MARCH 2012

VOL. 9 ISSUE II 

METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY MARCH 2012 

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Our Annual 

Wedding Guide 

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 


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Tips from the Pros 

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CONTENTS MARCH 2012 

THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 9 ISSUE II 

27 

departments 

8 From the Editor 

10 your Letters 

12 Guest Columns 

By Michael Sarafa 

Setting Fire to the Rain 

By Stephanie Abbo 

A Fairy Tale Wedding or a Lifelong Marriage? 

By Junior Jwad 

Lent Demands Sacrifices 

16 Noteworthy 

18 Bulletin Board 

18 Post of the Month 

20 Chai Time 

22 Religion 

22 Obituaries 

24 From the Editor 

By Vanessa Denha Garmo 

Throwing Stones at Those Who Mourn 

54 10 Questions for … 

Lawrence Yaldo 

56 One on One 


Shenandoah’s John Loussia: 

‘Our Future Looks Bright’ 

58 Economics and Enterprise 

By Weam Namou 

Dreaming Big: 

Entrepreneur Reinvents the 

Dollar Store Genre 

60 Classified Listings 

62 Events 

Photos by David Reed 

Cultural Exchange 

Joseph Atchoo and 

Amanda Sleeper 

— who have known 

each other since 

they were both 15 

— celebrated their 

marriage on October 

2, 2011 at the Farmington 

Manor after a 

mass at St Thomas. 

on the cover: our annual wedding issue 

28 Past the Party 

By Crystal Kassab Jabiro 

Marriage classes seek to strengthen sacrament 

29 The Wedding Singers 

By Weam Namou 

Music men hit the right notes 

30 Beware Bridezillas 

By Joyce Wiswell 

Some brides have to be seen to be believed 

32 Tips from the Pros 


38 Chaldean on the Street 

By Anthony Samona 

What’s the most unique thing you’ve seen at a wedding? 

special section: chaldean chamber awards 

42 Driven to Succeed 

By Ken Marten 

Car dealer Joseph Sesi is Business Person of the Year 

43 Health Care with Dignity 


Chaldean physician group is Humanitarian of the Year 

44 ECRC Straightens Faith 


Chamber pays special tribute 

features 

46 Building on Success 

By Harry Kirbsaum 

Religiously diverse teens ‘build community’ 

48 Passion Play 


Living Stations makes a Lenten impact 

50 Sports 

By Steve Stein 

Roundup 

HHHHHHHHHHHHH 

On the Cover: 

Brittany (Sheena) and 

Justin Shina, July 31, 2011. 

Photo by AAVA Studio 


from the EDITOR 

Published By 

The Chaldean News, LLC 

Editorial 

Editor in Chief 

Vanessa Denha-Garmo 

managing Editor 

Joyce Wiswell 

Contributing Writers 

Stephanie Abbo 

Crystal Kassab Jabiroi 

Junior Jwad 

Harry Kirbsaum 

Ken Marten 

Weam Namou 

Anthony Samona 

Michael Sarafa 

Steve Stein 

PROOFREADER 

Ken Marten 

art & production 

creative director 

Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

graphic designers 

Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

Joseph Sesi 

Photographers 

AAVA Studio 

Ivan George 

Brett Mountain 

David Reed 

Wilson Sarkis 

operations 

Interlink Media 

director of operations 

Paul Alraihani 

circulation 

Paul Alraihani 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Joyce Wiswell 

sales 


sales representativeS 


Lisa Kalou 

Lamya Kory 

managers 


Martin Manna 

Michael Sarafa 

subscriptions: $25 per year 

The Chaldean News 

29850 Northwestern Highway, Suite 250 

Southfield, MI 48034 


Phone: (248) 996-8360 

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

monthly; Issue Date: March 2012 Subscriptions: 

12 months, $25. Publication Address: 29850 Northwestern 

Hwy., Suite 250, Southfield, MI 48034; Application 

to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending at 

Farmington Hills Post Office Postmaster: Send address 

changes to “The Chaldean News 29850 Northwestern 

Highway, Suite 250, Southfield, MI 48034” 

Finding my faith 

As the days led up to 

Ash Wednesday, 

I kept thinking 

about what to do for Lent. 

Should I give up something, 

do something or both? This 

is truly a sacred time of year 

for Catholics. This season 

of Lent is designed to bring 

us closer to Christ. I never 

share with others my sacrifice; 

however, I have faith 

in the choice I made. 

Although we feature 

our yearly wedding guide on the 

cover, we can view this issue as one 

tied to the faith. Life itself brings 

about moments where we all must 

be pushed to find our faith. 

When you marry, you take a vow 

in front of God and family inside 

our Lord’s home. You start your marriage 

united in faith. Although we 

bring you light-hearted stories and 

not-so-funny ones about bridezillas, 

you can still use this time to reflect 

on what marriage really means. 

When you marry, it is like taking 

a leap of faith. It is one of the 

most important decisions of your 

life. Think about it; you have made 

a serious commitment to another human 

being. It is the reason I find it so 

mind-boggling that we focus so much 

on the wedding and not the vows. 

Weddings are vibrant and fabulous 

celebrations. I love our Chaldean 

weddings — our music, our 

food, our traditions. I also know that 

the marriage is not the wedding. 

As married couples, sometimes 

we find our faith in each other. 

For instance, as Catholics do you 

Vanessa 

denha-garmo 

editor in chief 

co-publisher 

know your number-one responsibility 

as a spouse? It 

is to make sure your spouse 

gets to heaven. We are all 

called to bring each other 

closer to Christ. In fact, 

it is something ECRC has 

been doing for more than 

10 years. It is the reason the 

Chaldean American Chamber 

of Commerce is giving 

them a special recognition 

at its annual dinner. 

Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim 

had faith in the laity to evangelize 

and so he gave them his blessings 

and continued support. ECRC 

continues to thrive today. ECRC 

Did you know 

your number-one 

responsibility is to 

get your spouse 

into heaven? 

is starting their own annual tradition, 

which we share on these pages. 

They are hosting an evening at the 

Living Stations. This Broadway-like 

theatrical performance of Christ’s 

Passion was produced by a local 

woman and its main performances 

take place at the Blessed Sacrament 

Cathedral in Detroit. However, her 

musical is now traveling the globe. 

It is said when we sing, we pray 

twice and sometimes we find our 

faith in music. As a convert to 

Catholicism, Kelly Nieto — the 

producer — found her faith in the 

Living Stations. 

In my life, I have found the most 

difficult time, and yet the most comforting 

time, to rely on faith is in 

death. Perhaps you share the sentiment. 

The reason I found it difficult 

is the judgment others bestow on 

the mourning. I penned my opinion 

in this issue about the way we 

mourn. It is different for each of us. 

Sometimes we need to have faith 

in others as they struggle to find 

their own faith during their most 

turbulent times. 

As I age, I realize that I find my 

faith every day or I rediscover it. 

I have faith in justice — that evil 

will be exposed and the righteous 

will prevail. I have faith in my family 

— that our love will transcend all 

things. I have faith in my friends — 

our loyalty to each other. I have faith 

in our leaders — that they follow a 

moral compass. I have faith in the 

community — that their intentions 

are always good. I have faith in myself 

— that I will always do my best. 

Most of all of, I have faith in our 

Lord and that God’s will be done! 

As Christians everywhere, we 

know that the true test of our faith is 

in the Risen Lord. 

This Lenton season, I spend my 

days finding my faith. 

Alaha Imid Koullen 

(God Be With Us All) 


vdenha@chaldeannews.com 

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Death Be Not Proud 

I read with interest Robert Shelide’s 

guest column where he found it disturbing 

that someone opposes the 

death penalty [“Kill — and Do It 

Swiftly,” February 2012]. However, it 

is unfortunate that his column, to support 

his position, needlessly invoked 

recent murders against members of our 

community. For just because one opposes 

the death penalty does not mean 

he does not feel for the pain of the victims’ 

families, nor does it mean that we 

have not had relatives or friends who 

were victims of senseless crimes. 

Mr. Shelide illustrates the need 

of the death penalty by describing a 

case of a rapist out on bond who then 

murdered his victim. What seems 

missing from the analysis is that the 

real mistake was to allow bond for a 

rapist in the first place; for had bond 

been denied, the murder would not 

have happened regardless of the law 

on the death penalty. In all the examples 

mentioned, he does not explain 

how the death penalty could 

have prevented the crimes. 

I share Mr. Shelide’s resentment 

when convicted murders are allowed 

to enjoy jail life at taxpayer expense. 

I believe they should be made to 

work in jail to pay for all expenses. 

However, that is an issue separate 

from the correctness of the death 

penalty. I also believe that a life sentence 

without parole with labor to 

pay for incarceration costs is more 

punishing than a swift death after 

which the criminal will feel nothing. 

Mr. Shelide concludes by advocating 

that we should not only execute 

promptly, but also swiftly and without 

delay. I could not help but recall courts 

in the old country from which we fled. 

Luckily, we live here in Michigan under 

a more enlightened system. 

– N. Peter Antone 

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Let Us Hear from You 

Letters to the Editor are welcome. 

Please limit your comments to 300 

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include your name, address and 

phone number. Send letters to The 

Chaldean News, 29850 Northwestern 

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GUEST columns 

Setting fire to the rain 

Setting fire to the rain 

is such a powerful image 

but the meaning 

seems elusive. Two natural 

processes that run counter 

to each other’s existence. 

Clearly Adele’s song is 

about a struggling relationship, 

maybe a broken one. 

But I’m wondering if it 

isn’t also about a hopeless 

love or maybe even foolish 

love? 

It got me thinking about a conversation 

happening around town 

about the epidemic of called-off wedding 

engagements and failed marriages 

less than two years old. In 

checking with Church sources and 

banquet hall contacts, this is happening 

more than ever before. The 

question is why. 

One answer could be that couples 

are forcing an engagement before 

they are truly ready. While Chaldean 

Michael G. 

Sarafa 

co-publisher 

women who attend college 

and start careers might be 

marrying later in life, others 

(both young men and 

women) seem to want to 

rush into it. 

More often than not 

the weddings that never 

happen involve two very 

young people often in their 

early 20s. Many times the 

resources of the boy and 

his family do not match 

the girl’s idea of her dream wedding. 

The relationship becomes fractured 

through the wedding planning process 

itself — the ring, the shower gift, 

the flowers. The couple gets set back 

before they even start. The pressure 

of wedding debt is added on top of 

the stress of a new and growing relationship. 

In earlier, simpler times, it might 

have been okay to marry without 

some financial stability. In a perfect 

world, it would be still. Unfortunately, 

young people today seem in a 

huge rush to match or exceed their 

parents’ lifestyle — to have it all 

and to have it soon. They want the 

dream house in their 30s rather than 

their 50s. Most of our parents’ generation 

toughed it out a little when 

they were first married. They might 

have rented a home or lived in the 

Of foremost 

importance is 

the love between 

two people. 

city or an older suburb. The wedding 

ceremonies were simpler, the parties 

— and the rings — were smaller. 

The idea of “keeping up” was not a 

measure of comparative wealth but 

of dignity, self-respect and taking 

care of one’s family. 

Another possibility for rushed 

marriages may have to do with the 

conflict between sexual desires and 

the belief that premarital sex is 

wrong. This is a difficult issue for 

young people as they attempt to 

make life decisions in a moral construct. 

Nonetheless, marriage is life 

altering. Eventually it may involve 

children. 

Of foremost importance is the 

love between two people. Love, of 

course, is a passion of the heart — 

like trying to set fire to the rain. But, 

just as with any big decision, the desire 

to marry should be tempered by 

patience, maturity, some financial 

wherewithal and mainly a sense of 

mutual expectations between the 

couple. 

Michael Sarafa is the president of the 

Bank of Michigan and a co-publisher 

of the Chaldean News. 


A fairy tale wedding or a lifelong marriage? 

Modern weddings 

have become far 

too much about a 

belief that the wedding day 

must be perfect. As a result, 

some couples don’t give a 

whole lot of thought to the 

marriage. Our concentration 

has turned more to being 

a princess for a day rather 

than a day to celebrate the 

union of two people coming 

together as one to raise 

a family. 

One of the largest causes of wedding 

stress is trying to keep up with 

social and peer pressure. Social pressure 

or peer pressure appeals to one’s 

desire to fit in with others, to experience 

acceptance and approval. 

There is nothing inherently wrong 

with this as human beings are social 

creatures and are made to connect 

with other human beings. However, 

when the desire for social belonging 

Stephanie 

Abbo 

special to the 

chaldean news 

is paired with pressure to 

overspend more than you 

can afford, it can make for 

a tough situation between 

couples. 

Social pressure or peer 

pressure causes us to overspend 

on unnecessary 

wedding lavishness. Couples 

may feel pressured 

to have the “perfect wedding” 

because they think 

everyone else expects it. 

Deciding to go with a simpler wedding 

often comes with disapproving 

glances and comments from people 

whose approval and opinions matter. 

But to what extent are couples 

digging themselves into debt for 

their wedding to satisfy their families 

and everyone else? 

With the focus now more on 

the wedding as opposed to the actual 

marriage, the true intention of 

uniting a couple to create a family 

has been lost. The holy sacrament 

of marriage should be the celebration 

of the couple and their union. 

Many brides, nowadays, have completely 

taken over wedding planning 

(in which most grooms will 

happily not take part) and enjoy 

the attention they get as brides, especially 

if it’s lacking in other areas 

of their lives. 

The amount of debt a couple 

racks up with these weddings could 

possibly be the reason for so many 

failed marriages. So does a big wedding 

lead to a big divorce? Maybe 

not, but it is worth thinking about 

as you make plans for your nuptials. 

After all, the wedding is one day; 

the marriage is forever. 

In America, large, expensive 

weddings were not the norm. 

At the turn of the 20th century, 

couples tended to marry in their 

homes. In the 1930s, jewelry manufacturers 

like DeBeers coined the 

slogan, “a diamond is forever.” Obviously 

it worked. 

As a community we need to start 

living for ourselves instead of living 

to impress other people, who will not 

be footing the bill for that extravagant 

wedding party. There should be 

more concern regarding the financial 

debt you are creating for yourself and 

your new family. 

It’s easy to get caught up in planning 

an extravagant wedding because 

quite frankly, who doesn’t want 

to experience the finer things in life? 

The problem is that there is nothing 

extravagant about having outstanding 

credit card debt. Divorce statistics 

are at an all-time high, but the 

bridal industry is booming. 

Stephanie Abbo is responsible for 

employment law and human resources 

at a consulting company. She is focused 

on spending most of her free time 

serving Jesus Christ. 


GUEST column 

Lent demands sacrifices 

“Pardon me, my God and 

permit me to accompany 

You on this journey. You go 

to die for love of me; I wish 

also, my beloved Redeemer, 

to die for love of You.” 

– The Way of the Cross, 

by Saint Alphonsus Ligouri 

Most people think 

Lent is just a 

time of giving 

up something “important” 

and then going on with daily life 

until Easter comes around. Lent is 

actually a time when one must give 

witness to Christ’s suffering and truly 

accompany our Lord in His passion. 

One common way we can sacrifice 

and suffer is through fasting. 

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit 

into the wilderness to be tempted by 

the devil and after fasting forty days 

and forty nights, he was hungry and 

the tempter came to him” (Matthew 

4:1-2). If Jesus himself fasted when 

Junior Jwad 

SPECIAL TO THE 

CHALDEAN NEWS 

praying to the father, who 

are we not to fast? 

But when one fasts it 

must truly be a sacrifice. In 

our community most people 

just fast from meat on 

Fridays, but one must look 

at his own circumstances 

and ask, is this truly a sacrifice? 

What sacrifice is it 

to fast from meat and then 

feast on seafood, sushi and 

imitation meat? When we 

fast we must feel the suffering and 

offer it up as a sacrifice to God. 

The Eastern Rite Chaldean 

Catholic Church orders that its 

members in good health fast from 

everything till noon and abstain 

from meat and dairy completely on 

every Friday of Lent. Yes, this is a 

major sacrifice that our ancestors 

have endured for so long. No one 

ever said fasting is easy. Temptation 

will come along; even Christ was 

tempted by the devil while fasting, 

but he persevered and so can we. 

Fasting is not just changing our 

diets around in order to follow the 

orders of the Church. As we fast we 

also must be in penance and prayer 

and doing good deeds, or else our 

fast is worthless. 

In Luke 18:10, two men went up 

to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee 

and the other a tax collector. The 

Pharisee’s prayer was of how thankful 

he was for being righteous by his 

doing good deeds and fasting unlike 

the tax collector. The tax collector’s 

prayer was a humble cry, “God, have 

mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus comments, 

saying the tax collector went 

home more righteous before God. 

Even though the Pharisee fasted and 

did righteous deeds, he let his pride 

get in the way and did not do it out 

of love. When we fast we must do it 

in faith, humility and love, not out 

of pride or as if we are just fulfilling 

an obligation. 

Fasting is a sacrifice, which brings 

us closer to God. When you fast try 

to avoid all temptations of sin in 

which you fall regularly. Use your 

fasting as a weapon against the devil’s 

traps. When you fast you must be 

in deep prayer with the Lord, offering 

your fast to Him. The Stations 

of the Cross is extremely crucial to 

our Lent, because it reminds and 

brings us close to our Lord’s passion. 

Throughout all of Lent let the 

joy of the Resurrection be upon you. 

The Resurrection is the reason for 

Lent. Our Lord’s suffering is what 

leads to His glorious Resurrection. 

Through His suffering our sins were 

washed away and through His Resurrection 

we were saved and given 

eternal life in paradise. As the Chaldean 

Rite Stations of the Cross say: 

“Come enjoy the kingdom of 

heaven which was prepared for you 

by the shedding of my blood.” 

Fifteen-year-old Junior Jwad lives in 

West Bloomfield. A sophomore at 

Brother Rice Catholic High School, 

he is a server at St. Thomas Chaldean 

Catholic Church, is fluent in Soureth 

and can read and write Aramaic. 

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noteworthy 

Iraq Court Agrees 

to Execute Church 

Attackers 

Iraq’s highest court ratified death sentences 

on February 2 for three men 

convicted of the 2010 massacre at a 

Syrian Catholic cathedral in Baghdad, 

the bloodiest attack on Iraqi Christians 

after the 2003 invasion. 

Gunmen linked to al Qaeda seized 

hostages during Sunday mass at the Our 

Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad on 

October 31, 2010. Around 52 hostages 

and police were killed and 67 wounded 

in the attack, which ended when security 

forces stormed the church. 

Al Qaeda’s Iraqi affiliate, Islamic 

State of Iraq, claimed responsibility for 

the attack. 

“There are three convicted criminals. 

All of them are Iraqis and they were 

convicted based on the terrorism law,” 

said Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar, spokesman 

for the Supreme Judicial Council. 

“The sentence is final and it will be sent 

to the presidency to issue a decree to 

the Justice Ministry to execute it.” 

One of the alleged leaders of the 

church attack, Huthaifa al-Batawi, 

known as al Qaeda’s “Emir of Baghdad,” 

was killed in an attempted jailbreak 

last May, officials said. 

– Reuters. Reprinted with permission 

of the Assyrian International News 

Agency, aina.org. 

El Cajon Backs Off 

Card Rooms 

City officials in El Cajon, California, agreed to 

ease up on their crackdown on Chaldean card 

rooms in a 3-2 vote on February 14. 

The city council had voted unanimously to 

ban card-playing activities from the downtown 

area – which includes the Crystal Ballroom, a 

popular community spot that is owned by the 

Chaldean American Association. 

Officials cite gambling as the problem but 

community leaders insist that card playing is a 

way of life for Chaldeans and that no wagering 

is involved. There are about 10 known card 

room operations in El Cajon and most, if not all, 

have a large Chaldean clientele. 

– SanDiego.com 

Come to the Carnival 

The Third Annual COACH (Chaldean Outreach 

And Community Hope) Carnival will be held on 

Sunday, March 25. 

The event includes a $5,000 raffle, DJ music, 

games, face painting, food, baked goods 

and a Moon Bounce. All proceeds benefit Project 

Hope, which helps Iraqi refugees who have 

resettled in Metro Detroit. 

The fun takes place from 2-6 p.m. at the 

lower level of Shenandoah Country Club. Enter 

through the Dining Room/Gym entrance. A 

wristband for unlimited Moon Bounce use is 

$10 and games and food have a nominal cost. 

Sponsorships are still available. Learn more 

at CoachInfo.org or call (248) 522-2441. 

It’s Scholarship Time 

The Annual Chaldean Federation of America 

Scholarship Program is underway, and the 

deadline for applications is April 27. 

A number of scholarships are offered to high 

school and college students. Visit Chaldean- 

Grads.com for an application. For more information, 

contact Rula Yono at (248) 996-8384 

or rula@chaldeanfederation.org. A luncheon in 

honor of scholarship recipients will be held on 

Saturday, June 2. 

CALL FOR ARTISTS 

St. Joseph Mercy Oakland is seeking submissions 

from Michigan artists for the hospital’s new South 

Patient Tower scheduled to open in 2014. 

Selected artwork will be used to enhance the healing 

environment of the newtower. 

Artwork is being sought in a variety of media and 

should follow the guiding principles of healing art and 

evoke messages of peace and healing for the patients, 

visitors and staff who will use the new facilities. 

Visit http://aesthetics.net/StJosephMercyCFA to 

learn more about the Call for Artists. Deadline for 

submissions is March 26. 

Cook with CALC 

The Chaldean American Ladies of Charity 

(CALC) are offering cooking classes during 

the month of March. 

The class is open to ages 18 to 28 and includes 

Chaldean recipes, cooking techniques 

and sampling of dishes prepared in class. It 

takes place from 7-9 p.m. on March 5, 12, 19 

and 26 at the Culinary Studio, 29673 Northwestern 

Highway in Southfield. The fee is $50 

for all four sessions. Call (248) 538-8300 for 

more information. 

People 

Attorney Steven Garmo spoke at the Iraqi 

Refugee Assistance Program Training on January 

28 in Los Angeles. Garmo is currently 

working as a supervising attorney 

on the Iraqi Relief Assistance 

Project out of New 

York with the University of 

California at Irvine, School of 

Law and Loyola Law School 

in Los Angeles. IRAP provides 

critical support to Iraqi 

refugees who must start over 

in the West. 

The Root Restaurant & 

Bar in White Lake Township 

was named the 2012 Restaurant 

of the Year by the Detroit 

Free Press. Owned by Ed 

Mamou, the spot is known 

for using local and seasonal 

ingredients. 

Grieving 

relatives pay 

tribute to 

victims of 

the church 

massacre in 

this file photo 

from November 

2010. 



Community Bulletin Board 

Sharing Faith 

Casting a Pall 

The Chaldean News bids a fond 

and forlorn farewell to Paul Alraihani, 

our director of operations and 

an all-around good guy. Paul, who 

had been with us since 2006, has 

joined a local engineering firm as a 

project manager. Good luck Paul! 

Crystal Clear 

Chaldean students at Walled Lake Western High School 

made it a point to gather together at lunchtime to break their 

Baoutha fast on January 30-February 1. “We’re sacrificing 

for a good cause so you feel good that you’re doing it,” said 

Vena Karana, 17 (left). “But your brain plays tricks on you 

and you get hungrier than you normally would because you 

know that you can’t eat.” 

Junior Justin Miri (right) said he enjoys explaining Baoutha 

to non-Chaldean students. “I like to support my Chaldean 

community, and I want everyone to see how we take care 

of our own culture and our religion real well,” he said. “They 

think it’s interesting.” Added 18-year-old Gabrielle Kassab, 

“Jesus went through so much for us, we have to suffer a 

little.” The school has about 200 Chaldean students. 

Crystal Jackson spent the past three 

months volunteering with the Chaldean 

Federation of America as she 

researched the community for her 

doctorate dissertation from Loyola 

University in Chicago. “One thing 

stands out: the overall welcoming 

spirit the community has shown me 

– the willingness of people to share 

their culture and traditions and their 

general goodness,” said Jackson. 

She’s now off to Miami to study another 

large refugee group — Cuban- 

Americans. 

Have an item for the Bulletin Board? Send it to Chaldean News, 29850 Northwestern 

Highway, Southfield, MI 48034, or e-mail info@chaldeannews.com. 

Top Dog 

Mike (Acho) Palmer, 

the owner of Premier 

Pet Supply, is among 

Oakland County 

Executive L. Brooks 

Patterson’s “Elite 40 

Under 40.” He was 

chosen from nearly 400 

nominees for excelling 

in his field while giving 

back to the community. 

Premier Pet Supply 

was originally opened 

in 1992 by Palmer’s 

uncle, Ray Hesano. In 

1994, fresh out of high 

school, Mike began 

working at the store full 

time and has made it a 

thriving business. 

post of the month 

My Daily Bread 

After Conversion Chapter 32 

The Predominant Fault 

Christ: My Child, I give strength to 

those who make an honest effort in 

fighting against their faults. The harder 

they try, the more will they advance in 

virtue. The self-control which I give is 

a man’s greatest glory because he approaches 

closer to My perfection. 

No two men have the same combination 

of faults, nor have they the 

same amount of grace. I give more 

grace to those who make good use of 

what they have already received. 

As you make progress against 

your main fault, you will find your 

other faults easier to control. Once 

you are the master of your heart, you 

will be the master of your life. Your 

intelligence will be guided by My 

grace and your will, will follow My 

wise and holy law. 

Begin at last! Attack first your 

most frequent fault. When you fall 

back into that fault, instead of becoming 

sad and discouraged, prove your 

sorrow by beginning again. You will 

find selfishness at the bottom of every 

fault. Your feelings will rebel, but you 

must fix your eyes on Me, and let your 

will stand firm on My law. 

Prayer, penance, and My sacraments 

will help you to see Me near, 

and will give you the strength to follow 

My Will. 

Think: Every man has a predominant 

fault, that is, an outstanding one, because 

of which he commits most of 

the sins in his daily life. Conquering 

that fault means overcoming many 

different sins. This fault will not die 

easily, but a sincere and continued 

effort will weaken it more and more. 

Our Lord will not let me fight in vain. 

He will give me strength to make true 

progress against this fault. I need only 

to continue trying, doing whatever is 

necessary to overcome this fault. 

Pray: Lord, make me wise in using the 

means which You have provided for my 

spiritual victory. Let me never become 

careless or lazy in following the guidance 

of Your Church, nor in frequently 

using Your sacraments. The victory of 

this daily battle will bring me eternal 

glory in the wonderful life of Heaven. 

The reward which You have prepared 

is far greater than my effort can ever 

deserve of itself. Let me never become 

tired of fighting for Heaven. Amen. 

– From St Thomas 

Chaldean Catholic Church 



CHAI time 

chaldeans conNecting 

community events in and around metro detroit MARCH 2012 

[Thursday, March 1] 

Fundraiser: Malts for Matts benefits CALC’s Mattress 

Fund for needy families. Evening includes dinner 

and malt tasting. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., dinner 

is from 7-9, and malt tasting begins at 9 p.m. Duo 

Restaurant, 29555 Northwestern Highway, Southfield. 

Tickets are $100 and include entry into a drawing 

for a TaylorMade R11S Driver. (248) 521-4410 or 

(248) 538-8300. 

[Saturday, March 3] 

Religion: St. Bonaventure Monastery’s 8th Day of 

Recollection features guest speaker Fr. Tom Sepulveda. 

9 a.m.-3 p.m., Solanus Casey Center, 1780 

Mt. Elliott Street, Detroit. Donation is $25. (313) 

579-2100, ext.149. 

[Saturday, March 3 – Sunday, March 4] 

Woof: The Detroit Kennel Club Dog Show includes 

more than 160 breeds strutting their stuff as well as 

seminars, pet first aid and training demonstrations at 

Cobo Center in Detroit. Tickets are $15 adults, $8 

seniors and children 12 and under; cash only. Kroger 

stores have discount tickets. DetroitKennelClub.com. 

[Wednesday, March 7] 

Health: Nutrition for the Active Man teaches how to 

incorporate a healthy twist to favorite recipes. 6:30-8 

p.m. $19. Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. Preregistration 

required; call (248) 325-3890. 

[Friday, March 9] 

Fashion: Ladies Night features a fashion show by 

Claire’s Collection. Doors open at 7 p.m., show 

starts at 8. $50 includes dinner, entertainment by 

Bassam Saleh and Jad Soudah, and cash bar. 

Shenandoah Country Club. (248) 454-1927. 

[Saturday, March 10] 

Parade: Royal Oak’s St. Patrick’s Day parade begins 

at 11:30 a.m. at the Royal Oak Middle School and 

proceeds south on Washington, turning west on 

Seventh Street and ending at the St. Mary Church/ 

School parking lot. 

[Sunday, March 11] 

Parade: The Detroit St. Patrick’s Day Parade 

starts at 2 p.m. on Michigan Avenue at Sixth Street 

and continues to Fourteenth Street. 

DetroitsStPatricksParade.com. 

[Tuesday, March 13] 

Party: The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life 

West Bloomfield Kickoff Party begins at 6 p.m. at 

The Corners, 2075 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield. 

(The event itself is June 2-3.) Felicia.McMullen@cancer.org 

or (248) 663-3435. 

[Monday, March 19] 

Nutrition: Nutritionist Gail Posner shares strategies 

on mindful eating behavior, smart selections in the 

grocery store, and healthy restaurant tips. Merrill 

Lynch Financial Advisors wrap up with tactics 

to achieve financial wellness in today’s challenging 

market. 7-8 p.m., Whole Foods in West Bloomfield. 

Free. RSVP at (313) 594-9207. 

[Friday, March 23] 

Chamber: The Chaldean American Chamber of 

Commerce holds its Ninth Annual Awards Dinner at 

Shenandoah Country Club. Doors open at 6 p.m. 

Tickets are $175 per person or $1,500 for a table of 

ten. (248) 996-8340 or lkalou@chaldeanchamber.com. 

[Sunday, March 25] 

Carnival: Third annual COACH Carnival and cash 

raffle with $5,000 in prizes takes place at Shenandoah 

Country Club. Raffle tickets are $10. 

(248) 522-2441 or CoachInfo.org. 

[Tuesday, March 27 – Sunday, April 1] 

Film: The Ann Arbor Film Festival, the nation’s 

oldest, celebrates its 50th year. View a schedule at 

AAFilmFest.org. 

Send calendar announcements to The Chaldean News, 29850 Northwestern Highway, 

Southfield, MI 48034 or info@ chaldeannews.com. 


(248) 556-1117 

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eligion 

OBITUARIES 

places of prayer 

chaldean churches in and around metro detroit 

THE DIOCESE OF ST. THOMAS 

THE APOSTLE IN THE UNITED STATES 

St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Diocese 

25603 Berg Road, Southfield, MI 48033; 

(248) 351-0440 

Mar (Bishop) Ibrahim N. Ibrahim 

www.chaldeandiocese.org 

HOLY MARTYRS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

43700 Merrill, Sterling Heights, MI 48312; 

(586) 803-3114 

Rector: Fr. Manuel Boji 

Parochial Vicar: Fr. Ayad Khanjaro 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 9 a.m. in Chaldean; Saturday, 

5 p.m. in English; Sunday: 9 a.m. in Chaldean and Arabic, 

10:30 a.m. in English, morning prayer at noon, high mass at 

12:30 p.m. in Chaldean. 

MAR ADDAI CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

24010 Coolidge Highway, Oak Park, MI 48237; 

(248) 547-4648 

Pastor: Fr. Stephen Kallabat 

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

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

Sourath and Arabic, 12:30 p.m. in Sourath 

MOTHER OF GOD CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

25585 Berg Road, Southfield, MI 48034; 

(248) 356-0565 

Rector: Fr. Wisam Matti 

Parochial Vicar: Fr. Anthony Kathawa 

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

College/Young Adult in English 

Mass Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8 a.m. mass in 

English; Tuesday, 9 p.m. mass in English; Wednesday, noonmidnight, 

adoration; Saturday, 5:15 p.m. in English; Sunday: 

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

7 p.m. in English 

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP MISSION 

Located inside St. Sylvester Church 

11200 12 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48093; 

(586) 804-2114 

Pastor: Fr. Fadi Philip 

Mass Schedule: Daily, 6:30 p.m.; confession, 5 p.m.; rosary 

6 p.m.; Sunday 12:30 p.m. in Arabic and Chaldean. Bible 

Study: Thursday 8 p.m. Adoration: Thursday, 5 p.m. 

Catechism: Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 

SACRED HEART CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

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

Pastor: Fr. Sameem Belius 

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

Sunday 11 a.m. in Chaldean 

Youhanna J. 

Ammori 

July 1, 1940 - 

Feb. 16, 2012 

Gorgiss Yaldo 

JiroHamad 

July 1, 1926 - 


Recently deceased Community members 

Nora M. 

Robin 

April 16, 1955 - 


Fadhila H. 

Qeryaqos 

July 1, 1925 - 


Najiba Jamil 

Jammo 

July 1, 1936 - 


Manal (Marvin) 

Salim Garmo 

May 14, 1967 - 


ST. GEORGE CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

45700 Dequindre Road, Shelby Township, MI 48317; 

(586) 254-7221 

Pastor: Msgr. Emanuel Hana Isho Shaleta 

Assistant Pastors: Fr. Pierre Konja, Fr. Basel Yaldo 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Chaldean; 

Wednesdays, 7 p.m.; adoration and confession from 8-10 p.m.; 

Saturday, 6:30 p.m. in English (during the school year); 6:30 

p.m. (in Chaldean during the summer); Sunday: 8:30 a.m. in 

Chaldean, 10 a.m. in Arabic, 11:30 a.m. in English, 1:15 p.m. 

in Chaldean; 7:30 p.m. in English. 

Tuesdays: Circle of Friends (teenage girls) 6:30 p.m.; Wednesdays, 

Adult English Bible Study at 8 p.m.; Thursdays, Teen Bible 

Study at 6:30 p.m.; Fridays, Arabic Bible Study at 8 p.m. 

ST. JOSEPH CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

2442 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 48083; 

(248) 528-3676 

Pastor: Msgr. Zouhair Toma (Kejbou) 

Parochial Vicar: Fr. Rudy Zoma 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Chaldean; Saturday, 

5 p.m. in English and Chaldean; Sunday, 8 a.m. in Chaldean, 

9:30 a.m. in Arabic, 11 a.m. in English, 12:30 p.m. in 

Chaldean, 2:15 in Chaldean and Arabic. Baptisms: 3 p.m. 

on Sundays. 

ST. MARY HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN 

CHURCH OF THE EAST 

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

Rector: Fr. Benjamin Benjamin 

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

Assyrian and English 

ST. THOMAS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

6900 Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; 

(248) 788-2460 

Pastor: Fr. Frank Kalabat 

Fr. Emanuel Rayes (retired) 

Parochial Vicar: Fr. Jirgus Abrahim 

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

5 p.m. in English; 

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

Sourath, 2 p.m. in Arabic. First Thursday and Friday of each 

month, Holy Hour 10 a.m., Mass 11 a.m. in Sourath. Saturday 

3 p.m., Night Vespers (Ramsha) in Sourath. Every Wednesday 

from midnight to Thursday midnight, adoration in the Baptismal 

Room. Grotto is open 24/7 for prayer and reflection. 

ST. TOMA SYRIAC CATHOLIC CHURCH 

25600 Drake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48335; 

(248) 478-0835 

Pastor: Fr. Toma Behnama 

Fr. Safaa Habash 

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

Sunday 12 p.m. All masses are in Syriac, Arabic and English 

Yousif Anto 

Almaki 

July 29, 1938 - 


John 

Kitchon 

Feb. 25, 1930 - 

Jan. 31, 2012 

Nafie Yousef 

Sabbagh 

July 1, 1925 - 


Issa Yousif 

Rayis 

May 16, 1922 - 


Louis 

Panagiotides 

April 1, 1940 - 


Patros Hanna 

Katchel 

July 1, 1932 - 


Jamila Bajouwa Babi 

Jamila Bajouwa Babi passed 

away on January 17, 2012. She 

was born on February 5, 1927. 

Mrs. Babi is the wife of the 

late Hanna Scheashi Babi, and 

is survived by her children Bahjat 

(Hana), Adel (Sana), Ramzi 

(Inaam), Riad (Maysoon), Nimat 

(Shirley), Samira (the late 

Keryakoz Shammami), Ramzia 

(Keryakoz Najor), Ibtisam (Najib 

Ayar), and Nawal (the late Adel 

Kassab). Mrs. Babi is also survived 

by her many grandchildren 

and great grandchildren. She is 

sorely missed by all. 

Her loss is especially felt at 

home with her son Ray and daughter-in-law 

May, where she lived for 

the past 20 years. How grateful 

we are for the care Ray and May 

took of Yuma. Of Yuma Jamila’s 

many grandchildren, she watched 

four grow daily from infants into 

young adults. Yuma took special 

pleasure in being such a large 

part of Megan, Derek, Dillon and 

Devin’s everyday lives. Now that 

Yuma Jamila is gone, she has left 

an empty room in their home and 

a hole in their hearts. 

Now Jamila is with her beloved 

husband Hanna and those 

whose graves she left behind in 

Telkaif: her mom Yuma Marosha, 

her dad Baba Hermiz, her favorite 

sister Shamama and the rest 

of her siblings. We take comfort 

knowing that she is in the arms of 

our loving Holy Mother, sitting at 

the feet of our Savior Isho Mshiha 

and forever will be basking in the 

pure love that is God. We will 

now look forward to joining her in 

what is called “the real life.” In the 

meantime we have a new guardian 

angel who will protect us 

fiercely and continue her constant 

rosaries, relentlessly praying in 

our names. 


In Loving Memory Of... 

CAMERON 

CHOLAGH 

February 9 January 24 

2010 2012 

- 

Dearest Cameron, 

Mommy and Daddy miss you and love you so much. You are our life, our 

world, our heart, our boy. You brought so much sunshine and joy into 

our lives and the lives of so many. You came into this world and filled 

our hearts with love and happiness. We could never have imagined 

having a son with the strength that you had. You are the most handsome, smart 

and funny boy Mommy and Daddy have ever seen. We are so lucky to have had 

you in our lives. Even when you were in the hospital you would sit in bed clapping 

and laughing, such a funny boy. All the time we spent with you feels like a 

dream now. Being able to look into those beautiful eyes and the way it felt to 

hold you was the best gift God could have given us. We always knew you were 

an angel, too good to be true. 

The world just feels so different without you in it. Not a day will go by that we 

will not think about our angel. You left us just before your 2nd birthday, you 

were becoming such a big boy. We continue to look at your pictures and videos, 

memories are all we have. You taught us all to be strong and we are trying our 

best. Cameron, we know that you are in a better place now. You will make such 

a precious little angel. Mommy and Daddy will always love you and will always 

cherish every day we had with you. We miss you so very much and hope that 

you are happy frolicking in the clouds. 

Love always, Mommy and Daddy 

So many people fell in love with our boy 

Cameron, he has touched so many. We are so 

fortunate to have family and friends to help us 

through this. Everybody has been so caring and 

compassionate. We are overwhelmed by all the love 

we have been showered with in this time when we 

need it most. It is so wonderful to have such great 

people in our lives. We can't even begin to express 

our gratitude to everybody for keeping us in their 

thoughts and prayers. Our angel taught us to accept 

the challenges we face with courage and to never 

give up. We hope that he helps all of you find peace, 

just as he helped us. 

Graciously, Lars and Eve Cholagh 

HOW CAN I HELP? 

United Pompe Foundation 

The United Pompe Foundation was formed to assist patients 

and/or their families with medical costs and other expenses 

that may not be covered by insurance. The Foundation also 

hopes to raise public awareness of Pompe disease. 

David W. Hamlin . Phone: (559) 227-1898 

david@unitedpompe.com . www.unitedpompe.com 

Paid for by the Cholagh Family 


from the EDITOR 

Throwing stones at those who mourn 

Are we called to 

mourn as we are 

expected to pray — 

in silence, in solitude and 

by surrendering? 

Months ago, I attended 

a women’s spiritual retreat 

lead by Fr. Alex Kratz. He 

talked about the three S’s of 

prayer as we discussed Matthew 

and the Beatitudes. 

I realized that we often 

mourn in the way we are 

called as Christians to pray. 

I don’t understand why this isn’t 

understood, practiced or respected in 

our own community — as Chaldean 

Catholics. 

I know gossip is everywhere 

and I have been a 

participant and a target. 

Nothing bothered me more, 

however, than when my 

sisters and I were accused 

of not loving our father — 

enough — because of how 

we mourned at his death. 

I guess because I didn’t pull my 

hair out, pound the casket or faint, I 

didn’t love him. No, I felt obligated 

to be the host, be strong, and be welcoming 

and grateful for those who 

came to show their respect to us. 

For days, I cried alone in my 

room, in my car or while out for a 

walk. 

I mourned his death in silence, in 

solitude and by surrendering my pain 

to God. 

After the wake, the funeral and a 

week of people in our home until 2 in 

the morning, I woke up one morning 

and it was quiet, other than my mom 

Vanessa 

denha-garmo 

editor in chief 

co-publisher 

and a few relatives at the 

kitchen table having coffee. 

I saw my father’s La- 

Z-Boy recliner and I fell 

on top of it with head face 

down and sobbed uncontrollably. 

I could not believe 

that I would never see him 

sit in that chair again reading 

the paper, drinking his 

chai and talking about life. 

At that moment — it 

hit me — he was gone. 

That was my moment of 

breakdown and one of very few moments 

I “publicly” cried for my dad. 

A relative who happened to be 

one of the few over at that early 

morning hour said to me, “Wow, I 

can’t believe you are crying. I didn’t 

think you were upset about his 

death.” 

She is like many others who make 

ridiculous comments about how people 

mourn. What? Are you for real? 

Do you have any idea how my life 

will change now that he is gone? She 

didn’t have a clue. 

After talking to some friends and 

some acquaintances, I realized I am 

not alone. Many people in our community 

have been criticized for how 

they mourn the death of a loved one. 

It is appalling. Only God himself 

knows what lies in the heart of a human 

being. 

I find those theatrical expressions 

at a funeral offensive, not the quiet 

mourners who try so hard to keep a 

smile on their face. 

Recently, I heard of a group of 

Chaldean women criticizing a mother 

who recently lost her son. They 

said because she is not wearing black 

or because she is wearing makeup, 

she must not have been affected by 

his death. 

Because she chooses to mourn in 

silence, in solitude and by surrendering 

to God, she is viewed by some as 

a woman who isn’t mourning the loss 

of her son. 

I happen to know the woman and 

I know that she and her husband are 

in pain. Just because they don’t show 

it to the world does not mean they 

are not dying inside. 

It is not our place to judge others. 

Each of us handles pain, sorrow and 

sadness in our ways but as Christians, 

we are called to pray to God for our 

pain in silence, in solitude and by 

surrendering to Him. It is how we are 

called to pray. 

If those women were truly faithfilled, 

they would not even think of 

uttering one critical word. Didn’t 

Jesus tell us, “Don’t criticize, and 

then you won’t be criticized? For others 

will treat you as you treat them. 

In addition, “Why worry about the 

speck in the eye of a brother [or sister 

in this case] when you have a board 

in your own eye?” (Matthew 7). 

In fact, when we pray or mourn 

for that matter, Jesus has called us to 

do this privately. “When you pray, go 

away by yourself, all alone and shut 

the door behind you and pray to your 

Father secretly and your Father, who 

knows your secrets, will reward you” 

(Matthew 6:7.8). 

God knows what is in our hearts. 

We need not carry the pain on our 

sleeves. 

It is silence, in solitude and by 

After the wake, the funeral and a week of people in our home until 

two in the morning, I woke up one morning and it was quiet, other than 

my mom and a few relatives at the kitchen table having coffee. 

surrendering — we find God speaking 

to us — and it is then we find solace 

in the Lord. 

I realize that every culture has 

its own way of mourning. I am not 

saying do away with tradition but I 

am saying, it is not our place to judge 

others. As Catholics, know your 

faith because nowhere in the Bible 

does it say we were put on earth to 

cast judgment on others. 

Remember before you are compelled 

to make comments about others 

and how they grieve the death of 

a loved one, the person mourning the 

next morning just may be you. 

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Our Annual 


Wedding Guide 


John and Helen 

(Apostolikas) Moshi 

at Palazzo on 

September 18, 2011 

Photo courtesy 

Wilson Sarkis 

Photography

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 

Our Annual Wedding Guide 


Laura Hermiz and Jimmy Roumayah, June 30, 2011. 

past the party 

Marriage classes seek to strengthen sacrament 


Too often, many engaged couples 

busy themselves with party 

preparations — the venue, 

the flowers, the cake, the band – and 

wait to take their marriage classes 

until the big day is just weeks away. 

They believe they will just fall into 

wedded bliss and be okay but realize 

soon enough there is more than 

meets the eye. 

“Marriage is work,” said Janan 

Senawi, a psychotherapist who volunteers 

to teach marriage classes at 

local Chaldean churches. 

Marriage, one of the seven sacraments, 

goes past the party. Senawi 

claims it is the most complex relationship 

a couple will ever have 

and that the expectations are much 

greater than they seem. She also 

contends that when marriages fail in 

the early years it is because the decision 

to marry the partner was wrong 

from the beginning. The classes, 

which are mandated by the Catholic 

Church, give engaged couples a 

deeper understanding of this commitment. 

The Church teaches marriage 

as a sacrificial love based on Jesus 

Christ — that one gives up his or 

her life for the other. 

For the past 10 years, Senawi has 

told couples that in order to keep 

a happy marriage, they must master 

the art of communication, a key 

component. 

“Couples need to realize that their 

lives are no longer about themselves, 

but about their spouses,” she said. 

“Love in a marriage is a decision for a 

lifetime, not merely a feeling.” 

That is why Kristen Sagmani and 

Arvin Ayar have been attending 

couple’s programs since before their 

official engagement a few months 

ago. They say their faith has drawn 

them closer to one another and are 

ready for their wedding this August. 

“God should be at the center of 

your relationship,” said Sagmani, 

who is the president of Chaldean 

Outreach and Community Hope 

(COACH). “This is a sacrament 

we are preparing for, not just a party. 

God is going to help keep us together, 

and together we will grow with 

God.” 

The couple, who pray together 

every day, highly recommends two 

local retreats: the Couples Prayer 

Series, a six-class marriage and 

spirituality program; and Beyond 

Honey I’m Home, a three-class series 

led by former Capuchin priestturned-marriage 

counselor, Fred 

Cavaiani, who has been married for 

40 years. 

“Our classes at the church are 

good, but they are not enough. Seek 

out other marriage preparation programs 

in addition to what our church 

requires,” Sagmani encouraged. 

She has found the most important 

qualities she respects in her fiancé, 

and she is glad she did not just 

photo by aava studio 

settle for the sake of getting married. 

“In our community there’s a lot 

of pressure to get married at a young 

age,” said Sagmani, 30. “There is 

also judgment. But when you know 

the value of the sacrament of marriage, 

you will know when it is right.” 

Senawi, who has a master’s in social 

work, notices that more couples 

are waiting longer to get married, 

especially until they are financially 

comfortable. By delaying marriage, 

men and women hopefully mature 

with age and thus are more ready 

for the sacred vows. She encourages 

engaged couples to start taking 

marriage classes early in order to get 

a feel for the future, as did Sagmani 

and Ayar. 

“Engagement is the beginning 

phase of marriage,” Senawi said. 

“People do a lot of pleasing rather 

than revealing their true selves. 

They need to put the relationship to 

work early on.” 

After all, it is easier for a couple 

to end their engagement than to call 

it quits after the holy sacrament has 

been made. 

The marriage counselor compares 

a breakup to a miscarriage. When 

an unborn baby dies in the mother’s 

womb, it was not meant to be, she 

said. 

“Something was wrong. So rejoice 

in the fact that the impending 

marriage was not whole.” 

Under the guidance of Bishop 

Ibrahim Ibrahim, Senawi has advised 

many couples and families at 

the Chaldean Diocese. The Church 

that is responsible for baptizing, 

granting first Communion, marrying, 

and burying wants to ensure that 

a program is in place to strengthen 

families and keep them together. 

Counseling services are provided free 

of charge. 

“Our people can be so proud, but 

we can humble ourselves and seek 

help,” said Sagmani. “It’s not our 

will, it’s God’s will.” 

Marriage classes should be a priority, 

she contends, especially at a time 

when many couples are consumed 

with the materialism of the wedding 

and disillusioned about the future. 

“Forever,” Sagmani noted, “is a 

long time.” 

To schedule a Chaldean Family 

Counseling appointment, call the 

Chaldean Diocese at (248) 351- 

0440. For more information on the 

two aforementioned retreats, visit 

CouplePrayer.org and CapRetreat.org. 


HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 


the wedding singers 

Music men hit the right notes 

By Weam Namou 

It’s your wedding day and the banquet 

hall is beautifully decorated 

with flowers, the cake has turned 

out just as you imagined, and the 

food, from past experience, is expected 

to be delicious. The guests are surprisingly 

on time. There are no signs 

of family quarrels and everyone is 

ready to let loose and have fun. Now, 

how are you going to ensure that you 

and your guests will have a fun-filled 

reception on the dance floor? 

“It’s all about the bride and groom 

and their bridal party,” says Munther 

Fahmi, the lead singer of Summer 

Band. “If they are dancing and having 

fun, everyone would have fun, 

and the band becomes in a good 

mood. If they’re laid back and just 

talking to their friends, then that 

slows the party down.” 

Majid Kakka, however, believes 

that every detail of the wedding helps 

make it a fun experience. While he 

said most people come into a wedding 

happy and ready to enjoy themselves, 

in rare occasions a dispute or 

recent death may put a damper on 

things. Sometimes it’s smaller matters 

— a bad menu, the dinner being 

served very late, the flowers dying as 

a result of severely cold weather. 

Whatever the circumstances, 

Kakka, who has been singing at weddings 

for more than 30 years, said the 

most important factor for a singer 

is to understand and remember the 

main idea of a wedding. 

“Two people are getting married,” 

he said. “There’s nothing sad or difficult 

about that. It’s all about fun and 

happiness.” 

At every wedding in which he 

performs, Kakka considers it his 

brother’s wedding and himself as the 

best man. 

“This is how I give it my all,” 

he said, adding that it helps him 

reach out to the wedding party’s 

family members, like the mother or 

the grandmother who might be in a 

wheelchair. 

Basma Goro booked Kakka for 

her June 7 wedding because she 

heard that having his band present 

Majid Kakka leads the popular Bells Band. 

photo by IVAN GEORGE/FUTUREWAVE IMAGES 

The Summer Band’s Munther Fahmi. 

translated to guests that “this is a 

fancy wedding.” 

“He sings a mixture of Arabic and 

Chaldean and makes the reception 

so lively that people don’t stop dancing,” 

said Goro. “And having the 

large band that he does, the music is 

of higher quality. So that when you 

play your wedding video, the sound is 

as loud and clear as when it was live.” 

Wisam Namou, whose wedding 

was on November 18, 2010, feels it is 

the wedding band’s responsibility to 

“rock the party.” 

“If the band messes up a lot, then 

they break the guests’ mood for dancing,” 

he said. 

While he liked the performance 

of the band at his wedding, having 

chosen them because they sang a lot 

of Chaldean songs and because he’d 

seen them perform at other parties, 

he felt they could have done a bit 

better. 

“My wife and I had sat with the 

band prior to the wedding and told 

them the songs we wanted them to 

sing,” said Namou, “but for some reason, 

they only performed 70 percent 

of what we requested.” 

Kakka and Fahmi sing a combination 

of Arabic and Chaldean songs, 

and their DJs play American songs. 

But over the years, Fahmi has observed 

that people want more American 

songs. 

“Whether people want mostly 

Arabic or mostly American, we still 

add Chaldean in every party – no 

matter what,” he said. “It’s our language 

and we want to keep it alive, 

even if people don’t request it.” 

Summer Yatooma’s wedding is 

March 25. He booked Fahmi because 

of his popularity, his “hot” performances 

at other weddings, and his 

Ashley Maza 

and Christopher 

Hindo dance 

up at storm at 

Shenandoah 

on August 13, 

2010. 

strong Iraqi dialect. 

“I want to have a lot of modern, 

but native-Iraqi, songs at my wedding” 

said Yatooma. 

Kakka said he hasn’t really noticed 

a big change in music preferences 

over the years, and that people 

go for whatever is newly released and 

popular. 

“Arabic songs are becoming more 

international,” he said. “Whether it’s 

the newcomers or those who have 

been here 50 years, when a good song 

comes out, they want it.” 

Kakka began his career singing at 

parties in Baghdad, where ironically, 

only 20 percent of the music was 

Iraqi or Arabic and 80 percent was 

Western. 

“Here in the United States, it’s 

the opposite,” he said. “It’s 80 percent 

Arabic and Chaldean and 20 

percent – the DJ part – American.” 

The singers have enjoyed giving 

performances at weddings, some nationwide, 

others abroad, but Fahmi — 

who this spring is opening a school 

for Chaldean kids to learn about 

Chaldean and Arabic music — said, 

“There’s nothing like Detroit! Here, 

we’re many different villages gathered 

together.” 

Sometimes a musician’s duties go 

beyond a simple performance. Fahmi 

said he’ll never forget performing at 

a wedding at Shenandoah when at 

the end of the night, the bride and 

groom were left all alone with no cars 

or guests in sight. 

“The groom asked if I lived in the 

area and I said yes. He said, ‘I don’t 

know what happened. Everyone is 

gone. Can you take me home?’” 


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Even though the sun had yet to 

rise, event planner Jeana Asmaro 

knew the wedding she 

was working that day was going to be 

a tough one. 

“At 6 a.m. my phone rang and I 

saw I had 67 missed calls. My husband 

had about 20,” said the owner 

of Beyond Words. “Somehow the 

bride got my house phone and my 

husband’s cell number. She was cussing 

and crying and screaming.” 

At least the bride finally called 

– her wedding day was the first time 

she’d touched base with her planner 

in two weeks. “I went nuts calling her 

and trying to get ahold of her,” Asmaro 

said. “It got so bad that I called 

her fiancé and told him I would give 

back their deposit. He apologized 

and literally said, ‘I’m sorry, I know 

she’s crazy but I need you there.’” 

Asmaro honored her obligation 

but the bride never did lighten 

up. “She never smiled in any of her 

pictures, not even during the slow 

dance,” she said. “It takes so much 

for me to actually call someone a 

bridezilla. I felt so bad for her husband.” 

Asmaro can take comfort knowing 

that her fellow wedding planners 

have also had to contend with 

demanding, self-absorbed, unreasonable 

and downright unlikable brides. 

Dalia Atisha, owner of The Event 

Planner, will never forget one wedding. 

The bride was all ready to make 

her grand entrance but the flower 

girl, who was only about 3, was too 

scared to walk the aisle alone. 

“The bride refused to let the little 

girl hold onto her grandpa’s hand. 

And she refused to walk down the 

aisle unless there were flowers on the 

floor, which apparently is good luck,” 

Atisha said. “So the mother of the 

flower girl ended up throwing the 

flowers. It all took so long to straighten 

out that people thought the bride 

had gotten cold feet.” 

Lawrence Yaldo and Andy Keina 

of Top That Table thought they were 

making a routine bouquet delivery 

to the bride’s house on the morning 

on the wedding. “We walk in and 

everything was perfect. The bride 

picked up her bouquet and the other 

bouquets and complimented them,” 

Yaldo recalled. 

Meanwhile, the bridesmaids began 

arriving in their aqua-colored 

gowns. “As we were on our way out 

the door the final bridesmaid walks 

in wearing the same dress except 

she embellished it with hundreds 

of Swarovski crystals without the 

bride’s consent,” Yaldo said. “The 

bride flipped out and grabbed the first 

thing in sight – her bouquet. After a 

wild battle between the two of them 

the bouquet was shattered to pieces.” 

After “drastic measures,” hair and 

makeup were salvaged but the bouquet 

was beyond repair. “A call was 

made to the florist and a new bouquet 

made it just in time to the ceremony,” 

Yaldo said. “And that is the 

story of our battling bridezilla.” 

It’s not only the occasional bride 

who acts badly. Asmaro has had 

guests yell at her about their table at 

the reception, and others who insist 

on steak for their children “because 

they put enough in the envelope.” 

But nothing beats the mother of 

one bride who could not seem to give 

the wedding ceremony her undivided 

attention. 

“As her daughter was walking 

down the aisle, her mother was talking 

on her cell phone,” Atisha said in 

horror. “And then she did the same 

thing during the vows.” 





photo courtesy AAVA Studio 

The ring’s 

the thing 

The ring finger (the one 

next to the pinkie) on the 

left hand is most common 

place to wear wedding and engagement 

rings. 

If you want to go the traditional 

route, wear the wedding 

band “closest to your heart” by 

putting it on first. The engagement 

ring goes on top. Most ring 

sets from jewelers are designed to 

be worn this way. 

During the ceremony, wear 

your engagement ring on your 

right hand so the groom can slip 

on the wedding band easily. After 

the mass you can put the engagement 

ring atop the wedding 

band. 

Some people prefer it the 

other way around, putting the 

wedding on top of the engagement 

ring. They believe this 

shows the story from engagement 

to marriage and represents 

the culmination of the wedding 

in the marriage. 

Or, of course, you can do it 

Iraqi-style, by wearing your engagement 

ring on your right hand 

until after you’ve taken your 

vows. 


Clockwise from top left: 

David Toma and Jennifer Habbo, 

September 18, 2011. 

photo courtesy AAVA Studio 

Matthew Shounia and Cameron Gappy 

announce Yoleen Kashat on her June 12, 

2011 wedding to Duane Karmo. 


Friends and family surround 

Bianca Gasso on September 4, 2011 – 

her wedding day to Tyson Najjar. 


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Tips 

from the 

Pros 

Money Matters 

Create an Excel spreadsheet to budget 

everything from vendors to honeymoon. 

Think about what is important 

when planning the reception — where 

do you want to make a big impression? 

Where do you want to spend most of 

the cost? Another tip: Decisions mean 

progress. The more options you have 

the less likely you are to make a decision. 

So do not go overboard when 

choosing vendors; narrow your list 

down to three and then interview vendors. 

Chose the one you like best; you 

will be spending a lot of time together. 

–Janice Najor 

Envisage Event Planning 

Show the Love 

Be yourself that day because images 

are frozen moments and you want both 

of your true personalities to come out. 

Laugh a lot, have fun and enjoy the 

greatest day of your life. Don’t worry 

about the production of the wedding; 

no one will remember the little details 

anyway. Show the love you have toward 

each other! 

– Mae Alias 

Avaa Photography 

Bye Bye Baggy 

For tuxes and suits the modern fit is in, 

with a more natural shoulder, tapered 

leg and fitted look. Baggy is out! Light 

gray is the new hot color for tuxes. 

– Michael Shihadeh 

Sam Michaels Tailoring 

The Right Stuff 

When searching for a photographer/ 

videographer make sure you find the 

right studio that fits your personalities. 

Make sure you’re comfortable with the 

photographer you’re working with because 

you’re going to be spending a 

lot of time working together! And when 

your big day comes, just enjoy it. Don’t 

stress yourself — just go with the flow 

and make the best out of the biggest 

day of your life! 

– Wilson Sarkis 

Wilson Sarkis Photography & 

Cinematography 

Hit the Phones 

My biggest tip: If you invited 500 people 

and only half of them responded, 

don’t assume you know who is coming. 

You need to take the time to call each 

one. If you call twice and they still don’t 

respond, take them off your list. If you 

don’t put the effort into calling, they can 

still show up and your party will look 

unorganized. 

–Jeana Asmaro 

Beyond Words Events 

Heart on Your Sleeve 

Relax and enjoy your special day. Let 

your joy show so the photographer can 

capture it. 

– Dan Monkman 

Digital Dan Photography 

Dress It Up 

Soft, feminine and pastel — dresses 

are a must this spring and summer. 

A unique style that has been hitting 

the runway is the one-shoulder look. 

Regardless, anything you choose you 

must feel comfortable and of course 

love it! 

– Silvia Dabish 

Via Blanca Boutique 

Presto Chango 

Brides are wearing multiple dresses, 

one for the pictures and ceremony, 

one for the reception and one that is 

sexy and beautiful for the bridal dance. 

Also, it’s nice to send guests away with 

a lasting impression like cupcakes, cider 

and donuts in the fall, or a hotdog 

stand for a bride and groom who love 

Coneys. 

– Suhair Kallabat, 

Eventfully Yours 

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 

From top of page: 

Laura Hermiz Roumayah 

and happy guests. 

photo courtesy 

AAVA Studio 

Mariah Zeer and Lourdes 

Bachi at the June 30, 

2011 wedding of Laura 

and Jimmy Roumayah. 

photo courtesy 

AAVA Studio 


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H 

H 




Michael Reaume and 

Anita Shallal were married 

at Mother of God on 

September 3, 2011. 


Wilson Sarkis Photography 

David and Michelle (Garmo) Dallo walk the aisle at St. 

Thomas on March 27, 2011. 

Photo courtesy Wilson Sarkis Photography 

Jessica Denha and Nicholas Sulaka, August 20, 2011 


Jennifer Babby and Adees Atamian were married on 

July 10, 2011 at St. Thomas Church. 




Tips 

from the 

Pros 

Picture This 

Make sure to view as much video as 

you can and not just the highlights to 

ensure you’re getting a good production 

throughout the entire wedding 

and not just the first five minutes. I’ve 

said this before and I’ll continue to repeat 

this to my clients: It is extremely 

important to pick a company that will 

shoot both video and photos to make 

sure you’re getting a flow of great images 

and not a tug of war between the 

two. I’ve had clients tell me that photos 

are more important than video and vice 

versa — that’s fine, but don’t skimp on 

either because you will regret it. 

– Ivan George 

Futurewave Images 

Never Give Up 

Marriage is about having found your 

perfect match. Everyone can find love 

no matter your age, looks, education or 

income. 

– Theresa Dabish Sitto 

MATCHaldean 

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 

Left: Fr. Wisam Matti officiated 

for Matthew Siman and Heaba 

Jallozi on August 28, 2011. 

Photo courtesy AAVA Studio 

Top of page: Bobby and 

Chrystal (Boji) Seaman cut the 

cake at the Townsend Hotel 

on May 27, 2011. 


Wilson Sarkis Photography 

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chaldean on the STREET 

What’s the most unique thing you’ve seen at a wedding? 

By Anthony Samona 

Wedding season is upon us! Chaldeans share their thoughts on what’s struck them most at a wedding. 

The coolest thing I have ever seen at 

a wedding was fire breathers during 

dinner. All the cool tricks and the 

height of the flames really took my 

breath away. 

– Amber Kalasho, 18 

West Bloomfield 

A really cool idea is a photo booth. 

If a couple were to choose something 

to entertain their guests with, it 

should be this. Not only does it take 

the picture, but it also includes props 

to make your picture funny, and it has 

the date of that special occasion. 

– Reem Romaya, 17 


I love when the bride arrives to the 

church in a horse and carriage. 

It adds such a pretty touch to the 

wedding ceremony, and it makes the 

bride feel like she’s a princess on her 

special day. It adds a fairytale touch 

to everything. 

– Morgan Ayar, 18 


Not many weddings I have attended 

have this, but one had a hot dog 

stand located in the lobby right after 

dessert. It’s such a good idea to 

please your guests with, having them 

to choose their own toppings and 

condiments as well. 

– Lexus Samona, 21 


The sweetest idea — literally sweet! 

— was a Cold Stone cart after 

dinner. It absolutely hit the spot! 

With about six different flavors and a 

numerous amount of toppings, it was 

definitely a hit; almost all the guests 

went out to the lobby and enjoyed it. 

– Lydia Petros, 19 

Rochester Hills 

The bride and groom got married 

in a beautiful setting in the woods 

underneath a gazebo with all different 

kinds of flowers and gems hanging 

from above. With the chairs and the 

red carpet flowing down the aisle, it 

was so amazing. When the ceremony 

ended, the bride and groom rode 

away in a two-seater bike through the 

woods. 

– Jinal Tamou, 19 

Sterling Heights 

A great idea I have seen is when 

the guests check for their seating 

placement, instead of being printed 

on a poster, your name and your 

table number is printed out in a really 

nice frame to keep. You can later 

put a picture of your own from that 

wedding. 

– Juliana Kassab, 21 

Southfield 

One wedding I attended had a sushi 

bar in the lobby for hors d’oeuvres. It 

is a really great idea to impress your 

guests, especially with professional 

chiefs preparing the sushi. From California 

Roll to Spicy Tuna, a sushi bar 

at weddings is fantastic! 

– Andry Jaddou, 19 

Rochester Hills 


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from the Archives 

Peter Antone Kaskorkis and Salima Mansour 

Kamu were married in Baghdad in 1935 

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with them are, from the left: Bahija Antone 

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Albertine Zabor and Kameel Zabor. Sitting are 

Mary Mansour Kamu and Najiba Yousif Battah. 

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WE ARE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE CHALDEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE! 

SPECIAL PRICING FOR THE CHALDEAN COMMUNITY

chaldean chamber Awards 

Left: “Uncle Joe” Sesi launched 

the dealership. 

Top: The New Center Market 

opened in the early 1930s. 

driven to succeed 

Car dealer Joseph Sesi is Business Person of the Year 

By Ken Marten 

Have you driven a Ford lately? 

How about a Lincoln? 

Enough people have to keep 

the Ann Arbor automobile dealership, 

Sesi Lincoln, in business for 

more than 60 years. 

And now the Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce has honored 

dealership owner Joseph A. Sesi 

by naming him 2012 Business Person 

of the Year. 

“I’m privileged to get an award 

like this,” said Sesi, 58. “We’re 

a longtime business; we’ve been 

around since 1946. It’s a unique 

business within the Chaldean community. 

“It was a surprise, getting the 

award,” he added. “It’s really a family 

honor that starts with my uncle.” 

Sesi’s Uncle Joe moved to the 

United States from Iraq as a teenager 

in 1920. He was lured to Detroit 

by auto mogul Henry Ford’s famous 

“five-dollars-a-day” promise to workers 

on the automobile assembly line. 

But Uncle Joe didn’t land an auto 

factory job. He found work instead at 

the Wonder Bread factory as a delivery 

boy for Chaldean grocers. 

“There weren’t many Chaldeans 

in Detroit at that time – just five 

or six families,” Sesi said. “They all 

lived together in a home on Orleans 

near Jefferson.” 

But Uncle Joe’s destiny was tied 

to cars. In the early 1930s, during the 

Great Depression, he opened New 

Center Market in the shadow of the 

Joseph Sesi 

newly built Fisher Building. Customers 

ranged from working-class tradesmen 

who installed the ornate details 

of the Fisher Building, to upper-class 

automotive executives. 

That’s where Uncle Joe met 

lifelong friend and future business 

partner Alan Chapel – “they were 

inseparable,” Sesi recalled – who introduced 

him to Henry Ford. 

“He met Mr. Ford and they 

photo by David Reed 

formed a great friendship through the 

Depression and World War II,” Sesi 

said. “Uncle Joe had a very infectious 

personality. He had lots of charisma. 

People were naturally drawn to him. 

He had vision and he took a lot of 

risks, although in a responsible way.” 

Ford was so impressed with the 

men and the market that immediately 

following the conclusion of 

the war in 1945, he gave them the 

opportunity at an assembly plant in 

downtown Ypsilanti that manufactured 

synchronized rings and roller 

bearings. Both men worked around 

the clock running the machines during 

a labor strike that year; Ford was 

again wowed by their efforts and offered 

them a car dealership. 

Chapel Motors opened its doors 

in 1946, offering Lincolns and Mercurys 

in the same building as the 

plant. The dealership occupied the 

front half and the factory occupied 

the back. Chapel died in the mid- 

1950s and Uncle Joe bought his 

interest from Chapel’s widow, then 

changed the name to Sesi Lincoln 

Mercury. 

“Today, we’re the beneficiaries of 

all his hard work, so we’re grateful for 

that,” Sesi said. 

The younger Sesi began benefiting 

at the dealership in 1968 at age 

14, having arrived in the United 

States with his parents and eight 

siblings five years earlier. By then, 

the business had grown into one of 

the nation’s largest Lincoln Mercury 

dealers. 

Sesi started on the bottom of the 

dealership ladder and held every 

position over the years, from porter 

to salesman. He worked throughout 

college while earning a degree in accounting 

and finance from Eastern 

Michigan University. 


health care with dignity 

Chaldean physician group is Humanitarian of the Year 


Uncle Joe died in 1999. He had 

no children and ownership passed to 

his nephew and namesake. In 2001, 

the business acquired the nearby 

Volvo and Mazda and Lincoln Mercury 

dealerships; in 2004, Sesi Lincoln 

moved to its present location 

on Jackson Road in Ann Arbor, with 

all three makes under one roof. (Ford 

ended the Mercury line last year.) 

“There’s no magic bullet to business 

success,” Sesi said. “I still believe 

to this day that the dealership 

business is a relationship business. 

You build lifetime relationships with 

your customers. You take care of your 

customers and your employees. It’s 

all about hard work, providing great 

service, and getting involved in the 

community. There’s no substitute for 

integrity.” 

For many years, Sesi Lincoln 

helped fund drivers’ education programs 

at various public schools until 

such programs were canceled or 

privatized. Sesi also sits on the board 

of directors for the University of 

Michigan’s University Musical Society 

and the Bank of Ann Arbor. For 

more than two decades, he ran the 

Detroit area Lincoln Dealers Advertising 

Fund. 

The dealership has 68 full-time 

employees and remains one of the 

largest Lincoln dealers in the country. 

“Most of my employees have been 

with us 30 or 40 years,” Sesi said. 

“Having a stable workforce is really 

important. We’ve been blessed to 

have so many supportive and dedicated 

employees.” 

Sesi, who lives in Ann Arbor 

with his wife Yvonne and daughter 

Katie, drives a Lincoln Navigator. 

For anyone who may be car-shopping, 

he offers this advice: “The domestic 

brands are very strong in this 

area. But frankly, the domestic car 

companies today, and Ford in particular, 

have always built a great car. 

Domestic cars today are as good as 

any car in the world.” 

Above: Dr. Nahid Elyas 

Left: Project Bismutha’s 

Amanda Alkatib and 

Jennifer Shamoun 

Those who are financially 

struggling and lack insurance 

still have every right to quality 

health care. That’s the belief of 

Nahid Elyas, M.D., the driving force 

behind the Chaldean American Association 

of Health Professionals 

(CAAHP) and Project Bismutha – 

named Humanitarians of the Year by 

the Chaldean American Chamber of 

Commerce. 

Elyas established CAAHP to provide 

a professional forum to educate 

Chaldean health care providers and 

give them the opportunity to interact 

and network. From that, Project 

Bismutha (which means “healing”) 

was born in 2010. 

“We started it for two reasons,” 

said Elyas. “First, the need in our 

community is probably more than 

any other. Thousands of people are 

moving here from back home and 

don’t have insurance. And 

we believe in our community, 

that it can deliver and 

support such programs.” 

Project Bismutha began 

in Farmington Hills but really 

took off once it moved 

to Sterling Heights, where 

many refugees live, in March 

2011. The program shares 

office space with the Chaldean 

Community Foundation’s 

Refugee Acculturation 

and Sustainability Training 

on 15 Mile and Ryan. 

After clients are screened 

financially and determined 

to meet Michigan’s poverty guidelines, 

they get an appointment with 

a physician whose office is close to 

home. 

“Our program is different from a 

free clinic,” Elyas said. “At a clinic 

you are treated as a person without 

insurance. In our program, the patient 

sees the primary doctor and 

has a continuity of care. They have 

a chart like any other patient. This 

gives some dignity and respect to 

those without insurance.” 

The program has nearly 260 patients 

who are helped by 33 physicians 

and three pharmacists. 

“In 2012 we expect this number 

to double or triple,” Elyas said. “We 

expect to get more physicians to join 

and to be able to provide more medical 

services like X-rays and CAT 

scans.” 

Bismutha receives no government 

funding. It is run under the auspices 

of the Chaldean Community 

Foundation, which also provides financial 

support. St. John Providence 

Hospital donates $50,000 worth of 

lab work each year and individuals 

also contribute. 

Amanda Alkatib, Project Bismutha’s 

program manager, calls her 

job “personally very rewarding.” 

“It benefits you as much as the 

people you serve,” she said. “This is 

the community that we live in and it 

is up to us to take care of it, but the 

real heroes are our dedicated doctors.” 

Client Maha Abid also gives high 

marks to the participating physicians. 

“Project Bismutha has been 

very good to me. Because of this program, 

I am in better health, and I am 

very thankful for the excellent care 

delivered by Dr. Raad Kasmikha,” 

she said. “He’s the best doctor!” 

Winning the chamber award can 

only help Project Bismutha, Elyas 

said. 

“We are proud, we are humbled 

beyond any measure to receive this 

award,” he said. “We are really very 

excited – this recognition will help 

increase awareness and support of 

this program.” 


chaldean chamber Awards 

photo by david reed 

The ECRC celebrated 

its 10th anniversary at 

Shenandoah Country 

Club last November. 

ECRC straightens faith 

Chamber pays special tribute 


It was Pope John Paul II who 

called Catholics to evangelize the 

faith. The call was heard all over 

the world including right here in 

Michigan. Members of the Chaldean 

Catholic Church heard that call and 

more than 10 years ago created an organization 

for the laity to spread the 

word of the Lord. 

This month, the Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce honors 

the Eastern Catholic Re-evangelization 

Center (ECRC) for its dedication 

to spreading the word of God to 

the community. More than 500 people 

a week attend various programs 

offered for the organization. 

In 2001, Neran Karmo and Karam 

Bahnam approached Fr. Frank Kalabat 

from St. Thomas Chaldean 

Catholic Church in West Bloomfield 

with interest in Bible study, theology 

and evangelization. Following that 

conversation and many meetings, 

the ECRC was born. 

“This honor is for all the volunteers 

who help us carry out our mission 

of evangelizing,” said Karmo. “The laity 

– especially the youth – play a vital 

role in leading other youth. There is 

proof that our faith is strong and there 

is hope in the community’s ability to 

deliver the word of Jesus Christ.” 

Last fall, more than 600 people 

celebrated ECRC’s anniversary at 

Shenandoah Country Club. At the 

dinner, ECRC announced their new 

venture — the creation of Mar Toma 

Chaldean Productions and the construction 

of a new television studio 

inside ECRC’s St. Ephraim center at 

Inkster and Maple. 

They are producing content for 

existing stations that focus on Chaldean 

Catholics. Networks such as 

the Noursat, considered the largest 

Arabic-speaking Catholic network 

with a presence in five continents, 

showed an interest to broadcast 

programs produced by Chaldeans. 

EWTN, which broadcasts to 190 

million homes, showed an interest as 

well; they inquired about programs 

focused on Eastern Catholic spirituality 

and traditions and about Chaldean 

martyrs. 

This lay organization operates 

primarily by volunteers. Since its 

inception, the center has operated 

under the guidance of the Chaldean 

Catholic Diocese, offering programs 

for kids, youths and adults. These include 

retreats, educational programs, 

pilgrimages and prayer groups. Since 

the beginning, ECRC has received 

personal support from Bishop Ibrahim 

Ibrahim. 

Some of the programs include Bible 

study, Kairos retreats, summer Bible 

camps for kids, the annual conference 

Awake My Soul, ENDOW study and 

faith night. ECRC has also hosted several 

nationally known speakers. 

“ECRC is where I learned that 

the strongest form of leadership is to 

serve,” said Reem Samona in a video 

produced by ECRC. “Once you connect 

that we are not here to conquer 

the world but to serve it, our faith 

makes a lot more sense.” 

Every year people experience 

ECRC for the first time. However, 

Matthew Zetouna was among the 

first wave of Chaldeans to participate 

in ECRC programs and joined 

the Chaldeans Loving Christ (CLC) 

group early on. “I don’t know if I 

would have heard my vocation if it 

wasn’t for getting involved and letting 

the Holy Spirit work through 

ECRC and the ministry,” said Zetouna, 

now a seminarian. 

Basil Bacall has participated in 

Bible study, theology classes, the 

annual program as well as different 

events. Also speaking via a video, 

Bacall said, “If you have not been to 

ECRC and you do not know what 

it has to offer, you are missing a lot. 

You can own the world yet not understand 

your role in life or why you 

even exist. What good is it to own 

the world? ECRC is an opportunity 

to change your life, get closer to Jesus 

and closer to God.” 

“This is celebration for not only 

our Church and our faith but for the 

entire community,” said Bahnam. 

“ECRC has been a bridge between 

the Roman Catholics, Rome and our 

Eastern Rite. We are one body of the 

Catholic Church.” 

“ECRC in many ways has 

changed my life,” said Fr. Frank during 

a videotaping. “It has made the 

church alive for me. It is not just me 

bringing the message — I am receiving 

the message just as much as everybody 

else is.” 

The Chaldean American Chamber 

of Commerce’s Ninth Annual 

Awards Dinner takes place on 

Friday, March 23 at Shenandoah 

Country Club. Doors open at 6 p.m. 

Tickets are $175 per person or 

$1,500 for a table of ten. Call (248) 

996-8340 for more information. 


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The Teen Panel: Jenna Silverstein, 17; Athraa Hannawa, 18; Harminder “Harry” Bhogal, 16; Brandon Grodman, 17; Anam Khan 

14; Sydney Glanz, 17; and Christian Ayar, 17. 

building on success 

Religiously diverse teens ‘build community’ 

By Harry Kirbsaum 

Misconceptions of, and tolerance 

and acceptance 

for, religious and cultural 

beliefs were the key ingredients in a 

teen forum held for 150 high school 

students at the Walled Lake Consolidated 

School District on February 

9. 

The forum was part of Building 

Community, a joint Jewish/Chaldean 

initiative organized by Jewish 

News Publisher Arthur Horwitz and 

Chaldean News Co-Publisher Martin 

Manna, and moderated by morning 

radio personality Mojo of Channel 

95.5-FM. 

Panel members included Fr. Anthony 

Kathawa of Mother of God; 

Rabbi Michael Moskowitz of Temple 

Shir Shalom; Imam Mohammed 

Almasmari of the Muslim Unity 

Center, and seven students from 

Walled Lake-area high schools. 

Mojo prompted the student panelists 

to talk about misconceptions. 

Chaldean student Athraa Hannawa 

of Walled Lake Central said 

that the perception that, “You guys 

all own liquor stores, you’re not going 

to go to college, you’re just going 

to get married and pregnant and be 

a housewife, just like your parents 

are right now,” is wrong. She said 

her parents work hard so she can go 

to college. 

Brandon Grodman of Walled 

Lake Northern said he gets tired 

of people thinking, “you’re Jewish, 

so you must be filthy rich.” He said 

that his parents studied hard and 

worked hard to achieve their level 

of success, which isn’t filthy rich. 

Anam Khan of Walled Lake 

North said she started wearing a 

hijab at 13, and although she hears 

Teens who attended the forum said that the forum made them more accepting of other 

cultures. 

Photos by Brett Mountain 

some people talking about faith behind 

her back, her friends are more 

accepting, but never ask her about 

her religion. 

The crowd also found out that 

Chaldean, Jewish and Muslim parents 

would prefer their children to 

marry within the faith. According 

to Rabbi Moskowitz, whose temple’s 

families are about 40 percent intermarried, 

“The majority of Jewish 

kids that you know are learning 

openness and acceptance. Even with 

that openness, your parents often say, 

‘Yeah, marry someone Jewish.’” 

They also learned that it is easier 

being gay in a Reform synagogue. 

Being gay “would be hard, because 

it goes against the Bible,” said 

Christian Ayar, a Chaldean from 

Walled Lake Central. “Especially 

from the older generation who follows 

the religion so strictly.” 

“In our religion it is considered a 

sin, but that doesn’t change the person,” 

said Imam Almasmari. “It’s a 

sin like any other sin.” 

Rabbi Moskowitz said the traditional 

Orthodox community would 

be less accepting, “but within the liberal 

Jewish community, we’re a very 

open community. I’ve done commitment 

ceremonies for two men and 

two women.” He also mentioned 

that in 1991 the reform movement 

began to ordain openly gay and lesbian 

rabbis. 

“The reality is that the three of us 

[clergy] come from a liberal perspective 

as far as our openness,” said the 

rabbi. “We all have people within our 

faiths — Jewish, Catholic and Muslim 

communities — that are much 

more extreme and are much less tolerant 

of people within our own faith 

and outside of our faith, too.” 

Imam Almasmari said, “The best 

place to practice our religion is in 

America. I was in Yemen for school 

for 10 years and we don’t have the 

freedom of religion in an Islamic 

country in the same way that we 

have in the United States.” 

Through a show of hands, an overwhelming 

majority of the teens attending 

thought that the forum changed 

their perceptions of other cultures 

and made them more accepting, but it 

wasn’t enough. Some said they thought 

the forum should have been held in a 

larger forum, and some agreed that 

comparative religion/culture classes 

should be offered in their schools. 

Mojo also said that next year, African-American 

students would have 

seats on the panel. 


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passion play 

Living Stations makes a Lenten impact 


This Lenten season, the Eastern 

Catholic Re-evangelization 

Center (ECRC) is hoping 

to continue a new tradition among 

Chaldeans — going to see the Living 

Stations at the historic Cathedral of 

the Blessed Sacrament in Detroit – 

by sponsoring a 5 p.m. performance 

on Saturday, March 24. 

Professional singers and dancers 

bring this “Broadway-like” Stations 

of the Cross to life right inside the 

church. The expert lighting, sound 

and special effects add to the energy 

of the show. Attendees are not just 

watching but participating in the 

Passion of Christ as if they were truly 

there in Jerusalem. 

“The Stations of the Cross is 

deeply rooted in our culture,” said 

Neran Karmo, ECRC coordinator. 

“Seeing, hearing, and feeling the 

scourges is an amazing experience for 

your senses.” 

Kelly Nieto, creator and producer 

of the Living Stations, practically 

pleaded with people to come see 

the show last year. “We knew that 

once people experienced the power 

and professionalism of Living Stations, 

they would tell others, and it would 

naturally spread like wildfire,” she 

said in a statement. “That’s exactly 

what happened. Thank the Lord!” 

Nobody would have to beg May 

Seman to go again. She, her husband, 

and her 9-year-old son 

attended last year’s first ECRCsponsored 

Living Stations at Blessed 

Sacrament, where hundreds of 

Living Stations brings the story of Christ’s last days to life. 

Chaldeans gathered to watch the 

show. Seeing the reenactment before 

her eyes made all the difference 

in the way she relates to the story of 

Christ’s affliction, she said. Although 

the act has been referred to as the 

“Broadway version of the Passion of 

the Christ,” Seman attests that the 

film is partly gruesome, while the live 

performance is more powerful. 

“The most provocative part for 

me was when they raised Jesus up 

on the cross,” she said. “It was very 

dramatic with the lighting and the 

sound. I felt like I was in Calvary.” 

The ECRC is not only hoping to 

make Living Stations a yearly family tradition, 

but also anticipates seeing more 

youth get closer to Jesus Christ and his 

Passion. Karmo sees the event as no 

different than going to a concert. 

“You go to a concert to see a 

beautiful performance, for a spiritual 

connection that purifies your senses,” 

she said. “At the Living Stations, His 

suffering comes alive.” 

Seman believes it is a great way of 

preparing one’s family for Lent, aside 

from the usual traditions. 

“Sometimes when we do the 

same repetitive practices we forget 

the meaning,” she said. “The Living 

Stations really awakens that ‘sleeping 

faith’ that some of us have. It really 

defines the meaning of Easter.” 

Living Stations runs from March 

16-April 1. Tickets for the ECRC 

performance are being sold on a firstcome, 

first-served basis for $17 each. 

Call ECRC at (248) 538-9903, 

St. Thomas at (248) 788-2460 or 

check with your local Chaldean church 

for tickets. To view a segment of the 

performance, visit LivingStations.org. 

The significances of 

the 40 days of Lent 

The 40 days of Lent are based on two Biblical 

accounts: the 40 years of wilderness 

wandering by the Israelites and our Lord’s 

40 days in the wilderness, at which point He was 

tempted by Satan. 

Each year the Church observes Lent where 

we, like Israel and our Lord, are tested. We participate 

in abstinence, times of fasting, confession 

and acts of mercy to strengthen our faith and devotional 

disciplines. The goal of every Christian 

is to leave Lent a stronger and more vital person 

of faith than when we entered. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, 

“The seasons and days of penance in the course of 

the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory 

of the death of the Lord) are intense moments 

of the Church’s penitential practice. These times 

are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, 

penitential liturgies and pilgrimages as signs of 

penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and 

almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and 

missionary works).” (CCC 1438) 

Giving something up 

For most older Catholics, the first thought that 

Lent brings to mind is giving something up. In my 

childhood, the standard was to give up candy, a 

discipline that found suitable reward in the baskets 

of sugary treats we received on Easter. Some of us 

even added to the Easter surplus by saving candy 

all through Lent, stockpiling what we would have 

eaten had we not promised to give it up. 

There are various things you can suggest to 

your children other than giving up candy. Even 

though Lent has started, it is not too late to give 

up something for God. Perhaps you can suggest 

to your kids to give up television or video games. 

Lent is about conversion, turning our lives 

more completely over to Christ and his way of life. 

That always involves giving up sin in some form. 

The goal is not just to abstain from sin for the duration 

of Lent but to root sin out of our lives forever. 

As adults, maybe you can abstain from idol 

gossip or rid your mind of negative thoughts. 

Conversion means leaving behind an old way 

of living and acting in order to embrace new life in 

Christ. For catechumens, Lent is a period intended 

to bring their initial conversion to completion. 

– Vanessa Denha Garmo 

Some of the information was retrieved 

from catholic.org. 


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sports 

following in dad’s footsteps 

Like father, like daughter 

By Steve Stein 

When North Farmington 

High School girls soccer 

star Sami Roumayah 

signed a national letter of intent 

last month to play at Eastern Illinois 

University, she kick-started a family 

tradition. 

John Roumayah, her father, 

played soccer at Nazareth College, 

a Catholic school in Kalamazoo that 

closed in 1992. 

“My dad was a defender,” Sami 

Sami Roumayah shows off her signing letter. 

said. “He started me off playing defense, 

but I gradually became an attacking 

player and played outside 

midfielder, and eventually center 

midfielder.” 

Sami is an outstanding center 

midfielder, known for her creativity, 

passing skills and fearlessness. 

She’s heading into her fourth season 

as a starter at North Farmington 

— she’s a three-time team MVP for 

the three-time city champion — and 

she was a standout on the Michigan 

Jaguars U18 Girls Green team that 

is sending 13 of 17 players to college 

programs. 

She had 14 goals and 27 assists 

in two years with the Jaguars, who 

made it to the State Cup quarterfinals 

twice. 

Sami has been playing soccer for 

14 years. She achieved a major goal 

when she signed with Eastern Illinois. 

“Because my dad played soccer in 

college, I’ve had my mind set on doing 

the same thing,” she said. 

Eastern Illinois Coach Summer 

Perala spotted Sami last year while 

she was playing in a tournament in 

Ohio with the Jaguars. After a visit 

to the Eastern Illinois campus in 

Charleston, Ill., Sami said, she knew 

that was the place for her. 

Eastern Michigan, Indiana-Purdue 

at Ft. Wayne and Schoolcraft also 

were in the running for her services. 

“The coaching staff and players 

at Eastern Illinois were welcoming 

and nice, the campus is a good 

size, the level of play suits me, and 

I wanted to get out of Michigan and 

enjoy the full college experience,” 

Sami said, clicking off her reasons 

for signing. 

The Farmington Hills resident 

will play center midfielder for Division 

I Eastern Illinois, which hopes to 

rebound from a 5-12-2 season last fall. 

A 3.5 grade-point average student, 

Sami plans to major in business 

administration so she can pursue a 

career in sports management. 

She also wants to coach soccer. 

She’s already coached for three years 

in the Little Kickers program at the 

Total Sports Complex in Wixom. 

Brother vs. Brother 

Oh, brother, it’s going to be quite 

a day for Mazen and Loran Jaddou 

when the Wayne State University 

and Northern Michigan University 

football teams meet on October 20 

at Wayne State. 

For the first — and only — time of 

their football careers, the brothers 

will compete against each other. 

Mazen, 21, is a 5-foot-11, 

200-pound senior free safety at 

Wayne State who played a big role in 

the Warriors’ improbable run to the 

NCAA Division II national championship 

game last season. 

He played in 15 games in 2011, 

missing one because of an injury, and 

started the final nine. He was fourth 

on the team with 41 solo tackles and 

sixth with 71 total tackles. He’s now 

played in 37 games over three seasons 

at Wayne State, starting 11. 

After making the post-season 

playoffs for the first time in school 

history last fall, Wayne State (12- 

4) won an amazing four straight 

road games before losing to Pittsburg 

(Kan.) in the nationally televised 

Division II title game in Florence, 

Ala. 

Among the Warriors’ road playoff 

victories were wins at defending national 

champion Minnesota Duluth 

and previously undefeated Winston- 

Salem (N.C.) State. The team traveled 

more than 6,000 miles by airplane 

and bus during their journey. 

Loran Jaddou 

Mazen Jaddou 

Loran, 19, is just beginning his 

collegiate football career. He’s a 5-10, 

205-pound freshman strong safety at 

Northern Michigan who didn’t play 

last year because he was red-shirted 

after suffering a shoulder injury during 

practice early in the season. He 

expects to start this season. 

The brothers were football stars 

at Birmingham Brother Rice High 

School before going on to college. 

They played together for a few games 

when Mazen was a senior and Loran 

was a freshman. 

Mazen was a two-year starter who 

played fullback and linebacker. Loran 

started for three years. He played fullback, 

strong safety and linebacker. 

Each wore No. 20 for Brother 

Rice. For five consecutive seasons, 

the Jaddou brothers proudly wore the 

SPORTS continued on page 52 


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SPORTS continued from page 50 

number of their football heroes, ex- 

Detroit Lions star running back Barry 

Sanders and current Denver Broncos 

standout strong safety Brian Dawkins. 

Mazen and Loran each wear No. 

20 in college. Loran wore No. 23 

when he was a freshman, but he’ll 

make switch this fall. 

The brothers talked on the field 

during last year’s Wayne State- 

Northern Michigan game, played in 

Marquette. They may get a chance 

to actually butt heads in October in 

Detroit if they end up on opposing 

special teams. 

While the smack talk between the 

two about the game has already begun, 

it’s being done in fun because, as 

Loran said, “we’re best friends.” 

Loran had a chance to join his 

brother at Wayne State, but he decided 

to head to the Upper Peninsula to 

make a name for himself. And Northern 

Michigan offered him a full-ride 

scholarship. 

“It was a tough decision,” he said. 

“Mazen and I always thought we’d 

play college football together.” 

Mazen is understanding. 

“It was Loran’s choice to go to 

Northern Michigan, and I respect 

that,” he said. “We would have welcomed 

him with open arms at Wayne 

State, but he wanted to experience 

college life somewhere else. I’m happy 

he has an opportunity to do that.” 

Mazen is a business management 

major at Wayne State who plans to 

graduate in June 2013. Loran, a biology 

major, wants to go to medical 

school someday. 

Their parents are Faris and Ban 

Jaddou. They have a brother, Bardy, 

and a sister, Mary. The family lives in 

Bloomfield Hills. 

The Center of 

Attention at OU 

Corey Petros is a big man on campus. 

Literally. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound 

freshman center-forward from Sterling 

Heights is a frequent starter for 

the Oakland University men’s basketball 

team. 

Petros sat out last season as a redshirt 

to work on his game and his 

strength, and concentrate on academics. 

It appears the time was well spent 

in the classroom (he was named Academic 

All-Summit League in 2011), 

weight room and basketball court. 

Through 27 games this season, 

19 of them starts, he was leading the 

Golden Grizzlies (14-13) in rebounding 

with 7.6 boards per game, the second 

in blocked shots with 13, and was 

averaging 9.2 points per game. 

Post moves and rebounds are 

Petros’ strengths. He was shooting a 

solid 55 percent from the field (101- 

for-182) after 27 games. Interestingly, 

not one shot was a 3-pointer. 

“I can shoot 3s, but I haven’t 

earned the right yet to shoot them 

during games,” he said. 

Like many big men, Petros struggles 

at the free throw line. He was 

46-for-89 for 52 percent on foul shots 

after 27 games. He said he continues 

to shoot 100 free throws a day in 

practice, and he’s hoping the work 

will eventually pay off. 

Petros was a four-year letter-winner 

at Utica Eisenhower High School who 

was named Macomb County’s Most 

Valuable Player when he was a senior. 

He said he chose Oakland over 

Detroit, Bowling Green and Eastern 

Michigan because of the coaching 

staff, academics and proximity to 

home. His sister Jaclyn will graduate 

from Oakland this year. 


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10 Questions for… 

Lawrence Yaldo 

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linen rental and event design firm, Lawrence 

Yaldo and his business partner Andrew 

Keina are well known in the community 

as event coordinators extraordinaire. Yaldo, 30, 

lives in West Bloomfield. 

Describe yourself in three – and only three – words 

Talented, creative and genuine. 

If you were stuck on a desert island, what three 

books would you want with you? 

Ma Baseema cookbook, my Mac Book and a 

Bible. 

The top three songs on my iPod are … 

“Baby Come to Me” by Patti Austin & James 

Ingram; “Set Fire to the Rain” by 

Adele; and “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. 

My favorite thing about being Chaldean is … 

We are rich in culture, work ethics and values. 

This had led so many of our fellow Chaldeans 

to explore and succeed in various professions 

and businesses. 

My least favorite thing is … 

We’re all guilty of this … this community 

thrives on gossip whether it’s good or bad. 

My motto is … 

Live, love and dream. 

The one thing about me that surprises people is … 

The fact that I speak and understand Chaldean 

and Arabic even though I was born here. 

If I could have any talent, it would be … 

To be a musical prodigy and play the piano to 

perform for millions of people. 

If I could travel back in time for a vacation, I’d go 

to … 

Rochester, Minnesota on May 9, 2011 to the 

Mayo Clinic and be there when my mom and 

sister woke up from their kidney transplant. 

A perfect day consists of … 

Not having to deal with any work-related 

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ONE-on-ONE 

Shenandoah’s John Loussia: 

‘Our Future Looks Bright’ 

As Shenandoah Country Club 

heads into year nine as a 

Chaldean-owned establishment, 

the executive board is executing 

new programs, new initiatives 

and creating new committees. Chaldean 

News Co-Publisher and Editor 

in Chief Vanessa Denha Garmo sat 

down with Executive Board Chair 

John Loussia and some of the club’s 

youngest members inside Shenandoah’s 

boardroom last month. 

CN: What are some of the significant 

changes going on at Shenandoah this year? 

JL: Our board will work very hard to 

transform Shenandoah to a more family-friendly 

club. One of our main goals 

will be to recruit younger members and 

to introduce programs and activities to 

encourage them to become more active 

and involved in the club. Some of the 

programs include Junior Membership 

and Youth Committee (see below). In 

addition, we are bringing 

family nights back 

to the club. We have 

an event once a month 

geared towards children 

12 and younger. 

John Loussia is bullish 

on Shenandoah’s 

future. 

CN: How is the financial 

stability of Shenandoah 

at this point? 

JL: Financially the 

club is stronger than it 

has ever been, thanks in 

large part to the members 

who worked very hard to negotiate 

a settlement of our bank loan in 

‘09, and the cost-cutting measures of 

the 2010 and 2011 boards. Our goal 

this year will be to increase revenues 

by 5 to 7 percent over last year as we 

work hard to keep our expenses at the 

same level of the last two years on a 

percentage basis. 

We believe that the club has great 


potential for a great increase 

in revenues over the 

next few years. We can accomplish 

this by aggressively 

marketing the golf course 

to the public and our members 

and marketing the club 

to corporate America and 

the community at large. 

Finally, we believe that as 

the economy improves the 

spending by our members and 

guests will also increase. Our 

members can help us achieve 

our goal by supporting and promoting 

the club to their family and friends. 

CN: Has the club gotten through the 

worst? 

JL: Absolutely. Our future looks bright. 

CN: What have been the club’s membership 

trends in the last five years? 

JL: Our membership peaked at about 

1,000 members when we moved to 

Shenandoah in ’05. Due to the economic 

turmoil in ‘08 and ‘09 and 

the financial difficulty we faced, our 

membership dropped to about 550 in 

‘09. Membership started to increase 

after we restructured our loan in 2010 

and we decreased our initiation fee to 

$1,000 and our dues to $1,500. Our 

membership in 2011 was 768, and our 

current membership is 800. Our goal 

for this year is to increase membership 

to at least 900. We believe that with 

our junior membership program and 

our current membership drive we will 

achieve our goal. 

Member guest night is the first 

Wednesday of every month in 

March, April, May and June. Our 

members can invite a non-member 

eligible for membership to enjoy the 

Shenandoah experience by having 

full access of the club, the same as a 

member, for that night only. 

CN: What are the short-term goals for 

the club? 

JL: Our short-term goals are to increase 

membership, increase revenues, 

improve communications with our 

members, consolidate our loans and 

return the governance of the club to 

the members, revitalize the committee 

structure and establish a permanent 

structure with checks and balances for 

the management of the club. 

The Next Generation 

Blake George, 24, is a third-generation member 

of the Chaldean Iraqi Association of America 

(CIAAM) housed today at Shenandoah 

Country Club. His grandfather, Michael George, 

was among the founding members. Today, he is often 

at the club with his father Rodney and grandfather 

enjoying dinner and some conversation. 

As much as Blake loves the club, he felt something 

was not right. “I hang out with my friends all 

the time but we never hang out at the club,” he said. 

Instead, the 20- and 30-something crowd was 

at local restaurants and other clubs. So, along with 

some fellow Chaldeans, Blake formed the junior 

committee. With support of the board, the club created 

the Junior Membership group where children 

and siblings of current members in good standing 

who are 35 or younger can join the club with no 

initiation fee and a 50 percent reduction in dues. 

Today, with the junior committee, the board 

is able to glean a young person’s perspective. This 

committee is designed to help develop programs 

and events geared towards young members and increase 

the board’s knowledge of the needs of youth. 

On Wednesday nights, Shenandoah is transformed 

into a music lounge where the younger 

generation can hang out with friends, eat and socialize. 

Event planners Lawrence Yaldo and Andy 

Keina from Top that Table transform the overflow 

room in the restaurant to a lounge-like club. 

“We also suggested appetizers on the menu,” 

said Blake, “because when we hang out with 

friends at restaurants that is what we eat. We do 

The Junior Committee: 

Shawn Namou, Alyssa 

Loussia, Blake George, 

Kennice Farida, Reina 

Kalabat, Kristen Sagmani, 

Amanda Kassa 

and Joey Jonna. 

not order the combination plate as we do here 

at the club with our parents. As delicious as it is, 

it’s not what we want to eat with friends.” 

Currently, there are 10 active members on the 

junior committee, including Joey Jonna, 31. “I 

wanted to be part of something that would bring 

business to the club,” said Jonna. “There is a lot of 

pride in this place and anything that brings youth 

involvement is a positive.” 

“I think it is significant because our parents made 

such a big investment in this club,” said Amanda 

Kassa, “and for the next generation to take over and 

want to be involved is a great thing.” 

Kassa, 23, is one of the few 20-somethings 

who hang out with her friends at the club without 

their parents, but she is hoping with the 

implementation of the new Wednesday night 

look more will follow the trend. 

She encouraged nearly 15 of her friends to experience 

the first junior club night last month. “I was not 

sure how they were going to react but everyone reacted 

with excitement and they wanted to know whose 

idea was it and how they could get more involved,” 

she said. “The reaction was extremely positive.” 

The senior members are enthusiastic about 

the junior committee’s commitment to the club. 

“Blake talked about having dinner with his dad 

and grandfather at the club. There is something so 

special about hanging out with your son at the club 

and being able to pass this tradition on,” said John 

Loussia. “So many of us have memories of our parents 

at the club on certain nights of the week and 

now our children can experience our country club 

with their friends and create their own memories.” 


CN: Where do you see the club in five 

years? 

JL: Five years from now, I see our 

membership at about 1,200, our 

revenues at about 15 to 20 percent 

higher than they are today, and our 

debt greatly reduced or eliminated. 

I think that the average age of our 

members will be much younger. I 

also think that we will have a greater 

number of women and younger 

members serving on the board and 

in the committees. 

CN: What are you doing differently 

today? 

JL: We are engaging the entire family. 

We are going to do more activities 

for families inside and at the poolside. 

We are changing the atmosphere and 

engaging the younger generation by 

creating activities for all age groups. 

However, we can only succeed if we 

have support of the membership. 

We are bringing back Nine and 

Dine where couples can play nine 

holes of golf and then have dinner. 

We are introducing a program new 

with the Chaldean American Ladies 

of Charity where we feature recipes 

from their cookbook (see box). We 

have introduced a new newsletter. 

CN: Are you actively going after feedback? 

JL: Absolutely. The newsletter really 

engages the member. We are 

transparent and keep our members 

up to date. You will be able to offer 

feedback. 

CN: If someone asked you why he or 

she should join, what would you say? 

JL: As a community, we are truly 

blessed to have a wonderful club like 

Shenandoah. It is the pride and joy 

of our community. For many of us 

Shenandoah is where we celebrate 

our once-in-a-lifetime experiences 

like weddings, baptisms, communions 

and other special occasions. 

Many of us have been able to experience 

the great joy that comes 

from spending time at the club with 

our family and friends. The fondest 

memory I have of my father is the 

big smile on his face when he would 

see me at the Southfield Manor 

having a great time with my friends. 

Now the biggest joy I have is when I 

see my children at Shenandoah with 

their friends having a great time. 

Shenandoah is not only a social 

club, it is also the home of our 

Chaldean Cultural Center, and it is 

where our current and future generations 

will learn about their unique 

culture and heritage. If you are not 

a Shenandoah member please join 

us so that you and your family can 

also enjoy the Shenandoah experience. 

CALC Inspires 

Ladies 

Night Out 

Thursday night’s menu at 

Shenandoah is dedicated 

to the Chaldean American 

Ladies of Charity (CALC) 

and their cookbook, Ma Baseema: 

Middle Eastern Cooking 

with Chaldean Flair. Several 

items on the menu are from the 

cookbook and a portion of the 

proceeds go to CALC programs. 

“We want Thursday nights 

to be for CALC and their families 

and friends like Wednesday 

nights are for the younger 

generation,” said John Loussia. 

“Thursdays can be seen as a ladies 

night out at Shenandoah.” 

CALC created the cookbook 

as a way to preserve Chaldeans’ 

authentic culture and 

document family recipes dating 

back to ancient Mesopotamian 

times. The book is a culinary 

journey into the essence of 

Chaldean cooking. 

Ma Baseema contains an 

extensive collection of recipes 

ranging from soups, appetizers, 

salads, main course dishes, 

breads and desserts. Many 

Chaldean signature dishes — at 

the heart of Chaldean cuisine — 

are featured. 

“We truly appreciate the support 

of Shenandoah,” said Jane 

Shallal, executive director of 

CALC. “We look at Thursday 

nights now as charity night for 

the members and our community. 

This is an example of two 

very important Chaldean organizations 

working together to 

strengthen the community.” 

The idea was inspired by Auday 

Arabo, president and CEO 

of the AFPD, who shared it with 

the CALC board. 


ECONOMICS & enterprise 

Dreaming Big: 

Entrepreneur 

reinvents the 

dollar store genre 

By Weam Namou 

Just 30 years old, Oras Yono has only been in 

the United States for eight years. Yet he is already 

the sole owner of three successful businesses. 

He’s been able to get far with his motto, 

“Work hard, no time for play!” 

“When I first came to this country in 2003, I 

worked as a stock boy at a supermarket,” said Yono. 

“Within three years, I opened the first Dream 

Dollar in Lincoln Park. Then in January 2010, I 

opened a warehouse and a second Dream Dollar.” 

Didn’t he feel the crunch of the recession, with 

the worst economy in America since the Great Depression? 

“There’s nothing wrong with the economy,” he 

said. “There’s always a job in America for whoever 

wants to work and people still spend and shop. 

Walmart and Cosco weren’t hit by the recession, 

why should I be? Business is good.” 

That’s what it seems from the activity taking 

place at the Dream Dollar in Sterling Heights at 

15 Mile Road and Ryan. The store is not a typical 

dollar store, carrying more than 10,000 items that 

range from home décor, antiques, Middle Eastern 

food and galabiyat (traditional Arabic gowns) to a 

variety of rugs priced between $75 and $300. 

“The first customer who walked into our store 

was a Chaldean woman who asked if we had rugs,” 

said Yono. “She said, ‘everyone else carries rugs.’ So 

the next day we brought rugs to the store.” 

The rugs are imported from different countries 

and they’re some of the store’s best-selling items. 

Other items include distinctive incense holders 

from Dubai, outdoor fountains, henna, Turkish 

coffee cups, stainless steel pots and pans, lamps, 

purses, nerguilas, mosaic elephant figurines, and 

large collections of silver jewelry and head crowns 

for girls. 

“In January we’re expanding to an adjacent 

building where we will place all the expensive 

items,” said Yono. “It will be called Hadia.” 

Yono travels to China, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and 

will be going to Turkey soon to bring in out-of-the 

ordinary products because he does not like to copy 

other stores’ stock. 

“My father and I came up with the idea of putting 

items you wouldn’t see in other dollar stores,” 

he said. “It’s a good idea but it requires a lot of 

work. Sometimes we’re here until midnight. Sometimes 

we don’t sleep.” 

But he wouldn’t want it any other way. As a 

husband and the father of two young children, 

Sandra, 7, and Mario, 5, he has the responsibility 

of “taking care of others.” He also has the dream of 

turning Dream Dollar into a chain. 

Yono feels that those who financially struggle 

in America do not understand or appreciate the 

country. 

“This is the best country ever,” he said. “Here, 

you feel you are safe, that you are human. You have 

freedoms.” 

This is what he had heard about America when 

he lived in Baghdad and that is why he wanted to 

come here. 

“I didn’t need America,” he said. “My family 

was well-off in Iraq and I was a university student. I 

lived a good life, but I wanted to see this new world 

and to be independent.” 

From above: 

Oras Yono hopes to make Dream Dollar into a chain. 

The shelves are crowded with everything from cigarettes 

to hookas to traditional Arab clothing and religious 

statues. 

Unlike the majority of newcomers, the challenges 

that Yono had were not lack of money; it 

was gaining experience, becoming familiar with 

the rules that apply to America and learning the 

language. 

“If you can’t speak English, you can’t do anything,” 

he said. “That’s why I really advise people 

to study. A degree in America is very important.” 

And if education is not available, then learning 

one trade and sticking to it rather than jumping 

from one job to another is also a formula for success, 

he said. 

“One problem that newcomers have when they 

come here is that they want to fly,” said Yono. 

“They want this and they want that, like the best 

cars and TVs. A television set, whether it’s plasma 

or not, will do the same job.” 

Yono believes that today’s newcomers have it 

better because they are provided with government 

assistance. Before, they were not. 

“I never received health or food benefits from 

the government,” he said. “I have been paying taxes 

since the first day I arrived to America.” 

Despite his family’s success, Yono depended on 

himself for most of the time and survived by staying 

realistic and never buying over his budget. He 

lived in a small apartment and drove a 10-year-old 

car with a radiator that he often had to replenish 

with water. 

“I took it one step at a time,” he said. “And I 

didn’t make excuses.” 



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This is the place 

where Michigan’s premier Architects, Builders, Designers 

& Remodelers have come for over 50 years to experience 

the finest, the most unique, and the most 

beautiful products the bath, lighting & 

hardware industry has to offer. 

All in one MASTERPIECE of a showroom! 

• Grohe • Schonbek • Baldwin • Hangsgrohe • Hinkley • Rocky Mtn. • Rohl • Minka • Omnia 

• Bain Ultra • Murray Feiss • Top Knobs • Blanco • Casablanca • Alno • and Many More! 

HERALD WHOLESALE 

PREMIER BATH, LIGHTING & HARDWARE 

40% 

OFF 

Any One Item 

Store Wide 

With ad, on qualifying products, new orders only. 

1765 W. Maple Rd. • TROY • (248) 398-4560 

www.heraldwholesale.com 

M & Th 9am-7pm • Sat 9am-4pm 

T, W & F 9am-5:30 pm 


PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS 

PHOENIX REFRIGERATION, INC. 

Commercial Refrigeration•Heating & Cooling 

Mechanical Contractor 

STEVE ROUMAYAH 

29333 LORIE LANE 

WIXOM, MI 48393 

steve@phoenixrefrig.com 

PHONE: 248.344.2980 

FAX: 248.344.2966 

TOLL FREE: 877.856.5800 

030311 Chaldean News.ai 1 3/3/2011 10:13:56 AM 

Detroit • Grand Rapids • Lansing • Flint 

www.phoenix-refrigeration.com 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

Merchant Processing services 

With Residual Income Opportunity and Guaranteed Low Rates 

Lower business expenses and receive income as well. For more 

details call Yolanda at 248-346-2510 (Oakland/Washtenaw 

counties) or Robin at 313-556-2760 (Wayne/Macomb Counties). 

www.everyswipecounts.5linx.com 

2090 WoodroW Wilson Boulevard • West Bloomfield, mi 48324 

all TYPeS OF HealTH aND liFe iNSURaNCe 

Steve George 800.696.8918 

e-mail: stephengeorge100@att.net 

WeB: www.aipagency.com 

Are You Lost in the 

Health Insurance 

Maze? 

ACCREDITED SPECIALIST 

Accredited Buyer Representative 

Certified Luxury Home Marketing 

Specialist 

Certified Residential Specialist 

Internet Professional 

Graduate REALTORS Institute 

Quality Service Certified 

Seniors Real Estate Specialist 

Brian S. Yaldoo 

Classic - Associate Broker 

29630 Orchard Lake Road 

Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334 

Office: 1-248-737-6800 

Fax: 1-248-539-0904 

Pager/VM: 1-248-806-9100 

E-Mail: brianyaldoo@remax.net 

Websites: www.brianyaldoo.com 

brianyaldoo.realtor.com 

BuyingOrSellingRealEstate.com 

Individually Owned and Operated 

ADVERTISE 

FOR AS LITTLE AS $ 85 

IN OUR NEW BUSINESS DIRECTORY SECTION! 

To place your ad, contact us today! 

PHONE: (248) 996-8360 FAX: (248) 996-8342 

29850 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY, SUITE 250 • SOUTHFIELD, MI 48034 

ww.chaldeannews.com 


events 

2 3 

4 

cultural exchange 


1 

Chaldeans were well-represented at the Cultural Exchange 

on February 3 in Sterling Heights. The event was chaired by 

Susan Kattula and representatives of several organizations 

were on hand, including the Chaldean Community 

Foundation, E’rootha and the Chaldean Sisters of Mercy. 

The “Celebration of Diversity” event included performances 

and information on many nationalities, including Polish, 

Macedonian, German, Filipino, Bulgarian and French. 

7 

5 

1. Clarys Jamil and 

Matthew Kalasho 

2. Lourdes Olaquer, 

runner-up in the Miss 

Senior Michigan 

pageant 

3. Clockwise: 

Karim Sokana, 

Jumhoria Kaskorkis, 

Sharon Hannawa and 

Marcreet Sokana 

4 & 5. The choir from 

Holy Martyrs Chaldean 

Catholic Church 

6. Sue Kattula (left) 

and the Chaldean 

Sisters of Mercy 

7. Steve Yousif 

and Clarys Jamil 

6 


From “Yes” to “I do” and every moment after. 

Save the Date 

Meet designer representatives and shop the largest selection of loose diamonds and engagement rings 

Special pricing and financing will be available for these two days only 

Saturday, March 17th and Sunday, March 18th, Somerset Collection 

Find us on Facebook 

Visit Tappers.com to see the many ways we Mark the Moment®. 

West Bloomfield 248.932.7700 I Somerset Collection 248.649.2000 I Twelve Oaks Mall 248.465.1800

MARCH 2012

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