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CHALDEAN NEWS 3
CONTENTS THE CHALDEAN NEWS
NOVEMBER 2019
VOLUME 16 ISSUE X
departments 6
FROM THE EDITOR BY PAUL JONNA
Amazed! 6
IN MY VIEW BY MICHAEL SARAFA
Milliken’s death reminds us of a better politics 8
GUEST COLUMN BY NORA HANNA
Criminalizing vaping is not the answer
22
10
FOUNDATION UPDATE
12
NOTEWORTHY
13
CHALDEAN DIGEST
14
FAMILY TIME BY DANIELLE ALEXANDER
10 ways to celebrate fall in metro Detroit
on the cover
16
CHAI TIME
18
RELIGION BY FR. PIERRE KONJA
22 LSAT’S BLINDSPOT
Giving ten percent
BY PAUL NATINSKY
Blind law school hopeful helps push for fair entrance exam
20
OBITUARIES
21
IN MEMORIAM
30
ECONOMICS AND ENTERPRISE BY SARAH KITTLE
features 24 FROM TRAVEL TO REVOLUTION
Soaring family fun 32
BY DANIELLA YOUHAN
Holiday eating
BY BIANCA KASAWDISH
Better known as the Dame Traveler, Nastasia Yakoub encourages self-love
34
28 SOLAR POWER HELPS THOSE RETURNING TO NINEVEH
SPORTS BY STEVE STEIN
Football star, wrestling state champ, ‘good human being’
26 FINDING THE SWEET SPOT BY STEPHEN JONES
DOCTOR IS IN
36
ONE ON ONE BY CHALDEAN NEWS
A conversation with Max Primorac 38
CHALDEAN ON THE STREET BY HALIM SHEENA
BY PAUL NATINSKY
Holiday foods 40
EVENTS
NOVEMBER 2019
CHALDEAN NEWS 5
from the EDITOR
PUBLISHED BY
Amazed!
I
breaking story of Angelo continue to be amazed by Binno, who after years of the accomplishments of tireless commitment to our Chaldean community making the Law School — a community filled with Admission Test (LSAT) individuals who are commitmore accessible has finally ted to the betterment of their succeeded. Originally filing families, their faith and the the suit in 2011, Angelo’s surrounding communities in fight to change the way the which they live. PAUL JONNA LSAT is administered has From the businesses inACTING EDITOR national implications. This volved in the Chaldean IN CHIEF is solid proof that one man Chamber to the amazing can change the world. team facilitating the muchYou will also notice the addition of needed social services at the Chala new legal column that will keep our dean Community Foundation, evreaders informed and ahead of the lateryone in our community continues to uplift and carry us to new levels. est changes in law, especially as the law Frankly, I do not believe there has relates to the Chaldean community. ever been an immigrant community This month, attorney Nora Hanna in the United States that has accomis digging deeper into the issues surplished so much in such a little time. rounding the legality of the flavored This month’s coverage is no difvape ban and why she believes that criminalization is not the answer. ferent as we focus on the issues Shortly after the publication touching Chaldeans directly. We are found itself under new ownership, we covering individuals from our comreached out to members of the community who continue to break barrimunity and asked them what they ers affecting people across Michigan would like to see in The Chaldean and our great nation. News. Many responded with fervor Paul Natinsky covers the ground-
Chaldean News, LLC Chaldean Community Foundation Martin Manna
that they would like to see in-depth pieces about travel, religion, culture, history and more. One of this edition’s stories is about travel blogger Nastasia Yakoub. Being Chaldean or a travel blogger is not what makes Nastasia’s story noteworthy. Instead, it is what she does with the platform she has built that makes a great story. Nastasia uses her travel blog to get personal with her fans and followers, talking about her own struggles with both physical and mental illness. Opening up about these issues, the Dame Traveler hopes to start a dialogue both within and outside of the Chaldean community that will help others. This piece about travel, life, and struggle is penned by Bianca Kasawdish. Please keep reading and sending your story ideas to edit@chaldeannews.com! Thank you,
Paul Jonna Acting Editor in Chief
Ashourina Slewo CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Danielle Alexander Nora Hanna Stephen Jones Bianca Kasawdish Sarah Kittle Fr. Pierre Konja Paul Natinsky Halim Sheena Ashourina Slewo Steve Stein Daniella Youhana
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Story ideas: edit@chaldeannews.com Advertisements: ads@chaldeannews.com Subscription and all other inquiries: info@chaldeannews.com Chaldean News 30095 Northwestern Hwy, Suite 101 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 www.chaldeannews.com Phone: (248) 851-8600
Milliken’s death reminds us of a better politics
I
today was non-existent. became very interYes, there has always been ested in government dirty politics. But most and politics very early of those in political leadin life. I was involved in ership viewed their jobs class governance in grade as problem solvers with school, high school and a goal of improving the college. I did my college lives of their constituents. internship at the Michi“Compromise” was not a gan Republican State MICHAEL G. four-letter word but rather Committee led then by SARAFA a heralded skill set. Spencer Abraham who SPECIAL TO THE Last week, we lost a went on to become a U.S. CHALDEAN NEWS stalwart of the idea that Senator and Secretary of good policy is good politics. Former Energy. Upon graduating from colGovernor Bill Milliken, who repeatlege, I even ran for state representaed that phrase often, died at the age tive at the ripe old age of 22. Back then, we were taught that of 97. He served in the state senate government service and political and as Lieutenant Governor before awareness was a civic duty, not only ascending to the Governor’s office a right of citizenship but an obligawhen George Romney was tapped tion. While there was a very robust for a position in the Nixon Admintwo-party system then, the vitriol istration. and extreme partisanship we see Milliken was among the “last liCHALDEAN NEWS
Paul Jonna MANAGING EDITOR
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in my VIEW
6
EDITORIAL ACTING EDITOR IN CHIEF
NOVEMBER 2019
ons” of moderate Republicanism, not only in Michigan but nationally as well. Mayor Coleman Young considered him a great ally of Detroit. He ushered in a new era of environmental protection that in hindsight was prescient and visionary. He represented decency and collegiality in all the most important ways—working with Democrats and Republicans alike to accomplish important legislation, focusing on urban areas and the plight of the poor and being open to other points of view. In retirement, the former governor became exasperated with the direction of the Republican Party, often endorsing Democratic candidates for state office and even for President. There’s no doubt that the current state of affairs in Washington D.C. was a major disappointment to him.
Publication: The Chaldean News (P-6); Published monthly; Issue Date: November 2019 Subscriptions: 12 months, $35. Publication Address: 30095 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 101, Farmington Hills, MI 48334; Permit to mail at periodicals postage rates is on file at Farmington Hills Post Office Postmaster: Send address changes to “The Chaldean News 30095 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 101, Farmington Hills, MI 48334”
At a time of unprecedented political turmoil in modern American history, Governor Milliken’s passing is an occasion for us to remember what decency and statesmanship used to look like. Magnanimity and openness were emblematic of confidence and strength rather than weakness. Decorum and mutual respect were the rule, not the exception. The current generation of political leadership has utterly failed in this regard. But, as it does, another generation will arise. They would do well to study the life and times of one of Michigan’s great governors.
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CHALDEAN 10/17/19NEWS 1:51 PM7
GUEST columns
Criminalizing vaping is not the answer
V
ape, JUUL, e-cignews reports related to “lung arettes, whatever issues.” Rather, the CDC we want to call has issued warnings against them, have been the latest using “homemade” vaping and greatest craze in smokproducts. This state’s vaping. Vapor products, aka ing ban could exacerbate the Tobacco Harm Reduction very issue the CDC is con(“THR”) products, were cerned about, by creating an originally marketed as a environment ripe for more NORA Y. ‘safer alternative’ by providblack market “homemade” HANNA, ESQ. ing a less harmful product. vaping products. SPECIAL TO THE Based on the Centers for CHALDEAN NEWS On September 4, 2019, Disease Control and PreGovernor Whitmer made vention (CDC) reports, the national news by announcnumber of smokers as a percentage ing that Michigan would become the of the U.S. population dropped sigfirst state to ban flavored e-cigarettes. nificantly from 20.6% in 2009, when A great deal of controversy surrounds THR products first gained popularthis ban, as it was not created by a ity, to 15.5% in 2016. Smoke shops legislative body; rather, MDHHS and other stores began carrying the (an administrative agency) made the products, and soon, vape shops came determination that flavored vape is a into the mix. It seems everyone, evpublic safety concern and, therefore, erywhere, is vaping. requires a criminal penalty. Not a Is vaping safe? Is it killing our fine, not a regulation – jail time of up children? Should we regulate it? If to 6 months. so, how? The questions and controThis is controversial because versies surrounding vaping are many State agencies do not have the auand varied. 26 cases of vape-related thority to create laws. Such power is lung disease deaths were found in the inherent in the legislature’s duties. U.S. last year, with one of the cases Michigan courts agree they have in Michigan. The Michigan Departoverwhelmingly ruled that agencies ment of Health and Human Services are not a legislative body and cannot (MDHHS) reported 35 overall cases create laws. of vape related lung disease. Michigan officials are creatively The statistics, taken on their own, attempting to bypass the process and are enough to scare a mother into rely on a law that should only be inthinking her child is going to die from voked during emergency situations, vaping. However, there seems to be to protect the public. The state rea disconnect, as there is no proven lies on MCL 333.2226(d), which causal link between lawful THR prodprovides that a department may exucts purchased from retailers and the ercise authority and promulgate rules
to safeguard the public health. The state is arguing that flavored vape is so dangerous to the public that it must be criminalized. Such law is not applicable in this matter. The state has failed to make the necessary showing of emergency and failed to weigh the factors of how criminalizing flavored vaping is somehow a “necessary means to protect the public.” This ban merely provides the state the opportunity to incarcerate more non-violent offenders. The added penalty of criminalizing the sale of flavored vape products, as opposed to imposing a fine or some other deterrent, seems extreme under the circumstances. Lesser means could have been taken; just as they are on other (proven) harmful products like cigarettes, liquor, and sugary drinks. For example, the legislature could: (1) require reliable age verification systems; (2) increase the age required to purchase the products to 21; (3) impose taxes on vape products; (4) restrict advertising; and/or (5) restrict the flavor names and label images so they do not appeal to children. While we can all agree vaping is growing at a rapid rate and has the potential for abuse with the associated health ramifications, our legislators have the necessary tools to ensure the safety of the public without imposing harsh criminal laws. Just recently, a group of business owners challenged the regulation and asked for a preliminary injunction, which was granted by the Court. This
is not a judgment on the merits of the law, but does mean that there is a pause and the ban where the state will not be able to enforce the emergency rules until further order from the court. Without hesitation, Whitmer vowed to seek a “quick and final ruling” from the Michigan Supreme Court. “This decision is wrong,” the governor said in a statement. “It misreads the law and sets a dangerous precedent of a court second-guessing the expert judgment of public health officials dealing with a crisis.” Governor Whitmer filed an application for emergency leave with the Michigan Court of Appeals and asked the Michigan Supreme Court to take the case directly on Friday, October 25. Dana Nessel, Michigan’s attorney general, also indicated that she plans to appeal the injunction. While it remains to be seen how the court will rule, I fully expect the court to agree with Michigan’s longstanding precedent and find that MDHHS does not have the authority to create a nonregulatory criminal law that deprives people of their liberties. Regardless of how the court rules, the state should not lock up a vape shop owner for selling vanilla vape. They should not punish an adult for smoking a mango JUUL. It is unconstitutional to circumvent the system and allow MDHHS to create criminal law. There are less invasive means to protect the health of the public. If the goal is to keep the public safe, I don’t think the criminalization of vape products accomplishes that. What are your thoughts? Nora is an attorney with Fieger Law in Southfield. She is a trial lawyer specializing in personal injury.
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Chaldean Community Foundation Update
FOUNDATION update
This past month closes out another fiscal year for the Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) with over 32,000 clients served, which includes over 4,600 immigration applications filed and more than 1,213 Job placement services conducted with a 72% employment rate. From immigration issues to career services, many of our clients continue to thrive and well on their pathway to prosperity.
CCF Hosts the Multicultural Leadership Series New Detroit’s Multicultural Leadership Series provides an approach to build cultural competency through developing a greater understanding of the subtle differences between racial and ethnic groups. The CCF hosted a day long orientation at the CCF and a tour of the Chaldean Cultural center to introduce the history, culture and socioeconomics of the Chaldean Community to the more than 30 leaders in attendance.
The 7th Annual Giving Hearts Fundraiser Raises over $22,000 Giving Hearts is a philanthropic Chaldean women’s collaboration in memorial of the late Vivian Esshaki Shouneyia that is administered by the CCF. Giving Hearts for Vivian is intended to provide limited financial assistance and aid to Chaldean women under medical or health financial crisis. Vivian’s legacy remains her generosity and benevolence supporting the family and community of women. As Vivian would say, “There are blessings all around us.”
National Mental Health Day
Sterling Heights Safe Streets Renewal Townhall The CCF partnered with the Sterling Heights Police and Fire officials discuss the Safe Streets Renewal proposal. If approved by voters on November 5, 2019, the Safe Streets Renewal will afford the City with the revenue needed to preserve the much-needed police and fire services along with a program to improve neighborhood streets. The Safe Streets Renewal would continue the dedicated millage for police and fire protection and neighborhood street improvements for an additional ten years. Remember to vote on November 5, 2019! 10
CHALDEAN NEWS
NOVEMBER 2019
World Mental Health Day is dedicated to mental health education, awareness, and advocacy against stigmas related to mental health. Mental illness affects everyone directly or indirectly through family, friends or coworkers. The CCF established Project Light to provide a safe therapeutic environment for those suffering from depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. Project Light is managed by professional licensed therapists to inspire hope and improve the quality of life for individuals and families through professional therapeutic assistance. If you or a loved one is struggling and would like to speak to a professional, please visit the Chaldean Community Foundation at 3601 15 Mile Rd., Sterling Heights, MI 48310.
$30k in Scholarships to be Awarded at the CCF’s 2nd Annual Awards Gala Through the generosity of W3r Consulting, the Nona Family, and Drs. Nathima and Peter Atchoo Family Foundation, 10 students will be awarded with scholarships totaling $30,000 this year! Over 73 applicants submitted written essays with finalists completing in-person interviews. Awardees will be honored at the Chaldean Community Foundation’s 2nd Annual Awards Gala on Thursday, November 14, 2019 at the Palazzo Grande in Shelby Township. Over 850 people are expected to attend this sold-out event to honor Bishop Najeeb Michaeel, Archbishop of Mosul, with a Community Service Award for consistently demonstrating qualities of compassion and Wireless Vision with the Philanthropist of the Year Award for setting a standard of excellence in charitable giving.
Building Expansion Update Construction continues on our 19,000 square foot expansion to the current facility with an expected completion date of Spring 2020. We are very excited to report that the foundation has been laid, walls have gone up and the parking lot has been paved. The next phase of the project will include prepping the interior, which will provide a state-of-the-art facility including a new lobby, rooms for office, education and medical uses, as well as a multifunctional gymnasium and life skills area to provide new senior and youth programs. With the expanded center, we will also gain around 118 additional parking spaces, alleviating current parking concerns. More than $5.3 million has been raised through our Capital Campaign to support the expansion and housing efforts.
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noteworthy
Advocating for Menstrual Equity Previously featured in the November 2018 issue for her advocacy work in regards to period poverty and menstrual equity, Ashley Rapp has taken the fight to the state capitol. In early October, Rapp testified before the Michigan House of Representatives in favor of a bill that would eliminate the luxury tax on menstrual products. Rapp shared the stories of women within her own community who have resorted to using alternatives such as socks, rags, brown paper bags, and even children’s diapers to manage their periods due to their inability to purchase or access menstrual products. The elimination of the luxury tax would be a step in making these products affordable. In addition to testifying before the Michigan House of Representatives, Rapp was instrumental in planning a rally at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor for National Period Day on October 19. The rally was an effort to elevate the issue of period poverty.
Value Wholesale Acquires Liberty Wholesale
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep Announces New Model
Value Wholesale Distributors closed on the purchase of Liberty Wholesale, for an undisclosed amount. Value Wholesale is a national brand grocery supplier located in Oak Park, Michigan. Liberty Wholesale, located in Warren, Michigan, is a grocery wholesaler that specializes in Hispanic and Middle Eastern food. “It’s a natural fit,” says Matthew Loussia, son of founder John Loussia and president of Value Wholesale. “We currently supply grocery stores throughout the country, and now we’ll be able to supply a larger variety of products, including two additional categories of Hispanic and Ethnic.”
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Preparatory announces a new, innovative approach to learning and student development in the Fall of 2020. St. Mary’s will become the first Catholic high school in its region to operate under a co-divisional model, with boys and girls educated in a single-gender learning environment on the same campus. This model offers a single-gender classroom experience alongside opportunities for boys and girls to engage socially, spiritually and in co-curricular activities. “While we recognize this opportunity represents change, our core values remain the same,” said St. Mary’s Headmaster Bob Pyles. “Importantly, the extraordinary men and women of our faculty and staff remain the foremost resource in the daily formation of St. Mary’s students. Through their work rooted in faith, maintaining the culture of opportunity, growth, and accomplishment will be our highest priority as we transition to this new model.”
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CHALDEAN NEWS
NOVEMBER 2019
chaldean DIGEST
What others are saying about Chaldeans They helped Trump win Michigan, then his immigration crackdown split the community THE BOSTON GLOBE BY LIZ GOODWIN
Trump captured the votes of many in this deeply religious enclave with his antiabortion stance, and dazzled them with his specific promise on the campaign trail to protect Christian minorities in the Middle East and crush the terrorist group ISIS. When Trump denigrated other immi-
grant groups, referring to Mexicans flooding across the border as “rapists” and calling for a total ban on Muslim immigration to the United States, some Iraqi Christians — who are also called Chaldeans, after the name of their branch of the Catholic Church — saw no threat to their community whose members largely entered the country legally. Influential figures among
them threw their support behind Trump, boosting his long-shot candidacy. A Chaldean priest was photographed giving a blessing to Trump in a brief meeting the October before the election in an image that was shared widely on Facebook. Other Chaldeans attended Trump rallies holding signs promising support from Christians from the Middle East.
Militias’ ongoing harassment of Christians in Iraq, Syria focus of hearing NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER BY KURT JENSEN, CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON — The genocide conducted by the Islamic State against Christian communities in Iraq and Syria has turned into continued harassment by Iran-backed militias and shows no signs of abating soon. This was part of the bleak picture explained Sept. 26 at a hearing conducted by the U. S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. There were outlines of atrocities, but few designated solutions, despite the millions invested in
Iraq by the U.S. government. “Recent years have been especially unkind to Iraqi religious minorities,” said Tony Perkins, chairman of the commission. “The rise of ISIS in 2014 compounded these challenges.” The Islamic State, or IS, as it is more commonly known now, was driven out of its last caliphate stronghold in Syria in April. But outliers have been conducting guerrilla attacks, and this is compounded by the militias, called Popular Mobilization Forces, surrounding the Christian villages and turning homes into empty hulls without plumbing or electricity.
Baghdad Bishop: Iraqi Christians Fear ‘New Rise’ of Islamic State BREITBART.COM BY THOMAS D. WILLIAMS, PH.D
An Iraqi bishop says there is a “strong fear” among the people the Islamic State may return, thanks to the Turkish offensive against the Kurds in the north of Syria. Bishop Basil Yaldo, auxiliary bishop of Baghdad and the closest collaborator of the patriarch Louis Raphael Sako, told AsiaNews an intervention by the international community is “fundamental” to apply the necessary “pressure on Turkey” to curb the offensive. Bishop Yaldo said that Turkey’s military oper-
ation launched by Ankara in northern Syria has ignited fears of a “new rise” of the Islamic State. “We have already experienced this and there is a strong fear that it may return,” he said. According to the bishop, the Turkish program against the Kurds in northern Syria is will almost certainly cause repercussions in neighboring Iraq, which also fears a new influx of war refugees that it has no means of receiving. “For the moment, the situation is still under control, but the picture is complicated because even here the situation is not peaceful,” Yaldo said, as can be seen from recent “demonstrations in Baghdad and in other areas of the country.”
3,000-year-old Assyrian stamp unearthed in southeastern Turkey DAILY SABAH / BY DAILY SABAH
Archaeologists discovered a 3,000-year-old stamp believed to belong to the Assyrians during excavations carried out at the Zerzevan Castle in southeastern Turkey’s Diyarbakır province. The excavations at the castle, which was used as a military settlement area during the Roman-era, were initially launched five years ago under the coordination of the Culture and Tourism Ministry. The stamp was found near the underground sanctuary located within the castle compound, which contains remnants of the city wall — which is 12-15 meters high and 1,200 meters long —including observation and defense towers, a church, an administration building, cereal and ammunition storehouses, an underground sanctuary, rock tombs, water canals and a cistern. Aytaç Coşkun, who leads the excavations, told Anadolu Agency that the discovery is very important since it shows that the castle area actually dates back almost 1,200 years earlier than was previously thought. Çoşkun said that the chlorite stamp, which has a clay imprint, is the only example of its kind due to the unique figures engraved on it.
Syria’s Christians are suffering in silence SPECTATOR USA / BY MARLO SAFI
The White House’s decision to move aside and allow a Turkish assault in northeast Syria highlighted the morass that is the US’s foreign policy in the Middle East. Criticism of the decision, rebuked as ham-fisted and reckless, was bipartisan. This is the kiss of death for the Kurds (the US’s allies, who are left defenseless), the largest ethnic minority in Syria, and one of the victims of Turkey’s human rights abuses that have spanned centuries. Lost in the turbulent tangles of the news is another one of Turkey’s victims, a population of Christians who are a distinct ethnic group that has been historically targeted by the Ottoman Empire. The Assyrians were slaughtered alongside the Greeks and Armenians in the genocide of 1915 and then again in 1933 during the Simele Massacre, at the hands of Arab-Iraqi nationalists. Their persecution continued throughout the century, foisting upon them a life of transience and displacement. Today, the diaspora population is larger than the population of Assyrians in their homeland, which is parts of northern Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. Syria’s Christians and Yazidis fear that with Turkey’s move into the region, they will be targeted and ethnically cleansed, a reasonable prediction given Turkey’s history of genocide of minorities. On Wednesday, Turkey began its attacks in Qamishli, a town inhabited by Kurds and the descendants of Assyrian refugees of the 1915 genocide. NOVEMBER 2019
CHALDEAN NEWS 13
FAMILY time
event is known for its holiday entertainment and special activities. Beginning on November 16, hours include 5:30 to 9 p.m. on select weeknights and Sundays at 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, visit detroitzoo.org. Detroit Tree Lighting Ceremony (Campus Martius Park in Detroit) On Friday, November 22, Detroit’s Tree Lighting Show and Rink Season Grand Opening Party will be taking place at Campus Martius Park. There will be musical performances by local and national performers, a holiday market, figure skating performances, hot cocoa, coffee and holiday light displays all over downtown; Beacon Park will also have holiday entertainment that evening. At the end of the night, Santa will flip the switch to light
10 ways to still celebrate fall in metro Detroit BY DANIELLE ALEXANDER
H
alloween may be over, but there is still time to enjoy all that fall has to offer right near home. Whether you’re a fan of cider and donuts, fall-themed events or already in the mood for Christmas cheer, below are 10 options for you and your family to not only spend time together but also celebrate this beautiful yet– what always feels like– short-lived season: Orchards and Cider Mills Franklin Cider Mill presses and bottles its own cider using high-quality, clean apples, a process that families can observe in-person from the main visitor area. The donuts, which are from an old German spice recipe, are made fresh each day and served warm. Franklin Cider Mill is open weekdays 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and weekends 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. through the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mill (Armada) One of the Blake’s youth attractions, Blake’s Funland, is open until November 3 and has an animal petting farm, jumping pillows, a straw mountain, a tricycle track and more. For those 21 and over, Blake’s Hard Cider Tasting Room is open seven days a week: Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Tasting Room serves new ciders on tap that are not available in stores, as well as food and a variety of their own wines. With the weather getting cooler, don’t forget that Blake’s does sell U-Pick Christmas trees beginning this month. Visit blakefarms.com for Cider Mill and U-Pick hours, as well as information about its other two locations. 14
CHALDEAN NEWS
NOVEMBER 2019
Yates Cider Mill (Rochester Hills) Open until Dec. 22 this year, Yates Cider Mill sits right beside the rapidly-flowing waters of the Clinton River. With cider and donuts, as well as live animals, Yates is kid-friendly.
Fall Activities/Events Maybury Farm Corn Maze (Maybury Farm in Northville) Up until November 3, families have the opportunity to participate in a 10-acre maze or a one-acre kid maze, being dropped off and picked up by a tractor-drawn wagon. The nine-dollar admission does include Maybury Farm’s barn, farm animals and educational farm garden. America’s Thanksgiving Parade (Detroit) On Thursday Nov. 28, bundle up and take the family downtown to watch the Thanksgiving parade. The three-mile long route begins at Kirby Street and Woodward, adjacent to the Detroit Institute of Arts, and ends at Congress Street, just south of Campus Martius Park. There will be celebrities, new float designs, larger-than-life balloons, marching bands and countless specialty groups.
Holiday Cheer Wild Lights (Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak) Experience more than five million LED lights illuminating trees, buildings and 280 sculptures all at once at the Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo. This
up Campus Martius’ giant tree. Check out downtowndetroitparks.com for more information. Light the Village (The Village of Rochester Hills in Rochester HIlls) Light the Village will take place on November 22 between 6 and 9 p.m. There will be music and entertainment, a festive light display and, of course… Santa! Details on the event can be found at villageofrochesterhills.com. Holiday Lighted Parade and Tree Lighting (Town Square in Northville) Northville’s community kick-off celebration of the holiday season will take place on Friday, Novomber 22 at 6:30 p.m. It begins with a parade, followed by the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree. Families can visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, sip hot cocoa, participate in a community sing-along and enjoy several other special events that are planned. Visit northville.org for more information. Santa’s Arrival (Kellogg Park in Plymouth) On Friday, November 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., children (and parents!) have the opportunity to visit “Santa’s House,” located in Kellogg Park in Downtown Plymouth, and meet Santa. For more information, visit plymouthmich.org. Danielle Alexander is the managing editor of Detroit Mom and editorial coordinator for West Bloomfield Lifestyle and Birmingham Life magazines. Fall is her favorite season and loves all of the options that metro Detroit offers, especially the kid-friendly ones.
Commerce Rd.
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Richardson Rd.
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Martin Rd.
Welch Rd.
S. Commerce Rd.
Benstein Rd.
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Fluent in Chaldean and Arabic
DETR 11.00.19 CN PC.PREV1.indd 1
DETR 11.00.19 CN PC.PREV1
10/23/19 2:03 PM NOVEMBER 2019
CHALDEAN NEWS 15
CHAI time
CHALDEANS CONNECTING
COMMUNITY EVENTS IN AND AROUND METRO DETROIT NOVEMBER 2019 ate family during the Holocaust. At this event, more than 1,500 community leaders, museum supporters, human rights activists, and Holocaust survivors will join together in standing against hatred and discrimination. The Holocaust Memorial Center is dedicated to its mission to engage, educate, and empower by remembering the Holocaust. Each $250 ticket purchase will help to educate Michigan students, adults, and families about respect and tolerance for all people. For more information or to purchase tickets or sponsorships, visit holocaustcenter.org/dinner or call 248.536.9601.
Friday, November 1 Skyline Soiree: The American Cancer Society Skyline Soiree brings together young professionals from across metro Detroit at the Garden Theater in Detroit on Friday, November 1 at 7:00 p.m. Guests will enjoy an evening of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, raffle, live entertainment, and dancing. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society’s work to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer. For more information about the Skyline Soiree, call 248-663-3401 or visit skylinesoireedetroit.com. Saturday, November 2 Hollywood Nights Gala: Join Vets Returning Home at the Wyngate Golf and Country Club November 2 for their inaugural “Hollywood Nights” gala. Experience the feel of being a high roller in the Hollywood scene with strolling dinner, drinks, dancing, and much more. Our guest speaker will be actor and true veteran hero Retired Col. Greg Gadson. VRH is a transitional housing facility and program dedicated to helping veterans in crisis to get back on their feet and in stable housing. The sober living facility is located in Roseville. Its 43 beds help keep fallen heroes off the streets, and gives them access to the services they need to be able to leave from a position of power. Since its inception, VRH has helped more than 1,400 veterans and their families. VRH depends solely on donations from the general public. Sunday, November 3 Hair Show Fundraiser: A Beautiful Me is hosting their ninth annual extreme artistic hair show fundraiser on Sunday, November 3 at 3:00 p.m. An Avant Garde Hair Show is a one-of-a-kind event with everyday women walking a runway representing a creative story by Michigan hair stylists. Models range in age, weight, and ethnicity and represent confidence as they adorn elaborate hairstyles. All proceeds from this family-friendly event provide local 3rd–12th grade girls the opportunity to attend A Beautiful Me’s original and interactive self-esteem workshops. Together we are building self-worth proactively in our next generation of confident women. The event will be held at Zuccaro’s Banquet Center at 46601 Gratiot in Chesterfield Township. Doors open at 3:00 p.m. Limited tickets are available for $60 each, or $500 for a table of 10. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 810-216-6951. Wednesday, November 6 National Philanthropy Day: The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Detroit Chapter’s 28th Annual National Philanthropy Day 16
CHALDEAN NEWS
NOVEMBER 2019
Dinner celebrates and honors the passion, commitment, and leadership of Southeastern Michigan’s philanthropists, volunteers, and fundraising professionals. The event will be held on Wednesday, November 6, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at The Henry in Dearborn. Nearly 100 distinguished volunteers and eight major awardees will be honored during the event. The evening will begin with a cocktail reception and hors d’oeuvres followed by an elegant dinner and a short, inspiring program. Sponsorship packages start at $2,000; individual tickets are $125. The AFP Greater Detroit Chapter relies on support from individuals and organizations to help advance the education of fundraising professionals and advocate for philanthropy in the community. For more information, visit afpdet.org Friday, November 8 Raise the Roof: Celebrate Macomb Habitat for Humanity’s premier event of the year, “Raise the Roof,” on Friday, November 8, from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. at Andiamo in Warren. The event will feature inspirational speaker Rudy Ruettiger from the movie Rudy. Against all odds, in 27 seconds on a football field in South Bend, Indiana, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger wrote his name into history books as one of the most famous alumni of the University of Notre Dame. More than 100 silent auction and live auction, individual tickets are $100. Premier sponsorship is provided by IBEW – NECA and Ascension Macomb-Oakland. To reserve your tickets, contact cmcqueen@macombhabitat.org. For more information, call 586-263-1540. Saturday, November 9 Autumn Gala and Auction: Beaumont Health Foundation invites all to the 2019 Autumn Gala on Saturday, November 9 at 6:30 p.m. at MGM Grand
Detroit. The black-tie-optional affair will feature a cocktail reception, silent auction, elegant dinner, entertainment, and programming to recognize 25-year physicians and honor longtime physician and friend of Beaumont Dr. David Susser. Proceeds from the gala will directly support cardiology programs at Beaumont Hospital, Farmington Hills. In addition to attending the event, individuals may support programs by bidding on the auction online. Bids can be made on items including trips, sports, and luxury items. Tickets for the gala are $300. Visit beaumont.org/giving/ events for tickets and event information. To view and bid on auction items, visit autumngala19.givesmart.com. Sunday, November 10 Gala and Award Ceremony: Youth Community Agency will host the first annual Charity Masquerade Gala and Award Ceremony, with the goal in mind to empower women and improve the community. The event will be held Sunday, November 10 at 3434 Russell St., Suite 501, Detroit, MI 48207. The itinerary includes a welcome reception at 4:00 p.m., dinner at 5:00 p.m., the award ceremony at 6:00 p.m., a silent auction announcement at 7:00 p.m., and a thank you to sponsors and event conclusion at 8:00 p.m. To learn about sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, visit youthcommunityagency.org. Sunday, November 17 Holocaust Memorial Anniversary: Join the Holocaust Memorial Center at its 35th anniversary dinner. This gala event will take place on Sunday, November 17 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. Celebrity therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the star of the new documentary Ask Dr. Ruth, will be the keynote speaker. Born in Germany in 1928, Dr. Ruth lost her entire immedi-
Friday, November 22 Hob Nob Gobble: As the largest fundraiser for The Parade Company, Hob Nobble Gobble presented by Ford Motor Company, will be held Friday, November 22, from 6:30–10:30 p.m. at Ford Field. At the event, produced by The Parade Company, guests will enjoy an evening featuring special performances by the beloved Detroit Youth Choir presented by Ford Motor Company, and Grammy Award-winning artist Nelly presented by 98.7 The Breeze; a fabulous carnival midway; delicious cuisine; and live entertainment from end zone to end zone for kids and adults alike. Hob Nobble Gobble presented by Ford Motor Company, helps to raise important funds for The Parade Company to produce America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Art Van, recognized as one of America’s best parades. Tickets to the black-tie evening are limited. To reserve your tickets or tables, please contact CarolAnn at cbarbb@theparade.org or (313) 432-7831. Saturday, November 23 Taste Fundraiser: Our Lady Star of the Sea will be hosting The Taste fundraiser on Saturday, November 23 at 6:30 p.m. The evening’s festivities will include wine tasting, food sampling, and music from Madigan’s Attic. Throughout the evening, attendees will have the opportunity to taste a variety of dishes from local restaurants, caterers, and bakeries. Several wines will be available for tasting, as well as a cash bar with Miss Mixology blending some fun specialty drinks. Featured vendors include Applebee’s, Capuchin Soup Kitchen Catering, Da Edoardo Group, Ferlito’s Family Dining & Pizza, Kalindi’s Cakes and Pies, Licavoli’s Market, Pointe’s Pantry, Trattoria Serventi, Verace Pasta e Olio, Cadillac Coffee, Bookies Bar & Grill, Old World Gluten-Free Pierogi, and Lochmoor Club. This event is for adults 21 and up. Reservations are $40 in advance or $45 at the door. Sponsors include Hour Detroit and Christian Financial Credit Union. To make a reservation online, visit www.olsos.org; for more information, call 313-884-5554.
NOVEMBER 2019
CHALDEAN NEWS 17
RELIGION
Giving ten percent
L
“
ove of money is baptism. Again, I know these the root of all are challenging questions, but evil” (1 TimoI think we should all deeply thy 6:10). We read these reflect on what we think we words from St. Paul and prioritize and yet, what our it automatically stirs our time and money prove that souls and draws us into we actually prioritize. Do we reflection: “do I love moninvest our time, talents, and ey?” All of us certainly treasures with God and the FR. PIERRE need money to survive, we Church or simply use God KONJA all have money, and we all and the Church as a service SPECIAL TO THE use money, but do we love CHALDEAN NEWS and pay the “fees” necessary? money? Financial stress is It’s very hard to hear “tone” one of the top reasons for in an article, I assure you that divorce and society has always judged I am not talking down or pointing a a person by their wealth. Even the finger at anyone. My desire is to lovcommon narrative about the Church ingly present the sensitive topic of is often: “the Church is a business” money and the Church. and “the Church just wants money.” Whenever I lead pilgrimages to How do we need, have, and use Rome the group of Chaldeans will money, yet resist the temptation to inevitably ask “why can’t we build love money? How does the Church churches like this in Michigan?” I need, have, and use money, yet keep patiently explain that the majority of the focus on Jesus and the spread of Chaldeans either think the Church the Gospel? Both of these questions is super rich or that “someone else” will be a lifelong struggle and require should be giving more to financially constant discernment. support the Church. It leads to a very With all sin and temptation, fruitful conversation about the finanGod provides us with the necescial situation of the Chaldean Church. sary tools to grow in holiness and Our Chaldean Churches and the virtue so that our sinful inclinations can be kept on a short leash. In my opinion, this is why tithing is important. Tithing is a scriptural understanding that we are all called to give God ten percent of our firstfruits. “He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything.” (2 Chronicles 31:4-5) I am very much aware of how deeply challenging this can be for the vast majority of people, so I offer you this to think about your own lives: how much do you actually give to God from your time, talents, and treasures? If we give God 15 minutes a day in prayer, that’s still only one percent of our 24 hour day. How often do you donate your time to the needy or to the Church? How often do you miss Sunday Mass? How much money do you actually give to God? Not just buying a raffle ticket or giving a donation at your kid’s
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Bishop’s office are relatively financially stable, however we are forced to function with a minimal staff, deferred maintenance, and there’s a lot of pressure on our priests to do more than should be expected. Unexciting expenses, like utilities and salaries, constantly rise, but collections tend to remain the same. Many of you have been very generous with your finances and your volunteered time. God knows your intentions and God knows we’ve built our Chaldean Church community because of the incredible generosity of many people. What’s the solution? Make everyone feel guilty to give more? Is this just another “the Church needs money” ask from a priest? It’s sensitive and complicated, but I’m convinced that conversion into a deeper relationship with God is essential for people to be intentional about their level of investment in the Church with their time, talents, and treasure. Everything we have is from God, you don’t think you can give ten percent to God? Then try five percent or two percent. You have more, give
more. You have less, give less. It’s not “someone’s” responsibility to be committed to God and the Church; all of us are called to embrace our responsibilities, as followers of Jesus, to give God our worship and be intentionally generous with our time, talents, and treasure. “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44) Fr. Pierre Konja was ordained a priest in 2011 and is the associate of Holy Cross Chaldean Catholic Church in Farmington Hills, MI. Konja.Pierre@gmail.com
CHALDEAN COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION
Help Wanted! Please consider hiring one of our many new Americans. More than 30,000 Chaldean refugees have migrated to Michigan since 2007. Many possess the skills and determination to work hard for you and your organization. The Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) has a bank of resumes of candidates qualified to do a variety of jobs. To inquire about hiring a New American, call or email Elias at 586-722-7253 or elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org.
Chaldean Community Foundation Sterling Heights Office 3601 15 Mile Road Sterling Heights, MI 48310 586-722-7253 www.chaldeanfoundation.org
NOVEMBER 2019
CHALDEAN NEWS 19
OBITUARIES C AT H O L I C F U N E R A L & C E M E T E RY S E RV I C E S
Join us for our Annual Remembrance Tree Lighting
M A K E A N O R N A M E N T I N M E M O RY O F Y O U R L O V E D O N E T H U R S D AY, D E C E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 9 5 p.m. Ornament Making 6:30 p.m. Tree Lighting Ceremony Inside the Mausoleum Enjoy light refreshments and Christmas music Holy Sepulchre Cemetery and Our Lady of Hope Cemetery For more information, call 313.437.8416
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
reminisce on Although it’s sad to s year we shall thi , ew kn Christmases we of you. ry mo celebrate in me sorrow with every We’ll put aside our centrate on all the con d unshed tear, An you were here. en joy we shared wh taught us wh at Our time together , and tha t’s what for is e Christmas tim meet once more. we til we’ll remember un
I T ’ S N E V E R T O O E A R LY T O S TA RT P L A N N I N G 313.879.3741 | cfcsdetroit.org Holy Sepulchre | Our Lady of Hope | St. Joseph
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Barnadet Najib Jerjes Hadad July 1st, 1947 – September 26th, 2019
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n Sepember 26, 2019 Barnadet departed this life in peace at home surrounded by her family and friends. She leaves to cherish her memories, her father, late Najib Jerjes Mezo Hadad and her mother Mary Shamasha Kassab. Barnadet was a devoted wife to Mr. Slewa Monsar and a loving mother to Bassam, Zaid, Basma Butrus, Balsam Mio, and Eva Barrash. Barnadet has two brothers, Thaher and Mihsin Hadad; and four sisters; Klimo Kaka Ammo, Elham Barrash, Mahasin Summa, and Iman Bolaya. May the Angels carry her to paradise … Amen.
Senator Wadie P. Deddeh
S
enator Wadie P. Deddeh, Ret., passed away peacefully on August 27th, at the age of 98. At his side was his wife of 68 years, Mary-Lynn. Senator Deddeh was born in Baghdad, Iraq and immigrated to the United States in 1947. He soon moved to California, and became active in local Democratic politics. Through his 1966 election to the California State Assembly, Deddeh became the first Iraqi-American, in the United States, to be elected to public office. He went on to serve in the Assembly until his 1982 election to the California State Senate. Deddeh served in that house until his retirement in 1993. One of Deddeh’s most important achievements as a Legislator, came in1972 when he authored the legislation that created the modern California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The Agency is responsible for building and maintaining California’s massive State highway system. In 2006 Caltrans opened the Wadie P. Deddeh State Office Building in Old Town, which is now Caltrans’ San Diego headquarters. The 3 building complex is 301,000 square feet, and cost $72.5 million to build. Along with his wife, Senator Deddeh is survived by his son, San Diego Superior Court Presiding Judge Peter Deddeh, and Peter’s wife, Aleta. Senator Deddeh also leaves behind three grandchildren, Trevor, Alexandra and Samantha, two brothers, George and Fuad, a sister Georgette and several nieces and nephews.
Following his 1966 election to the California State Assembly, Deddeh became the first Iraqi-American, in the United States, to be elected to public office.
in MEMORIAM
RECENTLY DECEASED COMMUNITY MEMBERS Raad Albert Estephan Jan.10, 1951 Oct. 24, 2019
Elnora Bolis May 26, 1961 Oct. 23, 2019
Sabria Odish July 1, 1920 - Oct. 23, 2019
Roks AlNajar July 1, 1936 - Oct. 22, 2019
Jalal Aziz Karmo Dec. 1, 1950 Oct. 22, 2019
Haitham (David) Atisha Aug. 24, 1964 Oct. 21, 2019
Samiya Marroki June 12, 1951 Oct. 19, 2019
Muwfaq katto May 15, 1939 Oct. 17, 2019
Randy Naamou Nov. 12, 1983 Oct. 17, 2019
Hawel Younan July 1, 1952 - Oct. 17, 2019
Wadia Abro Nov. 24, 1932 Oct. 16, 2019
Yousif Sabbagh Oct. 17, 1935 Oct. 15, 2019
Adel (Faris) Tomika June 27, 1965 Oct. 14, 2019
Farid Gorgis Kathawa Dec. 5, 1952 Oct. 11, 2019
Nahida Sharrak Talia Oct. 20, 1933 Oct. 11, 2019
Ilham Al Qaseer Sept. 18, 1950 Oct. 10, 2019
Ban Elias Feb. 1, 1968 Oct. 9, 2019
Hekmat Shamoon Sadeq Nov. 25, 1945 Oct. 9, 2019
Mushtak Putrus July 26, 1985 Oct. 7, 2019
Thomas (Tommy) Habbi Yono May 9, 1943 - Oct. 5, 2019
Aziza Zaitouna July 1, 1943 - Oct. 2, 2019
Yousif Ayoub Kashat Jan. 1, 1920 - Oct. 1, 2019
Yvonne Dabesh Aug. 1, 1975 Sept. 30, 2019
Tiriz Shaba July 1, 1940 Sept. 26, 2019
Barnadet Hadad July 1, 1947 Sept. 26, 2019
Lance Jarrah April 22, 1983 Sept. 26, 2019
Hasina Mansour Kado June 29, 1926 Sept. 26, 2019
Shamasha Salim Zia Abbo Sept. 1, 1922 Sept. 26, 2019
Ferial Loussia Bashi April 20, 1947 Sept. 26, 2019
Mansour Mira Sept. 25, 2019
Frank (Faraj) Ishac Matti Dec. 8, 1955 Sept. 25, 2019
Meriam Denha Ayar Feb. 20, 1927 Sept. 25, 2019
Lewis Aziz Putrus Dec. 25, 1942 Sept. 22, 2019
Najib Yacoub Gappy Jan. 1, 1934 Sept. 21, 2019
NOVEMBER 2019
CHALDEAN NEWS 21
Blind law school hopeful helps push for fair entrance exam BY PAUL NATINSKY
F
or most students, long, complex story problems are the bane of primary education, banished forever well before the end of high school. It is almost impossible to conquer these mind melting mathematic mazes without sketching a diagram. Difficult for anyone, but nearly impossible for the blind and visually impaired. Yet, like a specter from the distant past, story problems show up in a section of the Law School Admissions Test that measures a skill called “analytical reasoning.” The LSAT measures a skill that has a marginal impact on academic performance for law students, but not for those preparing for the bar exam or for practicing attorneys, said Jason Turkish, managing partner at Nyman Turkish, a law firm specializing in disability law. Enter Angelo Binno, a blind law school hopeful for more than a decade. Binno took the LSAT twice and failed both times. Unable to draw visual diagrams, Binno simply guessed at answers in the analytical reasoning section—which is 25 percent of the test—and hoped for the best. After failing the LSAT a second time in 2010, Binno teamed with blind attorney, and now Michigan Supreme Court Justice, Richard Bernstein and filed a lawsuit against the American Bar Association. That case was dismissed and Turkish assumed the reigns, ultimately filing a lawsuit against the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), a non-profit organization that administers the LSAT. “However this test changes, it has to change for everybody, given those prior cases. What we have to have— and it’s important anyway for notions of fundamental fairness—is to have a test that everybody can take and that everybody can be scored on equally,” said Turkish. He said a new test that doesn’t require drawing will help those with physical disabilities, quadriplegia, nerve issues and other disabilities as well as the visually impaired. “What they’ve said all along is that they’ve offered accommodations,” said Turkish. “Traditional accommodations are great—extended 22
CHALDEAN NEWS
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“A new test that doesn’t require drawing will help those with physical disabilities, quadriplegia, nerve issues and other disabilities as well as the visually impaired.” – JASON TURKISH, ATTORNEY FOR ANGELO BINNO
time or braille, things like that—are great for other sections of the test, but you could give Angelo all the time in the world and he still can’t see, the guy can’t draw a picture, and it still isn’t going to distort his aptitude for the study of law.” Binno’s original lawsuit in 2011 sued the American Bar Association, which changed its law school accreditation standards in the mid-1990s. “For decades law schools in this country just waived the test for someone like Angelo. They would just say, ‘This is ridiculous, we’re not going to judge your ability to draw pictures,” said Turkish. “In the mid-1990s, the accreditation rules changed, the ABA changed them so law schools’ hands were tied. They couldn’t waive
the test anymore. That’s why we first sued the ABA.” “This settlement didn’t come easy,” said Binno. “Jason dealt with a lot of foot-dragging. When we sued the ABA at the Court of Appeals, they dispatched seven attorneys to fight against us.” Turkish said the LSAC has a new president, a new general counsel and might be more amenable to voluntary reform. He said the LSAT overseers are tired of being sued and ready for change. That case was unsuccessful and they went directly after the test creator, LSAC, and got substantive change. As a result of the 2017 lawsuit, the LSAC is tasked with removing the current analytical reasoning
questions and possibly finding another way to test that skill. Angelo will be part of that process, which has an October 2023 deadline. There are no guarantees about the outcome of the change process, although it could come in ahead of schedule. A fair test that accommodates the needs of all takers can’t come fast enough for Binno. At age 37 he has been working at law school admission since he first took the LSAT in 2008. Perhaps he soon will be among the 130,000 law school hopefuls each year across the United States and Canada who take the LSAT. “I feel very bullish on (Angelo’s) law school prospects. Something tells me he won’t be waiting four years to go to law school,” said Turkish.
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NOVEMBER 2019
CHALDEAN NEWS 23
From travel to revolution Better known as the Dame Traveler, Nastasia Yakoub encourages self-love BY BIANCA KASAWDISH
I
“
very much believe that I was called to be a vulnerable girl who wears her heart on her sleeve because of how many people I’ve been able to connect with simply by not being ashamed of my life, circumstances, decisions or myself,” says Nastasia Yakoub, founder of Dame Traveler, a travel brand that inspires and empowers women to travel more, experience more and be more. With more than 576,000 followers on Instagram, it’s become a global platform – and much more than a travel blog. However, it wasn’t part of her original plan for her life. Yakoub, born in Farmington Hills, Michigan, moved to Chicago in 2008 for something she initially set her sights on - nursing school. In 2011, she took her first ever solo trip to Cape Town, South Africa, where it all began. Fulfilling a dream of hers to volunteer in Africa, she decided to impulsively book the flight on her own and take the trip. “That trip changed my life and ignited my love for solo travel and it empowered me to know that I did that all on my own,” she says. After graduating from Loyola University nursing school in 2013, she soon landed her ‘dream job’ as a Registered Nurse on the Labor and Delivery unit. However, she suffered a serious work-related injury that kept her bedridden for months. This came after she thought she had it all figured out, and everything she thought she knew had changed. Reality set in that she would then have a completely different outcome than she planned for herself, which was unknown at the time. “It was during that down-time, when I was feeling uninspired and down on my luck that I began scrolling through Instagram to live vicariously through other travelers since travel was the number one thing that made me happy back then,” she says. When she was featured on Travel and Leisure’s Instagram page, she realized that Instagram lacked a female focused travel community – where there were communities for everything else, 24
CHALDEAN NEWS
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from fashion to athletics and more. She decided to take that niche and
continuing to expand into other areas outside of social media. While keep-
to achieve the life they envision for themselves. “Ever since I was little, I’ve always
run with it – and Dame Traveler was born. What started out as an Instagram hashtag (with currently more than 5 million hashtags) has become a very popular name and now a blog with more than 100 contributors, and
ing up with all of this is no simple task, Yakoub shares that her favorite part of it all is helping women realize the potential and strength within themselves and not to be afraid to use these qualities to their advantage
been one who wanted to change that and to push those boundaries because we all have a right to live our lives the way we see fit not the way others want us to,” she says. “I’m really grateful that God has given me a voice and
the courage to use it, along with a large platform for the purpose of the greater good of all but, especially for women.” Celebrating women of all colors, Dame Traveler allows women to see the world and discover its beauty, share stories and encourage each other to go out and explore, to be fearless. With 67 countries on her map, Yakoub’s best memories are the small moments and connections she’s made with people all over the world, with very different cultures and lifestyles than her own, making many friends along the way. Transparency and honesty are part
of the brand she has built, and social media has allowed her to share every part of her journey, and in turn, helping others to do the same. This has come full circle with Dame Traveler. Yakoub has been very open about her struggles with scoliosis, depression, anxiety, self-love and self-care. And with that vulberability came a positive impact – an outpouring of support and messages from people who could relate, reaching out for advice or support. Helping others has helped her cope with her own battles and realize she isn’t alone, and that she shouldn’t be ashamed for feeling this way because so many others do also. “I believe this is what it means to live an authentic life, embracing ourselves for who we are and our life for what it is instead of painting this picture perfect image of a life that doesn’t exist for anyone,” she said. “And while yes, God has blessed me with some pretty great things, I’m always transparent and I don’t hide the not so great things either.” Yakoub shares she’s constantly inspired by the little things, especially in her home of New York City, where she says, “magic is constantly happening, the energy is unmatched anywhere in the world.” Whether it’s someone she meets
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who came to New York to chase their dreams, or a couple dancing in the sunset to the skyline in the background, she believes it’s a place where people are free to be exactly who they want to be – a perfect reflection of herself and how she lives her life. While the hustle and bustle of New York may not be for everyone, it pushes her out of her comfort zone, inspiring her to work harder and smarter, and she’s proud of who she’s become. “And when I’m feeling weak, wherever I am in the world, I walk into an empty church or an empty place of worship and pray, cry and breathe. This has always helped to cleanse my soul and my mind.” A vision come to life, Yakoub will release Dame Traveler’s first published photography, coffee table book, Dame Traveler: Live the Spirit of Adven-
ture in March 2020 with Ten Speed Press of Penguin Random House. The book will highlight the women in the Dame Traveler community, their stories, insider tips and much more. Yakoub hopes to encourage more women to adventure around the globe with a sense of pride like the women featured in its pages. She expresses gratitude to her family, who are her biggest cheerleaders and supporters, friends, and community members who have supported her all this time, without which she wouldn’t have been able to achieve any of this. As for the best advice she’s received, a few simple words: “Gut feelings are guardian angels.” Follow Yakoub on Instagram @ dametraveler NOVEMBER 2019
CHALDEAN NEWS 25
Finding the sweet spot BY STEPHEN JONES
L
ifelong entrepreneurs Terry and Cal “Wally” Toma didn’t choose the sweet life, but the two brothers have certainly found their groove. “That’s actually a really funny story,” Wally Toma, co-owner of Palm Sweets Bakery, said when asked how he get into the pastry business. “This all happened by pure accident.” When considering the success of their family-owned pastry shop located in Sterling Heights, one might be surprised to learn that Terry and Wally have only been in the dessert business for six years. Wally and Terry were in the phone business when one of their buyers from out of the country came to Dearborn to check out a lot that was for sale. Wally and Terry ended up closing on a $150,000 deal with their buyer and took him out to celebrate with a nice dinner and baklava dessert. The buyer enjoyed the baklava so much that he asked for some to take home with him. Wally was surprised when he got a call a couple weeks later. “He gave me a call and he said ‘Wally, I need a favor, I need you to
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send me a pallet of Baklava,” said Toma. “I was taken back at first and I told him ‘wait a minute, I’m not in the baklava business – I’m in the phone business’. He didn’t let up, he says ‘over here we hustle and when they tasted this baklava, they went crazy. I can make a killing – way more than I make off of phones’.” Those were the marching orders that made Terry and Wally realize that they could do well for themselves by venturing into the pastry business and thus Palm Sweets was born. Since then, the brothers have worked tirelessly to perfect their craft. The result has been a continuously growing list of products that customers from all over the state visit Sterling Heights to enjoy. The secret to their success is not sacrificing the integrity of the product. “We have people come in and they’re looking to serve at a big event like a wedding or something like that,” said Toma. “We love to do it and they know that we’re going to give them and their guests a quality product, made from the best ingredients.” Today, Palm Sweets is one of the most well-known pastry shops in
southeast Michigan. In fact, it is so popular that it caught the attention of one of the world’s largest retailers, Kroger. “Everyone knows what Kroger is all about,” said Toma. “We’ve always shopped there and now we’re happy to bring our vision to one of the world’s most likable and well-known stores.” Palm Sweets products are currently available in 25 grocery stores across the state of Michigan. Any additional distributors in the Kroger network that want to carry Palm Sweets can do so by placing an order online. “We’re starting off this way and we will be looking to roll it out gradually over time,” said Toma. “We’ve been offered deals like this before but we’ve had to regretfully decline because we just knew it was going to be a backbreaker. With Kroger, we have a deal that we feel good about and we know it’s going to be a success.” The partnership is sure to increase Palm Sweets’ brand recognition and provide access to individuals who may not have had the opportunity to try its many products before, including its fan-favorite homemade ice cream-gelato mix.
“Our ice cream is a home run,” said Toma. “Everyone loves the ice cream because we have a variety of flavors and it’s all homemade.” In order to keep up with the demand under the Kroger partnership, Palm Sweets is undergoing an expansion of their kitchen. In addition to this expansion, Palm Sweets is looking to add talent to their work force, but that’s just business as usual. “We’re always hiring,” said Toma. “We’ve gotten so good at this to where now it really is a specialized skill, but if you’re willing to learn and have a good work ethic, we’re willing to teach you.” Terry and Wally have laid the groundwork and created a best-inclass pastry shop and are now exploring every avenue to help them expand their business. In addition to the Kroger partnership, Terry and Wally are also looking to grow their business by expanding their digital footprint. A new website where customers will be able to place orders online is coming under the domain, palmsweets.com. You can find them on Facebook at Palm Sweets Bakery & Café.
NOVEMBER 2019
CHALDEAN NEWS 27
Solar power helps those returning to Nineveh BY PAUL NATINSKY
D
espite the turmoil of Islamic State involvement in northern Iraq, Chaldeans in the Nineveh Plains region are making a go of rebuilding their communities. Displaced in 2014 by ISIS fighters, residents of this northern Iraqi region fled further north and east to neighboring areas Erbil and Dohuk. They began returning when American airstrikes and local soldiers pushed ISIS out. Widespread property damage, a shattered economy and shortage of electricity greeted residents upon their return. “The land is not yet fully reclaimed as the Kurds, Arabs and Shebaks are participating in indisputable ‘land grabbing’ all throughout the Nineveh Plains,” said Ranna Abro, a spokeswoman for the Shlama Foundation, a non-governmental nonprofit organization that serves the needs Nineveh plains and surrounding areas. “For example,” she said, “a large number of our homes in the town of Telkeppe are illegally occupied by thousands of Sunnis who lived under ISIS in Mosul claiming their homes in Mosul were damaged in the fighting. We are told by the local priest that they will leave within three days’ notice if the homeowner shows their deed in person. Nonetheless, they are strangers to the town and the displaced members of the town are not comfortable with unknown neighbors.” Additionally, while violence in the area is much reduced with ISIS forced out, Kurdish, Iraqi and Shia militias are competing with the Iraqi military’s Nineveh Plains Protection Units (NPU) for control of villages in the region. The NPUs shield the Chaldean population as residents return home to rebuild their villages, said Abro. “Our entire community was essentially homeless for a couple years,” she said. “There are images of piles of people sleeping on the grass outdoors and inside churches using each other’s’ shoulders as pillows until tents finally arrived. We still remember when IKEA donated [more than] 200,000 mattresses at a time when aid was scarce. Those families used those mattresses for years as they slept on the hard ground and
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Faiz Yono is the engineering consultant on this project to bring solar power to Nineveh.
still use them. Many people lived in abandoned buildings, schools, banquet halls, shopping malls, anywhere they could find shelter. Temperatures were over 100 degrees in the summer and uncomfortably cold as the seasons changed. Mass migrations occurred for those who still had their documents and the funds.” Safe, reliable electricity is among the top items for residents on a list of basic needs. Streetlights provide added safety, while hospitals, schools and businesses require consistent power to function. The Shlama Foundation has partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development to bring solar power and jobs to Nineveh Plains Region. USAID is a U.S. foreign assistance program that provides humanitarian and economic
assistance to more than 80 countries worldwide. The Iraqi government provides only 12 hours of electricity a day, forcing residents to supplement by employing noisy, polluting diesel generators that produce electricity at a cost of 10 times what the government charges, said Faiz Yono, engineering consultant on the project. Yono envisioned solar power as a boost to reestablishing destroyed communities. During a March visit, he conducted assessments for the viability of the project and ultimately secured a grant. The solar power project will help end long and unpredictable power outages; provide 100 homes with clean, inexpensive energy; provide irrigation using solar pumps for 30 farms to help increase crop yields; and create solar-powered LED streetlights. Rivaling the project’s wide array of direct community benefits is its main mission to educate unemployed engineers in the region, creating a corps of solar energy experts and boosting employment in the region. “Our people in the Nineveh Plains need all kind of training on how to start and sustain a business; how to finance a venture; how to become independent business people,”
said Yono. “The Chaldean Assyrian Syriac professionals in America should volunteer their time to help train, mentor and coach the Nineveh Plains professionals.” “The economy took a hard hit after ISIS due to the severe population decreases, physically destroyed businesses, drainage of funds while living displaced and the general Iraqi economy due to war,” added Abro. “People who returned simply need jobs now to pay their basic living expenses; to fix things that are broken; and to be able to get married and take care of their families. The Chaldean Assyrian Syriac people are brave and resilient. We definitely hold the belief that teaching one to fish is better than feeding them for one day. Oftentimes, they are teaching us. People shouldn’t doubt their intelligence and ability to recover.” While the political geography of norther Iraq remains complex and shifting, its denizens are returning—often without regard to United States government warnings about the region’s instability. They come with the hope of rebuilding their once vibrant communities. To help or donate, contact http:// shlama.org or email at info@shlama.org
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CHALDEAN NEWS 29
ECONOMICS & enterprise
Soaring family fun BY SARAH KITTLE
U
rban Air Adventure Park in Sterling Heights cut their ribbon at 11950 Hall Road on October 3. The full-service family fun center opened its doors to much fanfare and celebration. More than simply a trampoline park—as if that were not enough—this ultimate indoor playground offers so many attractions, numerous visits are necessary to try them all. Co-owner Wassem (Wes) Ayar hopes people do get the opportunity to try them all. He has big plans for the park. “It’s a great business model.” Also a T-Mobile franchisee, Ayar is moving away from phone service provider business and into the business of fun. Ayar began his business ventures in 2006 with a Sprint store in Detroit. There he learned how to handle many different types of customers, finding he had a knack for managing others and discovered he really loved doing business. He liked creating structure and enjoyed employing people. The things he liked about business made for good business. He also liked seeing how far he can push an idea. “By character, I am a risk-taker.” Fast forward a few years. Ayar and his business partner are in Pennsylvania with their passel of kids, and they take them to Urban Air Adventure Park. Immediately it was clear this was something different. “It’s a standout franchise,” says Ayar. “The entire family can play together, instead of parents watching their kids play. It’s so much more fun.” Family is important to Ayar. The family he comes from is small by Chaldean standards, concentrated east of Dequindre. The Ayars of the west side of town are distant relations. He knows the importance of family bonding, and he’s proud of providing it. Families that play together stay together. More than any other type of park, Urban Air offers something for everyone, and of pretty much of all ages. For the excessively energetic, high-octane activities such 30
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as spin- and flip-zone bumper cars might fit the bill. Competitive types will certainly like the obstacle and ninja warrior courses. Thrill-seekers can try Sky Rider, a zip line rollercoaster that soars overhead. There’s an ‘under-7’ area for the wee ones, and everything in between.
The franchise, founded in 2011, is one of the largest operators offering active entertainment and special event experiences for families and organizations. Teambuilding has been a buzzword in business for a long time, and Urban Air’s proprietary attractions offer a new and fun way to connect and strengthen bonds, not only within families but within organizations, too. Sure they have ropes courses, but there’s so much more. Besides the aforementioned obstacle/ninja warrior courses and zip-line coasters, Urban Air presents virtual reality experiences, go karts, indoor skydiving and of course, trampolines. It’s won many awards with its focus on active play. Ayar is happy to bring that active play to Sterling Heights. It’s a family-
centered community, and strengthening the family means everything. He is really excited about how the operation works. You don’t purchase ride tickets, like most amusement parks, but rather a day pass. This allows unlimited access across the space. If all that activity gets you hungry or thirsty, you don’t have to leave. Urban Café has got you covered. This winter, Urban Air could be a real lifesaver. Extreme cold weather preventing outdoor play, indoor amusement parks like this could answer the age-old question asked by Michigan parents every fall: “How can we keep the kids occupied and entertained while retaining our sanity?” Bringing challenging indoor activities to new heights, Urban Air Sterling Heights offers a wide range of activities that appeal to all ages and skill sets. To Ayar, it’s all about providing family fun and creating lasting memories. “If you’re in my place, you’re family.”
NOVEMBER 2019
CHALDEAN NEWS 31
DOCTOR is in
Holiday eating Outsmart the holidays with these healthy eating tips
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t’s officially Novemit takes 10-20 minutes for ber which means the our brains to tell our stomholiday season is right achs we are full. Take your around the corner. What time by putting down your does this time of year make fork between each bite to you think of? It could be really enjoy the food you’re family and friends, religion, eating and engage in conor celebrations. No matter versation with your loved what comes to mind, food ones. This will slow down DANIELLA is likely involved. Food is YOUHAN, MPH how quickly you finish and a huge part of the holidays allow time for your body to SPECIAL TO THE and there’s often a lot of it. CHALDEAN NEWS tell you if it’s full. Eating healthy during this Vegetables are key! time can seem challenging When it comes to appetizand even impossible, but it doesn’t ers, remember to start with the veghave to be. Keeping these key points etables. They’ll help take the edge off in mind can make navigating nutriand fill you up while providing fewer tion and health during the holidays calories than dips and other startseem like a piece of cake. ers. Choose fresh cucumbers, carDon’t skip meals! While it may rots, broccoli, and cauliflower to dip seem like a good idea to save your into your hummus and baba ganoush appetite for the big holiday meal, rather than pita bread or chips. not eating throughout the day can Enjoy everything in moderaresult in overeating. Avoid contion. Don’t want to miss out on any suming extra calories by eating a of the delicious food? No problem! nutritious breakfast. Try eggs with Go ahead and fill your plate with cooked tomatoes (bee’a oo tomaa small portion of all the foods ta), whole grain bread, and a small while keeping the plate method piece of fruit. in mind. This goes for sweets too. Remember the “plate method” Pick one or two small pieces of desfor both appetizers and the main sert, choosing fruit to fill the rest course. Half your plate should be of your plate. filled with vegetables and fruits, Limit alcohol and sugary drinks. while the other half should be oneTry to limit your fancy holiday bevfourth protein and one-fourth carerages, alcoholic and sugar-sweetbohydrates. Using this as a visual ened, to just one. Choose water and will help with portion control and low/no-calorie beverages. make you feel fuller while eating Don’t forget to move. Take a more of the lower calorie foods. walk around the block with friends Use a small plate. We tend to fill and family to catch up and check our plates, so choosing a smaller one out all the holiday decorations after will limit the amount of food that can a meal. Plan a holiday-themed scavfit on that plate and help with portion enger hunt or other activities to get control. everyone up and active. Eat slowly! We have a tendency If you’re hosting or making a to eat fast and go back for more, but dish, here are some additional tips
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800-838-1100 to help make the holiday season a little healthier. Produce, produce, produce. Whether you’re making appetizers, entrees, or sides, focus on seasonal fruits and vegetables. Try using spaghetti squash as a side in place of pasta or use cauliflower rice in addition to or in place of white rice. Utilize fresh eggplant to make zalata’d benjani or fresh zucchini, onions, and bell peppers for chili-fry. Make simple swaps. Use brown rice in place of white rice when making dolma or biryani for a higher fiber and healthier dish. Make tomato-based kubba hameth over yogurt-based for a lower fat and calorie dish. Choose lean cuts of meat, at least 80 percent lean.
Maintaining your health during the holiday season doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy all the delicious food. Being mindful of what you put on your plate is an easy place to start. I hope you find these tips helpful when it comes to navigating nutrition and health during the upcoming holidays. Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season! Daniella Youhan has a Master of Public Health in Nutritional Sciences and is currently pursuing her Registered Dietitian Nutritionist credentials from the University of Michigan. Her passion is helping people lead healthier, happier lives through the use of food and nutrition.
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CHALDEAN NEWS 33
PHOTO BY SCOTT CONFER
sports
Football star, wrestling state champ, ‘good human being’ Novi Detroit Catholic Central’s Brendin Yatooma is a respected leader in his school BY STEVE STEIN
B
rendin Yatooma is a three-year starter on the perennial power Novi Detroit Catholic Central High School football team and a co-captain this season. He’s also a Division 1 individual state champion wrestler for the Shamrocks, who have won three consecutive Division 1 team state titles. But there is much more to this 17-year-old from South Lyon than tackles and takedowns. “Brendin is a good human being, a great kid, a leader,” said third-year Catholic Central football coach Dan Anderson. Indeed he is. Yatooma also is a champion in the classroom with a 3.9 grade-point average at a school with a reputation for rigorous academics. He’s president of the school’s senior class. In addition, the student athlete is on the board of directors of The Caleb White Project, founded by a Catholic Central senior.The Caleb White Project is a Detroit-based notfor-profit organization made up of young people who have a mission to help the homeless and less fortunate in the Motor City. Anderson said leadership on and off the field is the reason why Yatooma was selected as one of five Catholic Central football team captains by his teammates. “Brendin always does what he’s supposed to be doing. The kids respect him for that, and his hard work,” Anderson said. “He never takes a rep off in football. Not in a 34
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Above: Catholic Central’s Brendin Yatooma (left) tackles a Brother Rice ball-carrier and forces a fumble Sept. 29 during the 75th Boys Bowl game. Left: Intensity is written all over Brendin Yatooma’s face during a Catholic Central football game.
game and not in practice.” Yatooma said while he’s a vocal leader with his football teammates, what’s just as important is he tries to do all the little things right, whether it’s during a big moment in a game or during a drill in a team workout. A 6-foot, 220-pounder, Yatooma has been a linebacker and H-back during his Catholic Central football career, seeing more action as linebacker. He’s one of only a handful of two-way starters on this season’s team. With eight games in the books this season, he has made 110 tackles during his high school career and had 390 yards in total offense. He has scored six touchdowns this season. “I love playing offense and defense,” he said. “I don’t want to leave the field. Football is my favorite
sport. I love putting on the pads and hitting people.” The Catholic Central football team was 4-4 heading into its final game of the regular season, an Oct. 26 rematch against Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the Catholic League championship game at Eastern Michigan University. That .500 record might not seem impressive, but it includes a 7-3 win over arch-rival Birmingham Brother Rice on Sept. 29 in the 75th Boys Bowl game -- Yatooma and the Catholic Central defense held Brother Rice to 126 total yards -- and a 20-14 victory over previously undefeated St. Mary’s on Oct. 11. Each team the Shamrocks faced during those eight regular-season games, including two from Ohio, qualified for post-season play. “Fine with me,” Yatooma said about the tough competition. “I love it.” The Catholic Central football team made it to the Division 1 final four in Yatooma’s sophomore season. Last year the Shamrocks lost to West Bloomfield in a Division 1 district championship game. Yatooma is headed into his fourth season on the Catholic Central wrestling team. He won the 215-pound individual state championship last winter.
He finished eighth in the state at 189 pounds when he was a sophomore. “Wrestling is a great sport,” Yatooma said. “Like football, it teaches you [how to make you tough] and keeps you in shape.” After attending South Lyon schools through eighth grade, Yatooma decided to go to Catholic Central. He said he went to Catholic Central because of the football and wrestling programs and tough academics. His father, Adam, is a 1992 Catholic Central graduate. “My dad told me great things about Catholic Central, but he left the decision on where I wanted to go to high school up to me,” Yatooma said. “I made the right decision. I wouldn’t have been happier anywhere else.” Yatooma’s mother is Tara. He has a brother Logan, 14, a freshman at Catholic Central. Yatooma is going to college after he graduates from Catholic Central, but he hasn’t made a decision as to where. And he doesn’t know if he’ll play football or wrestle in college. “Brendin will be successful wherever he goes to college,” Anderson said. “He has the work ethic and determination to succeed that’s needed at the next level.”
NOVEMBER 2019
CHALDEAN NEWS 35
ONE on ONE
A conversation with Max Primorac BY CHALDEAN NEWS
M
ax Primorac, USAID’s Special Representative for Minority Assistance Programs, was welcomed to Detroit by the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce. Primorac leads the U.S. Government’s Genocide Recovery and Persecution Initiative in Nineveh, Iraq. To date, more than $350 million has been allocated to helping persecuted communities in Iraq. Chaldean News: What is the purpose of your visit? Max Primorac: My purpose is to share with the community about the Vice President Mike Pence’s initiative, Genocide Recovery, helping the minority communities, the Christians, Yazidis, and other communities that were targeted by ISIS for genocide. The program is very clear cut. It’s to do those things necessary to help people return home and to help them prosper. We have a program, $400 million worth of activities that are broken up into humanitarian assistance, helping those folks who are still in camps or out of camps in Kurdistan. We’re also putting a significant amount of funding in infrastructure. Rehabilitation, for instance in Qaraqosh, we’ve probably put in $14 million dollars just in infrastructure support; the water, the hospital, the schools, the power, the streetlights. We’re also doing other things such as helping victims of genocide in Sinjar, for example, in which the women who were raped by ISIS, providing support for them. We’re also doing a lot of work to help these communities, helping them revive in terms of civil society. So, all of our programs are about working with the community. We empower the locals by deciding what kind of projects we should do. At every opportunity, we take advantage of providing direct assistance. For instance, in the past month alone, we have made the following announcements: the 6.8-million-dollar funding to the Archdiocese of Erbil and Catholic relief services in order to provide transition assistance to IDPs who are in between being a refugees in Kurdistan and wanting to return home. We have initiated what’s called a new partnership initiative 36
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Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce COO, Paul Jonna, and CEO, Martin Manna with Max Primorac, USAID’s Special Representative for Minority Assistance Programs.
a four-million-dollar program Direct grants to six local Partners, including Catholic University of Erbil and the Shlama Foundation as well. They were one of our favorites. In a joint effort with the government of Poland and in the Knights of Columbus, we provided over half a million dollars in a program to support a Slovak based organization called Steppin that provides a lot of psycho social support for those who have been traumatized by the war and it’s very important for us that we work with faith-based organizations here hence Knights of Columbus. But with also with other similar minded countries like Poland that wants to support the Christian communities. We will soon be announcing a joint venture with a with the government of Hungary, enjoy programs in Qaraqosh. I can’t get into specifics now, but you’ll see my tweets coming out and the press release shortly. We also provide a $110,000 worth of computers to build Labs at the Catholic University of Erbil. We will soon be announcing a 1-million-dollar support for the partial restoration of the monastery St. George’s in Northeast Mosul, a place that I personally witnessed and spoke with the clerics there who were asking us for support. So, we’re delivering. And in Bartella that is being pressured by some of these Shia militias. We are providing $240,000 to the Marmota Cultural Center in the Syriac Orthodox Com-
munity there and this is just some of the many projects that we’re doing, as I said in partnership with the churches, with the NGOs on the ground and local administration that are the mayors of Telkaif and Hamdania. So, it’s covering the whole breadth of needs that the communities have. More recently, we are focusing now on how do we promote the recovery of the of the economy? We know that Nineveh Plain was a place that was very strong in terms of its private. There are a lot of privately-owned factories that did very well in Iraq taking advantage of the agriculture agribusiness strength of the communities. So, we initiated a business loan program, a $9 million business loan program called Growfin in which they provide loans to local entrepreneurs anywhere from $100,000 to $1million and more recently. We are sponsoring a Nineveh investment Forum in Erbil coming up in early December where we are matchmaking between entrepreneurs in the Nineveh Plain and external investors whether they be investment funds, banks, international institutions and outright private investors. We’ve taken on board a company that specializes in investment projects. In helping local businesses be able to prepare investment ready brochures and portfolios about what their projects are and the scale of opportunities range for maybe a quarter
million to up to 40 million, but all of our programs including this recent one is in partnership with local with local communities. They represent the knowledge and the capital in making sure that the month at taxpayer monies that we use from the United States re correctly used, efficiently used. They become our eyes and ears on the ground. I visit regularly to the Nineveh Plain. I’m based in Erbil at the US Consulate. So, we meet on a constant basis. So, it’s a real partnership between the Chaldean and other Christian communities and the United States government. Keep in mind that where I am the special rep for minority assistance program. I also. Double Hat as the vice president’s special Envoy. So being located over there, I provide those communities a direct line into the White House. CN: There’s a lot of refugees in the area that have left Iraq. They had no hope in that government and that region security, as well as many other issues. Have any actually come back? MP: I think what you have a phenomenon that we’re looking at very carefully is those who are half in and half out. These are individuals who spend about half of their time in Europe where they also reside and back home in the Nineveh Plain and I think that that is something that we’re looking at is how you define returns? Obviously. We’d like as many as people as many as possible returning back. We have from what I understand of like a hundred thousand Iraqi Christians that are in Iraq and Lebanon and Turkey there in between, having difficulties going to third countries. We want to be able to revive the local economy so that they can see a real future returning back to Iraq. But then there are also the diaspora communities. I myself come from a diaspora community. My father was a political Refugee from Yugoslavia. So, I know that dynamic of how in a post totalitarian environment that we have to help those who have remained back by building up their institutions, but also maintaining institutional bonds with these countries.
And I think that here’s where with the business opportunities but with also building up the Catholic University of Erbil exchange programs that we can provide the diaspora the opportunity to have one foot in one foot out. CN: What about the current living conditions for the community there and is the community brought into the work that you’re doing? MP: You know, I was speaking to one businessman before I came and came back to the United States and he said you cannot drive from Qaramlash, Qaraqosh, or Bartella without seeing signs that America is with them. The people there know that United States of America is there a trying to help rebuild their communities by providing them infrastructure, grants, every aspect of life. They know that the world superpower is with them and one of the first things that the community leaders told me when I first got there is the need to give people hope to give them hope that they have a life and a future in Iraq, and I think through these programs, the knowledge that the United States is there and the next step in bringing investment Capital to create factories and provide good-paying jobs is that we’re changing the calculus of return. A year ago. I think there was little hope I think today with the Intensive engagement of the White House and through the vice president’s initiative that they see maybe there is hope again. CN: How are the Iraqi and Kurdish government’s involved and how are they supporting the efforts? MP: You know, you had the Chaldean Community really in that area extremely cheering the election of President Trump, even dancing in the streets because of what the community endured under the previous administration. So, it’s good here, but does it also make them targets and frankly it seems as if the Kurdish government and the central government have neglected these minority communities. So, are they involved? Are they engaged? Are they doing anything to help these communities or supporting this initiative? In the issue of whether or not to brand the fact that United States government is helping them. They were the ones who asks us to do that. We normally don’t do that. I remember I come back from Qaraqosh look-
ing at the multi-million-dollar effort that we’re doing in rebuilding the hospital there and it’s really a topnotch facility and I came back from that trip to interview with minority media. And the first thing that I asked about how many of you know the Qaraqosh hospital near Hamdania and they all raise their hand and I asked them ‘well who did that?’ and they all said the UN I said, ‘well who else did that?’ and they were just looking around I said, ‘that’s the American taxpayer. It’s America who did that’ and they were actually upset with me. They scolded me because I think that they understood how important it was for the communities to know that the president of the United States has taken personal interest in their in their welfare. Now as regards to the Iraqi government. They’ve been a partner of ours very important partner in defeating ISIS and destroying, but we also know that the president the vice president this Administration has made International religious freedom a core pillar of its foreign policy you saw recently at United Nations General Assembly the president giving a historic speech about that very issue. We have the vice president and his own initiative to help Christians return back home. We have the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in his annual Ministerial to Advance International Religious Freedom. This is a very important issue. But the Iraqi government has failed to step up to the plate to do its part and primarily in terms of the security the militias, who are there are the main obstacle to return for all of the minorities whether it’s the Chaldeans, the Syriac and the and the Yazidis. I have personally briefed the Prime Minister that this is a priority of the president. This is now a top issue in all of our engagements between our diplomats and the Iraqi government and every time there’s a call with Washington, this issue is his prioritized. We found very positive the decision of the of the Prime Minister issue executive order 237, which would reign in the PMS the malicious into the military Barracks. There’s been some progress, not enough and we continue and I’d say we even intensify our efforts to encourage the government of Iraq; that they need to do more to help their victims of genocide and at present it is insufficient, we’re not satisfied.
CN: With so much uncertainty, why would someone invest in these areas? What’s at stake if this project does not succeed? MP: That is the exact same question that I asked the business community over there. One of the first things that I did when I arrived was to reach out to the business community. And I understood that first with a Qaeda in Iraq and that with ISIS that their Investments were lost. And I said ‘what would it take for you to give it another try to reinvest in your people, in your community and the Nineveh Plain’ and they said they would do it but with partnership with the with America and right now they’re willing to put up tens of millions of dollars of their own money if America can come on board and that is exactly what we’re working on. We’re putting in a pretty penny to organize this investment conference. Several million dollars to find not only dispora money, but actually we’re looking elsewhere other monies from the region from the International Community from American investors; we’re looking at how do we bring other government agencies in supporting let’s say local and international partnerships through political Risk insurance and even dead Equity support. So, we are responding to the local community that are ready to put in their own Capital because as soon as there is that kind of partnership all of the projects are invested on the ground become an American interest. They become an interest of the embassy of the Ambassador. They become an interest in the Congress and they certainly become an interest of the White House. So that institutionally strengthens a long-term partnership between America and those communities. All the aid programs that we’re providing are critical in this transition period but it is investment creating sustainable jobs that’s going to make their return sustainable. So that’s the next step that we’re doing. We’re still providing humanitarian assistance. Still providing stabilization support, but in addition to that, we’re going to promote kind of investment Partnerships between America and those so that that partnership between America and them is long lasting. CN: What about the Iranian influence, influx of Shebaks and the lack of security in the area? MP: Well, you saw that last July dur-
ing the Ministerial at the state department, the vice president himself announced sanctions against commanders of two of the of the worst PMFs for gross human rights abuses against the people in that area. So, the Iraqi government realizes just how important this this issue is. We are expecting the Iraqi government to fulfill its own executive order. We will continue and intensify our efforts and making that very clear. Look it’s clear that this Administration has made international religious freedom and especially the issue of Christians who are the most persecuted around the world a top priority of his administration. The Iraqi government benefits from billions of dollars of a support from the American people, but we have values, values of helping people of genocide, respecting religious freedom is at the core of what are people in America staying for. So, as a partner, as an ally, we expect the Iraqi government to deliver on its promises sooner rather than later. CN: What is the future of investment in this region? If President Trump isn’t re-elected, will this still be a priority for the U.S. Government? MP: I can understand how as a result of this Administration initiating such a robust assistance program in attention to it that people would associate him with this initiative and that’s fair, but during the past two, three years, this has become an American project and that’s because this is grounded from the bottom up. It’s the American churches. It’s the human rights organizations, members of Congress that believe in this. Keep in mind that HR 390 was unanimously supported in the House and the Senate, I don’t think anybody opposed it. It was one of those rare occasions in American politics today where Republicans and Democrats were on the same page. So, I’m confident now that because HR 390 helps to institutionalize annual aid to these communities year after year and because now people understand that when you declare genocide, that is a severe issue you must respond to it. So, I’m confident that this is going to be an American project for many years to come and that’s why we’re also trying to push for these investment partnerships because I think that that gives more organic connections between the American people and the Chaldean community and other minorities in Iraq. NOVEMBER 2019
CHALDEAN NEWS 37
chaldean on the STREET
Holiday foods BY HALIM SHEENA
The holidays are fast approaching and with them come several favorite dishes. We asked community members what their favorite Chaldean dish is during the holiday season.
My favorite Chaldean dish during the holidays is Dolma. Although we get it year round, there is something really special about eating it with my family during the holidays. I especially like sour dolma. Shout out to my grandma for being the best cook in the world! – Gabriella Sheena, 18, West Bloomfield
My favorite food to eat during the holidays is Mama Raja’s Quba Hamith. It’s my go to comfort food, especially when it’s cold out. Nothing is better than our mother’s food, if only I could master cooking like her! – Melanie Jarbo, 25, Shelby Township
I love the holiday season because I love to spend time with my family. One big part of that is something that I also love, enjoying my mom’s cooking! During this time, she makes her amazing patcha, and we all enjoy every bite of it! – Tina Toma, 24, Shelby Township
My favorite Chaldean food during the holiday season is kulecha. It brings back memories of being a child in the kitchen and helping my mom make these seasonal cookies. The fresh baked smell reminds me of joy and bringing all the family together to celebrate the holidays. – Megan Narra, 25, West Bloomfield
My favorite food to eat during the holidays is my grandma’s patcha with lots and lots of lemon. As much as my other family members try, nobody can make food like my grandma. Shout out to you Nana! – Angelina Jappaya, 16, Walled Lake
My favorite dish is kubba hamuth! The reason why that is my favorite dish during the Chaldean holiday season, is simply because my grandparents don’t make it all the time during the year. With the carrots and the thick tomato soup, it makes for one hell of an experience during Christmas! I can talk about it all day. – Amer Bally, 25, Sterling Heights
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CHALDEAN NEWS
NOVEMBER 2019
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Comedy for a Cause
events
PHOTOS BY WILSON SARKIS
The Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) hosted a comedy night in support of the CCF and its programs on Friday, October 4 at the MotorCity Casino Sound Board. Comedians Vincent Oshana, Eric D’Alessandro, and Darius Bennett brought the laughs with their signature humor. More than 700 tickets were sold, making the night a success.
Eric D’ Alessandro
Vincent Oshana
Darius Bennett
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Chaldean engineers networking event PHOTOS BY CHALDEAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION AND BASIL ASMAR 2
The Chaldean Engineering and technology Association (CETA) Michigan Chapter hosted their third event on October 4. 120 Chaldean Engineers & Technology professionals attended the event at the Holiday Inn in Farmington Hills, MI. Featuring presenters, Nada Jiddou, Director, Consumer Products, Ford Motor Co. “The future of Mobile Technology” in the automotive industry and Dr. Sam Istephan, PhD., of Microsoft presented on the topic of, “Demystifying Artificial Intelligence.” The CETA attendees exchanged ideas and job opportunities including internships to help all interested in pursuing new engineering and technology opportunities.All CETA events are sponsored by Chaldean Heritage Foundation 40
CHALDEAN NEWS
NOVEMBER 2019
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1. CETA event attendees gather for a group photo 2. CETA Engineers 3. CETA and U of M Dearborn CASA President, Amanda Alkatib 4. CETA president with event presenters 4
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event
CACC Business Luncheon PHOTOS BY DAVID REED
The Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce hosted their 14th annual Business Luncheon on Friday, October 11 at the MotorCity Casino Sound Board. Moderated by Fox 2’s Charlie Langton, the luncheon featured U.S. Representatives Brenda Lawrence, Andy Levin, John Moolenaar, and Paul Mitchell. The members of Congress had a spirited discussion about the state of the current political climate.
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1. Left to Right: U.S. Representatives Paul Mitchell, John Moolenaar, Andy Levin, and Brenda Lawrence. 2. Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence and Salam Elia. 3. Left to right: Asad Malik, Tom Gasso, Jonathan Gasso.
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The Great American Family PHOTOS BY RAZIK TOMINA
The Chaldean Cultural Center hosted a community screening of The Great American Family a Story of Political Disenchantment on Wednesday, October 9. In addition to the screening of the award winning documentary, event goers had the opportunity to meet with filmmaker and author, Weam Namou. 1. Mary Romaya. 2. Jacob Bacall, Crystal Jabiro, Riva Kalasho. 3. Nicole Romaya, Ann Rabban. 4. Weam Namou. 42
CHALDEAN NEWS
NOVEMBER 2019
Celebration at Shenandoah PHOTOS BY RAZIK TOMINA
The Shenandoah Board of Directors hosted a luncheon to celebrate the ground breaking for the Pool expansion and golf renovation on Tuesday, October 1. As attendees enjoyed lunch at the Mixed Grille, they also heard from members of the board.
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