MARCH 2023

METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY VOL. 20 ISSUE II MARCH 2023 

Fame, 

Fortune, 

& Flour 

GENEVIEVE 

KASHAT’S BID 

FOR KIDS BAKING 

CHAMPION 

Celebrating 

International 

Women’s 

Month! 

Featuring: 

Jaclyn McQuaid 

Rita Soka 

Ava Sarafa

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2 CHALDEAN NEWS MARCH 2023

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and Chaldean law firm. 

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نعيدك الى ماكنت عليه 

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Attorney at Law 

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877-KAJY-CARES / kajylaw.com 

MARCH 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 3


METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY | MARCH 2023 | VOL. 20 ISSUE II 

ON THE COVER 

18 Fame, Fortune & Flour 

Genevieve’s bid for Baking Champion 

By Cal Abbo 

FOOD NETWORK 

18 

FEATURES 

20 Driving Forward Thinking 

Jaclyn McQuaid at GM 

By Sarah Kittle 

22 Hard Work Bears Results 

Rita Soka profile 

By Cal Abbo 

24 The Lost Tribe 

Chaldeans in Argentina 

By Weam Namou 

26 Hopeless to Heroic 

John Shamou story 

By Crystal Jabiro 

28 Suicide Prevention 

By Jacqueline Raxter, MSW 

30 Iraqi Children in the Frame 

Where do they play? 

By Wilson Sarkis and Alan Mansour 

DEPARTMENTS 

6 From the Editor 

Celebrating Sisterhood 

By Sarah Kittle 

8 Foundation Update 

10 Noteworthy 

Nancy Zieah, Mena Hannakachl, 

CCF Visits, Lenten Refection 

12 Chaldean Digest 

Earthquake, Genocide, 

Chaldean Patriarchate, Iraq & Iran 

14 Religion 

Celebrating Lent: Entering 

into the desert with Jesus 

By Fr. Marcus Shammami 

16 In Memoriam 

32 Culture & History 

Pioneer Habib Hannona 

By Dr. Adhid Miri 

38 Sports 

Set Up for Success: Ava Sarafa 

By Steve Stein 

40 Dr. Is In 

Colorectal Cancer Awareness 

By Dr. Rena Daiza 

41 Classified Listings 

42 From the Archive 

36 Fly Me Away 

Travel boom continues 

By Paul Natinsky 

20 


FROM THE EDITOR 

PUBLISHED BY 

Chaldean News, LLC 

Chaldean Community Foundation 

Martin Manna 

EDITORIAL 

EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Sarah Kittle 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Cal Abbo 

Dr. Rena Daiza 

Crystal Jabiro 

Sarah Kittle 

Dr. Adhid Miri 

Weam Namou 

Paul Natinsky 

Jacqueline Raxter, MSW 

Fr. Marcus Shammami 

ART & PRODUCTION 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Wilson Sarkis 

Celena Soka 

SALES 

Interlink Media 

Sana Navarrette 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Sana Navarrette 

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Chaldean News 

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Phone: (248) 851-8600 

Publication: The Chaldean News (P-6); 

Published monthly; Issue Date: March 2023 

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” 

Celebrating Sisterhood 

March is International Women’s Month, 

which means not only here in the U.S., but 

in the United Kingdom and Australia, people 

are celebrating us! We also happen to feature a 

few articles about the fairer sex in our current issue. 

Our March cover is the remarkable Genevieve 

Kashat, who competed in the Kids Baking Championship 

on Food Network. Whatever the outcome 

of the contest, Genevieve and her macarons are 

winners in our book. Stay tuned for a future podcast 

with her and Cal Abbo. 

And we simply had to do a feature on Jaclyn 

McQuaid, a top-level exec at GM who is instrumental 

to the roll-out of the EV market 

in Europe. Jaclyn, along with her twin sister 

Jamie Brewer (who also is a top-level executive 

at GM), are shaping the way we drive 

and even think about the automobile. It is an 

exciting time to be an automotive engineer. 

(Shout out to Mary Barra who is shaking up 

the corporate structure with her diversity initiatives!) 

Rita Soka’s story may not be unique to the Chaldean 

community, but it does exemplify the hard work, perseverance 

and dedication to a goal that makes the community so 

successful. Rita decided what she wanted and went for it. 

When her ESL test scores for college came back unsatisfactory, 

she refocused and took a job as a cashier to improve 

her English, moving up at every opportunity. Now she is a 

co-founder of her own law firm. 

Ava Sarafa is a volleyball star at Marian High School who 

is on her way to play for the University of Kentucky. She was 

named to the 2023 USA Today All-Star Team and may very 

well play in the Olympics one day. (But only if she wants to.) 

We are grateful to Genevieve, Jaclyn, Jamie, Mary, Rita, 

and Ava – for their courage and faith in taking on roles that 

maybe people told them they couldn’t. To quote the great 

hockey player Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100% of the shots 

you don’t take.” 

FOMO, or “Fear of Missing Out,” may be currently at play 

in the travel industry, according to reporter Paul Natinsky, 

SARAH KITTLE 

EDITOR 

IN CHIEF 

who interviewed some local travel agents on the 

travel boom. After years of restricted or delayed 

travel, flights are picking up. Where are people travelling? 

Usually somewhere sunny. 

Dr. Miri was honored this month to write about 

his friend Habib Hannona, a pioneer in the Chaldean 

community. “Each time he walks into a room, 

a rainbow of hope appears,” said the author. Habib 

has done many things in his lifetime, creating art 

pieces and writing books and poems; currently, he 

is a civil engineer employed by the Chaldean Community 

Foundation. 

We are grateful to Genevieve, Jaclyn, Jamie, 

Mary, Rita, and Ava – for their courage and 

faith in taking on roles that maybe people 

told them they couldn’t. 

Iraq in the Frame continues with a special on the children 

of Iraq. In perusing the spectacular photos that Wilson 

Sarkis has provided, one question kept coming up in 

the minds of CN staff: “Where do the children play?” Turns 

out, they play in the streets (a lot of street soccer) and near 

churches; ironically, being next to the desecrated places of 

worship may now be the safest places for them to play. 

Fr. Marcus Shammami returns to the CN as a contributing 

writer on the celebration of Lent, Crystal Jabiro tells a 

deeply personal story of her cousin’s addiction and recovery, 

and the CCF’s Jacqueline Raxter shares resources and signs 

of depression that can lead to suicidal thoughts and actions. 

It’s a societal problem that won’t go away on its own. 

We head into the season of spring this month, and together, 

we look forward to the promise of hope and rebirth. 

Sarah Kittle 

Editor in Chief 

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FOUNDATION UPDATE 

A Lesson on the 

Dangers of Vaping 

and E-Cigarettes 

The CCF welcomed 7th and 8th grade students from Grissom 

Middle School in Sterling Heights to learn about the 

effects of vaping on the development of the teen brain. The 

information was presented by Henry Ford Health experts. 

Students also had an opportunity to participate in 

an interactive demonstration showing how tobacco impacts 

the lungs and learned about the harmful ingredients 

found in vapes and cigarettes. 

Henry Ford offers a tobacco treatment service specifically 

geared towards teens ages 14-17. To learn more, 

email Tobaccofree@hfhs.org or call (888) 427-7587. 

CCF President Martin 

Manna meets King 

Abdullah of Jordan 

CCF President Martin Manna had the great privilege of meeting 

with King Abdullah of Jordan at the National Prayer Breakfast in 

Washington DC earlier this month. The King relayed that Iraq is a 

priority for him and invited Martin to meet with him in Amman to 

discuss long-term sustainability for Christians in Iraq. 

The Future is Now 

Wireless Vision, in partnership with the Chaldean Community Foundation, hosted a kickoff event 

for 12 professionals within the community who were selected to participate in the first ever Learn 

with a Leader Program. Participants gathered at 220 Merrill in Birmingham to enjoy an evening of 

food, fun, and interaction. 

Learn with A Leader is a 9-month leadership program designed to develop future leaders and 

impact the lives of aspiring leaders through monthly development sessions. It will also create networking 

opportunities within the community. 

Macomb Student Diversity Summit 

The Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) participated in the Macomb Student Diversity Summit. 

This annual event provides an opportunity for more than 400 middle and high school students to 

dialogue about race relations and current relevant cultural matters. 

The CCF facilitated a session meant to provide students a better understanding about why one 

might leave their country, as no one story or circumstance is the same. 

Former Detroit Lions Player, 

Herman Moore, Visits CCF 

Serial entrepreneur, NFL All-Pro, and philanthropist Herman 

Moore visited the Chaldean Community Foundation to discuss 

the Tackle Life Entrepreneurship Program and the Chaldean 

Community Foundation’s continued partnership with Team 84 

Staffing. 


CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 

CAREER 

SERVICES 

WALK-IN DAYS: 

MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY 

8:30AM - 4:00PM 

WHAT WE DO 

The Career Services Department at the Chaldean Community Foundation offers one-on-one assistance to help 

clients identify goals and develop careers. 

• CAREER FAIRS 

• COVER LETTER WRITING 

• EMPLOYER REFERRALS 

• FAFSA COMPLETION 

• JOB APPLICATION COMPLETION 

• MOCK INTERVIEWS 

• RESUME BUILDING 

• TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES 


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NOTEWORTHY 

CULTURE 

Keeper of the Dream: Sterling Heights 

immigrant finds her voice as advocate 

for linguistic justice 

Mena Hannakachl, an OU major in professional and digital 

writing is among the recipients of the 2023 Oakland 

University Keeper of the Dream Award. 

One of Mena Hannakachl’s writing professors 

once told her that to thrive in the real 

world, she would need to put the languages 

she learned while growing up in Iraq 

and the United Arab Emirates aside and 

conform to standard English. 

She refused, and now she’s a scholar 

who advocates for linguistic justice and a 

mentor to other young writers who speak 

English as a second or third language. 

Mena was only 4 years old when her 

family fled the unrest in Baghdad and 

moved to Dubai. Her father, who owned a 

successful small business, dreamed of life 

in America. In 2015, he moved his wife and 

their four children to Michigan. 

Mena is now a junior majoring in professional 

and digital writing at Oakland 

University. She is a recipient of OU’s Keeper 

of the Dream Award Scholarship, which 

recognizes students demonstrating exceptional 

leadership through their involvement 

on campus by breaking down racial 

and cultural stereotypes and promoting 

racial understanding. “The same work I 

was told to put aside are the contributions 

that were celebrated and validated by the 

award,” she said. “I’ve come full circle.” 

– Gina Joseph, The Macomb Daily 

From left to right: Ron Khoury, CCF Lobbyist; 

Rep. Nate Shannon (Shelby & Sterling Heights); 

Rep. Angela Witwer (Lansing); Martin Manna; 

Rep. Christine Morse (Kalamazoo); Rep. Ranjeev 

Puri (Canton); Rep. Jasper Martus (Flushing 

& Flint); and Rep. Will Snyder (Muskegon). 

COMMUNITY 

State Reps visit CCF 

Seven state representatives visited the Chaldean 

Community Foundation on February 13 to learn 

about the daily services that the CCF provides to 

40,000 clients annually. Leadership shared with 

them priorities for the CCF and the Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce (CACC), which includes 

increasing funding for both the multicultural line 

and from the Department of Education for the CCF, 

and supporting upcoming bills on lottery and liquor 

commissions for the CACC. Both organizations are 

focused on providing more affordable housing. 

LEGAL NEWS 

Double Duty: Editor of Law Review serves 

as president of moot court 

Nancy Zieah, a liquor store owner/operator 

turned law school student, appreciates 

the fact that many students 

at Cooley Law School are—like her—not 

traditional law school students right 

out of undergrad. 

Zieah started her academy trajectory 

with an undergrad degree from 

the University of Michigan-Dearborn, 

where she was on the honor roll for all 

terms. Fluent in Arabic and Chaldean, 

she was a delegate in the Model Arab 

Nancy Zieah 

League and was a member of Amnesty 

International. 

“I studied political science because it casts a wide 

net over societal problems and solutions,” she says. “I 

particularly liked studying international politics and 

social justice reform. This is probably 

what drew me to things like the Jessup 

International Moot Court competition 

at Cooley, and the expungement fairs.” 

The current president of the Melissa 

Mitchell Moot Court, Zieah 

earned the Trinity Term Top Advocate 

Award in 2021 for the highest score 

in a single round. Last year she was 

a member of the Philip C. Jessup International 

Law Moot Court team 

that ranked amongst top 30 national 

teams in Advanced Rounds. 

Her experience with expungement 

came from volunteering for Safe and Just, an organization 

that hosts expungement fairs in the metro- 

Detroit area. 

SPIRITUAL 

Lenten Evening 

of Reflection 

Every year the Chaldean Cultural Center hosts a 

Lenten Dinner evening with a special emphasis 

on prayer and reflection. This year the keynote 

speaker is Father Aram, speaking on “Shairwatha,” 

Remembrance of the Saints, something 

that took place in Iraqi villages before Easter 

during Lent. Father Aram chaired a crisis team in 

Alqosh and established a medical charity clinic 

among other trauma-related work. He speaks 

Syriac, Arabic, and English. 

Shenandoah Country Club 

Thursday March 9, 6-9 p.m. 

Email info@chaldeanculturalcenter.org or 

call 248-681-5050 or for information. 


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CHALDEAN DIGEST 

WIKIMEDIA 

AINA 

Chaldean Patriarchate of Babylon in 

Baghdad has reached 74% completion. 

Construction 

of Baghdad’s 

Chaldean 

Patriarchate 

almost finished 

Earthquake damage in Syria 

Turkey and Syria reeling from earthquake ‘bomb’ 

The death toll from the devastating 

magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit 

Turkey and Syria on February 6 is continuing 

to grow, with at least 40,000 

dead and tens of thousands injured. 

The Catholic anti-persecution charity 

Aid to the Church In Need (ACN) is 

sending more than half a million Euros 

in aid to Christian initiatives in Syria 

as the death toll continues to rise. 

From Syria, Bishop Antoine Audo 

SJ, Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo, said 

that after 12 years of war, “this is a 

new tremendous bomb, lethal and unknown, 

which falls on us.” 

The earthquake was the most violent 

in eight centuries. He reported that Aleppo 

is “a city of two and a half million inhabitants 

without electricity, water and heating 

and it is very cold, winter is harsh.” Many 

people are living on the streets or in cars, 

afraid of further tremors. 

The Middle East Council of Churches, 

an ecumenical liaison body of the 

Churches and ecclesial communities 

in the Middle East and North Africa, 

called for “the immediate lifting of the 

sanctions against Syria and access to 

all resources, so that sanctions do not 

turn into a crime against humanity.” 

The Archbishop of Westminster, 

Cardinal Vincent Nichols has written 

to Fr. Andrawis Toma, chaplain to 

the Chaldean Catholic community in 

London, offering prayers and “sincere 

condolences” to members of Chaldean 

Catholic Church, which has substantial 

numbers in the two countries. 

– The Tablet/UK 

In the implementation of the project for 

the construction of the Chaldean Patriarchate 

of Babylon in Baghdad, the 

Ministry of Construction, Housing, and 

Public Municipalities has reached advanced 

completion rates totaling 74%. 

The project consists of a three-story 

structure with huge halls, classrooms, 

and a mini building for inquiries at the 

church doors. This shows that work on 

the project is still ongoing and plans to 

finish it are on schedule. Future work 

includes installing alabaster flooring 

and secondary roofing works. 

The patriarchate is in Baghdad, 

Iraq, at the Cathedral of Mary Mother 

of Sorrows. The current patriarch is 

Cardinal Louis Raphael I Sako, who is 

supported by Shlemon Warduni, the 

archbishop of Erbil, and Basel Yaldo, 

the auxiliary bishop of Baghdad. 

– Assyrian International News Agency 

The Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Rashid, the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein 

Amir-Abdollahian, and other Iranian officials. 

Iraqi President receives 

official invitation to visit Iran 

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid accepted the invitation to visit Iran, which he received during his 

meeting with the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The invitation was 

sent to Rashid from the Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi. 

Rashid stressed that Iraq and Iran are two neighboring countries, both have historical relations 

and common bonds, and both can contribute to strengthening the security and stability in the region. 

He is cautiously optimistic about using dialogue to solve regional and international issues. 

– Iraqi News Agency 

IRAQI PRESIDENT’S OFFICE 

French recognition of 

the Assyrian Genocide 

The French Senate passed a resolution on Wednesday, February 

8th, calling on the government to recognize the genocide 

of the Assyrian-Chaldeans of 1915-1918 and to make the day of 

April 24 a joint day of commemoration for the Armenian and 

Assyrian-Chaldean genocides. After discussion, the resolution 

was adopted by a vote of 300 - 2. 

In the shadow of World War I, the Assyrians (also known as 

Chaldeans and Syriacs) living in the southeastern region of the 

Ottoman Empire were deported, expelled, and massacred by the 

Ottoman Empire, in the same manner as the Armenians. France 

recognized the genocide of the Armenians on January 29, 2001. 

According to Professor Yacoub, an expert on the subject, 

this “genocide and looting of land and property was accompanied 

by severe attacks on the cultural heritage. Historical monuments 

were destroyed and left abandoned, churches desecrated, 

and schools demolished. Libraries of rare books and valuable 

manuscripts were squandered and destroyed, such as those of 

the Chaldean diocese of Seert or the Assyrian patriarchal seat 

in Kotchanes, a small village in Hakkari now abandoned, or the 

monasteries of the Syriac Churches in the Tur Abdin region.” 

– Assyrian International News Agency 



Educational programs 

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE 

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ESL 2 (High Beginner): Tuesday and Thursday 

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Study Math or Social Studies 

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We can’t wait to see you! 

Want to learn more? Please contact Rachel Rose at 

Rachel.rose@chaldeanfoundation.org or call (586) 722-7253 


RELIGION 

Fasting from food and things, 

however, is only half the battle. The 

Bible also tells us that, together with 

fasting, a person must also fast from 

violence and oppressing others. In 

other words, as we fast from food and 

other things, we must also keep up a 

loving attitude towards others. Think: 

as we try to fast in a way that is genuine, 

can we truly make an effort to forgive 

those who have hurt us and not 

hold onto anger? Do not let your past 

wounds control you. Talk to Jesus in 

prayer about your hurt, your anger, 

and your wounds. 

Celebrating Lent 

Entering into the desert with Jesus 

BY FR. MARCUS SHAMMAMI 

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit 

into the desert to be tempted by the 

devil. And He fasted forty days and 

forty nights…” -Matthew 4:1-2 

As the season of Sawma Raba 

(Great Lent) begins in the 

Church, we must not forget the 

point of Lent – to prepare our hearts 

and minds for the glory that is the Resurrection 

of Our Lord and Savior Jesus 

Christ. The Resurrection of Christ 

is the central aspect of our faith; it is 

the reason why we offer our hearts to 

Christ as we celebrate Mass each week. 

As you prepare to celebrate the 

Resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday 

– the greatest event in all of human 

history, and dare I say, the entire 

universe – you must ready your heart 

to understand this key event of our 

faith by traveling and fasting with Jesus 

in the desert. 

The desert is a place of simplicity. 

Simply put, there is not much going on 

in a desert – we can imagine a barren 

landscape where there are very few 

plants, not many animals, the landscape 

littered with rocks and dried out 

weeds. Going further in our imagining 

of the desert, there are not many 

hiding places or shelters in the desert 

to hide in. There is nowhere that one 

would be able to hide in the desert – 

everything comes to the surface. 

Lent is an invitation for you to take 

that courageous step of going into the 

desert with Jesus and allowing for 

whatever it is that you are hiding in 

the darkness of your heart – whether 

that be your sins or your wounds – to 

come to the surface and into the healing 

light of Christ. 

How do we travel with Jesus through 

the desert? Again, the desert is a place 

of simplicity. There are no distractions. 

In our busy 21st century lives, distraction 

is something at which we have exceled. 

Our lives at times can be a series 

of distractions and diversions that do 

not allow us to think about the bigger 

questions of life. 

This is precisely why we need to 

enter into the desert with Jesus – to 

cut out the distractions from our life 

and come face to face with the dark 

parts of ourselves that we sometimes 

want to ignore; to learn more about 

Our Savior Jesus Christ, and to detach 

ourselves from the things of this dying 

world in order to learn to better appreciate 

what Jesus Christ has won for us 

as sons and daughters of the eternal 

Kingdom of God. 

The Church calls us to do three 

things during Lent: pray, fast, and give 

alms. 

Prayer 

Lent is a time for more prayer. A life 

without prayer is a life without the 

joy of the presence of God. It is one 

thing to fast and to give alms, but if 

we are not praying, we are not living 

and thriving as Christians but merely 

surviving. This Lent, incorporate more 

prayer in your life to experience the joy 

of knowing God more and more and 

enter a greater relationship with Him. 

We are especially blessed in this day 

and age with so many prayer books (a 

favorite is My Daily Bread) and digital 

apps (such as the Hallow app) that 

help us to pray daily. 

Fasting 

Fasting is a penance that the Church 

encourages us to follow during Lent, 

and, from a spiritual point of view, it 

symbolizes our dependence on God. 

In fasting, we are able to put God at 

the center of our lives and put all else, 

all created things, to the side. It serves 

as a reminder to God and to ourselves 

that the things of this world do not rule 

over us, only God does. 

Almsgiving 

Giving alms is, simply put, helping 

the poor. There is no shortage of ways 

in which we can give to those in most 

need. One thing you and your family 

and friends might consider this season 

is to give to those who were affected 

by the earthquakes in the Middle East. 

Many were impacted by this tragedy, 

and the Diocese, through Chaldean 

Catholic Charities, has been working 

with volunteers directly on the ground 

in Syria and Turkey. To donate, visit 

Chaldeanchurch.org. 

In addition to these three central 

aspects of Lent, there is another spiritual 

practice to help you enter the desert 

with Jesus – what is dubbed as the 

3-1-1 challenge. 

3: Give up three distractions or diversions 

in your life that are keeping 

you away from God. This could be social 

media, your phone, laziness, going 

out, etc. 

1: Add in one additional spiritual 

practice into your life. This could be 

a Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, or 

reading the Bible. 

1: Find that one sin that you continue 

to struggle with and work on casting 

that sin out of your life for good. 

Receiving the graces and help that 

come from God from a good confession 

will help you a great deal. Learn from 

your sin, dust yourself off, and focus 

above all else on the way that Jesus 

has set before you. 

Lent comes from an Old English 

word that roughly translates into 

“spring.” Let us enter into the desert 

with Jesus this Lent, so that we may 

undergo new life, a new “springtime” 

in our own hearts, ready to receive the 

light and the glory of the joy of the Resurrection. 


WE ARE 

HIRING 

Do you possess a passion for bettering the lives of others? 

Join our ever expanding team! 

Behavioral Health Case Worker • Behavioral Health Therapist 

Case Worker • Citizenship Instructor • Client Ambassador 

Entry Level IT Help Desk Specialist 

GED Instructor • Social Media Coordinator 

Workforce Development Coordinator 

Advocacy 

Acculturation 

Community Development 

Cultural Preservation 

For More Information 

HR@chaldeanfoundation.org 

586-722-7253 

www.chaldeanfoundation.org/careers 


IN MEMORIAM 

Najeb Ablahad 

Younan 

Jul 1, 1954 – 

Jan 15, 2023 

Bassam Kinaya 

Mar 28, 1970 – 


Teares Shaya 

Mansoor 

Oct 27, 1940 – 


Sharbal Sitto 

Jul 1, 1951 – 


Khiloud Orow 

Yatooma 

Mar 19, 1953 – 


Salem Tobia Konja 

Jul 1, 1932 – 


Khalida Abed 

Mansour 

Jul 10, 1941 – 


Noel Shamon 

Kappouta 

Jun 10, 1928 – 


Christopher Faraj 

Habib 

Oct 22, 1972 – 


Catrina Gorges Yousif 

Jul 1, 1932 – 


Butrus Hirmiz 

Shamoon 

Jun 20, 1960 – 


Sabah Salim Zebari 

Jul 1, 1943 – 


Heather Jamil 

Gomma 

Feb 13, 1989 – 


Shafika Mikha Gappy 

Karjo 

Jul 1, 1929 – 


Hani Yono 

Jul 1, 1948 – 


Salim Denno 

Apr 16, 1922 – 


Aziz Karjo 

Jul 27, 1946 – 


Suad Hanna Peter 

May 2, 1933 – 


Nagib Iskander 

Wassif 

Feb 22, 1935 – 


Sabria Semaan 

Bajawa 

Jul 1, 1934 – 

Feb 1, 2023 

Wadia Dabish Brikho 

Oct 1, 1931 – 


Michael David Khami 

May 23, 1944 – 


Catherine 

“Cathy” A. Sesi 

Apr 10, 1952 – 


Maisoon Keer Abbawi 

Mar 31, 1949 – 


Hikmat Elias Atto 

Nov 10, 1933 – 


Adel Bedros Warten 

Mardrosian 

Sep 1, 1938 – 


Marna Nathniel 

Sheekhali 

Jul 1, 1937 – 


Zouhair (Remon) 

Salim Najjar 

Feb 25, 1940 – 


Suria Yousif Shaba 

Jul 1, 1937 – 


Badi “Buddy” Abbo 

Feb 27, 1937 – 


Eilonka Wilson Yousif 

Jun 22, 1978 – 


Sabah Marogy 

Jajo Ateek 

Jul 1, 1940 – 


George Shamoun 

Bazzi 

Jul 1, 1929 – 


Nadine Marie 

Lirato Yeldo 

Apr 27, 1990 – 



PROJECT 

LIGHT 

THERAPY SERVICES 

Therapy can be a big step toward being the healthiest 

version of yourself and living the best life possible—our 

professional therapists are here for you to access. 

Through therapy, you can change self-destructive 

behaviors and habits, resolve painful feelings, 

improve your relationships, and share your feelings 

and experiences. Individuals often seek therapy for help 

with issues that may be hard to face alone. 

In therapy your therapist will help you to establish person 

centered goals and determine the steps you will take to 

reach those goals. Your relationship with your therapist 

is confidential and our common therapeutic goal for those 

we engage is to inspire healthy change to improve quality 

of life — no matter the challenge. 

We invite you seek out the Light of Project Light! Serving 

individuals ages 13 years and up. Please call to request a 

Project Light Intake at (586) 722-7253. 

For Your Best Health. 

CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY: The CCF and Project Light is committed to your privacy and confidentiality and are sensitive to the stigma and stress that come with seeking 

mental health support. Therefore, all counseling records are kept strictly confidential. Information is not shared without client’s written consent. Exceptions to confidentiality are 

rare and include persons who threaten safety of themselves others or in circumstances of a court order. 

LOOKING FOR A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? 

NOW HIRING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL THERAPISTS. 

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3601 15 MILE ROAD, STERLING HEIGHTS, MI 48310 | (586) 722-7253 


COVER STORY 

Caption needed 

Fame, 

Fortune, 

and Flour 

Genevieve Kashat’s bid for 

Kids Baking Champion 

BY CAL ABBO 

When Genevieve Kashat was 3 years old, 

she watched with awe as her mother 

made a rich, delicious, and familiar banana 

bread for her family to enjoy. 

Years later, this moment would blossom into 

something much greater: a budding baking career 

and a shot at Food Network stardom. The road from 

mom’s banana bread to the Kids Baking Championship 

requires just the right mixture of talent, hard 

work, creativity, and inspiration. 

At just 5 years old, Genevieve became a fan of 

Food Network’s KBC and dreamed of entering the 

competition herself. As it happens, this was also 

the year she learned how to use the oven and bake 

a cake. Just a few years after that, she was making 

macarons. 

These two items would become the staples of 

her still-nascent career, although Genevieve would 

soon excel in many different areas of baking. After 

all, she needed to be well-rounded to compete for 

the title of Kids Baking Champion. 

One of Genevieve’s key inspirations is her aunt 

and godmother, who recently became a Chaldean 

Sister. “She’s just awesome,” Genevieve said. 

This season of KBC was much different than others 

in the past, and according to Genevieve, it was 

more difficult. The main addition to the show was 

an entrepreneurial theme – Food Network now required 

that the kids have a burgeoning baking business 

in order to compete. KBC featured challenges 

and twists that blend baking and business acumen. 

How does Genevieve have a business at the 

young age of 11? It all started with Sister Rose. 

“My aunt had a little gathering in 2020,” Genevieve 

said. “I made macarons for fun. That’s when 

I was learning.” During the event, she got outstanding 

reviews from those who attended the gathering 

and numerous suggestions that she should sell her 

baked goods. “If my aunt didn’t have the gathering, 

I wouldn’t have started the business,” she said. 

Through her business, Gen’s Kreations, Genevieve 

focuses on macarons and cakes, but she can 

make “literally anything you want.” 

While Genevieve usually sells at her local 

church, she has also served at a Birmingham coffee 

shop, communions, baptisms, and other major 

events. 10% of every order goes to charity, specifically 

a Chaldean orphanage in Iraq. 

Genevieve was contacted by the KBC production 

team to go on last season. Her family, however, 

had planned a vacation for the same time the show 

would be filmed. “It was my aunt’s last time before 

she goes to the convent so we wanted to spend that 

time with her,” Genevieve said. “I thought I might 

not be able to go to KBC.” 

Thankfully, Genevieve was invited to the competition 

again this year, and her business experience 

qualified her for the tough competition. She entered 

the competition when she was 10, one of the youngest 

competitors, and competed against some kids 

who were already 13 years old. 

The show itself is filmed over several weeks and 

sectioned into several episodes. In each episode, 

the kids get to work at their own kitchen toward a 

specific goal designed by the judges, in competition 

with one another. 

The competitions are designed differently. In 

some episodes, the show will eliminate some kids 

in an individual competition. In other designs, the 

contestants split into teams and accomplish a goal 

together. Genevieve played a leading role in some of 

these competitions. She won half of the show’s first 

eight episodes and advanced to the top four kid bakers 

before being eliminated. 


One of the show’s two judges, Duff Goldman, 

is one of Genevieve’s baking idols. She first found 

him on YouTube, when she was much younger, and 

has been a fan of his informational and entertaining 

baking videos ever since. It was only once she went 

on KBC that she got to meet and learn from him directly. 

“It was just so cool,” she said. “I was speechless. 

My own kitchen, with my own name there … I got 

to make the kitchen as messy as I wanted to and I 

didn’t have to clean it.” 

Genevieve also emphasized the importance of 

the community of young bakers that she was thrust 

into so suddenly. “All of us have the same love for 

baking,” she said. “Some of us were better than others 

at other things so we kind of taught each other at 

the same time. But since we all love the same things, 

it was really easy to communicate with each other.” 

She also commented on the importance of her 

family, not only as taste testers, but as a support 

system. Her mother manages her social media and 

helps coordinate her publicity; her siblings will try 

anything she bakes, hoping that she’ll improve it 

next time. 

The taste testers play a very important role for 

Genevieve, especially when it comes to her macarons, 

which are some of her best desserts to make, 

because Genevieve can’t taste them herself. “I’ve 

never really tasted my macarons,” she revealed. 

“I’m allergic to almonds. The shell of the macaron, 

the main part, is made with almond flour. But I’ve 

tasted the filling before.” 

Genevieve’s future is full of potential, and she 

has some ideas she wants to pursue as well as some 

dreams to share. “I want to have a big bakery with a 

nice garden in the back,” she said. “It has a seating 

area and all that stuff.” Without a doubt, her dreams 

are big. 

But now, since she has competed on a baking 

show, she really wants to judge one someday. With 

any luck, we’ll see her on the big screen, this time 

from the other side. 


FEATURE 

Driving Forward Thinking 

Jaclyn McQuaid leads GM Europe 

BY SARAH KITTLE 

“ 

European customers are switching 

to electric vehicles at a 

faster rate than anywhere in the 

world.” So says Jaclyn McQuaid, and she 

should know. GM is all-in on EV, investing 

$35 billion through 2025 in electric 

and autonomous vehicle technology in 

Europe, and Jaclyn oversees the entire 

operation on that side of the pond. 

Growing up in Farmington with 

her parents, George and Linda Lossia 

and three sisters, Jaclyn was a typical 

girly girl. She liked dolls and later, boys 

and dressing up. She did have a mind for 

math and science, and her father encouraged 

her and her sisters to pursue S.T.E.M. 

interests. An automotive engineer at heart, 

his own training at Lawrence Tech was cut 

short by the war in Vietnam. Her mom supported 

her daughters by being “a go-getter” 

and teaching them they can do anything. 

“I wanted to engineer roller coasters,” 

Jaclyn says with a laugh. 

When asked what her childhood was like, 

Jaclyn answered, “Fun. What can I say? I have 

three sisters.” Jennifer, the eldest, is a principal 

lawyer at Fagan McManus. Only 18 months older 

than her identical twin sisters, Jamie, who is an executive 

chief engineer at GM, and Jaclyn, the three often 

felt like triplets. The youngest of the four, Jessica, is 

a nurse by profession. 

“Being an immigrant made me more driven,” says Jaclyn. 

“When you have no established network, you have to 

make things happen yourself.” Like most Chaldeans, she 

and her sisters were raised to develop a strong work ethic. 

She earned both a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical 

Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering 

from the University of Michigan. 

Their father’s dream was to be an automotive engineer 

at GM, the family favorite automaker. Although he gave 

up his dream to support his family, two of his daughters 

now have extremely high-level engineering jobs at GM. 

Jamie Brewer, Jaclyn’s twin, is the lead engineer on the 

Cadillac Lyriq, a vehicle that Jaclyn says is pivotal for the 

company. 

GM aims to be a major driver of the auto industry’s 

transformation, says Jaclyn, and since they basically 

pulled out of the region in 2016, Europe is now a blank 

slate. Ultimately, the European market will be electric vehicles 

only, she asserts. And completely autonomous vehicles 

are on the horizon. 

“Our flexible Ultium battery platform and the breadth 

and depth of our EV portfolio enable GM to offer customers 

in Europe a variety of products and services to support 

their lifestyles, while also contributing to a future of zero 

crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion,” she said. 

Mary Barra, the GM CEO, is an inspiration to Jaclyn, 

who never felt her career at the organization was compromised 

by the fact that she was a woman, at least not within 

the organization itself. She recounts one time when she 

was giving a presentation on trailering with a truck hitch, 

a subject she knew intimately, having worked for 6 years 

on truck engineering, when a man in the back yelled out, 

“But she’s a girl!” 

Barra’s saying, “Hard work beats talent if talent 

doesn’t work hard,” resonates with Jaclyn. Her own viewpoint 

reminds her that when the going gets tough, she has 

the “opportunity to beat hard”; to overcome the adversity 

and ultimately come out on top. 

It’s a good thing the role is so challenging and satisfying. 

She’s living in Zurich now, while her husband Dan 

and children Josephine, 16, and Nicholas, 14, remain in 

Michigan so the kids can finish the school year. Josephine 

is a junior at St. Catherine of Siena and Nicholas is a freshman 

at Catholic Central. 

They will be joining her in June, but in the meantime, 

Jaclyn will spend their spring break with them in the 

States. In honor of March and Women’s Month, she will 

provide an intimate opportunity for the Chaldean Women’s 

Committee to hear her story and ask her questions. 

Her daughter will accompany her. 

Jaclyn’s husband Dan is one of her biggest supporters. 

They met when she was just 20, and they married four 

years later. Jaclyn recalls going to his house and seeing 

his parents in the kitchen together. They displayed a true 

partnership, one that she wanted for herself. She and Dan 

have worked together to make that a reality. 

Females face barriers in industry every day. Jaclyn 

wants to make sure that young people, especially young 

women, are not self-limiting their futures, or de-selecting 

themselves for future career paths. “It starts in elementary 

school and middle school.” She wants them to see 

that people who look a lot like them are succeeding, indeed 

thriving, in industries that are thought of as nonfeminine. 

If you can dream it, do it. Her primary goal, she says, is 

to show all young people, regardless of gender, ethnicity, 

social class, or physical ability, that they can take their 

passion and make a career out of it. 

Jaclyn wears high heels and lipstick to meetings. You can 

be tech-savvy and feminine, too. Driving the big truck market 

into the new dawn, she’s still very much a woman. 


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PROFILE 

Hard Work Bears Results 

BY CAL ABBO 

Rita Soka – daughter to Samir 

and Najat Elias, an immigrant, 

wife, mother, transfusion medicine 

technologist, and health care 

validation consultant has added yet 

another item to her resume. As of last 

year, she graduated from Detroit Mercy 

School of Law (UDM) and became 

a barred attorney – and as of as last 

month, she partnered up with her former 

professor at Detroit Mercy School 

of Law and formed a new law firm, 

Taylor Soka, PLLC. Rita’s story tells 

of a special kind of perseverance. She 

has lived many trials in her lifetime 

and expects to see many more in her 

newfound career. It started in the early 

‘80s, when she was born in Baghdad. 

“I was born during the Persian-Iraq 

war,” Rita said, reminiscing about her 

early childhood and the strife in her 

home country at the time. After this 

war ended, Iraq faced another war – 

the United States/Iraq war – and this 

brought much more imminent danger 

to her hometown of Baghdad. 

“I missed a lot of elementary school 

during the war,” she said. “We would 

escape and go to Karamlesh for a few 

months at a time. That happened twice.” 

Rita and her extended family, which 

numbered around 25 people, would pile 

into her aunt’s small village house in 

Karamlesh when Baghdad became too 

dangerous. “I think they had two bedrooms,” 

she said. They slept wherever 

there was floor space available. 

Despite this hardship, Rita remembers 

her upbringing and education 

fondly, and attributes much of 

her work ethic, discipline, and love 

for education to her Catholic school, 

Al-Makasib Elementary and Middle 

School and Digla High School for girls. 

Rita came to the United States at a 

young age, after meeting her husband 

in Baghdad and marrying in Jordan. 

Steve (Sarmed) and Rita met when he 

traveled to Iraq with his family. They 

became engaged quickly and married 

in Jordan soon after. She finally arrived 

in Detroit in 1999, eager to continue 

her education, which was her passion. 

With the help and encouragement 

Rita Samir Soka at the Michigan Supreme Court. 

of her father-in-law, Farouk Soka, Rita 

applied to Oakland Community College 

(OCC), trying to enter the college’s 

English as a Second Language program. 

Unfortunately, she only knew 

English from grade school in Iraq. In 

her own words, she had learned English 

grammar, but didn’t know how to 

communicate. 

As a result, she failed OCC’s ESL 

entrance exam. This consequence, 

however, wouldn’t stop her. She enrolled 

in a nighttime English course 

to learn the language better and secured 

her first job at T.J. Maxx, folding 

clothes. 

Within a few weeks, Rita was promoted 

to a cashier position. Within a 

few months, she started to become 

comfortable with English. She got a 

secondary job at Kroger as a cashier, 

but her education plans were once 

again halted as she became pregnant 

with her first daughter, Celena. 

Rita had always dreamed of working 

in the medical field, and had a 

special interest in pharmacy. Luckily, 

her Kroger location was building a 

pharmacy while she was a cashier. She 

asked the manager if she could help 

run it as a pharmacy technician and, 

once it was built, helped develop the 

business by bringing in new clients 

and increasing its sales. In October 

2001, her second daughter Sabrina was 

born, and she decided to quit working 

and raise her children, but she still 

dreamed of pursuing an education. 

PHOTOS BY CELENA SOKA 

Early 2003, Rita went back to OCC 

and enrolled in the ESL program focusing 

on prepharmacy. In 2005, she 

became pregnant and delivered her 

last child and only son, Luke, her education 

plans were yet again halted. 

Just after he was born, the rest of her 

family—mom, dad, and siblings, Sarmad, 

Linda and Tamara, arrived in 

the states. This was the missing piece; 

suddenly, she had an extended support 

system to help raise her family. At 

this point, she went back full force to 

OCC to continue her journey. 

A year later, Rita graduated from 

OCC with honors and a near-perfect 

GPA. She entered a Clinical Laboratory 

Science program at Wayne State University 

with a merit scholarship and three 

children at home. Finally, in 2009, she 

graduated with a bachelor’s degree, 

summa cum laude, and secured a job at 

Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. 

Rita initially worked in transfusion 

medicine, helping as a liaison between 

the medical staff and the companies that 

provided blood to the hospital, like Red 

Cross. For a long time, Rita wanted to attend 

graduate school; she started shadowing 

doctors, but after gaining some 

experience, realized her feelings were 

conflicted. She wanted to work with people 

and solve problems, but didn’t feel 

passionate about examining patients. 

Since Rita’s priorities were her kids 

and commuting to and from Detroit was 

keeping her away from her family for 

long hours, Rita decided to look for a job 

near her home in West Bloomfield. Rita’s 

Henry Ford manager found her a job at 

Providence Hospital in Southfield. 

In 2015, almost by chance, she 

stumbled upon a new role – the hospital 

was upgrading its software and 

needed someone to conduct clinical 

validation and test the software. After 

some time, Rita became an expert in 

this role, and was eventually recruited 

by the clinical software developer to 

do similar work. She accepted the job, 

mostly because of its work-from-home 

style and excellent compensation, but 

she was still unsatisfied working with 

machines and not people. 


That changed around 2018 when 

her daughter Sabrina, who has had 

a long-standing interest in the legal 

profession and will be attending law 

school in August 2023, told her about 

law school. You can attend, she said, 

as long as you have a bachelor’s degree 

and a decent Law School Admission 

Test (LSAT) score. 

The first law school she found, after 

a quick Google search, was Cooley in 

Auburn Hills. She met with a counselor 

there and they confirmed what her 

daughter said. In fact, they preferred 

students with science backgrounds, 

because they possess analytical thinking 

skills. 

Rita’s first attempt at the LSAT was 

quick, and she sat for it without knowing 

much. Although she applied with a 

stellar GPA, her low test score only netted 

her a 10% scholarship from Cooley. 

With a tuition near 200k, this wouldn’t 

work. Her plans were on hold until she 

could retake the test. 

Rita became an LSAT fanatic. She 

signed up for a rigorous, three-month 

course that gave her the resources 

she needed to become an expert. She 

spent almost all of her free time studying, 

even her lunch breaks at work. 

With hard work comes results, and 

that’s what Rita got. 

She received a full ride from Cooley 

and a 70% merit scholarship from 

Wayne State Law School, both of which 

she turned down, as well as a personal 

phone call from the dean of UDM’s law 

school inviting her to a fellowship interview. 

After the interview and shadowing 

some schools, she decided UDM 

was the right fit for her: its Catholic 

program and intimate learning setting 

is just what she wanted. She accepted 

UDM’s offer for 100% of tuition paid. 

Rita started school in August and, 

despite being older than most students, 

quickly rose to the top of her 

Clockwise from top of page: Rita Samir Soka’s extended family joined her 

at the Michigan Supreme Court for the swearing in ceremony. Rita Samir 

Soka is sworn in by Justice Brian Zahra. Justice Zahra poses with Rita and 

her family, from left: Sabrina Soka (daughter), Luke Soka (son), Justice Brian 

Zahra, Rita, Steve Soka (Rita’s husband), and Celena Soka (daughter). 

Rita Samir Soka with her mother, Najat Elias, and father, Samir Elias. 

class. After the first semester, she 

ranked 21 out of 100 students, but she 

was still unhappy. In her second year, 

after a clerkship in Detroit with the 

prestigious Federal Judge Nancy Edmunds, 

her ranking shot up to 11. She 

attributes the change to “embracing 

the gray area” that exists in law. Seeing 

the world in black and white was 

something she had to unlearn. 

Finally, she graduated in 2022, 

ranking 8th in her class, magna cum 

laude. She was sworn in as an attorney 

on November 11 by Justice Brian Zahra 

and was hired by the prestigious firm 

Secrest Wardle to work with municipalities 

like West Bloomfield, Bloomfield 

Township, and Bloomfield Hills. 

Soon after she was admitted to practice 

in Michigan, her former professor 

connected with her and decided to work 

in collaboration by forming a new law 

firm. Rita and her partner, Alexandria 

Taylor, a seasoned attorney, practice 

family law, criminal defense and real estate. 

Rita wants to bring her cultural and 

linguistic knowledge to the courtroom to 

help judges and the government understand 

her client’s objectives and unique 

culture-based circumstances, and she 

wanted to start her own practice to focus 

more on helping other people. 

In one example, Rita most recently 

helped a student attorney at UDM who 

was representing a woman from the 

Middle East. His client had unique cultural 

circumstances that only natives 

can understand and relate to. Rita 

assisted by interpreting for this client 

and translating documents, but more 

importantly, communicating the specific 

cultural importance and meaning 

of the client’s circumstances to the 

judge. Ultimately, this helped in her 

successful bid for asylum. 

Rita currently serves on the Associate 

Alumni Board at UDM and is a 

committee member for the Students 

Relations and Mentorship Committee 

at UDM and is happy to assist and 

mentor students wishing to pursue a 

career in law. 


FEATURE 

From above: 

Professor Paulo Botta, at the head 

of the table, with descendants of 

Chaldean immigrants who arrived 

in Argentina at the beginning of the 

20th Century. Alejandro Safarov is 

third from the right. 

The French document of Israel Guiberguis, 

from Khosrowa, prior to his 

arrival to Argentina. 

Verdi Isasha with her son, Simón 

Safarov, Alejandro’s grandfather. 

The Lost Tribe 

Connecting with Chaldean 

expats in Argentina 

BY WEAM NAMOU 

In October 2022, Dr. Paulo Botta 

visited San Salvador de Jujuy 

and El Carmen, two towns of the 

Jujuy province in the north of Argentina. 

There he met with descendants 

of Chaldean Iranians who immigrated 

to Argentina between 1900 and 

1930. 

Botta, a professor of Social Sciences 

affiliated with the Pontifical Catholic 

University of Argentina, explained, 

“Nobody even knows about that group 

of Chaldean families who arrived here 

almost a century ago.” 

In Pursuit of Knowledge 

The trip was funded by the Chaldean 

Cultural Center (CCC) in West Bloomfield. 

Its objective was to talk with the 

members of these Iranian immigrant 

families who identify as Chaldean and 

gather copies of the documents and 

photos they’ve kept as part of their 

family lore. 

This information will be combined 

with the archives in Europe so that Dr. 

Botta and his university can reconstruct 

the situation of those families at 

the end of the 19th and the beginning 

of the 20th century and their migration 

to Argentina. 

The two dozen families in 

the towns of Jujuy province were 

mainly from Patamur and Khosrow, 

villages near Lake Urmia in 

the northwest part of Iran. “There 

is some evidence they also came 

from Tchara, Mar Serges, and Heydarlui, 

but we need more information 

to confirm that,” said Botta. 

Botta and others at the university 

found documents about this community 

in Madrid, Rome, and Paris. The 

documents were produced by Catholic 

authorities that had encountered the 

community during their trip to Argentina. 

In 2019, Botta approached the 

CCC to discuss funding the exploratory 

field research in Jujuy. 

As executive director of the CCC, 

I was happy to support this project, 

along with the board. We are attempting 

to capture information about the 

Chaldean diaspora and, like Dr. Botta 

and the Pontifical Catholic University, 

we are interested in creating a digital 

archive of the Chaldean Iranians living 

in Argentina. 

Identifying as Chaldean 

These emigrants and their descendants 

spoke Syriac at home until the eighties. 

They also spoke Persian and Russian, 

but their linguistic identity was tied to 

the Syriac heritage; it is clear to see on 

the gravestones in the section of the 

cemetery in El Carmen where they were 

buried. 

“My family was quite aware of their 

origins and called themselves ‘Kaldani,’” 

said Alejandro Safarov, professor 

at the Catholic University of Santiago 

del Estero. 

Safarov spoke to the last surviving 

member of the first immigrants, Tato 

Kamandaro, now deceased. He learned 

that in the beginning, the Chaldean 

families in Argentina honored their culture, 

identity, and traditions, keeping 

them alive through family meetings and 

celebrations. That all stopped when the 

elders wanted to keep the community 

as close as possible by choosing whom 

the young people would marry. 

“Argentina is a very multicultural 

society, and it was very hard 

to convince the young, who assimilated 

very fast, to stay within 

their own community,” said Safarov. 

“They married with the locals 

and other immigrants.” 

The Long Journey 

Some of the families emigrated 

from Iran through the Ottoman 

Empire and France towards 

South America. Others arrived 

through the territories of the 

Russian empire in the Caucasus, 

what is today the Republic of 

Georgia, and they settled temporarily 

in Tiblisi and Batumi. 

“My paternal great-grandfather 

Martin is from Batumi,” 

said Safarov. “They left because 

of the consequences of the First 

World War, the Russian Revolution, 

and religious persecution.” 

While Safarov says that his 

ancestors didn’t like to talk 

about the atrocities of that 

time, he remembers his grandfather, 

Simon, telling him how he, at 

age 13, walked over dead bodies to 

reach the ship that would take him 

and his mother to America. 

“America was their destination,” 

said Safarov. 

The Vatican and Spanish government 

representative in Iran, a priest, 

organized the trip for many of these 

families. This was mostly during the 

First World War, some of the families 

told Botta. 

The family memories agree on the 

help they received from the Catholic 

orders working in the region, Lazarists 

and Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent 

de Paul, who gave them money 

and the documents needed for the trip. 


Chaldean families in Jujuy, Argentina in the mid 20th century. 

Those families had a strong Catholic 

identity and since they were only 

about 60-80 people, they fully integrated 

into the Roman Latin parishes, 

losing their liturgical tradition. However, 

they still remember the Sign of 

the Cross and Our Father in Syriac. 

Further Research 

Correspondence and photographic evidence 

show contact with other Chaldean 

families who remained in Iran. 

“We can reconstruct the relationships 

based on some photos and testimonies 

of the families,” said Botta. 

Some members of the community 

have visited Iran, remaining there for 

months with their families. In 1965, 

when the Shah of Iran visited Argentina, 

they met with him in Buenos Aires. 

Contact between the two groups 

remained constant until the Islamic 

Revolution in 1979; the war between 

Iraq and Iran (1980-1988) made it even 

more difficult to remain in touch. By 

the beginning of the nineties, there 

was no more contact. 

Those in the family know that in 

some cases their surnames where 

changed (mainly Russified) or misspelled 

when they arrived to Argentina, 

but they still can identity the 

members of that community as the 

following families: Abraham, Acop, 

Begzadeth, Chalabe, David, Dávida, 

D’Jallad, Guibarguis, Isayo, Kamandaro, 

Khallov, Kuryakus, Malik, Mastaram, 

Nathanielof, Pabloff, Sarquiza, 

and Slivon. 

“These families were very happy 

to know that there is interest in their 

history, and they would love to contact 

other members of the Chaldean community 

abroad,” said Botta. “Unfortunately, 

they live in a very small town 

and the new generations don´t speak 

foreign languages.” 

This research has encouraged 

Safarov to study and to understand 

more about the history of his family 

and where they came from. “It would 

be great to connect with Chaldeans 

around the world to make people 

aware of this part of the diaspora in 

Argentina, which welcomed these immigrants,” 

said Safarov. 


FEATURE 

Left: Johnny, his daughter Jacklyn, 

his wife Marian, and his mother 

Barbara at his program certification 

ceremony at Macomb Community 

College, December 2022. 

Hopeless to Heroic 

The Johnny Shamou story 

BY CRYSTAL KASSAB JABIRO 

It is hard to hide a secret when 

one is randomly babbling, chaotically 

removing everything from 

the freezer, or suddenly talking to an 

imaginary cat on the top of the fridge. 

These were Johnny Shamou’s odd 

behaviors in front of his family while 

he was addicted to heroin. His addiction 

began with illegally prescribed 

drugs as a teenager, and before that he 

had smoked cigarettes and dabbled in 

marijuana and alcohol once in a while 

if it was around. This was because of 

his need to “fit in” with the crowd. 

The need to be accepted by peers 

in school is not a new concept. But for 

Shamou, the “newness” was constant 

because his family moved several 

times over the span of a few years. In 

1997, his father Jack went to federal 

prison for a couple of years for bootlegging 

movies, and the family lost their 

big model home in Sterling Heights. 

They moved first to a rental in 

Rochester and then to a townhouse in 

Troy. The Shamous tried to reassure 

their son– who was nine and ten years 

younger than his older siblings– that 

everything would be okay. His mom, 

Barbara, and his brother and sister 

wanted to protect him from the stress 

and pain of their father’s absence. 

When Jack came back home, the 

Shamous invested in a restaurant. The 

dad went back to his gambling ways, 

which caused a financial and emotional 

strain on the whole family. In a 

span of ten years, Shamou had gone to 

eight different schools before he finally 

graduated from Royal Oak Churchill 

Community High School in 2005. It 

was after that when his life took a turn 

for the worse. 

At 18, Shamou tried Vicodin, a prescription 

pain-reliever, from a friend. 

It gave him a euphoric high and made 

him feel powerful. It made his whole 

body numb and it made lifting heavy 

furniture easier at his job in a local furniture 

store. So he craved it more and 

more. 

“Once you become dependent on 

it, you need it to function,” said Shamou, 

now 36. “If you do not take it, you 

get withdrawals.” 

Withdrawals include restless legs, 

no sleep, aches and pains, and even 

vomiting. 

Each pill typically lasts 4-8 hours, 

but since Shamou had become dependent 

on it, the numbness did not last. 

So he was taking 10-15 a day, and one 

time, he took 20. 

After the opioid epidemic hit and he 

was unable to illegally obtain Vicodin, 

he started improperly acquiring Oxycontin 

and Oxycodone. Then he started 

doing heroin, which was cheaper than 

the pills and more intense. He was fired 

from his job at a local hospital for having 

fallen over on a stretcher. The hospital 

gave him a second chance because they 

support recovery, but he refused to keep 

up with their demands, which included 

taking Suboxone, a medicine used to 

treat opioid use disorder, and reporting 

for drug-testing. After one month, he 

failed his drug test and was fired again. 

Shamou tried hiding this from his 

parents, but they caught on. He believes 

they were initially in denial, but 

they confronted him the first time he 

went to jail. He was pulled over for 

swerving on the road as he tried to 

inject himself with heroin while driving. 

He stayed in the Macomb County 

Jail for one week before a friend bailed 

him out since his parents refused to. 

He went home to get clothes and told 

his parents he was not on drugs, that 

the police were lying. He knew that he 

had hurt them but did not care at the 

time. All he was thinking about was 

how he was going to get his next fix. 

The next few years were a battle. 

Shamou was in and out of jail and 

rehab. His mother and sister, Eva, 

started going to Peter’s Angels, a drug 

awareness program held at Mother 

of God Chaldean Catholic Church in 

Southfield. They met other family 

members of drug addicts and learned 

about a treatment center in Hawaii 

that a recovering addict had gone to. 

They resolved to send Shamou there 

for the two-and-a-half year program. 

At first, Shamou thought it was 

going to be a vacation. He thought it 

might help. He thought he would just 

shut his family up. He did not know 

the place was going to break him down 

to build him back up. He did not give 

it a chance. After two months, Shamou 

checked himself out and became 

homeless in Hawaii, sleeping under a 

tree for a week until he got a job and 

found a room to rent. Two months 

later, he showed up on his parents’ 

doorstep. 

Of course, the Shamous were upset 

and urged him to go back, but they 


4.375 in. 

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SOUNDBOARDDETROIT.COM 

let him stay so they could keep a close 

eye on him. Yet he still managed to get 

in trouble with the law– the last time 

for possession and use of heroin and 

crack while driving. 

“2017 was my breaking point,” recalled 

Shamou. “After years of abusing 

my body and my family, I finally said 

‘enough is enough!’” 

He went to jail for 30 days and then 

rehab for 30 days. Shamou asked for 

drug court. Eva, his older sister who 

was at her own breaking point, went 

in front of the judge and demanded he 

send her baby brother to prison. 

“I shouted, ‘Judge, we have been 

through hell and back! If you let him 

out on these streets, it will be blood 

on your hands!’” Eva recounted. The 

judge even threatened to hold her in 

contempt of court. Eva feared that after 

several overdoses and lockups and 

rehabs, that her brother was going to 

be another statistic. 

It was not only Johnny suffering; it 

was the whole family. His mother especially 

would cry all day and night 

and was often hospitalized because of 

her anxiety. 

“My son was dying before my 

eyes,” Barbara remembered. “We did 

everything we could, but it was ultimately 

up to him.” 

The judge sentenced Shamou to 

drug court, an 18-month program in 

three phases that included counseling, 

meetings, and drug-testing. At 

first, he was upset with his sister, but 

he realized her efforts came from her 

deep love for him. She had come to 

jail and court and the hospital, often 

schlepping her young kids along with 

her, and she had done everything she 

could to save him. He now knew he 

was worth more and he was ready for 

a new life. 

“It was a long road ahead,” said 

Shamou. “All of those years of blocked 

emotions started revealing themselves 

to me, and I had to deal with them. 

And I had to deal with the issues of 

everyday life. But I had to prove to everyone 

I could do it.” 

While in recovery, he got a job in a 

bottling company making good money. 

The long hours kept him busy and 

free from thinking about drugs. He no 

longer craved them anymore. There 

were no more excuses and no more 

lies. He would no longer be hopeless. 

In the meantime, Shamou met a nice 

IF YOU OR A LOVED 

ONE NEED SUPPORT, 

YOU CAN GO TO: 

Your family physician (who are 

now allowed to treat and refer 

patients with addictions). 

www.michigan.gov/opioids. 

Call 211 or go to www.mi211.org. 

www.familiesagainstnarcotics. 

org and find your local area. 

Your local coalitions through 

church and community 

programs. 

12.0 in. 

young lady named Marian. He was upfront 

about his recovery with her, and 

she decided to give him a chance. He 

finished drug court within 16 months 

(instead of the prescribed 18) and was 

one of a small number of people to successfully 

complete the program without 

sanctions since the 1980s. He owes his 

recovery to the support of his family, a 

great job, and drug court. 

“During my addiction, I didn’t put 

God at the forefront,” said Shamou. 

“My wife went to church every Sunday, 

so I did too. God helped me a lot. He 

always did. I just didn’t believe it at the 

time. God really is there.” 

Shamou’s parents and siblings 

never gave up on him nor did they ever 

stop praying. 

“We want people to know about 

my son’s story because it will help others,” 

said Barbara. “Nobody should be 

embarrassed. You have to help your 

kids. You have to educate yourselves. 

And you have to understand this is a 

sickness. But you have to also give 

them the space to recover. They have 

to want it. We are so proud of Johnny 

now. He is heroic, and his wife is 

equally amazing.” 

Shamou and Marian got married in 

2020 and now have a five-month old 

baby, Jacklyn, named after his father 

who passed away in 2021. He recently 

completed a program in robotics automation 

at M-Tec through Macomb 

Community College and works as a 

controls technician. He has been clean 

since April 8, 2017. 

Johnny Shamou can be found on 

Facebook and is willing to support you 

on your recovery journey. 

Special Guest J BROWN 

MARCH 18 

MAY 13 

JUNE 11 

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©2023 Detroit Entertainment, L.L.C. All rights reserved. 


FEATURE 

Suicide Prevention 

BY JACQUELINE RAXTER, MSW 

RESOURCES: 

According to the American Foundation 

for Suicide Prevention 

(AFSP), suicide is currently 

the 12th leading cause of death in the 

United States. There is an average of 130 

deaths by suicide every day. In 2020, 

45,979 Americans died by suicide and 

there were an estimated 1.2 million suicide 

attempts. The suicide rate in 2020 

was 13.48 per 100,000 individuals. 

And it may be getting worse. 

Throughout this unprecedented pandemic, 

studies show that 1 in 4 adults 

suffer from suicidal thoughts. Moreover, 

40 percent of adults admit to 

struggling with severe anxiety and dependency 

on drugs since the coronavirus 

epidemic changed all our lives. 

75 percent of young adults report 

having an extremely difficult time coping 

with the sudden changes caused 

by the pandemic. Fortunately, 93 percent 

of those surveyed by AFSP in the 

United States think suicide can be 

prevented. At-risk suicide prevention 

training is geared to train non-mental 

health professionals detect warning 

signs of suicidal behavior. 

Youth at Risk 

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of 

death for individuals aged 10-19, and 

the 2nd leading cause for ages 20-34. 

Based on the most recent Youth 

Risk Behaviors Survey from 2019, 8.9 

percent of youth in grades 9-12 reported 

that they had made at least one suicide 

attempt in the past 12 months. Female 

students attempted almost twice 

as often as male students. 

According to the most recent data 

(February 2022) from the CDC, 10 percent 

of adult Americans have thought 

about suicide and a whopping 54 percent 

of Americans have been affected 

by suicide. 

What Can I Do to Support Someone 

Who I Think May Be at Risk? 

If in doubt, don’t wait — ask the question, 

“Are you thinking of harming 

yourself?” Alternate ways to ask include 

“Have you been so very unhappy 

lately that you’ve been thinking about 

ending your life?” and “You look pretty 

miserable; I wonder if you’re thinking 

about suicide?” 

If the person is reluctant to talk, 

be persistent. Get them alone or someplace 

private and allow them to speak 

freely without judgement or defensiveness. 

Give them plenty of time to identify 

their feelings. Listen to them with 

your full attention, offer hope in any 

form and have resources handy; phone 

numbers, counselor’s name and any 

other information that might help. 

Remember, suicide is not the problem, 

only the solution to a perceived 

insoluble problem. 

Keep Asking 

Suicidal individuals often feel that they 

cannot be helped so you may need to do 

more. 

The best referral involves taking 

the person directly to someone 

who can help. The next best referral 

is getting a commitment from them 

to accept help, then making the arrangements 

to get that help. The 

third best referral is to give referral 

information and try to get a good 

faith commitment not to attempt suicide. 

Any willingness to accept help 

at some time, even if in the future, is 

a good outcome. 

Ask and keep asking, “Will you go 

with me to get help?” or “Will you let 

me help you get help?” or “What can 

we do to keep you safe for now?” 

Your willingness to listen can rekindle 

hope and make all the difference. 

If there is a life-threatening emergency 

call 911 or go to the nearest 

hospital ER. 

Call or text 988 (Suicide Crisis 

Line) for immediate trained counselor 

support. 

Contact Macomb County Mental 

Health Emergency Crisis Line 

24/7 at (586) 307-9100. 

Seek support from a professional 

physician, nurse practitioner, social 

worker, professional counselor, 

psychiatrist, or psychologist. 

Often, your Primary Care doctor 

or insurance provider can assist 

with a referral. 

A Holding on to Life Toolkit is 

available at https://www.mcspc. 

org/ToolKit.html. 

Chaldean Community Foundation’s 

Project Light is available to 

assist with mental health treatment 

questions during business 

hours. Offering services by appointment 

for individual intake, 

treatment planning, and individual 

therapy in a CARF accredited, 

private not-for-profit professional 

office setting. Call (586) 722-7253. 



PHOTO ESSAY 

Iraqi 

Children 

in the 

Frame 

A photo essay 

of the homeland 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILSON SARKIS 

CAPTIONS BY ALAN MANSOUR 

Top of page: Kids next to the Sacred Heart Church in Tilkepe. Their parents believe it to be the safest place for their kids to play. 

Bottom: Kids playing street soccer in Tilkepe. 


Clockwise from top right: 

Hassan Ali, a child from Tilkepe, told 

me he wants to be a mechanic and 

does not want to attend school. His 

words were: “Too many students in the 

class, and we can’t pay attention to 

what the teacher says.” 

Children in Iraq make playgrounds where 

they are able, including the grounds of 

churches. Many were destroyed by ISIS 

and are now being rebuilt. 

Baghdida Catholic High School. 

Schools are getting back to normal 

after residents came back to their 

homes. 

Nahla Valley Middle School in Duhok, 

Iraq. All subjects are being taught in 

Sureth. The school is funded by the 

Assyrian Aid Society of America and 

many Chaldeans worldwide. 

Baghdida Catholic Middle School. 


CULTURE & HISTORY 

Habib Hannona: A man of many talents 

BY ADHID MIRI, PHD. 

Pioneers deserve recognition 

and celebration. They serve as 

our foundation, a guiding force 

toward an advanced and progressive 

society. They act as catalysts for passing 

wisdom onto new generations, 

inspiring individuals to become their 

best selves. 

Habib Hannona is a living example 

of one such pioneer. His achievements 

in the United States, Kuwait, 

and Iraq exemplify human strength, 

enduring spirit, survival, and success. 

We write about him using his 

historic contributions and academic 

recollections in the context of his time 

and his generation. 

As an author, engineer, linguist, 

painter, poet, and historian, Habib 

Hannona has had an illustrious career, 

illuminating the way for others. As an 

historian, he takes a long view toward 

a better place and brighter future. As 

an engineer, he believes in the construction 

of a moral Christian society 

and sterling values. His story is a remarkable 

one, and he is truly a shining 

star in our universal community. 

Above: Habib Hannona, 

painting his wife, 2010. 

Left: Painting a friend, 1959. 

Personal Biography 

Habib Matti Petrus Hannona Mahanna 

Mahlalaeel Nissan Al- Hannona 

is a Chaldean Christian, an American 

citizen, who was born in the town of 

Karemlash in the Nineveh Province of 

Iraq in 1943. 

The youngest of five siblings, he 

has four sisters - Hanneh, Mia/Meriam, 

Anisa, and Kameela. His parents, Matti 

Putrus and Naiema Behnam Abdal, 

were native to the village of Karemlash. 

Married to Jamila Suleiman Matti 

Al-Qutta after a 4-year love story, the 

couple have two daughters, Taghreed 

and Tan, and two sons, Thamer and 

Ragheed. The 3 older children were 

born in Basrah, Iraq, and the youngest, 

Ragheed, in Baghdad. Married 

since February 4th, 1972, Habib and 

Jamila have 11 grandchildren. 

Habib came to the United States 

with his family on Christmas Eve 

1991. He says, “My journey was not 

easy; America is the place you come 

to change your life. America is the 

place to start a new life. That is why I 

came to America.” 

Education 

Habib Hannona completed his primary 

education at the Karemlash School, 

Um Al-Rabeien Intermediate School in 

Mosul, and he attended night school 

at Ja’fariya secondary school in Baghdad 

in 1960. 

Following high school graduation, 

Habib joined the Higher Institute of 

Languages/University of Baghdad to 

study English and German Languages 

for two years. From there, he traveled 

to West Germany to study architecture. 

He returned to Iraq in 1964, eager 

to further his education. Habib took 

advantage of the opportunities offered 

by the Jesuit’s at Al-Hikma University 

in Baghdad to study civil engineering. 

Many of his talents emerged 

during his studies with the Jesuits, 

supported by a creative environment 

that encouraged painting, literature, 

poetry, theater, and scientific research. 

He held several personal exhibitions 

of his paintings over a period 

of three years, 1965-1967. 

In 1967, Habib was hired by an 

engineering company operating in 

Kirkuk, so he postponed his studies 

for two years. 

In 1968, after the government nationalization 

of Al-Hikma University, 

he rejoined the University of Baghdad 

to complete his studies and graduated 

with a B.S. in Civil Engineering 

in 1971. 

After graduation, Habib worked 

with various companies for 3 years, 

eventually establishing his own engineering 

company for general contracting 

in Basra, the Eridu Construc- 


From left: Habib Hannona in a 1961 portrait; Working in college, 1965; Habib Hannona 2022. Below: ‘My Mother’ painting by Habib Hannona, 1986. 

tion Contracting Company. At Eridu, 

he invited his best friends to join 

him and together, they implemented 

many projects throughout Iraq (1974- 

1984) and Kuwait (1985-1990). Habib 

lived in Kuwait from 1984 until Iraq 

invaded in 1990. 

The Gulf War of 1991 was a turning 

point and a critical new step in 

his life. In 1991, he left Iraq with his 

family to move to the United States 

of America. The family lived in San 

Diego, California until 1995, before 

moving to Detroit, Michigan. 

Habib the Artist 

There is no denying that Habib was a 

trailblazer in his early days; he loves to 

talk about his artistic interest and reflect 

on his pioneering work of drawings. 

“I started since fifth grade…and 

was influenced by an art teacher (Hazem 

Afendi) who encouraged me and 

allowed my talent to grow and develop 

through several years of practice,” 

Habib remembers. 

“My first artistic achievement was 

drawing a large oil painting representing 

‘Mar Gewargees,’ painted at 

the request of the Khor-Bishop of Mar 

Adday in Karemlash in 1961. I was 18 

years old.” 

Throughout his artistic career, 

Habib completed more than fifty oil 

paintings, plus dozens of sketches, 

watercolors, and drawings on glass. 

According to Habib, his most important 

oil paintings are “On the Calvary” 

and “Mother.” 

The latter was a large painting 

that he completed during his stay at 

the University of Al-Hikma. The piece 

was ultimately donated to the University 

Church. After the nationalization 

of Al-Hikma University in 1968, and 

subsequent looting it was unfortunately 

stolen and went missing. After 

a 3-year search, the painting was located 

and Habib tried to purchase it 

back for 1,000 Iraqi Dinar in 1971 from 

a collector but was unsuccessful. 

Habib did not study art or receive 

formal training. He benefited from 

the advice of many connoisseurs who 

watched over his work and from his 

visits to art galleries and museums, 

in Iraq and Europe. These activities 

helped him develop his artistic vision 

and become acquainted with the major 

art schools in the world. 

His artistic passion and quest for 

exploring the world of arts and architecture 

made him travel extensively. 

He has visited most of the countries 

of Eastern and Western Europe many 

times; for tourism, knowledge, to visit 

museums, and search for historical 

sources. 

Around the world in 80 days 

Traveling is still a favorite activity 

whenever his circumstances permit. 

In 1984, Habib went on a journey 

around the world in 80 days, inspired 

by the famous novel of Jules Verne: 

“Around the World in 80 Days.” 

Habib explained his extreme efforts 

to travel, “At that time, the 

booking (flights and hotels) and the 

planning was not easy; there was 

no internet at that time, no smart 

phones, no Google or GPS.” 

He gathered all the visas from the 

countries which he planned to visit 

from their consulates in Kuwait, except 

the Consulate of United States of 

America. 

Here is that story: 

“This is what happened. On December 

12, 1983, I went to the US Consulate 

in Kuwait around 8:00 – 8:30 AM to apply 

for a visa. While I was in the Consulate 

lobby waiting my turn to be called 

for submitting my application, looking 

through the window, I saw a big ruck 

hit the entrance gate and then a big 

explosion happened. In moments, the 

entire Consulate building collapsed on 

our heads.” 

Habib’s recounting of the terrorist 

attack continues: “I was bleeding 

in different spots - my head and my 

hands, etc. I lost my bag, my papers, 

and my passport. It is hard to explain 

my situation at that moment -life 

threatening fear. Thanks God, I made 

it outside through the rubble, while 

I am bleeding. I have climbed on the 

exterior wall and thrown myself to the 

ground. 

“After a few days, I went back to 

the US Consulate in Kuwait to look for 

my papers. The Consulate was closed, 

but they allowed me to go in because 

I was one of the victims of the terrorist 

attack. The Consulate personnel gave 

me my papers and told me that, “The 

United States Consulate in Kuwait is 

closed for a while, but you can get the 

visa from the USA Embassy – Consular 

Section in London. Your name 

is there. 

“That terrorist act has affected my 

life for long time.” 

Habib’s journey around the world 

began on Friday December 23, 1983, 

travelling from Kuwait going west 

to Istanbul-Turkey. He then headed 

CULTURE continued on page 34 


CULTURE & HISTORY 

CULTURE continued from page 33 

to Europe, visiting many European 

countries including the United Kingdom, 

then on to the USA. Major cities 

on the tour included New York, 

Detroit, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, 

San Diego, and the state of Hawaii. 

He flew from Hawaii to Sydney, 

Australia, then Singapore, returning 

to Kuwait on Sunday March 11, 1984. 

He made it in 80 days! 

Habib the poet and historian 

“I am very proud of my early poetic 

attempts,” says Habib. “My hobby began 

in the early sixties of the last century, 

reading local magazines (including 

Alf Ba/ABC magazine) and Iraqi 

newspapers at the time; some of them 

were broadcast by the BBC London 

Arabic Radio.” 

This pleasant early journey with 

words led to his cultural achievements 

in the field of writing history. 

His research, studies, and topics were 

of interest to many, especially with 

what Iraq has gone through since 

1958, and the tragic events post-2003 

that forced thousands of (Christian) 

families to leave their homeland under 

extinction circumstances, threats, 

and murder. 

“My love of history stems from my 

love for the homeland, for it is the 

resting place of parents and grandparents, 

and it is the place where 

even if we leave it, our heart will remain 

in it forever. As for history, reading 

history becomes a station of the 

cross and reminder that gives hope 

and reassurance to man. It is a great 

human school, from which we draw 

lessons upon lessons.” 

Love of Karemlash (Karamlesh) 

“Karemlash, my hometown, it is an 

ancient town, says Habib. “Its roots 

go back to the stone ages and prehistoric 

times. Some considered it one 

of the oldest human colonies in the 

world.” 

The oldest name given to Karamles 

or Karemlash is “Kar – Mulissi.” 

It is an Akkadian name which means 

“The City of Goddess Mulissi.” It is 

presumed to have been given that 

name during the Akkadian Empire in 

the Third Millennium BC, most likely 

during the era of King Sargon of Akkad 

(2371-2316 BC). 

World Peace Star Award September 28, 2022 

When the Assyrian King Sennacherib 

(704 – 685 B.C.) built the Wall of 

Nineveh, he named one of the gates 

as the Gate of Kar-Mulissi. Sennacherib 

also built an underground irrigation 

system in the northwestern territories 

of Karamles, known today as 

Qnaiwat (canals). The current well at 

St. Barbara Church in Karamles was a 

part of that Qnaiwat irrigation water 

system. 

The other names given to Karamles 

were Er-Ilu-Banu, Uru-Dingir-Nin- 

Lil, and Gaugamela. 

Present-day Karemlash is a Chaldean 

town in Nineveh Governorate. It 

is administratively linked to Bartella 

sub-district, within the Hamdaniya 

district and its center Qarah Qosh- 

Baghdida. 

Most of the townspeople are Chaldean 

Christians, with a minority belonging 

to the Syriac Catholic Church, 

in addition to a minority of Shabaks. 

The history of the town extends back 

to more than five thousand years. Famous 

for many historical events, the 

most famous of which is the great battle 

that took place between Alexander 

the Great and Darius III in 331 BC. 

The town became an important 

commercial and religious center in 

the region during the Middle Ages. 

Among the most prominent churches 

and monasteries are St. George Monastery 

(6th Century AD), Mar Younan 

Monastery, Rabban Yokhana Monastery, 

Daughters of Mary Monastery, 

Church of the Forty Martyrs, St. Barbara 

Church, Virgin Mary Church, 

and St. Addy the Messenger Church. 

Karemlash has kept pace with 

Iraqi history since ancient times, today 

it continues its role as a bright 

spot on the Iraqi geographical, political, 

and religious map. 

Interest in Archeology 

As a youngster, Habib used to roam 

the fields around his beloved Karemlash 

and climb its nearby hills. He 

was amazed to see that those hills 

and dunes surrounding the town are 

full of remnants of pottery pots and 

artifacts. 

Since childhood, he was fascinated 

by the hills scattered in his beautiful 

hometown, picking up pieces of 

pottery scattered here and there and 

asking questions: “I wondered who 

these belong to, and who used to live 

here,” said Habib. Innocent questions 

are not devoid of the world of 

magic and imagination, and life takes 

its course. Habib was immersed in 

study, family, sources of living, but 

the obsession remains stuck there, 

deep inside his soul, looking for answers 

that relieve it of anxiety. 

“I decided to search for the history 

of my hometown of Karemlash. This 

made me a permanent visitor to the library 

of the Iraqi Museum and its resident 

for a long time. I am proud that 

my first book was the “The History of 

Karamles,” which was published in 

1988. The book was a big hit and won 

the approval of everyone who viewed 

it or acquired it. What made me most 

happy was this book became a valuable 

reference for many Iraqi as well 

as foreign researchers and historians, 

such as the American historian Walter 

Kaiki. The book was later recognized 

within dozens of books written 

by researchers who referenced the 

book, Karemlash History, as a prime 

source for their research.” 

Habib’s particular interest was 

to write and record historical information. 

As a result of his continuous 

visits to the Iraqi museum since 

the late fifties and sixti esof the last 


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century, he became acquainted with 

many renowned archaeologists and 

researchers such as Dr. Fouad Safar 

and researcher/historian Georges 

Awad, who encouraged Habib to pursue 

historical research and study the 

Akkadian cuneiform language. 

When Habib Hannona writes about 

his love of Karemlash, surely there will 

be a lot that can be told about it by other 

scholars. He says, “I was honored to 

have an introduction and description 

of my book by the great historian and 

researcher Gorges Awad, and a letter 

he sent to me as a precious historical 

masterpiece of a beautiful Iraqi town. 

Many local newspapers and magazines 

reviewed and commented on the 

book at the time.” 

Habib’s interest in Karemlash 

archeological sites contributed to 

pushing the Directorate of General 

Antiquities and the Directorate of Antiquities 

of Mosul to research and excavate 

one of the archaeological hills 

in town, Tell Ghanam, in 1971. This 

was an extension to the excavations 

in the town which had been started 

by many foreign researchers since the 

nineteenth century. 

“My hope that the Iraqi government 

represented by the Directorate 

of General Antiquities and the Department 

of Antiquities of the Northern 

Region will pay more attention to this 

matter because of its great meanings 

and deep implications,” says Habib. 

“As the bright face and the Assyrian 

historical and civilizational identity of 

the region will appear, thus eliminating 

the certainty of the identity of the 

region during the conflicts that these 

regions are currently witnessing.” 

“In addition,” he continues, “it 

will be a magnet for tourists, orientalists 

and those interested in these matters 

from all over the world, which in 

turn will highlight the cultural and 

historical depth of the country to the 

world; and not only here in the country, 

but there are also hundreds, rather, 

thousands of archaeological sites 

that the state did not pay attention to 

but befitting its history.” 

From the Author 

It has been my high honor and 

privilege to write about the man, 

Habib Hannona. The Chaldean 

community in Michigan is fortunate 

to have him among its ranks as a 

cultural pillar and distinguished 

author. It is no wonder that when he 

walks to a room, a rainbow of hope 

appears with him always. 

We are looking for ways to shine 

a spotlight on our distinguished 

pioneers and to inspire others. 

Perhaps those community members 

who blazed the trail and inspired us 

might also inspire you. 

Acknowledgement of material 

from Habib Hannona and Taghreed 

Thomas. Excerpts from an article and 

interview by Kamal Yaldo. Special 

editing by Jacqueline Raxter. 


TRAVEL 

Fly Me Away 

Travel boom continues despite high prices and poor service 

BY PAUL NATINSKY 

Rumors of the travel industry’s 

decline based on pandemic 

fears, high airfare prices and 

poor, undertrained workers are vastly 

overstated. In fact, travel is back at 

record levels for 2023 and beyond, despite 

the aftereffects of COVID. 

Boom 

“It’s out of control. People are like, ‘I’ve 

got a get out of jail free card and I’m 

going because I don’t know when they 

are going to put me back in jail,’” said 

David Fishman of Cadillac Travel Group 

in Royal Oak. He said the “fear factor” 

for leaving the state and the country 

has been greatly reduced. He is now 

booking people for Italy, Iceland, South 

America, Costa Rica and Spain. 

“it’s a bright future to be honest 

with you. I have been in business over 

30 years. Now it’s non-stop and I think 

it’s going to be busier and busier,” said 

Amira Bajoka of Rena Travel & Tours 

in Sterling Heights. 

At the same time, prices are going 

up. “It’s not like before when you 

used to have bargains,” said Bajoka. 

“(Airfare) to California that was $300 

and $400, which we used to think 

is too much, now is $500 and $600. 

Iraq before the pandemic in January, 

February, March we had a special for 

around $600 or $700, now minimum 

is $1,370.” 

“(2023) is going to be a recordbreaking 

year for every aspect of the 

travel industry,” said Fishman. “The 

airlines are going to make so much 

money they don’t know what to do 

with it because they are charging astronomical 

amounts of money; hotels 

are coming back with a vengeance so 

you’re going to see higher prices there, 

but service levels are coming down 

because of the lack of employees or 

trained employees.” 

Fits & Starts 

The timeline for recovery featured a 

“bouncing effect,” said Fishman. In 

January 2021, the COVID vaccine was 

just coming out. People could get a vaccine 

and start traveling. “Then the CDC 

said you can travel but you have to get 

a test to get back in the country, so then 

people did an about face and began 

cancelling all their plans again. That 

all happened in January 2021 and killed 

the first half of 2021,” said Fishman. 

“By 2022, the dust started to settle.” 

Until the tests to get back into the 

country were completely lifted, some 

people wouldn’t leave the country. 

Other people said, “forget it, I’m traveling 

anyway.” Things began picking 

up at the beginning of 2022 and in the 

second half of 2022, things started to 

get really busy, said Fishman. 

Darkest Before the Dawn 

Fishman has been in the travel industry 

for 40 years and gone through 

9/11, the internet travel boom, and 

the economic downturn of 2007/2008. 

“I’ve been through it all and this is like 

nothing I’ve ever seen before. I do not 

know how I survived it, to be honest 

with you.” He said most travel agencies 

are gone. 

Bajoka said the aftermath of 9/11 

was harder on her agency than COVID. 

“Two weeks with nothing but refunds, 

refunds, refunds. This one (COVID) 

they did not give refunds, but gave a 

credit. So, when they come back, people 

have to travel because they have a 

credit in their hands. 


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“After 9/11 people were afraid to 

travel, so it was slow even when we 

came back,” said Bajoka. “This one 

we were shut down and as soon as 

the pandemic got easier, people 

started traveling. They were like, 

‘please get us out of here.’” 

Bajoka said credits were extended 

until the end of 2023, contributing 

to the high demand this year. 

Demand remains high even though 

credits reflect the purchase price 

of airfare before the pandemic and 

customers have to absorb the increase 

since COVID, although some 

downscaled their destinations. 

Fishman compared the travel 

industry’s experience to that of 

the much-publicized struggles 

restaurants faced. Restaurants 

had it bad during the pandemic, 

but if they had the same experience 

that travel agencies did, they 

would have had to “take the food 

back for every meal they served 

for the past six months, un-prepare 

the food, put the raw ingredients 

on the shelf, get the money back 

from the customers, and not talk about 

food for the next six months to a year.” 

Because travel is booked six to 

eight months in advance, not a few 

Amira Boka in Israel (left) and with a tour group in the Middle East. 

days in advance like going out to dinner, 

travel agency employees were 

working to get payments back to customers 

without being able to book and 

receive revenue for future travel. 

Despite the challenges and his 40 

years at the helm of Cadillac Travel 

Group, Fishman said he never considered 

retirement. He didn’t want a COV- 

ID-created departure to be his legacy. 

He also didn’t want to leave his 22 employees 

in a bind. 

Looking Ahead 

The future looks promising for the 

travel industry. Bajoka said she 

books a lot of group travel and 

her typical booking of one or two 

30-person groups for destinations 

in Israel has ballooned to three 

groups of 40, with waiting lists. She 

said many of the hotels she works 

with in Israel and Europe are advising 

her to make bookings for 2024 

and 2025, before they fill up. 

All of this exploding demand 

for travel comes amid not only 

continued high prices but understaffed 

facilities and poorly 

trained service workers. Bajoka 

and Fishman spoke of long airport 

lines and diminished service quality 

throughout the travel industry, 

including tour operators, cruise 

lines, and car rental companies. 

Another thing they agree on is 

that buying travel services online 

is a risk that many refuse to take, 

especially in the aftermath of the 

COVID pandemic. It seems there 

is nothing like using an agency that 

has direct relationships with hoteliers, 

airline representatives, and others on 

the destination end of travel plans. 

Just in case. 


SPORTS 

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY 

Ava Sarafa (second from left) shares a laugh with fellow University of Kentucky signees (from left) Brooklyn DeLete, Brooke Bultema, Molly Tuozzo and Jordyn Dailey. 

Set Up for Success 

Ava Sarafa heads to the University of Kentucky 

BY STEVE STEIN 

Ava Sarafa’s storied volleyball 

career at Birmingham Marian 

High School is over. Now she’s 

getting ready for the next stop in her 

journey. 

Soon, she’ll be off to the University 

of Kentucky to play volleyball for the 

national powerhouse Wildcats. 

“Time has gone by so quickly since 

I verbally committed then signed, especially 

since I signed,” she said, referring 

to September 4, 2021, when she 

made a verbal commitment to Kentucky 

just one day after completing an 

official three-day visit, and November 

9, when she signed her national letter 

of intent. 

“It’s weird. It’s hit me that I’m getting 

close to graduation,” she said. 

“Marian has been great to me. The 

school is like one big old family. Everyone 

has your best interests at heart 

and are rooting for you so you can be 

your best self.” 

Sarafa, a setter, was a member of 

three state championship teams at 

Marian. The Mustangs won titles in 

2020-22, Sarafa’s sophomore, junior, 

and senior seasons. 

Those are team accomplishments. 

She has some impressive individual 

ones, too. 

She finished second in the voting 

for the 2022 Miss Volleyball award to 

Ann Arbor Skyline’s Harper Murray, 

the No. 1-ranked player in the country, 

but she was named player of 

the year in the state by Max- 

Preps, an All-American by 

MaxPreps, and the Division I 

Player of the Year in the state 

by Prep Dig Michigan. Recently, 

Sarafa was named one of 

the 25 All-USA Team members 

who will be honored as nominees 

for national Girls Volleyball 

Player of the Year. The 

winner will be revealed this summer. 

Marian, ranked No. 7 in the country, 

defeated Northville 22-25, 25-23, 25- 

23, 25-11 for the 2022 state championship 

at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, 

averaging its only loss of the season 

and finishing 49-1. 

Ava Sarafa won three state volleyball championships 

at Marian. 

When Northville beat Marian at 

the Beast of the East Tournament, the 

Mustangs were missing two starters 

because of injuries. They had something 

to prove in the rematch. 

Sarafa had 45 assists and 10 digs in 

the championship match. 

As a setter, she was in charge of or- 


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chestrating the team’s offense, making 

sure hitter each gets the ball in the best 

position to do damage. She has had 

more than 5,000 assists in her career. 

Sarafa started in varsity as a freshman, 

not typical of the sport. She was 

one of eight seniors on the team this 

year. All were four-year starters. 

“We didn’t make a big deal out of 

saying this was the last time we were 

going to do something. The last time 

playing in Marian’s gym, the last time 

in a Marian uniform, the last time driving 

to a random gym for a quarterfinal 

match,” she said. “We were focused on 

winning a state championship.” 

Sarafa will report to Kentucky on 

June 8 for team workouts. 

While she’s in Lexington, she’ll 

meet with her academic counselor, go 

through orientation with the rest of the 

incoming Kentucky students, and take 

classes during the summer semester 

so she doesn’t have a full load during 

the season. 

She plans on studying business there. 

She’s already met the four other recruits 

to the Kentucky volleyball program. 

She’s the only setter. Kentucky 

brings in a setter only every other year 

because of its style of play. 

At 6-feet tall, Sarafa is taller than 

only one other player who is coming 

into the program. 

“That’s going to be something I need 

to adjust to,” Sarafa said. “The girls at 

that level are all tall and talented.” 

Several attempts were made to 

contact Marian volleyball coach Mayassa 

Cook for this story. 

Marian invites current 6 th and 7 th grade families 

to our virtual Spring Information Night. For more 

information on admission, tours and tuition 

assistance, visit www.marian-hs.org/#admission 

or call (248) 502-3033 to become #MarianStrong . 

Marian is a Catholic college preparatory school for young women, 

sponsored by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 


DOCTOR IS IN 

March is National Colorectal 

Cancer Awareness Month 

BY DR. RENA DAIZA 

Colorectal screening 

saves lives. 

Part of raising 

awareness is helping people 

understand the value and 

importance of getting regular 

cancer screenings for early 

detection. As a primary care 

doctor, a large part of my role 

is preventive medicine. The 

goal of preventive medicine 

is to ultimately prevent disease, 

disability, and death. 

Colorectal cancer screening 

is one way of implementing this. 

Despite the benefits of getting 

screened, only about two-thirds of 

adults in the United States are on 

schedule with the recommended tests, 

according to the CDC. 

There seems to be a lot of hesitancy 

among Chaldean patients when it 

comes to cancer screenings - especially 

colorectal cancer screens. I spoke to a 

gastroenterologist, Dr. Jolian Kathawa, 

to break it down for us. Dr. Kathawa 

specializes in preventing, diagnosing, 

and treating conditions of the gastrointestinal 

(GI) tract, or digestive system. I 

asked him 5 important questions that 

every patient needs to know: 

What is colorectal cancer (CRC) and 

what are different ways to detect it early? 

Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon 

or rectum. It is the third most common 

cancer diagnosed among men and 

women and it is the second most common 

cause of death among all cancers. 

It can present in many different ways, 

a few of which include patients experiencing 

blood in their stools, weight 

loss, abdominal pain, changes in their 

bowel habits — or they could be completely 

asymptomatic. 

There are factors which can increase 

your risk for colon cancer such 

as smoking, obesity, family history of 

colon cancer, or certain dietary habits. 

There are multiple ways to detect colon 

cancer and to prevent it. There are 

DR. RENA 

DAIZA 

SPECIAL TO 

THE CHALDEAN 

NEWS 

ways where we can directly 

visualize the colon such as 

with a colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, 

or CT imaging. Then 

there are a few stool tests that 

can be used as well, such as 

FIT testing and Cologuard. 

However, the gold standard 

(best test) is a colonoscopy — 

this is the most efficient way 

to detect and prevent colon 

cancer. During a colonoscopy, 

you are put to sleep by 

anesthesia and we use a flexible 

scope that is inserted through the 

anus to examine the entire colon. We 

look for polyps that can be removed in 

an effort to prevent colon cancer from 

occurring. This is the only test where 

we can actually prevent cancer. The 

other tests are mostly used to detect 

cancer or advanced polyps. 

Describe when someone is an appropriate 

candidate for FIT test or Cologuard 

versus Colonoscopy. 

It is important to know that FIT testing 

and Cologuard testing is only appropriate 

for patients who are at average risk 

for colon cancer. Average risk means a 

patient has no history of colon polyps, 

no family history of colon cancer, no hereditary 

conditions that increase their 

risk for colon cancer and no history of 

Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative colitis. 

Also, patients need to be asymptomatic. 

So if a patient is complaining of rectal 

bleeding, or changes in their bowel 

habits, or weight loss, then they should 

not undergo these stool based tests. If 

a patient uses these stool tests and the 

results are positive, the next step would 

be to undergo a colonoscopy. 

They say a majority of new cases of 

CRC occur in people aged 50 years 

or older. Why do recommendations 

suggest screening earlier now, for 

instance, at age 45 years? 

The guidelines from the American Gastroenterology 

Association were recently 

changed to start screening at 45 years 

of age for all average risk patients. This 

was done after reviewing multiple studies 

and looking at the data that showed 

colon cancer was rising in patients 

younger than the age of 50. The studies 

also showed that colon cancer rates 

were increasing in patients between 

50-60 years of age. So by screening earlier, 

we hope to catch these cancers at 

earlier stages so that patients can be 

successfully treated. We also hope to 

prevent many of these cancers by finding 

polyps earlier and removing them 

before they become cancerous. 

“45 is the 

new 50” 

Can or should CRC screening go 

beyond 75 years of age? When can 

gastroenterologists make that call? 

For patients over the age of 75, there are 

no clear guidelines in terms of colon 

cancer screening. The American College 

of Gastroenterology recommends that 

we have a discussion with the patient 

and discuss the risks versus benefits of 

performing colon cancer screening beyond 

this age. It essentially comes down 

to the patient’s health, their risk of undergoing 

a procedure and their values 

or wishes. For example, if we have a 

76-year-old patient who is completely 

healthy with no significant health issues, 

then it may be worthwhile to proceed 

with colorectal cancer screening 

because we have every reason to believe 

that this patient will live an additional 

7-10 years. However, if we have a 76-yearold 

patient who is on chronic oxygen, is 

on dialysis and has significant cardiac 

disease, then the risks of undergoing 

colon cancer screening most likely outweigh 

the benefits. My job, as a gastroenterologist, 

is to provide them with the 

facts and the risks and benefits of both 

approaches. 

Any other important facts to know 

about CRC and/or screenings? 

The main thing I will say is to get 

screened. Talk to your primary care 

doctor and get screened - it could potentially 

save your life. Encourage your 

loved ones to do it as well. If you have 

questions or concerns about undergoing 

a colonoscopy, you can always schedule 

an appointment with your doctor to discuss 

it in the office beforehand. 

Dr. Issam Turk, a gastroenterologist 

based out of Rochester and Troy 

said, “The hesitancy within the Chaldean 

community when it comes to 

preventative medicine and specifically 

colon cancer screening is a major issue 

that needs to be tackled urgently, 

especially given that colorectal cancer 

is on the rise. 

“The classic line that I often hear 

from patients and sometimes, my own 

family members is, ‘I feel fine. Why do 

I need to do this test?’ In the end, although 

it will be challenging, we must 

continue to raise awareness regarding 

this issue and urge our patients, 

friends, and family members to get 

screened in a timely fashion.” 

The outlook for people with the 

disease has slowly been improving for 

several decades, largely due to screening. 

Don’t forget that “45 is the new 

50”. If you are age 45 or above, please 

talk to your doctor now about getting 

screened. 

Dr. Rena Daiza is a board-certified 

primary care physician at the Henry 

Ford Bloomfield Township Medical 

Center. She serves as Vice President of 

the Chaldean American Association for 

Health Professionals and as Co-Chair 

of the Chaldean Women’s Committee - 

a subgroup of the Chaldean Chamber 

of Commerce. Dr. Jolian Kathawa is 

a board-certified gastroenterologist. 

He is credentialed with Beaumont 

Hospital and the Detroit Medical 

Center. He practices in both 

Farmington Hills and Commerce. 


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CHALDEAN 

AMERICAN 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY 

FOUNDATION 

CHALDEAN 

AMERICAN 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY 

FOUNDATION 

SANA NAVARRETTE 

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 

30095 Northwestern Highway, Suite 101 


CELL (248) 925-7773 

TEL (248) 851-1200 

FAX (248) 851-1348 

snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com 

www.chaldeanchamber.com 

www.chaldeanfoundation.org 

3601 15 Mile Road 

Sterling Heights, MI 48310 

TEL: (586) 722-7253 

FAX: (586) 722-7257 

elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org 


STACY BAHRI 

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES MANAGER 

3601 15 Mile Road 

Sterling Heights, MI 48310 

TEL: (586) 722-7253 

FAX: (586) 722-7257 

stacy.bahri@chaldeanfoundation.org 


SANA NAVARRETTE 

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER 

30850 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 200 

BINGHAM FARMS, MI 48025 

TEL: (248) 996-8340 CELL: (248) 925-7773 

FAX: (248) 996-8342 

snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com 

www.chaldeanchamber.com 


Twitter: @ChaldeanChamber 

Instagram: @ChaldeanAmericanChamber 

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FROM THE ARCHIVE 

Detroit On Fire 

T 

his 

photo appeared in the August 4, 1967 issue of Life Magazine, detailing individual stories about the unrest in Detroit that summer. Jerry Yono operated 

Imperial Market at 9739 Linwood in the city. The sign in the window says “soul brother” because he was so involved in the Detroit community 

that the residents considered him important. They hung the sign and stood guard to watch his store. Yono knew the two men; they did not work for 

him, and he can’t remember their names, but they were from the community and shopped at his store. While he was standing outside the store talking with 

everyone, rioting went on around him. The drug store across the street was looted completely. He saw people carry out a safe, put it into a Cadillac, and drive 

away; other people then went in and took everything they could carry before burning the store down. That drug store was owned by a Jewish family. 


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best talent, and connect with the right partners. We’re your personal concierge for whatever your business needs 

to succeed. Seize your opportunity at MICHIGANBUSINESS.ORG

MARCH 2023

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