JULY 2023

METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY VOL. 20 ISSUE VI JULY 2023
CITY
on
FIRE
THE 1967 RIOTS’
LONG SHADOW ON
DETROIT AND
ITS CHALDEAN
COMMUNITY
Featuring:
Chaldean Foundation’s
Iraq Mission Update
U.S. Resolution Supports
Iraqi Minorities
Aramaic Project
Preserves Language

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أكبر مكتب محاماة عربي وكلداني في
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نعيدك الى ماكنت عليه
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Attorney at Law
املحامي لورنس قاجي
877-KAJY-CARES / kajylaw.com
JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 3

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4 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY | JULY 2023 | VOL. 20 ISSUE VI
AP PHOTO
ON THE COVER
16 1967: City on Fire
The Detroit Riots and the
Chaldean community
By Cal Abbo
FEATURES
18 A Historic Recognition
Resolution supports minorities in Iraq
By Cal Abbo
20 Chamber Advocacy Pays Off
Liquor code amendment
By Cal Abbo
22 The Aramaic Project
Saving the ancient language
By Weam Namou
Congressman John Conyers encourages African Americans in Detroit’s riot area to go home.
16
24 Remembering Clarence Dass
By Christina Salem
26 Reinventing GG
It’s never too late for a second act
By Crystal Kassab Jabiro
DEPARTMENTS
6 From the Editor
A look back, the view forward
By Sarah Kittle
8 Foundation Update
Oakland University, Dance Class,
Little Scholars
9 Guest Column
Iraq Mission
By Mike Sarafa
10 Iraq Today
The Development Road
12 Religion
Chaldean Language Classes
By Michael Antoon
14 In Memoriam
Honoring our recently-lost
community members
30 Chaldean Pioneers
Jerry Yono
By Cal Abbo
34 Life Skills
Buying that first car
By Crystal Kassab Jabiro
36 Sports
Adrianna Kattoo’s special season
By Steve Stein
38 Family Time
Summer Road Trips
By Valene Ayar
40 Economics and Enterprise
In Banks We Trust
By Paul Natinsky
42 From the Archive
Chaldean Town Remembered
Photos submitted by Alexa Saffar
28 East Side Story
Bridging the divide
By Dr. Adhid Miri
32 Profile: Our Man in Blue
Sgt. Lamar Kashat
By Paul Natinsky
30
JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 5

PUBLISHED BY
Chaldean News, LLC
Chaldean Community Foundation
Martin Manna
EDITORIAL
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Sarah Kittle
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Cal Abbo
Michael Antoon
Valene Ayar
Crystal Kassab Jabiro
Sarah Kittle
Dr. Adhid Miri
Weam Namou
Paul Natinsky
Christina Salem
Mike Sarafa
Steve Stein
ART & PRODUCTION
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Alex Lumelsky
Dr. Adhid Miri
Nico Salgado
SALES
Interlink Media
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CLASSIFIEDS
Sana Navarrette
CONTACT INFORMATION
Story ideas: edit@chaldeannews.com
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Subscription and all other inquiries:
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Chaldean News
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Farmington Hills, MI 48334
www.chaldeannews.com
Phone: (248) 851-8600
For publishing consideration, please submit all
announcements and news items by the 15th day
of the month, prior to the month of publication.
The Chaldean News does not make revisions
to articles after publication unless there is a
security-related issue. Errors are published as
“Corrections” in subsequent issues.
Publication: The Chaldean News (P-6);
Published monthly; Issue Date: July 2023
Subscriptions: 12 months, $35.
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FROM THE EDITOR
A look back, the view forward
This month as we celebrate our country’s independence,
it is a good time for Americans
to reflect on where we came from as well as
where we are going. Many efforts are underway to
preserve Chaldean culture, and most visibly, the language.
Some call it “Chaldean Aramaic,” and others
call it “Sureth,” but what is indisputable is that the
language of our forefathers connects us to the past.
In the article “Chaldean Language Classes,” Michael
Antoon shares his personal experience in preserving
the words and dialect spoken by his ancestors.
Learning the language involves more than just
a textbook; in fact, Antoon emphasizes
SARAH KITTLE
EDITOR
IN CHIEF
Thanks to a generous grant from
Michigan Humanities, we are embarking
on a year-long quest to tell the Chaldean
community’s Michigan stories and
highlight their contributions to the state.
that the classes he instructs, offered by
St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church
in West Bloomfield, teach oral tradition
rather than written.
The Aramaic Project is another effort
to preserve history in the form of
language. Weam Namou shares her
knowledge of the purpose (to preserve
the pronunciation, vocabulary, and
syntax of Aramaic in the Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala)
and project (it has 7 parts).
This month’s issue includes a few profiles. Crystal Kassab
Jabiro writes about her friend GG, who has reinvented herself
(and inspired an article) at midlife. Contributing writer
Paul Natinsky offers a glimpse into the motivations of Sgt.
Lamar Kashat of the Sterling Heights Police Department,
and Cal Abbo writes about his grandfather, Jerry Yono, and
his incredible journey from Iraq to Southfield Funeral Home.
Cal also penned a couple of stories about the advocacy
work the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce is engaging
in, including an amendment to the Michigan liquor
code that should help retailers and a resolution introduced
at the federal level calling for international support of minorities
and indigenous communities in Iraq.
Mike Sarafa imparts his experience as part of the Iraq delegation
in the fall of 2022 and the initiatives that were born out
of that visit, Dr. Miri gives us his interpretation of the “Chaldean
divide,” and new writer Christina Salem
shares her personal revelations about
her cousin, the late Clarence Dass.
Family Time author Valene Ayar shares
some tips for saving your sanity while driving
with kids (HINT: keep them busy!) and
some fun activities to take part in. In our
new Life Skills section, Crystal Kassab Jabiro
gives tips for buying a car to new Americans.
The Economics and Enterprise article
by Paul Natinsky this month is about
banking, rising interest rates, and understanding
inflation. It is not an easy subject to discuss,
but our interviewees do it with aplomb.
In From the Archives, Remembering Chaldean
Town features photos submitted by readers like
you. We are looking for more of these submissions
for this and other projects.
Last (but not least), thanks to a generous grant
from Michigan Humanities, we are embarking on
a year-long quest to tell the Chaldean community’s
Michigan stories and highlight their contributions to
the state, using print, podcasts, and in-person events.
Stay tuned to hear more about this exciting project.
Sarah Kittle
Editor in Chief
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6 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

PUBLISHER'S CIRCLE
Introducing the
Publishers Circle
As the publication of record for Michigan’s
Chaldean community, the mission of the
Chaldean News is to preserve and archive
Chaldean heritage and history, and to tell the
ongoing story of Chaldean contributions to the
communities in which we live and work — in Michigan
and around the world.
Since being acquired by the Chaldean Community
Foundation in 2019, the Chaldean News has substantially
increased its readership and social media following,
introduced new digital and website content, and expanded
storytelling with the help of small grant funding.
The Publisher’s Circle initiative will empower community
members to provide major support for the Chaldean News and
its important mission. With the generous help of individuals
and organizations, together, we can ensure that this vital
resource continues to educate and connect the community,
while evolving to meet the needs of future generations.
The Chaldean News has ambitious plans which include
launching a CN app and continuing to expand into new
media such as radio and TV, all with the goal of preserving
our culture and telling the story of our people. You
can take part in helping to preserve your Chaldean
heritage by joining the Publisher’s Circle today.
Jibran “Jim” Manna
Martin and Tamara Manna
We are grateful for the generous and
continuing support of our community.
To learn more, visit chaldeannews.com
or contact us at 248-851-8600
Let’s grow the circle.
JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 7

FOUNDATION UPDATE
Members of the CCF Team pictured with Oakland University representatives.
Oakland University Visits the CCF
Representatives from Oakland University visited the CCF recently to learn more about
the projects and work done at the center. Open for discussion were ideas to strengthen
the current strategic partnership between Oakland University and the Chaldean Community
Foundation and future scholarship opportunities.
With the growing number of Chaldeans enrolling at Oakland University, the CCF is
looking to create more engagement between the community and the university.
For example, Oakland University alumnus (and proud Chaldean) Derek Dickow has
established a new scholarship fund this year to help support the education of young
Chaldeans attending Oakland University. For more information regarding this and
other scholarship opportunities, visit chaldeanfoundation.org/scholarship-program.
Stepping Up to Dance
As a new educational offering, the Chaldean Community Foundation
held traditional dance classes on June 7 and 14. Those in attendance
were able to learn four different styles of dance from instructors
Vinos Kassab and Raquel Orow. The diverse group included
everyone from young Chaldeans trying to learn and maintain their
own culture to a couple seeking to become competent at traditional
dances before their wedding celebration later this year.
Participants engaged in step-by-step and group instruction
as they learned about bagyie/peda, khigga yaqoora, chobi, and
gushiani traditional dances. Learning as a group was not only fun
but also helped to create confidence amongst the group and led to
the group picking up the steps very quickly. The goal of the pilot
program, supported by the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, is
to preserve the cultural dances performed during various celebrations
within the Chaldean, Assyrian, and Syriac communities.
Record Breaking Year
in Scholarships
For the first time in its program history, the Chaldean Community
Foundation Academic Scholarship Program is expected to
award more than $100,000 in scholarships to Chaldean students
for the upcoming school year. Since the program’s inception in
2016, the CCF has awarded more than $350,000 in scholarships.
“This is a major milestone in the scholarship program,” said
CCF president Martin Manna, “and it really shows the need for
financial assistance for a large portion of the community.” The
deadline to apply for the 2023 program is Friday, July 7 at 5PM.
Upcoming Events
August 10: Warren Consolidated Schools Back to School Event
August 17: Utica Community Schools Back to School Event
September 22: 5th Annual Awards Gala
Creating Future
Scholars
Thirty-six adorable preschoolers graduated
from the Little Scholars Program
at CCF on Monday, June 12. Katie
Geekie, the Department of Education
qualified teacher, led the graduates
who performed by singing and showing
off what they learned this year before
walking across the stage.
Each student was handed a certificate
of completion. The shared luncheon
was their “last hurrah” before many
of the students will head to kindergarten
or other learning opportunities in
the next school year. Parents received
some goodies and memorabilia from the
school year as well, ensuring the memories
from the program last a lifetime.
For more information regarding
our Little Scholars Program, contact
our office at 586-722-7253 or visit us at
3601 15 Mile Rd in Sterling Heights for
more information.
Little Scholars Program graduates are recognized at the June 12 ceremony.
8 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

GUEST COLUMN
Making Great Strides
Chaldean Community Foundation’s Iraq Mission
It was day two in
Iraq. We were still jet
lagged. Several in our
delegation were born in
Iraq but had never been
back. We stepped off the
van and into a tiny village
that appeared to be
unchanged from a couple
hundred years ago. While
modernity and progress
had passed it by, war and
destruction did not. Maybe
250 families live here, we were told.
It was the Christian village located
in the Nineveh Plain just a short mile
from Telkaif. For this group, it was
our first opportunity to see what had
become of our ancestral homeland.
Emotions were raw.
We boarded back on the van after
a short visit, anxious to head into
Telkaif before dusk. You could have
cut the silence with a knife. As tears
rolled down the eyes of these grown
men, it was then that we vowed to
turn this trip into more than a sightseeing
opportunity. Action was needed.
Arkan Jonna later stated, “[this]
must be seen and dealt with.”
Making good on a pledge that
was made that day, a fundraiser was
held at the home of Wissam and Efnan
Kashat, raising $35,000. Those
funds will support the construction
and furnishings of a workshop in the
town Batnaya, described above, that
will create jobs and help support a
small group of special needs children
and adults that live there.
“You can’t look at the situation of
these people and go home and forget
about it,” said Wissam Kashat, a delegation
member. “We wanted to make
sure we did something to help.”
Wissam relayed this story about
the evening at his home: The event
included a presentation, some short
talks, and a video regarding the
plight of Christians in the Nineveh
Plain. The hosts had hired some staff
to help with service and cleaning.
They were Chaldean and more recent
immigrants and were listening
and watching during the program.
MIKE SARAFA
SPECIAL TO
THE CHALDEAN
NEWS
At the end of the evening, the
Kashats went to pay for their
service. Having been moved
by what they heard and saw
and having themselves fled
that exact situation, they refused
to accept the money.
They asked that those funds
be donated to assist the people
back home.
Karamlesh is a small
Chaldean town, also in Iraq’s
Nineveh Plain, with a long
agricultural history. For centuries,
the town has been known for its fertile
lands, which have produced a
variety of crops such as wheat, barley,
and vegetables. However, due
to a lack of water supply, which is
required for irrigation, the town’s
agricultural output has declined in
recent years. The canal that irrigates
Karamlesh’s lands has been suffering
from a lack of water due to a variety
of factors, including low rainfall,
climate change, and water diversion
to other regions.
The town’s growth and prosperity
have been hampered by a lack of water.
Many farmers have been forced
to abandon their lands, causing the
town’s economy and overall wellbeing
to suffer. For years, residents
have been looking for a solution to
the water crisis, with little success.
Thanks to a generous $50,000 donation
from Michigan businessman
Chris Yatooma, and the efforts of retired
civil engineer Dave Nona, the
CCF’s Iraq Mission is going to spearhead
the building of a water well in
Karamlesh. “You can’t help but be
moved into action,” said Yatooma,
a delegation member and owner of
Citizen’s State Bank.
Several other initiatives borne
out of last fall’s trip to Iraq are being
spearheaded by the Foundation.
The Nineveh Plain Box Initiative
intends to let Iraqi Americans and
others subscribe to a quarterly program
where goods and merchandise
made in northern Iraq are shipped
to people’s homes here in the United
States. “It’s a win/win kind of program,”
said Tommy Haji with the CCF.
“Chaldeans here will receive items
from their ancestral homeland while
supporting small businesses there at
the same time.” It is modeled after a
program that does something similar
in partnership with the Holy Land.
Also, the CCF has partnered with
a travel agency to begin annual pilgrimages
to the Nineveh Plain region.
These trips promise to reconnect
Iraqi American immigrants
to their ancestral homeland while
also creating an opportunity for
American-born Chaldeans to visit
the birthplaces of their parents and
grandparents.
“All of these things are equally
important,” said Martin Manna,
president of the Chaldean Community
Foundation and Chaldean American
Chamber of Commerce. “But
amongst equals, these ongoing pilgrimages
will expose more people to
the situation on the ground in northern
Iraq. That will help create more
awareness and ultimately more resources
to continue our work there.”
Importantly, the Iraq Mission and
all the related projects are being supported
by the Chaldean Community
Foundation – Iraq Mission. This includes
two full-time staff people in
Iraq that oversee the Mission’s projects
and help ensure accountability
and progress. They will also be directly
involved in helping to host the
participants of the annual pilgrimages.
This entity is being legally formalized
and recognized in Iraq both
by the central government in Baghdad
and the by the Kurdish Regional
Government.
Finally, in an historic achievement,
through the encouragement
the Iraq Mission Committee of the
CCF, Congress has introduced a resolution
that will further the politics
necessary to achieve greater equality
inside Iraq for religious minorities.
It reads in part:
Resolved, That the United States
House of Representatives—
(1) protects and upholds that the
fundamental human right and dignity
of the religious and ethnic minority
communities of Iraq should be
a policy priority of the United States
and the international community;
(2) supports the restoration of
security, stability, and economic opportunity
of, as well as the safe, dignified,
and voluntary return of the
displaced Indigenous peoples to the
territories of Mosul, Baaj, Sinjar, and
the Nineveh Plain, and other ancestral
homelands of minority religious
and ethnic communities, and should
be a policy priority of United States
and the international community;
(3) supports the restoration of
homes, schools, churches and other
religious sites, and community buildings
of religious and ethnic minority
communities in these regions should
receive a specific and enduring budget
allocation by the Iraqi Government,
as well as continued support
from international aid donors;
(4) supports the effective representation
in consultation with members
of the Indigenous population,
including internally displaced members
of religious and ethnic minority
communities is essential to restoring
and upholding the rights of these
communities, in line with Article 125
of the Constitution of Iraq, which
states that the Constitution ‘‘shall
guarantee the administrative, political,
cultural, and educational rights
of the various nationalities, such as
Turkmen, Chaldeans, Assyrians, and
all other constituents, and this shall
be regulated by law’’; and
(5) supports greater regional integration
for minority groups in Iraq
and encourages the Secretary of State
to promote opportunities for affected
minority groups to achieve greater administrative
autonomy within the federal
structure of the Republic.
In conclusion, there is much work
to be done, but many hands (and
hearts) make the work lighter.
Mike Sarafa is one of the original
publishers of the Chaldean News
and host of a short-form podcast,
Mike’s Musings.
JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 9

IRAQ TODAY
IRAQI PARLIAMENT MEDIA OFFICE VIA AP
This photo from Iraqi parliament shows the Iraqi lawmakers attend a parliamentary session to vote on the federal budget at the parliament headquarters in
Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, June 11, 2023. Iraq’s parliament approved a record $152 billion budget for 2023 after months of wrangling over the sharing of oil
revenue between the central government in Baghdad and the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region in the north.
Iraq launches $17 billion road and rail
project to link Asia and Europe
BY TIMOUR AZHARI
Baghdad, May 27 (Reuters)
Iraq launched a $17 billion project
to link a major commodities port
on its southern coast by rail and
roads to the border with Turkey, in a
move designed to transform the country’s
economy after decades of war
and crisis.
The Development Road aims to tie
the Grand Faw Port in Iraq’s oil-rich
south to Turkey, turning the country
into a transit hub by shortening travel
time between Asia and Europe in a
bid to rival the Suez Canal.
“The Development Road is not
just a road to move goods or passengers.
This road opens the door to
development of vast areas of Iraq,”
Farhan al-Fartousi, director general
of the General Company for Ports of
Iraq, told Reuters.
Iraq’s government envisions
high-speed trains moving goods and
passengers at up to 300 kilometers
(186.41 miles) per hour, links to local
industry hubs and an energy component
that could include oil and gas
pipelines.
It would mark a significant departure
from the country’s existing
aged transport network.
Iraq’s train service currently operates
a handful of lines, including
slow oil freight and a single overnight
passenger train that trundles
from Baghdad to Basra, taking 10 to
12 hours to cover 500 kilometers.
The Grand Faw Port, which was
devised over a decade ago, is halfway
to completion, Fartousi said.
Passenger transport between Iraq
and Europe harkens back to grand
plans at the turn of the 20th century
to create a Baghdad to Berlin express.
“We will make this line active
again and tie it to other countries,”
Fartousi said, noting plans to ferry
tourists and pilgrims to Shiite holy
sites in Iraq and Mecca in Saudi Arabia
for the Haj pilgrimage.
The project was announced at a
conference aimed at courting Arab
interest, including from Arab Gulf
states, Syria and Jordan. A senior
government aide said regional investment
was on the table.
Promises of development are
long-standing in Iraq but infrastructure
remains decrepit even as
the government of Prime Minister
Mohammed Shia al-Sudani makes a
push to rebuild roads and bridges.
But officials say the Development
Road is based on something new: a
period of relative stability since late
last year that they hope can be maintained.
If work starts early next year, the
project would be completed in 2029,
Fartousi said.
“Even if Iraq was absent for a year
or two or a decade or two, it must return
one day or another. Hopefully
these days are the beginning of the
return of Iraq,” he said.
10 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

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A TTORNEYS & C O UNSELORS AT LAW
Preserving our beautiful language
is the responsibility of
every person who has been
blessed to be born into our Chaldean
culture. The language is being spoken
less and less in homes and is becoming
exclusive to the older generation.
What a shame it would be for our thriving
community in Michigan to allow
our language to die!
Thankfully the Chaldean Diocese of
St. Thomas the Apostle U.S.A. has begun
taking the initiative to preserve the
language by creating course material.
The language course is designed to be a
guideline to learn, speak, and pass down
the language for generations to come.
The curriculum “Let’s Learn How to
Speak Chaldean - Level 1” was created
by Shamasha Khairy Foumia and Lina
Yaldo for the Chaldean Diocese. This
book introduces the spoken Chaldean
language using English letters and
characters. The curriculum consists
of six chapters—Introduction, Calendar,
School, Family, Descriptions, and
Food—with five lessons in each. There
are also three extra lessons on Christmas,
Easter, and Prayers.
This specific curriculum (Level 1)
was designed and intended for children
of younger ages, but it could be
used as an introductory course for
people of all ages who are interested
in learning how to speak the language.
The book features pictures and is full
color to enhance interaction with the
course material. Each chapter and
lesson has its own learning objective,
with the material on the first page and
approximately three pages of in-class/
homework activities that follow.
This book is the first of its kind because
it has successfully provided the
outline to learn our spoken Chaldean
language without the need to know the
written language. I hope that this first
level of speaking classes plants the seed
in students’ hearts to return and learn
more as more levels are being developed.
In March of 2023, St. Thomas Chaldean
Catholic Church in West Bloomfield
began the first session of their Level
1 Chaldean Speaking Classes. The program
was led by Shamasha Khairy Foumia
and myself, Michael Antoon, with
the support of nine other great teachers:
Lina Yaldo, Andre Yono, Travis Kajy,
Sarmad Hanna Kachal, Sara Kaskorkis,
Zachary Yono, Seminarian Yousif
Habeeb, Hailey Odish, and Patrick Kakos.
The program was also supported
by Father Stephan Kallabat, who made
many appearances and shared many encouraging
messages with our students.
The original plan of the class was
to have two classes with one teacher
in each, but after seeing the demand
from the community, it was evident we
would need to accommodate more. By
the grace of God, we found amazing
teachers and were able to open 4 different
levels of classes. These were split by
grades 2-5, 6-8, 9-12, and age 18 and up.
Still, as the days to the first class
approached the sign-ups kept coming,
which brought the need for 3 separate
classes of elementary kids alone. By
the beginning of the classes, we had
almost 150 students split among six
classes. Wow! Never did I expect such
a turnout. I saw parents and students
with a zeal for themselves and/or their
children to learn our mother tongue.
After the 10-week course ended
this past June, the elementary, middle,
and high school classes had a party to
celebrate their great accomplishment.
Each student also received a signed certificate
of completion. We plan to hold
the next session of this class in the fall.
Keep an eye on the St. Thomas social
media pages for more information.
Michael Antoon serves Chaldean and
English Masses in the Diocese and reads
and writes Aramaic (Chaldean). He is
a part of the Chaldean Voice Radio as
well as a writer for the Chaldean News.
His passion is preserving the Chaldean
language and church liturgy.
Other sources for learning
the Chaldean language
include Classical Aramaic by
Fr. Michael Bazzi & Dr. Rocco
Errico, Preserving the Chaldean
Language by Roy Gessford, and
Mango Languages’ Chaldean
Aramaic course, created in
conjunction with the Chaldean
Community Foundation.
12 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

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JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 13

IN MEMORIAM
Hanna
Shamoon Taan
Jul 1, 1941 –
May 22, 2023
Habeeba
Hesano
Jany 10, 1925 –
May 23, 2023
Hayat Elias
Fattohi Karam
Nov 15, 1931 –
May 23, 2023
Zahia Hanna Putrus
Kas-Shamoun
Feb 6, 1958 –
May 23, 2023
Saad Nissan Yono
Dec 2, 1951 –
May 25, 2023
Essam Erimya
Namou
Jul 1, 1960 –
May 25, 2023
Oliver “Ollie”
Khadher
Aug 15, 1990 –
May 27, 2023
Benyamin
Shamona Alsindi
Nov 9, 1938 –
May 28, 2023
Haifaa Jameel –
Yousif Qajee
Jul 1, 1955 –
May 28, 2023
Faiza Faraj
George
Jul 7, 1958 –
Jun 1, 2023
Touma Oraha
Korail
Jul 1, 1948 –
Jun 1, 2023
Bassmi
Hermiz Yako
Jul 1, 1934 –
Jun 1, 2023
Nazhat
Mansour Abbo
Jul 1, 1933 –
Jun 2, 2023
Kamil Maroke
(Yelda Jadan)
Jul 1, 1934 –
Jun 3, 2023
Rafie Yousif Jamil
Jan 22, 1951 –
Jun 5, 2023
Andy Sanawye
Jan 17, 1982 –
Jun 6, 2023
Sabah Zia Shunia
Mar 15, 1940 –
Jun 9, 2023
Baso Toma Saka
Jul 1, 1941 –
Jun 10, 2023
Mary Kinaya
Khames
Jun 15, 1943 –
Jun 11, 2023
Amira Hormiz
Shabilla
Jul 1, 1949 –
Jun 11, 2023
Eshmail Shaba
Jul 1, 1957 –
Jun 12, 2023
Habiba Hady
Halata
Jul 1, 1937 –
Jun 12, 2023
Moukhles
Al – Tawil
Jan 10, 1945 –
Jun 13, 2023
Kamal Mousa
Shamo Allos
Aug 4, 1950 –
Jun 13, 2023
Jolit Daoud Garmo
Mar 20, 1949 –
Jun 13, 2023
Youhanna
Hanna Mazi
Jul 1, 1941 –
Jun 14, 2023
Sharif Abdulahad
Shango
Jul 1, 1943 –
Jun 14, 2023
Intisar Jirjis –
Abboo Aldaimi
Jul 1, 1945 –
Jun 15, 2023
Randy Raymond
Asker
Apr 24, 1974 –
Jun 17, 2023
Senaa Dallo
Jan 26, 1958 –
Jun 18, 2023
Mark Sami
Shakkuri
Jul 16, 1982 –
Jun 18, 2023
Sarah Yousif
Hermiz Abaya
Aug 8, 1934 –
Jun 19, 2023
Issam Ghanim
Pattah
Apr 15, 1967 –
Jun 20, 2023
Shamasha Farouk
Dawood Samona
Nov 16, 1947 –
Jun 21, 2023
Jelbart
Joseph Dado
Jun 14, 1980 –
Jun 22, 2023
14 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 15

COVER STORY
1967: City On Fire
The 1967 Riots’ long shadow on Detroit
and its Chaldean Community
BY CAL ABBO
Plant, located in Warren, produced
more tanks than the entire country of
Germany during the war years. To do
so, Chrysler fused together five six-cylinder
engines they had been using in
their pre-war cars. Among other things,
General Motors produced 120 million
artillery shells, 200,000 artillery shells,
13,000 navy planes, 38,000 tanks,
854,000 trucks, 3.8 million electric motors,
and 198,000 diesel engines.
In this July 23, 1967 file photo, a man is taken into custody by police during the riots that engulfed the city for five
days. Many Chaldean-owned businesses were affected.
“
All I remember is the sound
of gunshots. I was swiftly
snatched up by my mom,”
recalled Carrie Davis, who lived
through the Detroit Riots of 1967 as a
child. “That was only the beginning
of what would be a nightmare. Fire
would later fill the skies … and the
loud buzz and smell of burning electric
wire [was] all around us.”
In many ways, the Detroit Riots of
1967 represent a turning point for the
city. At the time, few could see into
Detroit’s future. Distorted memories
of life before the summer of ‘67 offer
a nostalgic glimpse into what the
city was and a painful image of what
it could have been. Recollections
of the riots offer a chance to see the
moments that tore Detroit apart, a
city pushed to the brink by economic
stagnation in a changing world, a
hostile police force, and a downtrodden
minority population.
The Rise of Detroit: A Brief History
Driven by exponential growth in the
automotive industry and the factory
hands it required, Detroit doubled its
population in the 1910s and served
as the fourth most populous city in
the United States. By 1930, it nearly
cracked the list of the top-10 biggest
cities worldwide. At that point, Detroit
was home to nearly three times
as many residents as it is now. The
key innovation in Detroit’s industrial
boom was the scalable manufacture of
large machines by an unskilled labor
force. This attracted many immigrants,
including the city’s first Chaldeans.
Its crowning achievement, and one
that will last for centuries to come, is
Detroit’s miraculous contribution to
the Allied victory in World War II. Beginning
in 1942, Detroit ceased production
of all commercial automobiles and
converted its factories to building tanks,
jeeps, planes, ammunition, arms, and
much more for the war effort. The prime
challenge was to apply assembly-line
strategies to building war machines, a
feat that had yet to be accomplished.
The success of Detroit’s grand efforts
changed the course of history as we
vastly outproduced the opposition.
The Willow Run Bomber Plant built
nearly half of the B-24 planes ever
made. Ford and Willys-Overland built
a combined 660,000 military vehicles
originally called “blitz buggies.” These
cars were the first jeeps ever created
and the quality of the vehicle spawned
an entire brand of cars that enjoy extraordinary
popularity today.
Chrysler’s Detroit Arsenal Tank
PHOTO BY ALVIN QUINN/AP
The Chaldean Mark
Many of the first Chaldeans came to
Detroit to participate in the wave of
new labor joining the factory floors
of the newfound automobile industry.
The original Chaldeans came just after
the turn of the century and secured
jobs to send money home or eventually
bring their families to the States.
While some Chaldeans arrived in
Canada and Mexico in 1899 and 1901,
the first Chaldean in Detroit is probably
Zaia Acho, who arrived around 1912 and
started working for Ford. During WWI
and the Sayfo, a genocide of Assyrians,
Chaldeans, and Syriacs in the Middle
East, many more Chaldeans made the
journey. By 1925, there were about 35
Chaldeans in Detroit, and their families
began arriving at an exponential rate.
The Chaldean immigrants were
centralized in an area around 7 mile
and Woodward that would later become
known as “Chaldean Town.” The
community began to build around that
area, organizing churches, community
centers, restaurants, and many other
developments. As the older Chaldeans
became seasoned Americans, they
and their children began down an entrepreneurial
path and specialized in
the party store business. By 1923, there
were already four Chaldean stores in
the city. Today, about 60% of Chaldean
households own a business.
More and more Chaldeans came to
Detroit and sought employment within
their own community. It was intimidating
to go into the world and seek out
a job without knowing the language
of the new country. The original Chaldeans
were happy to employ newer immigrants
in their stores because of the
family ties and trust that was present
in those from the same villages. This
led to a compounding of knowledge on
how to run stores, and Chaldean families
looked to buy their own stores once
they had saved enough money.
16 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

A Great City Falls
In the decades prior to the Riots, the
process of decline slowly took root. A
combination of mild factors contributed
to the slow and steady decline of
the once-burgeoning city. Automotive
decentralization, which describes the
process by which the automotive industry
spread itself throughout metro
Detroit, was a key factor. Between 1945
and 1957, the “Big Three” auto companies
built twenty-five new plants
in suburban areas like Plymouth,
Madison Heights, Wixom, Livonia,
and Warren. Many lower-tier manufacturers
that supported the plants with
parts and machines relocated as well.
A particularly salient example is
that of Ford’s famous River Rouge complex.
According to historian Thomas
Sugrue, after its workers joined the
United Automobile Workers union
in 1941, Ford executives realized that
such a large and centralized plant left
the company increasingly vulnerable
to strikes. River Rouge workers were
known to be organized and racially
diverse. To diffuse union power and
reach new labor markets, Ford set up
parallel operations in the suburbs. By
1960, only 30,000 people worked at
Rouge, down from over 100,000 at its
peak in the 1930s. This was the beginning
of the end of automotive production
in the city of Detroit.
As Detroit’s population exploded
during WWII, it fell into a deep housing
crisis, especially for the people who
worked in its factories. The city’s Black
population bore the brunt of the hardship
as they were not welcome in many
neighborhoods and new housing developments.
Racial issues came to the
forefront of politics as segregation continued
to plague the city, which led to
white flight from the city to the suburbs.
In the early 1940s, the issue of segregation
became seriously escalated.
Frequent fights broke out over the racial
makeup of housing projects and
attempts to integrate factory work. In
June 1943, a fight and subsequent riot
broke out on Belle Isle in which 34
people died. This and similar events
changed many of the residents’ perspective
on the city.
White families relocated to the
suburbs because of their perception
that the city was becoming dangerous,
as well as the promise of a new life offered
by the spacious cities just outside
of Detroit. This created a self-fulfilling
prophecy: businesses followed
suit and moved out of the city, which
led to a more depressed and dangerous
Detroit.
The Black community, which slowly
gained a greater share of Detroit’s
population, was systematically disadvantaged
in housing, employment,
services, and infrastructure. Studies
show they paid nearly 40% more in
rent for the same units as Whites. Businesses
moved away from their neighborhoods,
and their housing units
faced neglect and fell into disrepair. At
the same time, the Black community
in Detroit gained a sense of pride and
purpose as a result of the growing Civil
Rights Movement.
The 1967 Detroit riots marked a
significant turning point for the Chaldean
community and the city as a
whole. Following these riots and the
decline of the automobile industry,
many of Detroit’s wealthier residents
and business owners left the city. This
exodus had a double effect on the
Chaldean community. First, it created
a vacuum that Chaldean businesses,
especially grocery stores, stepped in
to fill. White business owners fled
from the city and sold their destroyed
businesses to eager Chaldeans. At the
same time, Detroit would still never
fully recover from the damage accrued
during 1967.
After the ‘60s, the Chaldean community
remained resilient and continued
to play a significant role in the city’s
economy and social fabric, albeit under
more challenging circumstances. Many
Chaldeans who were able moved their
families to the suburbs but continued
to operate stores within the city.
The Riot and the Chaldean Experience
By the 1960s, race riots in urban areas
were infamous for destroying large
portions of cities. The Detroit Police
Department was largely seen by the
Black community as an abusive force
that singled out their community. On
the morning of July 23, 1967, cops raided
an after-hours club and arrested 85
people on 12th Street. A crowd began
to form, and someone threw bottles
at the police and their vehicles, who
retreated quickly. The damage was
done, however, and the riot only escalated
from there. In less than an
hour, thousands of people were on the
Throughout the three days of unrest, store owners did what they could to protect
their property: Signs with appeals for unity with their customers were the first
choice but rifles served as backup. Jerry Yono is wearing a white T-shirt, on the
right, with his late brother, Sam, to his left. Customer volunteers hold rifles.
streets, looting whatever they could.
Sharkey Hesano was in the National
Guard when the riots broke out.
He lived just three blocks from where
the riots began, and his family owned
a store that quickly succumbed to the
riot. “I got called in at 6 a.m.,” he said.
“We were bussed down to the police
headquarters by Greektown.”
Hesano and his crew were assigned
to protect critical infrastructure
like water treatment plants and power
stations. It was mostly boring, he said,
because rioters were focused on looting
retail stores. He and his fellow
service members walked perimeters
around these critical properties but
were never met with any resistance.
Perhaps the most surprising thing
for Hesano was his experience with
non-rioters. During a break, he would
go into a fast-food joint to refuel. He
found that all the customers were
endlessly thankful for his service and
helping protect the city from the riots,
so much so that he never paid for his
own food.
The next day, Hesano was deployed
at the Jeffersonian Apartments, specifically
a bank on the lower level that the
government wanted to protect from
looters. During parts of his rotation, he
was stationed on the roof of the 30-story
building, overlooking the city on fire.
1967 continued on page 41
PHOTO BY LEE BALTERMAN
JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 17

FEATURE
A Historic Recognition
U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin introduces resolution to
support religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq
BY CAL ABBO
For centuries, Christian communities
in Iraq have served as
soft targets for other groups to
conquer. The evidence is laid out in
history books, generational memories,
and the stories of constant immigration
that leads to today’s diaspora.
The most recent enemy, known to
the world as the Islamic State (ISIS),
was one of the most evil our community
has experienced. As noted in U.S. Rep.
Elissa Slotkin’s resolution, ISIS committed
countless atrocities against ethnic
and religious minorities in Iraq and
elsewhere. Murder, subjugation, forced
conversion, kidnapping, human trafficking,
torture, rape, and destruction
of ancient artifacts are only some of the
crimes committed against Chaldeans
and other Christians in the region.
ISIS looted and destroyed many
Chaldean villages after its invasion began
in the summer of 2014. Fortunately,
many residents were warned and fled before
ISIS arrived. Still others were killed
or kidnapped. This left a sizable refugee
population, and even after the defeat of
ISIS in late 2017, few have returned to
their dilapidated and destroyed towns.
Efforts by the international community
and the diaspora to rebuild the
destroyed areas are rapidly expanding,
but many Chaldeans would rather
forget the old way of life and move to a
safe city like Erbil or a different country
altogether. Without the continuing
support of the Iraq government, these
old towns will fall off the map or become
repurposed and their ancient
treasures will die with them.
Empty villages have since become
the favorite target of land grabbers trying
to abuse the precarious situation
of Christians. They don’t expect these
indigenous populations to return to
their homes, and current policy is only
aiding this way of thinking.
That’s why Rep. Slotkin, whose 7th
congressional district includes Lansing
and extends as far East as South Lyon,
introduced the resolution to address
18 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023
Elissa Slotkin speaks at the 20th Annual CACC Awards Dinner on April 28, 2023.
various Christian communities and call
for Iraq to create an ongoing fund dedicated
to rebuilding their towns.
“Michigan’s vibrant Chaldean
community has a long history in our
state, which is why I met with Chaldean
leaders in Iraq last fall as part of
a Congressional Delegation to the Middle
East,” Slotkin said in a statement
to the Chaldean News. “I took what I
learned back to D.C. and that’s why I’m
introducing a resolution to uphold the
human rights and dignity of religious
G:\M\18\SLOTKI\SLOTKI_017.XML
and ethnic minorities in Iraq.”
Slotkin said it’s critical for U.S. policy
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
to support the security, stability, integration,
and political representation of various
minority groups including Yezidis,
Turkmen, Shabak, Sabaean-Mandeans,
Kaka’i, and indigenous Christians.
The resolution recognizes that
these communities “have been an integral
part of the cultural fabric and
history of Iraq and the broader Middle
East for millennia … internally displaced
members of these religious and
ethnic minority communities continue
to face significant challenges to returning
to their ancestral homelands.”
The resolution has five main points of
.....................................................................
(Original Signature of Member)
H. RES. ll
Affirming the nature and importance of the support of the United States
for the religious and ethnic minority survivors of genocide in Iraq.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Ms. SLOTKIN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on lllllllllllllll
RESOLUTION
Affirming the nature and importance of the support of the
United States for the religious and ethnic minority survivors
of genocide in Iraq.
action for the House of Representatives.
The fundamental human right and
dignity of the religious and ethnic minority
communities of Iraq should be a
policy priority of the United States and
the international community.
The restoration of security, stability,
and economic opportunity as well as
the safe return of displaced indigenous
peoples to their homeland should be a
policy priority of the United States and
the international community.
The restoration of homes, schools,
churches, and other religious sites and
community buildings should receive a
specific and enduring budget allocation
from the Iraqi Government as well
as continued support from international
aid donors.
The effective representation in the
government of indigenous populations,
including those who are displaced, is
essential to restoring and upholding
the rights of these communities.
The Secretary of State should support
greater regional integration for
minority groups in Iraq and promote
opportunities for affected minority
groups to achieve greater administrative
autonomy within the federal structure
of the Republic of Iraq.
For millennia, Christians in the
Middle East have lived under the rule of
someone else and have had to give up
control over their own lives. Rarely have
they been free from an overbearing influence,
whether it’s Persians, Parthians,
Sassanians, Islamic caliphates, Mongols,
Ottomans, the British, or the nation
of Iraq, these indigenous communities
have long struggled for independence.
The resolution’s call for greater administrative
autonomy is a challenge
to that history. Many efforts have been
made to create a government or nation
out of the minorities in northern Iraq
especially. After the Sayfo, a genocide of
Chaldeans and Assyrians in the Middle
East, and the end of WWI, indigenous
communities proposed a sovereign
Assyro-Chaldean nation in the North of
Iraq at the Paris Peace Conference, but
were neglected by the British empire
that gained control of the territory.
This was the most recent serious
effort to gain autonomy from a higher
power, however, new demands are being
made for administrative autonomy,
and this resolution only adds to those
voices.

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FEATURE
Chamber Advocacy Pays Off
Michigan reps introduce bills to amend liquor code
BY CAL ABBO
Legislators in the Michigan House
of Representatives have introduced
two bipartisan bills to
amend Public Act 58, which is widely referred
to as the liquor code. After months
of advocacy and planning by the Chaldean
American Chamber of Commerce
(CACC) on behalf of the Chaldean community’s
liquor store and supermarket
owners, the bills can finally be considered
by elected representatives.
For decades, the Chaldean community
has entrenched its position
in metro Detroit by selling liquor at
convenience stores and supermarkets.
The structure of these businesses
bodes particularly well for an immigrant
to raise their family and tap their
community for help. Now, stores that
sell liquor may be getting a raise.
There are two bills being proposed
to help retailers. The first, House Bill
(HB) 4757, amends the liquor control
code of 1998 and increases the state
minimum percentage profit earned on
liquor sales. The second bill, HB 4758,
would restrict the Michigan Liquor
Control Commission from considering
violations of the liquor code older than
two years when it decides to issue,
deny, suspend, or revoke a license.
As someone who grew up in metro
Detroit, Representative Samantha
Steckloff, who represents Farmington
and Farmington Hills, said she knows
the value of neighborhood liquor
stores. That’s why she sponsored both
bills. “I am so proud to sponsor this bipartisan
package that would ease the
Michigan Liquor Control Code,” she
said. Steckloff added that this package
will help small business owners
thrive, boosting our economy. Currently,
small business liquor retailers face
stiff competition from big box stores
alongside rising wages and costs.
At the current moment, the state
minimum retail price for a bottle of liquor
is set at a fixed 17% higher than
what a retailer purchased the item for. In
recent decades, big-box and corporate
stores have taken control of the liquor
market. As large businesses that make
money through high volume of sales,
they can afford to sell liquor at the state
minimums, which forces small business
owners to do the same to compete.
The current margin of 17% on liquor,
however, fails to cover the overhead
costs of many small businesses.
One study used by the CACC said it
costs the average liquor store owner
24% of their gross profit just to stay
open. Effectively, small stores are taking
a loss on liquor sales. If this bill
passes, that number will change to
35%, doubling the margin for big-box
and small business owners alike and
allowing them to make a profit. The
margin of 35% aligns more closely with
the average markup in other states, according
to the CACC.
Representative Graham Filler, who
sponsored HB 4578 and represents a
rural district that overlaps with Saginaw,
Gratiot, and Clinton counties,
wants to help reduce the bureaucratic
burden on small business owners. “I
have been talking for years with Martin
Manna, the Chaldean community, and
other small business owners about the
best way the Michigan Legislature can
support small businesses, including
convenience stores,” he said.
Tom Kuhn represents mainly Troy
and Sterling Heights. He sponsored
both bills, and recognized the CACC
as the primary reason for the potential
changes to the liquor code. “The Chaldean
American Chamber of Commerce
has served as the catalyst, educating
legislators on behalf of local businesses,”
he said, adding that without the
CACC’s leadership, the bills would not
have been introduced.
Overall, Michigan legislators offered
the bipartisan nature of the bills
as the main reason it has staying power
and the potential to pass the legislature.
20 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

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FEATURE
The Aramaic Project
Preserving an ancient language
BY WEAM NAMOU
Caption
Clockwise from above: His Excellency Mar George Alencherry, Major
Archbishop of Syro Malabar Catholic Church; His Excellency Mar Francis
Kallabat with an Aramaic tutor and parishioner of St. Joseph Chaldean
Catholic Church and Subdeacon Samir Nissian; Rev. Dr. Joseph J. Palackal.
The Aramaic language reached
South India long before the
Christian era. According to Rev.
Dr. George Kurukkoor, a philologist
and professor of Sanskrit and Malayalam
languages, it arrived as far back
as the 7th century BC when Sumerians,
Babylonians, Jews, and others
from the Middle East came to India in
pursuit of commercial trade. In later
centuries, its importance was replaced
by other languages.
Like Iraqi Christians, the Christians
in Kerala, India, trace the origin of their
faith to St. Thomas the Apostle. Until
the 1960s, they celebrated the liturgy
in Aramaic but over time, the language
and its songs began to face extinction
in the Syro Malabar Church, which has
3.25 million members. This is one of the
eight independent churches among the
St. Thomas Christians (6 million out of
about 30 million Christians in India)
that follow the Chaldean (East Syriac)
liturgical tradition.
This inspired Rev. Dr. Joseph J.
Palackal, an Indic musicologist, singer,
and composer, to initiate the Aramaic
Project.
“The concept started after lifelong
preparations,” said Palackal. In the
1970s when he was a seminarian, he
heard a priest (Father Probus Perumalil,
CMI) sing a song with unfamiliar
melodies and instrumentals, and he
was mesmerized by its uniqueness. “I
didn’t know at that time that it was Aramaic
and came from the Middle East
with the influence of the Chaldean
Church.”
In 1982, he wrote an article about
the need to preserve this music’s heritage.
He did his PhD dissertation on
Aramaic chants in India. In 2006, he
organized a recording of these songs
by Rev. George Kurukkoor. He also
worked on a commercial CD of Syriac
chants; this has become a collector’s
item because most of the singers have
since died.
“The Aramaic language has undergone
change in its pronunciation, vocabulary,
and syntax in the Syro-Malabar
Church in Kerala,” Palackal said.
“All this treasure will be lost if we don’t
document it and preserve it for future
generations.”
The most challenging part of the
project was locating Syriac (Aramaic)
singers across Kerala. The word “Syr
iac,” of Greek origin, was associated
with the region in Syria conquered
by the Greeks. Jose George is
a Chaldean from India who resides in
Troy, Michigan. He explains that it was
brought to India by the Portuguese
in the 15th century. The Portuguese,
who colonized the country, viewed St.
Thomas Christians as Nestorians and
heretics and wanted them to speak
Latin, Portuguese, or English. India
thereafter adopted “Syriac” to refer to
Aramaic, although they still use both
words.
“We don’t say Sureth because we
don’t know that word; it’s used in
Iraq,” said George. An engineer who
provides IT services and consulting,
he got involved in the Aramaic Project
in 2016. He has since interviewed
many people include Father Manuel
Boji, Chaldean Catholic Christians
from the Shlama Foundation, and
most recently, Dr. Palackal.
A challenge for Dr. Palackal was
convincing the hierarchy of his church
about the significance of this project
and the importance of the language. “I
still haven’t achieved that goal,” he said,
but it is his dream to do so because once
they’re convinced, they could ask the
government of India to contact UNISCO
and ask them to declare the Aramaic
language in India an endangered language
and request for financial support
to preserve it. “Then we can do much
more,” he said. “We can make an impact
on an international level.”
Palackal introduced two Aramaic
chants to younger generations of Syro-
Malabar Catholic Christians in America
for the first time in 2013, at the National
Basilica in Washington, DC, during the
solemn celebration of Qurbana. There
were 120 young singers from across
America and they took to it—in fact,
they were fascinated by it.
“Now this has become an essential
component of Qurbana in Malayalam
and in English among the young
people in America,” he said. “I didn’t
think this would happen in my lifetime,
but I’m happy to see that.”
Recently, Palackal witnessed a
Syro Malabar wedding in Queens
where the young people sang in Aramaic.
“That was a moment of great
satisfaction,” he said. A very unexpected
development was when a
team from the Dharmaram, CMI study
house seminary in Bangalore initiated
an effort to compose new text in
Aramaic. They wrote the poem and
asked Palackal to compose it.
St. Thomas Anthem
With St. Thomas
Our father,
We glorify you,
One who enlivened us
By enlightening
Our darkness-filled eyes.
With him we proclaim
Your revelations
without doubt.
Constantly we utter:
Mar Walah, Mar Walah
“The song is first to St. Thomas, but
it is also dedicated to Jesus Christ,
so I liked it and composed it,” said
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Palackal. “It’s now slowly becoming a prayer song in
gatherings. Now we’re doing other songs, one which
a community in Chicago took and assigned a priest
to use it. I didn’t think I would live to see the fruits of
my labor.” The project consists of seven parts:
• Part I – Syro Malabar Church
• Part II – Assyrian Church of the East
• Part III – Chaldean Catholic Church
• Part VI – Malankara Mar Thoma
Syrian Church
• Part V – Syrian Orthodox Churches
• Part VI – Syro Malankara Church
• Part VII – Music of Kerala Jews
Five to ten years from now he envisions all the Syro-Malabar
communities across the world developing a concept
of bilingual Qurbana; one in the local language—whether
English, Hindi, Malayalam, or another language, but
to also incorporate a few hymns in Aramaic.
“People will thus know that this used to be our liturgy,”
said Palackal. “That might encourage some of
them to learn the language at a deeper level and get a
mastery of the language to uncover the treasures hidden
in its tradition.”
Another dream of Palackal’s is that his communities
recite the Lord’s Prayer in the Aramaic language.
“It’s an honor and privilege to utter those words
which came from the mouth of Jesus,” he said. “Our
umbilical cord will be reconnected 2,000 years back to
the time when Jesus said that prayer.”
He added, “Just by singing, ‘Marwala’ (My lord),
that’s a profession of faith. In one phrase, you compress
the entire Catholicity. You’re praising the Lord in
your undivided humanity and divinity without doubt.
What a profession of faith! We spend so many hours
discussing pathology. Here is perfect pathology. Perfect
explanation who Jesus is – he is God and Man!”
To learn more, visit https://www.aramaicproject.com/.
His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Louis Sako visits
Mar Hormiz church in Angamali Kerala, India.
JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 23

FEATURE
Remembering
Clarence Dass
BY CHRISTINA SALEM
As we mark the one-year anniversary of Clarence
Dass’s death, I’d like to memorialize
him for those of you who never had the privilege
of knowing him.
It’s so easy to begin this by listing off all the accomplishments
that Clarence contributed to the community
around the world. Many knew him for his friendly
smile, witty one-liners, or the fact that he battled stage
four colon cancer behind closed doors and still managed
to provide pro-bono services for the Iraqi community
while they fought deportations, alongside his
own determination and valor to live life to the fullest.
Clarence’s legacy will cement him as a timeless
pioneer of everlasting grace and savvy wisdom in the
multiple communities he led. However, Clarence was
more than his achievements and his illness. He was a
friend, a confidant, a man of God, a father of twins, a
husband, a son, a brother, and my first cousin.
We grew up together side-by-side for the 29 years I
had with him. He set the tone for so many of the games
and activities we played as kids. He was like my oldest
brother (and the leader of my three brothers when
they needed one). He was the biggest practical jokester
but also had the deepest ocean of compassion and empathy
for anyone who came to him with their most vulnerable
feelings and secrets. He was patient and kind
and had a calming charisma that would fill any room
he entered. When he was around, people felt safe and
enveloped by a peaceful joy that only Clarence could
produce.
I’ll never forget my sigh of relief when he surprised
everyone in 2013 at my aunt’s apartment during
our trip to Denmark for our little cousin’s wedding.
I had someone closer to my age to hang out
with—someone that spoke the same language as
me! Since my aunties and other cousins weren’t native
English speakers, he was the ideal companion to
explore the city of Copenhagen with. We decided to
give ourselves the nickname “Team USA”. Little did I
know my experience and conversations with him on
that trip would plant seeds which would change the
trajectory of my life.
He was in a brand-new role at the time for Oakland
County; I didn’t really know what that meant and neither
did my cousin, who asked him. It turned out Clarence
had received a promotion to become prosecutor
for the Special Victims Unit for the county. Yes, he
was representing victims of child abuse and domestic
violence, like they did on the TV show SVU. He was
locking up the bad guys and giving the voiceless a microphone.
I remember looking at him and thinking,
“Wow. This is what a hero looks like.” He was a reallife
hero to so many people. I never knew someone I
was so close to could be so special and could selflessly
give to so many people. It seemed so Christ-like. I was
instantly inspired to change my entire life, which was
already in a state of flux to begin with.
When I got home, I changed my major from marketing
to journalism, because after hearing that conversation
I too, had dreams of being a prosecutor.
When I told him how I made that choice and wanted to
go to law school he instantly told me that as a founding
member of our inside joke of “Team USA,” that his
success was my success. To have someone like Clarence
going to bat for you is something I can share with
all the amazing people he’s helped, but when my big
cousin who seemed so out of this world and amazing
said those words to me, I was filled with an unshakeable
confidence. I remember watching him in court
pursuing justice in action, and it was like watching the
righteous defend the meek, innocent, and forgotten.
The wit and strength Clarence portrayed in a myriad of
circumstances was spectacular to witness.
If I ever wanted to reach the levels he did, I felt
like his hand would always be there to stretch out to
mine and help pull me to higher heights. He never let
me down with those words, and although I strayed
and shifted paths many times, he always ensured me
that whatever my choices were—his success was still
Top: The Dass Family at a baby shower for Clarence
and his wife Renee in anticipation of their
twins’ arrival. Left: Clarence’s favorite quote from
his favorite movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
my success. (Go, “Team USA!”)
In that decade after the wedding in Denmark he
founded his own law firm, the Dass Law Firm; became
an adjunct professor at Rochester College; was the Assistant
Prosecutor for Oakland County from 2012-2016;
served as president of Leadership Oakland, and on the
Board of Directors and Alumni Association of Wayne
State University; served as an Advisory Board Member
of Gilda’s Club of Metro Detroit; won a Community Service
Award Winner from the Oakland County Bar Association
in 2017; and an Unsung Hero Award from the
State Bar of Michigan in 2019, all while being an on-air
legal expert for WXYZ Channel 7.
These accolades don’t begin to scratch the surface
of the number of lives Clarence touched in his short
time on Earth—lives that extend far past Michigan
and the United States. His kindness and love were
known by members of our community around the
world. His messages always seemed to have a timelessness
to them, and I cherish one of the last nuggets
of wisdom he shared with me before his passing:
“You are the only you.” Clarence managed to forge
a path we had never seen anyone take in our community
and that last line reminded me that I have a
similar path to follow, one that is constantly evolving
and completely untraveled.
Now I’m proud to carry on that legacy by supporting
his family and wife and their twins, ensuring
my success is their success. The twins will know the
great love their parents shared and how their father
had the ability to wholeheartedly connect with others
because of his awareness of the preciousness of
presence in an overstimulated world. They’ll be able
to play the same games their father did with us as
kids. They will hear about all the people he helped
and feel seen and validated for their experiences.
They’ll know even in his last days he was mentoring
troubled youth in Mar Addai Church in Oak Park that
no one knew about until after his passing.
When the time comes, I am confident the newest
additions of “Team USA” will continue to fight the
battles of the less fortunate and strive to give a voice
to the voiceless the same way their father did.
24 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

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JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 25

FEATURE
Reinventing GG
Never too late for a second act
BY CRYSTAL KASSAB JABIRO
Though some women approach
turning 50 with trepidation, GG
Benitez is arriving at that mile
marker with confidence.
With her 29-year-old daughter
Alexis’s marriage a few months ago,
her 19-year-old daughter Daniella completing
her first year at Loyola, and her
17-year-old son Gabriel entering his senior
year of high school, GG decided to
fuse her public relations skills with her
affection for travel.
Not-so-much empty nester syndrome,
just a sort of “second act” for
a mom who—after three decades—will
have some time to pursue more of
her passions away from pick-ups and
drop-offs and all the other hectic dayto-day
activities involving children.
GG, a nickname of her birth name
Ghada Ghattas, graduated from the
University of California San Diego Revelle
in 1995 with a degree in economics.
She worked in pharmaceutical
sales for seven years before opening
GG Benitez Public Relations.
While building her firm for the past
14 years, she also co-founded Aloisia
Beauty, whose products have been featured
on the Today Show and in People
magazine. As if she was not busy
enough, she decided to obtain her
real estate license after she traveled to
Dubai last November.
Mixing Cultures and Interests
GG is proud of her Arab and Chaldean
heritage. Her father is Jordanian, and
her mother is Chaldean, so she naturally
felt an affection for the Middle
East. She also had some preconceived
notions of what it would be like for a
strong American-born woman like her
to visit that region.
Dubai broke those misconceptions
down for her, making the 16-hour
flight from Los Angeles worth it. GG
felt most connected to her heritage
after she visited Al-Fahidi, a historical
neighborhood that takes you back to
the 18th century with their souks, chai
GG Benitez
houses and coffee houses, and Arabic
everywhere. By the second day, she
felt like previously she had been missing
out on something so special.
“I was just in awe. ‘How did they
make a desert look like this?’ and ‘How
did they build this palm in the water?’
It’s almost like a utopia,” GG said. “It
was the combination of the cultural
history, the food, and the shore… Everyone
was just so happy to be there.”
She wanted to be a part of it.
“I was so fascinated by the incredible
growth of Dubai, and started to
research it,” GG revealed. “I discovered
that real estate is one of their top
sectors, so that’s what motivated me to
immerse myself into their real estate
market and understand how it works
and how I can be part of their recordbreaking
opportunities.”
GG went back to Dubai for three
weeks in February. There she connected
with top developers and real estate
associates. That’s where she learned
that Dubai is very competitively priced
with Southern California (SoCal).
“It is much less expensive to buy
waterfront property in Dubai than
in coastal California,” asserted GG.
“There are no capital gains on property
taxes in Dubai, and by investing there,
you can get a ‘golden visa’, which is a
long-term residency authorization.”
Dubai recently surpassed the United
States for the first time in migration
numbers of ultra-high net-worth
individuals. That is why GG secured a
position in Dubai as a real estate agent,
and when she came back home, she obtained
her California real estate license.
Soon after, she launched her new
international luxury real estate venture,
GG Benitez International. Now,
she is selling properties in southern
coastal California and Dubai, and she
is part of Realty Executives Dillon in
San Diego—primarily Coronado, Del
Mar, and La Jolla.
GG has already sold investment
properties in Dubai to Chaldeans in
San Diego and is really excited about
creating this bridge from the US to
Dubai. Her partner there has 18 years
of experience. She will be returning
there for three months at the end of
this year.
“I’ve never been anywhere as culturally
diverse, where nearly 90% of
the people are expats speaking every
language,” GG said. “They’re creators
and movers and shakers. I just love it!”
Enthralled by Dubai, GG pivoted
her focus to a new endeavor that landed
her there part-time. She reinvented
the career side of herself as a luxury
real estate maven but will still be taking
on selective PR clients while growing
Aloisia Beauty.
She is still the same real, generous,
vivacious GG; she is still the same
kind, helpful, and loving wife to Daniel
Benitez and mom of three (four if
you include their goldendoodle Romeo)
who works hard, enjoys the company
of family and friends, and seeks
new travel adventures.
GG hopes that other middle-aged
female professionals who are becoming
empty nesters will realize that it
is never too late to make a change and
follow your passions; that they too can
reinvent themselves while staying true
to who they are.
For more information, go to www.
ggbenitezinternational.com or follow
her on IG: ggbenitezinternational. To
discuss luxury real estate in SoCal or
Dubai, call (619) 339-7978.
26 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

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JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 27

FEATURE
Above: Ishtar Restaurant in Sterling
Heights offers Mediterranean cuisine
such as lentil soup and grilled lamb;
Left: In the same plaza, Dream Market
offers a diverse selection of international,
Arabic, and ethnic items.
East Side Story
Bridging the divide
BY ADHID MIRI, PHD
Albert Einstein has been credited
with saying the only constant
in life is change. Accordingly,
the Chaldean community is in a
constant state of change, evolving on
all levels– social, educational, professional,
economic, and geographic. This
story pertains to the latter two levels.
The Great Divide
The first group of Chaldeans to gather
in Michigan settled along the 7 Mile
corridor in Detroit. The tightly knit
and walkable community known as
“Chaldean Town” included homes,
shops, markets, and coffee houses. As
they prospered, some moved north to
the suburbs, crossing the Eight Mile
divide. Southfield, Oak Park, and Sterling
Heights may be the first places
successful Chaldeans relocated to, but
in the last few decades, West Bloomfield,
Bloomfield Hills, and Commerce
have welcomed their share as well.
Unlike the north/south geographic
and financial divide that defined the
development of the community during
the slow immigration years of the
last century, a new east/west thinking
seems to have entered the vernacular.
This new divide is a figment of the
imagination and lacks focus, making
it ingenuous and erroneous—requiring
clarity and correction.
Terms like “Boater,” “Eastsider,”
“Storechi,” and “Tahinchi” are degrading
and should not be used. These
derogatory terms have been applied
to new immigrants and implies that
people who arrived on boats, clinging
to the ways of the old country, are not
integrating into American culture. It is
a stereotype with a negative connotation,
a contrived division that does not
represent our identity.
The term “Storechi” (referring to
owners of a convenience store) is outdated
but still used. The wording is a
subtle sign of ill-informed mindsets,
and one wonders what might lie behind
the misconception. Today, less
than 16% of Chaldeans own convenience
stores; they have shifted their
interest to gas stations, cellular stores,
hotels, real-estate, development, and
professional services.
Undelivered expectations, discrimination
against newcomers, the blame
game, and prejudices on both sides
play an important role in perpetuating
this fiction, although clashes of real
interest or disagreements of substance
surface from time to time. It is helpful
to unbundle some of the key assumptions
underlying the divide and check
each one’s validity.
This new divide does not seem to
correlate with measures of integration
or modernization. Certainly, there is
a difference in the immigration timeline
along with a steady evolution of
people in Chaldean immigrant communities;
however, one marked difference
could be the economic status of
inhabitants and access to education in
each area.
Myths and Misconceptions
Although we acknowledge there is
a divide, the idea that East Side and
West Side Chaldeans have turned into
discrete camps divided by many issues
is a misconception. Apart from
their relatively varied per capita incomes,
the two groups have a lot in
common besides just their shared
Chaldean history. However, Chaldeans
as a single “social bloc” are
about as diverse as any other community
in the US.
Twenty years after the “big bang”
immigration and refugee crisis that
started with the US invasion of Iraq in
2003, one would expect the dividing
line between pre- and post-invasion
myths and distinctions to have faded
away. According to our observations
and community members’ commentary,
the opposite appears to be the
case. The rift is often perceived to
be one of the biggest challenges for
the cohesion of the community, although
the last three years have seen
a decline in immigration numbers
and the rift may be growing smaller.
In addition to being immigrants
from the same country and culture,
there are many issues where the interests
of the two groups are well
aligned. One is the shared interest in
a successful future, well-funded organizations,
common goals, advocacy,
and community interest policy that
is based on accurate census data that
can help reduce the gap in economic
development among the community
members and increase the profile of
the community.
Job security tops the priority list
for newcomers, and there is no doubt
that the industrial East Side is very
different from the West Side marketplace.
For the most part, issues result
from weaknesses in governance and
lack of effective community institutions—issues
the Chaldean Community
Foundation (CCF) is working to
remedy. It will take considerable time
to create the required institutional ca-
28 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

Above, right: Palm Sweets Bakery and Cafe, located next door to Ishtar, is the
perfect after dinner destination for a wide range of traditional sweets.
pacity, and the legacy of six decades
of immigration is certainly an additional
handicap.
It may be overoptimistic to assume
that the engagement process would
remedy these deficits within a few
years. But there is hope that over time,
the situation will improve as it has
in other communities. The real challenge
for the Chaldean community is
to develop incentives to support this
process and sharpen the instruments
to combat misinformation and misconceptions.
Investments in the East Side
A check of the experience of the past
twenty years demonstrates that altogether,
the community expansion and
contributions to the East Side of the
metro Detroit tri-county area has been
an impressive success story.
Over the last few years, nearly
all the retail shops along Ryan and
Dequindre Roads and 12 through 16
Mile’s intersections have become occupied
by Chaldean stores, clinics,
pastry shops, restaurants, and markets—enough
to feed the Middle East!
Shopping centers, services and commercial
real estate owned by Chaldean
families are everywhere you look.
Major organizations like the Chaldean
Community Foundation, the
Chaldean Catholic Diocese, churches,
social clubs, and banquet facilities
have found homes where the community
lives. This shows commitment and
determination to grow and expand.
Our Chaldean community is succeeding
and contributing throughout
the state of Michigan. The city of
Sterling Heights is a prime example.
The community invested $10 million
in the development and expansion
of the 30,000 square foot Chaldean
Community Foundation facility at 15
Mile and Ryan Road.
Sterling Heights, voted recently
as the safest city in the United States,
will also house the CCF’s $30 million
affordable housing mixed use development
with 9,000 square feet of
commercial space on the ground floor
on Van Dyke Road between M-59 and
19 Mile Road.
Conclusion
We can’t firmly determine which of the
cultural systems of East Side or West
Side Chaldean communities is more
advantageous. What is more important
is how people of both sides respect
and accept each other’s values,
path and living system.
Today as well as in the future, our
organizations, churches, social clubs,
and civic activists from both sides
should consult with each other more
frequently, take joint initiatives across
the divide, and help find common
ground for collaboration and unity. Investing
more community and cultural
resources, promoting round tables
educational discussions, and sharing
civil society activities could make a
difference in keeping our community
united and moving forward.
Wherever we live, a greater awareness
of these facts can help us all understand
our own minds a little better. We
are one people; the differences are imaginary,
irrational, and sentimental.
Sources: 100 Questions and Answers
about Chaldean Americans by
Michigan State University School of
Journalism; Chaldean Iraqi American
Association of Michigan; Chaldeans in
Detroit by Jacob Bacall; Wikipedia.
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JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 29

CHALDEAN PIONEERS
A Self-Made Man
Jerry Yono’s story
BY CAL ABBO
Jerry Yono’s story begins in the
famed town of Telkeppe, Iraq, on
June 7, 1940. Most were farmers
back then, according to Jerry, and his
father was no different. His most nascent
memory is walking to and from
the well to fetch water.
His mother, Hayat Yono, is from Mosul,
and her family mostly spoke Arabic.
Jerry’s father Aziz brought her to
live in Telkeppe. He had an uncle who
had lived in the United States for years.
“I remember my house,” Jerry recalled,
“and the dirt street in front of
us. We had a nice home. But it was not
an easy life. Not easy at all … Everybody
always talked about going to America.
A beautiful country. A new life.”
At 9 years old, his life changed forever
when his family decided to leave
the village.
First Steps
According to Jerry, young Iraqi boys
were prone to kidnapping, especially
when traveling through the Middle
East. “In those days, they used to
put earrings on the children so they
couldn’t be kidnapped,” he said, remembering
how they changed his appearance
to make his travels safer. The
journey was a long one, but his family
eventually made it to Detroit, uniting
with his uncle and the small-but-growing
Chaldean community.
“There must’ve been a foot of snow
when I arrived,” Jerry said. “I couldn’t
believe my eyes.”
Opportunity, in the Oxford dictionary,
means “a set of circumstances that
makes it possible to do something.”
The land of opportunity does not guarantee
comfort nor success. It must be
earned. For Jerry and his family, that
set of circumstances meant living in
his uncle’s attic for half a year when
they arrived.
Aziz went to work as a baker. He
worked on a factory line because he
couldn’t speak English and it was difficult
to learn at his age. “My dad was a
wonderful man,” Jerry remarked. “He
took care of us as best he could. He never
Jerry enjoying the fruits of his labor.
complained if he had to work all day.”
After six months, his family found
their own place to live. Once he and
his family settled, Jerry had to go to
school and begin learning English. This
was difficult, but with an immigrant’s
mindset, he was committed to
learning the native language in his
new homeland. Still a young child,
his mind was ripe for this activity
and he quickly assimilated to life
in the “Middle West.”
In addition to studying, Jerry
had to help his parents earn money
to live. While his father worked
in the factory, he found a job as
a stockboy at another Chaldean
family’s convenience store. He
was just 9 years old. This foundational
experience would pave the way for his
business success later.
Balancing school, work, and adapting
to a new culture all at once is possible,
but thriving is not as easy. Nevertheless,
that’s what Jerry did. As a teenager
in high school, he began to neglect his
studies so he could work harder and
earn more money for his family.
The First Store
“When I was 15, there was a store
available on the east side, St. Antoine
and Leland,” Jerry said. “I bought my
first store, called The Black Bottom.”
From then on, he employed his father
Aziz to work at his store. He was
likely one of the first Chaldeans to do
so. “After a few years, I really helped
lead the family. I was running everything,”
Jerry said.
When he was still in high school,
Jerry would go and open the store in
the morning, then go to school during
the day. After school, he would go back
to the store and, around 6 p.m. when
business slowed down, close it. Finally,
he went to another Chaldean’s store
and worked for the rest of the night,
finishing around 10 p.m.
Jerry’s hard work and determination
to support his family left him in
peril of failing out of Catholic school.
His saving grace, however, came from
the nuns who counseled him and
helped him pass. They came up with a
plan to keep Jerry on track to graduate
with a GED while also allowing him
the time to develop his business and
make enough money for his family. He
attributes his success to these women,
without whom he would not have a
high school degree.
Jerry continued down the path of
hard work and success, opening, building
up, and selling several stores while
cementing himself as part of the business
community in Detroit. In his early
20s, he made friends in the city with
local politicians, community members,
and many Chaldeans alike. He filled
the role of community liaison between
the Black community and the growing
Chaldean population. In many instances,
he was called upon to resolve disputes
and give his perspective on issues
between the two communities.
Politics and Power
Thus began his political career. In
1964, in his early 20s, Jerry made his
first and only attempt to run for office.
“Everyone knows Yono,” his slogan
read. “Experienced – Vigor – Sober
Judgement.”
According to him, he became the
youngest person in the state of Michigan
to ever run for a seat in its legislative
house and was certainly the first
Chaldean to ever run for state office
in the U.S., inspiring countless other
Chaldeans to get involved in politics
since then.
His loss in the election, however,
did not end Jerry’s political
career, but instead spurred it.
Rather than serving the public as
an elected official, he dedicated
his efforts to serving the growing
Chaldean business community
and its customer base, especially
those dealing in grocery and corner
stores. He always maintained one
foot in the political sphere and knew
how fruitful it would be to develop
those relationships.
“I worked with Dennis Archer on
a campaign for a man named Ed Bell
in the early 1960s,” Jerry said. “Later
on, of course, Archer ran for mayor
and won. We were pretty close.” Based
on relationships like that, Jerry started
getting invited to lots of events and
meetings in Detroit and Lansing. He
was even invited to the governor’s
mansion a few times. Despite this, he
never ran for office again, and focused
on the community on the ground.
30 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

“In the city itself, a lot of the stores
were having problems with the Black
community, with the local customers,”
he said. “I was involved quite a
bit with the police department. Everyone
had my pager number back in the
day. They would call on me to go to a
specific location and take care of an issue.
Sometimes it was theft or threats.
We did have a lot of store owners killed
in those days.”
Much of the community strife culminated
in the Detroit riots of 1967.
Jerry’s store, called Imperial Market,
was right in the middle of the action
– as Jerry himself stood outside and
talked with the folks who were protesting
and marching. His store was
featured in the August 4, 1967, issue
of Life Magazine, in which you can see
a large sign reading, “Soul Brother,”
and two of Jerry’s African American
friends, armed and ready to defend his
store. They protected his store because
they saw Jerry as such a crucial part of
the community.
In contrast, the drug store across
the street, owned by a Jewish family,
was looted in its entirety. “I watched
them carry out a large safe, put it
into the back of a Cadillac, and drive
away,” Jerry said. “Other people went
in and took everything they could carry
before they burned down the store.”
Over the years, Jerry became increasingly
involved in the Associated
Food Dealers, which later became
known as the Associated Food and
Petroleum Dealers. This association
helped organize independent retailers,
like the small shops owned by Chaldeans,
to compete with large organizations.
It developed relationships with
suppliers and politicians that gave its
members an advantage in the market.
When Jerry opened his first store,
he cultivated these relationships for
himself. But power comes in numbers,
and few understand how to leverage
your community better than Chaldeans.
He brought those relationships
to AFPD and used them to establish
Chaldean businesses even further.
He became seriously involved in
the organization in the ‘60s and ‘70s
and served on the board for much of
that time. Twice he was elected President
of AFPD and grew the organization
substantially while also strengthening
its political relationships during
his tenure.
From left: Jerry Yono speaks at the Food Dealers Trade Dinner at Cobo Hall; Jerry and Firyal Yono.
His work as President was so appreciated
that his colleagues wanted him to
run for a third term, which was unprecedented
at the time. Jerry knew how important
he was to the organization, and
many on the board begged him to stay
on, so he ran once again, and won. In
the style of George Washington, he declined
to serve the third term, deferring
instead to the runner-up.
Jerry would continue his work with
AFPD for decades. After he finally retired,
he was presented with a surprise
banquet by the organization and accepted
a lifetime service award and a
mouthful of praise from then-Governor
Jennifer Granholm.
Southfield Funeral Home
Long before he retired from his position
at AFPD, Jerry opened and sold seven
stores in metro Detroit, all of which are
still operating successfully today.
Throughout his life, Jerry was
heavily involved in the Church, both
personally and financially. As a result,
he was plugged into the nuanced issues
that Chaldeans faced as they established
themselves as a large part
of the metro Detroit community. Chaldean
immigration to the Detroit area
was accelerating, and one question
still loomed large as the first generation
began to age and pass away: How
would we bury our dead, under our
own circumstances?
To some, it might seem out of the
ordinary to go from a store owner and
politician to a funeral home operator;
however, this versatility is the sign of
a true community leader. Jerry saw the
needs of his people, gleaning their desire
for a trusted funeral service they
could trust to give a fair price. Price
gouging, which refers to a business
that exploits its customers with exaggerated
prices, is a common practice
against immigrant communities that
speak English as a second language.
“I consulted with Bishop George
Garmo and the elders of the community,
and they thought it was a great
idea,” he said. “I opened the funeral
home on February 9, 1981,” Jerry said.
He remembers the day of his first funeral
because he was close with the
family whose father had died.
“They wanted a visitation the next
day,” he remembered. “The furniture
wasn’t in the building yet, but I called
the warehouse and had them deliver
it the next morning. From then on, all
my people came to me.”
Thus, Jerry’s second career, and
that which he is most known for, was
born. For decades, he dutifully served
the Chaldean community and their deceased.
His reputation as a leader and
pioneer became yet more established
as he filled a role that was vacant for
decades. Southfield Funeral Home has
buried thousands of Chaldeans over the
years, and it remains a staple to this day.
It was not easy, according to Jerry.
He would answer calls in the middle
of the night and go to peoples’ homes
to pick up their loved ones. “I did it
because I cared. I wanted to talk to
people and tell them not to worry. Everything
will be okay. We’ll take care
of you,” he said. “I don’t know anyone
who would have done this if I hadn’t.”
Jerry described many sleepless
nights, and long days of going between
the funeral home and the AFPD.
Eventually, he had to resign from the
AFPD as the community and its need
for funeral services grew ever larger.
“It was a bit scary because I didn’t
even go to funeral homes before. I was
afraid to see dead people,” Jerry said.
“There were times when I took my
mother to funerals, and I would stay
in the car. It’s been 40 years, and it’s
not been easy, seeing my mother, my
father, my sisters, and my brother in
the funeral home. A lot of friends’ relatives.
But I did it and I did it well.”
Only in the last few years did Jerry
begin to pass the funeral home into
new hands. Now, Southfield Funeral
Home is run by his son, Anthony Yono,
and Nibras Hanna.
Legacy
“I’ve not really thought about if I had
stayed in Iraq,” he said. “I probably
shouldn’t say this, but I don’t think I
would be alive today.”
Jerry constantly professes his love
for his community and the Chaldean
people in Detroit. “I love to be with
my community. Serving it has been my
life,” he said.
Through all his hard work and
business success, Jerry is still as frugal
as he was during his childhood and
teenage years when his family was
struggling. That’s something that stays
with you. “The last car I had, I used it
for 17 years,” he said, talking about his
GMC Yukon built in the early 2000s.
“I don’t mind spending money on my
kids and grandkids. They’re my life.”
Jerry is married to his wife, Firyal
Yono, upon whom he heaps praise
whenever he has the chance. “Firyal is
a wonderful, wonderful woman. She is
a gift from God,” he said. “She’s a great
wife, a great mother and grandmother.
She’s a wonderful cook. I don’t think
there’s another woman that could take
her place.” His favorite food is dolma,
which she makes frequently.
His advice for those who want to follow
in his footsteps is this: “If you can
help someone, do it,” he said. “Do the
right thing. You should know, in your
mind, what the right thing is. It’s easy to
know what’s right. Don’t do the wrong
thing and don’t hurt anyone.”
JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 31

PROFILE
Our Man in Blue
Lamar Kashat brings Chaldean culture to
Sterling Heights Police Department
BY PAUL NATINSKY
Sometimes a career change can
happen before a career even
starts. Such was the case for
Lamar Kashat, a would-be pediatrician
who is now a police sergeant
with aspirations to be the top cop in
Sterling Heights.
“Being from a Middle Eastern background,
my parents had always driven
me toward the medical field. I have
five other siblings, so they always had
a plan on what every sibling was going
to do,” said Kashat, whose parents had
him slated for a career in pediatrics.
But despite the careful planning,
Kashat’s parents did not count on their
son’s long-held fascination with police
work.
Kashat, 39, says he always had an
interest in law enforcement, from the
time he was young and working in his
father’s Saginaw convenience store,
chatting with the police officers who
stopped by.
“Their professionalism and demeanor
is what attracted me to the
job,” he says. An appeal enhanced by
viewing police shows on television
and movies with police storylines,
such as “Colors,” a 1988 Los Angeles
police drama.
Still, Kashat might be treating earaches
and sore throats in 10-year-olds
if it wasn’t for a community college tutoring
session and a science instructor
who dispensed life-changing advice.
A Fortuitous Encounter
“I had this chemistry teacher, Mrs.
Peck, and one day we were sitting in
the library, and she was tutoring me,
and she could really see that I was
not interested in the material. She just
asked me—she said, ‘You really don’t
want to do this, do you?’ I said ‘No, I
don’t.’”
She shared that she too had aspirations
of entering police work, but
when she was in school it was much
harder for women to travel that career
path, so she ended up a teacher.
Sergeant Lamar Kashat
“She said you need to do something
that you are never going to regret,”
said Kashat. He closed his book,
left the library, and enrolled in Saginaw
Valley State University, majoring
in criminal justice with a minor in psychology.
He went on to earn a Master’s
Degree in Administration.
Along the way, Kashat completed
his training in the police academy and
landed his first law enforcement job at
the Frankenmuth Police Department.
He then made a move to his native
Saginaw and served that community
for seven years.
With the Saginaw area facing hard
economic times and budget cutbacks,
Kashat began to explore other options.
It was at that point that he went on a
“ride along” with the Sterling Heights
Police and was called into action as a
civilian translator.
Shortly after, in 2015, Kashat was
hired as the first Chaldean speaking
officer in Sterling Heights, a community
with a sizable Chaldean population.
Troubleshooting
Working the road patrol division brought
him face-to-face with some of the issues
confronting the community. Kashat’s
experiences on the street with SHPD
showed him that crime victims often
did not understand the options for help
available to them. All the forms were in
English, and many of the injured parties
had a tentative grip on the language.
Kashat went right to work, assisting in
translation, diffusing conflict and building
programs. Working with the Chaldean
Community Foundation, Kashat
implemented the first domestic violence
form that was translated into Arabic.
During this time, Kashat was asked
by the chief of police to become the department’s
community police officer.
Kashat has recently been promoted to
sergeant.
“It has caused me to take a stepback
approach, to develop a wider-angle
sense of problems. If I was to give
any advice to officers dealing with people
in the community, the best thing I
can suggest is there has to be a familiarization
and an education about why
Chaldean people respond to certain
circumstances the way that they do.”
A Family Affair
“For example, it is a 100 percent understood
fact that if a Chaldean community
member is involved in a traffic crash
or serious incident within the Chaldean
community, that within minutes you
will have 20-plus family members on
each side responding to the scene.
“For some (officers) this can be
very overwhelming. For you and I, one
of our relatives gets into a traffic crash,
we make a phone call, ‘Honey, I’ve
been involved in an accident.’ ‘Okay,
I’m on my way to pick you up.’ You
may have your wife or other relative
show up. Not in the Chaldean community;
you will have carloads show up.
“In Iraq, (confidence in) law enforcement
is significantly diminished.
For the older generation, they do not
view law enforcement as problem solvers.
It’s not that they don’t trust them.
It has nothing to do with trust. In the
Chaldean community, they solve their
own problems.”
As a member of a community he is
policing, in which there is a language
barrier for the rest of the police force,
Kashat walks a thin line. He works
hard to be trusted by both his fellow
officers and the community.
He works to ensure the community
members understand what the police
are trying to do, while, at the same
time, keeping police informed when
individuals under investigation are using
the language barrier to conceal, for
example, the location of a gun.
“I would recommend that officers
have a deeper understanding of why
the culture is assimilated the way it
is, which has changed greatly with the
newer generation, the generation that
grew up here and are attending the
schools. But we have a lot of these families
that were raised in Iraq or came to
the United States when they were very
young, and they have raised their children
with those values.
“I would really suggest that patience
be one of the biggest virtues.
When you see the inability of these
community members that we encounter
to understand what you are asking
of them…In terms of following processes
there is a delay,” said Kashat.
As an ambitious man, Kashat’s
drive for educational achievement and
career advancement are partly driven
by a friendly rivalry with his wife, who
is an attorney.
Kashat now has three children and
15 years of police work behind him. As
he looks to the future, he looks forward
to putting in his 25 year on the
SHPD and maybe landing behind the
chief’s desk.
32 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

PROJECT
LIGHT
THERAPY SERVICES
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 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.
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mental health support. Therefore, all counseling records are kept strictly confidential. Information is not shared without client’s written consent. Exceptions to confidentiality are
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JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 33

LIFE SKILLS
Buying That First Car
What newcomers need to know
BY CRYSTAL KASSAB JABIRO
As immigrants and refugees acclimate
to American life, they
quickly discover that reliable
transportation will majorly impact
their quality of life. In most parts of
the United States, especially in suburban
and rural areas, a car is essential
for work and school commutes as well
as for everyday living, like grocery
shopping. Before buying that first car,
newcomers must obtain a driver’s license.
Having a driver’s license from
another country does not automatically
allow you driving rights in the
US, and every state sets their own
conditions.
In Michigan, for example, foreigners
may legally and temporarily drive
if their home country license is in English
or provides an English translation,
and if they can provide proof of their
legal presence in Michigan. Newcomers
are encouraged to obtain a Michigan
Driver’s License as soon as they
establish residency, and they must
show proof of the following: a Social
Security Number, legal presence, identity,
and Michigan residency.
Of course, the applicant must pass
a written test. Michigan’s Secretary
of State offers the knowledge test in
multiple languages, including Arabic.
People also must pass the road
test, and once they obtain a driver’s
license, , the next logical step is acquiring
a vehicle.
It may not be as easy as it sounds,
however - a car comes with a lot of expenses!
Not only does one have to have
money to buy or lease a car, but he
or she also must have good credit if
they’re purchasing from a dealership.
Immigrants and refugees do not have
established credit in the US and must
either use cash (if they have it) or
have a co-signer.
Car broker Byron Bahoura of S &
P Auto in Sterling Heights, Michigan,
likened the process to 18-year-olds
getting their first cars as legal adults.
“When people don’t have credit,
and financing expects a 700-credit
score, it’s hard to get approved,” Bahoura
claimed. “That’s why they’ll
typically need a co-signer. Young people
usually have their parents. So it’s
the same with newcomers– they will
need somebody to co-sign for them to
help build their credit.”
In his professional opinion, Bahoura
suggests leasing first as there
are always some sorts of rebates. That
may be a good deal for those who can
afford a new car every three years,
but it may not be a good deal for costconscious
buyers in the long run. As
far as used cars go, if buying from a
dealership he cautions potential buyers
about the high interest associated
with no or low credit scores. Private
sales are another matter.
That is why first, a buyer/lessee
must assess the purpose that car
will serve to make a decision about
what kind of car would best suit their
needs. Is it just for work or is it for the
whole family? Will it be shared? Is
it safe in the winter, and how much
mileage per gallon does it get? These
are important questions to ask, especially
when it comes to safety and expenditures.
Then, with a new car comes another
new expense – insurance.
Those who have never had their own
insurance before can expect to pay
a high insurance rate for at least the
first six months.
In order to get an insurance quote,
the buyer/lessee must have a VIN
(Vehicle Identification Number), and
from there can compare prices with
different companies to see which
would be more affordable. Zip codes
affect those rates; insurance companies
set fees based on the risk factors
of that location. They examine data
that shows where and why residents
file claims. In Michigan, everyone
must have a no-fault policy.
Finally, it is time to choose the
best car for the moment.
It is important to note that the list
price is almost never what is paid at a
dealership, and buyers should try to
negotiate the purchase price, not the
monthly payment.
Bahoura recommends people go
to different banks and see what kinds
of loans they could get. Even though
it is hard to get financing as an immigrant
or refugee, is it not wholly impossible.
Credit unions typically give
the best deals, whereas dealer financing
is often higher. Not only do some
banks offer special financing for newcomers,
but also some community
organizations can help. The Chaldean
Community Foundation in Sterling
Heights offers new immigrants access
to transportation through the Michael
J. George Chaldean Loan Fund. They
provide auto loans of up to $15,000.
Purchasing a used car from a private
seller is usually the cheapest way
to go. Websites like www.cars.com and
www.carvana.com, as well as Craigslist
and Facebook Marketplace, offer
a plethora of used cars. Buyers should
get a vehicle history report, like a Carfax,
that shows all the services and
repairs done to that car. A buyer can
also bring a car scanner, a handheld
device that connects to most modern
cars, that shows exactly what needs to
be repaired to calculate costs. One can
also pay an independent mechanic to
do a full inspection of the car. A buyer
should not expect to buy a used car
that needs no repairs. A car less than 5
years old has depreciated already but
still has a long life. The sale price of
a used car can usually be negotiated
down by 10%-20%.
The downside of buying a used car
could be spending as much money
on it as you would have on a newer
car. It’s definitely a case of “buyer beware.”
Newcomers should network
with people who know about buying
and leasing cars, and who can communicate
more effectively than they
can so they have a full understanding
of what will likely be their first major
purchase.
It’s always exciting to acquire that
first car, no matter the circumstances.
It is certainly more difficult as newcomers
to get low-cost insurance and
financing, but those beginning years
are a steppingstone to financial freedom
and success in America.
For more info on the Michael J.
George Chaldean Loan Fund, visit
www.chaldeanfoundation.org.
Byron Bahoura can be reached at
586.615.5900.
34 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

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HIRING
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Join our ever expanding team!
Behavioral Health Case Worker • Behavioral Health Therapist
Case Worker • Citizenship Instructor
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Advocacy
Acculturation
Community Development
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For More Information
HR@chaldeanfoundation.org
586-722-7253
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JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 35

SPORTS
Special Season
Adrianna Kattoo emerges from the shadows
BY STEVE STEIN
Adrianna “Adri” Kattoo was
never in the starting lineup for
the Birmingham Marian High
School girls’ soccer team before this
season. She never played forward for
the Mustangs before; she was a centerback
on defense.
But the senior needed to be in the
Marian starting lineup this season.
And she needed to play forward.
It was part of a lineup shuffling necessitated
by an almost unbelievable
string of bad luck. Five Marian starters
were sidelined for the season because
of the same injury — a torn ACL (anterior
cruciate ligament).
What did Kattoo do in her new role?
She was the team’s leading scorer with 17
goals. (She had scored just one goal previously
for Marian, at the end of a lopsided
game.) And she had eight assists.
After the season, Kattoo was named
to the Michigan High School Soccer
Coaches Association’s Division 2 First
Team All-State Squad. Remarkable.
“Beyond remarkable,” said Marian
coach Reid Friedrichs. “It was something
special. Adri scored our first and
last goals of the season, and plenty in
between.”
Kattoo scored Marian’s opening
goal in its season opener vs. Walled
Lake Central. It came off a corner kick.
“I couldn’t believe it when it happened,”
she said. “I thought, ‘Is this
real?’” It was.
She scored Marian’s second goal
against WL Central. Friedrichs said it
was part intuition, and part Kattoo’s
soccer skills and intellect that led him
to move Kattoo to forward. “She was
good with the ball, and she had a good
left-footed shot,” he said. “And, just as
importantly, she was a good learner.”
Kattoo was happy to help her team.
She didn’t have many opportunities
to do that before this season, playing
about 5-10 minutes a half as a junior
and about 100 minutes total as a sophomore.
The COVID-19 pandemic wiped
out her freshman season.
“The toughest part of the position
PHOTOS BY LEON HALIP
Clockwise from top right: Adrianna Kattoo’s school portrait; Adrianna Kattoo (14) and her Birmingham Marian teammates
celebrate Kattoo’s game-winning goal against Warren Regina in the Catholic League Bishop Division championship
game; Birmingham Marian’s Adrianna Kattoo (14) keeps her eyes on the ball during the Catholic League Bishop Division
championship game against Warren Regina.
change was transitioning from stopping
plays to making plays,” Kattoo
said. “And have faith that I could win
the one-on-one battles. I’ve always
been a hard worker, so I wasn’t worried
about that. I learned a lot from watching
game film during the season.”
Going into the season, perennial
power Marian had played in the last
five Division 2 state championship
games, winning four of them. Kattoo
was a member of a state championship
team as a sophomore, and a state
runner-up team as a junior.
The Mustangs (15-2-2) didn’t make it
to the promised land this season. They
lost 3-2 in a penalty-kick shootout to
eventual state champion Grosse Pointe
North in the regional semifinals. It was
the only time Marian went into overtime
or had a shootout in the state
playoffs during Kattoo’s time there.
Despite the tough loss to a team
that was in Division 1 before this season,
it was a fantastic year for Marian,
especially considering the injuries and
its young roster. Kattoo was one of
only five seniors. “It would have been
great to play in another state championship
game. But if anyone could have
done it with all those injuries, it would
have been Marian,” she said.
Kattoo’s shining moment of the
season was the Catholic League Bishop
Division championship game.
“Best day of my life,” she said. She
scored both Marian goals in the Mustangs’
2-1 win over arch-rival Warren
Regina, including the game-winner
with 10:38 remaining on a laser shot
from seven yards out.
Moments after the final whistle,
Kattoo was mobbed by her teammates
as Marian celebrated its 19th Catholic
League championship. It was the third
game of the season between the two
teams. Marian scored just one goal
against Regina in the first two meetings
but had a scoreless tie and a 1-0
win to show for it.
Kattoo was a member of Marian’s
leadership team, made up of the five
seniors. “Adri was going to be one of
our leaders even if she didn’t play
much this season because of the way
she treats others and exemplifies Marian
soccer,” Friedrichs said.
Kattoo also was a star in the classroom
at Marian. She graduated with a
3.9 grade-point average and was one of
the school’s Ambassadors for all four
years. Ambassadors help new students
transition into the school.
Kattoo currently lives in West
Bloomfield with parents Patrick and
Gardenia and her brother Jordan, 14,
who will be a freshman at Birmingham
Brother Rice High School in the fall,
and her brother Roman, 9, who will
be a fourth grader at St. Regis Catholic
School in Bloomfield Hills.
Her soccer playing days behind her,
Kattoo’s next stop is Michigan State
University, where she will focus on her
studies. Friedrichs is headed to East
Lansing, too. The former MSU soccer
star will be an assistant coach for the
Spartans’ men’s soccer team.
36 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
BREAKING BARRIERS
3601 15 MILE RD., STERLING HEIGHTS, MI 48310
Breaking Barriers provides services and advocacy to those with developmental and/or intellectual
disabilities, older adults, and respite to caregivers.
B.E.A.M. (BRAILLE, ESL, ACCULTURATION, MOBILITY) PROJECT –
helps better equip those with visual impairments to live independent lives.
H.E.A.L. (HARD OF HEARING, ESL, AMERICAN SIGN
LANGUAGE, LIFE SKILLS) PROJECT – helps better equip those with
hearing impairments to live independent lives.
C.H.A.I. (CAREGIVER HELPING AID INITIATIVE) PROJECT–
supports the family caregiver in care provision and stress reduction.
BB ACADEMY – Adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities gather to
participate in group activities, meet new friends, learn new skills and have fun while their
unpaid family caregivers enjoy some well-deserved respite time.
RECREATIONAL FAMILY RESPITE – Year-round themed gatherings
for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their families.
Families enjoy a safe and familiar place to meet, break bread and to socialize.
SUPERCUTS BARBER SHOP – Licensed cosmetologists provide complimentary
salon services for individuals with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities by appointment.
M.O.B. – Matter of Balance is an evidence based cognitive restructuring group class
for older adults with mobility challenges to reduce the risk of Falling.
BINGOCIZE- Older adults meet and enjoy group Bingo and light exercise to
socialize and improve their overall health.
JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 37

FAMILY TIME
Summer Road Trips
(Or “Don’t Make me Turn This Car Around”)
BY VALENE AYAR
It’s summer and the kids are out
of school; now is the perfect time
to hit the road and make some
memories. What better way to do that
than with a family road trip? There is
no shortage of ideas when it comes
to choosing a destination – whether
staying within Michigan or traveling to
other states. The only hiccup, however,
is how passengers spend their time
on those long car rides – especially the
younger ones. As great as an iPad and
some snacks are at keeping kids occupied,
the whole point of a family trip is
to bond and make memories. There is
no reason that you must wait until you
reach your destination to do so.
Here are some great ideas to keep
your kids (and you) entertained during
those long car rides.
Family-Friendly Audiobook
As a lifelong reader, this is my number
one pick. But don’t worry, you don’t
have to have your nose constantly in a
book to enjoy reading— not when you
have audiobooks.
Audiobooks are a great way to
escape into another world and let a
professional voice actor make you
forget all your worries. One of my alltime
favorite book series is Harry Potter,
which appeals to kids of any age.
While any version of that story would
be top-notch, my favorite audio version
is the one read by well-renowned
actor, Stephen Fry. And the beauty of
YouTube is, you don’t even need to
pay for most audiobooks! Do a simple
search for “Harry Potter audiobook -
Stephen Fry” and you should have no
problem finding it, along with many
other titles.
Kids Travel Tray
Travel trays are great for kids of all
ages. They have the perfect-sized cup
holder for a sippy cup and serve as a
little lap table/desk with tons of pockets
and pouches to hold their favorite
crayons and other knick-knacks. Why
not go old-school with a coloring book
and crayons, or even a large-piece
puzzle? The possibilities are endless.
Search “kid road trip activities” on
Amazon and you will find the kids
travel tray as well as other fun toys and
games.
Turn Your Car into a Movie Theatre
If all else fails, and the kids still insist
on watching something on a tablet,
make it a fun shared experience. If you
have a car with tv screens, play a show
or movie you can all enjoy together.
Fun Fact: The Harry Potter movie series
is available on the HBO Max app! If
you want to watch something else, the
Disney+ app is a great alternative. My
personal favorites on Disney+ are Boy
Meets World and Once Upon A Time.
With most streaming services, you can
even sign up for a free month so don’t
fret if you don’t have subscriptions to
either platform. Just sign up for a trial
account and enjoy!
Classic Car Games
“Classics” are called that for a reason—they
are timeless and something
you can always fall back on. This category
offers a plethora of ideas. The
best part is, with these, you can find
a way to combine activities. For example,
whoever wins the game gets
to pick the next activity/show/movie/
audiobook.
The Alphabet Game - Starting
with the letter A, go clockwise, and
each person takes turns naming things
that start with the letters of the alphabet
that they see in the car or on the
road. If they get stumped for longer
than 3 seconds, they are “out.” The
last one left is the winner. (“Q” and “X”
are tricky!)
Classic or Road Trip Bingo - You
can go old-school here and play a
basic Bingo game or get creative and
make your own Bingo cards. Before
you set out prepare sheets with things
you may come across on your travels
(e.g., a yellow car, a car with a dog, a
car with an empty car-seat, etc.) and
whoever gets “Bingo” first is the winner.
Whether you go with regular or
road trip Bingo, it will be a fun experience
– especially if there is a fun prize
at the end (a snack, or activity of the
winner’s choice).
The License Plate Game - Set a
timer and see who can spot the most
out-of-state license plate games in the
given time. Or go with the alphabet
theme again and find the letters on license
plates in alphabetical order.
I Spy – This is a classic road trip game
for a reason. In an automobile, the scenery
is always changing, and this game
helps you notice details as you pass. Kids
love to say, “I spy, with my little eye…”
Road trips are a great way to bring
your whole family closer together. Use
these ideas or create your own to make
some lasting memories as a family,
and you won’t ever have to threaten to
turn the car around.
38 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

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JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 39

ECONOMICS & ENTERPRISE
In Banks We Trust
Navigating the current financial storm
BY PAUL NATINSKY
Conventional wisdom has it that
the best way to beat inflation is
to raise interest rates. It makes
sense—a rapidly growing economy creates
increased demand for goods and
services and heightened demand strains
supply. Prices increase as a result.
“From an Economics 101 perspective,
in the last 100 years, every time
we’ve had an inflationary environment
and interest rates have risen it’s supposed
to slow down inflation because
money becomes more expensive,” says
Dan Fischer, president and chief executive
officer at Citizens State Bank.
“Money becomes more expensive
because there is less activity,” says Chris
Yatooma of OCG Companies, a building
restoration firm in Bloomfield Hills.
“There are less loans, less construction,
less purchasing of other companies, less
acquisitions. Everything slows down a
little bit, which would then slow down
inflation,” he concludes. Inflation then
decreases as demand slows down and
goods and services become more abundant
and available.
“It also puts pressure on companies
to reduce jobs, which pushes the
unemployment rate up. That is supposed
to throw water on the flame from
inflation,” says Fischer. “There is less
demand because people aren’t working
and have less disposable income.”
Unprecedented Times
But the age-old formula is not working.
Despite frequent interest rate
hikes, inflation continues its upward
trend. Demand, particularly in the
housing market, remains high.
Beth Spadafore Chris Yatooma Dan Fischer
“On the commercial side, at the beginning
of the year most of my real estate
investors started stockpiling their cash.
If they had a property that was worth
$6 million and they only had a loan for
$2 million on it, they would put a line
of credit on it without withdrawing but
keeping the money in reserve, waiting
for a fire sale,” said Beth Spadafore,
business development officer at Community
Choice Credit Union in Farmington.
“What we’re seeing now is something
we’ve never seen in the history of
this country, where we’ve had interest
rates move up so quickly in the fed’s
quest to quash and slow down inflation.
Where we’ve had pretty much
zero interest rates for 11 years—there
probably hasn’t been enough time between
rate hikes to let that effect take
place,” said Fischer. “It’s kind of like
we water boarded the consumer, the
small businesses, because of this rapid
rise in interest rates.”
Slow Down
Fischer, who has worked in the banking
industry for 30 years, thinks it’s
time to slow the interest rate hikes and
develop realistic expectations.
Spadafore agrees. “I’ve never understood
raising the rate to decrease inflation.
To me it’s almost like a Catch-22,
and so I think we need to stop raising
the rates and give people a chance to
catch their breath and get onto an even
keel,” she says. “I don’t know if you’re
ever going to see a commercial loan at
3 percent fixed again. When I was doing
those loans a year or so ago, I was in
awe because I’d never seen it.”
“What we’re seeing now is something we’ve never seen in the history
of this country, where we’ve had interest rates move up so quickly in
the fed’s quest to quash and slow down inflation … It’s kind of like we
water boarded the consumer, the small businesses, because of this
rapid rise in interest rates.” – Dan Fischer
Like Fischer, Spadafore has worked
in the banking industry for several decades,
mostly in commercial lending
for large banks. In contrast to super
low rates in recent years, she remembers
writing loans early in her career
at 21 percent.
Fischer says trying to bring inflation
down to 2 percent again might not
be the answer. He says 4 or 5 percent is
more realistic, paired with a break in
interest rate hikes to give stakeholders
a break to catch their breaths.
“Right now, there is so much uncertainty
in the marketplace because
we’ve had variables that we have never
seen before,” says Fischer. “We’ve not
seen (a pandemic like) COVID since
the early 1900s. We haven’t seen bank
failures in a long time, since 2008. And
we have never seen interest rates rise
this quickly.”
Sensible Moves
Spadafore was happy to see the federal
government recently move to keep
the prime interest rate at 8.25 percent,
which she says is still high. The prime
interest rate is the rate that commercial
banks charge their most creditworthy
customers based on the rate
the federal government charges banks
to borrow money overnight.
Spadafore says she has heard that
the fed is going to raise rates again in
third or fourth quarter, “and that really
locks down a lot of big borrowers from
borrowing.”
Part of the problem, according to
Fischer, is that the steep interest rate
increase on federal investment vehicles
such as treasury notes would
increase a cash shift to the feds and
diminish deposits in banks, creating a
shortage of money to loan customers.
“I don’t think there’s going to be
a recession,” says Spadafore, “but I
don’t think there is going to be a lot of
buying. I think people are going to toe
the line and hold tight to see what’s
going to happen.”
Fischer thinks that if a recession
does occur it could be a short one, with
a recovery coming by the first quarter
of 2024.
A recession is a significant, widespread,
and prolonged downturn in
economic activity. A common rule of
thumb is that a recession creates two
consecutive quarters of negative gross
domestic product growth.
“More reasonable interest rates
over the longer term and a realistic expectation
for inflation going forward
are good ingredients for a stabilization
of the economy,” said Fischer.
Whether there is a recession or not
and whether interest rates and prices
settle down or continue their current
volatility, the conventional wisdom
in this turbulent time is caution over
panic.
Fischer says it will be important
for people to maintain cash reserves
during this period, but to move forward
cautiously with plans…and trust
strong relationships with banks, including
local institutions.
40 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS
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Producing Branch Manager - VP of Mortgage Lending
o: (248) 622-0704
rate.com/angelakakos
angela.kakos@rate.com
2456 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights, MI 48310
Guaranteed Rate Inc.; NMLS #2611; For licensing information visit
nmlsconsumeraccess.org. Equal Housing Lender. Conditions may apply • Angela Kakos
NMLS ID: 166374
Phone: (248) 851-2227
(248) 851-BCBS
Fax: (248) 851-2215
rockyhpip1@aol.com
ROCKY H. HUSAYNU
Professional Insurance Planners
Individual & Group Health Plans
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Over 40 years of experience.
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TOP 1% OF REALTORS
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Bloomfield, Farmington Hills,
Associated Broker
Each office is independently
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Office (248)737-6800 Brian • S. Mobile Yaldoo
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ELIAS KATTOULA
CAREER SERVICES MANAGER
Jaguar Land Rover Troy
Sammi A. Naoum
1815 Maplelawn Drive
Troy, MI 48084
TEL 248-537-7467
MOBILE 248-219-5525
snaoum@suburbancollection.com
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BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
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in our business directory section!
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CHALDEAN
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1967 continued from page 17
As the riots calmed down, Hesano
and the National Guard made their
way to the Belle Isle bathhouse, where
thousands of arrested people were being
kept and looked after by the guard.
“Detroit was home for me,” Hesano
said. “I watched it burn, including my
family’s store.”
Jerry Yono, who owned and operated
a store on Linwood Street in Detroit,
was present for most of the riots. “I
stood outside my store while it was going
on, talking to people in the street
as they rolled by,” he said.
Yono’s store, which was popular
30850 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 200
BINGHAM FARMS, MI 48025
TEL: (248) 996-8340 CELL: (248) 925-7773
FAX: (248) 996-8342
snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com
www.chaldeanchamber.com
www.chaldeanfoundation.org
Twitter: @ChaldeanChamber
in the Black community, was labeled
with a special sign reading “Soul
Instagram: @ChaldeanAmericanChamber
Brother.” After the riots broke out,
Black customers from his store took up
arms to defend his shop from looters
and arsonists.
“The drug store across the street,
which was owned by a Jewish family,
was looted completely,” he said. “I
watched them carry out a safe, put it
into a Cadillac, and drive away from
the store.” Yono added that other people
went into the store and cleaned it
out before burning it down.
Imperial Market, the name of
Yono’s store, holds a special place in
history. Its photo appears in the August
4, 1967, issue of Life Magazine
that featured words and images of
the riots. In the photo, you can see
two Black individuals defending
the store from inside as well as the
words “Soul Brother” handwritten
on a poster.
Other Chaldeans had their stores
completely looted and burned. Mike
Denha, who had a store with his family,
tried to go to it when the riots
started. The road leading to their store
was completely blocked off by police,
rendering the building inaccessible.
Eventually, looters took the whole
store and arsonists burned down what
was left.
The Aftermath
Much like the Chaldean community
experienced shared trauma from
events in Iraq, they now have a shared
trauma with the citizens of Detroit.
Chaldeans are a resilient people; they
persisted and prospered in the city
and the surrounding suburbs. Many
made the transition from convenience
store owners to real estate developers,
restaurant owners, and entrepreneurs,
sending their kids to college, medical
school, and law school.
The roots they planted in Detroit
will continue to grow and enrich the
communities in which they live, work,
and play.
JULY 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 41

FROM THE ARCHIVE
Chaldean Town Remembered
This month, we feature more photos of the old neighborhood. We love to see
old photos; they evoke memories of a simpler time. These were submitted
by CN reader Alexa Saffar.
Clockwise from top of page: Alexa Saffar and her cousin Randy
Abboud playing with the hose in the front yard; From left: Alexa,
grandmother Sabriya Jajou, and sister Samantha Kajy; Alexa’s
grandfather Jurjis Bajawa; Alexa (in middle) with her mother
Sundus Saffar and sister Samantha Kajy pose by a tree.
42 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2023

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