi rm designed the 

Frankel Jewish Academy of Metropolitan 

Detroit and the Berman 

Center for the Performing Arts, both 

located inside the JCC building. A 

coffee and dessert reception at the 

JCC will follow the JCC tour. 

Building Community’s Arts & 

Culture Committee, chaired by 

Chaldean community member Mary 

Romaya of Farmington Hills and 

Jewish community member Barbara 

Kratchman of Bloomfi eld Hills, is 

sponsoring the tours. 

“The Jewish and Chaldean people 

have their religious beliefs as 

a core part of their lives as well as 

keeping a strong focus on family and 

friends,” Romaya said. “Both have an 

exceptionally strong work ethic that 

continues to be instilled in their children. 

The Arts & Culture Committee 

recognizes the similarities in both 

communities and wants to highlight 

those attributes.” 

Some say the two ethnic groups 

are “cousins” although each, Kratchman 

emphasizes, has characteristics 

unique to its own community. Each 

group wants to share this uniqueness. 

‘Parallel Lives’ 

Next March, the Arts & Culture 

Committee hopes to host another 

dual tour — this time of a church 

and a synagogue to discuss liturgical 

services and religious art and symbolism. 

The co-chairs, Romaya and 

Tour participants who pay 

in advance, $10; at the door, $15. 

Checks payable to the Jewish Community Center 

of Metropolitan Detroit. For information, 

Monika Whale at the JCC, (248) 432-5419, 

mwhale@jccdet.org, or Avita Bacall at the 

Chaldean Cultural Center, (248) 681-5050, 

abacall@chaldeanculturalcenter.org. 

You can pre-register by phone with a MasterCard 

or VISA to Monika Whale, JCC executive 

administrative assistant. 

Mail checks to Whale in care of the 

Jewish Community Center, 6600 W. Maple, 

West Bloomfi eld, MI 48322. 

Kratchman, got together in 

a downtown Birmingham 

restaurant to get to know 

each other and determine 

a vision and a direction for 

their committee, one of four 

Building Community workgroups. 

“After just a few minutes,” 

Romaya recalled, “it became 

obvious we had led parallel 

lives growing up in northwest 

Detroit within a few blocks of 

each other along the Seven 

Mile corridor between Livernois 

and Wyoming.” 

“It was an absolutely delightful 

lunch, and it was 

amazing to hear how similar 

our lives and upbringing had 

been,” Kratchman added. 

The co-chairs chose a 

diverse group of people from 

the Chaldean and Jewish communities 

to join their committee pursuit 

— people who wanted to share their 

experiences and talents while also 

becoming immersed in the richness 

of co-mingling the two communityminded 

ethnic groups. 

Other committee members are 

Firyal Yono of Orchard Lake, Michelle 

Saroki of Birmingham, Mark 

Kassa of Northville, Dr. Sulafa Roumayah 

of Bloomfi eld Hills, Stephen 

Goldman of West Bloomfi eld, Dale 

Rubin of Royal Oak, Mark Lit of 

Commerce Township, Mira Burack 

of Hamtramck and Sharon Zimmerman 

of West Bloomfi eld. 

Mary Romaya 

What’s Cooking? 

Future committee-hosted ethnic 

activities may include 

cooking demonstrations, a discussion 

of Semitic languages 

such as Aramaic and Hebrew, 

a display of artwork and a musical 

program. 

The two ethnic groups share 

parallel patterns in geographic location, 

entrepreneurial interests and 

professional careers. Business and social 

interaction have increased since 

Barbara Kratchman 

the development of Building 

Community, a joint 

project of the Chaldean 

News and the Detroit 

Jewish News, both based 

in Southfi eld. 

The two newspapers 

kicked off Building Community 

in April to highlight 

the common roots 

of the Chaldean and Jewish 

communities in the 

Middle East (Iraq for the 

Chaldean community and 

Israel for the Jewish community) 

and the prospects 

for working together to 

better the larger community 

locally. Leaders 

from both ethnic groups 

contribute to Southeast 

Michigan’s economic, 

philanthropic, political, 

cultural and religious wellbeing. 

The initial phase of the Building 

Community Initiative winds down 

in January, with new collaborations 

and events being planned for the balance 

of 2011. The other workgroups 

and their co-chairs are: 

• Economic development — 

Saad Hajjar, Ron Asmar, Howard 

Rosenberg; 

• Social action — LeeAnn Kirma, 

Jeannie Weiner; 

• Education — Vinos Kassab, 

Nancy Welber Barr. 

Under the guidance of JN publisher 

Arthur Horwitz and CN co-publisher 

Martin Manna, the two newspapers 

will continue to furnish counsel and 

support to assist the workgroups; the 

workgroups, however, are not tied to 

either publication. 

Creative director, Deborah Schultz 

Senior copy editor, David Sachs 

Story development editor, 

Keri Guten Cohen 

Our seventh two-page monthly spread, 

developed by the Farmington Hills 

strategic communications fi rm Tanner 

Friedman, appears on pages 28 and 29. 


Kieth Cockrell with Selma and Jimmy Jonna 

Joseph Kassab and Jon Frank 

Mixing and mingling 

Gail Katz and Brenda and 

Howard Rosenberg 

Jack Abbo and Harry Barash 

Honorary Co-Chair 

Dr. Conrad Giles 

Bruce Colasanti and Jeffry Bowie 

Above: Arthur Horwitz 

addresses the crowd 

PHOTOS BY DAVID REED 

Left: 

Bank of America 

staffers 

Honorary Co-Chair Mike George 

Banking On The Future 

Jewish, Chaldean communities continue to intermingle, interact. 

BY JOYCE WISWELL 

MANAGING EDITOR | CHALDEAN NEWS 

Spirits soared nearly as high as 

the striking atrium in the Bank 

of America building in Troy at 

the latest Building Community event 

on Sept. 14. 

The casual networking reception 

was the third get-together for Building 

Community, the historic collaboration 

launched in April between the Detroit 

Jewish News and the Chaldean News. 

Bank of America sponsored and hosted 

the event, which included cocktails 

and gourmet appetizers in the company’s 

impressive atrium lobby. 

“Learn together, live together, 

build together,” said Honorary Co- 

Chair Dr. Conrad Giles, a pediatric 

ophthalmologist, as he summed up 

the goals behind the Building Community 

initiative. 

“If you don’t communicate and 

you don’t associate, you just assume,” 

added Michael George, the other cochair, 

on the need for diverse groups 

to interact. 

Kieth Cockrell, Bank of America’s 

Michigan market president, 

told the crowd that he moved to 

Metro Detroit three years ago. He 

and his family are especially enjoying 

the area’s many ethnic groups, 

evident in the new friendships his 

children have made. “It is a joy that 

my daughters bring to our home exposure 

to other cultures,” Cockrell 

said. “We did not get that in Charlotte, 

North Carolina.” 

Giles lamented recent divisive 

events in the U.S., including the controversy 

surrounding the proposed 

Islamic center near Ground Zero in 

New York and a Florida pastor’s threat 

to burn Korans. 

“This has not been a good time; we 

have not stood as tall as we should as 

Americans,” Giles said. “We need one 

another to be sensitive to our needs 

and the needs of our neighbors.” 

Martin Manna, co-publisher of 

the Chaldean News, and Arthur 

Horwitz, publisher of the Detroit 

Jewish News, each noted that ideas 

are being explored to extend Building 

Community, which was slated to 

formally end in January. One effort is 

the establishment of four grassroots 

committees — Economic Development, 

Arts & Culture, Social Action 

and Education — that are co-chaired 

by Chaldeans and Jews. 

Horwitz said the groups are off to a 

roaring start. 

“We put the wind under people’s 

wings,” he said, “and they took it from 

there.” 


C O MM U N I T 

Y 

Spirit of wellness 

is interfaith 

Jews, Chaldeans address 

genetic risks and need for care 

By Alan Stamm and Justin Fisette 

Faith fuels personal strength. 

Health awareness and physical activity 

also are keys to living well. 

Chaldeans and Jews have particular 

reasons for health monitoring because 

of genetic digestive disorders – Crohn’s disease 

and ulcerative colitis — affecting members 

of their communities. “Given that both 

populations originated from the same area, 

it is possible that there may be some susceptibility 

genes … in common between the 

two populations,” says Dr. Gerald L. Feldman, 

director of clinical genetics studies at 

Children’s Hospital of Michigan. 

Local research into those types of disease 

clusters is being conducted by Blue 

Cross Blue Shield of Michigan through next 

year. “The preliminary study analyzes our 

members by ethnicity and race to better 

understand the specific healthcare needs 

of the diverse communities,” explains Affaf 

Arabbo, project manager at Blue Cross, 

who is Chaldean. “This will help us understand 

where we can make a difference in 

communities by improving access to health 

care services that are relevant and specific 

to each ethnic community,” adds the Wayne 

State University graduate. 

Dr. Nahid Elyas of Southfield, president 

of the Chaldean American Association for 

Health Professionals, sees patients with the 

two conditions. “The Middle Eastern and 

Jewish cultures have a high rate of chronic 

abdominal pain and need more invasive 

management,” says Dr. Elyas, a board member 

for the new Project Bismutha free care 

program supported by the Chaldean Federation 

of America. “From the 23 enrolled in 

Bismutha [since July], we have a high percentage” 

with colitis and Crohn’s. 

Chaldeans and 

Jews have particular 

reasons for health 

monitoring because 

of genetic digestive 

disorders. 

Dr. Gerald L. Feldman 

Dr. Mohammad El-Baba 

Dr. Nahid Elyas 

Wayne State University School of Medicine 

and the Detroit Medical Center. “The disease 

is definitely more prevalent in the Ashkenazi 

Jewish population (with Middle Eastern 

roots) than the general population.” 

“Though Chaldeans don’t have a high 

incidence of Crohn’s by history, prevalence 

among this community has increased 

among the last ten to twenty years as they 

immigrate to the U.S.,” adds Dr. Mohammad 

El-Baba, chief of gastroenterology at 

Finding a healthy balance 

In West Bloomfield, Lynette Toma has 

learned to manage her colitis and minimize 

its impact. “Following my diagnosis,” 

says the Chaldean woman, “I basically had 

to start over with my whole entire diet. No 

dairy, no red meat or fried foods to avoid 

complications.” 

Toma also recognizes the connections between 

spiritual, emotional and physical wellbeing. 

“Light exercise and meditation, things 

that help relieve stress, are keys for me to 

beat this,” she explains. “Many Chaldeans are 

always stressed because they work so much 

and don’t take the time to relax. They don’t 

realize the full negative effects of stress.” 

Patient education is among services 

provided by two grass-roots programs for 

the area’s uninsured Jewish and Chaldean 

residents. And it’s no coincidence that three- 


month-old Project Bismutha resembles Project 

Chessed, created nearly six years ago by 

the Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan 

Detroit. Dr. Elyas and other Chaldean medical 

professionals model their approach on 

Chessed, helped by guidance from Jewish 

counterparts. (Bismutha is Aramaic for healing, 

while Chessed is Hebrew for kindness.) 

‘Community safety net’ 

Medical providers donate services and facilities 

to create “a community safety net 

with access to a care network,” says Rachel 

Yoskowitz, director of Chessed. “Because if 

you need healthcare, you need healthcare 

— it doesn’t matter what [finances] you 

have. It’s important for everyone to have a 

medical home, a place they can be treated if 

they’re not feeling well.” 

From her office in West Bloomfield, she 

adds: “The Chaldean community recognized 

a similar need, and organizers from Project 

Bismutha came to us.” 

Rising need during the economic recession 

strains both nonprofits. “A lot of people lost 

their insurance” due to layoffs, Dr. Elyas notes. 

At the same time, “thousands of refugees coming 

from back home [Iraq] have no work and 

no insurance — just minimal government assistance 

that expires shortly after arrival.” 

Similarly, Project Chessed’s director 

Rachel Yoskowitz 

notes that “if every doctor pledged to see 

X number of [uninsured] patients, we could 

help a lot more people be healthy.” 

And that, would be a mitzvah or bring 

bismutha across our communities. 

Alan Stamm and Justin Fisette are 

writers for Tanner Friedman, a 

marketing communications firm in 

Farmington Hills. 

Players of varied ages 

mix sports, fellowship 

To stay active and healthy, some Jews and Chaldeans play 

the way they pray –participating in organized sports with 

friends who share faith, friendship and a sense of family. 

“We get together with a bunch of guys early in the 

morning,” says Jeff Fox, who skates with players aged 

from 25 to near 70 in the informal Almost All Jewish 

Hockey League. “We don’t keep stats, other than the 

score, and just skate to stay in shape and keep playing.” 

The league has been lighting the lamp for nearly 

three decades, with some founders seeing their sons 

lace up skates to keep the tradition alive. 

The Chaldean Hockey League is more formal than its 

Jewish counterpart, but many players focus on the same 

benefi ts. Athletes range from 16 to their early 40s, 

according to Raad Kello, co-commissioner with Robert 

Esshaki. 

“Most of the guys grew up playing sports. As I got 

older, I started playing goalie to keep active,” says Kello, 

46. “You also get to meet new people, so it acts as 

informal networking.” 

In addition, there are Chaldean football and 

basketball leagues that have been around for more than 

20 years. 

A new initiative, Come Play Detroit, founded by Justin 

Jacobs and working in part with the Jewish Federation of 

Metropolitan Detroit’s Community Next program, aims to 

broaden the participation in physical activity in southeast 

Michigan. 

“Our goal is to expand people’s communities,” says 

Jacobs. “We’re trying to change a culture around here, 

create something for young professionals to be a part of.” 

For those not participating in team sports, a Jewish- 

Chaldean partnership dedicated to investing in the 

community’s health offers a full-body fi tness workout. 

Scott George, along with partners David Newman, Sam 

Salman, Mike Knight and Karla Atchoo, runs the Art of 

Strength (AOS) Training Center in West Bloomfi eld. 

Unconventional training methods focus on mixing 

cardiovascular exercise with strength training and body 

sculpting. Clients can burn up to 1,000 calories in a 

60-minute session, according to George. 

“When people do this type of training, they fall in love 

with it,” adds George, a certifi ed AOS trainer. 

And it’s not all about just what you do in the training 

center. 

“We give some guidelines on what to eat. We want 

to make sure our clients put benefi cial foods in their 

bodies, to take full advantage of their workouts with us.” 

– Justin Fisette 

PRESENTING SPONSOR 

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SILVER SPONSORS

Dr. Anton 

Dr. Grodman 

Dr. Joseph 

Dr. Bocknek 

Dr. Najem 

Dr. Weiner 

DMC Chaldean-Jewish 

Physician Partnerships Grow 

One of the longest Chaldean- 

Jewish partnerships among 

the Detroit Medical Center’s 

medical staff is the pediatric practice 

of Marc Bocknek, D.O., who is vice 

president/medical affairs at Huron Valley-Sinai 

Hospital, and Badie Najem, 

M.D. They met in the hospital during 

the early 1990s and became partners 

in 1996. Both physicians are boardcertified 

pediatricians with a busy practice 

in Highland. 

Working together for so many 

years, their closeness and respect for 

each other’s professional judgment 

are very evident. “We appreciate another 

set of eyes for some cases,” Dr. 

Bocknek says. Dr. Najem received 

his initial medical education in Iraq, 

where the medical training was similar 

to that in the U.S. although with less 

emphasis on preventive care, he says. 

Dr. Bocknek, a native Detroiter, who 

is Jewish, attended medical school in 

Chicago. 

While they cover for each other on 

Jewish and Christian holidays, there 

are few other noticeable differences. 

“Our commitment to caring for children 

is a strong common bond,” says Dr. 

Najem. 

Salwan Anton, D.O. and Robert 

Grodman, D.O., Chaldean and Jewish 

cardiologists, have been friends 

for 16 years. Dr. Anton, originally from 

New York, and Dr. Grodman, a native 

Detroiter, met during residency and 

pursued a cardiac fellowship together. 

For 10 years they have been in practice 

together with offices in Livonia and 

Commerce. Both Dr. Anton and Dr. 

Grodman perform cardiac catheterizations 

and insert pacemakers, and are 

board-certified in nuclear cardiology. 

Religion doesn’t play a big role in 

their practice or relationship, according 

to Dr. Grodman, although they also fill 

in for each other on religious holidays. 

He points to the importance of family 

and education among both Chaldeans 

and Jews, as well as their common focus 

in the business and professional 

worlds. 

Einas Joseph, M.D., a Chaldean 

surgeon who emigrated from Iraq, developed 

a professional friendship with 

Matthew Weiner, M.D., a surgeon affiliated 

with Harper University Hospital 

and Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital. “I 

met Dr. Weiner through my work in the 

University Physician Group (the Wayne 

State University faculty practice) a year 

ago. I cannot forget from day one how 

he showed great support and offered 

help whenever I needed it. I appreciate 

his advice with some of my difficult 

cases,” says Dr. Joseph. 

Dr. Weiner echoes their mutual 

admiration. “I was impressed with Dr. 

Joseph from our first meeting. She 

had excellent clinical judgment, good 

hands in the operating room and was 

deeply committed to her family and her 

patients. We both have young children 

and we immediately realized how similar 

out family lives are.” 

At the DMC, Chaldean and Jewish 

physicians share a common commitment 

to excellent patient care and 

close collegial relationships. “We’re 

way more alike than we are different,” 

says Dr. Bocknek. 

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Clockwise from top left: 

Omar Hakim (far right) poses in 

the desert with fellow teachers, 

points out the way to Timbukto, 

and plays Jenga with children 

from the El Hameed village. 

out of africa 

Teacher spends a memorable month in Morocco 


Trekking through the sandblown, 

sun-drenched Sahara, 

saddling up a camel for a night 

in the desert, and exploring mysterious 

ancient cities sound like scenes 

out of a movie. But for Troy Athens 

High School teacher Omar Hakim, it 

was all quite real this past summer. 

Hakim was one of the 12 educators 

across the country to receive 

a scholarship to journey over the 

North African country of Morocco. 

The Teach Morocco program, 

sponsored by the Center for Middle 

Eastern Studies at the University of 

Arizona, allowed the educators to 

experience and study the civilization 

and history of 12 cities across the culture-rich 

country that stretches across 

the Sahara Desert to mountainous areas 

and the Atlantic Ocean. 

Hakim, who originally learned 

about the program through his 

middle school principal, endured an 

extensive application process before 

receiving the good news that he was 

chosen for the once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

“It was a relief to receive news 

that I was selected to participate. I 

was so fortunate to be chosen; I knew 

it would be a life-changing experience,” 

he said. “I was very excited but 

also semi-nervous to travel halfway 

across the world, especially based on 

our preconceptions of what it would 

be like to travel in Africa.” 

The program allowed participants 

to spend four weeks exploring several 

areas of Morocco, including isolated 

parts that are rarely visited. They 

also learned about the different inhabitants 

of the country and worked 

with other educators to create projects 

and share ideas about different 

teaching techniques. 

“We spent time traveling the entire 

country with a particular focus 

on the southern, more remote areas 

of the country. We did everything 

from ride camels and camp out in 

the midst of the Sahara to sleep on 

rooftops with people in the villages 

and attend local Berber weddings,” 

said Hakim. 

The son of Iraqi-born immigrants, 

Hakim said he has always 

wanted to internationalize the field 

of his work in education, especially 

in the Middle East. 

“I wanted to know and feel and 

see firsthand what our parents experienced. 

Much of our culture and tradition 

is the same,” he said. 

Hakim was also able to share information 

about his own heritage with 

many of the people he met, who oftentimes 

thought he was of Moroccan descent 

and were then interested to learn 

about his Chaldean background. 

“As a predominately Muslim 

country, the people were so respectful 

“I wanted to 

know and feel 

and see firsthand 

what our parents 

experienced.” 

– Omar Hakim 

of my beliefs and cultural heritage. In 

fact, they were of all the participants. 

We were welcomed into their homes 

and treated as members of the family,” 

he said. “Religion was not an 

issue; there was a human connection 

that transcended all the barriers we 

often create to separate ourselves 

from one another.” 

Hakim, who speaks Arabic and 

Chaldean, had a little trouble with 

the dialect of the Arabic-speaking 

Moroccans, yet found ways to communicate 

with the people and children 

without words. 

Hakim also found similarities between 

the Moroccans and his own 

Iraqi heritage, including the high 

emphasis put on hospitality and 

making houseguests feel welcome. 

“They really accommodate 

guests. Mealtime lasted two to three 

hours, food is served piping hot and 

flavorful, and Moroccans nap or relax 

after meals,” Hakim said. “Also 

political and religious issues were not 

apparent in conversations; you felt 

like family.” 

He especially felt the locals’ 

warmth and generosity after getting 

sick. “They were so helpful; they made 

me special meals and herbal teas. Simply 

put, the people were amazing, full 

of heart and character,” he said. 

The trip resulted in the creation 

of a curriculum that Hakim and his 

fellow educators presented to the 

Center for Middle Eastern Studies. 

It will be published and available to 

educators and schools. 

Hakim plans to combine everything 

he learned into his lesson plan 

to broaden students’ outlook by giving 

them a more diverse worldly outlook 

into different societies. 

“The goal,” he said, “is to integrate 

cultural understanding into 

students’ lives.” 


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highly profi table? 

Medical marijuana attracts entrepreneurs 

By Joyce WisWell 

Frances George-McCullough believes not only 

in marijuana’s medicinal benefi ts, she’s convinced 

it holds the key to solving Michigan’s 

fi nancial woes. 

“From an economic point of view medical marijuana 

could change Michigan’s history,” she said. 

“There is a lot of money and taxes to be made in 

this industry.” 

George-McCullough is one of several Chaldeans 

who have invested in the business of medical 

marijuana, which became legal in April 2009. She’s 

partners in a business, Medsterdam, which serves as 

an educational source on cannabis. The company 

teaches everything from marijuana’s history and 

how to grow it to the difference between the dozens 

of different strains available. Medsterdam also helps 

people become certifi ed to use medical marijuana. 

“It’s all about education,” said George-Mc- 

Cullough, who has been in the holistic medicine 

fi eld for some 30 years in areas including massage, 

guided visualization and herbal medicine. “I really 

believe in this herb as something that is healthy for 

the human body – and for the earth. Hemp is a completely 

green product.” 

Michigan voters approved the use of marijuana 

for medical reasons by a margin of 63 percent in 

a 2008 ballot initiative, but the state law remains 

somewhat murky. Since it does not outline any way 

for marijuana to be distributed to patients, it’s up 

to local municipalities to monitor or regulate marijuana 

dispensaries and growing operations. Those 

dispensaries are a particular gray area. In late August, 

three medical marijuana facilities in Oakland 

County were busted and 16 people charged with 

felonies including conspiracy to deliver marijuana 

and delivery of marijuana. Police say the dispensaries 

were selling marijuana illegally in parking lots; 

some defendants say they were set up. 

Among the cities that have banned commercial 

marijuana facilities are Birmingham, Royal Oak and 

Bloomfi eld Hills. 

On September 15, Michigan Appeals Court 

Judge Peter O’Connell issued a 30-page opinion that 

called the state’s medical marijuana law a complex 

maze. He urged state offi cials to set clear rules and 

warned that marijuana users “who proceed without 

due caution’’ could “lose both their property and 

their liberty’’ if they run afoul of the law. 

The law is so undefi ned that another Chaldean 

in the business, Rudi Gammo, said he’s steering clear 

of growing marijuana until things become much 

more clear – and/or the federal government legalizes 

its use. “There is no way you can legally grow that 

medicine for these people,” he said. “Anyone who 

is openly dispensing is saying, ‘Hey, come get me.’” 

Gammo is the offi ce coordinator 

for the Cannabis Society of 

America (CSA), a Southfi eld-based 

business that helps people become 

certifi ed, advises on how to grow marijuana 

and offers legal advice. A CSA 

physician examines people and certifi es 

if he or she has a qualifying medical condition 

that would benefi t from marijuana. 

Since it opened in June 2009, CSA has seen 

nearly 4,000 patients, Gammo said. The fi rm 

also retains attorneys who specialize in the legal 

issues and has presented seminars on the topic 

to several police departments. Gammo hopes to 

reach an exclusive arrangement with the court system 

in which CSA doctors would verify a person’s 

medical condition. The fi rm, which currently has 

four locations, is selling franchises for $50,000. 

Proponents of medical marijuana, including 

Gammo and George-McCullough, say that using 

pot does not necessarily mean getting high. Besides 

being smoked, marijuana can be mixed into food, 

made into butter or oil, taken in lollypop form, or 

inhaled via a vaporizer. 

“If you’re taking 

the proper 

dosage in the 

proper way, you won’t get 

high,” said George-McCullough, who 

is certifi ed both as a caregiver and a patient; 

marijuana, she said, helps her chronic hip pain and 

migraine headaches. 

George-McCollagh said she personally knows “a 

huge, gigantic amount of Chaldeans from 18 to 65” 

who are marijuana patients and/or caregivers. The 

vast majority, however, try to keep it secret. “People 

are pulling me aside, saying they are afraid to go into 

one of my classes in case someone else they know is in 

there,” she said. “But there should be no shame. I’m 

proud of what I do.” 

About Medical Marijuana 

Michigan is among 13 states that have legalized 

marijuana for medical use. A person must receive 

a certifi cate from a physician and then apply to the 

state to receive a registry card. Qualifying medical 

conditions include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, 

Crohn’s, and debilitating conditions that produce 

wasting syndrome, severe nausea and severe and 

chronic pain. 

People at least 21 years old and who do not 

have a felony conviction involving illegal drugs can 

become a caregiver, which means they can legally 

grow pot for up to fi ve registered patients. The 

caregiver must also register with the state. 

A patient and his or her caregiver can each 

possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and up 

to 12 marijuana plants (a total of 60 plants for a 

caregiver of fi ve). Smoking marijuana in public and 

growing it somewhere other than a locked, secure 

facility is forbidden. 

The federal government does not differentiate between 

the medical and recreational use of marijuana. 

Learn more at the Michigan Medical Marijuana 

Association, michiganmedicalmarijuana.org. 



ECONOMICS and enterprise 

Fresh Ink: New tattoo shop makes its mark 


Johny Jamil is the owner of the 

only Chaldean-owned tattoo 

business in the metropolitan 

Detroit area. But he doesn’t have 

any tattoos — and he won’t be getting 

any. 

“My mom doesn’t like the idea of 

me getting tattoos,” Jamil said. 

Perhaps Amira Jamil, mother of 

eight and wife of Eujine Jamil, will 

change her mind some day. 

In the meantime, customers have 

flocked to Tattoo13 at 29602 Orchard 

Lake Road, a block north of 

13 Mile in Farmington Hills, since it 

opened in August. Most have heard 

about the place through word of 

mouth. 

Jamil estimates more than half 

of the first 50 or so tattoos were purchased 

by Chaldeans. 

“Chaldeans are really getting into 

tattoos,” said Jamil, 24, a Walled 

Lake Western High School grad and 

West Bloomfield resident. 

Not surprisingly, about 80 percent 

of the tattoos purchased by 

Chaldeans at Jamil’s place have a religious 

theme. A cross, a drawing of 

Mother Mary, hands holding rosary 

beads. Women especially like a cross 

on their forearm. 

Nobody has asked yet for a small 

cross on the inside of the wrist that 

many Chaldeans have gotten on a 

pilgrimage to Jerusalem. 

Marvin Shaaya, 24, of Southfield 

hoped to be the first customer at Tattoo13 

on its first day of business. He 

was too late for that because the place 

was booked. But he still got an angel 

wing tattoo on his chest, a tribute to 

his late brother, Ivan, to go along with 

the cross tattoo on his arm. 

“I’m Johny’s friend, but I must admit 

I was a skeptic when I first heard 

he was going to open a tattoo shop,” 

Shaaya said. “Now I’m a believer. It’s 

a great place. If he keeps it as clean 

Johny Jamil poses with his two tattoo – and tattooed – artists, Tebo and Texas. 

and classy as it is now, his grandchildren 

will be running the business.” 

Jamil said only disposable needles 

are used in his shop to keep it as sanitary 

as possible. 

“Those needles are more expensive, 

but that’s the right way to do 

things,” he said. 

Shaaya said Tattoo13 is generating 

a buzz in the Chaldean community. 

“While Johny and I were working 

out at the gym one day, we heard 

some people talking about the shop,” 

he said. “They didn’t know the owner 

was right there.” 

Jamil said the idea for the tattoo 

business came to him about a month 

before he opened the shop while he 

was watching music videos. 

“So many people in the videos 

had tattoos,” he said. “I was looking 

to start my own business and I was 

keeping an open mind. I wanted to 

do something different.” 

About 80 percent of the tattoos purchased by Chaldeans at 

Jamil’s place have a religious theme. A cross, a drawing of 

Mother Mary, hands holding rosary beads. Women especially 

like a cross on their forearm. 

Location is crucial to a business’ 

success, and Jamil thinks he has a 

good one on busy Orchard Lake 

Road. 

Jamil has two tattoo artists, Tebo 

and Texas (both are known by only 

their first name). The average price 

of a tattoo is $75. A person must be 

at least age 18 to get a tattoo. The 

shop also does piercings. 

Needless to say, Jamil already has 

some interesting stories to tell about 

his business venture. 

“The first person who got a tattoo 

from us (an old English ‘D’ on 

his arm) actually came to the shop to 

pay his Boost Mobile bill,” he said. 

“It was a Boost Mobile place before 

I got it.” 

Another customer intended to 

accompany her friend, who was getting 

a belly ring piercing, to the shop 

and ended up with a Pisces tattoo. 

Jamil has worked in his family’s 

used car business since he graduated 

from high school, and he continues 

to do that while he owns Tattoo 13. 

He’s confident his tattoo business 

will take off. 

“If we can establish a good reputation,” 

he said, “I can see us opening 

other stores.” 

Tattoo13 is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 

Tuesday through Saturday. 

Call (248) 539-7898. 

Photo by David Reed 


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HOSPITALS IN SOUTHFIELD AND NOVI 


eneath the surface 

Politics bedevil Chaldean Federation 

By Weam namou 

Unbeknownst to much of 

the general public, there 

has been a battle for the 

Chaldean Federation of America 

since June 23, 2005. That’s when 

an “emergency” meeting of CFA’s 

General Assembly was called for by 

Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim. 

“The board was in trouble and 

they didn’t fi nd a solution so they 

asked me to take the Federation and 

do whatever is good for it and the 

community,” said the Bishop Ibrahim 

Ibrahim. “I took that responsibility 

and appointed Mike George as chairman. 

He requested I appoint another 

person, and I did – Dave Nona.” 

That’s one version of the story. 

“The Bishop threatened the attendees,” 

said Hany Choulagh. “He 

said that if we don’t vote in favor of 

handing over the Federation to him, 

he will take away the parish consulate 

from the Federation so that the 

Federation will no longer exist.” 

The CFA executive board in 

2005 consisted of Chairman Sam 

Zeer, Vice Chairman Choulagh and 

Treasurer Fred Bitti. Today, Dave 

Nona is the chairman and Mike 

George is chairman emeritus. Joseph 

Kassab is the executive director. 

“We are the board, not they,” 

said Choulagh. “They’re appointed 

by an authorized person without the 

elections stated in the bylaws. We 

sent them a letter to release them. 

They’re no longer the board.” 

According to some, the Bishop 

asked those present at the 2005 meeting 

to give him one year, a maximum 

of two years, to turn the Federation 

around, and then he would return it 

to its original board members to continue 

with the election process that 

was halted in 2005. 

“It has now been fi ve years,” said 

Jacoub Mansour, a former president 

of the Federation. “He is in violation 

of what he promised us.” 

While Nona insists that the 

Federation cannot go back to doing 

things the old way, he added, “We 

do, however, welcome the old board 

to become part of the Federation. In 

fact, I’ll go out of my way for that 

to happen. The only requirement is 

that they have to be representing a 

non-religious organization.” 

The Bishop, on the other hand, 

does not encourage the idea of members 

of the Federation belonging to 

other organizations. 

“In my opinion, Chaldean organizations 

should work together under 

the umbrella of the Chaldean Federation,” 

said the Bishop. “And when 

they come to that and other agreements, 

then we can resume with the 

election process.” 

Founded in 1981, CFA has had 

its challenges and transformations. 

But the nature of this issue is different. 

Since 2005, the Federation’s 

constitution and bylaws have been 

changed, which Choulagh and other 

past board members say is illegal. 

“Any changes done without the 

vote of the General Assembly will 

have an impact and consequences,” 

said Choulagh. “We hate to do this, 

but we will pursue this legally if 

need be.” 

Nona admits that the Federation’s 

constitution and bylaws have 

been “revised,” but explains that 

everything was done legitimately 

and furthermore, that it needed to 

be done. 

“Before, the Federation consisted 

mostly of parish councils,” 

said Nona. “Representatives used to 

come and go. It was very unstable.” 

While Mansour agrees that the 

committee was divided and therefore 

the Federation was not doing 

well in 2005, he reminds people of 

its accomplishments, like having 

helped release 21 Chaldean prisoners 

from Iran in 1988. 

“No one knew who the Chaldeans 

were before we came into the 

picture,” said Mansour. 

“We were all volunteers and took 

time from our family and business 

to see the Federation succeed and 

it did succeed in many ways,” said 

Augene Kalasho, former vice chairman. 

“In the scope we wanted it to, 

no it didn’t but that was mainly due 

to the fi nancial aspects.” 

What everyone agrees on is that 

they will soon come together to fi nd 

a solution. 

“It is so easy to get this issue 

resolved — turn over the CFA affairs 

to the elected board to call for 

a general and immediate election,” 

said Choulagh. 

“We have to use all our efforts to 

make the Federation strong so that 

it represents all Chaldeans in Metro 

Detroit,” said the Bishop. 

“We aspire to arrive to a decision 

that will be agreeable to everyone 

and mostly, benefi cial to the 

community,” said Nona. 

“Mr. Nona is a respectable and 

open-minded man,” said Mansour. 

“So yes, there is hope.” 

“All the people involved are 

fi rst-class but they have different 

opinions,” said Kalasho. “Still, our 

goal is the same – to serve the community 

and help the people who 

are in need of a strong organization. 

What we must start focusing on is 

how to prepare the younger generation 

to take over.” 

Sharkey Haddad, the CFA’s executive 

director from 1992-1994, 

said he was “surprised” when the 

Bishop made changes to the CFA. 

“It was a disappointment,” he said. 

“As large as the Chaldean community 

is and as fast as it’s growing, it’s 

important to have a social agency 

that would assist the Chaldean 

Church in its social, economical 

and cultural challenges.” 

Haddad said that while the current 

CFA is doing “a great job” assisting 

Chaldean refugees, it falls short 

of its other missions, which include a 

high emphasis on encouraging youth 

to further their education, and encouraging 

community members to 

assimilate outside the community 

and into “the mainstream.” 

The Chaldean Church, Haddad 

said, needs to stop viewing the CFA 

as competition and start supporting 

it in all areas. “The Bishop needs to 

stop fi ghting it and not go to it only 

when it serves his needs. It’s important 

that we have a strong Chaldean 

Church, and that we have a strong 

Chaldean Federation.” 

Martin Manna, executive director 

of the Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce, takes a different 

view. 

“We should be thankful for the 

Bishop’s actions in resurrecting the 

Chaldean Federation of America. In 

the past few years, the Federation 

has led efforts to advocate for Iraqi 

Christian refugees and help them assimilate 

in America,” he said. “Furthermore, 

the Federation’s efforts 

have led to increased support from 

Chaldean student associations and a 

more cohesive working relationship 

with community organizations.” 

Joyce Wiswell contributed to this 

report. 


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sports 

next stop: dubok 

Team Detroit basketball stars take court skills to Iraq 


Two of the area’s best Chaldean 

basketball players have headed 

to Iraq. To play basketball, 

of course. And as professionals. 

Anthony Acho and Janero Dawood, 

stars of the six-time Chaldean/Assyrian 

national basketball 

tournament champion Team Detroit 

squad, have joined the Iraq national 

team and will play for a club team in 

Dubok in the northern part of the 

country. 

After participating in a national 

team training camp and competing 

for Iraq in the FIBA Asian Cup in 

China this month, Acho and Dawood 

will begin an eight-month 

Anthony Acho and Janero Dawood 

commitment to the Dubok team that 

includes games in Iraq and international 

tournaments in Lebanon, Morocco 

and Qutar. 

Before they left Detroit late last 

month for their first trip to Iraq, 

Acho and Dawood said while they’re 

both looking forward to the oncein-a-lifetime 

experiences the next 

months will bring, they’re going to 

miss home and their families. 

“I’m so glad Anthony and I are 

going there together,” Dawood said. 

“It’s like I’ll be there with my brother. 

But it’s a good thing there’s the 

Internet. I won’t let a day go by without 

using it to keep in touch with everyone 

back home.” 

Security is a concern for the two 

men, but Acho said they’ve been 

told several times that they’ll be safe 

wherever they travel. They were 

recruited to come to Iraq and play 

basketball by Iraq national team 

coaches. 

Acho, 23, and Dawood, 28, are 

both single and work in their family 

business, which made the decision to 

head to Iraq much easier. The West 

Bloomfield residents became dual 

citizens of the U.S. and Iraq in order 

to compete for the Iraq national 

team. 

Each is a former college basketball 

player. Acho, a 5-foot-9 point 

photo by david reed 

guard, played for Marygrove College 

and the University of Michigan- 

Dearborn. Dawood, a 6-3 shooting 

guard/small forward, played for 

Rochester College. 

“We’ve both worked so hard at 

basketball and dreamed of playing as 

professionals,” Acho said. “This is a 

dream come true.” 

Basketball is a big deal in Iraq. 

Acho said it’s second to soccer as the 

most popular sport in the country. 

Holding Fast to 

a Dream 

James Kakos got a late start playing 

hockey and he’s been tripped up by 

ruts in the ice several times in pursuit 

of his dream of playing hockey in 

college, so his latest spill didn’t faze 

him. 

The 20-year-old West Bloomfield 

resident was cut last month by the 

Aberdeen (South Dakota) Wings 

of the North American Hockey 

League, a move he called “a shock,” 

but he intends to land on another 

NAHL roster. 

The Port Huron Fighting Falcons 

have expressed the most interest. 

Kakos thinks that team would 

be a good fit for him because he’s a 

lifelong Michigan resident and his 

family could see him play much more 

often than if he was playing for Aberdeen. 

The NAHL is a 26-team Junior A 

league for players ages 16-20. It offers 

the highest level of junior competition 

in the country, and quite often 

is an avenue for players to move on 

to college hockey. 

“I’ve always been the underdog 

when it comes to hockey. Heck, I 

didn’t learn how to stop on the ice 

until I was in 10th grade,” Kakos 

said. “I know I’m a good player. Being 

cut by Aberdeen and having to 

drive home 1,040 miles motivates 

me to prove them wrong.” 

Kakos is a 5-foot-8, 175-pound 

left wing who has speed and good 

shot, and isn’t afraid to get physical. 

He played roller hockey as a 

youngster, but his true love and passion 

was ice hockey. He finally got 

the chance to play as a freshman at 

West Bloomfield High School, but 

he was cut. 

He made the team as a sophomore 

and he hasn’t been off the ice 

since, playing high school, travel and 

junior hockey for several teams in 

the U.S. and Canada. 

Saturday Night 

Lights 

Flag football and community will be 

center stage October 16 during “A 

Night Under the Lights” at West 

Bloomfield High School. 

The second annual East vs. West 

powder puff game for women will 

precede the 31st annual championship 

game of the Chaldean Football 

League. Kickoff will be at 6 p.m. and 

8 p.m., respectively. 

Tony Attisha coaches the defending 

powder puff champion from the 

East. Anthony Toma is the West 

coach. 

The night is a fundraiser for the 

Chaldean Federation of America. 

Spectators will be asked for a $5 

donation, and there will be a 50/50 

drawing. Concessions will be available. 

“I’ll bet everyone in the stands 

will know somebody on the field,” 

said CFL Commissioner Derek 

Dickow. “This will be a great event 

featuring some of the finest athletes 

in our community. It will transcend 

geography.” 

Sponsors for the night are being 

sought. Contact Candace Dickow 

at candace@944.com for the powder 

puff game, or Derek Dickow at derekdickow@hotmail.com 

for the CFL 

game. 

Through eight weeks of the 10- 

week CFL regular season, Coach 

Tarik Kama’s Team Black led with an 

8-0 record. It was followed by Team 

White (6-2), Team Yellow (4-4), 

Team Green (3-5), Team Blue (2-6) 

and Team Red (1-7). 

The playoffs will be October 10 

at West Bloomfield. The secondand 

third-place teams will collide 

at 9 a.m., followed by the first- and 

fourth-place teams at 10:30 a.m. 

Those winners will meet October 16 

for the coveted Chy Cup. 



Weekly Activities: 

Tuesdays: Bible Study [English and Arabic] 6:30pm @ E.C.R.C. 

Tuesdays: Challenge Club JR-high [Girls] Program @6:30pm @ St. Thomas Church 

Wednesdays: Apologetics Class/ Theology Class YII @ 6:30pm @ E.C.R.C. 

Wednesdays: CLC High School Youth Group, 6:30pm @ St. Thomas Church 

Thursdays: Conquest Club JR-high [Boys] @6:30pm @ St. Thomas Church 

Upcoming: Theology Class in Arabic @ Holy Martyrs Church [Time/date – TBD] 

Monthly Activities 

1 st Friday - Adoration & Confessions, 7:00pm & Mass at 8:00pm @ E.C.R.C. 

2 nd Friday – Praise & Worship Prayer, 7:00pm @ E.C.R.C. 

3 rd Friday – Faith Night At the Club for men, women & children, 7:00pm @ 

Shenandoah country club! 

Ongoing Activities 

Adoration at 5:30 p.m. & Mass at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at the E.C.R.C. 

Arabic Radio Program at 3 p.m. every Friday on 690 AM 

Outreach program dedicated to visiting the sick in the hospital. 

VBS [vacation Bible School] kids summer camp 

Kairos Retreats 

High school Retreats 

Prison Ministry 

Upcoming Activities: 

ENDOW (Women’s study group) @ E.C.R.C – October 2010 

World Youth Day-2011 Pilgrimage (Madrid, Spain) 

Thursday Workshops @ 7:30pm at E.C.R.C 

Post Kairos Retreat 2011 

Adult Retreats 

Life in the Spirit Seminar 

Come and See!! 

We offer various opportunities to get more intimate in your 

relationship with the Lord; to fulfill the promises to preach 

the Good News to all. 

St. Ephrem Home of E.C.R.C. 

4875 West Maple Road Bloomfield Township Michigan 48301 

248.538.9903 info@ecrc.us www.ecrc.us 


looking bACk 

Treat 

yourself & save. 

Jamila Thomas: 

Stalled on Ellis island 

By Joe Gass 

Jamila Thomas was just 12 -years 

-old when she married Murad, 

a man who had already established 

himself in the United States. 

The wedding nuptials took place and 

immediately the young couple made 

their way into the land of the free. 

The young Jamila was fascinated 

by the Queen Mary, which took the 

couple to Ellis Island, New York, 

and she grew more excited with the 

thought of a new life. 

When the ship made its way 

into the pier, instead of taking her 

fi rst steps off Jamila was met by a 

group of security guards. Jamila shot 

her husband a nervous glance but 

he didn’t have the answers either. 

She was taken to a private room and 

as she looked at the others in the 

room, she knew why she was there. 

The 1930s brought several eye 

infections affecting residents of 

the Middle East, and Jamila was no 

exception. U.S. offi cials feared the 

infection could spread and become 

deadly so it was common to hold 

immigrants until they fully recovered. 

The infected immigrants 

were housed in an infi rmary-style 

room and scrutinized by nurses 

and doctors on a daily basis. Men 

were separated from women and all 

immigrants were given food, clothing 

and a chance to heal. Jamila was 

the newest member of the recovery 

center on Ellis Island in 1936. 

“I cried all day and night for 

weeks when my husband told me I 

had to stay at the recovery center,” 

said Jamila. “I did not understand 

what was going on but my husband 

promised he would write to me, 

visit and rescue me the second I was 

healed and released.” 

In six months Jamila was forced 

to transition from a young girl to an 

independent woman as she lived in 

the recovery center. There were no 

other Chaldeans but she befriended 

a couple of Italian women who 

taught her English and invited her to 

church. 

“I knew I had to keep myself busy 

if I was going to get through this,” 

said Jamila. 

The day fi nally came when Jamila 

was fully healed and as promised, 

Jamila Thomas today (top of page), 

and at age 26 (above). 

Murad came to rescue her. Jamila’s 

departure from Ellis Island was bittersweet 

but she was ready to start her 

life in Detroit. As always, she made 

the best of her time and quickly dove 

into one adventure to another. 

At 15 she had her fi rst child, in 

her 20s she drove her 1952 Chevrolet 

from Detroit to California — and 

at 85 she recited this story with fl awless 

English and incredible intellect. 

Do you have a story of Iraq or coming 

to America to share for Looking Back? 

Drop a line to info@chaldeannews. 

com, or call (248) 996-8360. 

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in the KITCHEN with 

Mirage Café’s 

fabulous fatoush 

By Mark Kassa 

You are famished, aimlessly walking 

around the hot desert. The sun only 

continues to become increasingly 

more brutal. Your body is dry inside and out 

and in desperate need of nutrients. But wait, 

what’s that in sight? None other than a fresh 

juice bar coupled with delicious, healthy cuisine. 

Okay, so Birmingham is practically the 

antithesis of the Sahara. Restaurants of all 

sorts dot the wonderful shopping district. 

Whether stuck in a desert or just craving 

some authentic food and freshly extracted 

juice, Mirage Café suits as a fulfilling source 

of revitalization. 

Carlo Koza, who comes from a family 

business dynasty, was nominated by his business 

partners to become the primary owner. 

He has since surprised himself with his undertaking 

of the new venture. “I actually 

never wanted to get into the restaurant business,” 

he said. 

The cozy restaurant does a lot of takeout 

business and also has ample seating in 

a casual dining setting. Koza professes that 

since his undertaking of Mirage Café, he 

really enjoys dynamically critiquing their 

quality of food and service to constantly 

improve the new restaurant, which fully 

opened on June 1. 

The food is headed by Suzan Bahri. She 

is proud of her Chaldean nationality and it 

is revealed in the cuisine. Her industry experience 

comes from working at Falafel King 

in West Bloomfield. In addition, she and her 

husband have owned an ice cream dairy parlor 

in Highland Park for 20 years. 

As the proprietor of the recipe behind 

this wonderful fatoush — which is the first 

thing on the menu — Bahri admits that the 

salad is simple to prepare. “There are different 

variations of the dressing out there, but 

the main ingredients in the dressing should 

be standard,” she said. 

Mirage Café has all the popular Mediterranean 

favorites on the menu. The restaurant’s 

manager, Ray Joseph, brings his 15 

years of restaurant experience and a Lebanese 

and Syrian background. 

“Our foods are all very similar,” he noted, 

“so our goal is to implement what we think is 

best for the particular dish.” 

Photo by David Reed 

Fatoush Salad 

Salad Ingredients 

Romaine Lettuce 

Red Cabbage 

Tomato 

Tarooz Cucumber 

Parsley 

Onions 

Fried Pita Chips 

Dressing Ingredients 

½ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice 

½ Cup Olive Oil 

Pinch of Garlic Powder 

Pinch of Oregano 

Pinch of Sumac 

Suzan Bahri 

shows off her 

tasty fatoush. 

Instructions 

Slowly pour olive oil into the 

mixture of lemon juice and spices 

while whisking vigorously. Toss 

together all chopped salad ingredients, 

except pita chips, with the 

dressing. Toss in pita chips and 

serve immediately. 


Proudly 

serving the 

Chaldean 

community 

for 49 years! 

14 Mile & Franklin Road, 1 Mile West of Telegraph 

National Historic Site since 1832 

177th Year Anniversary 

Featuring U-Pick Apples 

Michigan’s largest variety of fresh apples- all Michigan grown! 

Home of the “Honey Crisp” Apple - Always in stock 

Large assortment of: 

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248-626-8261 


chaldean on the STREET 

On what should Michigan’s new governor focus? 

By Anthony Samona 

Community members recently took a moment after mass at Holy Martyrs in Sterling Heights to share their 

hopes for Michigan’s new governor, who will be elected on November 2. 

The new governor 

should 

focus more on 

the Catholic 

faith. Yes, our 

state is filled 

with a variety 

of different 

religions and 

cultures, but 

the Catholic 

faith does not receive enough attention, 

especially in a state where 

we have the highest population of 

Iraqi Catholics living in America. 

Our country is at war with Iraq; 

why aren’t there enough stories 

being covered about the Catholics/ 

Christians who are living in Iraq in 

fear? There are always stories in 

the news of other religions being 

discriminated against, like the 

construction of the mosque near 

Ground Zero, but we never hear 

of Catholics being discriminated 

against, when it takes place every 

day. Where is the voice of our governor 

when it comes to that matter? 

Mariam Yousif, 19 

Troy 

There are so 

many “big” 

issues that the 

new governor 

should be 

aware of and 

trying to fix 

for the better, 

but the “little” 

things taking 

place are important 

too. The little issues can have 

a major ripple effect throughout the 

state and shouldn’t be overlooked. 

While abortion is a major issue that 

I am completely opposed to and 

proudly protest against, something as 

simple as an issue within one of our 

school districts or universities could 

later morph into something greater 

and have an impact on every member 

of that community, and maybe the 

state. By faithfully keeping up with 

the mayors and other chosen heads, 

it could keep the state more stable. 

It’s better for the governor to not 

hear, but listen, and really do some 

good for a state in need. Actions 

always speak louder than words. 

Evon Kashat, 22 

Madison Heights 

The next 

governor 

should focus 

more on 

spending the 

state’s money 

wisely so we 

can escape 

from this economic 

trap. 

Millions of 

homes are being foreclosed across 

the state, and I don’t see much being 

done about it. The state spends 

so much money on things such as 

healthcare and public education, 

which is good, but that leaves us 

with very little money to help pick 

up the pieces for the rest of our 

problems. In order for Michigan 

to make an economic comeback 

the new governor really needs to 

budget our expenses and spend 

money wisely, especially if taxes are 

not going to be increased. I hope 

whichever candidate ends up in 

office has the best means to bring 

us back to the successful state we 

once were. 

Stacey Sheena, 22 

West Bloomfield 

Wherever 

you travel in 

Michigan, 

all you see 

is construction. 

There’s 

construction 

everywhere! 

The governor 

should focus 

on setting up 

a plan to help reconstruct Michigan 

at a better time and at a better 

pace. Along with reconstruction, 

the governor should also demolish 

burned, abandoned and vandalized 

buildings and homes around the 

major cities, and rebuild them into 

new homes and greenhouses. This 

will also create new jobs as well. 

Another focus is the taxes on cigarettes 

— they should make them 

affordable because it is having an 

effect on many small business owners 

and their sales. Hopefully, the 

next governor will flip our economy 

upside-down into a better one. 

Namir Narra, 22 


As a cell 

phone store 

owner, the 

expenses on 

taxes are way 

too high. The 

new governor 

needs to 

focus on our 

economy and 

come to the 

realization that our taxes are too high 

for a poor economy such as Michigan’s. 

That’s why many businesses 

are closing down so fast because 

they are not bringing in any money, 

and when the taxes are too high, they 

have no choice but to close down. 

Another topic is the cost of education. 

To receive a good education in 

this state, one has to pay thousands 

of dollars. There should be a plan set 

up to help schools be more affordable. 

The cheaper the education, the 

higher the success rate, and that’s 

what we want in our state. 

Anmar Yousif, 25 


1) Family 

should be 

thought about 

as the first 

thing. Without 

family, one 

has nothing. 

Family relates 

to our state 

because of 

jobs. The high 

rate of unemployment can eventually 

cause individuals to leave the state 

of Michigan and therefore, leave 

their family. 2) Abolish abortions in 

the state of Michigan. This is killing 

a human life, and it is a mortal sin. 

3) Make same sex marriage illegal in 

our state. This goes against our faith 

and beliefs. These three issues are 

the most important that the new governor 

should focus on so Michigan 

can become a better state. 

Mark Zakkar, 21 


I want the 

new governor 

to try to 

elevate the 

unemployment 

crisis 

in our state. 

Our state 

was once 

booming 

years ago, 

and now the rate of unemployment 

is rising. College graduates such 

as teachers are being laid off year 

after year. It is a scary idea knowing 

that people go to college, work 

hard and graduate, then are jobless 

for a long time. When my peers and 

I finish college, it would be a great 

feeling knowing that there will be 

jobs waiting for us. The increase 

of jobs in Michigan will allow us to 

stay close to our families and close 

to the Chaldean community, rather 

than leaving the state for employment. 

Samantha Arabbo, 18 

Bloomfield Hills 

I’m a college 

student 

studying 

to become 

a teacher, 

regardless of 

the treatment 

they get from 

the state. I 

care more 

about shaping 

the future leaders of our country 

than money; however, I would really 

like the new governor to focus on 

schools and education. I would like 

him to consider equal opportunities 

for all students and better funding 

as well. I hope he can focus on 

better and up-to-date resources. 

Maybe then there will not be such a 

high dropout rate. 

Valerie Nafso, 20 

Farmington Hills 


Photos by David Reed 

From left: 

ask, seek, knock 

Brother Richard 

Merlin conducts a 

healing service. 

Churchgoers join 

hands in prayer. 

Father Solanus healing mass attracts believers 

By Crystal Kassab Jabiro 

The more Lisa Kassab read 

about Fr. Solanus Casey, the 

more she was convinced he 

could cure her 8-month-old daughter 

Laney, who was afflicted with a mysterious 

viral rash. 

While Laney was born healthy, 

she developed a respiratory virus 

shortly after birth and had been sporadically 

ill. Doctors were baffled; all 

tests were negative. 

For three weeks in 90-degree 

heat, Kassab clothed the baby in long 

sleeves because it was painful to look 

at her body. Days before Laney was 

slated to begin medication, Kassab 

went to the Healing Service at the 

Solanus Casey Center and Fr. Solanus 

Guild in Detroit. 

Kassab drenched her daughter 

in holy water, placed her on Fr. Solanus’s 

tomb in the hallway and left 

a note of special intention on top. 

Laney’s rash disappeared two days 

later. Her doctors were stunned, and 

she has not been sick since. 

“This was my miracle,” said Kassab. 

“I know it was Fr. Solanus who 

helped me.” 

Fr. Solanus Casey, a Capuchin 

Friar stationed in Detroit, devoted 

himself to the hungry, ill and troubled. 

His concern for the poor during 

the Great Depression launched 

the city’s renowned Capuchin Soup 

Kitchen, which still serves the community 

today. 

Born Bernard Francis Casey to 

Irish immigrants in 1870, Fr. Solanus 

left the family farm in Wisconsin to 

find employment. He worked as a 

logger, hospital orderly, street car operator 

and even a prison guard. At 

21, he joined the priesthood and five 

years later entered the Capuchin Order. 

In 1924, he was appointed to St. 

Bonaventure in Detroit. Known as 

the doorkeeper, Fr. Solanus listened to 

whoever knocked on the door to ask 

for help. He wrote down their special 

intentions and prayed for them. 

Miraculously, their prayers were often 

answered. He died at St. John’s Hospital 

in 1957. His last words were, “I 

give my soul to Jesus Christ.” 

The Father Solanus Guild, created 

in 1960 to preserve his memory, is 

dedicated to the cause of making him 

a saint. Stories of his marvels were 

collected and his body was exhumed 

in 1987 for canonical examination. 

The Friars who were present found 

his body to be incorrupt (preserved); 

after 30 years, they even saw the color 

in his eyes. He was then reinterred 

at the center where visitors can pray 

It is believed 

that Fr. Solanus’ 

pious personality 

permeated his body, 

and that God’s 

intervention averted 

decomposition. 

over his casket and leave notes of 

special intention. 

It is believed that Fr. Solanus’ pious 

personality permeated his body, 

and that God’s intervention averted 

decomposition. It is not, however, 

recognized as a miracle. In 1995, 

Pope John Paul II declared Fr. Solanus 

as “Venerable.” The Vatican is 

seeking evidence of one true miracle 

for beautification and one more for 

sainthood. 

The Solanus Casey Center was 

built in 2002 in Detroit to help the 

cause for his sainthood and to serve 

as a tribute to his greatness. Many 

local Chaldeans have been attracted 

to the humble doorkeeper’s example 

of service and have sought his help 

through prayer. 

The Healing Service, held each 

Wednesday at 2 p.m. and open to 

all, is a time for reflection and prayer. 

The priest begins with casual introductions, 

walking around with a microphone 

and asking people where 

they are from. He then reads from 

the Gospel and discusses it much like 

a homily. He asks people to share 

their good news and also their special 

intentions. Afterwards, churchgoers 

stand in line to be blessed by the relic. 

The entire service lasts about an hour. 

Suham Patros is fascinated by the 

life of Fr. Solanus and makes frequent 

trips to the Healing Service. She befriended 

Brother Leo Wollenweber, 

who was Father Solanus’s office assistant 

more than 50 years ago when 

the church was inundated with requests 

for his help. Brother Leo is 

in charge of the cause in Detroit and 

was present during his exhumation. 

“I enjoy bringing new people here 

to learn about his life,” said Patros. 

“Fr. Solanus was such an honorable 

man, and we should all be like him. 

He heals.” 

Learn more at solanuscenter.org. 


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Office: 1-248-737-6800 

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kiDS corner 

FALL INTO AUTUMN! 

By laura aBouzeiD 

If you’ve looked outside lately you’ve probably 

noticed something a little peculiar. The 

leaves are starting to change colors! We all 

enjoy the bright yellow and orange fall leaves, 

but have you ever wondered why it happens? 

Here’s a little secret. The leaves don’t actually 

change colors, they just lose their green. 

The thing is, inside each leaf there’s a special 

chemical that makes the leaf a certain 

color. Green comes from chlorophyll, yellow 

comes from xanthophylls and orange comes 

from carotene. 

Chlorophyll is the only chemical 

that works with sunlight to 

produce food for the plant. And 

because there is not enough 

sunlight during winter, the chlorophyll 

works extra hard during the 

summer to produce enough food to 

last all winter. Its green color ends 

up covering up all the others. 

When summer ends the chlorophyll 

stops working and so as 

the green slowly fades away, and 

the colors that have actually been 

there all along fi nally show up! 

Now that you’ve done a little 

learning about leaves, let’s 

have some fun with them and 

do some leaf rubbing. First go 

exploring for leaves of different 

types of shapes and sizes, and 

then here’s what you’ll need: 

2 pieces of white copy paper 

Glue stick 

2 paper clips 

Crayons 

Glue the leaves vein-side-up 

on the white paper and put the 

Fall 

Chlorophyll 

Leaves 

Sunlight 

other piece of white paper on top, then hold 

them in place with the paper clips. Next, take 

the wrappers off the crayons and turn them on 

their side to gently rub all over the paper. The 

leaves should begin to magically appear! Feel 

free to add decorations to your artwork and 

experiment with different colors. 

You can use your masterpieces for a number 

of things — make homemade greeting 

cards, frame them, or even label each type of 

leaf you draw and begin a leaf collection book. 

WORD SEARCH 

Autumn 

Nature 

Xanthophylls 

Carotene 

Yellow 

Green 

Orange 

U T L L L R E L N E A M N L N A E L O H 

H C E S R U G A L A U S A L E E E R L L 

N N A A G A N L U E T G N Y C F A L L T 

Y Y V R T P T M A S U U L T O N Y T M A 

E L E M O T W G S L M V R O G H H S T O 

X E S T L T H G I L N U S E P H C O T L 

N T P O R N E E N Y E L L O W Y E E L N 

N C L L O E T N L H N O R A G N L N L H 

Y G R O O L M N E P O O T C R A A A L L 

L T N A U T L G O O L U T F A G F U C O 

A H A U U A A P C H N R A E E C H E E L 

E P O S W U H L C T U N P U U L L G P Y 

E O L M O E X R N N O H R Y E V R S O E 

E L U L E C L M O A E U G R T C N M R O 

E E Y V H T O R S X O U Y A L S A Y I N 

H L A L N U N I L L S N G E C E A Y U E 

S X N E S N Y E R O R T E P L E U L O A 

N R T E G Y N N U A L C R H O T L O E R 

U A N X O O T A A E L O R E L C N E N G 

E L A I U N L T E T G L H F O G O G N W 


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OCTOBER 2010

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