JANUARY 2022

VOL. 18 ISSUE XII 

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CONTENTS JANUARY 2022 

THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 18 ISSUE XII 

22 24 

on the cover 

14 THE BRAVE BISHOP 

BY DR. ADHID MIRI 

Bishop of Mosul and Kirkuk 

features 

18 CASA AT WAYNE STATE 

BY CAL ABBO 

Christians on Campus 

20 AFFORDABLE HOUSING 

BY SARAH KITTLE 

Critical Shortage 

22 SABAH SUMMA 


A Founder’s Profile 

24 CHALDEAN CULTURAL 

CENTER GRANT 

BY CAL ABBO 

$150,000 for Field Trips 

26 FOODTASTIC 

BY CRYSTAL KASSAB JABIRO 

Chaldeans on Disney+ 

28 CHALDEAN MAYOR 

BY CALL ABBO 

New Role in New Baltimore 

sports 

30 SET FOR SUCCESS 

BY STEVE STEIN 

Ava Sarafa at Marian High School 

departments 

6 FROM THE EDITOR 


Happy New Year! 

7 GUEST COLUMN 

BY JEFF KASSAB 

Growing the Church: Lay Ministry 

8 FOUNDATION UPDATE 

AG Dana Nessel and Santa Visit CCF 

9 IRAQ TODAY 

Christians Struggle to be Counted 

10 CHALDEAN DIGEST 

Redistricting, Money for Schools 

11 NOTEWORTHY 

Renee Tomina at DTE 

12 IN MEMORIAM 

13 OBITUARY 

32 CULTURE & HISTORY 


Jesuits in Iraq Part III 

36 ECONOMICS AND ENTERPRISE 


Restaurant Reboot 

38 DOCTOR IS IN 

BY DR. JULIE KADO 

Flu Season 

40 CLASSIFIED LISTINGS 

42 EVENTS 

CACC Christmas Party, 

Subdiaconate Ordination 


from the EDITOR 

PUBLISHED BY 

Chaldean News, LLC 

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Happy New Year! 

Out with the old, and 

in with the new. 

Hopefully for us 

that means new treatments 

and a better handle on the 

coronavirus. This pandemic 

has put a serious damper on 

social activities for the better 

part of two years now, and 

we are so ready for it to be 

done running riot through 

our families and communities. 

We’ve done our part 

by masking up and social distancing, 

getting vaccinated, again, and then 

boosted to boot! 

The beginning of a new year is a 

good time to get reoriented and realigned 

with your priorities. In our 

cover article, Dr. Miri tells the story 

of Mor Nicodemus Daoud Matti 

Sharaf, the “Brave Bishop” of Mosul 

and Kirkuk, who held out as long as 

humanly possible to serve his congregation 

in Iraq. He is brazenly 

outspoken in his fight to establish 

rights for displaced Christians in 

the Middle East and in his condemnation 

of the “superpowers” that he 

holds responsible for the situation 

in the region. Some people, like this 

bishop, live their calling with gusto. 

Other articles penned by Dr. 

Miri this month celebrate this same 

type of individual, including Sabah 

Summa, founder of the Chaldean 

American Chamber of Commerce, 

and the Jesuits that came to Iraq to 

educate future generations and fulfill 

their mission of social responsibility. 

Jeff Kassab submitted an article 

SARAH KITTLE 

MANAGING 

EDITOR 

on laity in the Church and 

the importance of recognizing 

when God is calling. It 

is, after all, the people who 

make up the Church and 

we all have a role. Kassab 

encourages any who might 

be interested to accept the 

mission of evangelizing the 

world. 

In community news, we 

celebrate Renee Tomina, 

who as senior vice president 

of Major Enterprise Projects for 

DTE Energy might be the highestranking 

Chaldean at a Fortune-500 

company, plus culinary artists Rachell 

Yousif and Jonathan Elias (AKA 

“The Pastry Guru”) who had their 

moment of fame on Disney’s Foodtastic 

series. 

We take a look at some hurdles 

in the business world, including 

the lack of affordable housing, supply 

chain issues and the difficulty of 

staffing, especially for restaurants 

and banquet halls. 

In this age of coronavirus, it’s 

important to remember that other 

viruses, like the flu, are still around 

and still threatening lives. In Dr. Is 

In, Julie Kado, MD, reminds us why 

we get the yearly influenza shot and 

how it works. 

In Iraq today, we learn about 

Christians’ struggle to be counted, 

which is a shared struggle as we define 

new districts in America and 

Chaldean communities in Michigan 

and California fight for the right to 

be counted here as well. 

Sports are back (kind of), and we 

tell the story of Ava Sarafa, who has 

made a name for herself in the world 

of high school volleyball, taking her 

Marian High School team to the 

state championship and securing 

her spot for sports in college. 

More and more, the Chaldean 

community is being recognized for 

their contributions to the past and 

nowhere is that more evident than 

at the Chaldean Cultural Center, 

which just received a $150,000 

grant to grow its offerings. The 

significant artifacts and relics help 

teach history to the generations, 

and it’s good to see that happening. 

It’s also good to see young Chaldean 

students on college campuses 

coming together to preserve and 

strengthen their cultural bonds. 

Cal Abbo visited the CASA group 

at Wayne State University and 

shares his take on the Chaldean 

Mass they’ve been celebrating each 

month. 

Other notable accomplishments 

include the election of a Chaldean 

mayor in New Baltimore. Along 

with the growing of the Church by 

ordaining new priests and subdeacons 

and the birth of our Savior, we 

had much to celebrate at the end of 

2021. 

Here’s to a new year, full of hope 

and happiness! 

Sarah Kittle 

Managing Editor 

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6 CHALDEAN NEWS JANUARY 2022

GUEST column 

Growing the Church: Lay Ministry 

In the Gospel of Matthew, the Church 

calls “the great commission,” given to the 

Apostles and to every baptized Catholic 

to go out and preach the message of the Gospel 

and bring all souls to Christ. “Go therefore 

and make disciples of all nations, baptizing 

them in the name of the Father and 

of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching 

them to observe all that I have commanded 

you; and behold, I am with you always, to the 

close of the age.” (Matthew 28:19) 

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church 

(CCC 74), it states God “desires all men to 

be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth;” 

that is, of course, the truth of Christ Jesus. Christ must 

be proclaimed to all nations and individuals so that 

this revelation may reach to the ends of the earth. 

We have seen an extraordinary number of lay 

people in the church proclaiming the message of the 

Gospel and doing so with boldness and conviction. 

This is not something new to the church; St. Paul 

went to many cities and established communities of 

believers so the Gospel could be spread all over the 

world. We are doing the same thing today; except 

now we have the benefits of modern technology. 

JEFF KASSAB 

SPECIAL TO THE 

CHALDEAN NEWS 

Pope Francis has established the lay 

ministry of catechists in the Catholic 

Church. “The history of evangelization 

over the past two millennia shows the effectiveness 

of the mission of catechist,” 

Pope Francis said, among whom were 

“countless lay men and women,” including 

many “saints and martyrs.” 

Lay ministry in no way takes away 

from the mission of the bishop who is the 

primary catechist in his diocese. But it 

gives recognition to the men and women 

who feel called by virtue of their baptism 

to cooperate in the work of preaching the Gospel. 

This work of lay ministry is not something that 

we do of our own accord - we are very receptive to 

the call of the Holy Spirit and follow his guidance as 

we discern what gift is given to us. “And God has appointed 

in the Church first apostles, second prophets, 

third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, 

helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of 

tongues.” (1 Cor 12:28) 

Many Catholics feel that the job of evangelization 

is for the clergy only, and we should leave it 

up to them because they have the education and 

formation that is needed to carry out that mission. 

But when I was reading Scripture and I came across 

a passage about Peter and John when they were 

preaching and healing in Jerusalem, it struck me 

that was the core of evangelization. Anyone can do 

it. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and 

John and perceived that they were uneducated, 

common men, they wondered, and they recognized 

that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13) 

We don’t need degrees in theology to preach the 

Gospel, all we need is love for Jesus and the fire of 

the Holy Spirit. We do need some type of formation 

to make sure the truth is being proclaimed. As Pope 

Francis says, “Those called to the ministry of catechist 

should be men and women of deep faith and human 

maturity, active participants in the life of the Christian 

community, capable of welcoming others, being 

generous, and living a life of fraternal communion.” 

In addition, they should receive suitable academic, 

pastoral, and pedagogical formation “to be competent 

communicators of the truth of the faith” and should 

also have “some prior experience of catechesis.” 

Without lay ministry, the Gospel (“Good 

News”) would not have been able to spread all 

across the world like it has been doing for the past 

two thousand years. Preaching the Gospel is at the 

heart of evangelization and the core of lay ministry. 

Remember, God doesn’t call the equipped, He 

equips the called. 

Jeff Kassab is a lay minister, dedicated evangelist, 

and teacher of the faith who works with the Eastern 

Catholic Re-Evangelization Center. He holds a 

degree in Pastoral Theology and writes a blog titled, 

“The Journey to Heaven.” 


FOUNDATION update 

The kids wave goodbye to the bear from 

the Bright Beginnings Classroom. 

Breaking Barriers Academy students take a group photo with Santa. 

CCF Gets a Visit from Special Guests 

The CCF Bright Beginnings Program 

and Breaking Barriers Academy 

enjoyed a visit from Mr. and 

Mrs. Claus on December 14. Participating 

families were excited to 

take photos with the famous couple, 

creating childhood memories that 

A Class of Their Own 

Salam Sesi has only been teaching at 

the CCF for the last 6 months or so, 

but she has been teaching refugees 

and soon-to-be citizens for decades. 

She found something very different 

about her most recent class, a special 

camaraderie and determination unlike 

classes of the past. Sesi remarked, 

“This group was very committed and 

put a lot of effort towards completing 

the course. They all had to overcome 

obstacles and barriers to get here. 

They came from many varied backgrounds 

and countries but ultimately 

became united here as a group in their 

goal of becoming United States citizens. 

I am so proud of them and look 

forward to celebrating their achievement 

in receiving their citizenship.” 

Her class included everything 

A Student’s Journey to Citizenship 

from full-time workers to siblings and 

everything in between. They celebrated 

their class completion on December 

14; the students cheered on 

as their classmates were announced. 

will last for a lifetime. The event 

also featured the Khigga and a great 

atmosphere for families and caretakers 

to discuss life skills and parenting 

tips. 

Mr. and Mrs. Claus also made special 

trips to visit the Breaking Barriers 

Academy as well as a Citizenship 

Preparation class that was going on 

at the time of the event. Many took 

the opportunity for a photo with the 

Clauses and enjoyed a great opportunity 

to connect with their colleagues 

in a fun and friendly environment. 

Zuhair Hanna is fun, spirited, and full of energy. But the road to freedom has been long and arduous for him. In Iraq, 

Zuhair managed his own heating and cooling business, working as a mechanic, and living comfortably alongside his 

wife and children. After a turn of events, Zuhair spent 10 years as a Prisoner of War (POW) with no hope of being 

released and no visits from family members. 

Upon his release and with help from the United Nations, Zuhair made his way to the U.S. and found his way 

to CCF. He is very excited about the future as he prepares for his Citizenship test, his last step towards becoming a 

naturalized citizen. “I smile because I am moving towards freedom. To become a citizen, I will vote, and then I will 

know freedom,” says Zuhair. 

Citizenship Preparation Class Graduates pose for a photo on their last day. 

These 10-week classes are designed 

to prepare students for upcoming 

USCIS Citizenship tests and ensure 

that they have the necessary education 

to become naturalized citizens. 

Not Your 

Typical Picnic 

The Bright Beginnings program at 

the Chaldean Community Foundation 

recently had a lesson where they 

learned about the changing seasons 

and read a book called ‘Bear Snores 

On’ by Karma Wilson. 

A themed lesson turned into an 

opportunity to recreate the book as 

they went and created a picnic atmosphere 

within the CCF’s gymnasium 

and Life Skills Center. They even got 

a visit from the Bear itself and had 

the opportunity to dance and take 

photos with him/her, much to the 

students’ delight. 

The Bright Beginnings program 

continues to run classes in 2022. 

For information on how to sign up, 

please contact the Chaldean Community 

Foundation at 586-722-7253. 

AG Dana Nessel 

Visits the CCF 

Attorney General Dana Nessel discussing 

the Van Dyke Housing Development 

with Martin Manna and 

community members. 

Michigan Attorney General 

Dana Nessel visited the Chaldean 

Community Foundation on December 

9 to learn more about the services 

offered as well as future initiatives. 

Nessel also visited with the Behavioral 

Health Program Manager, 

Jacqueline Raxter, and various other 

staff members to discuss the growing 

need for mental health services 

and how the Chaldean Community 

Foundation is helping to provide 

help with mental health within our 

local communities. 

Her office is interested in providing 

a town hall on consumer protection 

including information on elder abuse 

in the community. Stay tuned for more 

information on the date and time. 


IRAQ today 

AFP 

Iraqi Christians chant during the inauguration ceremony for the new bell at the Syriac Christian church of Mar Tuma in the country’s second city of Mosul in Nineveh province on Sept. 18. 

Christians Struggle to be Counted in Iraq 

BY BEN JOSEPH 

UCA News 

The minority Christians in Iraq 

want to be part of the social 

mainstream, but its political 

system continues to yield to the 

sectarian calls of majority Muslims, 

challenging both the democratic 

process and social integration. 

Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, the 

patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic 

Church, has been a stern opponent 

of the sectarian mentality. He criticized 

the US-introduced “quota system” 

in Iraq as the war-torn nation 

completed recounting of contested 

ballot boxes of the October polls on 

Nov 30. 

According to Cardinal Sako, the 

main obstacle to the democratic process 

is the sectarian mentality, which 

is reflected in the quota system under 

which electoral seats are divided on 

an ethno-religious basis in parliament 

as also positions in public institutions. 

The sectarianism feeds “corruption, 

poverty, unemployment and 

illiteracy,” Cardinal Sako said in a 

message to the Iraqi communist party, 

which held its national conclave 

recently. 

Though the sectarian quota system 

or muhasasa was introduced by 

the US after it occupied the Middle 

Eastern nation in 2003, its foundations 

were laid out by Iraqi opposition 

at the beginning of the 1990s. 

With a view to toppling long-time 

leader Saddam Hussein, the opposition 

envisioned a system of proportional 

representation for Iraq’s 

Sunni, Shia, the Kurdish and other 

ethno-sectarian groups, including 

Christians. 

Only nine of the 329 seats in the 

Council of Representatives in the 

country of 40.2 million people are 

allocated to minorities. Five seats go 

to Christians. In the Iraqi Council 

of Representatives, quota seats for 

Christian minorities are allotted in 

the provinces of Baghdad, Nineveh, 

Erbil and Duhok. In the Kurdistan 

Region, five seats are designated for 

Christians in the region’s parliament. 

When the Islamic State took over 

Mosul in mid-2014, the group offered 

Christians three choices: convert 

to Islam, pay Jizyah (Islamic tax) 

or leave the country. Most of them 

opted for the third option and fled 

the conflict-stricken nation. 

In the 1990s, the Christian population 

in Iraq exceeded 1.5 million, 

accounting for 3 percent of the Iraqi 

population. The number dwindled 

during the US-led invasion and the 

occupation by the IS. The Christian 

minority has been reduced to less 

than 500,000, according to data from 

the patriarchate. 

There are 14 Christian sects in 

Iraq and most live in Baghdad, the 

plains of northern Nineveh province 

and the self-run Kurdistan region. 

Chaldeans are the most prominent, 

up to 80 percent, and are in communion 

with the Roman Catholic 

Church. The Chaldean Church traces 

its root to the Church of the East 

in Mesopotamia, which emerged in 

the early centuries after Jesus Christ. 

The Syriacs make up about 10 

percent of Iraqi Christians. The 

Assyrians, following the Assyrian 

Church of the East, are 5 percent. 

Although sectarian violence in the 

country has ebbed significantly, the 

muhasasa has caused lasting damage 

and obliterated national unity 

among Iraqis. Shias and Sunnis and 

other minorities take part in elections 

because they fear one another. 

Iraq’s independent election commission 

announced the final results 

of the October polls on Nov. 

30 following weeks of recounting 

and allegations by the losing parties. 

The political bloc led by Shia 

leader Muqtada al-Sadr emerged as 

the winner. Five seats changed as a 

result of recounting and the political 

bloc, the Sadrist Movement, led by 

al-Sadr, a prominent Shia cleric, won 

a total of 73 out of the 329 seats. 

Al-Fatah Alliance, affiliated with 

the Popular Mobilization Forces, got 

17 seats. The number for the Taqadum, 

or Progress Party, headed by current 

speaker of parliament Mohammed 

al-Halbousi, a Sunni, remained 

the same, 37 seats. Former prime minister 

Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law 

party lost two seats and got 33 seats. 

The Kurdistan Democratic Party secured 

31 seats, and 18 seats went to 

the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. 

Iraq held a snap election on Oct. 

10 as demanded by anti-government 

protesters. The results were delayed 

due to a lengthy manual recount 

over voter fraud allegations made by 

a few political parties. 

The polls, originally scheduled 

to be held in May 2022, are the fifth 

since the toppling of the Saddam 

Hussein government by a US-led war 

in 2003. 

Government formation is a 

lengthy process in Iraq involving 

complex negotiations with multiethnic 

groups. It is expected to take 

months until a new government is 

established in the war-torn country, 

which Pope Francis visited in March 

at the peak of the pandemic. 


chaldean DIGEST 

What others are saying about Chaldeans 

FOX 5 SAN DIEGO 

At stake: a lucrative allotment of state money for each student 

In 2008, Hazel Park Schools worked 

with a nonprofit to create an alternative 

education program and had it 

approved by the Michigan Department 

of Education. The program was 

designed to attract families who did 

not speak English as a first language 

— specifically, Chaldean families 

who were hesitant to enroll in the 

traditional public school system. 

The program has triggered a 10- 

year legal tug-of-war between Hazel 

Park Schools and Warren Consolidated 

Schools over who has the 

rights to the taxpayer dollars that are 

designated for each child who resides 

within a school district’s boundaries. 

Protestors hold signs of support for the Chaldean community in East County, El Cajon, California. 

Each public school student was 

worth $9,336 to Warren Consolidated 

Schools in 2020-21, something 

for which the Macomb County 

school district is willing to go to 

court over. 

That $9,336 is called the “foundation 

allowance,” and it’s the one 

bucket of money that follows students 

to whatever school district 

they enroll in. 

In 2011, Warren Consolidated 

Schools sued Hazel Park Schools, 

seeking monetary damages. Warren 

Consolidated Schools asserted that 

Hazel Park Schools lured students 

to the program “without obtaining 

plaintiff’s permission … thereby 

wrongfully depriving plaintiff of students 

within its own district.” 

The two school districts have 

been involved in a legal battle since. 

The fight has included three separate 

lawsuits filed in circuit court and filings 

with an administrative office at 

the Michigan Department of Education. 

In each instance, the decisions 

have gone in favor of the Hazel Park 

Schools. 

The court of appeals was the most 

recent to rule on the matter, and it 

sent the case back to the circuit court 

to be heard. 

– Tom Gantert 

Chaldean community in El Cajon speaks out against redistricting 

“Our community is under threat 

again. This time, it’s right here in the 

United States,” said Vince Kattoula, 

a Chaldean activist, at the Keep East 

County United rally and press conference 

on Tuesday. 

Chaldean Americans have found 

a home in and around El Cajon for 

over 50 years — but what has been 

built over this half century by generations 

of people is now on the line, as 

county redistricting is putting their 

unified voice at risk of being fractured. 

The event, held at El Cajon’s 

Centennial Plaza, was a rapid response 

to the Independent Redistricting 

Committee (IRC) releasing 

their proposed maps for Supervisorial 

districts, which are scheduled to be 

finalized on December 14. Groups of 

people like Chaldeans are supposed 

to be kept together in county districts, 

designated as “communities of 

interest” since they are not formally 

counted by the Census Bureau. Yet 

the newly proposed maps currently 

split large chunks of this community 

away from each other. 

“We believe this is a politically 

motivated map, to diminish our 

voice as an ethnic minority,” said Dr. 

Noori Barka, President of the Chaldean 

Community Council. “We ask 

for a fair map,” he continued. 

Afaf Konja, the spokesperson for 

the rally, noted how El Cajon would 

potentially share a district with 

neighborhoods who do not necessarily 

share their values or lifestyle. 

“It doesn’t make any sense culturally, 

it doesn’t make any sense businesswise, 

it doesn’t make any sense politically,” 

she said. “Other than to 

dilute a vote and to silence a people.” 

Those who spoke also included 

the Cajon Valley school board president, 

a Chaldean Bishop, El Cajon 

community activists, and Bill Wells, 

the Mayor of El Cajon. 

“They’re trying to destroy this 

area’s ability to govern themselves,” 

said Wells. “What is happening with 

the redistricting committee is pure 

and simple identity politics. And I’m 

here to tell you something, and the 

IRC should know this: it is against 

the law to make decisions on redistricting 

based upon political will.” 

– Elijah McKee, 

East County Magazine 

A message of trust and hope for the 

future comes from the Chaldean Church. 

Baghdad auxiliary 

bishop on youth 

meeting and a 

‘living Church’ 

Auxiliary Bishop Basel Yaldo of 

Baghdad, a close aide to Chaldean 

Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako, presented 

the meeting of young Chaldeans 

in Iraq in late November. 

The event was designed to provide 

hope to young Iraqis who are 

part of a “living Church”, as Pope 

Francis underlined last March during 

his historic trip to the Arab country. 

The gathering is special because 

it comes at a difficult political, social, 

and economic moment, but Church 

institutions are tasked with showing 

a path for the future. 

“At this complicated time, we 

want young people to be able to 

find a point of reference, a place for 

discussion and a way forward,” explained 

the prelate. 

For the first time in the history 

of the Chaldean Church, more than 

450 young men and women, aged 18 

to 35, gathered in Baghdad and represented 

seven dioceses: from Basra 

in the south to Zakho in Iraqi Kurdistan, 

as well as Kirkuk, Alqosh, Mosul 

and Nineveh Plains. 

Testimonies about life in the various 

dioceses were on the agenda, as were 

indications on how to proclaim the 

Gospel, alternating with moments of 

leisure, games, and group competitions. 

Young people themselves asserted 

the urgency of a meeting, Bishop Yaldo 

explained, because they need to “come 

back to life,” to feel like a community 

again “after the darkness of the CO- 

VID-19 pandemic, which stopped activities 

for almost two years.” 

Adds Bishop Yaldo, “More will 

come in the future since a meeting 

is in the works for young Chaldeans 

from all over the world, from America 

to Australia.” 

– Asia News 

ASIA NEWS 


noteworthy 

Renee 

Tomina 

Rises at DTE 

DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) announced 

several executive appointments, 

aimed at developing key leaders 

and accelerating DTE’s aspiration 

to become the best-operated energy 

company in the country. 

“The development of strong leaders 

who are committed to our company, 

our customers and our communities 

is critical to DTE’s continued 

success,” said Jerry Norcia, president 

and CEO of DTE Energy. “These organizational 

changes bring new insights, 

experience and perspectives 

to our journey toward service excellence.” 

Renee Tomina is promoted from 

DTE Gas vice president to senior 

vice president, Major Enterprise 

Projects. Since joining the company 

in 2010, Tomina has held several 

leadership roles across the enterprise. 

In her new role, Tomina will lead the 

project management, planning and 

execution of the largest projects in 

DTE›s $3 billion annual capital investment 

portfolio. Key initiatives 

span power generation, including 

the construction of DTE›s new combined-cycle 

and renewable energy 

projects, distribution and the DTE 

Gas infrastructure upgrade program. 

Tomina holds a Bachelor of Science 

degree in Electrical Engineering 

from Lawrence Technological 

University and a Master of Science 

degree in Systems Engineering from 

Oakland University. 

CELL: (248) 497-8333 

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– Michael Yaldoo 


in MEMORIAM 

RECENTLY DECEASED COMMUNITY MEMBERS 

Salim Yusuf 

Kas Shamoun 

Feb 1, 1924 - 

Nov 15, 2021 

Faransi Shaina 

Jul 1, 1943 - 

Nov 16, 2021 

Basil Elias Jamoua 

Jul 1, 1943 - 

Nov 17, 2021 

Victor Hamama 

Jul 1, 1929 - 

Nov 18, 2021 

Dawood Qaryaqos 

Somo 

Jul 1, 1953 

- Nov 19, 2021 

Halima Issa 

Jul 1, 1940 

- Nov 20, 2021 

Rushdi Fanous 

Girgis 

Feb 6, 1943 

- Nov 20, 2021 

Yacoub Yousif 

Jameel 

Jul 1, 1944 

- Nov 20, 2021 

Manuel Odish 

Karcho 

Feb 28, 1954 

- Nov 20, 2021 

Kareem (Clark) 

Loka Nissan 

Jul 1, 1941 

- Nov 22, 2021 

Malika Kattoula 

Jul 1, 1942 

- Nov 22, 2021 

Amer Yousif Issa 

Oct 9, 1946 

- Nov 23, 2021 

Giliana Yahya Sitto 

Jul 1, 1937 

- Nov 23, 2021 

Nani Toma Soro 

Shamun Kasha 

Jul 1, 1927 

- Nov 25, 2021 

Jonah Nicholas 

Koponen Abro 

Jan 9, 1998 

- Nov 26, 2021 

Nasra Marrogi 

Ankawi 

Mar 4, 1945 

- Nov 26, 2021 

Amanuel Hanna 

Dawood 

Dec 29, 1953 

- Nov 26, 2021 

Sabah Matti Butros 

Jul 1, 1938 

- Nov 26, 2021 

Philips Hermiz 

Jul 1, 1952 

- Nov 27, 2021 

Dianna Najeb Rasha 

Jul 24, 1986 

- Nov 28, 2021 

Ghanima Dikhow 

Jul 1, 1934 

- Nov 28, 2021 

Sam Eid Swiden 

May 10, 1943 

- Nov 28, 2021 

Khalid Yousif Manni 

Dec 1, 1960 

- Nov 29, 2021 

btisam Allos Jarbo 

Mar 29, 1961 

- Nov 30, 2021 

Admoon “Eddie” Zia 

Shunia 

Oct 1, 1950 

- Nov 30, 2021 

Basim Mansour 

Dawood Noocha 

May 24, 1956 

- Nov 30, 2021 

Najat Yaldo 

Aug 26, 1999 

- Dec 1, 2021 

Hayat Alkassyonan 

Apr 8, 1929 

- Dec 2, 2021 

Youssif Hermiz Betti 

Nov 1, 1938 

- Dec 2, 2021 

Sabeh Jajw 

Apr 22, 1939 

- Dec 2, 2021 

Salima Konja Najjar 

Oct 1, 1935 

- Dec 3, 2021 

Habouba Metti Sako 

Jul 1, 1932 

- Dec 3, 2021 

Samir Yousif Bahri 

Sep 27, 1945 

- Dec 4, 2021 

Nagham Zoro Kizy 

May 15, 1967 

- Dec 4, 2021 

Mariam Yako Matti 

Jul 9, 1939 

- Dec 4, 2021 

Nazar Yalda Zaya 

Kachi 

Feb 15, 1961 

- Dec 5, 2021 

Wadie Hermiz 

Barash 

Dec 1, 1942 

- Dec 6, 2021 

Sami Ishak Hirmiz 

Jan 6, 1955 

- Dec 6, 2021 

Jamila Karcho 

Jul 1, 1929 

- Dec 6, 2021 

Khaton Maraha 

Jul 8, 1918 

- Dec 6, 2021 


obituary 

Muwaffaq (Mike) Nasser 

Murad Al-Shaikh 

Muwaffaq (Mike) Nasser Murad Al- 

Shaikh was born on January 19, 1953, 

and joined his parents and his sister, 

Maysoon Atchu, in Heaven on November 

27, 2021. Mike was the son 

of the late Nasser and Victoria Murad 

Al-Shaikh, loving and devoted husband 

of Fairooz (Metti) for 43 years, 

and a dedicated and supporting father 

of Renee (Christopher) Brikho. He 

was also the cherished brother of Muniba 

(the late Shawket) Killu, Munib 

(Madiha) Murad, Muayad (Linda) 

Murad, and Monett (the late Faiq) 

Killu, brother-in-law of Salim (Sana) 

Metti and dearest uncle to Ayser, 

Ghada, Zeena, Dina, Claude, Angela, 

Nathan, Senan, Reem, Rula, Ghassan, 

Nada, Mariam and many great 

nephews and nieces. Still loved, still 

missed, and forever dear. 

Enjoy 

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Joe Khuthir Gappy 

Aug 18, 1955 

- Dec 7, 2021 

Jamila Acho Hanna 

Jul 1, 1933 

- Dec 7, 2021 

Adel Elias Arabo 

Nov 5, 1953 

- Dec 8, 2021 

Shamoon Basha 

Jul 1, 1933 

- Dec 8, 2021 

Alfredo Casab 

Jan 3, 1927 

- Dec 8, 2021 

Ablahad Daoud 

Jul 1, 1949 

- Dec 8, 2021 

Sari Salah Maqqo 

June 28, 1979 

- Dec 8, 2021 

Emil Jamil Shaman 

Apr 19, 1946 

- Dec 10, 2021 

Maro Hanna 

Jul 1, 1932 

- Dec 11, 2021 

Farid Beshoory 

Jul 1, 1932 

- Dec 12, 2021 

Salah P. Zoma 

Oct 29, 1947 

- Dec 12, 2021 

Ramzi Asmar 

Jul 1, 1946 

- Dec 13, 2021 

Zuhair Ablahad 

Moshi 

Jan 16, 1972 

- Dec 13, 2021 

Badreya Toma 

Sep 3, 1955 

- Dec 13, 2021 

Shamamta Barash 

(Saroki) 

Nov 20, 1929 

- Dec 15, 2021 

Samira Marooki 

Jul 1, 1943 

- Dec 15, 2021 

Mary J. Seman 

Dec 20, 1940 

- Dec 15, 2021 

Thair “Tom” Hanna 

Hannosh 

Nov 19, 1959 

- Dec 15, 2021 

Talal Yousif Kajy 

Oct 25, 1950 

- Dec 16, 2021 

Balqees Al Haddad 

Jul 1, 1943 

- Dec 16, 2021 

Janit Hirmiz 

July 1, 1952 - 

Dec 16, 2021 

Nessrah Shoka 

Jul 1, 1947 

- Dec 17, 2021 

Mairam Gorgis 

Youhanna 

Jul 1, 1937 

- Dec 17, 2021 

Muhsin Nusrat 

Mansour 

Nov 12, 1966 - 

Dec 17, 2021 


The Brave Bishop 

of Mosul and Kirkuk: 

Mor Nicodemus 

Daoud Matti Sharaf 

Caption 


His Excellency Mor Nicodemus Daoud Matti 

Sharaf was born in Mosul, Iraq in 1976. 

A graduate of Mosul Clergy Monastery 

with a Bachelor of Theology, he was ordained a 

monk by His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I 

Iwas in 2000. Later, His Holiness appointed him as 

a Lecturer at St. Ephraim Theological College in 

Saidnaya, Damascus. 

In 2001, His Holiness ordained Mor Nicodemus 

as a full priest/Rabban and sent him to serve 

for three months in Sweden. Afterward, His Holiness 

sent him to Athens University in Greece to 

study the language. 

In 2005, His Holiness the Patriarch awarded 

Rabban Daoud the Holy Cross for his meritorious 

and dedicated service in the Archdiocese of Mosul. 

He served at Mor Malki Church in Australia 

for over three years. 

His Eminence Mor Gregorios Saliba Shamoun, 

Bishop of Mosul and Environs, had written to the 

Patriarch asking His Holiness to ordain Rabban 

Daoud Sharaf as his assistant. His Holiness summoned 

Rabban Daoud for this purpose, who left his 

service at Mor Malki to answer the call. On March 

23 of 2010, an apostolic decree was issued whereby 

Rabban Daoud was officially appointed an assistant 

to Archbishop Saliba Shamoun, serving the Archdiocese 

spiritually and managerially. 

On November 27, 2011, His Holiness the Patriarch 

of Antioch and All the East, Moran Mor 

Ignatius Zakka I, as assisted by Metropolitans, consecrated 

Rev. Fr. Daoud Matti Sharaf as Archbishop 

of Mosul and Environs, by name “Mor Nicodemus,” 

at a solemn ceremony held at the St. Peter 

and St. Paul Cathedral, Mor Aphrem Monastery, 

Maarat Saidnaya, Damascus, Syria. 

Fall of Mosul 

In early June 2014, the Islamic State extremist 

group was closing in on Mosul. Iraqi Christians 

and other minorities were fearful of the outcome. 

But many, like the archbishop, were determined to 

hold fast. 

The archbishop recalls the feelings of terror 

that forced Iraqi Christians to flee for their lives. 

For four days, Archbishop Nicodemus heard bombs 

going off outside his home in Mosul. Shuttered inside, 

he knew little about what was going on as the 

Iraqi army and Islamic State (IS) battled for control 

of the city he loved. 

Before the IS captured Mosul, Al Qaeda had a 

strong presence in the city, making everyday life 

difficult for both Christians and Muslims. Al Qaeda 

would force Muslims to pay a heavy tax, collecting 

millions, and they would kidnap Christians 

for a hefty ransom. 

The Great Escape 

On the afternoon of June 9, 2014, the Archbishop 

received a call from his friend, the Interior Minister 

of Kurdistan, telling him he should leave 

Mosul. How could he leave, he wondered? His car 

would be a target. He couldn’t walk on the streets 

for fear of being shot. 

Not knowing what to do, the archbishop called 

an acquaintance in the Iraqi Army who also advised 


him to leave as soon as possible. He told him he 

would send an army escort for him. Three minutes 

later, the escort arrived, Archbishop Nicodemus 

Daoud Matti Sharaf was told he had five minutes to 

pack up his belongings and be escorted out of Mosul. 

In those last few days before the fall of Mosul, 

the Archbishop didn’t believe a time would come 

that he would have to leave his beloved archdiocese. 

He worried about his parishioners, and he 

prayed for peace. 

He was forced to leave behind hundreds of other 

valuable religious manuscripts dating back to the 

second and third century of Christianity. As the 

entourage left, the archbishop called his priests and 

parishioners on his two mobile phones, frantically 

advising them to get out. 

All around him, thousands of others were also 

fleeing with little more than the clothes on their 

back. It is an image that still haunts him today, 

lines of exiles walking out of their homeland in 

shock and fear. 

“I left the archdiocese house with very little, just 

my clothes. I forgot to take my laptop. I took just my 

passport and seven manuscripts that are very old.” 

A few weeks later, some of those same exiles 

returned to Mosul, hoping to pick up the pieces of 

their lives, the archbishop says. The Islamic State 

however had different plans, telling them they 

must convert to Islam, pay a heavy tax, or die. 

At least half of the country’s Christian population 

has fled for safer regions such as Kurdistan or 

even other countries. “For 10 or 11 years, we lived 

in Mosul without government,” he said. “There is 

no real government in Iraq. 

“We are a few of the last people who speak Jesus’ 

language. We are Aramaic people of Mesopotamia, 

and we don’t have these rights or governments to 

protect us? Look upon us as frogs, we’ll accept that 

— just protect us so we can stay in our land.” 

In total, the archbishop estimates there are 

about 140,000 Christian Iraqi refugees in Kurdistan, 

most of them from Mosul. Prior to 2003, estimates 

suggest, there were 130,000 Iraqi Christians 

in Mosul alone. Just before the Islamic State took 

over Mosul, they were down to about 10,000, according 

to Associated Press. 

In exile, accommodations and food supplies are 

sparse. Many families share caravans or shipping 

containers as shelter, while the luckier ones occupy 

a simple home. 

At first, the Church was able to provide shelter 

and food, but costs have overwhelmed their 

efforts and international relief is needed, he said. 

Additionally, other exiles, the Yazidis, a religious 

Kurdish group also targeted by Islamic State, are 

displaced and struggling to survive. 

Along with thousands of other Iraqi Christians, 

the Bishop is now living in exile in Ankawa, a small 

town located in Erbil, a city in the autonomous region 

of Kurdistan, 90 kilometers east of Mosul. 

Fears of Displaced Christians 

According to estimates, after the US-led invasion 

of Iraq in 2003, out of the original population of 

1.4 million, only 300,000 Christians remained in 

the country, mostly in the northern towns. Hundreds 

of thousands have left since ISIS took over 

the territory in 2014. They are spread across refugee 

camps in Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey. Some 

have made their way to Europe. 

There has been a significant influx of Shiite 

Muslims to the region, which is having a big impact. 

This has to do with the role Shiite troops and 

militias played in the liberation of Christian towns; 

their excuse is to return the control to the Iraqi 

government. This battle against ISIS, however, 

was a patriotic duty - it didn’t mean these fighters 

become occupiers and replace the old enemy, taking 

over their territory. According to the bishop, 

Christians are afraid and lack confidence about the 

future in part because of this evident greed. 

The Islamic parties continue the pressure to bring 

about a population change in the Christian regions 

and towns of the Nineveh plain region. The lack of 

legal recourse and protection of the rights of Christians 

mean many of our people will want to leave 

the country. The bishop believes Iraq will ultimately 

lose all its Christians, and with it, the commitment 

to brotherhood and peaceful coexistence—the ancient 

and authentic legacy of our faith. 

“The Shiite Shabaks in the area are turning on 

the Christians, saying we are their enemy. They 

are putting pressure on us to leave our region and 

towns. That would be a humanitarian disaster. 

“In Bartella, the Shabak Shiites are completing 

a residential project of 25 acres; who will 

live there? It clearly means that there is a plan to 

bring in people from outside the region. Isn’t that 

a threat to the security of the region and to the 

Christian communities? We are very pessimistic 

about this project, and we call on all concerned 

parties to intervene, because it threatens to change 

the demographics of the region.” 

The archbishop talked in Brussels at the parliament, 

telling them, “You should wake up, because 

you accept people and think they’re refugees, but 

they are not all refugees, and most have been radicalized. 

Those people are the same ones who came 

to our land many years ago and we accepted them 

with open arms. We opened our doors and hearts 

for them, and they pushed us to be a minority in 

our ancestral land, then refugees in our land!” 

Hopes, revival and returns 

The current situation of the Christian community 

on the Nineveh Plains and in Mosul shows that 

few Christians have returned to the region in the 

wake of the ouster of ISIS. According to sources, 

the number of families that have returned to Mosul 

is no more than 60. Some families have returned 

because their children had to go back to school or 

university; some heads of households are state employees 

and were forced go back to keep their jobs. 

This does not mean that these families are living in 

a safe and stable situation. 

Things are a bit better on the Nineveh Plain 

Mor Nicodemus Daoud Matti Sharaf visited the Chaldean Community Foundation in October of 2021 

compared to the situation in Mosul. Some 5,200 

families have returned to Qaraqosh; 1,169 to Bartella; 

350 to Karamles; 456 to Bashiqa and Bahzani; 

an estimated 973 families have returned to Teleskuf. 

All these figures are estimates because the situation 

in the area remains confusing and is evolving. 

According to assessments, more than 12,000 

homes need rebuilding – those burned, destroyed, 

or partially damaged by ISIS – and the estimated 

cost of this revival will be more than $290 million. 

There are no guarantees for these families regarding 

security or their future. Help from national 

and international authorities is needed so that the 

criminal activities that targeted Christians before 

2014 and the invasion of ISIS will not resume. 

BRAVE BISHOP continued on page 16 


BRAVE BISHOP continued from page 15 

Strong words for the West 

The brave Metropolitan Nicodemus Daoud Matti 

Sharaf, the Orthodox Syriac Archbishop of Mosul, 

whose flock are among the last people who speak 

Aramaic, the language of Jesus, does not mince his 

words. He openly criticizes the West for placing 

animal rights ahead of the well-being and survival 

of Christians, saying, “The West cares more about 

frogs than us. 

“The USA, the UK and those who helped 

America are responsible for destroying our life. If 

they believe in human rights, then they should rebuild 

our country. In Western countries, there are 

animal rights, there are no human rights in this 

part of the world. 

“The leaders of these two countries destroyed 

our country. They wanted to destroy one person, 

Saddam Hussein, instead they destroyed the whole 

country, they destroyed Iraq. They want to destroy 

Bashar Al Assad, and they destroyed Syria. They 

wanted to change Gadhafi and they destroyed Libya. 

Is this policy clever or crazy?” 

Nicodemus implores the West to wake up to the 

threat of Islamism, and he faults past U.S. leaders 

and their allies for ruining Iraq. He liked President 

Trump, saying: “Let’s try the crazy one because we 

tried the normal one, and he destroyed our lives.” 

The Orthodox bishop was banned from visiting 

Britain in 2016, despite being formally invited to 

meet Prince Charles, because of his views on Islam. 

In contrast, he greatly values the example set by 

Hungary and its leaders for the support that they 

have shown Iraqi Christians. 

Metropolitan Nicodemus reflects on being denied 

a visa to Britain. “Someone from the television 

channel RT called me from England and asked 

why I couldn’t get a visa. I told him: ‘Because I’m 

not with ISIS.’ The British government gives visas 

to those who support ISIS. I don’t. 

“I have had permanent residence in Australia 

and visas for all the world, except England. In 

America, where I stayed for 5 years, Russia, India, 

all these places, yet they don’t accept us and have 

refused three archbishops claiming that they would 

ask to be refugees in England!” 

In addressing the European Commissioners in 

November 2016, the bishop was equally blunt and 

asked the representatives, “Why this new genocide 

against the Christians and minorities in Iraq and 

Syria in the 21st century? Is that because I am a minority? 

Is our life so cheap? Are we worthless and 

dispensable? Daesh robed us of everything, they took 

our history, our manuscripts, our pride, our churches 

that belong to the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C.” 

The brave Bishop had harsh questions for President 

Macron of France during his visit to Mosul on 

August 29, 2021. “We know that the superpowers 

have satellites in the skies watching our regions. 

May I ask you where were you looking when 200 

vehicles, same color and model, lined up and entered 

Mosul during daylight to terrorize and expel 

us from our ancestral cities, towns, and villages? Is 

it possible that you could not see that? How come 

they were able to stop the ISIS assault on the gates 

of Kurdistan and not on Mosul? 

“Who founded Daesh? Who financed its operations 

and purchased its oil? Why should we become 

part of disputes and pay for a conflict between the 

Shia and Sunnis? What is the final purpose of all 

of this? Uproot Christianity? We are the roots of 

Christianity in the Middle East. 

“We are the indigenous people of Mesopotamia 

and today we are refugees and displaced in our 

own ancestral land. I was born here and so was my 

father, grandfather, and generational family. Why 

should we accept that? We want to live in peace 

in our homes and in the East. We ask for international 

protection and to help us stay in our country 

and Nineveh Plain region. You can take and keep 

your exported democracy, we want peace.” 

Solutions 

First, we need a strong central government with 

the rule of law in Iraq. Since 2003, we had to live 

without law. No country in the world can live 

without stability, peace, and rule of law. 

Second, we need a political decision and guarantees 

from the UN to designate the Nineveh 

Plain villages as a safe zone, protected by international 

power. 

“We can’t go back to build our houses, our 

churches, and villages without real security, or just 

by verbal guarantees,” says the bishop. “The guarantees 

cannot come only from Iraqi and the KRG 

(Kurdistan) governments but from the international 

community and the UN. Without help from all 

these countries, we cannot do anything. We don’t 

trust the government in Baghdad. We hope for an 

internationally protected Christian autonomous region, 

what happened to the Christian community 

in northern Iraq under ISIS amounted to genocide. 

“It would be stupid to go back with this situation 

because when ISIS came to Mosul, they were 

just 300 persons, and at that time there were 65,000 

Iraq soldiers. So how can we trust this army again? 

Ironically, our villages were protected by Peshmerga, 

and they left us stranded! We feel alone with no 

one to protect our people. How can we go back to 

that situation? 

“When I met the American consul, I told him 

we need international guarantees, protection, anyone 

to protect us. If not, we get another ISIS after 

a few months, and we will get another one under 

a new name. He said it’s difficult to put soldiers 

there. I told him we don’t need soldiers; we need 

the same air plan that stopped ISIS coming to Erbil 

at midnight in 2014. 

“If we don’t get these guarantees, it would be stupid 

to go back into this situation because everyone 

who is pushing us to leave these villages is still there. 

The Arab villagers who wanted to take our land, our 

homes, our villages, and those who support ISIS are 

still there. The aggressor is still among us, it’s still the 

same thing additionally, there’s weak government in 

Baghdad, the parties who control this country are 

the same, nothing is new.” 

The archbishop was asked, if he cannot go 

back, or obtain guarantees from the USA, the UK, 

Europe, would he ask to prioritize Christians for 

IRAQI CHRISTIANS 

1.4 million: Christians living in Iraq according 

to 1986 census. 

1 million: Estimated number of Christians who 

made Iraq their home prior to 2003 and the 

invasion and toppling of Saddam Hussein. 

450,000: Estimated number of Christians still 

living in parts of Iraq as of 2014. 

130,000: Estimated Christian population 

in Mosul, home to one of the most ancient 

Christian communities in the region, prior to 

2003. 

2,000: Estimated number of Christians still in 

Mosul as of 2014. 

300,000: Iraqi refugees from Ninawa province, 

of which Mosul is capital, now living in the 

Kurdistan region, according to the UNHCR. 

1.2 million: Iraqi refugees displaced by fighting 

in 2014, according to the UNHCR. 

emigration? The bishop’s emphatic answer was, 

“To leave this country is not a solution. The solution 

is to help us stay in our land. It’s not just the 

land we leave; it’s our historical holy land for us. 

We will live or die in our land.” 

The Archbishop’s Message 

The archbishop has messages to his people and to 

the West. The first message is addressed to Christians, 

“Tell the world that Christians are a model of 

peaceful coexistence, love, and peace. Join hands 

with our Christian people in Iraq. Please listen to 

us and urge your governments to provide support 

for us to keep our hope alive and give us the confidence 

that we will be able to live safely in this 

country.” 

To Western governments, he pleads, “Help us 

for the sake of humanity, not for material gain. Do 

all that is in your power to help us and to encourage 

us to remain in our country. 

“Safety and security, of course, are ongoing 

concerns and something we cannot provide. That 

will require cooperation among local and national 

Iraqi officials – and interested third parties. To the 

extent that there is peace in the area, it is up to 

those governments and third parties (other nations 

that have interests in Iraq and that are possessed of 

moral consciences) to devise ways to protect the 

newly returned citizens: Catholic, Orthodox, Yazidi, 

and Muslim. 

“What we need to establish in Nineveh is a 

beachhead of sorts – a proving ground for the reestablishment 

of multi-religious communities where 

amity among different faiths previously did exist. 

Muslims, who formerly lived in relative amity 

with their Christian neighbors, cannot help but 

be grateful for the efforts of Christians to rebuild 

Nineveh, because they too will be beneficiaries of 

renewed economic activity and, above all, peace. If 

it can succeed there, it may succeed elsewhere. It 

may be now or never.” 

Special editing by Jacqueline Raxter


Building Community 

Where Chaldean Students Go to Thrive 

BY CAL ABBO 

Cameron Jajonie is in his second 

year at Wayne State 

University. Last year, he attended 

almost every class virtually, 

from home, unable to interact with 

peers and likeminded students. It’s 

difficult enough to transition to a 

different school, let alone doing it 

online. That’s why his mother told 

him to join a club. 

Jajonie chose the Chaldean 

American Student Association, 

better known as CASA. This club 

has chapters at almost every major 

college campus in Michigan and 

is meant to forge stronger bonds 

among Chaldean students acquiring 

a degree and support the community 

through charity. When Jajonie first 

joined, WSU’s campus was closed, 

and CASA met virtually. 

Despite the initial obstacles, 

Jajonie stuck with the group and 

eventually met the club in person. 

As a pre-law student, Jajonie had 

difficulty finding mentors and similar 

students until he joined CASA. 

“You find so much rapport with other 

people,” he said. 

One of those Chaldeans, Rheyana 

Karjo, is a pre-law student and 

one year older than Jajonie. She 

serves as the president of CASA 

and runs the club’s day-to-day operations. 

Since Karjo will graduate 

this year, she is busy applying to law 

schools, and Jajonie has learned a 

lot from her example. 

As the organization’s leader, 

Karjo plays an important role when 

it comes to the community’s future. 

CASA’s community-building mission 

creates relationships and connections 

that will last for generations. 

Aside from getting career help 

and making friends, CASA serves 

a much greater purpose. It is the 

foundation and organizing principle 

of the young Chaldean community, 

a group that faces constant pressure 

to Americanize and has to actively 

work to maintain their identity. To 

that end, CASA’s most important 

effort is connecting this young community 

with the Catholic faith. 

Fr. Perrin Atisha, a priest at St. 

George Chaldean Church, hosts a 

student mass organized by CASA at 

Our Lady of the Rosary Parish every 

Thursday at 12:30 p.m. “In 2020, 

the archdiocese of Detroit said they 

want a Chaldean priest in Detroit 

to preach to Wayne students especially,” 

said Fr. Perrin, who attended 

Wayne State before beginning his 

formation at Sacred Heart in 2012. 

“I really felt called to it, so I come 

once a week. Last year was harder 

because of COVID and online classes, 

but this year we’ve made a huge 

comeback.” 

The weekly Mass is a perfect 

time for Chaldeans to break from 

their duties as students and bask in 

God’s light. Before Mass, students 

have an opportunity to attend confession. 

After the Mass, students 

gather in the church for fellowship 

and food, spending hours talking 

with one another and receiving 

counsel from Fr. Perrin. This time 

is crucial to maintaining faith since 

the endeavor requires a community 

of faithful Catholics rather than 

someone’s individual effort. 

“The older generation has faith 

because it’s cultural,” Fr. Perrin said. 

“For the younger generation it’s more 

difficult. When they have faith it’s 

very strong and lifechanging. They 

have faith because it’s something 

they really had to work for.” 

In the U.S. overall, Catholicism 

has declined steadily in the past decade. 

This trend has a lot to do with 

young people rejecting the church 

and falling out of faith. In contrast, 

the Chaldean community has seen 

spectacular engagement from its 

young parishioners. 

St. Thomas Chaldean Church, 

for example, hosts a weekly youth 

group that regularly gathers 200 

teenagers. On the east side, the 

church has three youth groups that 

each serve 100 teenagers. “I get the 

chills when I talk about it,” Fr. Perrin 

said. 

“For Latin rite parishes around 

Detroit, their youth groups have 

like five or ten kids. They have one 

group leader who is on salary,” he 

said. “For us, we’ll have 20 youth 

ministers and they’re all volunteers. 

They’re here because they love God 

and want to pass down the faith.” 

Fr. Perrin is glad young Chaldeans 

are building their own faith 

tradition but is also thankful for the 

wonderful contribution of the older 

generation. “The older priests are 

from Iraq,” he said. “They did an 

amazing job building the church. 

We wouldn’t have anything without 

their excellent administrative 

and leadership skills, but it’s hard to 

relate to someone younger. Younger 

priests like me grew up here and 

went to school here. We understand 

the issues young Chaldeans face on 

a daily basis.” 

Fr. Perrin said CASA was around 

when he attended WSU, but it was 

much less organized and less involved. 

Now, he said it feels like a 

real community. 

WSU’s CASA regularly hosts 

large fundraisers to help the community. 

In the summer, CASA 

hosted a volleyball tournament that 

drew over 200 people to raise over 

$1,000 for Help Iraq. Last month, 

CASA’s year-end Christmas party 

hosted 120 attendees and raised 

over $3,000 for Iraqi Christian students 

facing persecution. 

Though COVID-19 shut down 

the university, CASA was determined 

to continue no matter where 

or how. CASA’s usual meeting place 

in the student center was shut down 

as WSU closed all of its buildings. 

As a result, they moved to Our Lady 

of the Rosary Parish, which offers 

all the freedom they need. “What 

do you do when you stay home for 3 

months? I don’t know what kind of 

life that is,” Karjo said. 


Receber 

Bienvenu 

Bine ati venit! 

‘Ahlan bik! 

स्वागत ह े 

Chào mừng 

Mirëseardhje 

Welcome to 

With small class sizes and individualized 

support, Schoolcraft College is the 

perfect place to begin your journey 

as an international student. 

Schoolcraft College is proud to welcome 

students from more than 40 countries around 

the world. The International Center helps 

ensure that your experience is rewarding, and 

our advisors can help you comply with your 

visa requirements. 

Over 90% of Schoolcraft 

transfer students go to 

prestigious Michigan 

universities. 

Eastern Michigan University 

Madonna University 

Michigan State University 

University of Michigan 

Wayne State University 

... and more! 

Top countries of citizenship 

among the Schoolcraft College 

student body 

Brazil 

Albania 

Romania 

Lebanon 

India 

Vietnam 

Visit schoolcraft.edu/international-students 


The Affordable Housing Crisis 


Gabe Gabriel 

All around the world, housing 

production has not 

kept pace with population 

growth. The lack of affordable housing 

in the United States was an issue 

even before the COVID-19 pandemic, 

which transformed the way 

we see and use our homes and caused 

myriad supply-chain disruptions. 

According to whitehouse.gov, 

home prices outpaced income growth 

for 2020. Researchers at Freddie Mac 

estimated that the current shortage 

of homes is close to 3.8 million. 

In the metro Detroit area, realtors 

have experienced single-family homes 

going for tens of thousands of dollars 

above asking, often in cash. Appraisals 

and inspections are being waived, 

and some homes are sold without the 

buyer even seeing them in person. 

How is the typical starter family supposed 

to compete with that? 

“The housing market has witnessed 

many changes,” says Gabe 

Gabriel, owner/broker at Strathmore 

Realty in Farmington Hills, “specifically 

in 2020 and 2021. Price, value, 

size, demand and supply have all 

changed drastically.” Some changes 

are obvious, with higher home values 

driving up the prices. “Price and 

value increases ranged between 10 

to 20 percent in the last year,” states 

Gabriel. “The last four years has seen 

a cumulative price increase of 40 to 

50 percent.” 

Demand has far exceeded supply, 

and across the nation, home prices 

have risen astronomically. “There is 

currently one to two months of supply 

for homes, where typically, you 

would see about six months of supply,” 

says Gabriel. 

New homes are still being built, 

but they more closely resemble the 

“McMansions” of the ‘80s than entry-level 

homes of the 1,400 square 

foot variety. Less than 10 percent of 

homes being built today fit into this 

category. Labor shortages and the 

rising cost of building materials are 

also factors in rising costs. “People 

working from home demanded larger 

home sizes from which to work remotely,” 

states Gabriel. 

“People are staying put because 

of COVID and therefore, creating 

much less inventory,” says Jim Manna, 

owner/broker at Level Plus Realty. 

“And buyers are qualifying for 

Jim Manna 

mortgages because of the ridiculously 

low interest rates.” 

Renters are feeling the crunch as 

well. According to a Harvard study, 

one in four renters pay more than 

half their income on rent, and nearly 

half (47 percent) spend over the recommended 

30 percent on rent and 

utilities. Yet public housing stock has 

been steadily decreasing since the 

1990s. The New York Times (NYT) 

says that rent has increased a staggering 

11.4 percent from January 

through August of 2021. 

Adding to the issue, says the 

NYT, is the phenomenon known as 

“Nimbyism,” meaning, “Not in my 

backyard.” This trend involves vocal 

locals who object to the new housing 

development, believing it will 

devalue their homes and bring crime 

into their neighborhoods. In California, 

about one fourth of the cost of 

building affordable housing is spent 

on government fees, permits and 

consulting companies. 

This fight is one the Chaldean 

Community Foundation knows all too 

well. The recent groundbreaking of 

their 135-unit affordable housing project 

happened only after years of red 

tape and legal wrangling. From hostile 

hearings to stringent zoning laws, the 

process was long and drawn out. 

“Unfortunately, most developers 

are in the game of making a profit 

so finding affordable housing is very 

difficult,” says Jim Manna. “The state 

and federal government need to address 

this by providing much needed 

funding for developments like the 

Chaldean Community Foundation is 

currently building.” 

Gabriel sees an end to the affordable 

housing crisis in sight, if only we 

could solve the labor shortage. That 

affects the transportation costs, which 

affect the raw materials cost. Says Gabriel, 

“Fortunately, the low mortgage 

interest rates increase affordability for 

home buyers.” But the other side of 

the coin is that the rates need to go 

up to reduce the number of buyers in 

order to get home prices back down to 

more reasonable ranges. 

“I don’t see a crash like in 2008 

so it will be very tough to come back 

down to affordable housing,” says 

Manna. It will be interesting to see 

how it all plays out. 

JOIN OUR GROWING TEAM. 

The Chaldean News is looking for 

motivated candidates to fill full-time 

salaried sales positions. Qualified 

candidates should email a resume to 

info@chaldeannews.com. 



spotlight 

Sabah Mansour Hermiz Summa: 

Founder of the Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce 


Leaders, pioneers, and achievers 

deserve celebration and recognition. 

They are our foundation, 

anchors, and pillars. They 

serve as a guiding force toward an 

advanced and progressive society, as 

catalysts for passing wisdom to the 

new generation, and they inspire individuals 

to become their best selves. 

Today many Iraqi Chaldeans and 

community leaders showcase these 

characteristics of strength inspiring the 

broader community members to pursue 

their dreams and live a life journey 

that is accomplished and rewarding. 

In this article we shed light on 

the success story of a Chaldean contributor 

and catalyst who embarked 

on a creative venture with limited 

resources and against difficult odds. 

Sabah Mansour Hermiz Summa 

is a living example of a personal journey 

marked by determination and accomplishments. 

We write about him 

using his historic records in the context 

of his time and his generation as 

a founder of the Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce (CACC). 

Sabah Mansour Hermiz Summa 

Personal biography 

Sabah Summa was born in Tel-Keppe 

on May 15, 1944, to a large family, the 

oldest son of 4 brothers and 4 sisters. 

As a child he grew up in Baqouba and 

Shamiyya in southern Iraq, due to his 

father’s work, and for his high school 

years he resided in Baghdad. His parents, 

Mansour Hermiz Summa and 

Bijara Yousif Mikhana, were natives 

of Tel-Keppe/Nineveh Province. 

Sabah was married to the late 

Kathleen Murry Casey, whom he met 

at Wayne State University, in 1969. 

The couple were blessed with 3 sons: 

Laith, Faris, and Shawn. After the 

sad passing of Kathleen in 2010, Sabah 

married his current bride, Nazdar 

Bashar Garabet, in 2011. 

Sabah is a native-born Iraqi 

who speaks, reads, and writes fluent 

Arabic, Chaldean (Aramaic) and 

English. He arrived in the United 

States in 1968 and became a US 

citizen in 1971. He is a member of 

the American Society of Civil Engineers 

and one of the founders of the 

Iraqi American Graduates Association 

(IAGA); member and past officer 

of the Chaldean Iraqi American 

Association of Michigan (CIAAM); 

and founder and first Chairman of 

the Chaldean American Chamber 

of Commerce in Michigan (CACC). 

Education 

Sabah’s early primary education was 

in the cities of Baqouba and Shamiyya 

in Iraq, and he attended high 

school at Al-Markazia (Central High 

School) in Baghdad. 

Sabah M. Hermiz, P.E. is a Registered 

Professional Engineer in the 

state of Michigan and the state of 

Florida, and he holds the following 

degrees: a diploma in Civil Engineering 

from Baghdad University in Baghdad, 

Iraq (1961-1965); B.S. - Civil 

Engineering from Wayne State University 

in Detroit, Michigan (1969- 

1970); and an M.S. in Civil Engineering 

- Major Structure from Wayne 

State University (1970-1972). 

Work history 

After graduation from the University 

of Baghdad, Sabah served in the Iraqi 

Army as 2nd Lieutenant Engineer in 

charge of the airport, plus road construction 

and maintenance projects 

for the Al Habbaniya military base 

in Iraq. 

There is no denying that Sabah 

Summa was a visionary in his early 

days and that he had an extreme 

desire to further his education. He 

left Iraq when he was 24 years old, 

seeking work in other countries to 

save money for travel to the United 

States to further his education. 

Sabah started his career in Kuwait 

where he landed a position with the 

well-known Construction & Trading 

Company (CAT) of Lebanon as Project 

Engineer, building three mosques 

in the city of Kuwait. Afterwards, he 

was transferred to Saudi Arabia to be 

part of the engineering staff for the 

construction of a 110-mile road project 

starting on the outskirts of Medina. 

In the United States, after his 

graduation from Wayne State University 

in Detroit, he worked for the 

city of Pontiac on the design of both 

local and federally funded projects, 

including the major separation of 

combined sewers and the road designs 

surrounding the Silverdome 

during the stadium construction. 

For the next six years Sabah also 

worked for several architectural and 

engineering firms in the Detroit area, 

as a structural engineer for the design 

of buildings and various industrial 

projects. 

Detroit Edison 

In January 1978, Sabah joined Detroit 

Edison (DTE) as structural engineer; 

he worked with DTE until he took an 

early retirement in August of 2001. 

Sabah built a diverse and illustrious 

career at DTE, serving as Senior 

Engineer and Work Leader for the 

structural design of the company’s 

fossil and Fermi II nuclear plants, in 

addition to the substations and general 

facilities’ design work. 

In 1997, he was selected to be a 

marketing executive for DTE, with a 

mission to provide support to the ethnic 

business community and the tools 

needed for their success. His purpose 

was to engage the new generation and 

enrich the lifestyle of both individuals 

and their communities, by presenting 

opportunities as well as projects with 

Chaldean related interest, and community 

events which appealed and 

impacted DTE customers. During his 

last four years with DTE, he served as 

the Marketing Executive in the DTE 

Ethnic Marketing Organization, servicing 

the needs of Chaldean American 

customers. 

Sabah recognized the importance 

of community organization. He had 

both vision and a passion for planning. 

He held a desire to help others 

in the Chaldean community and 

he believed that organizations must 

prepare for tomorrow, must hold a vision 

of the future, and must follow up 

with action. 

While at DTE, Sabah noticed that 

various ethnic groups and minorities 

had organized themselves into business 

groups and alliances - such as the 

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and 

the Arabic Chamber of Commerce, 

along with numerous African American 

business groups. These groups demanded 

their share of business from 

the government and corporate America. 

And they were getting it. 

Sabah realized the time had come 

to create a Chaldean Business Alliance 

(CBA) to enhance our community 

business opportunities within 

Michigan and the United States, 

and to work with all other organizations 

to present and promote the 

Chaldean community’s interests and 

businesses. This was the start of the 

Chaldean Business Alliance (CBA) 

which eventually led to establishment 

of the Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce (CACC). 

Chaldean Business Alliance (CBA) 

The idea of creating the Chaldean 

Business Alliance (CBA) had been 

on the mind of Sabah Summa for 

some time while working at DTE. 

When Sabah shared his idea 

of creating the CBA with his close 

friend Dave Nona, initially Dave was 

not in favor of the idea, stating “We 

have already too many Chaldean organizations 

that are competing without 

any benefit to our community.” 

As Sabah recalls, convincing Dave 

was not an easy task. Dave insisted that 

three conditions be satisfied before proceeding: 

the first was raising enough 

seed money to support the organization 

for one year; second was recruiting a 

strong executive director; and the third 

condition was forming a good board of 

directors. With that decided upon, both 

Sabah and Dave moved into recruiting 

a committee to investigate the idea. 

The message to the community 

was clear - it needed to change some of 

its ideas and organize itself to meet the 

challenges for the future. What worked 

in the past might not work well in the 

future, and methods must be modified. 

There was a lack of effectiveness 

in the existing organizations, and the 

new alliance was intended to bring all 

professional organizations together 


and focus on one objective: business. 

The group had an ambitious 

agenda that included seeking funds 

and grants for worthwhile community 

projects such as the Chaldean 

Federation of America (CFA) and 

the Chaldean American Ladies of 

Charity (CALC). They also hoped 

to provide business opportunities 

within the larger community, the 

government, and corporations. 

They hoped to develop business 

opportunities in areas with 

large Chaldean populations, such as 

the 7 Mile Corridor, Oak Park, and 

Southfield areas. They wanted to 

help find job opportunities for new 

immigrants, to support members of 

the community who held political 

ambitions, to encourage politicians 

to appoint prominent members of 

the community to different positions 

and boards, and to provide a positive 

model to young people to identify 

with the Chaldean community and 

to step up to future leadership roles. 

Major concerns were the fact that 

Chaldeans do not meet the minority 

requirements for corporate America, 

and that organizations such as the 

Arab Community Center for Economic 

and Social Services (ACCESS) 

and Arab-American Chaldean Council 

(ACC) were using the Chaldean 

name for their own benefit. The plan 

was to get the Chaldean name out and 

to differentiate between Chaldeans 

and Arab organizations, and to create 

a good track record with the corporate 

world and government agencies. 

A meeting was held at Southfield 

Manor in 1999, attended by Mike 

George, the Board of Directors of the 

Associated Food Dealers (AFD), and 

about 25 other businesspeople from 

within the club community. The 

AFD management was initially resistant 

to the formation of this new entity 

and considering it to be a threat 

to its mission and a competition that 

would split the business community. 

This argument was quickly dismissed 

as the AFD focused strictly on the 

grocery sector, while the new organization 

would serve our evolving business 

community which was much 

larger and more diverse. 

The agreement was finally 

reached between Sabah Summa and 

Frank Arcori who represented the 

Association Food Dealers (AFD) 

that both organizations would work 

together and share membership. 

Lack of support and commitment 

to the Chaldean Business Alliance 

(CBA) concept sidelined the 

initiative; however, the objective 

proved to be a bridge to the next big 

idea, the formation of the Chaldean 

American Chamber of Commerce 

(CACC) in 2003. 

Chaldean American Chamber 

of Commerce (CACC) 

A “kick off” meeting was held to 

explore launching the Chaldean 


(CACC). Some 50 community 

members were invited to this informal 

meeting held on July 10, 2002. 

Joe Sarafa and Mike Sarafa, along 

with other members of the AFD 

board, were to meet with Chaldean 

Chamber members, Sabah Hermiz 

Summa, Sam Yono, and Dave Nona 

to discuss a working relationship between 

the two organizations. 

This group decided to hold a general 

meeting within the Chaldean 

community to discuss the formation 

of the Chamber by March 2003 and 

to present an outline of activities. 

The first quarterly networking meeting 

for CACC and AFD was held on 

February 11, 2004. 

The initial financial assistance 

came from members who each donated 

five to ten thousand dollars. 

They were considered the Founding 

and Lifetime members of CACC: 

Ron Acho, Najib and Salim Atisha, 

Carl Dallo, John and Chris Denha, 

Jalal and Jason Garmo, Frank Jaddou, 

Jamal Kalabat, Waad and Joey 

Murad, Amer and Jason Najor, Dave 

Nona, Wisam Paulus, Mazin Samona, 

and Bassim and Mazin Shina. 

Many of the first board members 

such as Martin Manna, Saad Hajar, 

and Sabah Summa himself, along with 

others (unfortunately the complete list 

of all the names could not be found) 

also donated a thousand dollars each to 

support the Chamber start up. 

Marketing 

In June 2003, the Chamber was finally 

formed and was recognized as 

the voice of the Chaldean American 

business community. The Chaldean 


contracted Interlink Media, owned 

by Martin Manna, to direct and 

to manage the daily operations of 

Chamber, with Manna as Executive 

Director of the Chamber. 

Interlink Media was tasked to help 

attract new members, launch public 

relations campaigns, assist in the development 

and rollout of services that 

included hosting positive networking 

engagements, and service the daily 

needs of the new members. The first 

objective was to attract 400 members 

by the end of 2004. 

The Chaldean American Chamber 

of Commerce’s first election was 

held in June 2003 and Sabah Hermiz 

Summa was selected as the first 

Chairman of this organization. 

The second Board of Directors 

election was held on November 

10, 2004. The new Board of Directors 

held a meeting on November 

23, 2004, to elect the 2005 Executive 

Officers: Sabah Hermiz Summa, 

Chairman; Najib Attisha, Executive 

Vice Chairman; Saad Hajjar, Vice 

Chairman; Anthony Mona, Treasurer; 

Wendy Acho, Secretary; Bassam 

Salman, Executive Committee 

Member; and Martin Manna, Executive 

Director of the Chamber. 

In a short time, the CACC grew 

from a handful of founders to nearly 

400 members in 2005 and to over 

1,000 individuals and corporations 

by 2020. 

2019 was a year of transformation 

for the Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce. For the first 

time in its history, it surpassed the 

1,000-member mark. 

The Chamber leadership was instrumental 

in the introduction of a 

new bill, HR 2537, otherwise known as 

the ‘Bill to Delay Deportation of Iraqi 

Nationals.’ Working with compatriots 

within the national and international 

scene to make sure that our community 

is recognized and to aid valuable 

communities abroad, the Chamber 

continues to work for the betterment 

of our community here in Michigan 

and for our brethren back in Iraq. 

The CACC mission to build business, 

build relationships, and build 

community, and its successes led to 

First Board of 

Directors of the 

Chamber in 2004 

further accomplishments with the 

establishment of the Chaldean Community 

Foundation (CCF) in 2011. 

Iraq in my heart 

Despite the long separation from Iraq, 

Sabah is still attached to his Iraqi and 

Middle Eastern roots and wants to 

give back and share his expertise. 

“Iraq is my country of origin, and 

I am proud to be a member of this 

Iraqi Chaldean community in the 

United States. My heart lies within 

Iraq where I was born and grew up. I 

went in 2009 and with the hope of 

being able to contribute and somehow 

help our unfortunate people 

that were still living through an unmerciful 

time of wars and conflicts. 

“The greatest service to my motherland 

will be for the United States to 

do the things by which Iraq’s name, 

fame and future will be raised up.” 

Reflection on a life journey 

Sabah proudly speaks about his life 

journey. “I was strengthened and 

influenced by my deeply religious 

first wife of 41 years, Kathleen, and 

our beautiful life together where she 

blessed me with three wonderful sons: 

Laith, Faris and Shawn, whom I am 

proud of - both for their personalities 

and accomplishments - and grateful 

to my lovely second wife, Nazdar, that 

came into my life to give me peace 

and joy when most needed. 

“In this, I am grateful in my attitude 

to focus on the journey, not the 

destination.” 

Looking back on Sabah Summa’s 

vision, determination, and decision to 

start the Chaldean Chamber of Commerce 

(CACC) in yesterday’s fastmoving 

business environment means 

many things today. It is all about forging 

a new path for community members 

and others amidst challenges and 

pessimism and so much more. 

As we continue to feature our 

pioneers and write these articles, perhaps 

those individuals that have inspired 

me might also inspire you. 

Special editing by Jacqueline Raxter 

and Dave Nona. 


Chaldean Cultural Center Receives $150,000 State Grant 

BY CAL ABBO 

The Chaldean Cultural Center 

(CCC), located inside 

Shenandoah Country Club, 

received a state enhancement grant 

worth $150,000. The grant will help 

the center further its mission of celebrating 

the extraordinary history, 

arts, traditions, and contributions of 

Chaldean people from ancient times 

to present. The CCC, which is in its 

18th year of operation, features several 

rooms decorated with chronological 

historical periods. 

On November 4, the 6th grade 

class from Our Lady of Sorrows toured 

the museum, the first large group to do 

so since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

Weam Namou, the CCC’s executive 

director, said this is exactly the 

kind of education the grant will be 

used for. “We’re doing more outreach 

so we can bring schools to experience 

this,” Namou said. 

The museum tour was one small 

part of a larger field trip for the students. 

They completed four other 

activities which included learning 

a traditional Chaldean dance, spelling 

their names in Sureth, learning 

about ancient Chaldean foods, and 

watching a documentary on Chaldeans 

in Detroit. 

The first room in the museum depicts 

ancient Chaldean history and 

traces our roots back to Sumerian 

culture, one of the earliest civilizations 

in history. Sumerians are credited 

with inventing many ancient 

technologies including the wheel, 

writing, arithmetic, geometry, irrigation, 

and beer. The exhibit contains 

a full replica of the Code of Hammurabi 

from the Louvre in Paris. 

The museum then moves on to 

the Biblical age, with sections about 

the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires. 

Around 600 BC, a Chaldean 

dynasty ruled the Babylonian Empire, 

including Nebuchadnezzar, a 

figure made famous from the Bible 

and known for conquering Jerusalem 

twice. 

The next room shows the historical 

relationship between Chaldeans 

and Christianity. Chaldeans were 

some of the earliest Christians, converted 

by the Apostle Thomas in the 

first century. The modern Chaldean 

language, Sureth, is a descendant of 

Aramaic, the language of Jesus. According 

to Chaldean tradition, the 

Clockwise from top left: Andy Keina teaches traditional Chaldean dances; Student listens to an auditory exhibit; Cultural Center staff/ 

volunteers (left to right): Ban Kizy, Hether Jonna Frayer, Milad Konja, Weam Namou, Mahir Awarhem, Judy Jonna, Avita Bacall, Angie 

Naimi, and Andy Keina; Hether Jonna Frayer teaches students about cultural foods. 

Magi passed through Chaldean villages 

after Jesus’ birth. 

The historical journey continues, 

showing village life and the reality of 

being a Christian minority in a Muslim 

country. Barter economies in villages 

formed tight-knit communities 

and strong family bonds. 

“In the 20th century, increasing 

numbers of Chaldeans left their villages. 

Yet, the villages didn’t leave 

them,” one caption says. “The traditions 

and sense of community nurtured 

by village life endured, preserving 

a distinct sense of identity.” In 

agricultural communities like Chaldean 

villages, work and normal life 

overlapped seamlessly, which offers 

a clue to how Chaldeans ran their 

businesses since coming to Detroit. 

Finally, about one-third of the 

space is dedicated to modern Chaldean 

history in Detroit. It shows passports 

and immigration documents 

from some of our original community 

members. The CCC shows how, over 

the years, a community of smallvillage 

immigrants came to own and 

operate so many of Detroit’s grocery 

and party stores. 

Ban Kizy, one of the CCC’s board 

members who volunteered on the field 

trip, said the museum is invaluable to 

remembering Chaldean history and 

preserving our culture. Inside, her and 

her mother’s passport photos adorn 

the digital wall of historical records. 

Judy Jonna, the CCC’s Chairwoman, 

said the grant would have 

been impossible to get if not for the 

help of Klint Kesto and Michigan 

Senator Jim Runestad. 

In a letter, Runestad called the 

CCC a “treasure not only within the 

West Bloomfield community but also 

for the many students and residents 

across our state and beyond who are 

blessed to learn from the stories it 

shares.” 

The CCC plans to use the funds 

to expand several of its programs 

and to restart regular visitations 

from large groups, like the OLS field 

trip. The CCC also has plans for a 

mobile museum, which involves presenting 

the content of the museum 

directly in schools. Namou said they 

are working on a fully digital presentation 

that teachers could show to 

their students all around the country. 

After the COVID-19 pandemic 

closed the museum to visitors, Namou 

and her team brainstormed ways 

to continue their work. They came 

up with the virtual discussion series, 

which has featured a new interview 

almost every week since June 2020. 

Namou interviews journalists, actors, 

academics, and other outstanding 

people who are knowledgeable about 

Chaldean history or the Chaldean 

community. 

Finally, Namou said they are 

planning programming which will 

record the immigration stories of older 

community members in Sureth. 

They will be translated, captioned, 

and archived. 

“We want to plant seeds about 

who the Chaldeans are, everywhere,” 

Namou said. “Our goal is to use the 

funding to plant seeds of the history, 

culture, and language of Chaldeans so 

people become familiar with us.” 


CHALDEAN COMMUNITY 

FOUNDATION 

ENGLISH AS A 

SECOND LANGUAGE 

NOW ENROLLING 

ESL 1: Low Beginner 

M-TH 12:30-3:00PM 

ESL 3: Intermediate 

T/TH 9:00- 11:30AM or 

M/W 5:00-7:00PM or 

VIRTUAL M-TH 12:30 – 3:00PM 

ESL 2: High Beginner 

M/W 9:00-11:30AM or 

M/W 5:00-7:30PM 

ESL 4: Advanced 

T/TH 9:00-11:30AM or 

T/TH 5:00-7:30PM 

ASSESSMENT AND REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! 

To register please call CCF at 586-722-7253 

$40 registration fee 

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


Foodtastic Fun: Creative Chaldeans on Disney+ 

BY CRYSTAL KASSAB JABIRO 

When a chance of a lifetime 

comes your way, you have 

got to go for it. 

That is what Rachell Yousif told 

herself when she was invited to 

participate in Disney+’s new series 

Foodtastic hosted by Keke Palmer. 

It was her former teacher, Chef Ray 

Duey, a produce artist in California, 

who invited her to be his teammate 

on the show. She happily accepted 

the challenge. 

When one of the three teammates 

backed out on short notice, 

Yousif was asked if she knew anyone 

that would be willing to participate. 

She thought of a certain “pastry 

guru” she knew through the baking 

world in metro Detroit. When she 

mentioned Jonathon Elias, the second-place 

winner of Food Network’s 

“Halloween Baking Championship” 

Season 3 to the producers, they hesitated 

and said they would look into 

it. She wondered why they were so 

reluctant. Nonetheless, she flew out 

to California to film for a week. 

In the meantime, Jonathan Elias 

had already wrapped up filming for 

Foodtastic. Contracts and confidentiality 

kept the producers from telling 

Yousif they had already chosen 

him. 

Elias, who owns Pastry Guru in 

Troy, had received a message on Instagram 

from Disney’s casting department 

last Christmas season and told 

the company he would consider it. 

Before he could even look at the details, 

his former teammate on “Halloween 

Baking Championship,’’ Tai 

Davis from St. Louis, messaged him 

to be part of his team. Then they 

messaged another former teammate, 

Jessica Scott from Las Vegas, and she 

did not hesitate. Nearly two months 

later they were off to Los Angeles to 

film the show. 

“We were competitors-turnedpartners 

this time,” Elias said. “At 

first, we were competing against each 

other and now we’ve combined our 

talents for something different.” 

Foodtastic is a food art show, not 

a baking show. Contestants create 

scenes out of different kinds of food. 

There is not even a tasting portion; it 

is all about looks. 

“I never in a million years thought 

I would have the opportunity to be 

on a show, let alone push myself out 

Rachell Yousif (left) as part of Team “Two Foxes and a Relic” on Disney+’s Foodtastic. 

of my comfort zone to do it,” Yousif 

acknowledged. 

After graduating from Warren 

Mott High School in 2006, Yousif 

enrolled in the pre-nursing program 

at Macomb Community College. 

Though she always loved to bake, 

she was often discouraged by family 

and friends from doing it as a career 

because there was more financial stability 

in nursing. At the time, Yousif’s 

aunt was very ill in the hospital. She 

saw how much her aunt suffered and 

Rachell was not sure she wanted to 

see that kind of affliction every day. 

She changed her major and graduated 

with an Associates in Culinary 

Arts in 2012. 

Around that time, Yousif took a 

class with Chef Ray Duey, who came 

to Michigan with the art of fruit and 

vegetable carving. “Nobody ever inspired 

me more to do something I 

didn’t think I could do,” she said. 

In 2013, Yousif started her small 

business, Fruitful Art. She kept in 

touch with Chef Ray over the years, 

sending him pictures so he could critique 

her carvings. She earned her 

spot carving pumpkins live at the 

Detroit Zoo’s Halloween Zoo Boo, 

and Fox 2 even showcased her pumpkins 

for KISS’s Farewell Tour. 

Yousif then became a stay-athome 

mom, putting her culinary 

skills on the back burner. In January 

2020, she started her cookie business, 

Whisk & Crumble in Sterling 

Heights. She had been watching 

YouTube and Instagram videos on 

cookie making to learn every technique 

to make flawless cookies. 

She is a self-admitted perfectionist, 

which served her well in the show. 

In episode 5, “The Avengers: Sorceress 

by Day,” Yousif’s team, Two 

Foxes and a Relic, which included 

Chef Ray and home baker Sherry 

Clarke from Connecticut, had to 

imagine being in Central Park and 

that the Avengers were coming to 

save the city of New York. 

They had to create a whole scene 

out of food. Yousif’s job was to build the 

body of Groot, never having worked 

with gingerbread, modeling chocolate, 

rice cereal, and fondant for a task like 

this. She did not know if the materials 

would adhere or fall apart. 

But when she stepped back and 

looked at the final product, she was 

awestruck! 

So was Elias when he looked at 

his scene. His team, Project Alchemy, 

is featured on the first episode, 

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Introducing 

Micro-Girl.” Their task was to 

create a picnic scene where Ant- 

Man intercepts Yellowjacket from 

getting to Micro-Girl. Elias’ favorite 

part was creating the ant army out of 

melons, gourds, coconuts, and chocolate 

– both modeling and real. 

What are the chances that two 

Chaldeans from metro Detroit would 

end up on the inaugural season of a 

new show on Disney +? Such a feat is 

indicative of the fortitude that exists 

in the Chaldean community as more 

and more people answer their true 

callings. 

“It was great to prove myself in the 

culinary world and to show my two 

girls they could do anything they put 

their mind to,” Yousif affirmed. 

What did food art judges Amirah 

Kassem and Benny Rivera think 

of their scenes? Watch the show to 

find out! 

Follow on Instagram: 

Jonathan Elias @pastryguru 

Rachell Yousif @fruitfulart and 

@whiskandcrumble 

MITCH HAASETH/DISNEY 



FOUNDATION 

Help 

Wanted? 

Please consider 

investing in one 

of our many new 

Americans. 

HOW WE HELP: 

The Career Services Team 

at the Chaldean Community 

Foundation offers one-on-one 

assistance to help individuals 

identify their goals and 

develop their careers. 

SERVICES INCLUDE: 

• Resume Building and Cover Letter Writing 

• Job Application Completion 

• FAFSA Completion 

• Mock Interviews 

• Employer Referrals 

• Training Opportunities 

• Career Fairs 

• Access to Transportation via the 

Michael J George Chaldean Loan Fund 

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

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

CHALDEAN 

AMERICAN 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

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

Thomas Semaan Elected Mayor of New Baltimore 

BY CAL ABBO 

New Baltimore Mayor Thomas Semaan 

Aziz Semaan left Iraq and immigrated 

to Detroit in 1929, 

roughly 92 years before his 

first-born son would hold a mayor’s 

office. He married Shammemta Shaouni 

Semaan in 1949 and stayed in 

Detroit until 1963 when a friend 

warned Aziz of Detroit’s declining 

safety and status, prompting him to 

buy a grocery store and relocate his 

family. 

This piece of advice was the first 

of many events that led to the historic 

2021 election of Thomas Semaan, 

Aziz’s son, to the mayor’s office of 

New Baltimore, a small town with a 

population of 12,000. Semaan’s family 

moved to New Baltimore when he 

was only three years old. Of Semaan’s 

ten siblings, six still live in the Anchor 

Bay area. As a lifelong resident 

of New Baltimore, Semaan’s roots in 

the small town are as broad as they 

are deep. 

At 27, Semaan won his first election 

to New Baltimore’s city council. 

He served for four years from 1987 

to 1991. “I decided at my young age 

that I would continue in my business 

practices,” he said. Since then, 

Semaan has worked in medical consulting. 

“Back then, I told myself 30 

years down the road I would consider 

running for mayor. I did it 30 years 

later to the day.” 

In the meantime, Semaan stayed 

active in both the New Baltimore 

and Chaldean communities. He 

volunteered at the local Fire Department 

for almost 30 years and is 

an active member of the New Baltimore 

Lions Club and New Baltimore 

Goodfellows, two local charities. 

Aside from his 30-years promise, 

Semaan’s motivations for becoming 

mayor span from political alienation 

to developing his community. 

In the beginning, Semaan noticed 

a vacuum of political leadership. 

“The more I watched, on the 

national scene, the ability of our 

elected officials to lose sight of the 

people, it became apparent to me 

that the only way to make a difference 

was putting my money where 

my mouth is,” he said. 

Soon after, Semaan set up an exploratory 

committee to see if a run 

for mayor, with all his passion and 

heart for New Baltimore, was possible. 

“When I got elected to the city 

council 30 years ago, my brother-inlaw 

would tease me and affectionately 

call me the ‘Gov. of New Baltimore.’ 

For better or worse, it stuck 

with quite a few of my family and 

friends.” 

When the committee returned 

with positive feedback, Semaan got 

the petitions he needed, found the 

required signatures over the weekend, 

and filed for the election on his 

mother’s birthday. 

“I believe the best candidates for 

a job are the people who share your 

values as close as you can find. A 

shared vision, if you will,” Semaan 

said. “If you strictly vote for a party 

anymore, I think it leaves you wanting. 

Based on my personal traits and 

based on my faith, those values speak 

for themselves and create an image 

of who I am as a person.” 

Semaan has a history of energetic 

and solution-oriented service to his 

community, the perfect track record 

for a mayor, and one that he will continue 

in his new position. “For me, 

it’s not just an honor but a privilege,” 

he said. “When you’re more focused 

on the community and not yourself, 

great things can be accomplished.” 

His office has an “open-door, 

transparent policy. The residents 

need to know the elected officials 

work for them,” Semaan said. “We’re 

not an island to ourselves and our 

agendas. Any development should 

be positive and it should have an effect 

on the community that increases 

the health, safety, and welfare of our 

residents.” 

On Nov. 3, Semaan’s phone blew 

up with calls from the Chaldean 

community. “It was incredible how 

fast word got out that I had won my 

election,” he said. “You talk about 

humbling experiences. An immigrant’s 

first-born American son was 

elected to the mayor’s position in the 

community his parents brought him 

to at three years old.” 

Semaan has always been proud 

of his heritage, but this moment 

was different. “I was filled with 

gratitude and pride for my nationality, 

which I’ve always been proud 

of,” he said. “My father was a proud 

American, but he never lost focus 

of who he was.” 

Semaan’s parents took care 

to ensure their children grew up 

as proud cultural Chaldeans in 

an American society. His family 

adapted to being American 

while embracing their Chaldean 

heritage. “Honesty, integrity, family, 

and faith: these are eminent 

in how I move forward in my life,” 

Semaan said. “Faith is one of the 

places where I look for wisdom and 

strength. That’s why I believe we 

will be very successful.” Semaan 

added that New Baltimore is also a 

very faithful community. 

“Our greatest jewel is the fact 

that we’re a waterfront community 

on one of the bays of the Great 

Lakes,” Semaan said. Since he was 

little, Semaan remembers many different 

attempts to develop the waterfront 

to no avail. “This is something 

we’re focused on and intent on making 

progress for,” he said. 

“This town has always been diamond 

in the rough for me, and we 

have a great opportunity to polish 

that stone,” Semaan said. “And I’m 

really looking forward to putting my 

fingerprints on that.” 


PROJECT LIGHT THERAPY SERVICES 

For Your Best Health. 

Therapy can be a big step toward being the healthiest version of yourself and living the best life possible—our 

professional therapists are here for you to access. Through therapy, you can change self-destructive behaviors and 

habits, resolve painful feelings, improve your relationships, and share your feelings and experiences. Individuals often 

seek therapy for help with issues that may be hard to face alone. 

In therapy your trilingual therapist will help you to establish person centered goals and determine the steps you will take 

to reach those goals. Your relationship with your therapist is confidential and our common therapeutic goal for those we 

engage is to inspire healthy change to improve quality of life — no matter the challenge. 

We invite you seek out the Light of Project Light! Serving individuals ages 13 years and up. Please call to request a 

Project Light Intake at (586) 722-7253. 

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 3601 15 MILE ROAD STERLING HEIGHTS, MI 48310 

WWW.CHALDEANFOUNDATION.ORG (586) 722-7253 

CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY: The CCF and Project Light is committed to your privacy and confidentiality and are sensitive to the stigma and stress that come with seeking mental health support. Therefore, all counseling records 

are kept strictly confidential. Information is not shared without client’s written consent. Exceptions to confidentiality are rare and include persons who threaten safety of themselves others or in circumstances of a court order.

sports 

Set for Success 

Marian volleyball star Ava Sarafa 

BY STEVE STEIN 

Ava Sarafa became serious 

about playing volleyball 

when she was 11. Tall for her 

age, she figured she’d be a hitter. She 

never dreamed when she went to high 

school, she’d become one of the best 

setters in the state and a future Division 

I college player. 

“I thought back then that if you’re 

tall, you’re a hitter. If you’re short, 

you’re a setter,” she said. 

She thought wrong. 

By the time Sarafa started playing 

club volleyball with Michigan Elite 

Volleyball Academy’s age 13 team, 

she was a setter. For those who aren’t 

familiar with volleyball, a setter is 

akin to a quarterback in football. The 

setter orchestrates a team’s offense, 

setting up the hitters on the front line, 

making sure each one gets the ball in 

the best position to do damage. Apparently 

Sarafa was born to be a setter. 

“Ava has great hands. And she has 

a natural touch on the ball. That’s 

difficult to train,” said Mayssa Cook, 

who worked with Sarafa in her early 

years in volleyball and now is her volleyball 

coach at Birmingham Marian 

High School. Sarafa didn’t fight the 

decision to make her a setter. 

“I was just starting out in volleyball. 

I wasn’t going to go against my 

coaches,” she said. “I decided to work 

as hard as I could to be the best setter 

I could be.” She’s so good at her craft 

that the 6-foot junior is a big reason 

why Marian has won back-to-back Division 

1 state championships. 

Sarafa is a three-year starter for the 

perennially powerful Mustangs, who also won 

back-to-back state titles in 2009 and 2010. “I always 

say a setter can make a hitter worse than she 

is, as good as she is, or better than she is. Ava makes 

a hitter better than she is,” Cook said. 

Sarafa made a verbal commitment last fall to 

play volleyball for the University of Kentucky, 

last season’s NCAA champion, after she graduates 

from Marian. She announced her college decision 

on September 7, just one day after completing a 

three-day official visit to Kentucky. 

“I kept an open mind while I was being recruited. 

In the end, I felt in my heart that going to 

Kentucky is the right thing for me to do,” she said. 

“I really like the family culture in the volleyball 

program there. I felt like family when I was on my 

visit. And it’s not a huge school.” 

PHOTOS BY SCOTT SMITH 

Birmingham Marian volleyball star Ava Sarafa shows off her setting skills during Marian’s 

Division 1 state championship win over Ann Arbor Skyline in November in Battle Creek. 

Sarafa made her college choice so early that she 

avoided having that decision weighing on her during 

her junior and senior seasons at Marian. 

“The recruiting process was stressful, but it was 

an amazing experience that will prepare me for 

what’s ahead of me in life,” she said. “I’m grateful 

I got to do it.” 

While Cook raves about Sarafa as a volleyball 

player, she’s also a huge fan of Sarafa the person. 

“I’ve known Ava since she was 11. I’ve never heard 

her bad mouth or put down anyone. She’s one of 

the kindest kids I’ve ever known, and always a 

pleasure to be around,” Cook said. 

“She’s humble. She has a calm presence that’s perfect 

for a setter. She’s a great teammate who is always 

encouraging everyone. She’s motivated and focused 

when it comes to volleyball. She does everything she 

can to improve as a player. She’s a gym rat.” 

Ava Sarafa holds the Division 1 state 

championship trophy won by her Birmingham 

Marian volleyball team in November 

in Battle Creek. 

Sarafa also is an academics rat. She 

has a 3.9 grade-point average at Marian. 

“Academics are a huge part of my 

life. They’ll determine my future,” she 

said. “Being a student-athlete isn’t 

easy. You have to stay focused, and 

multi-task all the time.” Marian certainly 

stayed focused on the volleyball 

court this season. 

After winning the Division 1 state 

championship last season without a 

senior on their roster, the Mustangs 

were the prohibitive favorite to win 

it all again this season. They had a 

huge target on their backs from Day 1. 

Every opponent gave Marian its best 

shot. 

“We had to shut out the voices 

coming from outside our program and 

outwork everyone,” Sarafa said. 

Sarafa helped quiet those voices by 

piling up some eye-popping statistics 

for the 53-1 Mustangs: She had 1,443 

assists, 335 serving points with 62 aces, 

252 digs and 83 blocks playing in 129 

sets during the season. 

No. 1-ranked Marian beat No. 3-ranked Ann 

Arbor Skyline 25-18, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19 on November 

20 in the Division 1 state championship 

match at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. Sarafa 

had 44 assists and 12 digs in the match. 

Sarafa attended Beverly Elementary School 

and Berkshire Middle School in the Birmingham 

School District before deciding to go to Marian, in 

part because of its outstanding volleyball program. 

She lives in Beverly Hills. Her parents are Maher 

Sarafa and Sarah Ervin-Sarafa. Scott Smith is her 

step-father. She has a brother and three step-siblings 

and is the youngest of the blended family kids. 

“I can’t say enough about my family. They have 

been so supportive during my volleyball career,” 

Ava said. 



CULTURE & HISTORY 

Jesuits in Iraq: The Expulsion 

BY ADHID MIRI, PHD 

Part III 

Because of their successful efforts 

in secondary education, the 

Jesuits had long considered an 

extension to the inviting field of higher 

education. Their motive was not to 

compete with the very competent and 

modern existing colleges in Iraq, but 

rather to encourage their Baghdad 

College alumni to remain in Iraq. 

The attempt to provide higher 

education by sending the undergraduate 

abroad was not an adequate substitute 

for undergraduate education 

at home. Iraqi parents objected to 

uprooting a young person from their 

environment and planting them 

in the strange environment of an 

American or other foreign college, 

only to have them uprooted again 

upon return to their native land. 

Permission granted 

The Jesuits at Baghdad College were 

often encouraged by Muslim and 

Christian Iraqis to open an institution 

of higher learning. AI-Hikma 

University was not immediately 

approved by all Jesuits in the New 

England province because of the 

concerns of over-extension. The majority, 

however, regarded the foundation 

of AI-Hikma University as one 

of the most significant and far-reaching 

steps ever taken by the New England 

province; its existence was seen 

as tremendously important. 

It was decided then to approach 

the Iraqi government on this matter, 

requesting permission to start a university 

and requesting land to build upon. 

Without objections, on May 5, 1955, 

the Ministry of Education gave permission 

for the opening of AI-Hikma University 

offering two four-year courses 

- one in Engineering Physics, and the 

other in Business Administration. 

These two courses were chosen 

due to Iraq’s urgent need of engineers 

and administrators. Using two separate 

decrees, in 1955 and in 1956, 

the government of Iraq gifted the 

University 272 donums (about 168 

acres) of land in Za’afarania, a suburb 

in the southernmost part of Baghdad. 

This land was about 14 miles by road 

from Baghdad College, which was 

in the northernmost part of the city. 

This gift was a striking testimony to 

the high esteem in which the Jesuit 

work at Baghdad College was held. 

The confidence which the Iraqi 

government had in the Baghdad College 

Jesuits is dramatically shown in 

a sequence of efforts supporting them 

in their new venture. Fr. Hussey requested 

land, and without delay a 

544 donum piece of government land 

(one donum is 2,500 square meters) 

in Za’afarania was designated and divided. 

It was on the Diyala River, 2.4 

miles east of the Tigris, 3 miles north 

of the confluence of the Tigris and 

Diyala Rivers, and 14 miles south of 

Baghdad College in Sulaikh. 

With the first grant, the Jesuits 

were to receive 200 donums 

(500,000 square meters or 125 acres). 

Additionally, the Iraqi government 

allowed the Jesuits to choose which 

Al Hikma University Campus 

part of this site they preferred. The 

Jesuits chose a plot so that most of 

the property would lie close to the 

main highway and would have a narrow 

(20 meter wide and 2 miles long) 

corridor running down to the Diyala 

River. The property widened out at 

the river so that they could install a 

pumping station. 

On February 18, 1956, the title 

deed was finally drawn up by lawyer 

Khalid Isa Taha. This first land grant, 

Royal Decree #785, was backdated to 

September 10, 1955. Later, another 

adjoining 72 donum plot (44 acres) 

was requested and received according 

to Royal Decree #230, which was 

dated March 19, 1956, bringing the 

total area to 272 donums (168 acres). 

This was a remarkable subsidy for 

the Jesuits when one considers that 

the Sulaikh property which they purchased 

in 1934 consisted of only 25 

acres. At the time, the gifted land was 

worth about a half million dollars. 

Fr. Hussey later asked the government 

to assist him in acquiring financial 

aid from United States agencies 

and he received full government 

cooperation. This was an impressive 

acknowledgment of the Iraqi’s high 

esteem for the work of the Jesuits in 

Iraq. The earliest and most crucial 

gift, these two generous land grants 

which the Jesuits requested, were 

mentioned in the official government 

publication, The Iraqi Gazette. 

It was signed by Prince Zaid, “Acting 

in place of the King.” 

As highlighted in a letter by H.E. 

Nouri el-Said, Prime Minister of 

Iraq, to the Near East representative 

of the Ford Foundation, recommending 

aid for the university project of 

Baghdad College: 

“On May 5th, 1955, the Iraq 

Minister of Education gave Baghdad 

College permission to begin 

courses of higher education in business, 

science, and engineering. On 

September 10th, 1955, a Royal lrada 

(decree) was signed which granted 

Baghdad College 500,000 square meters 

(about 124 acres) of land to be 

used for educational purposes. 

Thus, the Government of Iraq has 

shown its interest in the part played 

by Baghdad College in the education 

of Iraqi youth. 

We understand that Baghdad 

College has presented the Ford Foundation 

with a request for financial 

help. It is a request for 431,100.00 

Dollars to enable Baghdad College to 

build on the above-mentioned property 

and to hire suitable professors for 

the education of their Iraqi students. 

We take this occasion to recommend 

their request for your consideration. 

We feel sure that whatever 

help you give to Baghdad College will 

be used for the welfare of our nation 

through the proper education of our 

youth. Yours Sincerely, Nouri el Said.” 

As a result of this intervention, 

the Ford Foundation Overseas Division 

contributed $400,000 for four 

buildings: the Business Administration 

Building, the faculty residence, 

cafeteria, and library. 

Other sources provided generous 

assistance for the erection of 

the property buildings on the new 

Za’afarania campus. The Calouste 

Gulbenkian Foundation of Lisbon 

provided $140,000 for the Engineering 

Building. The Ford Foundation 

contributed an additional $200,000 

through the Sacred Congregation for 

the Oriental Church and the Catholic 

Near East Welfare Association. 

Another important grant included 

$110,000 for the purchase of equipment 

from the U.S. Department of 

State in conjunction with the Point- 

Four Program. The Jesuits submitted 

requests for financial help from other 

Jesuit schools as well. 

AI-Hikma 

The naming of AI-Hikma was not 

done precipitously as noted in Fr. 

Hussey’s letter to the N.E. Pr.: “I put 

aside any purely religious names on 

the recommendation of our sympathetic 

Muslim friends. This included 

the rejection of Jesuit University. I 

do not think that the Government 

would allow us the name Iraq University 

when their own is to be called 

Baghdad University, it would look as 

though we were above them. I did 

hesitate over the name Babylon University 

but there is that difficulty that 

Babylon has not a savory reputation 

in history and, especially in the Exercises 

of St. Ignatius. If it appeals to 

you over in the U.S., I would be very 

willing to reconsider it. We searched 

around for other names, traditional 

names of Baghdad like Al-Zawra or 

“Dar al-SaÂ laam” (now the name of 


an Adventist hospital here) but each 

had its own difficulties. 

AI-Hikma can serve as the basis 

of our putting the university under 

the patronage of the Spirit of Wisdom 

or of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom. 

It had these religious associations for 

us and yet for the Muslim it is still 

appropriate for a center of learning.” 

When AI-Hikma began operating 

in September 1956, its total 

(freshman) enrollment was 45; within 

eight short years the enrollment 

had grown to 530. By the time the 

Jesuits were expelled, the enrollment 

had grown to 656. The student enrollment 

steadily increased, but the 

number of Jesuits actively engaged in 

administration and teaching did not 

grow as rapidly. 

In November 1957, ground was 

broken at Za’afarania for the first 

building. By September 1959, the 

Engineering and Business buildings 

were completed. During AI-Hikma’s 

first three years at Sulaikh, the Jesuit 

architect, Fr. Leo Guay, was busy 

with the construction of the buildings 

which he had designed for the 

permanent Za’afarania campus. In 

the summer of 1958, the historic 

July 14 Revolution toppled the monarchy, 

and Iraq became a republic. 

Anxious days followed. The country 

underwent sudden and violent 

changes. 

Building AI-Hikma went serenely 

on, and Fr. Guay quietly continued 

his construction work, so that 

by 1959 the campus moved from 

Sulaikh to Za’afarania. For nearly a 

year, the pioneering Jesuit community 

occupied interim quarters on the 

second floor of the Business Building, 

temporarily slept in classrooms, ate 

their meals in an unfinished laboratory, 

and depended on solar heating 

for their hot water. The following 

year they finally settled down in the 

spacious residence, Spellman Hall, 

designed and built by Fr. Guay. 

This new campus, with assistance 

from Fr. Loeffler and his Iraqi gardeners, 

became one of the most attractive 

sights in the city. The enrollment, 

slow in the beginning, made 

rapid strides, and the facilities were 

taxed to the limit. As in Baghdad 

College, the athletic program and 

the wide and varied offering of activities 

made for a pleasant and relaxed 

atmosphere. AI-Hikma alumni who 

entered business or pursued graduate 

studies testified to the academic excellence 

of the university. 

At the Za’afarania campus the 

College of Engineering Al Hikma University 1965 

first graduation was held in June 

1960. Major General Abdul Karim 

Qasim, the Prime Minister of the 

Republic, delivered a talk and presented 

the diplomas. More than 

1000 people attended; among those 

present were the chief officers of the 

new revolutionary government and 

members of the Diplomatic Corps. 

AI-Hikma quickly attained a 

certain academic, moral, and social 

stature which made it a positive influence 

for good in many ways. It 

enjoyed a high reputation in both 

governmental and non-governmental 

circles, for academic excellence, 

integrity, and service. If this were 

not so, AI-Hikma would not have 

survived the situation which resulted 

from the June 1967 war between Israel 

and the Arab states. At that time 

emotions ran high, and a singularly 

bitter wave of anti-American feeling 

swept the Arab world and filled the 

Arab media. 

In response to American support 

of Israel, AI-Hikma became the special 

object of attack by certain “concerned” 

writers in some Baghdad 

Arabic newspapers, and was alleged 

to be an enemy of the Arabs, a nest 

of spies and agents of the CIA. 

The Iraqi government was called 

upon to take over AI-Hikma and 

Baghdad College. Throughout that 

anxious summer AI-Hikma benefited 

from the support and encouragement 

of many responsible Iraqis, in official 

as well as unofficial quarters. Applicants 

for registration were as numerous 

as ever, in fact AI-Hikma began 

the 1967 academic year with a substantial 

enrollment increase with 66 

students over the previous year. 

The expulsion 

Ignatian education, which began in 

1547, is committed to the service 

of faith, of which the promotion of 

justice is an absolute requirement. 

Because of this, both Jesuit and lay 

educators in Jesuit schools have 

been a thorn in the side of tyrants 

for more than four centuries. Jesuits 

were often dismissed from countries 

and frequently involved in awesome 

controversies. 

Such is the skeleton history of the 

Jesuits in Baghdad. They were not 

missionaries in the classical sense of 

the term, and they rarely preached 

at all. Baghdad was referred to by 

some as a fruitless waste of men and 

money; others called it a mission of 

faith to underline the lack of concrete 

consolations and accomplishments. 

But these were the judgments 

of “outsiders,” people who had not 

experienced the myriad fascinations 

of Baghdad and Baghdadis. They had 

no knowledge of the impact Jesuits 

made on students as well as their 

families, Muslim as well as Christian. 

Jesuits also impacted Baghdad 

society. The opportunities provided 

to make contributions in education 

were many and the response of the 

Jesuits was praiseworthy. The development 

of an English program especially 

geared to Arabic speaking students 

was one instance; a course in 

religion tailored to Iraqi Christians 

was another. 

Most fascinating was the case of 

Fr. Guay, who turned his side interest 

in architecture to a full-time occupation. 

He designed and executed 

the construction of most of the 

buildings on campus. The two Jesuit 

campuses were designed as low cost, 

functional architecture reflecting the 

periods of Iraqi history from Babylon 

up through the Muslim period. The 

Jesuit impact certainly went beyond 

the walls of the two schools. 

It is hard for a foreigner to blend 

fully into a different culture, but 

the attempt was made and was appreciated. 

Fr. Richard McCarthy 

became one of the well-known Arabic 

preachers in the Christian community 

and established a reputation 

for his education in Muslim theology 

among the learned men in Iraq. 

Perhaps it can all be summed up 

by the fact that the Iraqis are a happy 

and hospitable people, frank, warm, 

and forthright in expressing appreciation 

as well as disapproval. 

The Jesuits had overcome, in 

part, their foreign origin and had 

identified with the church in Iraq 

and with the Iraqi educational system. 

However, there was always the 

awareness that at any time the Jesuits 

might be asked to leave as they were 

guests of the Iraqi government. Each 

year they had to renew their permits 

for residence in Iraq, and every wave 

of anti-American feeling which blew 

across the Middle East was a threat to 

CULTURE continued on page 34

CULTURE & HISTORY 

Lawrence Kajy 

Attorney at Law 

HURT IN A 

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CULTURE continued from page 33 

their continued existence. 

It was enjoyable to work in Baghdad 

although there were problems, 

springing mostly from the limits 

which came from being a foreigner. 

The Jesuits could serve the Christian 

poor, but the Muslim poor were beyond 

their reach. The Jesuits tried to 

foster social responsibility and be cautious 

not to enter the area of politics. 

Iraq’s public and private education 

started shifting after the 1958 coup 

that overthrew the constitutional, 

pro-western monarchy, and has been 

in decline ever since, with competing 

philosophies about testing and methods 

falling in and out of favor. 

Meanwhile, Jesuit education 

from 1932-1958 and during the turbulent 

years 1959-1968 maintained 

its consistent stance based on faith 

and integrity, educational rigor, and 

character building. 

The revolution of 1958 and each 

subsequent revolution was a crisis of 

sorts. Each succeeding government 

studied the question of “foreign” 

schools; every time, Baghdad College 

and AI-Hikma University were 

judged beneficial to the country and 

their work went on - until the traumatic 

crisis of June 1967, when the 

Israelis took over Arab territory and 

displaced more Palestinian refugees. 

The wave of anti-American feeling 

reached new intensity because of the 

United States’ stance in the area, 

and it became clear that the continued 

presence of American Jesuits was 

more tenuous than ever. 

For a time, it seemed that the Jesuits 

would weather this crisis as they 

had prior crises. School and work 

went on for another year, until a new 

revolution brought to power a socialist 

government interested in controlling 

all private education. 

The government decreed that it 

would run the administration of AI- 

Hikma while the Jesuits continued 

to teach. The Jesuits accepted the 

proposal and attempted to work in 

the new framework, at least for a few 

months until an extremist element 

in the government decreed their expulsion 

from Iraq in November 1968. 

A year later, the American Jesuits at 

Baghdad College were ordered to 

leave by the same group. 

The Jesuits left behind their modest 

monument - a secondary school, a 

university, some thousands of graduates, 

a handful of Iraqi Jesuits, and a 

wealth of good will and love. To be 

uprooted so quickly and curtly without 

explanation or excuse was not 

easy. Several of the sixty Jesuits expelled 

in 1968-1969 had spent over 

twenty years in Baghdad and had 

thought of nothing of living, working, 

and even dying in the country. 

By simple decree, those plans were 

voided. 

That war of 1967, which was 

supposed to solve the problems of 

the area, only increased them and 

spawned new ones. The world took 

sides after so many years of neutrality, 

and the Jesuit College and University, 

which had seemed to blend 

into the surroundings so well, now 

became a foreign element in the eyes 

of some Iraqis. The years of devotion, 

service, and proven sympathy could 

not negate the origins of the Jesuits. 

And so, the Jesuits were sent off as 

quietly as they had arrived. 

The expulsion was a disappointment 

and a shock of sorts, but it was 

not unexpected, it was a constant 

possibility during the 37 years the 

Jesuits worked in Iraq. All things 

are passing and the usefulness of the 

American Jesuit contribution to Iraq 

was nearing its end. 

It is difficult for a foreigner to play 

an active role in the process of politicization 

and nationalization now 

gripping so many of the developing 

countries. Without regretting the 

past or prejudging the future, the Jesuits 

think the time has come for new 

forms and different accents. 

Legacy reunions 

Over the past years, many Iraqi graduates 

moved to America, Canada, 

and Europe and have held ten extraordinary 

reunions with their former 

Jesuit teachers, the most recent 

of which attracted 1,400 people. Reunions 

of graduates of both Baghdad 

College and Al-Hikma University 

continue to be held bi-annually. 

At these gatherings, graduates discuss 

how they can pass on to their own 

children the system of values they have 

received. They appreciate the fact that 

the quality of their lives has been enriched. 

Their compassion for others 

has deepened and they value the spiritual 

dimension of life. The major concern 

of these men and women, some 

of whom are now American citizens, is 

how to serve others. 

Injustice and loss of an 

educational opportunity 

The Jesuits went to Baghdad in 1932 

and started two large schools, Bagh- 


dad College and Al-Hikma University, 

where Christians and Jews 

worked, studied, and played together 

harmoniously. 

Although initially suspicious, the 

Muslims came to admire the Jesuits 

for their dedication and persistence. 

They were impressed that the Jesuits 

held their posts during the shortlived 

pro-Nazi occupation of Baghdad 

during World War II and during 

the 1967 June war with Israel when 

the American Embassy closed and all 

other Americans fled. 

In both cases, indeed over that 

37-year period, the Iraqi people supported 

and encouraged the Jesuits in 

their educational work. The support 

of these warm and generous Iraqi people 

contrasted with the indifference 

toward the Jesuit work displayed by 

our own American Embassy in Iraq. 

In 1968, the Baathi coup d’état 

brought about the demise of the 

Jesuit schools. The Baathi socialist 

party moved quickly, closing not 

only the Jesuit schools but also all 

private schools in Iraq, just as the 

Syrian Baathi government had done 

a decade before. 

The only ones to come to the 

defense of the Jesuits were the Iraqi 

Muslim professors from the University 

of Baghdad. They pleaded in vain 

with Iraq’s new Baathi president: 

“You cannot treat the Jesuits this 

way: they have brought many innovations 

to Iraqi education and have 

enriched Iraq by their presence.” 

Nevertheless, the Baathi socialist 

government ordered the Al-Hikma 

Jesuits out of the country in November 

of 1968. Hundreds of students 

came to the airport to bid them farewell, 

despite threats to their wellbeing 

that were indeed carried out by 

Baathi party members. 

In August of 1969, the Jesuits of 

Baghdad College were also banished 

from Iraq. Both schools were taken 

over and all fifteen major buildings, 

including two libraries and seven 

modern laboratories, were confiscated 

by the Baathi party. 

The most interesting part of the 

Baghdad Jesuit adventure does not 

concern buildings or huge campuses 

but concerns rather the students, 

their families, the Jesuits, and their 

colleagues. It was the people involved 

who made the mission such a 

happy memory, since there was much 

interaction between young American 

Jesuits and youthful Iraqi citizens 

and their families. 

Much more than other Jesuits in 

their American schools, the “Baghdadi” 

Jesuits entered the family lives 

of their students frequently and intimately 

through home visits, celebrated 

Muslim and Christian feast 

days as well as myriad social events 

together, both happy and sad. Jesuits 

found the Iraqi students warm, hospitable, 

humorous, imaginative, receptive, 

hardworking, and appreciative 

of educational opportunities. The 

Iraqis found the Jesuits happy, funloving, 

intelligent, and dedicated. 

In the recent past, great attention 

has again been paid to the Baghdad 

mission by the New England province, 

who made major investments 

of manpower, money, equipment, 

and prayers. 

After the American invasion of 

Iraq in 2003, some Iraqis asked, “When 

are you Jesuits returning to Baghdad?” 

The sad fact is that of the original 145 

Jesuits, few are still alive. Likely Jesuits 

from some province certainly will return 

because a place so important to 

Islam as well as to Christianity cannot 

be ignored for very long. 

Reflecting on their work over 

the past 37 years, the Jesuits feel it 

was all very worthwhile and they are 

grateful to the many benefactors who 

made their work possible. It was an 

investment of men and of money 

in the process of human development. 

The yield has been great if one 

measures results in terms of human 

growth, love and understanding. 

The Jesuits may have vanished 

from Iraq, but still have no closure. 

They have been trying to keep landmarks 

of their former lives in Iraq, 

arguing that their memorabilia is of 

historic interest and huge value to 

the rest of the Iraqi people. While 

Iraqis themselves are increasingly 

acknowledging the selfless loyalty 

of the Jesuits, the blocking of their 

return to Iraq rubs salt into the 

wound, adding yet another injustice 

to a very long list. 

What form the future mission will 

take? We leave it to the Holy Spirit, 

who took the Jesuits to Baghdad in 

the first place. One thing is clear — 

the Jesuit mission to Iraq that ended 

in 1969 was a great loss to Iraq, its 

younger generations, and its educational 

system. 

The history of the Jesuit mission in Iraq 

has been chronicled by the Rev. Joseph 

MacDonnell, S.J., late of Fairfield 

University, in his book Jesuits by the Tigris. 

Special editing by Jacqueline Raxter 

and Dave Nona. 

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ECONOMICS & enterprise 

Restaurant Reboot 

The economics of staffing 


For restaurant owners, the Omicron 

variant of COVID-19 is 

yet another blow to the return 

of a healthy dining-out economy. 

Things were getting under control, 

with a fair vaccination rate and the 

gradual ease of mask mandates — 

and just like that, we are back in the 

thick of things. 

Since March of 2020, when the 

World Health Organization (WHO) 

declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, 

an estimated 3,000 Michigan 

restaurants have gone out of business, 

according to the Michigan Restaurant 

and Lodging Association (MRLA). 

It is just too difficult to balance 

money going out for rent and payroll 

with too little money coming in from 

patrons, who are also having to deal 

with higher costs for food, an effect of 

higher transportation costs and supply 

chain breakdowns. When will it end? 

Blake George 

Zeana Attisha 

Struggling to survive 

Last year, University of Michigan 

economists warned that the state was 

on a two-track recovery and said lowincome 

workers in the leisure 

and hospitality and restaurant 

industries would see job losses 

persist. The economists said 

jobs in those industries — 

after plunging by more than 

30% at the start of the pandemic 

— have come back, 

but still remain 10% below 

their pre-pandemic level. 

Zeana Attisha, owner of 

Sahara Restaurant and Grill in Oak 

Park and Sahara Restaurant and 

Banquet Center in Sterling Heights, 

has unquestionably went through 

turbulent times in the last two years. 

“2020 was a roller-coaster ride of 

regulations from the State and Health 

Departments,” Attisha stated in an 

interview. “Mask mandates, carry-out 

only, no banquets allowed, temperature 

checks, limiting numbers of people 

at each table, and requiring social 

distancing definitely made it tough to 

work. Even collecting names from patrons 

was not an easy task.” 

The spate of regulations that restaurants 

had to abide by were extensive, 

but they had no choice if they 

wanted to remain open. Even with 

that, thousands struggled beyond endurance. 

“The relief package of PPP 

(Paycheck Protection Plan) for employees 

and the Restaurant Revitalization 

Fund did help pay the costs of 

continuing operations, but we watched 

fellow restaurants struggle. Some even 

closed their doors,” laments Attisha. 

“My restaurants were debt-free 

and are now in debt to the 

SBA (Small Business Association) 

because of the need for 

emergency funding.” 

Food costs have increased 

tremendously, and wages are 

going up. For Blake George, 

founder of Crown Jewel Investments, 

a key investor in 

the Adachi and Zao Jun Restaurants, 

understanding is key. “We 

are in a competitive market, where we 

need to pay competitive wages,” said 

George in an interview. “We have 

been blessed that our restaurants are 

in high-demand areas where booking 

reservations hasn’t been an issue.” 

Motivating workers 

George is grateful for his employees 

as well as his patrons. “Many people 

in the hospitality industry took time 

off to change their career paths,” said 

George. “It has been a struggle to 

staff properly, which puts extra stress 

on your current team.” 

George and his partners offer a referral 

incentive to all employees and 

give motivational bonuses as well. 

The entire approach is team focused. 

“The best training is done by learning 

from others,” he explained. That 

extra spirit is reflected in the size of 

their tips. “Our tip average is 25%,” 

said George, “Our customers appreciate 

people showing up to work and 

reward them because of it.” 

Attisha says the biggest obstacle in 

the restaurant and banquet industry 

currently is finding employees. “Once 

the dining rooms were open, we had 

a difficult time getting servers back 

to the workplace,” she shared. “We 

are looking for servers and cooks and 

even a bartender.” Cooks are hard to 

find for specialty restaurants such as 

Sahara, which serves ethnic Middle 

Eastern fare. “We are willing to pay 

more and train cooks,” Attisha said, 

“Everyone has received a raise.” 

According to the National Restaurant 

Association, 75% of employers 

reported that recruiting employees 

was their top challenge of 2021. 89% 

of Michigan operators say their current 

staffing level is lower than it would be 

in the absence of COVID-19. The report 

goes on to state that the restaurant 

and hospitality sector have one of the 

highest levels of unfilled job openings 

of any industry. 

Supply chain issues 

Everyone is talking about supply 

chain issues, especially around the 

holidays. “Every week,” says George, 

“it’s something new. We source a lot 

of our ingredients from overseas, and 

whether it’s a labor issue (no fishermen), 

logistics issue (no drivers), or 

packaging issue (no plastic), we see 

delay or shortage with items and 

availability in general.” 

For Attisha, it could be an even 

bigger problem. Sahara in Detroit is 

in full construction, but they are experiencing 

a surplus of supply chain 

issues. “Contractors are delayed as 

are deliveries,” she said in an interview. 

“This has a domino effect on 

the job of every contractor hired.” 

Throughout 2021, Sahara was at 

times unable to offer certain menu 

items such a quail and chicken wings. 

Prices increased on these items as 

well as on carryout supplies such as 

boxes and trays. “We are using multiple 

sources, “says Attisha,” and they 

are all much more expensive.” 

Some may suggest raising the 

prices to meet demand or charging 

extra for packaging, which some dining 

establishments have implemented. 

Sahara has no such plans. “How 

do we raise prices every time supply 

costs go up?” asks Attisha. “Redoing 

menus costs thousands of dollars and 

additional stress.” 

Moving forward 

For restaurant owners and operators, 

tipping is key. “Patrons must realize 

it’s not just the wait staff serving 

them,” said Attisha. “When a person 

goes out to eat, they don’t have to 

buy groceries, prepare the food, clean 

the kitchen, cook, or wash their own 

dishes.” It’s the convenience you are 

paying for, as much as the meal. 

Convenience is going to be even 

more crucial as restaurants adapt to 

life post-COVID. The National Restaurant 

Association reports that 52% 

of adults would like to see restaurants 

incorporate more technology to make 

ordering and paying easier. They enjoy 

being able to order alcoholic beverages 

“to go” and want to see that continue. 

More than half have changed 

their restaurant use due to COVID, 

with nearly 20% of the respondents 

forgoing dining out altogether. 

As we move into the winter 

months and the Omicron variant 

spreads across the nation, we would 

be wise to keep precautions; however, 

it is still possible to support your local 

restaurants and eateries, even if it’s 

only takeout. And keep tipping those 

servers – it is a vital part of keeping 

servers and bussers on the job. 



DOCTOR is in 

Protect Yourself Against the Flu 

During fall and winter, 

when you feel 

yourself coming 

down with a runny nose 

and fever, you might wonder 

if you are sick with the 

flu. Understanding the flu, 

how it spreads, and its key 

symptoms will enable you 

to recognize if you are sick 

and reduce the risk of getting 

sick. 

The flu, short for influenza, 

is a contagious respiratory 

infection caused by the influenza 

virus. There are two main types of 

influenza virus: influenza A and influenza 

B. Every year nearly 3 million 

people in the U.S. suffer from 

the flu. In the U.S., the flu season 

mostly occurs in the fall and winter 

and peaks between December and 

February. The impact of the influenza 

virus on your body varies from 

mild illness to death. Those most 

DR. JULIE KADO 

SPECIAL TO THE 

CHALDEAN NEWS 

at risk for severe symptoms 

are people over the 

age of 65, newborns and 

young children, pregnant 

women, and people with 

chronic medical conditions 

like asthma, heart 

disease, diabetes, as well as 

the immunocompromised. 

The virus is easily 

spread from person to person 

mainly through coughing, 

sneezing or close 

contact. After you’re exposed, 

symptoms will appear about 1-4 

days later. People are contagious 

within 24 hours before the presentation 

of symptoms and while 

symptoms are still active. Most who 

get sick will likely recover after 1-2 

weeks. However, in some cases, the 

flu can lead to more serious complications 

like acute respiratory 

failure, prolonged hospitalization, 

or death. 

Symptoms you should know: 

• Fever and chills 

• Cough 

• Sore throat 

• Congestion 

• Runny nose 

• Muscle aches 

• Headaches 

• Fatigue 

If you think you have the flu, 

seek the advice of your primary care 

physician. Most likely, they will 

encourage you to rest, drink lots of 

fluids, and let your body fight the infection 

on its own. Tylenol and nonsteroidal 

anti-inflammatory medications 

can help with symptoms like 

fever and muscle aches. Oral antiviral 

medications are available but 

must be taken within 48 hours of 

the presentation of symptoms in 

order to be effective. The antiviral 

medication will not cure the flu, but 

it will shorten the length and severity 

of the illness. Antibiotics are not 

effective against viral infections, so 

they are not prescribed for the flu. 

If you want to avoid spreading 

the flu and dealing with its detriments, 

you should get your annual 

influenza vaccine. An influenza 

vaccine will help protect you from 

new flu strains circulating that year 

and lessen the severity of symptoms 

if you do get sick. The best time to 

get the vaccine is in the early fall so 

that the full protective effects will 

be available before peak flu season. 

The CDC recommends that everyone 

6 months or older should get 

an influenza vaccine every year 

to protect yourself and the people 

around you. Other ways to protect 

yourself and others from the flu include 

avoiding close contact, staying 

home when you are sick, covering 

your mouth and nose, washing 

your hands frequently, and avoiding 

touching your eyes, nose, or 

mouth. 


New Sales Requirements for JUUL Products 

Juul Labs, Inc. (“JLI”) has received authorization to sell JUUL Device and JUULpods. 

As part of its marketing order and sales and distribution restrictions, all JUUL retailers 

must commit to adopt Enhanced Access Controls (EAC) by November 9, 2021 and 

complete implementation and certification no later than March 9, 2022. 

EAC includes two requirements for every JUUL transaction: 

Advanced Age-Verification 

(ID Scanning) 

To ensure customers are of 

legal age, and that an ID is valid 

and not expired. 

Automated 

Product-Quantity Limits 

To ensure customers cannot 

buy in bulk to re-distribute 

to those under the legal age 

by automatically blocking 

transactions that exceed Juul 

Labs’ limits of 1 JUUL Device 

and/or 4 JUULpod Packs. 

How do I commit to EAC? 

Learn how to configure your POS system by visiting the 

Juul Labs Resource Center: https://www.juullabsretailer.com 

Contact the EAC Call Center: 1 (855) 780-7966 between 

9 AM to 9 PM ET 

Please reach out to your Juul Labs Representative if you have any questions. 

To combat underage use of JUUL products, Juul Labs is working with retailers 

across the U.S. to implement EAC within pre-existing point-of-sale system 

technology. Thank you for being a responsible retail partner and helping 

restrict underage access to JUUL products. 

This information is for retailer use only and is not for advertising or promotional purposes or 

intended for a consumer audience. 


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events 

2 

1 

Subdiaconate Ordination 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CHALDEAN DIOCESE 

On Sunday, December 5, the annual Diocesan “Day of Vocations,” the community 

celebrated as Namir Narra received his stole and was ordained to the 

subdiaconate—bringing him one step closer to ordination to the priesthood. The 

ceremony and Mass were celebrated by Bishop Francis Kalabat at Mar Addai 

Chaldean Church in Oak Park, Michigan. 

1. Subdeacon Namir receives a welcoming 

hug from Bishop Kallabat. 

2. During the ceremony, Subdeacon Namir 

processed in carrying a stole in his hands. 

3. Parishioners were excited to celebrate 

with the Subdeacon, who is scheduled to 

be ordained a priest in 2023. 

3 

1 

2 3 

Chamber Christmas Party 

PHOTOS BY DANY ASHAKA 

On Thursday, December 2, the Chaldean American Chamber held its annual Member Christmas 

Party at Regency Manor in Southfield. Sponsored by U.S. Ice, the festive occasion marked 

the opportunity for members to see each other, perhaps for the first time all year. 

1. Members checked in 

with Chamber staff in the 

Regency Manor lobby. 

2. Jim Manna volunteers 

for something as Keith 

Bunetta applauds his 

effort and Ban Manna 

laughs. 

3. The party featured a 

fantastic buffet featuring 

ethnic food from various 

cultures. 


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