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VOL. 4 ISSUE II<br />
METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
$2<br />
INSIDE<br />
CHALDEANS STAR<br />
ON YOUTUBE<br />
RECESSION<br />
AND DEPRESSION<br />
CHECK OUT OUR<br />
EVENTS PAGES!<br />
www.chaldeannews.com<br />
THE<br />
WEDDING<br />
GUIDE<br />
TIPS AND TRENDS<br />
FOR THE PERFECT<br />
CELEBRATION<br />
The Chaldean News<br />
30095 Northwestern Highway, Suite 102,<br />
Farmington Hills, MI 48334<br />
PERIODICAL<br />
PLEASE DELIVER BY <strong>MARCH</strong> 1, <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 3
4 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 5
6 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
CONTENTS<br />
THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 4 ISSUE II<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
the wedding guide<br />
27 YOU GOTTA HAVE CLASS<br />
BY OMAR BINNO<br />
Pre-marital instruction helps couples thrive<br />
28 SOME DECORUM PLEASE<br />
BY JOYCE WISWELL<br />
Churches are asking brides to tone it down<br />
25<br />
31 LET’S HALHOLE<br />
BY JOYCE WISWELL<br />
Younger generation embraces tradition<br />
32 HIDE IT WITH FLOWERS<br />
BY LAWRENCE YALDO AND ANDREW KEINA<br />
Practical tips for wedding day disasters<br />
59<br />
35 WHAT’S HOT?<br />
BY NATASHA DADO AND JOYCE WISWELL<br />
Wedding supplies share their secrets<br />
44 LOVE IRAQI STYLE<br />
BY VANESSA DENHA-GARMO<br />
Weddings from the homeland can be elaborate affairs<br />
56 68<br />
ON THE COVER:<br />
CHRIS AND SUNNY ABBO<br />
OF WEST BLOOMFIELD.<br />
PHOTO BY IVAN YOUSIF<br />
features<br />
61 READY FOR THEIR CLOSE UP<br />
BY JEREMY HULL<br />
Chaldeans shine on YouTube<br />
59 CASA: TEENS WITH A PURPOSE<br />
BY JOYCE WISWELL<br />
North Farmington High starts new group<br />
departments<br />
10 FROM THE EDITOR<br />
12 IN OUR VIEW<br />
15 NOTEWORTHY<br />
15 NANA SAYS<br />
18 HALHOLE<br />
24 CHAI TIME<br />
49 IRAQ TODAY<br />
52 RELIGION<br />
52 OBITUARIES<br />
54 THE DOCTOR IS IN<br />
BY DUNIA KARANA ZEBARI, PH.D<br />
Economic recession can hurt minds, too<br />
56 ECONOMICS AND ENTERPRISE<br />
BY JOYCE WISWELL<br />
Spotlight on new businesses<br />
59 MAKING THE GRADE<br />
BY JOYCE WISWELL<br />
Perrin Atisha: Sharing faith<br />
64 CLASSIFIED LISTINGS<br />
67 EVENTS<br />
AFDP Dinner<br />
Family Fun Night at Shenandoah<br />
Valentine’s Day<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 7
8 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 9
from the EDITOR<br />
A Wedding Story: Nightmares in the midst of dreams<br />
On the morning of<br />
my sister Stephanie’s<br />
wedding my dad was<br />
nowhere to be found. We<br />
woke, brewed coffee and<br />
found his car gone. We repeatedly<br />
called his cell phone but<br />
there was no answer. After<br />
more than an hour of panic, he<br />
walked into the house with a<br />
smile on his face and his typical<br />
cheerful mood.<br />
“Dad, where have you<br />
been?” I asked in an irritated voice.<br />
“Church,” he replied as if I had no right<br />
to question. Where else would he be?<br />
“Church, for what? We are going to<br />
a full mass in a few hours.”<br />
“I had to pray for something else,”<br />
he said.<br />
“What would that be?”<br />
He looked at me with serious eyes<br />
and said, “Four girls down, three to go.<br />
You’re next; I had to pray that you find<br />
a husband.”<br />
VANESSA<br />
DENHA-<br />
GARMO<br />
EDITOR<br />
Of course, he died before I<br />
walked down the aisle.<br />
However, the unexpected<br />
events of the day continued to<br />
expose themselves that<br />
Sunday. After I left for the<br />
salon for my hair and makeup,<br />
my dad called minutes later to<br />
tell me that the rental place<br />
had given him a women’s tux.<br />
“WHAT?” I shouted on the<br />
phone.<br />
After hearing the panic in<br />
my voice, he told me not to worry, he<br />
would have it under control. I found out<br />
later that he traveled to several tuxedo<br />
rental shops to find them all closed.<br />
Then he remembered he knew a<br />
Chaldean guy in the business and<br />
begged him to open his store. The man<br />
was able to fit my father with a coat,<br />
cummerbund and tie but not pants. He<br />
compromised and wore a black pair of<br />
slacks. No one knew the difference.<br />
A sigh of relief came over me as the<br />
maid of honor who was charged with<br />
making sure the bride didn’t experience<br />
any stress.<br />
We arrived at the church,<br />
Marygrove College Chapel in Detroit.<br />
Stephanie and all of her bridesmaids<br />
did last-minute hair and makeup<br />
touchups in the bridal room while waiting<br />
for the summons. Time passed and<br />
we were now 15 minutes past the<br />
scheduled time of the ceremony. We<br />
didn’t understand the delay.<br />
My dad walked in with a worried<br />
look on his face. He was joined by a<br />
nun. She looked at Stephanie and said,<br />
“We have a little problem.”<br />
Stephanie replied in a nervous<br />
voice, “Is Scott here?” referring to her<br />
soon-to-be husband.<br />
That was not the issue, explained<br />
Sister. She went on to tell us not to get<br />
upset, but the priest was not there. My<br />
father said in his calm, fatherly<br />
demeanor, “Don’t worry.”<br />
After nearly 30 minutes behind<br />
schedule, my father had an idea. Our<br />
Chaldean priest, Fr. Emanuel, was<br />
invited to do the blessings in<br />
Sourath. Although he was unprepared<br />
to do the entire service, he<br />
gladly obliged. While Scott vowed to<br />
love and honor his wife, Stephanie<br />
vowed to love, obey, do her wifely<br />
duties, cook, clean and have babies.<br />
It was sweet and comical; the most<br />
important thing was that they wed.<br />
Anything can happen on your<br />
wedding day. Of course, it is the one<br />
comment every bride hears as the<br />
days approach. Stephanie never<br />
broke a sweat, raised her voice and<br />
never showed any signs of panic.<br />
She was the image of the glowing<br />
bride and enjoyed every moment of<br />
her day.<br />
This issue is our annual wedding<br />
guide. This year we feature horror sto-<br />
FROM THE EDITOR<br />
Continued on page 11<br />
10 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
Left, Souriya and Sabri Denha, wed in Iraq in 1957. Right, Vanessa Denha-Garmo with Ameed and the Al-Shams, a popular wedding band.<br />
FROM THE EDITOR<br />
Continued from page 10<br />
ries – and their solutions – from wedding<br />
planners Lawrence Yaldo and<br />
Andrew Keina, who take the approach<br />
of the title of very popular book, “Don’t<br />
Sweat the Small Stuff.” No matter what<br />
goes wrong, because something<br />
always does, don’t let it ruin your day.<br />
We also include a photo essay featuring<br />
a day in the life of the bride and<br />
groom. We include couples from all<br />
over Metro Detroit who have gotten<br />
married over the past few years. We<br />
send out a special thank you to photographers<br />
Wilson Sarkis and Ivan<br />
Yousif for providing us with the photos<br />
and to the couples for their permission<br />
to use them.<br />
Weddings are a joyous time, something<br />
the bride dreams about for years<br />
prior to the actual day.<br />
My parents married in Iraq in1957.<br />
It was Thanksgiving Day here in the<br />
United States. This issue we track the<br />
wedding stories of four couples who<br />
married in our homeland over the past<br />
few decades.<br />
It is also fitting that we include a<br />
Valentine’s celebration at Shenandoah<br />
this past February 14. Dozens of couples<br />
belly danced and kougaged (a<br />
Chaldean dance) the night away as<br />
Ameed Asmaro and the Al Shams<br />
Band bedazzled the crowd.<br />
Regardless of where you marry or<br />
what happens, cherish the moment,<br />
honor the vows. And thank God for<br />
blessing the day.<br />
Alaha Imid Koullen<br />
(God Be With Us All)<br />
Vanessa Denha-Garmo<br />
vdenha@chaldeannews.com<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 11
in our VIEW<br />
With weddings, less is more<br />
This month, The Chaldean News<br />
presents its annual wedding<br />
issue. As wedding season<br />
approaches, brides, grooms and wedding<br />
planners are busy selecting flowers,<br />
linens, rings and menus. It is a fun<br />
and exciting time for many young couples.<br />
It should be one of the most<br />
important and happy days of their lives.<br />
Much has been said and written<br />
about the extravagances of our weddings<br />
with tens of thousands of dollars<br />
being spent on decorations, flowers and<br />
diamond wedding rings. There is certainly<br />
nothing wrong with a family spending<br />
their own money the way they choose<br />
on such a special occasion. There is<br />
also nothing wrong with trying to be different<br />
or unique. But the one-upmanship<br />
that has taken hold of our weddings is an<br />
unfortunate circumstance. It is even<br />
worse if it cannot be afforded.<br />
There seems to be a concerted<br />
effort to “out do” the last wedding on<br />
the theory that bigger and more is better.<br />
The money being spent on elaborate<br />
centerpieces is especially troublesome<br />
because most of it gets tossed<br />
out in the garbage the same night.<br />
Wedding dresses are in the same category.<br />
They will be boxed and stored<br />
and most likely never seen again.<br />
Some young grooms are forced to use<br />
credit cards or other debt to pay for<br />
five-carat rings — sometimes an<br />
unseemly sight on young brides.<br />
Times are tough. Many people’s businesses<br />
are hurting. Some people can no<br />
longer afford their homes. Recent national<br />
statistics site Michigan with the highest<br />
rate of foreclosures in the country and<br />
Detroit was ranked the most miserable<br />
place to live. Chaldeans are not immune<br />
from these effects. People should be conscientious<br />
about the environment they are<br />
in when they are planning a wedding.<br />
Elegance, grace and dignity will always<br />
outshine the materialism.<br />
Everyone deserves the kind of wedding<br />
they want and can afford.<br />
However, at the end of the wedding<br />
day, what is important is that two<br />
young people are joined in a holy matrimony<br />
in the eyes of God and the law<br />
with their loved ones as witnesses. It<br />
is the first day of the rest of their lives<br />
together. Nothing else will matter or be<br />
remembered.<br />
12 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
PUBLISHED BY<br />
The Chaldean News, LLC<br />
EDITOR IN CHIEF<br />
MANAGING EDITOR<br />
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
ART & PRODUCTION<br />
CREATIVE DIRECTOR<br />
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS<br />
PHOTOGRAPHERS<br />
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS<br />
CIRCULATION<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
INTERN<br />
SALES REPRESENTATIVES<br />
OPERATIONS<br />
Interlink Media<br />
SALES<br />
Interlink Media<br />
Vanessa Denha-Garmo<br />
Joyce Wiswell<br />
Omar Binno<br />
Natasha Dado<br />
Jeremy Hull<br />
Andrew Keina<br />
Lawrence Yaldo<br />
Dunia Karana Zebari<br />
Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative<br />
Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative<br />
Joseph Sesi<br />
Nora Bahrou Downs<br />
David Reed<br />
Paul Alraihani<br />
Paul Alraihani<br />
Joyce Wiswell<br />
Natasha Dado<br />
Marisa Comaianni<br />
Brenda Koza<br />
Lisy Starr<br />
MANAGERS<br />
Vanessa Denha-Garmo<br />
Martin Manna<br />
Michael Sarafa<br />
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PUBLICATION: The Chaldean News (P-6); Published monthly; Issue Date: March, <strong>2008</strong> SUBSCRIPTIONS:<br />
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<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 13
14 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
NOTEworthy<br />
PHOTO BY DAVID REED<br />
Left: Fred Delly<br />
passes the hammer<br />
of AFPD chairmanship<br />
to Chris Zebari<br />
at the association’s<br />
annual dinner in<br />
January.<br />
NANA says<br />
ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT MICK<br />
Hanna Named to<br />
Women’s Board<br />
Zebari new<br />
AFPD Chair<br />
Chris Zebari has been elected the new<br />
chairman of the Associated Food and<br />
Petroleum Dealers.<br />
Zebari, 46, is currently employed at<br />
Lipari Foods in Warren. He has<br />
worked in family-owned stores since<br />
he was a child and was previously the<br />
first Chaldean in a management role at<br />
the Pepsi Bottling Group. He has been<br />
involved with the AFPD since 1988<br />
and has served as membership director,<br />
board member, secretary, treasurer<br />
and vice chairman.<br />
“Being chairman is all about the<br />
membership of this great organization,”<br />
Zebari said. “It is about being heard.”<br />
New Scholarship<br />
Honors Bernadette<br />
Sarafa<br />
The North Farmington/West Bloomfield<br />
(NFWB) Baseball/Softball League<br />
for Youth has launched the NFWB/<br />
Bernadette Sarafa Memorial Scholarship.<br />
Sarafa was tragically killed in an<br />
accident in June 2006<br />
when a car hit her<br />
while she was picking<br />
grape leaves on the<br />
side of the road. The<br />
mother of five children<br />
and 13 grandchildren,<br />
she was married<br />
for nearly 50 years<br />
to Karim Sarafa. She<br />
was involved in various<br />
Bernadette<br />
Sarafa<br />
charity work and was well known for<br />
her Middle Eastern cooking skills.<br />
“The scholarship is named for her<br />
because of the volunteer work that her<br />
son, Haithem K. Sarafa, has contributed<br />
to NFWB Baseball/Softball<br />
over the past 10 years,” said Bernie<br />
Rubenstein, NFWB president.<br />
NFWB is contributing $1,000 per<br />
year for the scholarships and the<br />
Sarafa family is matching every year’s<br />
contribution. Funds will be used to<br />
award scholarships of no less than<br />
$500 to eligible high school seniors<br />
entering a four-year college or vocational<br />
school and who have participated<br />
in the NFWB Baseball/Softball<br />
League for a minimum of four years.<br />
High School seniors can go to<br />
http://www.nfwb.com for eligibility and<br />
application requirements, or call<br />
League Secretary/Administrator Janet<br />
Warsh at (248) 865-6392 for more<br />
information on the scholarship.<br />
Completed applications must be postmarked<br />
by May 15, <strong>2008</strong>.<br />
Yatooma<br />
Making News in<br />
Kilpatrick Saga<br />
Birmingham attorney Norman Yatooma<br />
is making news these days in relation to<br />
the text messaging scandal plaguing<br />
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.<br />
Yatooma represents Jonathan<br />
Bond, the teenage son of exotic<br />
dancer Tamara “Strawberry” Greene,<br />
who was shot to death in April 2003.<br />
Greene is said to have performed at a<br />
long-rumored, but never proven wild<br />
party at the mayor’s Manoogian<br />
Mansion in 2002.<br />
The lawsuit alleges that the police<br />
investigation into the homicide was<br />
derailed for political purposes and that<br />
Bond was denied his constitutional<br />
right to access the courts.<br />
Yatooma has subpoenaed a variety<br />
of documents, including satellite positioning<br />
records from SkyTel, Detroit’s<br />
pager company, that show where city<br />
employees were at the time of<br />
Greene’s death. She was shot with a<br />
.40-caliber Glock, the handgun used<br />
by Detroit police officers.<br />
Yatooma’s lawsuit, first filed in<br />
2005, gained little attention until the<br />
recent text scandal that showed that<br />
Kilpatrick and his chief of staff,<br />
Christine Beatty, had a long-denied<br />
romantic affair.<br />
The controversy has raised concerns<br />
about how long text messages –<br />
a favorite form of communication in the<br />
Chaldean community – last. In general,<br />
text messages are not stored, though<br />
experts advise to never text or e-mail<br />
something you wouldn’t want to see<br />
made public. In the mayor’s case, the<br />
SkyTel messages were stored<br />
because they were issued on cityowned<br />
devices.<br />
Sandra Hanna has been appointed to<br />
the new Women’s Commission of<br />
Oakland County. She represents<br />
District 17, which consists of Beverly<br />
Hills, Franklin, Bingham Farms, sections<br />
of West<br />
Bloomfield, Bloomfield<br />
and Southfield.<br />
The Oakland County<br />
Board of Commissioners<br />
created the Women’s<br />
Commission, which<br />
met for the first time on<br />
January 30. Its purpose<br />
is to survey the<br />
status of women in<br />
Sandra Hanna<br />
Oakland County, assess their special<br />
needs and suggest ways and methods<br />
to meet those needs.<br />
Hanna, a chemist with NSF<br />
International, serves as secretary on<br />
the board of directors of the Chaldean<br />
American Chamber of Commerce.<br />
Second Helpings<br />
for Popular<br />
Cookbook<br />
Samira Yako Cholagh’s popular cookbook,<br />
“Treasured Middle Eastern<br />
Cookbook” is back by popular<br />
demand. The book sold out after 3,000<br />
copies were bought, but a reprint has<br />
just been completed.<br />
Cholagh is also at work on a third<br />
book, which should be complete in a year.<br />
The Treasured Middle Eastern<br />
Cookbook, first released 10 years ago,<br />
has some 400 recipes. The new edition<br />
includes minor revisions and<br />
touchups. It is available for $29.95 via<br />
www.treasuredmiddleeasterncookbook.com.<br />
Iraqi Translators<br />
‘Betrayed’<br />
“Betrayed,” a play by George Packer<br />
about Iraqi interpreters who risked<br />
their lives to help the U.S. military, is<br />
playing in New York City through<br />
March 16.<br />
The play is based on Packer’s interviews<br />
in Baghdad with interpreters<br />
who feel abandoned by the U.S. after<br />
risking their lives as translators. It tells<br />
the story of three young Iraqis who<br />
interpret for the U.S. government but<br />
receive little protection in return. The<br />
New York Times give the play a favorable<br />
review, lauding its “sharp dramatic<br />
impact and a plain-spoken beauty.”<br />
“Betrayed” is playing at the Culture<br />
Project in SoHo. Call (212) 925-1900<br />
for tickets and information.<br />
Never wear a ring on your<br />
ring finger if you’re not married<br />
— you can jinx it and have an<br />
awful marriage (or none at all).<br />
Do the sign of the cross<br />
when you hear an ambulance<br />
or pass a church or cemetery.<br />
It’s good luck when a bird<br />
poops on your car.<br />
Thanks to all who shared their<br />
Nana-isms. Keep them coming to<br />
info@chaldeannews.com, or write<br />
to The Chaldean News, 30095<br />
Northwestern Highway, Suite 102,<br />
Farmington Hills, MI 48334.<br />
Walking for<br />
Breast Cancer<br />
Samantha Garmo of Waterford is putting<br />
together a team called “Chaldeans<br />
for a Cure” for a breast cancer walk in<br />
September.<br />
The Susan G. Komen For the Cure<br />
three-day walk takes place September<br />
26-28 and encompasses a 60-mile<br />
walk in Southeast Michigan. Each<br />
walker must be at least 16 years old<br />
and have medical insurance. Walkers<br />
less than 18 must be accompanied by<br />
a parent or legal guardian. Each walker<br />
must raise a minimum of $2,200.<br />
“I have high hopes for this and<br />
anticipate raising money above and<br />
beyond the minimum amounts,” said<br />
Garmo. “With such a supportive and<br />
close-knit community, I truly believe<br />
our possibilities are endless.”<br />
Learn more by calling Garmo at<br />
(248) 755-0247 or writing samanthagarmo@aol.com.<br />
Brochure Helps<br />
with Tax Prep<br />
A new brochure, “Top 10 Questions to<br />
Ask a Tax Preparer,” is available from<br />
the Michigan Association of Certified<br />
Public Accountants (MACPA), along<br />
with the Accounting Aid Society<br />
(AAS), Association of Latino<br />
Professionals in Finance and<br />
Accounting and State Representative<br />
Steve Tobocman (D-Detroit).<br />
The brochure is designed as a<br />
guide to assist taxpayers in finding the<br />
NOTEWORTHY<br />
Continued on page 16<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 15
NOTEWORTHY<br />
Continued from page 15<br />
right professionals to help them with<br />
tax preparation.<br />
“It is unfortunate that some people<br />
have chosen to prey on those who are<br />
not as familiar with tax information and<br />
laws,” said Tobocman in a statement.<br />
“This brochure is an important step<br />
towards educating taxpayers, helping<br />
them find qualified tax professionals<br />
and ensuring that they receive the tax<br />
dollars they deserve.”<br />
Created in both English and<br />
Spanish, the brochure has been created<br />
to assist low-income individuals and<br />
new immigrants who are most at risk of<br />
not receiving the proper counseling on<br />
personal tax issues. Included is a glossary<br />
of important words and legal information<br />
to know; whom to contact if<br />
there is suspicion of fraudulent,<br />
improper or criminal tax preparation;<br />
questions to ask a tax preparer and<br />
tips, hints and warning signs to be<br />
aware of.<br />
Download the brochure at<br />
www.michcpa.org (public resources<br />
section) or call (248) 267-3700 and ask<br />
for Sarah Krueger. CPA ambassadors<br />
are available to come<br />
and speak to organizations<br />
about the campaign and tax<br />
issues. Contact the MACPA at<br />
(248) 267-3700 to schedule.<br />
Granholm<br />
Signs Driver’s<br />
License Law<br />
A bill that allows legal immigrants<br />
temporarily living in<br />
Michigan to resume getting driver’s<br />
licenses was signed on<br />
February 15 by Governor<br />
Jennifer Granholm.<br />
The legislation amends the<br />
Michigan Vehicle Code to<br />
address concerns raised by<br />
Michigan businesses and foreign<br />
governments regarding<br />
an opinion issued by state<br />
Attorney General Mike Cox on<br />
December 27, 2007. Cox had<br />
determined that only permanent<br />
residents may obtain a driver’s<br />
license in Michigan and that<br />
individuals living here legally,<br />
but on a temporary basis, must<br />
be denied a license. That opinion<br />
led to a decision by the secretary<br />
of state to require firsttime<br />
applicants for a Michigan<br />
driver’s license to prove they<br />
have established a permanent<br />
legal residence in Michigan.<br />
Illegal immigrants still will be<br />
unable to get driver’s licenses<br />
under the revamped policy.<br />
People<br />
Adil Y. Arabbo, M.D., has been<br />
appointed Chief of Family Practice at<br />
Huron Valley Sinai Hospital. He<br />
received his medical degree from<br />
Adil Y. Arabbo, M.D.<br />
Lance T. Denha<br />
Sabah Garmo<br />
Nawal McKay<br />
you know you’re<br />
CHALDEAN if…<br />
You arrive one or two<br />
hours late to a party and<br />
think it’s normal.<br />
You’re standing next to the<br />
largest suitcases at the airport.<br />
You talk for an hour at<br />
the front door when leaving<br />
someone’s house.<br />
Share your ideas! E-mail<br />
info@chaldeannews.com or write<br />
to The Chaldean News,<br />
30095 Northwestern Highway,<br />
Farmington Hills, MI 48334.<br />
Wayne State University School of<br />
Medicine and completed his residency<br />
within the Detroit Medical Center and<br />
the DMC Sinai-Grace Family Practice<br />
Program. He is board certified in<br />
Family Medicine and maintains<br />
his office in Commerce.<br />
Arabbo, who has a special<br />
interest and experience in<br />
gerontology, is fluent in<br />
Chaldean and Arabic.<br />
Lance T. Denha has joined<br />
the Southfield firm of Kupelian<br />
Ormond & Magy, P.C. He will<br />
work in the business and<br />
bankruptcy law practice<br />
areas. Prior to joining the firm,<br />
Denha worked in business<br />
and corporate law where he<br />
advised companies in business<br />
formation and planning.<br />
A member of the State Bar of<br />
Michigan, State Bar of<br />
Florida, American Bar<br />
Association and Chaldean<br />
American Bar Association,<br />
Denha is licensed to practice<br />
law in Michigan and Florida.<br />
Sabah Garmo joined TFC<br />
Associates in Farmington<br />
Hills as a life, auto, health<br />
and general disability insurance<br />
agent. Garmo has<br />
more than 20 years of experience<br />
as an insurance agent.<br />
Nawal McKay has<br />
received a <strong>2008</strong> Friend of<br />
Diversity Award from Walled<br />
Lake Consolidated Schools.<br />
She is an English Language<br />
Learner para-educator at<br />
Maple Elementary. The award<br />
was presented at the school<br />
district’s ninth annual Dr.<br />
Martin Luther King Jr. Day<br />
Celebration in January.<br />
Carol Loussia has started a new<br />
business. She has begun selling Gold<br />
Canyon items, which include scented<br />
candles, body and home products.<br />
She is one of more than 25,000 independent<br />
demonstrators across North<br />
America who hold home parties to<br />
showcase and sell the products.<br />
16 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 17
HALHOLE!<br />
[Births]<br />
Noah Luke<br />
Precious is he and oh, so<br />
sweet; tiny little hands and<br />
adorable feet, given<br />
to us from God above, the<br />
answer to a hundred prayers,<br />
the reason for a<br />
thousand smiles, the beginning<br />
of a million memories.<br />
First-time parents<br />
Miaad & Julie Manna are<br />
proud to announce the arrival<br />
of their son, Noah Luke<br />
Manna, born on November<br />
16, 2007 at 5:10 p.m. Noah<br />
weighed 7 lbs., 12 oz. and<br />
was 21 inches long. He is the<br />
fourth grandchild to Abed &<br />
Nasra Manna and the eighth<br />
to Salwa & the late Karim<br />
Marougi Kattula. First-time<br />
godfather is Uncle Wisam<br />
Manna.<br />
Blake James<br />
Sophia is excited to announce<br />
her new baby brother, Blake<br />
James. Born on November 6,<br />
2007 at 12:22 a.m., he<br />
weighed 8 pounds and was<br />
20 inches. Proud parents are<br />
James and Sahrob Jabero.<br />
Blake is the fourth grandchild<br />
for Mary Jabero & the late<br />
Nouri Jabero and the 12th<br />
grandchild for Farid & Azhar<br />
Jabiro.<br />
Gabriella Faithe<br />
Big sisters Briana, Raquel and<br />
Izabella are excited by the<br />
arrival of their sister, Gabriella<br />
Faithe. She was born on<br />
November 14, 2007 at 12:29<br />
p.m. weighing 7 lbs., 11 oz.<br />
and measuring 20 inches.<br />
Proud parents are Larry and<br />
Karyn Putrus. Gabriella is the<br />
seventh grandchild for Lewis<br />
& Amera Putrus and the fourth<br />
grandchild for Douglas &<br />
Sharon Edgington. May God<br />
bless her always!<br />
Lucas Rany<br />
Boy o’ boy, our little bundle of<br />
joy has finally arrived. Lucas<br />
Rany Shammami was born at<br />
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital on<br />
November 4, 2007 at 8:33<br />
p.m. weighing 7 lb., 2 oz. This<br />
gift was sent to first-time<br />
proud parents Rany and Eva<br />
Shammami. Lucas is also the<br />
first-born grandchild to Samir<br />
& Mithal Tueni and Yasir &<br />
Anna Shammami.<br />
Noah Luke<br />
Blake James<br />
Gabriella Faithe<br />
Lucas Rany<br />
18 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
Drs. Purcell, Sayegh & Zimny<br />
*Board Certified Family Medicine Specialists<br />
Lily Suad<br />
God has blessed Wijdan and<br />
Caroline Hanna with the birth of<br />
their first child, Lily Suad, on<br />
January 14, <strong>2008</strong> at 3:10 p.m.<br />
She weighed 10 lbs., 10 oz.<br />
and measured 21 3/4 inches.<br />
Lily is the third grandchild for<br />
Abid & the late Su’ad Hanna<br />
and the 11th for Nedhal & the<br />
late Louis Kamoo. Godparents<br />
are Kais Alexander and Linda<br />
Alkammo.<br />
Isabella Suad<br />
Marla is proud to announce the<br />
birth of her beautiful baby sister,<br />
Isabella Suad. She was born on<br />
December 20, 2007 weighing 8<br />
lbs, 6 oz. and measuring 21<br />
inches. Proud parents are<br />
Tommy and Tanya Mansour.<br />
Isabella is the sixth grandchild<br />
for Najib & Amira Shayeena<br />
(Mansour) and the fourth grandchild<br />
for Habib & Ibtissam Yono.<br />
[Engagements]<br />
Derek and Vanessa<br />
Derek Haddad & Vanessa Shallal<br />
became engaged on December<br />
22, 2007. The engagement party<br />
took place at Farmington Hills<br />
Manor. Derek is the son of Sahir<br />
& Abtesam Haddad and Vanessa<br />
is the daughter of Yousif & Ikhlas<br />
Shallal. Vanessa recently graduated<br />
from Oakland University<br />
with a teaching certificate and<br />
Derek is a business owner. They<br />
plan to wed in the fall of <strong>2008</strong>.<br />
Angham and Nelson<br />
Najib & Jalila Gappy are proud<br />
to announce the engagement of<br />
their last daughter, Angham<br />
Gappy, to Nelson Brikho, son of<br />
Wadi & Nidhal Brikho. They celebrated<br />
their beautiful engagement<br />
at Farmington Manor with<br />
close family and friends on<br />
January 3, <strong>2008</strong>. Their engagement<br />
was blessed by Father<br />
Jerjis Ibrahim. Nelson graduated<br />
from Oakland University with a<br />
BS in mechanical engineering<br />
and works as an engineer for<br />
Honeywell. Angham graduated<br />
from Wayne State University<br />
with a minor in Biology and a<br />
bachelor’s degree in nutrition.<br />
She works as a certified nutritionist<br />
for Advanced Nutritional<br />
Solutions, practicing homeopathic<br />
nutrition. Their wedding<br />
will be in July <strong>2008</strong>. They both<br />
pray to have a wonderful and<br />
blessed life together.<br />
Lily Suad<br />
Isabella Suad<br />
Derek and Vanessa<br />
Angham and Nelson<br />
N<br />
Novi Rd.<br />
Kelly Purcell, D.O.<br />
Family Medicine<br />
5<br />
Anthony J. Sayegh, D.O.<br />
Family Medicine<br />
Matthew C. Zimny, D.O.<br />
Family Medicine<br />
*Specializing in All Aspects of Pediatric, Adult,<br />
and Geriatric Medicine including...<br />
• Annual Physicals<br />
• School/Sports Physicals<br />
• Gynecologic Care<br />
• Sick Visits<br />
*Same Day Appointments Available*<br />
W Maple Rd.<br />
14 Mile Rd.<br />
<br />
13 Mile Rd.<br />
12 Mile Rd.<br />
696<br />
Halsted Rd.<br />
BEAUMONT MEDICAL STAFF MEMBERS<br />
39630 14 Mile Rd. in Newberry Square (Hiller’s Shopping Center)<br />
(248) 960-3727<br />
*For your convenience, evening and weekend hours are available<br />
1229490<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 19
HALHOLE!<br />
Noor and Ziad<br />
Faraj & Balsam Dally are proud<br />
to announce the engagement of<br />
their son, Ziad to Noor, daughter<br />
of Mouayed & Nadia<br />
Kaskorkis. Ziad surprised<br />
Noor by proposing to her outside<br />
of the restaurant where<br />
they had their first date. The<br />
two then went inside to celebrate<br />
with a small group of family<br />
and friends who were in on<br />
the surprise. The couple is<br />
planning to marry in September<br />
<strong>2008</strong> at St. Thomas with a<br />
reception following at<br />
Shenandoah Country Club.<br />
Noor and Ziad<br />
Jason and Joanne<br />
Noel & Faieza Jajou Essak are<br />
proud to announce the engagement<br />
of their daughter, Joanne,<br />
to Jason, son of Shannon &<br />
Daniel Flewelling. Family and<br />
friends will fly to Hawaii in<br />
October <strong>2008</strong> for the wedding<br />
in Maui.<br />
Melanie and<br />
Matthew<br />
We are proud to announce<br />
the engagement of Melanie<br />
Kalla to Matthew Zoma.<br />
Melanie is the daughter of<br />
Nazar & Munkida Kalla.<br />
Matthew is the son of<br />
Nadeem & Patricia Zoma.<br />
The wedding will take place in<br />
September <strong>2008</strong> at St.<br />
Thomas Church followed by a<br />
reception at Shenandoah<br />
Country Club. The couple is<br />
planning a honeymoon to<br />
Europe.<br />
[Weddings]<br />
Kavin & Crystal<br />
Thair & Nancy Nafso are<br />
proud to announce the marriage<br />
of their son, Kavin, to<br />
Crystal, daughter of Tarik &<br />
Neran Taieb. The happy<br />
couple exchanged vows on<br />
July 15, 2007 at St. Thomas<br />
Chaldean Catholic Church<br />
with a reception following at<br />
Shenandoah Country Club.<br />
The best man was the<br />
groom’s cousin, Nason<br />
Kassab, and the maid of<br />
honor was the bride’s cousin,<br />
Evon Najor. The newlyweds<br />
celebrated with a honeymoon<br />
in Paris and Dubai to begin<br />
their romantic journey of lifelong<br />
wedded bliss.<br />
Jason and Joanne<br />
Melanie and Matthew<br />
Kavin & Crystal<br />
20 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 21
22 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
HALHOLE!<br />
Amanda and Daron<br />
Jalal & Sabria Lossia would<br />
like to announce the marriage<br />
of their son, Daron, to<br />
Amanda, daughter of Francis<br />
& Suaad Sinawe. The couple<br />
was married on November 18,<br />
2007, at Mother of God<br />
Church with a reception at<br />
Penna’s of Sterling Heights.<br />
They honeymooned in Hawaii<br />
and Las Vegas.<br />
Congratulations and God<br />
bless the new couple!<br />
Roger and Reem<br />
Roger and Reem exchanged<br />
vows in the sacrament of marriage<br />
on April 21, 2007.<br />
Roger is the son on Sabah &<br />
Nawal Toma. Reem is the<br />
daughter of Sahira & the late<br />
Dhafer Mansoor. The ceremony<br />
took place at St. Thomas<br />
Chaldean Catholic Church,<br />
and the couple danced the<br />
night away with friends and<br />
family at Shenandoah Country<br />
Club. Roger’s brother, Mark,<br />
was the best man and Deana<br />
Mansoor, Reem’s cousin, was<br />
maid of honor. The newlyweds<br />
celebrated with a honeymoon<br />
in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico,<br />
and Las Vegas. Roger is a<br />
physician specializing in otolaryngology,<br />
head and neck<br />
surgery while Reem works as<br />
a physician of physical medicine<br />
and rehabilitation.<br />
Dalya and Suhail<br />
Dr. Suhail Mati Alnaqash, son<br />
of Sanhareeb & Mamm<br />
Alnaqash, exchanged vows of<br />
love in the sacrament of marriage<br />
to Dalya Al-Sheikh,<br />
daughter of Hana & the late<br />
Nadhim Al-Sheikh, on<br />
September 9, 2007. The ceremony<br />
took place at St.<br />
Thomas Chaldean Catholic<br />
Church with a reception at<br />
Shenandoah Country Club.<br />
The best man was the<br />
groom’s brother, Zaid, and the<br />
maid of honor was the bride’s<br />
sister, Heidi. Suhail is a dentist<br />
and Dalya is a pharmacist.<br />
The newlyweds celebrated<br />
their honeymoon in Hawaii.<br />
Amanda and Daron<br />
Roger and Reem<br />
Dalya and Suhail<br />
SHARE YOUR<br />
JOY<br />
WITH<br />
THE<br />
COMMUNITY!<br />
Announcements for births, engagements,<br />
weddings and milestone anniversaries<br />
(50 years and above) are published free<br />
of charge for paid subscribers. All events<br />
must have occurred within one year. E-<br />
mail the text and a photo as a jpeg<br />
attachment to: info@chaldeannews.com,<br />
or mail to The Chaldean News, 30095<br />
Northwestern Hwy., Farmington Hills, MI<br />
48334. Include your name, address and<br />
phone number. We reserve the right to<br />
edit all entries. Sorry, we do not publish<br />
poems or return photos.<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 23
CHAI time<br />
CHALDEANS CONNECTING<br />
COMMUNITY EVENTS IN AND AROUND METRO DETROIT <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
[Saturday, March 1]<br />
Heart of the Lakes Gala: Dinner,<br />
dancing, entertainment and a silent<br />
auction benefits Huron Valley-Sinai<br />
Hospital. Presented by the Lakes<br />
Area Chamber of Commerce. Tickets<br />
are $55. Begins at 6 p.m. at<br />
Shenandoah Country Club. (248)<br />
624-2826 or<br />
jo@lakesareachamber.com.<br />
[Wednesday, March 5]<br />
Small Business Seminar: Roundtable<br />
discussion on how to fund your business<br />
growth in today’s market. Cost<br />
is $15 members, $30 non-members.<br />
Runs from 8-10:30 a.m. at the Detroit<br />
Regional Chamber. (313) 596-0392<br />
or kgaines@detroitchamber.com.<br />
[Thursday, March 6]<br />
Ladies Kon-Kan Tournament: Dinner<br />
buffet at 7 p.m. followed by the tournament<br />
at 8 p.m. for female members<br />
ages 21 and up of Shenandoah<br />
Country Club. Tickets are $100.<br />
Michelle, (248) 454-1932.<br />
[Saturday, March 8]<br />
I’m Every Woman Expo: The<br />
Michigan Association for Female<br />
Entrepreneurs presents a day of<br />
exhibits, interactive workshops and<br />
more from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Cost is<br />
$12. St. George Cathedral Cultural<br />
Center, Southfield. (248) 809-2117 or<br />
mafedetroit@aol.com.<br />
[Sunday, March 9]<br />
Dearborn Women’s Expo: More than<br />
100 exhibits ranging from health and<br />
beauty to home improvement to benefit<br />
the Children’s Leukemia<br />
Foundation of Michigan. Show hours<br />
are 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; admission is $3;<br />
free for kids under 12. Ford<br />
Community & Performing Arts Center,<br />
15801 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn.<br />
www.showforwomen.com.<br />
[Tuesday, March 11]<br />
Industry Outlook: The latest news<br />
and developments in the restaurant<br />
industry from the experts who know.<br />
Presented by the Chaldean<br />
American Chamber of<br />
Commerce. (248) 538-3700<br />
or www.chaldeanchamber.com.<br />
7:30-9:30 a.m., Detroit Institute of Art.<br />
Tickets range from $100 to $1,000.<br />
(248) 557-2510 or scene@candbscene.com.<br />
[Thursday, March 13]<br />
Sleep Better: Mini workshop teaches<br />
you to snooze without medications<br />
and wake up feeling relaxed and<br />
refreshed. 4-6 p.m., $35. Presented<br />
by Inforum at The Community House,<br />
Birmingham. (877) 633-3500.<br />
[Thursday, March 13 –<br />
STEVE ACHO to perform at<br />
Shenandoah Country Club<br />
[Friday, March 28 –<br />
Sunday, March 30]<br />
NCAA Basketball: The Midwest<br />
Regionals take place at Ford Field<br />
in Detroit. Prices include several<br />
games and range from $45-$150.<br />
(248) 645-6666.<br />
[Friday, April 4]<br />
Steve Acho Live: Full-band concert<br />
featuring singer/songwriter Steve Acho<br />
benefits the Chaldean Federation of<br />
America Refugee Initiative. 7:30 p.m.,<br />
BOBBY BLUE BLAND to perform<br />
at the Motor City Blues Festival<br />
[Saturday, March 8]<br />
Motor City Blues Festival: Enjoy blues<br />
music from the D at the Detroit Opera<br />
House at 3:30 and 8:30 p.m. Tickets<br />
are $43.50-$75. (313) 237-7464.<br />
[Wednesday, March 12]<br />
South Oakland Business Expo:<br />
Exhibits from members of the Berkley,<br />
Clawson, Ferndale, Madison<br />
Heights/Hazel Park and Royal Oak<br />
chambers of commerce, followed by<br />
an after-hours networking event. Runs<br />
from 1-6 p.m. at the Royal Oak<br />
Farmer’s Market. (248) 547-4000.<br />
[Wednesday, March 12]<br />
Women’s Power Breakfast: 15th<br />
annual event raises awareness and<br />
funds for the hungry with guest speaker<br />
Vicki B. Escarra of America’s<br />
Second Harvest. Presented by<br />
Gleaners Community Food Bank.<br />
[Sunday, March 16]<br />
Spring Boating Expo: 16th annual<br />
show has the latest watercraft and<br />
accessories from 150 vendors.<br />
Admission is $10 adults, free for<br />
kids under 12. Rock Financial<br />
Showplace, Novi.<br />
[Friday, March 14<br />
Poker Tournament: Dinner, cash bar<br />
and cards begin at 8 p.m. for members<br />
of Shenandoah Country Club.<br />
Must be 21 or older to play. $25<br />
entrance fee, $200 buy in. Michelle,<br />
(248) 454-1932.<br />
Shenandoah Country Club’s Mixed<br />
Grille. Tickets are $50. (877) 763-<br />
7849 or www.neptix.com.<br />
[Friday, April 11]<br />
Chaldean Chamber: The Chaldean<br />
American Chamber of Commerce’s<br />
Annual Awards Dinner, now in its<br />
fifth year at Shenandoah Country<br />
Club, is always a sellout. Visit<br />
www.chaldeanchamber.com for<br />
details, or call (248) 538-3700.<br />
Please let us know what is going on in the community.<br />
Send your information to The Chaldean<br />
News, Editorial Department, 30095 Northwestern<br />
Highway, Suite 102, Farmington Hills, MI 48334<br />
Email us at info@chaldeannews.com<br />
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24 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
Sunny Abbo of<br />
West Bloomfield<br />
gets ready for her<br />
big entrance.<br />
PHOTO BY IVAN YOUSIF<br />
the wedding guide<br />
YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED! IT’S AN EXCITING TIME FILLED WITH PROMISE, LOVE, HOPE – AND A MILLION DETAILS.<br />
TURN THE PAGE FOR THE LATEST IN TRENDS AND TIPS — WITH A NOD TO TIME-HONORED TRADITIONS —<br />
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR WEDDING THE DAY YOU’VE ALWAYS DREAMT ABOUT. HAPPY PLANNING!<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 25
26 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
Alex and Linetta<br />
Marouf of Troy<br />
said the classes<br />
helped prepare<br />
them for<br />
marriage.<br />
you gotta<br />
have class<br />
Pre-marital instruction<br />
helps couples thrive<br />
BY OMAR BINNO<br />
Marriage is a lifelong commitment that<br />
entails loving each other through good<br />
times as well as bad.<br />
The Chaldean Archdiocese wants to<br />
make sure couples understand that, so they require<br />
engaged couples who are to be married in a<br />
Chaldean church complete its Marriage and Family<br />
Planning course. The classes take place the first<br />
three Thursdays of each month and are mandatory<br />
in order for the church to grant an official marriage.<br />
Those who struggle with English are offered private<br />
sessions in Arabic or Chaldean.<br />
“The classes are held at Mother of God in<br />
Southfield and St. Joseph Church in Troy,” said Fr.<br />
Stephan Kallabat of Mar Addai in Oak Park.<br />
Mother of God in Southfield holds the classes during<br />
the odd months for parishioners who live on the<br />
West Side of Southeast Michigan while St. Joseph<br />
in Troy holds them during the even months for<br />
those on the East Side.<br />
Fr. Kallabat and Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim have<br />
conducted the classes since their inception nearly<br />
15 years ago. The first lecture is given by Bishop<br />
Ibrahim, the second by Fr. Kallabat and the final<br />
one by Janan Senawi, the Archdiocese’s director of<br />
Chaldean Family Counseling.<br />
“The classes cover all aspects of human life<br />
between a couple — including liturgical, social,<br />
psychological and spiritual — and Christianity’s<br />
role within their lives,” Fr. Kallabat said.<br />
“I’ve handled the final lectures of the classes for<br />
the last five years,” Senawi said. “We cover comprehensive<br />
topics like the difference between contract<br />
and covenant marriages, family of origin, communication,<br />
commitment, common values, sacrifice<br />
and in-laws, just to name a few.”<br />
Troy newlyweds Alex Marouf and his wife<br />
Linetta said the classes were highly beneficial in<br />
helping them understand what lies within the commitment<br />
of marriage.<br />
“I appreciated how the points of marriage were<br />
presented in a very realistic sense as opposed to getting<br />
carried away with the excitement or disillusionment<br />
of it,” said Marouf. “For example, the simple<br />
question ‘Why are you getting married?’ proved<br />
to be thought-provoking for many. When reflecting<br />
on that answer, it is certain that one will feel<br />
more or less confident about his or her reasons.”<br />
Marouf had such a positive experience with the<br />
class that he believes it should expand beyond the<br />
three sessions.<br />
“I think it actually would be more beneficial for<br />
people to have this experience at an earlier stage in<br />
life — perhaps even before one gets into a relationship<br />
rather than just before the actual marriage<br />
date,” Marouf said. “We can apply such useful<br />
knowledge to our lives earlier than most may<br />
think.”<br />
Fr. Kallabat and Senawi share this sentiment,<br />
and believe that the four hours in which the class is<br />
taught are not nearly enough to cover all the topics<br />
of the course adequately. The church will possibly<br />
come up with an expanded version in the near<br />
future, said Senawi, noting that many Roman<br />
Catholic churches require at least 12 hours of<br />
instruction.<br />
“We need many more hours than this to teach<br />
what we want to teach thoroughly and to explore<br />
even more topics than the ones we already discuss,”<br />
said Fr. Kallabat.<br />
Senawi agrees. “While some couples may feel<br />
that what we teach is good enough and others may<br />
think that keeping a marriage happy is mere common<br />
sense, others feel that the classes need to be<br />
more comprehensive,” she said. “Personally I feel<br />
that we can offer a lot more in the form of other<br />
topics such as faith-based relationships, personality<br />
traits, attitudes and expectations, intimacy, sexuality,<br />
financial responsibility, parenting of children<br />
and much more.”<br />
the wedding guide<br />
“TWO SOULS WITH BUT A SINGLE THOUGHT, TWO HEARTS THAT BEAT AS ONE.” – FREDRICH HALM<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 27
some decorum please<br />
Churches are asking brides to tone it down<br />
When it comes to planning<br />
a wedding, how much is<br />
too much? Chaldean<br />
churches are grappling with that issue<br />
as an increasing number of weddings<br />
become larger and more elaborate.<br />
Dismayed with giant bridal parties<br />
of as many as 14 attendants on each<br />
side, Fr. Frank Kalabat has asked couples<br />
marrying at St. Thomas in West<br />
Bloomfield to limit themselves<br />
to four bridesmaids<br />
and groomsmen.<br />
“There have been a few<br />
‘yeas,” but mostly ‘nays,’”<br />
Fr. Kalabat said of the policy<br />
he adopted about five<br />
months ago. “I’m getting a<br />
lot of pressure to go back<br />
to the old way.”<br />
Fr. Kalabat is not unsympathetic<br />
to the family demands put on the<br />
wedding couple, but said it’s time<br />
for a change. “It’s more about them<br />
concentrating on more important<br />
things like saying ‘I do’ and spending<br />
the rest of their lives doing,” he<br />
said. “Not, who do I put in, who do<br />
I not put in, and family pressure<br />
like, how dare you take only three<br />
out of seven cousins?”<br />
Church leaders fret that couples<br />
can lose focus, concentrating so<br />
much on the wedding that they’re<br />
forgetting about the marriage.<br />
“The whole mission of the<br />
church is to move people’s focus<br />
beyond the physical and material to<br />
the spiritual,” said Fr. Kalabat. “It’s<br />
been getting too extreme. Change<br />
needs to start somewhere; this is one<br />
little thing but it becomes an opportunity<br />
to talk to the couple and say,<br />
BY JOYCE WISWELL<br />
Fr. Manuel Boji<br />
‘where is your concentration?’”<br />
St. Joseph in Troy is not limiting<br />
wedding parties, but Msgr. Zouhair<br />
Toma (Kejbou) asks attendants in<br />
large parties to sit in the front pew<br />
during the service, leaving only the<br />
best man and maid of honor at the<br />
couple’s side. “Preserve the dignity of<br />
the celebration,” he advised.<br />
“Some of these elaborate and<br />
meaningless arrangements<br />
people are throwing to<br />
show off,” said Msgr. Toma.<br />
“Don’t steal the light from<br />
what is actually happening<br />
– placing your love in front<br />
of the altar to be blessed in<br />
the eyes of the church.”<br />
Another pet peeve is too<br />
much skin shown by brides<br />
and their attendants. “There needs<br />
to be more respect in my estimation,”<br />
said Fr. Manuel Boji of Mother<br />
of God in Southfield. “I ask them to<br />
dress properly for church.”<br />
Fr. Kalabat jokingly said he asks<br />
brides to show only their eyes. In<br />
reality, he does not want to see cleavage,<br />
bare shoulders or exposed backs.<br />
Such requests can fall on deaf ears, so<br />
St. Thomas is taking a harder stand.<br />
“Now I tell them, if you don’t<br />
wear a shawl we will provide one —<br />
even if it doesn’t match your dress,”<br />
said Fr. Kalabat, adding with a<br />
chuckle, “That scares them.”<br />
St. Joseph also discourages revealing<br />
dress. “No spaghetti straps”<br />
declares a sign at the entrance.<br />
“We want to preserve the dignity<br />
and self respect of all the people in<br />
there,” said Msgr. Toma. “This is not<br />
a fashion parade.”<br />
the wedding guide<br />
“LOVE IS FRIENDSHIP SET ON FIRE.” – JEREMY TAYLOR<br />
28 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 29
30 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
let’s halhole!<br />
Younger generation embraces tradition<br />
BY JOYCE WISWELL<br />
PHOTO BY WILSON SARKIS<br />
When Avita Bacall<br />
got married a year<br />
and a half ago, her<br />
grandmother let<br />
loose with a giant trill – better<br />
known to members of the<br />
Chaldean community as the<br />
halhole.<br />
“She said, ‘I can’t help<br />
myself, it comes from the heart.<br />
It’s an overcoming of joy,’”<br />
recalled Bacall, 24, of<br />
Waterford.<br />
Bacall didn’t mind – in fact,<br />
she loves the halhole, that<br />
shrill, high-pitched sound of<br />
happiness women make (which<br />
usually startles any non-<br />
Chaldeans in attendance).<br />
“It is used to celebrate<br />
happy occasions,” said<br />
Josephine Sarafa, executive<br />
director of the Chaldean<br />
Cultural Center. “At funerals,<br />
it’s more of a wailing sound.”<br />
The halhole, which many<br />
learn as young girls from their<br />
mothers, grandmothers and<br />
aunts, started to die out locally<br />
in the 1950s as immigrants<br />
embraced American ways. But<br />
since the mid-1960s, the halhole<br />
has reemerged as a<br />
favorite wedding tradition,<br />
Sarafa said.<br />
“After 1965 when thousands<br />
of Chaldeans came from<br />
Iraq all the old traditions were<br />
reinforced by the newcomers,”<br />
she said. “It has become a<br />
resurgent tradition.”<br />
Nadine Rabban, 56, said she<br />
wishes she’d learned the sound<br />
as a girl. “My mother and aunt<br />
did it at my wedding 22 years<br />
ago but I never learned,” said<br />
the Novi resident. “Now my<br />
daughters try it. It’s a great tradition<br />
and if I had learned it when<br />
I was younger, I would do it.”<br />
Younger generations are also<br />
Alia Shango is feted by a zeffa band as she leaves her parents’ home.<br />
starting to embrace other traditions<br />
from Iraq, Sarafa said,<br />
including a henna party and<br />
the throwing of sweets onto<br />
the bride. Bacall’s wedding day<br />
featured the tabul (drum) and<br />
zarna (flute).<br />
“The groom’s mom and other<br />
females come and literally take<br />
the bride from her home,”<br />
Bacall said. “I loved it, and it<br />
sparked a lot of emotions of<br />
back home with my grandparents<br />
and my dad.”<br />
Margueritte Esshaki of Cass<br />
Lake is one of the community’s<br />
best-known halholers. “I have<br />
good breath,” said the 70-yearold.<br />
“I can go for a long time<br />
and do it very high.”<br />
Esshaki wins prizes at bridal<br />
showers for her trilling skills,<br />
but said she refrains at weddings.<br />
“With the men<br />
there, it’s a little different,”<br />
she admitted.<br />
Some church leaders<br />
are asking women to<br />
refrain from the halhole<br />
during marriage ceremonies,<br />
saying it’s<br />
become too competitive<br />
of who can do it the<br />
loudest or longest.<br />
“Do it outside all you<br />
want, but don’t cut off<br />
the prayers,” said Fr.<br />
Frank Kalabat of St.<br />
Thomas. “Keep a serene<br />
and prayerful atmosphere<br />
in the church.”<br />
Rather than forbid it<br />
outright, Fr. Kalabat asks celebrants<br />
to wait until the couple is<br />
introduced as husband and wife.<br />
“Then you can take out your<br />
frustration,” he laughed, “and<br />
let all that pent-up halhole<br />
out.”<br />
the wedding guide<br />
“GIVE ALL TO LOVE; OBEY THY HEART.”<br />
– RALPH WALDO EMERSON<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 31
hide it with flowers<br />
Practical tips for wedding day disasters<br />
BY LAWRENCE YALDO AND ANDREW KEINA<br />
Weddings are sacred events that<br />
everyone hopes will be perfect.<br />
Hiring a wedding professional to assist<br />
you through the plethora of available<br />
big day options can ward off most wedding day<br />
problems. Unfortunately, even the most wellplanned<br />
events can be fraught with lastminute<br />
emergencies.<br />
Here are a few wedding day disasters and<br />
simple suggestions on how to fix them.<br />
ACHES AND PAINS<br />
Wedding day jitters and nervous stomachs are<br />
normal. However, physical ailments can ruin<br />
a wedding. A little foresight can make the difference<br />
between a wonderful wedding and a<br />
miserable one. Making sure your wedding<br />
planner or a bridesmaid has an emergency bag<br />
of medicine is a great idea.<br />
Ibuprofen and aspirin are great for last-minute<br />
aches and pains. Benadryl is a life-saver if a relative<br />
or member of the wedding party has an allergic reaction<br />
to food or flowers. Nausea and upset stomach<br />
can be eased with antacids, soda crackers and ginger<br />
ale. Smelling salts are also handy if someone faints.<br />
While every bride wants to look her most svelte<br />
on the big day, please remember to eat a small meal<br />
before the wedding. Eating will give you the energy<br />
to make it through the ceremony and reception.<br />
CAKE CATASTROPHES<br />
While a damaged cake is a problem only a pastry<br />
chef can fix, it can be a simple problem to disguise.<br />
Fresh flowers can hide myriad flaws. Simply place<br />
Lawrence Yaldo and Andrew Keina<br />
fresh flowers on top of the damaged part of the cake<br />
and no one will ever know there was a problem.<br />
Always ask your florist to leave any extra blooms<br />
at the reception. Having additional flowers will not<br />
only help with cake catastrophes but will be available<br />
in case an extra bouquet or boutonnière needs<br />
to be made.<br />
HORRIFYING HAIRDOS<br />
While nothing can substitute for having a hair<br />
rehearsal with a professional, small changes can<br />
turn a hair don’t into a hair do. Even if you have a<br />
stylist, having a bridesmaid keep a fully stocked bag<br />
with a hairbrush, comb, hairspray, curling iron and<br />
bobby pins is important. If the weather is humid or<br />
windy, being able to fix hair problems can make you<br />
feel you look your best.<br />
It is also important not to make<br />
major color or cut decisions within a<br />
week or two before the big day. If you<br />
hate the changes, you may not be able<br />
to have them fixed in time for the<br />
wedding.<br />
DRESS DRAMAS<br />
Problems with your gown do not have<br />
to ruin your big day. Torn bustles,<br />
broken straps and ripped sleeves can<br />
be fixed with a needle and thread.<br />
Always keep a small sewing kit with<br />
safety pins nearby.<br />
Fabric cleansing wipes and club<br />
soda are indispensable in removing<br />
dirt and other stains. Oily food stains<br />
can sometimes be helped with baby<br />
powder. Blot, but do not rub, the stained portion of<br />
the fabric with a clean cloth. Merely sprinkle the<br />
stain with talcum powder, then wait a few minutes<br />
before brushing off. Talcum powder and white<br />
chalk can also be used to cover stains.<br />
Remember to have clear nail polish on hand. It<br />
stops tears in stockings from getting larger, and can<br />
also be used to reapply loose rhinestones or beads.<br />
Most importantly, accept that minor problems<br />
will arise – they will be resolved. Getting married is<br />
a once-in-a-lifetime event. What matters most is the<br />
covenant you are making with the one you love.<br />
Have a positive attitude and enjoy your day.<br />
Lawrence Yaldo and Andrew Keina are co-owners of Top That<br />
Table, Inc., a full-service event design and luxury linen rental<br />
company located in Madison Heights. Call 248 345 4718.<br />
the wedding guide<br />
“WHERE LOVE IS CONCERNED, TOO MUCH IS NOT EVEN ENOUGH.”<br />
– PIERRE DE BEAU<strong>MARCH</strong>AIS<br />
32 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 33
Marvin and<br />
Ronda Sawa of<br />
Macomb Township<br />
PHOTO BY WILSON SARKIS<br />
the wedding guide<br />
“NOBODY HAS EVER MEASURED, NOT EVEN POETS, HOW MUCH<br />
34 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
WHAT’S<br />
HOT?<br />
WHAT’S<br />
NOT?<br />
SOME HELPFUL<br />
TIPS<br />
FROM THE<br />
EXPERTS<br />
BRUNCH SHOWERS<br />
Brunch is becoming more popular<br />
for bridal showers, with stuffed<br />
French toast, quiche and<br />
mimosas. They start about 11<br />
a.m. and end about 3 p.m.<br />
– CARRIE GRIFFIN,<br />
HOSTESS AND EVENT PLANNER<br />
JEREMY, KEEGO HARBOR<br />
FULL BALLGOWNS<br />
Brides are looking for very nice,<br />
full ballgown-style skirts. That<br />
look is back in with a drop waist<br />
with a fitted bodice. They are also<br />
going with gold tones or a hint of<br />
color as an accent. For veils, it’s<br />
fingertip and sheer, with lots of<br />
detailing to match the gown.<br />
– FAYE KONJA, OWNER<br />
KONJA’S BRIDAL, BERKLEY<br />
LOOKING NATURAL<br />
Everyone is looking for that candid,<br />
natural look. People want a<br />
little more fun and don’t want<br />
their photos to be all stiff. We<br />
have a lot more fun with our couples,<br />
which makes them relaxed<br />
and creates a natural look and<br />
feel in their pictures.<br />
– PAUNCH KALIA,<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER AND OWNER<br />
EVERLASTING MOMENTS,<br />
BIRMINGHAM<br />
THE HEART CAN HOLD.”<br />
– ZELDA FITZGERALD<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 35
Allen and Nora<br />
Husanyo of Arizona<br />
PHOTO BY WILSON SARKIS<br />
the wedding guide<br />
“ L O V E I S T H E P A R T O F U S T H A T I S R E A L . ” – G E R A L D<br />
36 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
WHAT’S<br />
HOT?<br />
WHAT’S<br />
NOT?<br />
FINE-ART PHOTO BOOKS<br />
What’s hot are unique fine-art photo<br />
books. They can be as large as 10 by 15<br />
inches and have very thick pages. The<br />
photos take up the whole page with no<br />
borders. Some couples also get smaller-sized<br />
ones made for their parents.<br />
– WILSON SARKIS, OWNER<br />
WILSON SARKIS PHOTOGRAPHY,<br />
FARMINGTON HILLS<br />
BASIC BUSTIERS<br />
The latest lingerie trends have not<br />
changed. Brides continue to wear the<br />
basic bustier that flatters their figure<br />
as well as their dream dress.<br />
– ELIZABETH HARP, OWNER<br />
HARP’S LINGERIE, BIRMINGHAM<br />
BIG-SCREEN TVS<br />
One wedding featured luxurious bigscreen<br />
TVs in the corners of the hall.<br />
This gave wedding guests the<br />
opportunity to view the bride and<br />
groom as well as other guests<br />
throughout the reception.<br />
– KOLA GOJCAJ, OWNER, IMPERIAL HOUSE,<br />
CLINTON TOWNSHIP<br />
MICRO PAVE DIAMONDS<br />
The latest trend in bridal jewelry is a<br />
micro pave diamond. Its name is<br />
derived from its small size. Trends in<br />
engagement rings include estate<br />
pieces, including<br />
18-carat white gold and platinum. In<br />
Europe and the U.S., white gold and<br />
platinum have dominated over<br />
the traditional yellow gold.<br />
– VAHAY, MANAGER, FREDRICKS JEWELERS,<br />
BLOOMFIELD HILLS<br />
J A M P O L S K Y<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 37
Alia and Chris Shango of<br />
Shelby Township were<br />
married at St. George<br />
by Frs. Jirjus Abrahim<br />
and Manuel Boji.<br />
PHOTO BY WILSON SARKIS<br />
WHAT’S<br />
HOT?<br />
WHAT’S<br />
NOT?<br />
THEMED FOOD STATIONS<br />
We are doing a lot more food stations instead of a<br />
regular buffet or sit-down dinner; it encourages<br />
guests to mingle in a little more of a fun atmosphere.<br />
We’re also doing a lot of themed stations to<br />
fit the seasons, like ice cream for summer or soup<br />
or fondue for winter. In the fall, instead of a chocolate<br />
fountain we’ll have a caramel fountain with<br />
apples. Signature drinks are also big, like naming a<br />
martini that has special meaning to the bride and<br />
groom. People are making their wedding a really<br />
personal event.<br />
– TAWNYA JOHNSON, DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING<br />
THE INN AT ST. JOHN, PLYMOUTH<br />
the wedding guide<br />
“LOVE IS NOT A WEAKNESS. IT IS STRONG. ONLY THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE<br />
38 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
POCKET INVITATIONS<br />
A lot of people like the pocket invitations.<br />
They open up and there is a pocket inside<br />
for a reception or RSVP card or directions.<br />
Also, Chaldeans need to know to order their<br />
invitations four months before the wedding<br />
because you’re supposed to send them out<br />
six to eight weeks in advance.<br />
– TANYA KATTULA, OWNER<br />
INVITES & BEYOND, STERLING HEIGHTS<br />
Line dancing at<br />
the wedding of<br />
Paul and Dawna<br />
Alraihani of<br />
Rochester<br />
CAN CONTAIN IT.”<br />
– BORIS PASTERNAK<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 39
WHAT’S<br />
HOT?<br />
WHAT’S<br />
NOT?<br />
KEEP THE DATE<br />
Today’s contemporary bride is giving<br />
her guest an early wedding invitation<br />
with Keep the Date invites. Keep the<br />
Dates can be anything from a magnet<br />
to a scratch-off lottery ticket that is<br />
given to guests six months prior to the<br />
wedding. Keep the Dates serve the<br />
purpose of reminding guests of the<br />
special upcoming event.<br />
– AMY BERMAN, OWNER<br />
A LASTING IMPRESSION, NOVI<br />
Nick Ammori<br />
(second from left)<br />
is toasted by his<br />
groomsmen on his<br />
wedding to Jennifer.<br />
PHOTO BY WILSON SARKIS<br />
Randall and<br />
Jennifer Denha<br />
of West Bloomfield<br />
PHOTO BY WILSON SARKIS<br />
SEQUINS TO LACE<br />
The application of sequins to lace is<br />
very popular. Today’s bride is drawn to<br />
a dress that is very full with pickup.<br />
Destination brides who travel out of<br />
state go for a soft chiffon material and<br />
a dress that’s close to the body such as<br />
the mermaid style.<br />
– PIERA SBROCCA,<br />
ALESSANDRA BRIDAL &<br />
FORMAL WEAR, WARREN<br />
ELEGANT LOOK<br />
When it comes to hair and makeup<br />
today’s contemporary brides strive for<br />
a natural and elegant look. This<br />
includes subtle lips and a dramatic<br />
smoky eye. Brides are also undergoing<br />
relaxing treatments that make their<br />
honeymoon all the more manageable<br />
by saving them time.<br />
– LENA ARAFAT, HAIR DRESSER<br />
AND MAKEUP ARTIST<br />
BLUSH SALON, WALLED LAKE<br />
SIMPLICITY<br />
I would say the<br />
hottest trend is<br />
simply simplicity.<br />
The more simple<br />
the more beautiful.<br />
– MIKE DAHER,<br />
PRESIDENT<br />
SWEET DREAMS,<br />
WARREN<br />
MONOGRAM LIGHTING<br />
Monogram lighting gives character to the reception<br />
by incorporating colors like pink and blue<br />
into the walls and the couple’s names on the<br />
floor, head table or any desired location. Photo<br />
booths are definitely a big trend and provide<br />
guest with a great deal of fun and memories.<br />
– KIMBERLY BURNETTE, OWNER<br />
MUSIC BOX PRODUCTIONS,<br />
CLINTON TOWNSHIP<br />
the wedding guide<br />
“LOVE COMFORTETH LIKE SUNSHINE AFTER RAIN.”<br />
– WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE<br />
40 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 41
WHAT’S<br />
HOT?<br />
WHAT’S<br />
NOT?<br />
Doraid and Farrah<br />
Markus of West Bloomfield<br />
PHOTO BY WILSON SARKIS<br />
HALL DECOR<br />
The future bride and groom are placing a lot of emphasis<br />
on hall decor. We’re seeing a great deal of candy<br />
tables. With the usage of theatrical lighting guests can<br />
view the bride and groom’s initials on the dance floor.<br />
– DIEDRE STEMMELEN, GENERAL SALES MANAGER<br />
LAUREL MANOR, LIVONIA<br />
PALLADIUM<br />
The hottest thing is a member of platinum family<br />
called palladium, a very rare and lustrous white metal.<br />
It’s unique in that it is extremely durable and is tarnish<br />
resistant; it gives the appearance and feeling of<br />
platinum but it’s not as expensive. People should<br />
remember that when they’re buying an engagement<br />
ring it becomes an heirloom for the family. You need<br />
to know who you’re buying the ring from and that<br />
they will be there when you go back.<br />
– STEVE TAPPER, OWNER<br />
TAPPER’S JEWELRY, WEST BLOOMFIELD AND NOVI<br />
HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO<br />
High definition video is the thing. The quality is 10<br />
times better than standard definition, which is what<br />
we’ve been watching the past 30 years. With HD<br />
coming to all TVs in February 2009, this is the year<br />
everybody should convert.<br />
– IVAN YOUSIF, OWNER<br />
FUTUREWAVE IMAGES, ROYAL OAK<br />
SUPER SIZE EVERYTHING<br />
The bigger the better! High-demand products include<br />
bigger pendants and watches composed of steel and<br />
diamonds. Micro pave diamonds are definitely in<br />
high demand.<br />
– JASON GREISDORF, OWNER<br />
GREIS JEWELERS, FARMINGTON HILLS<br />
the wedding guide<br />
“THE HEART CAN DO ANYTHING.” – MOLIERE<br />
42 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 43
love iraqi style<br />
Weddings from the homeland can be elaborate affairs<br />
BY VANESSA DENHA-GARMO<br />
Awedding is a wedding? So you think.<br />
In Iraq, not only is how the couples<br />
happen to marry an untold story, but<br />
each celebration plays out in its own<br />
special way.<br />
“There is not much difference in the<br />
actual liturgy in Iraq opposed to here in<br />
America,” said Fr. Manuel Boji. “However,<br />
the celebration can last for days there.<br />
Sometimes they go for a week.” Each day<br />
of celebrations vary in tradition and flare.<br />
In some traditional weddings, more<br />
common a generation ago, the entire<br />
event would last days – starting out with a<br />
proposal, Chaldean style. A few people<br />
from the groom’s family would go the girl’s<br />
home and ask for her hand in marriage. If<br />
the girl’s family agrees, the groom’s family<br />
claps and halholes.<br />
Next, a priest would bless the engagement.<br />
In some villages years ago, only the<br />
groom’s family would celebrate while for<br />
the bride’s family it was almost a time of<br />
sadness because they were losing a daughter.<br />
After the engagement, a date was set<br />
for the actual nuptials — often just days<br />
after the couple engaged.<br />
The preparations began. Women of the homes<br />
would prepare the wedding; they sewed colorful<br />
cloths at home and wore only their best garments<br />
and jewelry. One of the celebratory days before the<br />
actual exchange of vows was loukma (bread) day.<br />
They would bake bread and gather family and friends<br />
to enjoy. The bread was a pizza-size flat loaf flavored<br />
Karim and Najat Dado, 1973<br />
with sesame and other seasonings. While it baked,<br />
the women sang songs, halholed and rejoiced.<br />
The day of the henna (dying of the hands)<br />
would occur a day or two before the actual wedding.<br />
It is a sign of making the wedding colorful and joyful<br />
— dressing up the day. Family members put<br />
henna in the palm of their hands, then wrap the<br />
hand in a cloth and go to sleep, awaking<br />
with a colorful design. The grooms’ family<br />
visited the bride’s home with henna and<br />
candy. The bride would get the henna first<br />
and the entire groom’s family would also<br />
get the henna, but not the brides’ family.<br />
In some towns some families would take<br />
dolma (stuffed grape leaves) to the henna.<br />
The night before the wedding, families<br />
would sing, drink and enjoy mezza (light<br />
appetizers) and arak (liquor). In the morning,<br />
entire towns sometimes went to the<br />
mass. On some occasions, only a few members<br />
of the bride’s family attended the mass.<br />
After that, all the guests would lead the<br />
bride and groom around town with musicians<br />
playing tabul (drums). They’d even<br />
venture to the outskirts of town, landing in<br />
a big field where they sang and danced.<br />
In the evening, all returned home to<br />
eat, drink and have mezza. The celebration<br />
continued to the next morning. The<br />
next day, close friends and family members<br />
of the groom took food to his family<br />
to continue the celebrations. All day, they<br />
sang, danced, drank and rejoiced. This<br />
continued to the third day; finally by that<br />
night the wedding celebrations wound down.<br />
Exhausted and overjoyed, life then began for the<br />
married couple.<br />
Here’s a glance at four weddings from the homeland.<br />
LOVE IRAQI STYLE<br />
Continued on page 46<br />
the wedding guide<br />
“THE LOVE WE GIVE AWAY IS THE ONLY LOVE WE KEEP.”<br />
– ELBERT HUBBARD<br />
44 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 45
LOVE IRAQI STYLE<br />
Continued from page 44<br />
NAJAT AND KARIM DADO, 1973<br />
Najat Kenaya found out she was to marry just<br />
four hours before she vowed to do so inside a<br />
church in Basra.<br />
“I had no idea who he was or what he looked<br />
like,” she recalled.<br />
The short notice didn’t allow the bride to plan or<br />
even pick out her own dress. “There were no flowers,<br />
no cake, no live music — just a tape and people<br />
singing,” she said. “I wore my mother-in-law’s ring<br />
and my husband wore his dad’s ring because there<br />
The two married at St. Joseph in Baghdad in an<br />
hour and a half ceremony conducted by Mar<br />
Emmanuel Delly. About 250 people attended.<br />
Mary, 29 at the time, had met George, 42,<br />
through mutual friends; the couple knew each other<br />
only about three weeks before the wedding.<br />
After an eight-day honeymoon in Basra,<br />
Mary’s family had a small welcome-home gathering.<br />
Not long after, they left Iraq and spent 43<br />
days in Cairo, Egypt, before landing in America.<br />
They have three children.<br />
‘We did not have big weddings at that time. We had a<br />
ceremony at the church and we went to a hall where people<br />
socialized for a couple of hours.’ – IKHLAS ROMAYA<br />
Mary and George Sesi Farah and Manar Saffar Ikhlas and Abdulmeseh Romaya<br />
IKHLAS AND ABDULMESEH ROMAYA, 1967<br />
When Ikhlas and Abdulmeseh Romaya married in<br />
1967, the wedding was much different than those<br />
Ikhlas works on today as a florist. “We only had pop<br />
and cake at the reception,” she said. “We did not<br />
have big weddings at that time. We had a ceremony<br />
at the church and we went to a hall where people<br />
socialized for a couple of hours.”<br />
Romaya dressed in a suit and Ikhlas wore a traditional<br />
wedding gown and carried a bouquet, the<br />
only flowers at the wedding. The ceremony in a<br />
church in Baghdad took place 10 days after the couple<br />
had met. Those arranged marriages, common in<br />
the baby-boomer and older generations, are now<br />
near a thing of the past.<br />
While a big band usually welcome the newly<br />
married couple in their own rendition of a zeffa<br />
(entrance dance), the Romayas celebrated their<br />
nuptials with the sound of chatting voices void of<br />
music and dance. They honeymooned for five days<br />
in Basra. Today, the Romayas have four kids and<br />
will soon welcome their eighth grandchild.<br />
wasn’t a jeweler open.” Najat even wore a wedding<br />
dress being made for another woman.<br />
Despite the rush to wed, there are no regrets. Najat<br />
and Karim are happily married and live in Marysville.<br />
The have four kids and five granddaughters.<br />
GEORGE AND MARY SESI, 1976<br />
When Mary Kajy married George Sesi in Baghdad, she<br />
was still mourning the death of her older brother Fareet.<br />
“We didn’t really have a party because of my<br />
brother,” she said. “We had a small gathering with<br />
no music or any type of celebratory traditions at a<br />
social hall next to the church.”<br />
MANAR AND FARAH SAFFAR, 2007<br />
More than 1,500 people danced in the streets of<br />
Alquosh last year to celebrate the nuptials of<br />
Manar, 29 and Farah, 25.<br />
Manar said his wedding was much similar to one<br />
celebrated in America with live music, a wedding<br />
cake and the bride in a white wedding gown.<br />
Manar, an instructor at Dohuk University, wore a<br />
suit while most grooms in the United States wear<br />
tuxedos. The hall was decorated with flowers much<br />
like the décor of parties here in the U.S.<br />
“The wedding day was so exciting,” said Manar.<br />
“It was a huge party and it lasted nine hours.”<br />
the wedding guide<br />
“LOVE IS THE BEAUTY OF THE SOUL.” – ST. AUGUSTINE<br />
46 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 47
48 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
IRAQ today<br />
‘Council of Christians’ to be established<br />
BY JOHN PONTIFEX<br />
Aleading Archbishop from Iraq<br />
has received backing from the<br />
country’s president to set up a<br />
“Council of Christians” to address key<br />
challenges threatening the church’s<br />
survival in their ancient homeland.<br />
Determined to shore up confidence<br />
among Christians after January’s wave<br />
of attacks on church buildings across<br />
the country, Archbishop Louis Sako is<br />
putting the finishing touches to a 30-<br />
member committee tasked with helping<br />
the faithful to secure their place in<br />
Iraq’s future.<br />
Speaking from Iraq in an interview<br />
with the Catholic charity Aid to the<br />
Church in Need (CIN), Archbishop<br />
Sako said that as the council’s acting<br />
president, he had received express<br />
support for the plan from Iraq’s<br />
President Jalal Talabani.<br />
With a remit covering Kirkuk, the<br />
northern city where Mgr. Sako is<br />
Archbishop, the council breaks new<br />
ecumenical ground, bringing together<br />
representatives from five key Christian<br />
denominations — Chaldeans,<br />
Assyrians, Armenians, Syrian<br />
Orthodox and Catholics.<br />
Broken up into committees tackling<br />
key issues, the council will examine<br />
social, cultural and interfaith relations,<br />
backed up by a press office to promote<br />
awareness of its activity and involvement<br />
from outside groups.<br />
“For too long, the Christians have<br />
struggled to get their views heard in<br />
the main debates of the day because<br />
so often they don’t speak with one<br />
voice,” Archbishop Sako told CAN.<br />
“The main purpose is that Christians<br />
should have a united front. If we have<br />
demands, we should present them<br />
together. We should not be separated<br />
and thereby enfeebled.”<br />
The Archbishop said that a lack of<br />
unity compounded the problem of<br />
Christians living as a minority of just<br />
12,000 in a city of one million.<br />
Archbishop Sako, an outspoken<br />
critic of a scheme to create a so-called<br />
“safe haven” for Iraq Christians in the<br />
Nineveh Plains outside Mosul, said the<br />
Council would address topical issues<br />
in a way that complements the work of<br />
Catholics and Orthodox across the<br />
party divide.<br />
Archbishop Sako, who said his<br />
council presidency was strictly temporary,<br />
went on: “The risk is that the political<br />
parties will not accept the council.<br />
They think we may try to replace them.<br />
This is not our goal at all.”<br />
He went on, “The problem is that<br />
ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />
The U.N. refugee agency is welcoming<br />
a decision by Lebanese<br />
authorities to regularize the status<br />
of hundreds of Iraqi refugees considered<br />
illegal in the country.<br />
During the week of February 17, the<br />
government started to give Iraqis who<br />
entered Lebanon illegally or overstayed<br />
their visas a three-month period to<br />
legalize their status.<br />
An announcement posted on the<br />
website of Lebanon’s General Security<br />
Department urged Arab and foreign<br />
nationals whose residency contradicts<br />
the law or who entered the country illegally<br />
to visit the department’s offices to<br />
resolve their situation. It also said they<br />
would be granted a year’s stay or<br />
ordered to leave the country.<br />
The Office of the U.N. High<br />
the Christians do not feel part of the<br />
political process — that their views are<br />
not being represented as well as they<br />
could be. They are tired. They feel<br />
hopeless and disappointed because<br />
they do not know how long it will take<br />
for the situation to be stabilized.”<br />
‘The risk is that<br />
the political parties<br />
will not accept<br />
the council.’<br />
– ARCHBISHOP SAKO<br />
Lebanese eases up on refugees<br />
Archbishop Sako said having a<br />
stake in the country’s future was key to<br />
the faithful rebuilding confidence.<br />
He added: “We have good relations<br />
with so many groups of people in<br />
Kirkuk. They appreciate what we do.<br />
We need to realize that our presence is<br />
not about how many there are of us but<br />
how we are behaving and what we are<br />
saying.”<br />
The Archbishop said that he hoped<br />
the scheme would prove successful<br />
enough to be adopted across the<br />
country, leading to the creation of a<br />
national council of Christians.<br />
Reprinted courtesy of the Assyrian<br />
International News Agency, www.aina.org.<br />
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)<br />
said this decision would benefit thousands<br />
of Iraqi refugees in Lebanon and<br />
would lead to the release of hundreds<br />
from detention.<br />
In a statement issued February 20,<br />
the refugee group said it will support<br />
the release process and provide assistance<br />
to those released from detention<br />
and to their families, as well as provide<br />
legal aid to Iraqis who wish to meet the<br />
regularization requirements.<br />
“The Lebanese decision benefiting<br />
Iraqi refugees is of particular significance<br />
given that it has been taken during<br />
a time when the country has been<br />
facing political turmoil and volatile<br />
security. This is a courageous decision,’’<br />
said Stephane Jaquemet, the<br />
UNHCR representative in Lebanon.<br />
Jaquemet added that UNHCR’s priority<br />
over the next few months will be to<br />
assist the detainees upon release.<br />
“After several months of detention,<br />
many of them will be destitute,’’ he said.<br />
Unlike other Arab countries,<br />
Lebanon has adopted a policy of<br />
arresting Iraqis who are in the country<br />
illegally. Often they are kept jailed<br />
beyond their original sentences until<br />
they agree to return home. About 77<br />
percent of the roughly 50,000 Iraqis in<br />
Lebanon have entered the country illegally,<br />
the Danish Refugee Council estimated<br />
in a survey late last month.<br />
The Lebanese policy has raised an<br />
outcry from human rights groups. In<br />
October 2007, up to 584 Iraqis were in<br />
detention in Lebanon because of their<br />
irregular status. Many of them had<br />
served their sentences but were still<br />
being arbitrarily detained.<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 49
50 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
Bank of<br />
Michigan:<br />
Working for<br />
Business<br />
Times are tough in Michigan, but<br />
don’t tell that to the folks at the<br />
Bank of Michigan in Farmington<br />
Hills. While many financial institutions<br />
are struggling, the Bank of Michigan<br />
was named the fastest-growing bank<br />
in Southeast Michigan by Crain’s<br />
Detroit Business in June 2007.<br />
“We’ve doubled our growth in each of<br />
our three years,” said President<br />
Michael G. Sarafa. “I attribute that to<br />
the fact that a growing number of people<br />
are comfortable banking with us.<br />
We’ve become a destination of<br />
choice.”<br />
Bank of Michigan’s Commercial<br />
Loan Department is especially thriving.<br />
Loan specialists embrace the<br />
mission of making available a variety<br />
of loan products specifically designed<br />
for business, be it business financing,<br />
working capital, capital expenditures<br />
or real estate loans.<br />
As a preferred Small Business<br />
Administration (SBA) Lender, Bank of<br />
Michigan is uniquely positioned to<br />
help the entrepreneur. Benefits of<br />
Bank of Michigan’s SBA loans<br />
include longer maturities than most<br />
bank loans; smaller down payments;<br />
longer terms; no balloon payments;<br />
no covenants; multiple interest rate<br />
options (floating, adjustable or fixed)<br />
and — perhaps most importantly —<br />
fast credit approval.<br />
“With an SBA loan, qualifying criteria<br />
are generally more flexible than<br />
conventional loans,” Sarafa noted.<br />
SBA programs offered at the Bank<br />
of Michigan include SBA 7(a), which<br />
provide funds for a variety of business<br />
services; SBA 504 for purchasing<br />
real estate or equipment, generally<br />
for projects of more than<br />
$500,000; and the Low Doc Program<br />
for loan requests under $150,000.<br />
Loans can be made as high as $2<br />
million and fixed rates are available<br />
for up to seven years — a schedule<br />
that offers great peace of mind in<br />
these uncertain economic times.<br />
For commercial real estate, the<br />
Bank of Michigan offers a fixed rate<br />
for an initial term of up to 60 months<br />
and amortization schedules of up to<br />
Pictured from left: Cindy Jensen (Commercial Lender), Tom Linden (Chief Credit Officer), Lydia Bahoura (Credit Analyst),<br />
Michael Sarafa (President) and Barry Boozan (Commercial Lender).<br />
25 years depending on property type.<br />
Of course, any bank is only as<br />
good as the people behind it. Sarafa<br />
is proud of his Commercial Lending<br />
team.<br />
Chief Credit Officer Tom Linden<br />
has a vast amount of experience in<br />
small business underwriting. “He is<br />
very prudent,” Sarafa said, “but also<br />
very creative.”<br />
Commercial Lender Cindy Jensen,<br />
who joined Bank of Michigan after<br />
more than 30 years experience at<br />
Michigan National Bank and its various<br />
successors, “is probably the<br />
most experienced small business<br />
lender in the entire state,” Sarafa<br />
said.<br />
Barry Boozan, also a Commercial<br />
Lender, has created a niche specialty<br />
working with healthcare providers as<br />
well as other professional services.<br />
“Barry has a substantial credit background<br />
and a strong focus on customer<br />
service and going the extra<br />
mile to get a deal done,” Sarafa said.<br />
Credit Analyst Lydia Bahoura<br />
helps prepare the loan packages and<br />
financial spreadsheets and keep the<br />
files updated. “She is the gatekeeper<br />
for the loan department,” Sarafa<br />
added.<br />
The team is led by Sarafa.<br />
“Mike has been a great asset to<br />
the bank since he moved from vice<br />
chairman of the board to President<br />
and CEO at the beginning of 2006,”<br />
said Michael George, chairman of the<br />
Chaldean Federation of America and<br />
an advisor to the bank. “Mike is<br />
always out and about at community<br />
events, he understands financing and<br />
has a good sense of judgment,” he<br />
continued.<br />
Indeed, Sarafa is deeply ingrained<br />
in the Chaldean community, having<br />
just completed two terms as president<br />
of the Chaldean Iraqi American<br />
Association of Michigan (CIAAM),<br />
where he still serves as a board<br />
member.<br />
Attorney Burt Kassab, vice chairman<br />
of the Bank of Michigan board,<br />
said Sarafa’s former work as executive<br />
director of the Associated Food<br />
and Petroleum Dealers puts him<br />
squarely in the corner of small businesses.<br />
“Mike has a deep understanding<br />
and awareness of the needs of small<br />
business owners,” Kassab said. “The<br />
bank has done well under his leadership.”<br />
The Bank of Michigan offers all the<br />
benefits of a small institution —<br />
backed with the security of the considerable<br />
assets of Capitol Bancorp<br />
Limited, a $5-billion publicly traded<br />
corporation. Although technically a<br />
bank holding company, Capitol<br />
Bancorp considers itself in the bank<br />
development business because it is<br />
an active, proactive and dynamic partner<br />
with the banks.<br />
Besides Michigan, Capitol<br />
Bancorp’s affiliate banks are located<br />
in 16 states, including California,<br />
Texas and New York. Plans are<br />
underway to expand into additional<br />
markets.<br />
“It’s the perfect combination,”<br />
Sarafa says. “We’re a small, community<br />
bank where everyone knows your<br />
name and is dedicated to helping<br />
your business succeed with the<br />
utmost of professionalism and confidentiality.<br />
Capitol Bancorp gives us<br />
the financial muscle and stability that<br />
is crucial in today’s economy.”<br />
Times may be tough, but the<br />
Commercial Lending Department at<br />
the Bank of Michigan is ready to help.<br />
“We are poised to continue to<br />
make good loans to qualified borrowers,”<br />
Sarafa said. “When the dust<br />
settles from this housing bust and<br />
general economic downturn, the<br />
Bank of Michigan will not only be<br />
standing but thriving as well.”<br />
Bank of Michigan<br />
30095 Northwestern Highway<br />
Farmington Hills, MI<br />
(248) 865-1300<br />
www.bankofmi.com<br />
BE PREPARED<br />
Seeking a business loan? Bring<br />
along the following information to<br />
ease the process and see quick<br />
results:<br />
• Personal and business tax returns<br />
for the past two to three years<br />
• Updated and signed personal<br />
financial statements<br />
• Business plans and projections<br />
• For real estate loans, appraisals,<br />
environmental reports, surveys, title<br />
work and legal descriptions<br />
ADVERTISEMENT<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 51
RELIGION<br />
PLACES OF PRAYER<br />
THE DIOCESE OF ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE IN THE UNITED STATES<br />
ST. THOMAS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE<br />
25603 Berg Road, Southfield, MI 48033, 248-351-0440<br />
Mar (Bishop) Ibrahim N. Ibrahim<br />
www.chaldeandiocese.org<br />
MOTHER OF GOD CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH<br />
25585 Berg Road, Southfield, MI 48034; 248-356-0565<br />
Rector: Rev. Manuel Boji<br />
Parochial Vicar: Rev. Wisam Matti<br />
Mass Schedule: Weekdays except Tuesday, 10 a.m.;<br />
Tuesday, St. Anthony prayer at 5 p.m. followed by mass at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, 5:15 p.m.<br />
in English; Sunday: 8:30 a.m. in Arabic, 10 a.m. in English, 12 noon in Chaldean<br />
SACRED HEART CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH<br />
310 W. Seven Mile Road, Detroit, MI 48203,<br />
313-368-6214<br />
Pastor: Rev. Jacob Yasso<br />
Mass Schedule: Friday, 6 p.m. in Chaldean,<br />
Sunday 11 a.m. in Chaldean<br />
MAR ADDAI CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH<br />
24010 Coolidge Hwy, Oak Park, MI 48237, 248-547-4648<br />
Pastor: Rev. Stephen Kallabat<br />
Parochial Vicars: Rev. Fadi Habib Khalaf, Rev. Suleiman Denha<br />
Mass Schedule: Weekday masses at 12 noon.<br />
Sunday 10 a.m. in Sourath and Arabic; 12:30 p.m. in Sourath<br />
CHALDEAN CHURCHES IN AND AROUND METRO DETROIT<br />
ST. GEORGE CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH<br />
45700 Dequindre Road, Shelby Township, MI; (586) 254-7221<br />
Pastor: Rev. Emanuel Hana Isho Shaleta<br />
Assistant Pastor: Rev. Basel Yaldo<br />
Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m.; Saturday, 5 p.m. Sunday: 8:30 a.m. in Chaldean, 10 a.m.<br />
in Arabic, 11:30 a.m. in English, 1 p.m. in Chaldean. Baptisms: 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.<br />
ST. JOSEPH CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH<br />
2442 E. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, MI 48083, 248-528-3676<br />
Pastor: Msgr. Zouhair Toma (Kejbou)<br />
Parochial Vicar: Rev. Ayad J. Hanna (Knanjaro)<br />
Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Chaldean; Saturday, 5 p.m. in English and Chaldean;<br />
Sunday, 8 a.m. in Chaldean, 9:30 a.m. in Arabic, 11 a.m. in English, 12:30 p.m. in Chaldean<br />
ST. MARY HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST<br />
4320 E. 14 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48092; 586-825-0290<br />
Rector: Fr. Benjamin Benjamin<br />
Mass Schedule: Sunday, 9 a.m. Assyrian; noon Assyrian and English<br />
ST. THOMAS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH<br />
6900 Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, 248-788-2460<br />
Pastor: Rev. Frank Kalabat<br />
Rev. Emanuel Rayes (retired)<br />
Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jirgus Abrahim<br />
Mass Schedule: Monday-Friday 10 a.m. in Sourath, Saturday 5 p.m. in English,<br />
Sunday 9 a.m. in English, 10:30 a.m. in English, 12:30 p.m. in Sourath<br />
ST. TOMA SYRIAC CATHOLIC CHURCH<br />
2560 Drake Rd., Farmington Hills, MI 48335, 248-478-0835<br />
Pastor: Rev. Toma Behnama<br />
Mass Schedule: Sunday 12 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 6 p.m.<br />
All masses are in Syriac, Arabic and English<br />
obituaries<br />
Victoria Mona-Arabo<br />
Born on July 1, 1923, Victoria Mona-<br />
Arabo departed this life peacefully<br />
on a day dedicated to the<br />
Sacred Heart of Jesus, the first<br />
Friday of the month, May 4,<br />
2007. This devotion, together<br />
with a deep love for the<br />
Blessed Virgin Mary through<br />
her daily recitation of the<br />
rosary and lit candles, deepened<br />
Victoria’s faith in our Lord<br />
and Savior.<br />
Victoria lost her beloved<br />
husband David S. Arabo and<br />
became a widow in the prime of her life<br />
after God called him home at the<br />
young age of 49. Her faith in God sustained<br />
her to be both mother and father<br />
to her children, whom she raised with<br />
tender love and devotion.<br />
Victoria was a deeply compassionate,<br />
loving, kind and gentle soul. Her<br />
hospitality was well-known among her<br />
family and neighborhood friends. She<br />
always greeted with love and warmth<br />
those who entered her home. In fact,<br />
her home was the central gathering<br />
place for her friends and neighbors to<br />
partake of her hospitality. She was<br />
known for her exceptional culinary<br />
Victoria Mona-Arabo<br />
skills and consistently cooked delicious<br />
meals, two of which, karee m’tabagh<br />
and yellow rice, were often requested<br />
favorites during family gatherings.<br />
She never turned down a<br />
request to help anyone and<br />
did so with a charity born<br />
from love for Jesus. She<br />
always said, “I do this for<br />
Jesus.” Many acquaintances<br />
were saddened to hear of her<br />
loss and it comforted her children<br />
to know that they recognized<br />
her genuine goodness.<br />
Victoria is survived by her<br />
beloved children, Edmond (Wafa),<br />
Emile, Mona (Luigi) Cervi and<br />
Jacqueline; her grandchildren,<br />
Claudio, Marco and Fabio Cervi and<br />
Venus, David, Jennifer and Emile<br />
Arabo; and her brother, Ghazi. She<br />
was preceded in death by her beloved<br />
husband David S. Arabo, her parents<br />
Jirjis and Naima Mona, her twin brothers<br />
Nasser and Edward Mona, and her<br />
infant son Ayad, our angel in heaven.<br />
Mom, we thank you for being a loving,<br />
devoted and selfless mother who<br />
guided us in the Christian way of life.<br />
The good life you lived is your legacy to<br />
us. We think about you and send our<br />
prayers to God throughout the day for<br />
you. You left us so quickly and without<br />
you, our lives will never be the same.<br />
We miss you so much. You are truly in<br />
our hearts forever.<br />
Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord,<br />
and let perpetual light shine upon her<br />
and may she rest in peace. May her<br />
soul and the souls of all the faithful<br />
departed through the mercy of God<br />
rest in peace. Amen.<br />
Ellen Georgis Deddeh<br />
Heaven gained an angel the day Ellen<br />
Georgis Deddeh was laid to rest on<br />
February 13, <strong>2008</strong>. She was born on<br />
September 12, 1919. She<br />
was in and out of the hospital<br />
for many months until she<br />
couldn’t fight anymore. Now<br />
she is smiling down on us with<br />
her husband, Elias, playing<br />
cards and laughing like we<br />
remember her.<br />
Whether young or old,<br />
Ellen had a way of touching<br />
people’s lives that is unexplainable.<br />
She was the glue<br />
Ellen Georgis<br />
Deddeh<br />
that held the family together. She was<br />
a person that thought of others before<br />
herself. Everyone who met her, be it<br />
friends of her grandchildren or people<br />
in the hospital, called her Nana. She<br />
truly was everyone’s Nana.<br />
Ellen was a widow at a young age<br />
but you could never tell. She lived<br />
every day to the fullest. She loved to<br />
go out and socialize among the relatives.<br />
She would be the first to go and<br />
the last to leave. Everyone enjoyed<br />
being in her company.<br />
She is survived by her sister, Violet<br />
Metti; six children, Nidhal Bodiya,<br />
Madiha (Munib Murad), Kamal<br />
(Khalida), Raja, Riadh (Lulu) and Fatin<br />
Kouza; 13 grandchildren, Karen<br />
(Roger), Anita, Dina (Paul), Allen,<br />
David (Mae), Brian, Claude, Robert<br />
(Melody), Lian (Phil), Lydia,<br />
Candace, Alana and Connie;<br />
and seven great-grandchildren,<br />
Eric, Nicole, Alex,<br />
Matthew, James, Kaylee and<br />
Brooke.<br />
We miss her terribly but<br />
know she is in a better place<br />
looking down on us. Not a<br />
day will go by where we don’t<br />
think of her. All the tears in the<br />
world cannot mend our broken<br />
hearts. Mama, Nana, Big Nana,<br />
we love you and wait for the day to see<br />
you again.<br />
52 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 53
the DOCTOR is in<br />
Economic recession can hurt minds, too BY DUNIA KARANA ZEBARI, PH.D<br />
Most of us have been<br />
discussing concerns<br />
with today’s struggling<br />
local economy. It is quite disheartening,<br />
for example, to see<br />
some of our great minds graduate<br />
from our state colleges<br />
and universities only to have to<br />
seek work outside of Michigan.<br />
This state’s economic<br />
woes continue to have ramifications<br />
for businesses in retail,<br />
restaurants, real estate, personal<br />
care and entertainment. And it<br />
doesn’t just affect our bank accounts<br />
— financial struggles can be a real<br />
challenge to our mental wellbeing.<br />
Imagine a father, the sole caretaker<br />
of his wife and children, either losing<br />
his job or seeing his business significantly<br />
slow down. He may experience<br />
many negative reactions including feelings<br />
of anxiety, low or depressed mood,<br />
feelings of guilt, helplessness and a<br />
decline in self-esteem and self-worth.<br />
Moreover, these changes in mood<br />
and feelings will likely affect this man’s<br />
DUNIA<br />
KARANA<br />
ZEBARI,<br />
PH.D<br />
relationship with his wife and<br />
children. A typical disagreement<br />
(which most couples<br />
experience in their marriage)<br />
that often gets resolved rather<br />
quickly might escalate into<br />
something more serious, since<br />
the husband’s stressors hinder<br />
his ability to effectively communicate<br />
and solve marital issues.<br />
Furthermore, his children<br />
will likely feel their father’s<br />
uneasiness and change in<br />
mood and they might in turn experience<br />
psychological distress. I recently<br />
conducted a psychological evaluation<br />
for a school-aged girl who was performing<br />
significantly below her grade<br />
level. I concluded that the girl’s poor<br />
school performance is a result of<br />
ongoing stress at home related to<br />
financial insecurity as well as the<br />
resulting marital conflict.<br />
These examples depict some of the<br />
reactions and ripple effects that people<br />
may experience during significant economic<br />
decline. It is important to know<br />
that these reactions are common. But<br />
while feelings of helplessness, a<br />
depressed mood and anxiety are often<br />
temporary and short-lasting, in some<br />
cases these symptoms may be prolonged<br />
and can lead to more serious<br />
psychological problems.<br />
Environmental stressors such as<br />
economic recession can be a trigger to<br />
a psychological disorder, especially if<br />
there has been a family history of problems<br />
such as major depressive disorder<br />
and anxiety. These stressors may<br />
also trigger issues that have not been<br />
worked through or a disorder in remission<br />
— such as alcohol and drug<br />
dependence — may resurface due to<br />
these environmental stressors.<br />
Dunia Karana Zebari, Ph.D., is a practicing<br />
clinical psychologist specializing in<br />
assessment and psychotherapy with children,<br />
adolescents and adults. She is especially<br />
interested in families requiring special<br />
attention during crises such as divorce and<br />
parental loss. Call (248) 594-5979, ext.<br />
23, or e-mail info@psychassets.com.<br />
MANAGE THOSE<br />
STRESSORS<br />
Try these tips, but remember: It is<br />
important to seek professional<br />
consultation when you feel that<br />
your problems have persisted for<br />
several weeks or more.<br />
• Find ways to relax your mind<br />
and body — something as simple<br />
as sitting down and taking a deep<br />
breath can help manage some of<br />
the stress.<br />
• Attempt to get a good night’s<br />
sleep. People who are able to<br />
sleep six to eight hours a night<br />
consistently report a rested body,<br />
less stressed mind and an<br />
improved ability to solve problems.<br />
• Plan time to talk with loved ones<br />
or concerned people in your community;<br />
these people can help you<br />
sort through your thoughts and<br />
emotions.<br />
54 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 55
ECONOMICS & enterprise<br />
Community Welcomes New Businesses<br />
BY JOYCE WISWELL<br />
Say It With Fruit<br />
When Bahaa Jajjo Kachi added unique<br />
fresh fruit bouquets to his deli in<br />
Madison Heights, they flew off the<br />
shelves. When they starting outselling<br />
the rest of his stock, he closed the<br />
store to concentrate full-time on the<br />
items.<br />
Kachi created his first fruit bouquet<br />
last spring for a girlfriend. “She loved it<br />
– I’ve never seen someone so excited,”<br />
he said. “Then for Mother’s Day I made<br />
them for my sisters, and from that point<br />
on I’ve been doing more and more.”<br />
The bouquets of fresh fruit shaped<br />
into flowers, hearts, butterflies and<br />
stars are not only nice to look at,<br />
they’re healthy to eat too. Prices<br />
range from $22-$125, and delivery<br />
starts at $15.<br />
Kachi Kreations is operated out of<br />
Kachi’s Shelby Township home for<br />
now, but he hopes to open a shop in<br />
Royal Oak. Additional stores and franchises<br />
are also in his long-range plans.<br />
Kachi, a former banquet chef at<br />
Great Oaks Country Club, has provided<br />
fruit bouquets for engagement parties,<br />
baby showers, birthdays, communions<br />
and office parties. Customers<br />
often buy one large bouquet for show<br />
and offer a fruit tray (which he also<br />
supplies) for guests to nibble on.<br />
“It’s a conversation piece,” Kachi<br />
says. “I’m not just selling fruit – I’m selling<br />
class.”<br />
Visit www.kachikreations.com or<br />
call (586) 843-7848.<br />
Louay and Vince Nona<br />
at Market Village’s<br />
grand opening.<br />
Bahaa Jajjo Kachi<br />
shows off a<br />
“kreation” crafted<br />
for a recent<br />
Chaldean American<br />
Chamber of<br />
Commerce event.<br />
PHOTO BY DAVID REED<br />
PHOTO BY WILSON SARKIS<br />
It Takes a Village<br />
Gourmet grocery shoppers in the Novi<br />
area have a new venue to browse:<br />
Market Village on Grand River Avenue.<br />
The store, owned by Louay and<br />
Vince Nona, celebrated its grand opening<br />
on February 5 with an open house.<br />
Louay owns Parkway Foods in<br />
Detroit and Vince, his son, owns Vinery<br />
in Dearborn Heights. The Market<br />
Village, however, is uncharted territory<br />
for the family.<br />
“This is something completely new<br />
to us,” said Vince. “The trend in the<br />
industry is to go a little more upscale<br />
with more prepared and gourmet<br />
foods. It’s a very comforting place to<br />
shop, with the ambience of being a<br />
nice, homey place.”<br />
The store totals 8,300 square feet<br />
and carries fresh and organic produce,<br />
an upscale meat department, a wide<br />
variety of specialty gourmet cheeses,<br />
liquor, a large wine selection and specialty<br />
craft and imported beers, as well<br />
as some Spartan private label goods.<br />
“We’re a full-scale market with a little<br />
bit of everything,” Vince said.<br />
The Nonas expect to sell a lot of<br />
prepared food at Market Village.<br />
“People are so busy they don’t have<br />
time to cook anymore,” said Vince.<br />
“They can come to a place like ours<br />
and get a full meal for their families.”<br />
Market Village is located at 41430 Grand<br />
River Avenue in Novi. Call (248) 348-0401.<br />
Shabby Chic<br />
A new “shabby chic” boutique<br />
has been added to<br />
Skinthetics Laser Hair<br />
Removal & Skin Care<br />
Center in West Bloomfield.<br />
Shoppers can find designer<br />
active wear, photo<br />
albums, jewelry, candles,<br />
gifts and more. Skinthetics<br />
has also added new services<br />
including cellulite reduction<br />
and custom facials.<br />
The business, owned by<br />
Farrah Barbat and Anita<br />
Sesi, is located at 6421<br />
Orchard Lake Road; call<br />
(248) 855-6668.<br />
56 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
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<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 57
58 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
making the GRADE<br />
Perrin Atisha:<br />
Sharing faith<br />
Perrin Atisha believes in<br />
spreading the good word.<br />
“We’re Chaldeans,” he said.<br />
“We should proclaim our faith to<br />
other people.”<br />
Not a typical sentiment from a 15-<br />
year-old, but Perrin is not a typical<br />
teen. The Bloomfield Hills resident has<br />
a deep faith that may steer him towards<br />
the priesthood one day.<br />
“I want to be a religious minister,”<br />
he said. “Now, no one really listens<br />
because I’m just one person, but<br />
sometimes people listen to and give<br />
more respect to priests. I want to help<br />
bring the Chaldean community higher<br />
and want people to be more involved.”<br />
Perrin said if he does choose the<br />
priesthood, he doesn’t think forsaking<br />
a wife and children will be too difficult.<br />
“When you become a priest you<br />
become a community and have all<br />
these children of God who are a part of<br />
you,” he said. “You get love from the<br />
community.”<br />
BY JOYCE WISWELL<br />
Perrin is active in St. Mary’s Youth<br />
Group and acts as a lector at mass. He<br />
also teaches catechism and is a deacon<br />
at St. Thomas. To become more<br />
involved at school, he joined the Key<br />
Club, a service organization for high<br />
school students. He has a 4.0 gradepoint<br />
average.<br />
Perrin would like to start another<br />
club for the 30 or so Chaldean students<br />
at St. Mary’s. “We could get<br />
together once a week or once a month<br />
and talk about things,” he said. “So<br />
many kids my age drink or do drugs. I<br />
want them to know that someone<br />
cares about them, and it is God.”<br />
Vital Stats<br />
Name: Perrin Atisha<br />
Age: 15<br />
Year: Sophomore<br />
School: St. Mary’s Prep, West<br />
Bloomfield<br />
Career Goal: Religious ministry<br />
Parents: Steve and Ibtihal Atisha<br />
CASA: Teens<br />
with a purpose<br />
BY JOYCE WISWELL<br />
It can be difficult to hold the attention of<br />
teenagers, but seminary student Matthew<br />
Zetouna had no trouble captivating his<br />
audience at a recent after-school meeting of<br />
the Chaldean American Student Association<br />
(CASA) at North Farmington High School.<br />
Zetouna, 23, kept the students riveted as<br />
he told about some past poor choices he made<br />
before deciding to devote his life to God.<br />
“You are made with so much potential. Don’t<br />
take that for granted and give your talents back<br />
to the Lord,” said the future priest. “You guys<br />
are the future of the church and so am I.”<br />
Zetouna was a guest speaker for one of<br />
CASA’s biweekly meetings, which attract as<br />
many as 50 Chaldean students. The group just<br />
started last fall thanks to the efforts of Vadia<br />
Delly, the school’s only Chaldean teacher.<br />
“We focus on going to college and doing<br />
really well academically,” Delly said. “The kids<br />
seem really into it, especially the freshmen.”<br />
Christine Marogi, a senior, is one of the<br />
group’s five leaders. “We discuss our culture,<br />
our society, our religion and race,” she<br />
said. “We also tutor and do fundraisers for<br />
the refugees.”<br />
Senior Michael Sheena said he jumped at<br />
the chance to join CASA. “I was excited<br />
when I heard about it,” he said. “We are<br />
treated differently from other groups, and this<br />
helps kids act better.”<br />
Many of the students in the group said<br />
they often feel they’re up against misconceptions.<br />
“Some teachers have a certain stereotype<br />
against us,” said Andrew Maizi, a junior and<br />
CASA leader. “But the stereotype is true a lot<br />
– a lot of kids do mess around.”<br />
“People think we don’t really care – and a<br />
lot don’t because they are not really motivated,”<br />
agreed Blanard Jarbo, a senior and<br />
leader.<br />
Another leader, junior Fadi Odish, said<br />
CASA can help change that. “We’re trying to<br />
help other Chaldeans get together and make<br />
better choices – improve our grades, our<br />
reputations and our success rate,” he said.<br />
Marogi said CASA also helps to show<br />
that Chaldean girls like to get involved in<br />
school activities. But not all of her friends are<br />
interested.<br />
“I try to encourage them to open their<br />
eyes and give it a chance,” she said.<br />
Delly’s contract as a part-time Spanish<br />
instructor is up this month, but she vows to<br />
figure out a way to keep the group going in<br />
her absence.<br />
Sophomore Vania Halabou, also a leader,<br />
is all for it. “It’s a great group,” she said.<br />
“This brings us all closer together.”<br />
CASA teens crowd<br />
around guest speaker<br />
Matthew Zetouna<br />
(wearing a blue shirt in<br />
the back row) and<br />
teacher Vadia Delly<br />
(wearing a black shirt<br />
in the center row).<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 59
60 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
eady for their close up<br />
Chaldeans shine on YouTube<br />
BY JEREMY HULL<br />
The artist Andy Warhol famously noted that<br />
each person enjoys 15 minutes of fame<br />
throughout his or her life. Since 2005, the<br />
video sharing website YouTube has increased individuals’<br />
star power ten-fold. People virtually<br />
unknown one day can be transformed into Internet<br />
celebrities the next after uploading an entertaining<br />
video clip. According to The Wall Street Journal,<br />
2.5 billon videos were watched in June of 2006<br />
alone, and a search for “*” — a commonly used<br />
character in wholesale searches — currently yields<br />
more than 72 millon videos.<br />
Besides showcasing one’s abilities for billons<br />
of faceless web users, YouTube has served as a<br />
site to share…anything. But unlike most of the<br />
Internet, YouTube prohibits nudity in any form,<br />
so it’s relatively safer than a random Google<br />
search (which in fact owns YouTube following a<br />
sale in 2006).<br />
Whether they are celebrating their heritage<br />
and religion through music, comedy, protest or<br />
pageantry, Chaldeans — particularly throughout<br />
Metro Detroit — are well represented on<br />
YouTube. The following are just a small number<br />
of the more than 1,200 videos involving<br />
Chaldeans on the popular video sharing site.<br />
IRAQ’S SOCCER VICTORY<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKb_30snNiE<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9WTQ1Sj8II<br />
After Iraq — whose only World Cup appearance<br />
was in 1986 — defeated three-time Asian Cup<br />
champions Saudi Arabia with a 1-0 victory in the<br />
2007 Asian Soccer Finals, Metro Detroit<br />
Chaldeans took to the streets in jubilation. Iraq<br />
joins the United States, Brazil, Italy and host South<br />
Africa at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. The<br />
first video listed details joyous soccer fans along<br />
Ryan Road in Sterling Heights following Iraq’s victory.<br />
The second video includes highlights from<br />
Fox TV News on the Iraqi team’s struggle.<br />
MAR DELLY’S ELEVATION<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhMMM_UwEZY<br />
To the great delight of the community, Pope<br />
Benedict XVI announced last October that he<br />
would make Mar Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of<br />
Babylon, a Cardinal. This video chronicles his elevation<br />
to the College of Cardinals in the consistory<br />
at St. Peter’s Basilica on November 24, 2007.<br />
During his 42 years as a bishop, Cardinal<br />
Delly’s contributions include the College of<br />
Babylon as a philosophy and theology institution,<br />
several Chaldean religious<br />
journals and publications, and<br />
the building of many churches<br />
in and outside of Iraq. Being elevated<br />
by the Pope helped shed<br />
worldwide light on the plight of<br />
Iraq’s Christians.<br />
Clockwise<br />
from top left:<br />
Mar Delly’s<br />
elevation;<br />
Rally for Peace<br />
in Southfield;<br />
A history<br />
of Iraq<br />
RALLY FOR PEACE IN SOUTHFIELD<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dde0BkLmI48<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dde0BkLmI48<br />
These two videos chronicle the June 2007 peace<br />
rally at the Southfield Civic Center to draw attention<br />
to the persecution of Iraqi Christians. Rally supporters<br />
donned red to symbolize the innocent blood<br />
shed by men, women and children being persecuted<br />
for their religion. Rally speakers included community<br />
leaders, activists and political leaders. The first<br />
video shows several highlights from the rally to the<br />
tune of Lenny Kravitz’s “Give Us Peace,” while the<br />
second includes speeches from the rally’s organizers.<br />
COMPOSER RAED GEORGE<br />
AND THE HISTORY OF IRAQ<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCTc9iI4ufE<br />
Many Chaldeans will feel longing for their homeland<br />
while viewing this slideshow depicting the<br />
YOU TUBE<br />
Continued on page 62<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 61
CHALDEAN REAL WORLD – PARTS I-III<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=74_RD5x9UKs<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gznRlyarTY<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWw6Ms5R6SM&<br />
feature=related<br />
Since its introduction to YouTube a year ago, the<br />
first video depicting seven Chaldeans living together<br />
in Metro Detroit has collected more than 22,000<br />
hits. The initial videos follow Patrice, Fadi, Jason,<br />
Clockwise<br />
from top left:<br />
My Cuzins’<br />
Comedy Show;<br />
Assyrian<br />
Martyr’s Day;<br />
Crowning of<br />
Miss Chaldean;<br />
The Wacky<br />
Iraqi<br />
Gristina, Jalila, Saad and Vince<br />
meeting one another and then in<br />
true reality show fashion … putting<br />
each other down out of earshot.<br />
Rumors persist if the West<br />
Bloomfield and Southfield residents<br />
are truly strangers, or if the show is<br />
complete fiction.<br />
ASSYRIAN MARTYR’S DAY<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=37k8C74INVk<br />
On August 10, 1933, following the creation of a<br />
new Iraqi state, General Bakr Sidqi led Iraq’s<br />
new army to the village of Simmele, where he<br />
promised the Assyrians there would no retribution<br />
if they surrendered their weapons. After the<br />
Assyrians agreed, more than 3,000 of them were<br />
massacred over a three-day period. This stirring<br />
video tribute to those murdered includes several<br />
disturbing images.<br />
YOU TUBE<br />
Continued from page 61<br />
history and beauty of Iraq through photographs.<br />
The background music is composed by Chaldean<br />
singer and songwriter Raed George, an Iraqi musician<br />
who began his musical career composing<br />
musical tracks for the Iraqi National Radio Station<br />
in 1989. In 1997, George’s music won the golden<br />
medal of International Cairo Radio and Television<br />
Festival for best Arabic Audio Track of the Year.<br />
MY CUZINS’ COMEDY SHOW<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh7xPCqxkVg<br />
Created by Paul Jonna and Brian Yono, My Cuzins’<br />
Comedy Show packed local comedy clubs like<br />
Mark Ridley’s in Royal Oak and JD’s in Southfield<br />
before landing on The Second City’s stage in Novi<br />
last spring. With a cast of Chaldean, Indian and<br />
African-American actors, the show pokes multicultural<br />
fun with sketches like “Chaldean Night<br />
Live” and a new concept of Bluetooth technology.<br />
This selected video is merely a preview, so<br />
search for other “Cuzin” clips on YouTube to<br />
watch Jonna and Yono yuck it up with local<br />
comedians including Saurin Choksi, Candace<br />
Joy Dickow, Ashley Jolagh and Vivi Jonal.<br />
CROWNING OF MISS CHALDEAN<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmbeUZ6smmQ<br />
Held at Royal Oak Music Theatre in March of<br />
2007, the first Miss Chaldean Beauty Pageant<br />
featured 13 contestants from all over Metro<br />
Detroit vying for the chance to wear the celebratory<br />
tiara and receive the triumphant bouquet<br />
of roses. Chanell Hana won the crown.<br />
THE WACKY IRAQI<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=66s7O0tb8lc<br />
Born Nibras Joseph Abboud/Kasmihkah and<br />
called “America’s Funniest Iraqi,” Detroit-bred<br />
comedian Joey Nibras combines controversial<br />
subjects with humor to entertain and educate<br />
audiences about Middle Eastern culture.<br />
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62 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 63
classified listings<br />
HELP WANTED<br />
PART-TIME NANNY<br />
A loving nanny for a playful 3 1/2<br />
and 2 year old. Must be reliable,<br />
honest, non-smoker, and have<br />
experience with kids. Must speak<br />
English. Transportation required.<br />
Sterling Heights area. Full days on<br />
Tuesday and Saturdays. Minimum<br />
20 hrs. Please call Amanda at<br />
(248) 227-0903.<br />
BLUSH SALON<br />
Experienced hairstylists needed.<br />
Please call to set up an interview.<br />
Contact Blush Salon at<br />
(248) 960-7499<br />
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Newly remodeled store at a great<br />
location in Las Vegas. Absentee<br />
owner. Net $60K. For sale $100K.<br />
Call Brandon, (702) 768-9654.<br />
BUSINESSES FOR SALE<br />
SMOKERS SHOP-PARTY STORE<br />
Owner opens only<br />
24 hrs a week, closed Sat,<br />
Sun & all holidays. Bldg. over<br />
3500 sq ft. beer and wine.<br />
16-door, walk-in cooler.<br />
$239,900. Call Adam Saffar<br />
of Re/Max Partners at 248-224-5273.<br />
LIQUOR-PIZZA STORE<br />
IN SAN DIEGO. CA.<br />
2, 750 sq.ft store, 8000 sq ft lot.<br />
$45,000 gross per month. New<br />
owner can increase business by<br />
adding Western Union, Check<br />
cashing and more. Business only<br />
$499,000 K + Inventory or with<br />
Property 1.45 million. Call Ruben<br />
Miller at 619-322-7094.<br />
VINEYARD/WINERY FOR SALE<br />
NORTHERN MICHIGAN, 10<br />
acres, w/4 acres of mature vines,<br />
producing award-winning wines,<br />
all equipment and 2 wine tasting<br />
rooms. A 3 bedrm. ranch home.<br />
Contact Bob Norcross, Realtor,<br />
810-648-2803.<br />
HOUSE FOR SALE<br />
CASS LAKEFRONT HOUSE<br />
2,200 sq. ft. Newlyweds relocating.<br />
Sale/Lease. 3 Bdrms, 2 Bath, Den,<br />
1st Laundry. Lot 50 x 160. Sub off<br />
Cake Lake Rd. By owner, Don<br />
248-342-1313. First $649,900 or<br />
Leasew/option.<br />
CONDO FOR RENT<br />
SOUTHFIELD CONDO FOR RENT<br />
12/NWST. 1590 sq. ft. Complete<br />
remodel in 2000. 2-3 BR, 2 full<br />
baths. Close to church and fwys.<br />
Furniture/appliances included.<br />
$1250/month. Call Natalie,<br />
248-701-2926.<br />
CONDO FOR SALE<br />
ATTN: REAL ESTATE INVESTORS<br />
2004 Florida rental condo, current<br />
tenant signed til 01-09. 3 miles<br />
from ocean, 5 colleges/universities<br />
within 20 minutes. Motivated seller.<br />
$162,900. 586-557-7472.<br />
64 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS
PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS
event<br />
1 2<br />
valentine’s day<br />
3<br />
PHOTOS BY NORA BAHROU DOWNS<br />
Members of Shenandoah Country Club donned their finest to<br />
celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14 with a dinner dance.<br />
4<br />
1. James and Vivian Khames and Mark<br />
and Nicole Seman<br />
2. Hekmat and Bushra Galozi, wed<br />
in 1964, were the couple married<br />
the longest at the event.<br />
3. Karla Mekani, Karrie Rabban and Leila Kello<br />
4. Najib Samona, Salman Konja,<br />
Sedki Sadek, Neb Mekani, Fasil<br />
Arabo, Sam Dallo and John Denha<br />
5. Jason Alkamano surprises his wife Jennifer<br />
with a rose and a kiss<br />
6. Mariann Sarafa, Monica George, Michelle<br />
Lutfy and Grace Jonna (standing)<br />
More photos can be found at<br />
www.chaldeannews.com<br />
5 6<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 67
event<br />
1. Miranda Namou, Jenna Atchu<br />
and Ashley Jabero<br />
2. Jason Abro<br />
3. Jim and Annabella Akouri<br />
4. Madeline Boji and Jessica Rabban<br />
5. Daniel Kassab<br />
6. Cortney McKay (front) and<br />
her cousins, Anthony, Andrew<br />
and Johnathan McKay<br />
7. Miranda Thuwaini, Haley<br />
Rabban and Alanna Jonna<br />
8. Georgia Sheena and<br />
Yasmeen Sarafa<br />
2<br />
More photos can be found at<br />
www.chaldeannews.com<br />
1 3<br />
family fun night<br />
PHOTOS BY DAVID REED<br />
5<br />
Members of Shenandoah Country Club celebrated an early Valentine’s Day<br />
on February 1 with a night of family-friendly fun.<br />
6<br />
7<br />
4<br />
8<br />
68 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 69
event<br />
2<br />
1<br />
3<br />
AFPD annual dinner<br />
PHOTOS BY DAVID REED<br />
Penna’s of Sterling Heights was transformed into a mini Las Vegas on<br />
January 25 for the Associated Food & Petroleum Dealers Dinner. The 92nd<br />
annual event celebrated the life of the late Frank Arcori, past chairman.<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
1. A full house<br />
2. Richard and Giovanna Sulaka<br />
3. Sophia Maroof and Nicole Seman<br />
4. Leann Arcori and Sam Dallo<br />
5. AFPD President Jane Shallal<br />
6. Diane and Johnny Karmo<br />
7. Samir Shoukri, Eddie Foumia and<br />
Nadir Orow at the blackjack table<br />
8. Leann, Angela, Frankie Jr., Lamia<br />
and Marisa Arcori<br />
9. Mario Seman, Frankie Arcori Jr.<br />
and Martino Seman<br />
8 9<br />
More photos can be found at<br />
www.chaldeannews.com<br />
70 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2008</strong>