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CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2015 

THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 12 ISSUE VIII 

on the cover 

22 SPECIAL KIDS, SPECIAL NEEDS 

BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO 

Raising children with challenges 

28 

features 

28 LIVED TO TELL 


Iraq’s Fr. Douglas impresses local community 

departments 

8 FROM THE EDITOR 


Inspired 

10 GUEST COLUMN 

BY RAMSAY F. DASS 

Divided we fall -- what next? 

12 NOTEWORTHY 

13 COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD 

14 IRAQ TODAY 

16 CHAI TIME 

18 RELIGION 

20 OBITUARIES 

44 ECONOMICS AND ENTERPRISE 

BY CRYSTAL KASSAB JABIRO 

Young Entrepreneur: ‘Donut’ 

Be Afraid to Dream 

46 CLASSIFIED ADS 

48 EVENTS 

36 

Awake My Soul 

Keys Grace Ribbon Cutting 

Project Bismutha Walkathon 

42 

30 SISTER TO SISTER 


Dominicans continue their support of Iraq 

32 NO PICNIC 

BY JOYCE WISWELL 

Dating over 30 can be tricky 

34 IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK 


Historic home has Chaldean charisma 

36 WHERE’S THE BEEF? 

BY WEAM NAMOU 

Shawarma is hot, hot, hot 

38 WANT FRIES WITH THAT? 


New app a godsend to the visually impaired 

40 CHALDEAN ON THE STREET 

BY JOSEPH ABRO 

What would you ask Pope Francis? 

building community 

42 SCORING A BINGO 

BY GAIL KATZ 

ON THE COVER: 

JUVOLLIA ABLAHAD AND 

SOPHIA AZZOU AT THE 

GARDEN AT SHRINE OF 

THE LITTLE FLOWER 

PHOTO BY DAVID REED 

Jewish, Chaldean groups meet and mingle 


from the EDITOR 

PUBLISHED BY 

The Chaldean News, LLC 

EDITORIAL 

EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Vanessa Denha-Garmo 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Joyce Wiswell 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Joseph Abro 

Ramsay Dass 

Crystal Kassab Jabiro 

Gail Katz 

Weam Namou 

INTERN 

Renna Sarafa 

PROOFREADER 

Lisa Kalou 

ART & PRODUCTION 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS 

Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

Joseph Sesi 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

David Reed 

Razik Tomina 

Jerry Zolynsky 

OPERATIONS 

Interlink Media 

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS 

Martin Manna 

CIRCULATION 

Stacey Sheena 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Joyce Wiswell 

SALES 


SALES REPRESENTATIVES 


Sana Navarrette 

MANAGERS 


Martin Manna 

Michael Sarafa 

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $25 PER YEAR 

THE CHALDEAN NEWS 

30850 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 220 

BINGHAM FARMS, MI 48025 

WWW.CHALDEANNEWS.COM 

PHONE: (248) 996-8360 

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

monthly; Issue Date: September 2015 Subscriptions: 

12 months, $25. Publication Address: 30850 Telegraph 

Road, Suite 220, Bingham Farms, Michigan 48025; 

Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is 

Pending at Farmington Hills Post Office Postmaster: 

Send address changes to “The Chaldean News 30850 

Telegraph Road, Suite 220, Bingham Farms, MI 48025” 

Inspired 

We all come across 

people in life who 

truly inspire us. If 

you use the important communication 

tool of listening 

more than speaking, what 

these people share will have 

a deeper impact. I did a lot 

of listening this past month 

as I was truly fortunate to 

have interviewed some of 

the most inspiring people. 

I also carefully absorbed information 

I was reading as 

I conducted research for articles and 

read books for background. 

This month I was inspired to 

share these stories. 

Let’s first start with the cover story. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing 

four amazing moms. I greatly appreciate 

their willingness to share their 

stories that I know will inspire other 

families in similar situations. 

I know the feeling when you find 

out you’re pregnant. How exciting 

it is, especially when you have been 

trying for a while. For some parents 

that joy is clouded by news from doctors 

that something is wrong. Some 

parents find out during the pregnancy 

and others after. Regardless, the 

pain is still great. 

We share this story about raising 

children with challenges who bring 

their families great joy. Their strength, 

determination and faith inspire me, 

as do their children. I know Sophia 

Azzou personally and she is a bright, 

sweet and loving child. I admire Lisa 

for many reasons including her ability 

to look at the challenges she faces and 

turn them into opportunities. 

I met Julia Garmo once in person. 

Her presence lit up St. Thomas 

VANESSA 

DENHA-GARMO 

EDITOR IN CHIEF 

CO-PUBLISHER 

Church one July afternoon 

in 2014 when she came to 

visit for a prayer service in 

her honor in between medical 

treatments in New York. 

I admire Anita for her honesty 

and bravery for sharing 

Julia’s journey with all of us. 

I have never met Juvollia 

but it was a pleasure to interview 

her mom Sandra for 

the cover story. I felt such an 

instant connection as I was 

writing down her quotes and 

felt her pain and joy at the same time. 

We also share with you a sidebar 

story about a special artist all grown 

up and making a name for himself. 

They call him Noofi and his mom 

Amani couldn’t be prouder of her 

26-year-old eldest child, who was recently 

featured on Channel 4 for his 

artwork. I am so inspired by Amani, 

who encourages other parents in similar 

situations to be strong and have 

faith “because with every disability 

there is a gift, so search for this gift in 

your son or daughter.” 

These moms taught this mom the 

importance of being your child’s advocate 

no matter the situation. 

This month I was inspired to be a 

better mom. 

Then I met Fr. Douglas Bazi. To 

say he inspired me would be an understatement. 

He moved me to become a 

better Christian. There are no words 

really to describe listening to his testimony, 

which I had the opportunity 

to do several times this past month. 

I interviewed him twice, sat in on a 

meeting and set up media interviews 

for him. What inspired me the most 

was the joy he exuded. This was one 

of those moments where I needed to 

open my ears, close my mouth, put 

down my cell phone and give someone 

my full attention. I knew he was going 

to say things God wanted me to hear. 

I encourage you to read his story. 

Then do a quick Internet search and 

listen to interviews and watch his 

talks anywhere you can find them. 

Fr. Bazi’s testimony is also on line. 

I promise he will inspire you in the 

way you need to be inspired. 

This month I was inspired to find joy. 

My friend and colleague Teresa 

Tomeo sent me a fun and motivational 

read inside a very clever marketing 

pitch — yep, a purse. She has penned 

a new book, which I write about on 

the religion page of this issue. It is perfectly 

designed to carry around with 

you, which I do inside the very purse 

she sent it in, and it is now always in 

my car because I read it while waiting. 

I sat and read it while waiting for my 

daughter at gymnastics and ice skating. 

I took it with me while I waited in 

the car for my daughter at camp. It is a 

handy manuscript that every woman 

should own. 

I also was mailed a copy of Matthew 

Kelley’s book, Rediscover Jesus, 

which is a MUST read for all Christians. 

It is truly an inspirational message 

about getting to know Jesus better. 

Kelley is quickly becoming one 

of my favorite speakers and authors. 

This month I was inspired to 

learn. 

What inspires you? 

Alaha Imid Koullen 

(God Be With Us All) 


vdenha@chaldeannews.com 

Follow her on Twitter @vanessadenha 

Follow Chaldean News on 

Twitter @chaldeannews 

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SEPTEMBER 2015 CHALDEAN NEWS 9 

6/25/15 10:44 AM

GUEST column 

Divided we fall — what next? 

The time has come 

for His Holiness 

Pope Francis to 

hold an extraordinary 

emergency meeting in the 

Vatican with invitees from 

all the Middle East heads 

of Christian communities 

— church and laity 

— along with the foreign 

ministers of the United 

States of America, Europe 

and the Middle East. The 

meeting should have one agenda: the 

present and future existence of the 

Middle East Christians in countries 

such as Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon 

and Jordan, with a precise timetable 

and hopeful outcome. 

Throughout history, the presence 

of Christians and Christianity in the 

Middle East has been at the whims 

of rulers of the Middle East — those 

who befriended them and those who 

persecuted them but who have never 

RAMSAY F. DASS 

SPECIAL TO THE 

CHALDEAN NEWS 

been able to eliminate 

them ... until now. 

During these perilous 

times, Middle East Christian 

leadership has sometimes 

been its own worst 

enemy, with inter-denominational, 

inter-cultural, 

and inter-geopolitical 

squabbles. Throughout 

my conversations with 

the majority of the Middle 

East Christians’ hierarchy, 

from Cardinals to Patriarchs to 

Bishops and other church leaders, all 

have agreed that these divisions have 

weakened us and must end. 

The world still looks to Pope 

Francis as the moral authority. As a 

shepherd must protect his flock, he 

has been candid, courageous and 

outspoken, whether during the Armenian 

Genocide or other occasions 

of Christian global persecution. 

The Middle East is a special spot 

in the history of Christianity. The 

Middle East Christians are the ones 

who spread Christianity all over the 

world. They are the main vine that 

extends its branches all over the 

world. 

Pope Francis must now rethink 

and develop new approaches, including, 

but not limited to, inviting all 

the heads of the Middle East Christian 

churches — Catholics, Orthodox, 

Protestant and others — with a 

few other lay leaders who have been 

active in this field. In a closed and 

continuous session they can come 

up with a few ideas on how to deal 

Pope Francis must now rethink and develop 

new approaches, including, but not limited 

to, inviting all the heads of the Middle East 

Christian churches. 

with the new realities. Maybe he is 

the only person who can succeed in 

this endeavor and save Christians 

and Christianity in the Middle East. 

When Christians come together 

and act together, the world will listen. 

If the church leadership does 

not rise to the occasion, then the laypeople 

at large should act and make 

their voices heard. If not, then all of 

us should be blamed for our demise 

— and nobody else. 

Ramsay F. Dass, M.D., is president 

of the American Middle East Christian 

Conference, amecc.us. 


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noteworthy 

Off-Duty Cop Killed in 

Motorcycle Crash 

Ronnie Karjo, a Harper Woods police 

officer, was killed in a motorcycle 

crash August 3 in Chesterfield Township, 

just minutes from his home. 

Karjo, 46, of Macomb Township, 

was killed when his motorcycle collided 

with a car just before 10 p.m. on 

Gratiot Avenue. Chesterfield Township 

police say Karjo was traveling 

southbound when he was struck by 

a car traveling northbound that was 

making a turn into a gas station. 

Karjo was transported to McLaren 

Macomb Hospital where he died 

from his injuries. The driver of the 

car is a 21-year-old resident of Chesterfield 

Township who was treated 

for minor injuries. 

Karjo had been a police officer 

for 19 years during which he worked 

as an officer with the Inkster Police 

Department. He was with the Harper 

Woods Police Department for two 

years, said Chief Jim Burke. He is 

survived by a wife and four children. 

Karjo will be remembered at the 

Harper Woods department as a man 

who mentored younger officers. 

“He made a huge impact in the 

community. We’re really feeling it,” 

said Burke. “He has been in law enforcement 

for over 21 years and his 

dedication, compassion and willingness 

to share his experience and 

knowledge with our younger officers 

was invaluable.” 

“I get a lot of joy from helping 

those who can’t defend or help 

themselves,” Karjo told the Chaldean 

News in 2008 as part of a cover 

story on Chaldean law enforcement 

officers. 

What, Karjo was asked, makes a 

good cop? 

“Chaldeans approach me about 

this all the time. I tell them they 

can’t get into trouble – stay in school 

and have no arrests,” he replied. 

“Ninety-nine percent of being a good 

cop is common sense – if you have 

that, you can get through anything.” 

Services were handled by EJ 

Mandziuk and Son Funeral Home in 

Sterling Heights. After a mass at St. 

George Chaldean Catholic Church, 

Karjo was buried at White Chapel 

Cemetery. 

Click On Detroit and the Detroit News 

contributed to this report 

West Bloomfield 

Clerk Calls for 

Millage Review 

During the August 17 West Bloomfield 

Township Board Meeting, Clerk 

Catherine Shaughnessy stated that a 

Special Meeting was needed to assess 

the township’s financial condition. 

She moved to table the approval of 

the 2016 Tax Year millage rate until 

further analysis of the Township’s 10 

Year Projection. 

“The revenue predictions, which 

we base our 10 year projection on, 

were lower than actual revenues. Since 

we are bringing in more revenue than 

what we expected, we need to know 

if we can consider providing our residents 

with a reduction to their taxes,” 

Shaughnessy said in a statement. 

Giving Hearts Gives 

a Fashion Show 

The Fourth Annual Giving Hearts 

fundraiser, which benefits Chaldean 

women with breast cancer, will include 

a fashion show on October 1 

at Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield. 

The event is held in honor of 

Vivian Esshaki Shouneyia, who died 

of the disease. 

Retailers participating in the show 

include Eleganza, Guys N Gals, Maria’s 

Bridal and Beauty Lounge. The 

event takes place from 6-9 p.m. and 

includes wine, appetizers and dessert. 

Tickets are $40 in advance, $50 

at the door, and can be purchased by 

mailing a check to Giving Hearts, 

3220 Erie Drive, Orchard Lake, MI 

48324. Visit GivingHeartsForBreast- 

Cancer on Facebook or email GivingHearts36@gmail.com 

for more 

information. 

Protesters outside 

the Iraqi Consulate 

General in Southfield 

on August 14. 

Protests Bring Cabinet Changes in Iraq 

Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered 

his Cabinet reduced from 33 members to just 22, 

consolidating the body as part of a major reform 

push in response to mass protests against corruption 

and poor governance. 

Tens of thousands of people have protested 

in Iraq over the last month. Locally, on August 

14, about 100 Iraqi Americans demonstrated in 

Southfield against corruption and religious division 

in Iraq’s government. Outside the Iraqi Consulate 

General they held up signs that read “Long 

live Iraqi people” and “No to sectarian parties in 

Iraq.” 

Abadi’s decision, announced by his office on 

August 15, would eliminate four ministries, including 

those of human rights and women’s affairs, 

and consolidate others. The announcement 

did not mention whether there would be any 

changes to the remaining ministries. 

The move follows a far-reaching reform plan 

approved by parliament that eliminated the 

country’s three vice presidencies and three deputy 

prime ministers. The plan also reduced the 

budget for the personal bodyguards of senior officials 

and transferred it to the interior and defense 

ministries. 

The reform plan cut positions held by a number 

of prominent Iraqi politicians, including 

Nouri al-Maliki, who was prime minister of Iraq 

for eight years before he was pushed out in August 

2014 in response to growing outrage over the fall 

of Mosul to ISIS. 

– Associated Press 


Community Bulletin Board 

When in Rome … 

... find other American Chaldean 

newlyweds! That’s what 

these three West Bloomfield-area 

couples, who all got married in 

the same week this summer, did 

on their Italian honeymoons. Congrats 

to Amit & Jewells Hingorani, 

Andy & Zena Ibrahim, and Remy 

& Brittany Jonna, seen here after 

being blessed by Pope Francis 

at St. Peter Square in a special 

ceremony for newly marrieds. 

Special Blessing 

Francis Ibrahim, in his mother Rita’s 

arms, was recently baptized by Pope 

Francis as proud father Feras looks on. 

Fore! 

Nearly 100 golfers came out for the Second Annual 

Lance Atisha Memorial/CALC Golf Outing on July 27 

at Shenandoah Country Club. Pictured at the left are 

Reem Sesi, Rita Foumia and Lisa Paulus, while on the 

right are Jon Randall, Marlene Witthoft, Sue McDermott 

and Ted McDermott. Proceeds benefit CALC’s 

Health and Behavioral Health Programs. 

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

30850 Telegraph Road, Suite 220, Bingham Farms, MI 48025, 

or e-mail info@chaldeannews.com. 

Happy Meal 

BEAM project students went on a recent 

fieldtrip to the AbleZone store for the visually impaired, 

then enjoyed lunch at ChickPea Kitchen 

in Sterling Heights. The sight-challenged refugee 

students were able to practice their navigating 

skills as they made their way through the 

restaurant, then showed off their newly acquired 

English as they placed their food orders. 


IRAQ today 

Lost Hope: Life in Exile for Refugees 

A 

year after tens of thousands 

of Iraqi Christians fled communities 

overtaken by Islamic 

State militants, their lives are 

on hold in exile: They won’t go back 

to Iraq, saying it’s not safe for Christians, 

but as refugees they’re barred 

from working in temporary asylum 

countries such as Jordan. Expectations 

of quick resettlement to the 

West have been dashed. 

“We’ve lost hope in everything,’’ 

said Hinda Ablahat, a 67-year-old 

widow who lives with dozens of fellow 

refugees in plywood cubicles set 

up in a church compound in downtown 

Amman, the capital of Jordan. 

“We’ve been sitting here for a year 

and nothing’s happened.’’ 

About 7,000 Christians from 

northern Iraq have found refuge in 

Jordan, including about 2,000 living 

in church-sponsored shelters. 

On Saturday evening, Patriarch 

Louis Sako of Iraq’s Chaldean Catholic 

Church and Jerusalem-based 

Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal led hundreds 

of worshippers in an outdoor 

prayer service in the town of Fuheis, 

near Amman, to mark a year since 

the Iraqi Christians’ displacement. 

The service included a message of 

encouragement from Pope Francis, 

saying he is appealing for solidarity 

with those victimized by fanaticism 

and intolerance, “often under the 

eyes and in the silence of all.’’ The 

church “does not forget and does not 

abandon her children who have been 

exiled on account of their faith,’’ 

read the message, first published late 

last week. 

The words rang hollow to some in 

the crowd. 

“Everyone has forgotten us,’’ said 

Johnny al-Behno, 25, standing in the 

back with friends. Al-Behno holds 

an engineering degree, but is forced 

to live off dwindling savings because 

of the ban on working. 

Jordan struggles with high unemployment 

and says it cannot afford 

to integrate hundreds of thousands 

of Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the 

labor force. 

The Christian exodus began a 

year ago when Islamic State militants 

swept across northern Iraq, targeting 

indigenous religious minorities. 

The militants forced out most of the 

AP PHOTO/RAAD ADAYLEH 

area’s 120,000 Christians, many of 

whom now live in the nearby semiautonomous 

Kurdish region. 

Bahnam Atallah, 47, said he and 

his family fled their hometown of Qaraqosh, 

near Mosul, on Aug. 6, 2014. 

Islamic State had been shelling 

the town all day, Atallah said. The 

family of six fled for safety at nightfall 

to Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish region, 

with just two small duffel bags 

holding clothes, passports and family 

photos. The drive normally takes less 

than an hour, but thousands were 

fleeing and the Atallahs only arrived 

in Erbil after midnight. 

After three months, they relocated 

to Jordan, while oldest son Andre 

left for studies abroad. 

Now home for Atallah, his wife 

Jinan, and their children Eidier, Sarah 

and Maryam is a church shelter in 

Amman they share with 60 other refugees. 

Plywood cubicles are lined up 

in rows, some decorated with posters 

of the Virgin Mary. Children run in 

the hallways while others play dominos 

in the common area. 

The Atallahs’ cubicle contains 

two bunk beds, a single bed and a 

small table. Toddler Maryam slept, 

oblivious to the noise. 

Atallah, a thresher operator and 

carpenter, said the year in limbo 

has taken its toll. The parents and 

20-year-old Eidier can’t work, while 

15-year-old Sarah has missed a year 

of school. 

Food and medical care are provided 

by Caritas, a Catholic charity, 

but with nothing to do, days are tedious. 

Atallah dreams of emigration 

to Australia. A brother who lives 

there has started the paperwork, but 

prospects are uncertain. 

Atallah and other refugees say 

they’ll never go back home. “Iraq is 

not a safe place’’ for Christians, he 

said. 

Refugee aid officials say Iraqi 

Christians had expected quick resettlement 

in the West when they first 

arrived in Jordan, but those hopes 

have been dashed in part because of 

the region’s escalating refugee crisis. 

More than 4 million Syrians have 

fled conflict in their country since 

2011, while Iraqis of all religions 

continue to flee ongoing sectarian 

violence back home. 

Jordan hosts about 630,000 Syrian 

and 58,000 Iraqi refugees, according 

the U.N. refugee agency. 

Only a tiny minority has resettled in 

the West, with U.N. officials saying 

preference is given to the most vulnerable. 

In this August 8, Christian refugees walk between their rooms in a refugee shelter in a church compound in downtown Amman. 

Caritas has spent $3 million 

to help Iraqi Christian refugees in 

Jordan and will run out of funds by 

the end of the year, said Wael Suleiman, 

the head of the organization 

in Jordan. He said the international 

community should support the Iraqi 

Christian refugees by helping them 

stay in a region where their numbers 

have been dwindling due to conflict. 

“They were born to live in the 

Middle East, not in any other place,’’ 

he said. 

– Karin Laub, Associated Press 



CHAI time 

CHALDEANS CONNECTING 

COMMUNITY EVENTS IN AND AROUND METRO DETROIT SEPTEMBER 2015 

[Friday, September 4 – 

Monday, September 7] 

Festival: Royal Oak’s 18th Annual Arts, 

Beats, and Eats offers a large selection 

of food, a number of new artsy attractions, 

and a diverse musical line-up of 

nearly all genres. The festival goes from 

11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday 

and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday. 

ArtsBeatsEats.com. 

[Saturday, September 5] 

Golf: Shenandoah hosts a 9 & Dine 

event that includes nine holes of golf, 

margaritas and a Mexican buffet. $35 

for pass holders, $60 for others. Teeoff 

is at 4:30 p.m. (248)-682-4300. 

[Sunday, September 6] 

Fundraiser: The 10th Annual Walk- 

4Friendship raises funds for the Friendship 

Circle, a nonprofit organization for 

people with special needs. Registration 

opens at 11:30 a.m., followed by an 

opening ceremony and the walk. The 

final destination is the Jewish Community 

Center in West Bloomfield, where 

there will be entertainment, activities 

and food. WalkForFriendship.com. 

[Wednesday, September 16] 

Fundraiser: Fifth Annual Healing Hands 

for Arthritis is a one-day national fundraiser 

in which Massage Envy Spas donate 

$10 from every massage or facial, 

and 10 percent of all store purchases, 

to the Arthritis Foundation. MassageEnvy.com. 

[Friday, September 18] 

Music: The Sounds of Babylon features 

the Detroit Symphony Orchestra playing 

with Chaldean musicians and vocalists. 

The show starts at 7 p.m. Benefits the 

Chaldean Community Foundation and 

the Chaldean Voice. For ticket and/or 

sponsor information, call Lisa Kalou at 

(248)-996-8340 or email lisa.kalou@ 

chaldeanfoundation.org. 


Event: West Bloomfield Parks & Recreation 

presents Grub Crawl at Drake 

Park from 2-5 p.m., followed by a 

concert from 5-7 p.m. The crawl features 

21 different restaurants and raffle 

prizes. $40. Proceeds benefit Greater 

West Bloomfield Community Coalition, 

Optimists Club of West Bloomfield, 

West Bloomfield Rotary Club and West 

Bloomfield Youth Assistance. West- 

BloomfieldParks.org or (248) 451-1900. 


Fundraiser: The Second Annual Stride 

for Seminarians, in loving memory of 

Alexander and Gabrielle Mansour, includes 

a walk and a mass at the Detroit 

Zoo. All proceeds go towards Chaldean 

seminarians to complete their 

studies. Registration begins at 7:30 

a.m., which includes a tee-shirt, breakfast, 

lunch, kids’ activities, and admission 

to the zoo. The walk starts at 8:30 

a.m. followed by mass at 10. The fee 

is $40 adults and $30 for ages 2-12. 

AlexAndGabby.com. 

[Thursday, September 24] 

Food: What to do with all the herbs and 

vegetables from a bountiful season? 

Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital’s 

Resident Farmer Trevor Johnson 

teaches how to dry, freeze and store 

your produce, and how to make salsas 

and sauces. 6 p.m., $23. 6777 W. 

Maple Road, West Bloomfield. (248) 

325-3890 or dk@hfhs.org. 

[Friday, September 25] 

Fundraisers: Gala to raise funds for Yatooma’s 

Foundation for the Kids is at 

the Westin Book Cadillac. On Monday, 

September 28, the charity’s golf outing 

is at the Detroit Golf Club. ForTheKids- 

Foundation.org. 


Women: Women’s Health & Fitness 

Day includes a yoga and meditation 

class, tips from an exercise physiologist, 

a tour and self-facials. 10 a.m.- 

noon, $10. Henry Ford West Bloomfield 

Hospital, 6777 W. Maple Road, in 

West Bloomfield. 


Football: The Detroit Lions are back 

in their first home game of the season 

against the Denver Broncos. Kickoff is 

at 8:30 p.m. at Ford Field. 

Send items for Chai Time to 

info@chaldeannews.com. 


THE 

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• Partners/Franchisees 

• Area Managers 

• Store Managers 

• Must be retail savvy 

• Must be a people person 

• Must be a motivator 

Call Justin Samona at (248) 647-9999 ext. 106 or Email JustinSamona@WildBillsTobacco.com 

With over 70 Locations, Visit WildBillsTobacco.com 

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The new interactive eBill from DTE Energy makes it easy 

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There are even sections specific to your business that can 

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DTE0386 | Dropbox/Clients/DTE Energy/CreativeDTE0386 - 2015 Miscellaneous Creative Projects/Ethic Revision/Layouts 


eligion 

PLACES OF PRAYER 

CHALDEAN CHURCHES IN AND AROUND METRO DETROIT 

THE DIOCESE OF ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE IN THE UNITED 

STATES 

St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Diocese 

25603 Berg Road, Southfield, MI 48033; (248) 351-0440 

Bishop: Francis Kalabat 

Retired Bishop: Ibrahim N. Ibrahim 

HOLY CROSS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

32500 Middlebelt Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334; (248) 626-5055 

Rector: Msgr. Zouhair Toma Kejbou 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, noon in Chaldean; Saturdays, 4:30 p.m. in 

English; Sundays, 10 a.m. in Chaldean and Arabic, noon in English, 6 

p.m., in Arabic 

HOLY MARTYRS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

43700 Merrill, Sterling Heights, MI 48312; (586) 803-3114 

Rector: Fr. Manuel Boji 

Parochial Vicar: Fr. Matthew Zetouna 

Bible Study: Mondays, 7 p.m. in Chaldean; Thursdays, 8 p.m. Seed of 

Faith in English; 

Saturdays, 7 p.m. Witness to Faith in Arabic 

Youth Groups: Wednesdays, 7 p.m. for High Schoolers 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 9 a.m. in Chaldean; Saturdays, 5 p.m. in 

English; Sundays: 9 a.m. in Chaldean and Arabic, 10:30 a.m. in English, 

Morning Prayer at noon, High Mass at 12:30 p.m. in Chaldean; 7 p.m. 

Arabic and Chaldean 

MAR ADDAI CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

24010 Coolidge Highway, Oak Park, MI 48237; (248) 547-4648 

Pastor: Fr. Stephen Kallabat 

Retired Priest: Fr. Suleiman Denha 

Adoration: Last Friday of the month, 4 p.m. Adoration; 5 p.m. Stations of 

the Cross; 6 p.m. Mass; Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 

Bible Study: Fridays, 8-10 p.m. in Arabic and Chaldean 

Youth Groups: Thursdays, 7:30-9 p.m. Jesus Christ University High 

School and College Mass Schedule: Weekdays, noon; Sundays, 10 a.m. 

in Chaldean and Arabic, 12:30 p.m. High Mass in Chaldean 

MOTHER OF GOD CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

25585 Berg Road, Southfield, MI 48034; (248) 356-0565 

Administrator: Fr. Pierre Konja 

Bible Study: Mondays, 7-9 p.m. in English; Wednesdays, 7 p.m. for college 

students in English 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m.; Tuesdays, 8:45 p.m. in English; 

Saturdays, 4 p.m. in English; Sundays: 8:30 a.m. in Arabic, 10 a.m. in 

English, noon in Chaldean, 7 p.m. in English 

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

11200 12 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48093; (586) 804-2114 

Pastor: Fr. Fadi Philip 

Bible Study: Thursday, 8 p.m. for ages 18-45; Friday, 8 p.m. in Arabic. 

Teens 4 Mary Youth Group: Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 

Confession: 1 hour before mass or by appointment. 

Adoration: Thursday, 5-7 p.m. Chapel open 24/7 for adoration. 

Mass Schedule: Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m. in Chaldean; Thursday, 1 

p.m. in English and 7 p.m. in Chaldean; Friday 7 p.m. in Chaldean; Sunday, 

10 a.m. in Arabic and 12:30 p.m. in Chaldean. 

SACRED HEART CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

30590 Dequindre Road, Warren, MI 48092; (586) 393-5809 

Pastor: Fr. Sameem Belius 

Mass Schedule: Sundays, 10 a.m. in Arabic, 12:30 p.m. in Chaldean 

ST. GEORGE CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

45700 Dequindre Road, Shelby Township, MI 48317; (586) 254-7221 

Pastor: Fr. Wisam Matti 

Parochial Vicars: Fr. Anthony Kathawa 

Youth Groups: Disciples for Christ for teen boys, Tuesdays, 7 p.m.; Circle 

of Friends for teen girls; Thursdays, 6 p.m.; Bible Study for college students, 

Wednesdays 8 p.m. 

Bible Study: Wednesdays, 8 p.m. in English; Fridays, 8 p.m. in Arabic 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Chaldean; Wednesdays, 7 p.m. 

Adoration; 8-10 p.m. Confession; Saturdays, 6:30 p.m. in English (school 

year); 6:30 p.m. in Chaldean (summer); Sunday: 8:30 a.m. in Chaldean, 

10 a.m. in Arabic, 11:30 a.m. in English, 1:15 p.m. in Chaldean; 7:30 

p.m. in English 

ST. JOSEPH CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

2442 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 48083; (248) 528-3676 

Administrator: Fr. Rudy Zoma 

Bible Study: Mondays, 7 p.m. in Arabic; Tuesdays, 7 p.m. in English; Thursdays, 

7 p.m. Chaldeans Loving Christ Youth Group for High Schoolers 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Chaldean except Wednesdays, 

10 a.m. in Arabic 

Saturdays, 6 p.m. in English and Chaldean; Sundays, 9 a.m. in Arabic, 

10:30 a.m. in English, noon in Chaldean, 2 p.m. in Chaldean and Arabic, 

7 p.m. in Chaldean 

Baptisms: 3 p.m. on Sundays. 

ST. PAUL CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

5150 E. Maple Avenue, Grand Blanc, MI 48439; (810) 820-8439 

Pastor: Fr. Ayad Hanna 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 6 p.m.; Sundays, 12:30 p.m. 

ST. THOMAS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

6900 Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; (248) 788-2460 

Pastor: Fr. Bashar Sitto 

Parochial Vicars: Fr. Jirgus Abrahim, Fr. Andrew Seba 

Retired Priest: Fr. Emanuel Rayes 

Bible Study: Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. in Arabic 

Youth Groups: Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. Girls Challenge Club for Middle 

Schoolers; Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Chaldeans Loving Christ for High 

Schoolers; Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. Boys Conquest Club for Middle Schoolers 

Other: First Thursday and Friday of each month, 10 a.m. Holy Hour; 11 

a.m. Mass in Chaldean; Wednesdays from midnight to Thursdays midnight, 

adoration in the Baptismal Room; Saturdays 3 p.m. Night Vespers 

(Ramsha) in Chaldean 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Chaldean; Saturdays, 5 p.m. in 

English; 

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

2 p.m. in Arabic 

Grotto is open for Adoration 24/7 for prayer and reflection 

____________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 

CHALDEAN SISTERS, DAUGHTERS OF MARY IMMACULATE 

24900 Middlebelt Road 

Farmington, MI 48336; (248) 615-2951 

NOVITIATE HOUSE 

31855 Allison Drive 

Farmington Hills, MI 48334; (248) 987-6731 

CONVENT 

43261 Chardennay 

Sterling Heights, MI 48314; (586) 203-8846 

EASTERN CATHOLIC RE-EVANGELIZATION CENTER (ECRC) 

4875 Maple Road, Bloomfield Township, MI 48301; (248) 538-9903 

Director: Patrice Abona 

Daily Mass: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. 

Thursdays: 5:30 Adoration and 6:30 Mass 

First Friday of the month: 6:30 p.m. Adoration, Confession and Mass 

Bible Study in Arabic: Wednesdays 7 p.m. 

Bible Study in English: Tuesdays 7 p.m. 

ST. GEORGE SHRINE AT CAMP CHALDEAN 

7000 Clements Road, Brighton, MI 48114; (888) 822-2267 

Campgrounds Manager: Sami Herfy 

____________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 

ST. MARY HOLY APOSTOLIC 

CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST 

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

Rector: Fr. Benjamin Benjamin 

Mass Schedule: Sundays, 9 a.m. in Assyrian; noon in Assyrian and English 

ST. TOMA SYRIAC CATHOLIC CHURCH 

25600 Drake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48335; (248) 478-0835 

Pastor: Fr. Toma Behnama 

Fr. Safaa Habash 

Mass Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 6 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. 

All in Syriac, Arabic and English 

Submission Guidelines The Chaldean News welcomes submissions of obituaries. They should include the deceased’s name, date of birth and 

death, and names of immediate survivors. Please also include some details about the person’s life including career and hobbies. Due to space constraints, 

obituaries can not exceed 300 words. We reserve the right to edit those that are longer. Send pictures as a high-resolution jpeg attachment. 

E-mail obits to info@chaldeannews.com, or through the mail at 30850 Telegraph Road, Suite 220, Bingham Farms, MI 48025. 

A book worth 

carrying around 

Creatively packaged inside a purse 

that complements the color of 

the book cover, Teresa Tomeo has 

launched her latest book: Walk Softly and 

Carry a Great Bag: On-the-go Devotions. 

This more-than-200-page book conveniently 

stows away inside a purse, diaper 

bag or briefcase. Tomeo uses scripture to 

address everyday issues with a meditative 

approach. As written in the Gospel 

of Matthew, God will be with us until the 

end of time. He is in the details, as Tomeo 

writes. We must look for Him. 

It has also been said and written many 

times that God speaks loudest in the silence. 

We must be still to hear His voice. 

“Don’t just do something – sit there,” 

writes Tomeo as she attributes Psalms 

46:10 (Be still, and know that I am God). 

Tomeo uses her own experiences as 

well as historical moments, periods in time 

and news reports to engage the reader and 

tie in devotions to the Bible. 

She is also humorous and lighthearted. 

She talks about not to ask for a lighter load 

but for a bigger bag, and appropriately selects 

Matthew 11:30 (My yoke is easy and 

my burden light) as she talks about Mother 

Teresa’s life and the work of St. Teresa of 

Avila. 

Tomeo most appropriately points out 

that all of us have crosses to bear in life. 

“If Jesus and some His most well-known 

witnesses have cried out to God the Father 

about the weight of the world on 

their shoulders, you can be sure you’re not 

alone,” she writes, citing Luke 22:42 (My 

Father, if you are willing, remove this chalice 

from me; nevertheless not my will, but yours, 

be done). 

The book can be found on Amazon, 

Servant Books, TeresaTomeo.com or 

wherever books are sold. 

– Vanessa Denha Garmo 



obituaries 

RECENTLY DECEASED COMMUNITY MEMBERS 

Muwafak 

Achoom Jarbo 

July 1, 1963 - 

Aug. 18, 2015 

Nabil Ishak 

Shabilla 

June 1, 1947 - 


Janfiaf 

Stephan 

Oct. 30, 1926 – 


Nisreen Yousif 

Jamil Fala 

Dec. 21, 1949 – 


Salima Kakos 

Barbat 

Oct. 10, 1929 - 


Sarah Gebrail 

Lazou 

March 1, 1924 - 


Fahmi Yousif 

Abouna 

July 1, 1935 - 


Anthony Fidaa 

Kacho 

Dec. 24, 2001 – 


FREE 

in-home 

estimates! 

Sarah Bet 

Shou Shou 

May 22, 1928 – 


Auda Oraha 

Kachocha 

Sept. 15, 1948 - 


Majdolen 

Maroghi 

July 1, 1951- 


Khatoon 

Najor Mattia 

Sept. 10, 1926 - 


LaFata Cabinets Are Proudly 

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Since 1962 

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addition to providing beautiful hand crafted cabinetry 

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Najat Gabbara 

Meram 

Jan. 28, 1937 - 


Fahed (Lieden) 

Ibraheem 

April 15, 2004 – 


Anthony Edward 

Semaan 

Oct. 1, 1956 - 


Saad Salman 

Shamou 

Feb. 10, 1954 - 


Naima 

Hesano 

Jan. 15, 1931 - 


Shakouri 

Jarbo 

July 1, 1931 - 

July 29, 2015 

Jafar 

Khalasawi 

July 1, 1941 – 


Hannia 

Murad Salmo 

July 1, 1912 - 


Shelby Township • West Bloomfield 

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Gourjia 

Shamon Ghazal 

July 1, 1928 - 


Mike Saad 

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Nov. 27, 1986 - 



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special kids, special needs 

Raising children with challenges 


Many parents know that children 

are gifts from God 

who bring excitement and 

joy. When a child is diagnosed with 

a disability or an illness, it is the parent 

with great faith and strength who 

steps up to meet the challenge and 

find the blessings. Just ask a few parents 

in the community raising children 

with challenges. 


Sophia’s Supporters 

When Lisa Azzou talks about her 

daughter Sophia, who is nearly 7, 

she is like any other proud mom. Despite 

the wheelchair, Sophia loves 

doing all the things little girls her 

age enjoy – swimming, cheerleading, 

dancing and even playing hockey 

for the USA Youth Hockey League 

of Michigan. Lisa and husband Don 

encourage it all. 

“She is a differently abled person,” 

said Lisa. “She loves to do all 

the things her friends do but she just 

does them differently.” 

Sophia was born with spina bifida, 

a congenital defect in which part 

of the spinal cord and its membranes 

are exposed through a gap in the 

backbone. It often causes paralysis of 

the lower limbs, and sometimes mental 

handicap. The Azzous discovered 

this while Lisa was 18 weeks pregnant 

with Sophia. 

She quickly realized that the 

medical profession didn’t have all 

the information they wanted and 

needed. “We asked for support groups 

or families to talk to and they couldn’t 

refer us to anyone,” said Lisa. 

She approached the situation as an opportunity 

to start the Spina Bifida Association of Michigan. 

Gathering information and creating a support network 

was just part of what the Azzous needed to do 

as parents raising Sophia. 

Since creating the local chapter, Lisa and other 

parents have hosted several fundraisers including a 

Walk and Roll annual event. A team of Sophia’s family 

and friends have joined the Sophia’s Supporters 

group to raise money for spina bifida on her behalf. 

Lisa and Don adapted their two-story home to 

Clockwise from above: Louie, Lisa and Sophia Azzou (dad Don was at work). Sophia Azzou walks with the help of leg braces and a 

walker … and skis via a special device. 

be wheelchair accessible. They put in hardwood 

floors throughout the house. “When Sophia hit the 

carpet with her chair, it was like trudging through 

mud,” said Lisa. 

They built ramps in three areas of the home including 

one on the back deck. They also installed 

a lift where Lisa and Don can transfer Sophia from 

her wheelchair into the lift chair that will move 

her upstairs. They refitted the tub, shower and sink 

in her bathroom, which she shares with her older 

brother Louie. 

Lisa became a mini-van mom who easily stows 

Sophia’s wheelchair, even though she doesn’t always 

need it. “She has braces that keep her knees 

and ankles straight and help her walk,” said Lisa. 

“She cannot hold her own weight and a few times 

around the house with the braces is tiring.” 

Sophia has been mainstreamed into the public 

school and has created her own strong social 

network of friends. She enjoys rides with a bike 

that allows her to use hand pedals instead of her 

feet. “We actually picked the bike up at Beaumont 

Hospital’s bike day,” said Azzou. “She also has skis 

retrofitted for her as well as ice skates.” 

All of the adjustments in the home and customized 

equipment comes with a hefty price tag and 


insurance doesn’t pay for any of it. “It gets very 

expensive, into the thousands of dollars to make 

changes in the house or buy sporting equipment for 

Sophia,” Lisa said. “It is not like we can walk into 

Target and pick up a bike for $100.” 

There are opportunities and programs for kids 

with special needs, however. The Azzou family 

won a trip to Orlando, Florida, to swim with the 

dolphins through Benefit4kids. 

Although Sophia lives very much like a typical 

child, she is aware of her challenges. 

“I knew one day the question or comment 

would come,” said Lisa, “and in kindergarten one 

day Sophia said, ‘I wish I could walk like all the 

kids in my class.’ I responded, ‘You do walk with 

braces and when you keep practicing you get stronger.’ 

She responded, ‘I wish I could walk like they 

walk.’ I said, ‘You get around in your own way.’” 

Sophia and Louie have the same loving and 

squabbling relationship all siblings share yet as his 

mom points out, “He is so helpful and patient with 

his sister. He is amazing and there needs to be a 

group for children with siblings who have special 

needs because they see and experience things most 

kids never do. Louie has been through Sophia’s 

many surgeries with us and seen the bandages 

and doctor visits. These siblings 

need to have a special pizza party for 

themselves.” 

Lisa is a mom on a mission. She is 

working to change Michigan’s laws to 

reduce a staggering static: “70 percent of 

expectant mothers whose babies are diagnosed 

with spina bifida terminate the 

pregnancy. That is a problem to me,” said 

Lisa. “I would hope that number could 

change.” 

She is working with a group of mothers 

to pass legislation that would require 

doctors upon diagnoses to give expectant 

mothers current and relevant information 

about spina bifida as well as information 

on support groups and a hotline. 

The parents stress the issue is about proinformation 

and not about pro-choice 

or pro-life. Often doctors give out grim 

diagnoses and inaccurate information 

about spina bifida and these parents want 

that to change. 

“Honestly, many doctors know about spina bifida 

from a paragraph in a textbook they read years 

ago in medical school,” said Lisa. “It so unethical 

to encourage abortion and not give the mothers all 

the information about children with spina bifida.” 

Very much on Lisa’s radar and something this 

dedicated mom will take up one day is to work 

with the medical community to open more medical 

centers for adults with spina bifida. There are 132 

children spina bifida clinics in the U.S. and only 

seven adult clinics. Out of those seven only two 

are considered legitimate adult clinics because the 

others are pediatric clinics that see adults. 

Lisa also notes that the Americans with Disabilities 

Act is only 25 years old and although 

much has transpired over the years to support 

people with disabilities, she believes education is 

needed across the country and especially with the 

airlines. 

“However, I thank God for the ADA and every 

day I thank God we live where we live and have 

what we have, and live in a country with good 

medical care and accommodations,” Lisa said. 

Julia’s Journey 

Now 8 years old and two years since being diagnosed 

with cancer, Julia Garmo is stable. Since the 

diagnosis, her mother Anita has shared Julia’s journey 

with friends and family via a blog and Facebook 

posts. The third child of David and Anita 

Garmo’s five children has neuroblastoma. 

Julia was diagnosed nearly 10 years after her 

older brother Isaac went through treatment for the 

same disease. He was diagnosed just after turning 1. 

“He was a normal, happy baby and then one 

day he lost his appetite and stopped eating,” said 

Anita. “I noticed him sitting in the family room lethargic 

one day and I knew something was wrong.” 

Isaac, now 12, went through six months of treatment 

and has been fine since; “Thank God,” said 

Anita who relies heavily on her faith for strength. 

Julia had a CAT scan after crying from neck 

pain and having a hard time swallowing. “Julia’s 

treatment has been much more extensive and she 

has gone through several life-threatening infections,” 

said Anita. “Isaac’s treatment was a breeze 

compared to what Julia has gone through.” 

Caring for Julia has taken some master organizing 

on the Garmos’ part and reliance on family. “It 

has been a team effort,” noted Anita. “I don’t know 

what I would have done without my family to help 

SPECIAL KIDS continued on page 24 

Above: 

Julia and her 

mom, Lisa 

Garmo. 

Left: In the 

hospital or out, 

Julia Garmo is 

rarely without 

a smile. 


Noofi Makadsi shows off a colorful creation. 

‘The Blessing of Our Family’ 

Nafaa Makadsi’s family has been calling him 

Noofi since he was a child. He was born with 

Down syndrome and with congenital cataracts 

in both eyes. Because they were living in wartorn 

Iraq, the family was not able to get Noofi 

the surgeries he needed and he now has a permanent 

lazy eye. 

He started drawing and painting as a young 

boy. “I cannot remember when he started 

drawing for the first time but I remember his 

first drawing of a person he called grandmother 

and he continued drawing her ever since,” 

said his mother, Amani. 

At age 26 Noofi graduated from the Troy 

Center for Transition where he studied for six 

years. Although he learned to speak English, 

he still struggles to communicate. 

“He becomes very frustrated,” said Amani. 

“He cannot always express himself or understand 

conversations well in English, but he 

can speak Arabic well.” 

Despite the reaction from community 

members, Amani’s oldest child brings her great 

joy. “The major challenges raising a kid with 

disability is the community we lived in back 

home in Iraq,” said Amani. “The people there 

feel or show you that having a disabled child 

is a stigma or a shame, and that we should not 

show him to others. We know he is the blessing 

of our family. 

“The surprising moments are when he does 

things that you never expect a disabled kid can 

do or says a sentence with deep meanings,” 

Amani added. “For parents with disabled kids 

I tell them, ‘do not lose your faith and hope 

because with every disability there is a gift, so 

search for this gift in your son or daughter.’” 

Noofi, who has a younger brother and sister, 

was recently featured on Channel 4 where 

he displayed his artwork for a show last month 

called Down with the Arts. Noofi’s art can be 

seen at IAmNoofi.Weebly.com and on Facebook 

under IAmNoofi. 

“I hope he will be a famous artist and live 

an independent life,” said Amani. 

SPECIAL KIDS continued from page 23 

care for my other children.” On and off for two 

years, Isaac, Annabelle (10), Matthew (6) and Sarah 

(4) stayed in California where the family lives 

while Anita was in New York for Julia’s treatments. 

“My sister gave up months of her life to help 

me,” she said. “My mom also helped me and was 

always with me when Julia had surgeries.” 

Anita’s sister Ashley, 24, stopped her college 

studies to travel back and forth between New York 

and California to help Anita and David. “The fact 

that my family lives thousands of miles away in 

Michigan, it made it that much harder,” said Anita. 

She also relies on friends. “It has been so amazing 

to have friends and the community come together 

to help,” said Anita. “The support has been 

greatly appreciated.” 

David and Anita also lean on each other. “David 

is amazing,” said Anita. “With or without the 

cancer he is an amazing dad; he works a 12-hour 

day and comes home and spends time with his kids. 

He is family oriented. He does what he can to give 

each one their attention.” 

The two have taken turns caring for the kids 

while attending to Julia’s needs. “It gets a bit crazy 

and sometimes I feel bad for my other kids when we 

have to spend so much time with Julia,” said Anita. 

The couple is focused on the health and well-being 

of the entire family and puts a lot of emphasis on 

nutrition. They are also very much a typical family 

juggling all obligations. Living in southern California 

with a pool in the backyard, the kids are able to 

swim year round. “They love to swim,” said Anita. 

The Garmos recently decided that David would 

be the one to tend to Julia while getting treatments 

in New York. “It is just easier that way but I can’t 

say it hasn’t been hard on me to let go,” Anita said. 

“I have been the one with her and it is hard not 

being there for her.” 

Juvollia’s Voice 

Sandra Ablahad notes that her daughter is a happy 

12 year old. “As her mom, I knew something wasn’t 

right when Juvollia was born at 24 weeks,” said Sandra. 

She was born in 2002 weighing only 1 pound, 8 

ounces and stretching out at 12 inches long. 

For five and half months following her birth, 

Sandra and baby moved into the Neonatal Intensive 

Care Unit at Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital. “I 

spent every day there from early morning until late 

night fighting for my daughter,” Sandra said. “Juvollia 

finally came home in February of 2003. Later 

that same year, we took Juvollia to the University of 

Michigan Medical Center to see a neurologist and 

that’s when we discovered she had cerebral palsy.” 

Juvollia, who is wheelchair bound, is not able 

to walk, hold her head up, sit on her own, or use 

the toilet. The family cares for her all day, bathing, 

stretching, feeding and enjoying leisure time. 

In addition to some of her favorite foods for taste, 

Juvollia is fed with a tube so she can get all of the 

nutrition she needs from a liquid supplement. 

Like so many children with cerebral palsy, Juvollia 

needs one-on-one supervision and care at all 

times. She needs help with normal everyday experiences 

like dressing, eating, playing and going 

outside to enjoy the day. 

“I sometimes feel like I hover over her when 

she’s watching cartoons just to check if she’s thirsty 

and to make sure she’s okay,” Sandra said. “I even 

have to check on her while she’s sleeping.” 

Juvollia has limited verbal abilities, making 

it challenging to communicate. “There are times 

when it is very difficult to figure out what she wants 

or if something is wrong,” said Sandra. “When your 

child won’t stop crying and you don’t know how to 

help her it gets overwhelming. As much as I love 

my daughter and living my life for her I sometimes 

get emotional and feel very helpless.” 

As the mother of four, Sandra has little time for 

herself or a social life. She juggling between all the 

kids and once Juvollia comes home from school, 

she redirects her attention to that one child. “It is 

exhausting,” she admitted. 

“Juvollia loves to watch cartoons and if we go 

somewhere where there isn’t a TV she will let us 

know she wants to go home. My patient family of 

six tries to be understanding but I am often tied 

up with Juvollia at home which leaves me without 

much of a social life,” said Sandra. 

Juvollia attends school full-time at Keith Bovenschen 

School, one of the Macomb Intermediate 

School District’s Center Programs. 

“Juvollia has been a supported student since she 

was 3 by wonderful staff and a very specific individualized 

education program decided on between 

myself, school teachers, and a team of other staff. 

Juvollia absolutely loves going to school and seeing 

all of her friends there,” said Sandra. “Bovenschen 

is an amazing school for children with many different 

challenges; they have excellent teachers and 

excellent, individualized programs.” 

Juvollia also enjoys spending time with her family 

and swimming, and her favorite pastime is going 

to local fairs and amusement parks. Last year Juvollia 

was granted a wish from the Make a Wish Foundation 

“to see Mickey Mouse and Sleeping Beauty” so 

the whole family went to Disney World in Florida. 

“Like your average teen she asks me weekly to 

go again and I would love to take her back as soon 

as we are able,” Sandra said. 

She added, “The surprising moments about 

raising a child with challenges are watching them 

reach milestones that come so easy for children 

without disabilities. These are really our most necessary 

silver linings — like the first time I caught 

her laughing, or saying new words learned in 

speech therapy, and learning how to perform new 

and seemingly simple tasks. Every single day is a 

surprise for us. Juvollia is a smart, intelligent girl 

and always puts a smile on our faces, and she is a 

gift from God who deserves to be celebrated.” 

Despite the challenges, Sandra is grateful for 

the blessings. For years, she had a hard time lifting 

her daughter into their minivan, which barely fit 

the entire family. Her husband, who was recently 

diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, is no longer able 

to physically help. 

“We were in need of a vehicle that would not 

only fit my entire family but one with a lift to save my 

SPECIAL KIDS continued on page 26 


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SPECIAL KIDS continued from page 24 

back and accommodate my growing 

daughter,” said Sandra. “I started a Go 

Fund Me page to raise money to get 

her a handicap-accessible van. When 

it wasn’t doing too well, my sister contacted 

Chris Kesto, who shared it on 

the Instagram page of LiquorStoreDiaries, 

and asked him if he could post 

it on his page. Chris posted the Go 

Fund Me link to his wall where it was 

noticed by one of his followers, Lenny 

Semaan from S&L Transportation. 

When Lenny saw the post my family’s 

life changed. Lenny, Vincent and their 

father Peter Semaan, owners of S&L 

Transportation, donated a handicapaccessible 

van to our family and made 

our life a lot easier. I am so grateful.” 

Like all parents wish for their 

kids, Sandra hopes Juvollia lives a 

long, healthy and beautiful life. “I 

wouldn’t change her for the world,” 

said Sandra. 

A Family’s Wish 

Lisa, Anita and Sandra have 

seen the good, bad and ugly 

as moms raising children with 

medical challenges. Although 

their children face different 

challenges, all three mothers 

have faced similar disappointments 

when it has comes to 

how others have acted, commented 

or responded to their 

children and situation. 

“I have had people ask me 

what is wrong with Sophia and 

I have said back, ‘nothing is 

wrong with her.’ And of course, 

I wanted to add, ‘what is wrong 

with you?’” Lisa said. “Our 

children have the bodies God 

gave them and there is nothing 

wrong with them.” 

Although society has come 


Above: Juvollia at Disney: Juvollia Ablahad loved her Make a 

Wish trip to Disney World. 

Top of page: Juvollia Ablahad is flanked by her family: Ziyad, 

Jasmine, Sandra, Jizelle and Javoni. 

Scanned by CamScanner 

a long way over the years, Lisa 

believes so much more can be 

done. “Parents need to teach their 

children to treat children with sicknesses 

or disabilities like they would 

any other child. Don’t bend down to 

talk to someone in a wheelchair. It 

makes them feel uncomfortable, especially 

adults who are in wheelchairs.” 

When the Garmos started a Go 

Fund Me account, “It was offensive 

when people would ask you where the 

money was going,” said Anita. “They 

don’t realize that some of Julia’s treatments 

are not covered by insurance. 

Flying back and forth to New York is 

not covered by insurance.” 

“The most challenging is the intolerance 

of others,” said Sandra. “People 

assume that Juvollia being in a wheelchair 

and not able to speak means she 

isn’t capable of many things that are 

in fact very important to her. For example, 

we had gone to a water park 

for a family weekend. Juvollia was so 

excited; she loves the water and has 

a specialized lifejacket designed for 

children with CP. We were told that 

she couldn’t go in the water with her 

lifejacket and we had to go. Juvollia 

reacted the way we all wanted to and 

cried all the way home.” 

However, there are people who 

genuinely care and want to help but 

don’t know how. “It is good and bad 

at the same time,” said Anita. “When 

someone says, ‘let me know if you 

need my help,’ I don’t know what 

to say. I am so overwhelmed I don’t 

know where to start. Some 

things that you could do is 

perhaps deliver a meal to the 

hospital or house when a parent 

is with a sick child. Or 

hang out and keep that person 

company at the hospital. 

Little things go a long way.” 

With this responsibility as 

a mom, so many people have 

turned to these women for advice 

and support and they are 

all too happy to help. “Kids 

with disabilities are here and 

they are not going away. It is 

not taboo,” said Lisa. “This is 

about acceptance no matter 

the race or religion. These 

kids are here.” 

With medical advancements, 

people with disabilities, 

birth defects and other 

health issues are living longer 

lives and enjoying a better 

quality of life than years prior. 

“Ask your doctor for information. Do 

your research and be your child’s advocate,” 

Lisa said. 

“My advice to other parents is to 

celebrate your child no matter the 

challenge, to stay strong, be positive, 

patient and never ask why,” said 

Sandra. “Take it day by day. Raising a 

child with a disability is a challenging 

but wonderful gift that allows us to 

learn as we go. I couldn’t be any happier 

having such a beautiful girl that 

God has given me. Never compare 

your child to others because every 

parent has their own struggles raising 

a child, disability or not. Leave it all 

in God’s hands.” 

“In so many ways our community 

needs to change,” said Anita. “A lot 

of families look down on kids with 

illnesses and cancer and they try to 

keep it secret and not be open and 

deal with it themselves. To me, that 

is not the way to go about it.” 

She encourages families to share 

their stories. 

“I hear a lot of stories and people 

are so afraid to tell people that they 

have a sick child. Moms call me all 

the time. I recently heard about a 

mom with a baby who had cancer and 

she didn’t want anyone to know and 

then finally she started a Go Fund Me 

page. I give her a lot of credit because 

I know it is not easy to ask for help,” 

Anita said. “I encourage families to 

share their stories and ask for prayers. 

We all can use prayers. We all need 

help. Ask for it. I don’t see any benefit 

in suffering alone.” 

New Communion 

Classes 

St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic 

Diocese is starting a communion 

class for children ages 10 and 

older with special needs. Classes 

will be held on Saturdays from 10 

a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Professionals 

who work with special needs 

children will assist teachers with 

special needs experience. 

There will be different levels 

of classes depending on the 

abilities of each student. If your 

child is 25 and hasn’t taken communion, 

he or she is more than 

welcome to join. Learn more by 

calling Fr. Pierre at Mother of 

God, (248) 356-0565. 


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Fr. Douglas shows the bloody shirt he 

wore in captivity. 

Fr. Douglas Bazi poses at WJR with Rafed Yaldo, Frank Beckmann and Basil Bacall. 

lived to tell 

Iraq’s Fr. Douglas impresses local community 


He survived being kidnapped, 

beaten, shot and a bomb explosion 

near his church by 

Islamic fanatics; he lived not only 

to tell about it but to inspire the displaced 

Christians he lives among in 

Erbil, Iraq, and those he depends on 

for help living in the United States. 

Upon first meeting Fr. Douglas 

Bazi, he appears to be a priest living a 

happy and comfortable life. He walks 

around with a smile on his face, engages 

in communication that often includes 

him uttering humorous one liners, 

and exudes joy wherever he goes. 

Once he begins talking about 

Iraq, his life experiences and the status 

of his fellow Christians, a sense 

of urgency takes hold. “My people 

need help,” said Fr. Douglas to the 

many talk show hosts, reporters and 

community members he met while 

visiting the Metro Detroit area last 

month as a guest of the St. Thomas 

Chaldean Catholic Diocese. 

Many community members became 

aware of the priest through 

Rafed Yaldo’s Facebook posts describing 

his visits to Erbil and spending 

time inside what Fr. Douglas likes 

to call his center and not a camp. He 

lives among 560 displaced people. 

They moved from living on the 

streets to tents and now in 3-by-6- 

foot caravans. In some cases more 

than eight people are living in the 

same space. 

During his many media interviews 

and community conversations 

here in the United States, it became 

apparent that Fr. Douglas replaced 

political correctness with biblical 

correctness, and was what many 

would describe as uncomfortably 

honest about the climate in Iraq. 

“We cannot live peacefully 

among people who are taught to hate 

us for our religion,” said Fr. Douglas. 

“This is their belief: that we are infidels 

and our heads should be cut off.” 

When kidnapped in 2006, Fr. 

Douglas was tortured for nine days 

and ridiculed by his captures, who often 

threatened to cut his head off and 

replace it with a dog’s head because 

that is what he is — a dog, an infidel. 

While he was tortured by day, he 

ministered to his fellow captures by 

night who often asked for his advice 

and at times even forgiveness. 

“I truly believe that if one part of 

the constitution in Iraq would change 

that would give the people freedom of 

religion, Islam would be the minority,” 

said Fr. Douglas, who was released 

when the Church paid a ransom. 

Fr. Douglas has witnessed the persecution 

of Christians his entire life, 

having been born and raised in Iraq. 

Despite the chance to move to a European 

country where he has been 

welcomed, he insists on staying in 

Iraq to help his people. 

“I wish I had good news to report,” 

Fr. Douglas told Teresa Tomeo, 

host of Catholic Connection on Ave 

Mario radio. “What the media reports 

is only about 2 percent of reality. 

The situation in Iraq is crazy.” 

There is no end in sight. “People 

are wondering how long this will 

take,” said Fr. Douglas. “In one day 

we received 120,000 people from 

Mosul. “This will take at least 15 to 

20 years to resolve.” 

Families are homeless, jobless and 

hopeless. “I look at their faces,” said 

Fr. Douglas. “As a priest I am prepared 

for all kinds of sadness, but what has 

happened here is hard to prepare for 

and to answer their many questions as 

to why this is happening.” 

What they are not is bitter with 

God. “No one blames God in Iraq,” 

Fr. Douglas explained to hosts of Invitation 

to Sisterhood, a one-hour 

Catholic program produced by Mar 

Toma Chaldean Productions. The 

show will air on the Catholic Television 

Network of Detroit. “They 

blame man. What disappoints our 

people in Iraq is the feeling they 

have been forgotten.” 

He continued the conversation in 

the radio studio at WJR with Frank 

Beckmann. “Be our voice. Help us 

and save us. I will say 100 times that 

I am proud to be Iraqi. I am proud 

to be a Christian Chaldean Catholic 

but I am not proud of my country. 

They don’t want us there.” 

Fr. Douglas also came to the United 

States to share with the community 

three priority issues. Christians in Iraq 

need permanent housing, “a place to 

call home,” he told Bishop Francis and 

his advisory committee. “They need to 

be educated and have schools or centers 

for studies and activities.” 

There are approximately 8,500 

primary and secondary students currently 

without any formal education. 

There is a disconnect and gaps in education. 

One major hurdle is the curriculum 

between Arabic and Kurdistan. 

The last thing needed, said Fr. 

Douglas, is good healthcare. 

Fr. Douglas acknowledged and 

thanked the community and the 

various committees for their support 

and effort to help the Christians in 

Iraq. He also visited many places including 

the Diocese, the Chaldean 

American Ladies of Charity, the 

Chaldean Community Foundation 

and with members of the various 

committees TEACH, MERCI and 

JUSTICE. 

He and Yaldo also took a trip to 

Washington, D.C., where they met 

with a delegation to discuss the current 

situation and find new avenues 

for help and support. Fr. Douglas 

showed them the shirt he wore when 

he was kidnapped and beaten. 

Despite knowing that the Muslim 

community wants the Christians 

out, Fr. Douglas won’t abandoned his 

people. “I love my people,” he said. “I 

will not leave them.” 



sister to sister 

Dominicans continue their support of Iraq 


The Dominican Sisters of Adrian continued 

to show their support for their counterparts 

in Iraq with a one-year anniversary commemoration 

of the ISIS invasion on August 6 and 

a new fundraising campaign. 

On August 6, 2014 the Iraqi Dominican sisters 

of St. Catherine of Siena of Iraq swiftly scurried out 

of their convents in Qaraqosh and other neighboring 

villages to begin their lengthy and disturbing 

escape. With nothing more than the habits they 

were wearing, they finally reached safety in the 

Kurdish capital of Erbil after 10 elongated hours. 

Normally a 50-minute drive, the roads were congested 

with tens of thousands of Christians, Yazidis 

and other religious minorities also fleeing. 

Dominican sisters from all over the country 

attended the event, which began at 3:30 p.m. at 

the Motherhouse in Adrian with the sounding of a 

bell followed by a moment of silence. Sr. Attracta 

Kelly, prioress of the Adrian Congregation, read a 

letter from Sr. Maria Hanna, prioress of the Iraqi 

a teacher and social worker, is now on sabbatical 

presenting about Iraq. 

“We have a great connection and affection for 

the Dominican sisters in Iraq,” she said. “We pray 

for them and the Christian community and other 

ethnic groups chased out by ISIS.” 

Ten young Iraqi sisters have lived, studied, and 

ministered with the Adrian-based community in the 

past 10 years. The last one just completed her training 

as a physician’s assistant and returned to Iraq in May 

to serve her people. A couple of other recent graduates 

are teachers who went back to open schools. 

After the prayer service in Adrian, participants 

signed postcards to Secretary of State John Kerry, 

urging him to increase funding for humanitarian assistance 

for the internally displaced people (IDPs) of 

Iraq and for Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries. 

The card read, “The United States bears a profound 

responsibility to assist the Iraqi people in this time of 

continuing crisis.” There was also a small art gallery 

featuring the work of Iraqi children. 

The Adrian Dominicans also launched their 

“1000 Cranes for Iraq” campaign that will support 

Iraqi refugee relief efforts. Created by Sr. Barbara 

Cervenka, an artist, it is based on the legend made 

famous by a 2-year-old Japanese girl, Sadako Sasaki, 

who was exposed to radiation from the atomic bomb 

that blasted Hiroshima in 1945 (coincidentally on 

August 6). She was diagnosed with leukemia 10 years 

later and was given no more than a year to live. Inspired 

by a legend that one who makes a thousand 

origami cranes will be granted a wish, she set out 

to fold 1,000 cranes in prayer for health and world 

peace. She made 1,300 before she died at age 12, and 

surviving family members have donated some of her 

cranes to important memorials around the world, including 

New York City’s 9/11 and Pearl Harbor. 

The hope is that these paintings of origami 

cranes will also inspire world peace. Sr. Barbara has 

already painted 160 herself, and a few other sisters/ 

artists are also donating their art to the project. 

They estimate it will take about three years to complete 

1,000 crane paintings, and they know their 

Iraqi Sisters desperately need the funds they’ll raise. 

“We are a conduit to send money to help them,” 

said Sr. Dusty. “We try to keep the public informed 

because who else will?” 

To purchase a crane painting, visit 

1000CranesForIraq.org. 

congregation, describing their current situation: 

“Our hearts are filled with sadness and overwhelming 

grief. We wait but we get nothing, we 

think but do not understand. What is next? No one 

knows. Where are we going? Everyone is lost. Yes, we 

do have shelter but our hearts are anxious and the relationships 

are truly troubled and the reality is bitter.” 

The sisters then walked in silent procession 

to St. Catherine Chapel and joined in common 

prayer that was created for use by all Dominican 

congregations in the United States. They carried 

large, blown-up pictures of the Iraqi-Chaldean 

community taken by Sr. Durstyne Farnan, who 

went on a mission trip there in January. Sr. Dusty, 

Recounting the Terror 

Sr. Maria Hanna, prioress of the Dominican Sisters’ Iraqi congregation, recalls fleeing ISIS on August 6, 

2014, in a letter that reads in part: 

“It was really a dark night when we left, not knowing what to take with us or what to leave behind. 

Christians were everywhere on the road, not knowing what direction they should take. The shadow of 

ISIS’s hatred surrounded everything, and we understood little of what was happening. When we eventually 

arrived in Kurdistan, many people were homeless in the street; they were like sheep without a 

shepherd. After a few days in Erbil, we realized that our towns in the Plain of Nineveh had been taken 

by ISIS, and our return became a distant and uncertain dream. To add insult to injury, it was not only 

ISIS that increased our loss and our anguish, but also our non-Christian neighbors, our friends in the 

neighboring villages, whom we served, taught, and gave treatment — they betrayed us in times of trouble 

and crisis.” 


cultivating 

possibilities 

Celebrating our cultural diversity and honoring those 

who plant the seeds of possibility in our communities and in our world. 


no picnic 

Dating over 30 can be tricky 


Rosa Kizy Stockel was not about 

to wait for a husband to begin 

her life. The elementary 

Spanish teacher has a large circle of 

friends, many hobbies and bought her 

own house 10 years ago. But she still 

hoped to find that special someone. 

Having no luck meeting eligible 

single men on her own, she signed 

up for the online dating service 

match.com – something she confesses 

her father, who still couldn’t 

understand why she wanted to live 

on her own — never knew. 

“I didn’t want to meet people in a 

bar, though I’m not sure this is that 

much different,” Stockel said of online 

dating. “I have a couple of friends 

who met their spouses on dating sites 

and they encouraged me to do it.” 

It was hardly an instant success 

and Stockel met her share of creeps. 

“One guy kind of stalked me; he kept 

calling and calling and once he called 

me at 3 a.m. Another tried to convince 

me to send him money. Somehow 

he got my address and sent me 

a dozen roses, which freaked me out,” 

she said. “The rest were just a bunch 

of bad frogs. I was at the point of frustration 

where I thought, I am giving 

up on this forever. I actually took a lot 

of breaks, sometimes for six months.” 

But two years ago, at age 46, she 

met James Stockel through Match. 

“It was love at first sight for him but 

it took me more time. I had to really 

get to know him,” she said. After 

she introduced him to her family – 

an all-important aspect of Chaldean 

culture — “he got along with everyone 

so well that it made me 

comfortable.” 

Stockel did not mind that 

James isn’t Chaldean, as long 

as he is Catholic. The two were 

married a year ago. 

“My parents had known for 

a long time that I just can’t get 

along with Chaldean guys. I dated 

two or three but I don’t like 

the machismo and the chauvinism,” 

she said. “James and I 

discussed things before we got 

married, that I was not going to 

be one of these girls who forget 

their friends when they get married. 

A lot of Chaldeans think 

their spouse is their life.” 

Public relations executive 

Eric Younan, 42, said he’s also 

had issues with dating Chaldeans. 

“One of the things I struggled 

with is that Chaldean women have a 

tendency to live at home until they 

are married. I wanted to date someone 

close to my age, but these girls still 

Rosa Kizy and James Stockel on their wedding day. 

lived at home in their 30s and even 

40s,” said Younan, who is currently 

in a serious relationship with a non- 

Chaldean. “They didn’t have a proper 

perspective on life because they are 

not going to settle for less than they 

have. They probably live in a ‘macmansion’ 

on Cass Lake and they want 

that same lifestyle. I can’t match that. 

And I have found that to be unique to 

the Chaldean community.” 

Unlike some men, he actually prefers 

a woman near his age. “Women in 

their 30s and up know themselves and 

choose a mate who has also found himself. 

I honestly think women in their 

30s, 40s and 50s are the best looking 

because they are now confident and 

comfortable in their own skin. They 

own the quirks that in their 20s they 

were trying to overcome.” 

But one 33-year-old woman, who 

asked to remain anonymous, said she’s 

experienced the exact opposite. “The 

men who are in their late 30s, early 

40s are looking for a 20-year-old wife,” 

she said. “I wonder how they will really 

establish a full life full of love and 

communication with an age gap.” 

This dating veteran is also weary 

of the emphasis on material items 

that sometimes can dominate relationships. 

“The amount of pressure 

the community has put on, these 

expectations of needing a $50,000 

ring and a $100,000 wedding, is 

crazy,” she said. “What man is going 

to want to get married when they 

think every girl needs this stuff? I 

can only speak for myself and I am 

looking for far more as far as loyalty, 

respect, trust and communication – 

the important things.” 

She’s has also run into a challenge 

somewhat unique to the Chaldean 

community: parents who disapprove 

of one’s family village in Iraq. She 

said that prejudice from a boyfriend’s 

mother helped end their four-year 

relationship. Then, rubbing salt in 

the wound, an older Chaldean 

man she met at a coffee shop one 

snowy morning at Christmastime 

expressed the same sentiment. 

At first the kindly man asked 

her, “How is a girl as beautiful as 

you single?” and wanted to set her 

up with his son. But when she 

told him her last name and family 

village, he said, “That’s the 

problem, that’s why you’re not 

married.” 

The woman was astounded. “I 

was in so much shock that my tears 

were running down my face before 

I hit the door,” she said. “I thought, 

is it possible I haven’t found someone 

because of this issue? The older 

generation is brutal.” 

Though she tries to stay positive, 

this woman admits to feeling 

discouraged. “I am just over it all. 

I don’t lack in anything. I am educated, 

beautiful, independent and 

a very devout Catholic,” she said. “I 

trust in the Lord and I know there’s 

a plan.” 


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The living room 

has seen many 

a community 

gathering. 

if these walls could talk 

Historic home has Chaldean charisma 


You can see this exquisite gem of a home in 

Pleasant Ridge when you are traveling south 

on Woodward towards Ferndale. The nearly 

5,000-square-foot Mediterranean revival colonial, 

with its signature burgundy roof and accents and 

white pillars, has been home to Sabah (Summa) 

Hermiz for nearly 40 years, but now he’s 

ready to downsize. 

3 Poplar Park has had three owners, 

two of whom were Chaldean. It was built 

in 1928 by an Italian family who lived 

there until sometime in the late 40s or early 

50s. Joe and Reema Atchoo purchased 

it and raised four sons: Edward, Pete, Jerry 

and Ray. 

Joe Atchoo was an influential businessman 

– a sort of “Mike George of the mid- 

20th century” — who had the means to 

purchase such a grand home, and its location 

was considered far from where Michigan’s 

few hundred Chaldeans lived at the 

time, about four miles away in the Detroit/ 

Highland Park area. 

At that time, cars did not have heat or 

even windows, and the fastest they went 

was 35 miles an hour. In the winter, car 

travelers would wear four of five blankets 

over them, so the trek to the Atchoos was somewhat 

of an inconvenience. Yet Joe’s and Reema’s 

generosity and hospitality more than made up for 

it; they were known for having lots of gatherings 

with homemade food and great company. 

Joe Atchoo, a pioneer among the first Chaldeans 

to immigrate to Detroit, did not know how 

to read or write very well, but had common sense 

and helped a lot of people anonymously. He was 

known to let his customers get groceries and pay 

him later when they had the money. He started 

with nothing in order to build something splendid 

for his kids and their kids. 

3 Poplar Park has been home to Chaldeans for some sixty years. 

Sally Yono worked for the Atchoo family as a 

young teenager when she first came to the U.S. Her 

father, Gorgis Loussia, and Joe were best friends. 

She would often sleep over the Atchoos so they 

could take her with them to work in the morning. 

She recalled a story Reema, whom she described 

as “nice and elegant,” once told her about a visit to 

the house by King Faisal II of Iraq sometime in the 

mid-50s. The king was about 20 years old, and he 

wanted to meet with the Chaldean community in 

Detroit. The Atchoos hosted him and other dignitaries, 

including a priest from New York who conducted 

mass at the house. (There were no Chaldean 

churches at the time so mass was celebrated 

there sometimes when a priest came to town.) 

Sally said her father and Joe talked about King 

Faisal’s trip all the time, including their visit to 

Belle Isle, where they took pictures in front of 

the fountain. They always recalled him sitting on 

a couch in front of the bay window in the living 

room, young and humble and full of promise, not 

knowing he would be killed by his own countrymen 

shortly after returning to Iraq. 

In 1976, Sabah and his wife Kathie bought the 

house. They already had two sons, Laith and Faris, 

and soon welcomed Sabah’s father, sister and three 

brothers to live with them upon their arrival to the 

U.S. from Iraq. Sabah and Kathie had one more 

son, Shawn. It was a full house. 

Like the Atchoos, the Hermiz family hosted 

many gatherings like their yearly Christmas get-together 

with all the extended family. Sabah vividly 

remembers the kids running into the kitchen, grabbing 

for that drawer with the little toys and candy 

in it, that drawer that never sat right on the hinges 

because it was the first place the kids would dash 

to, in between the hustle and bustle of the women 

preparing dinner. In that same kitchen, his Polish 

wife Kathie took to learning how to make traditional 

Chaldean food. 

The dining room table not only served a place 

to eat, but as a drawing board for many community 

organizations like the Iraqi-American Architect 

and Engineers Association and the Iraqi-American 

Graduate Association, which were active until 

about the mid-‘80s. Sabah, an engineer 

and owner of Summa Engineering and 

Associates, welcomed anybody who had a 

fondness for improving the lives of Chaldean 

people. 

Sabah’s sons are grown and on their 

own, and Kathie passed away a few years 

ago. Her picture graces a wall in the living 

room, opposite the vintage-tiled fireplace. 

She is wearing a kuchma, a traditional Chaldean 

headdress, during a visit to Telkaif. All 

of her sewing supplies are still in a room upstairs. 

Their sons’ soccer trophies line the 

foyer table, and there are pictures of them 

and their own kids in the dining room. 

The plaster moldings, coves, and medallions 

are perfect, with an accentuating 

charm fit for families who, like the 

Atchoos and Hermizes, worked hard for 

everything they have achieved. That is the 

kind of owner Sabah is looking for. 

Now that he has remarried, Sabah may split his 

time between Michigan and Florida. He hopes that 

another Chaldean family will buy the house to carry 

the traditions that have ornamented the home 

all these years. He is proud of 3 Poplar Park, which 

has that Chaldean charisma that cannot be found 

in any other home in Metro Detroit. 


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where’s 

the beef? 

Shawarma is hot, hot, hot 

BY WEAM NAMOU 

From above: Genie’s Hassan Abbas works the grill. Sinan Shallal and a big platter of freshly prepared meat 

at Genie Grill. 

Last December, two restaurants that opened for business 

introduced a new concept to the way Middle 

Eastern sandwiches are made – customers can choose 

their own toppings, be it lettuce and tomatoes or humus 

and turshi. 

Shawarma Grill, at 29555 Northwestern Highway in 

Southfield, opened its doors on December 9, 2014. Genie 

Mediterranean Grill, on 40768 Ryan Road in Sterling 

Heights, was launched nine days later. The owners were 

not aware of each other’s ventures, but now people from 

both the Eastside and the Westside can enjoy food prepared 

in a way similar to Subway or Boston Market. 

“We got this idea from a Middle Eastern restaurant in 

New York,” said Steve Shaya, manager of Genie Mediterranean 

Grill. “But the concept is 100 percent American 

and it started in the early 1900s in hospital cafeterias.” 

Shaya has been in the restaurant business for more than 

20 years when he worked for Saad Attisah at Sahara Restaurant. 

The first hospital built in the United States, he said, 

had the type of food setup where one starts off with the hot 

items, then the cold food, then the beverages and snacks. 

Ziad Battah of Shawarma Grill is a medical technologist 

who works in his field during the daytime and comes to 

the restaurant on some evenings. He started this business 

with his maternal uncle Nahil Kaskorkis. Kaskorkis runs 

the establishment and Battah manages it. 

While this is Battah’s first restaurant, Kaskorkis had several 

restaurants in Iraq, one called Al Saada (Happiness). 

He has also worked in a number of hotels. Kaskorkis came to 

the United States three years ago, bringing along his expertise 

in the restaurant business and his special recipes. 

“I came up with this idea and decided to invest in my 

uncle,” said Battah, smiling. 

On a recent Saturday afternoon, Shawarma bustled 

with customers who stood in front of the chef station, 

choosing which bread they wanted (flour or whole wheat 

tortilla, white or wheat pita bread) and then the different 

varieties of meats and vegetables. 

Two children who came in with their parents enjoyed 

the process and the food. 

“We get to order what we want in the sandwich,” said 

Malia Jarbo, 6. “I love the olives and the turshi.” 

“It’s like Subway,” said her brother Matthew, 9. “It’s not 

good — it’s amazing!” 

“People like that everything is made in front of them,” 

said Battah. “We don’t preheat or microwave anything. 

It’s made to order. A lot of Mediterranean restaurants 

don’t have the pit for the shawarma so they have a chef 

cook the meat in the morning and cut it up to be used 

throughout the day. Here, we take it from the skewer to 

your sandwich. It’s fresh.” 


SOUTHFIELD 

28100 Telegraph Road 


(800) 725-0697 

Sales 

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Monday 9am-9pm 

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Thursday 9am-9pm 

Friday 9am-6pm 

Saturday 10am-3pm 

JEEP CELEBRATION EVENT NOW TAKING PLACE! 

Clockwise from above: Ziad Battah and Raed Elias near their restaurant’s namesake 

shawarma skewers. Milad Kaskorkis prepares vegetables at the Shawarma Grill 

Shawarma at home parties is a popular trend. 

Shawarma, also known as gus, is a 

Levantine Arab cuisine in which meat 

is roasted slowly on all sides as the spit 

rotates in front of a flame for hours. 

At Genie Mediterranean Grill, 

the meat averages between 200 to 

400 pounds, depending on the date 

and how busy they are. It’s so heavy 

that it requires two men and a crane 

to place it on the pit. 

“Using the crane makes the process 

safer and we have less drops,” 

said Shaya, who built the restaurant 

from scratch with his partner, Ghazwan 

Samona. 

“We bought the latest technology 

in our kitchen to prepare our food,” 

said Shaya. “We can slice a case of 

tomatoes or chop a case of lettuce in 

less than a minute. Because of our 

equipment, we can cook anything in 

less than five minutes. This includes 

making a 40-gallon tub of turshi in 

five minutes.” 

Included in Shawarma Grill’s full 

catering services is the shawarma 

skewer. As long as it’s not snowing, a 

chef will come to your house and cook 

a fifty-pound (or more) hunk of marinated 

meat outdoors. The charge is $11 

per pound and there’s a $200 set-up fee 

that includes the bread, four toppings 

of your choice and the sauces. The 

chef stays for four hours, cooking and 

shaving the meat into slices. 

Genie Grill does full catering too, 

but their skewer will only travel in 

their trailer. They have served more 

than 1,000 people at large events like 

the Chaldean Festival. 

Both restaurants also offer delivery. 

Genie has more than 20 employees, 

seven of whom are cooks: two in 

charge of the chicken and beef shawarma, 

two who do the kabobs, two 

who make the stews, and one who 

bakes bread three times a day. 

Upon entering the 5,000-squarefoot 

restaurant, customers are greeted 

with a sign that reads “Choose, 

Pay, Eat. Place your wish here.” Ten 

screens explain the menu, and 70 

percent of the foods on the menu are 

poured onto a dish and served. The 

other 30 percent are the meats that 

require being cut up, but they too are 

ready to order. 

Samona, Shaya’s partner, owns 

White Palace restaurant in Baghdad. 

He is currently in Iraq running 

the restaurant because with its 1,200 

seating and 200 employees, it’s especially 

busy during Ramadan. 

Shaya says that by fall, Genie 

will have patio seating outside where 

people can enjoy smoking hookah. 

He and his partner are building this 

business for their children to one day 

take over. 

“If they choose to, they can continue 

to operate it or open a franchise,” 

he said. 


John Petrous shows off the Tappy Menu app. 

John Petrous 

shows off the 

Tappy Menu app. 

want fries with that? 

New app a godsend to the visually impaired 


Being blind does not stop Ann 

Petrous from doing much. In 

fact, she recently moved into 

an apartment with another visually 

impaired friend. But needing to have 

the menu read to her in restaurants 

drives her crazy. 

“I like to go out to eat with friends 

who are blind and we don’t want to 

have to ask the waitress to read the 

menu,” she said. “We want to be as 

independent as possible.” 

Her brother John Petrous took 

that desire so seriously he invented a 

mobile app: Tappy Menu, which utilizes 

a Smartphone’s ability to read 

text aloud. 

“I got so excited when John told 

me the concept,” said Ann, 36. “I 

don’t like it that I can’t open the 

menu myself and take a look at it. 

People say, ‘what are you in the mood 

for?’ but I don’t always know what 

I’m in the mood for. Some menus are 

as big as bibles and it takes 500 years 

when people have to read it to me.” 

While restaurant menus are 

sometimes available on sites like 

Yelp and GrubHub, they are not designed 

to be compatible with Smartphones, 

John said. And visiting a restaurant’s 

website often doesn’t work 

because their online menus tend to 

be so cluttered with graphics and extraneous 

information they can crash 

the phone. 

Tappy Menu presents menus and 

nutritional information in a clean 

format that’s easy to understand. 

Sighted people can also use it to peruse 

a menu, or, if they forget their 

reading glasses, have it read to them. 

“It works flawlessly – we are not 

running into hiccups,” said John, 

who is 33 and lives in Commerce 

Township. 

The biggest trial has been getting 

companies to participate, even 

though there is no cost involved. 

“I contacted over 300 companies 

and a lot were saying, ‘what’s this 

now? We never thought of that,’” 

Ann said. But so far only eight – 

Panda Express, Tony Roma’s, Taco 

Cabana, Carvel, Orange Leaf, Spicy 

Pickle, Happy’s Pizza and Pizza Rustica 

— have signed up. 

“The bigger companies want 

the others to jump on it first,” Ann 

noted. 

John, an electrical engineer at 

Ford, is not discouraged. 

“Ten million people in the 

United States have some type of 

visual impairment and 365,000 are 

completely blind,” he said. “Going 

out to eat should be a pleasurable 

experience, not a frustrating one. 

I would hope these companies see 

it as a no-brainer. That is the main 

challenge, getting these companies 

on board.” 

Tappy Menu had a soft launch 

in January and went wide in July, 

attracting 500 users in its first 

month. John has fielded inquiries 

from Canada, the United Kingdom 

and Australia. 

“Our goal is to eventually take it 

to cover North America and then 

the UK,” he said. “We want this to 

be the biggest application that contains 

restaurant menus.” 

He hopes to one day make money 

from the app by having restaurants 

advertise promotions or coupons. 

“The goal is also to help as 

many blind people as I can,” John 

said. “One day Ann and I were having 

a conversation about how much 

we tip the waiter or waitress and 

she said, ‘it depends on how much 

patience they have with me.’ That 

really triggered something in me. 

I thought, it’s 2015 and for an app 

like this not to exist is amazing.” 

Ann is thrilled with the invention. 

“My brother is my rock,” she 

said. “He has always backed me up, 

even when we were fighting like 

brothers and sisters are supposed 

to. This has actually brought us a 

lot closer.” 

Visit TappyMenu.com. 

Fall Triduum in Honor of 

St. Therese of the Child Jesus 

Conducted by Father Dan Zaleski 

Theme: St. Therese For Today 

September 29 thru October 1 

+ Confessions, 6:00 pm 

+ Rosary, 6:30 pm 

+ Mass 7:00 pm 

+ After all Masses, Benediction and Devotions 

October 1: St. Therese’s Feast Day, 

refreshments and a rose for all 

Going Green? 

Read Chaldean News online at 


St. Albert the Great Church 

4855 Parkers Street 

Dearborn Heights, MI 48125 

For more information, please call 

(313) 770-3203, or (313) 292-0430 

www.stalberts.com 



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chaldean on the STREET 

What would you ask 

Pope Francis? 

BY JOSEPH ABRO 

Pope Francis, 79, will be making his first appearance in the 

United States this month. He’ll appear at the World Meeting 

of Families in Philadelphia and also plans stops in New York 

City and Washington, D.C. We asked a few bright young 

minds what they like best about this beloved Pope, and what 

they would ask him, given the chance. 

All of our amazing previous 

Popes showed their 

humbleness towards us, 

but Pope Francis, in my 

opinion, shows his humility 

in a different way, especially 

when he reaches out to 

us. He personally will call 

and hand write letters to 

his people himself, rather 

than have another person 

do it for him. That is what I 

like most about our Pope, 

his great humility. I would 

ask him, how can one 

make their prayer life stronger 

and what is it that you 

do to strengthen yours? 

– Bianca Kasto, 21 

Sterling Heights 

One thing I admire about 

Pope Francis is that he is 

a very humble man. Everywhere 

he’s been, he’s left 

a great impression. One 

thing that has stuck with 

me was when he was 

asked about the gay community 

and he said, “Who 

am I to judge?” If I ever 

had the chance to meet 

him I would ask him to 

ask all the millionaires in 

our country to contribute 

and donate to the poor. 

– Valerie Dallo, 20 

Troy 

What I admire the most 

about Pope Francis is 

his commitment towards 

world peace, and 

especially his successful 

efforts to foster peace 

between the U.S. and 

Cuba after 50 years of 

tension. If I could ask 

him anything, I would ask 

him, where do you see 

the public perception of 

Catholicism in the next 

10 years? 

– Austin Kallabat, 21 


Pope Francis, with his 

humility, care and universal 

outreach, is a breath 

of fresh air. We should all 

be proud to have such an 

amazing man at the head 

of our Church. If I got to 

ask him one question, I 

would ask him what his 

are plans to increase 

youth interest and participation 

in the Church. 

– Fadi Sadik, 20 

Rochester Hills 

I like that Pope Francis 

seems to practice what 

he preaches in regards to 

rejecting wealth in favor 

of charity. I’d like to ask 

him why the church won’t 

change its stance on 

contraception despite his 

work with AIDS patients 

and the overwhelming 

consensus of the scientific 

community. 

– Justin Bahoora, 28 

Rochester Hills 

I admire Pope Francis’ 

humbleness the most. 

My question to him 

would be about what his 

vision of God is. 

– Myrna Siba, 19 

Madison Heights 


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Building Community Scores a Bingo 

Jewish, Chaldean groups meet and mingle 

By Gail Katz 

Photos by Jerry Zolynsky 

An interfaith program was held June 29 at St. Thomas Chaldean 

Catholic Church in West Bloomfield, where nearly 100 Jews and 

Chaldeans of all ages came to honor senior citizens and celebrate 

the ongoing friendship and connection among the two communities. 

Fr. Andrew Seba kicked off the evening in the church’s sanctuary 

with some information about the history of Chaldeans. He pointed 

out some of the images in the sanctuary and their importance. He 

then introduced (in both English and Arabic) Rabbi Paul Yedwab 

from Temple Israel. 

Rabbi Yedwab gave a short history of Temple Israel in West 

Bloomfield, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2016. He 

highlighted the similarities between the Jewish and Chaldean communities, 

emphasizing how both languages had their roots in Aramaic, 

the language of the Jewish prayer for the dead — the Kaddish. 

He also spoke about how both communities live together in West 

Bloomfield and Oakland County. 

Vanessa Denha Garmo, editor in chief of the Chaldean News, informed 

participants that she grew up in a mostly Jewish neighborhood 

and went to lots of bar and bat mitzvahs. Her grandparents 

came over from Iraq in the 1960s, and she shared humorous stories 

about her grandmother’s love of TV shows like General Hospital 

and The Young and the Restless — shows that seemed like real-life 

episodes to her. To Chaldean immigrants, family is so important, she 

said, as family members all live together in the same home upon arriving 

in the United States. 

Lois Shulman, an ombudsman for the senior Jewish community, 

spoke about how she volunteers much of her time with Jewish residents 

in nursing homes. Her emphasis was on respecting elders by 

listening to their stories and learning from their wisdom. 

Following the speakers, the group went to the social hall for 

some delicious Chaldean appetizers and tasty Jewish desserts. The 

social hall was set up for bingo, and Fr. Andrew and Rabbi Yedwab 

were an incredible comedy team as they called out the bingo numbers 

and gave away prizes. 

Afterward, Arthur Horwitz, publisher/executive editor of the 

Jewish News, underscored the wonderful feeling of friendship between 

the Jewish and Chaldean communities. 

He said he was proud to see that Building Community Initiative, 

started by the Jewish News and the Chaldean News about six years old, 

is still going strong today and successfully breaking down myths and 

stereotypes about each other while building respect and understanding. 

All were asked to bring school supplies for needy elementary 

students in Oakland County and Sterling Heights. Many of the 

guests packed these supplies into backpacks donated by Temple Israel 

and the Chaldean Community Foundation. 

Leaders of the event say they will continue to work to bring people 

together for joint social action projects; they believe bringing both 

communities together is a major step in bonding with each other. 

Gail Katz is co-chair of the Jewish Chaldean Social Action Committee, 

along with Rula Yono. 

1 

3 

4 

1. Fr. Andrew Seba (right) reacts to 

something funny said by Rabbi Paul Yedwab. 

2. Lining up for Chaldean and Jewish food. 

3. Norine Zimmer and Joey Kajy. 

4. Lois Shulman (left), Vanessa Denha 

Garmo and Sue Zoma. 

5. Feada Shaoni grabs pencils for the 

backpacks. 

6 Diane Okun and Laila Cohen load up 

backpacks. 

2 

4 

5 



ECONOMICS & enterprise 

Young Entrepreneur: ‘Donut’ Be Afraid to Dream 


Chris Denha always liked donuts. He especially 

liked the St. Patrick’s Day donuts he 

saw in a hotel pop-up in Chicago about a 

year and a half ago. With their themed sprinkles 

and frosting, each one had some Irish flair. 

The idea stayed with Denha, so he traveled to 

different donut shops around the country, including 

Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, to glean 

inspiration for his new gourmet shop, Donut Bar, 

in Southfield. 

The 32-year-old Denha, who has a marketing 

and management degree from Wayne State University, 

brainstormed with local architect Jawan 

Matti. Matti intentionally created the shop’s interior 

to be a simple, fast-paced, check-out-all-thedonuts-while-you-are-in-line 

concept. There are 

three standing-only tables against the wall; otherwise, 

most people pick up their treats in an assembly-line 

fashion and eat them elsewhere. 

When Donut Bar first opened in July, Denha 

and his staff could not keep up with the demand, 

selling out after just three hours. Even upon making 

more and more donuts, customers continued to 

stream in, wowed at all the different kinds of sweet 

treats from cereal and candy-inspired to dessertstyled 

and regular glazed. 

“Our donuts are calorie-free because they are 

made with love,” Denha joked. 

He even flew in a donut specialist who stayed 

with them for five days, refining recipes and adding 

some, like his favorite and one of the bestsellers, 

the Tres Leche, a three-milk glazed donut 

topped with homemade whipped cream and 

fresh berries. 

A third-generation partner in the family-owned 

Franklin Market in Pontiac, Denha has made the 

donut shop a family business too. His sister Serena, 

he said, is the backbone, running the daily operations. 

His mother May offered some recipe ideas 

too, like the best-selling Strawberry Chantilly donut, 

a sort of sandwich with homemade whipped 

cream, fresh strawberries and powdered sugar. 

Donut Bar takes special orders for parties too — 

they are made a little bit smaller so they are easier 

to eat. At a recent wedding, guests finished 200 donuts 

in 15 minutes! 

Anyone hungry? 

Denha has some advice for other young entrepreneurs. 

“Go into it fearlessly and don’t get discouraged. 

Believe me, I’ve been there,” he said. “You just 

have to be willing to take a shot.” 

Donut Bar + Coffee is located at 29039 Southfield 

Road. Visit DonutBarDetroit.com. 

She has a gambling problem. 

HER FATHER. 

When you or someone you love has 

a gambling problem, the whole family 

suffers. For free, confidential help, call 

1-800-270-7117. 



classified listings 

HELP WANTED 

FURNITURE SALES ASSOCIATES 

Exceptional Opportunity to Join 

Michigan’s Number One Selling 

and Stocking Bedroom Furniture 

Retailer Located in Beautiful 

Bloomfield Hills Michigan. We are 

Currently Accepting applications 

for Professional, Self-Motivated 

Sales Consultants on a Full Time/ 

Long-Term Basis. High Earning 

Potential $50,000 Plus per Year, 

Great Benefits, Paid Vacations, Total 

Health Care HMO and a 4-Day/5- 

Day Work Week with 3 Consecutive 

Days off Every Other Week. Join a 

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not Just a Job. Family Owned & 

Operated since 1961. 

www.houseofbedroomskids.com 

(248) 745-0012 

SALESPEOPLE AT 

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Highly motivated salespeople in the 

Warren and Detroit locations. Parttime 

and full-time available. Must have 

good customer care skills, deliver 

an outstanding store experience, 

meet or exceed sales goals and 

customer satisfaction goals, maximize 

customer sales, complete all required 

training courses. Send resume to 

centerlinewireless10@gmail.com or 

call Nancy, 586-757-7400. 

STORES FOR SALE 

DETROIT GRATIOT AVENUE 

LIQUOR STORE FOR SALE 

Gross $1.9 million/year. Rent $4,000/ 

month. $750,000 for business only. 

Call Eddie, (248) 925-0581. 

HIGHLAND PARK LIQUOR STORE 

FOR SALE 

Beer, wine, lottery, grocery. 

Business & building for sale. 

Average $18,000/week. 

248-275-4211 or 313-865-3218. 

ESTABLISHED CONVENIENCE 

STORE W/ BAKERY 

Operated by owners for over 20 

years on busy main road near I-696 in 

Madison Hts. $299,999. Price includes 

real estate, building & equipment. Beer, 

wine, lotto and basement storage. 

Contact Gib Enwyia for 

more details, 586-256-8454. 

STORES FOR SALE 

MONROE PARTY STORE 

Cheers Liquor Plaza on busy Monroe 

St (M-25), Price of $689,000. 4032 

sq. ft. building on one-acre site. 

SDD, SDM, Lottery. Good Condition. 

Scott Hudkins, Hanna Commercial, 

313 530 7440; scotthud@tdi.net. 

PONTOONS FOR SALE 

COME SEE ALL THE NEW MODELS 

At the “Bennington Cruise” Oct. 1, 2, 

3. Set an apt. for a free gift. Volume 

discounts apply. Buy when we buy. 

Call Phil Orzel, 313-742-6524, 

Wilson Marine in Commerce. 

HOUSE FOR SALE 

NEARLY 2 ACRES AND 275’ OF 

LAKE FRONTAGE ON CASS LAKE! 

One of the premier locations on Cass. 

The completely renovated home is 

2,300 sf with 3 bedrooms, 2 bath and a 

3-car detached garage in a very private 

setting. The home has a swimmable 

beach, lakefront driving range, stone fire 

pit and sunken hot tub. Lake living at its 

best! Call Eric, 248-895-1834 

RESTAURANTS FOR SALE 

TUBBY’S FOR SALE NEAR 

DOWNTOWN LAKE ORION 

1058 sq. ft. Dining room seats 16. 

Lots of opportunity for growth. Needs 

young ambitious owner. Lots of 

new development in area. Asking 

$90,000. Call Al @ 248-808-0361. 

Please do not approach employees. 

PRIME LOCATION AT 15 MILE & RYAN 

1,600 sq. ft. Seats 46. Very clean and 

well-operating kitchen. Rent negotiable. 

Contact Diana, 586 381 0708. 

Pssst… 

What’s 

the 

Buzz? 

Opening a new business? 

Been Promoted? 

Have an interesting story to tell? 

We’d love to hear it! 

Drop an e-mail to info@chaldeannews.com, 

or send your news to: 

The Chaldean News 

The Chaldean 30850 News Telegraph • 29850 Road, Northwestern Suite 220 Highway 

Bingham Southheld, Farms, MI 48034 48025 

Please be sure to include your phone number. 


PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS 

Accredited Buyer Representative 

Certified Luxury Home Marketing 

Specialist 

Certified Residential Specialist 

Internet Professional 

Graduate REALTORS Institute 

Quality Service Certified 

Seniors Real Estate Specialist 

Brian S. Yaldoo 

Classic - Associate Broker 

29630 Orchard Lake Road 

Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334 

Office: 1-248-737-6800 

Fax: 1-248-539-0904 

E-Mail: brianyaldoo@remax.net 

Websites: www.brianyaldoo.com 

brianyaldoo.realtor.com 

BuyingOrSellingRealEstate.com 

Individually Owned and Operated 

PHOENIX REFRIGERATION, INC. 

Commercial Refrigeration•Heating & Cooling 

Mechanical Contractor 

STEVE ROUMAYAH 

29333 LORIE LANE 

WIXOM, MI 48393 

steve@phoenixrefrig.com 

PHONE: 248.344.2980 

FAX: 248.344.2966 

TOLL FREE: 877.856.5800 

Detroit • Grand Rapids • Lansing • Flint 

www.phoenix-refrigeration.com 

Palladium 

Financial GrouP, llc 

MOrTGaGE brOKEr NMLS 128686 

GabE GabriEl 

NMLS 128715 

30095 Northwestern Hwy, ste. 103 

Farmington Hills , Michigan 48334 

Office (248) 737-9500 

Direct (248) 939-1985 

Fax (248) 737-1868 

Email MortgageGabe@aol.com 

www.palladiumfinancialgroup.com 

BMW of Rochester Hills 

Sammi A. Naoum 

Client Advisor 

Street Address 

45550 Dequindre Road 

Shelby Township, MI 48317 

Telephone: (248) 237-3832 

Mobile: ( 248) 219-5525 

Fax: (248) 997-7766 

Email: sammi.naoum@bmwofrochesterhills.com 

Website: www.bmwofrochesterhills.com 

Parking Lot Lighting 

Tamou’s 

Electrical Contractors 

Commercial & Industrial 

Installation & Service 

Generators for Large Facilities 

Tom Tamou 

Cell: (810) 560-9665 

tamouselectric@sbcglobal.net 

Office/Fax (586) 803-9700 

CHALDEAN 

AMERICAN 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY 

FOUNDATION 

SANA NAVARRETTE 

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER 

CHALDEAN 

AMERICAN 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY 

FOUNDATION 

SANA NAVARRETTE 

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER 



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

FAX: (248) 996-8342 

snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com 

www.chaldeanchamber.com 

www.chaldeanfoundation.org 

Twitter: @ChaldeanChamber 

Instagram: @ChaldeanAmericanChamber 

HealtH Insurance 

& MedIcare specIalIst 

stephen M. George 

office 248-535-0444 

fax 248-633-2099 

stephengeorge1000@gmail.com 

Contact me for a free consultation 

on Health Care Reform, Medicare 

and Life Insurance 

ADVERTISE 

FOR AS LITTLE AS $ 85 

IN OUR NEW BUSINESS DIRECTORY SECTION! 

To place your ad, contact us today! 

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

29850 30850 NORTHWESTERN Telegraph Road, HIGHWAY, Suite SUITE 220 250 Bingham • SOUTHFIELD, Farms, MI 48025 48034 


ww.chaldeannews.com 



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

FAX: (248) 996-8342 

snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com 

www.chaldeanchamber.com 

Tell them you saw it in the Chaldean News! 

www.chaldeanfoundation.org 

Twitter: @ChaldeanChamber 

Instagram: @ChaldeanAmericanChamber 


events 

awake my soul 

PHOTOS BY RAZIK TOMINA 

The August 22 Awake My Soul was a hit with 

community members seeking a boost in their 

spirituality and faith. ECRC sponsored the event 

at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Warren. 

Activities included talks by Bishop Francis and 

Bishop Saad Sirop, a special program for kids, 

a Nizar Fares concert and midnight mass. 


1. Archbishop Jibrael 

Kassab 

2. Asaad Kalasho 

3. David Enwyia, Manny 

Razoky, Antraneck 

Akrawi, Kriakoss Hanna 

4. Michael K. Khalil and 

Derek Adolf 

5. Nathan Kalasho 

and Madison Schools 

Superintendent Randy 

Speck 

6. Mohamad and Zainab 

Hamimi and Lauren 

Samona 

7. Calvin Proctor, Maria 

Joseph, Matyoss Joseph, 

Andre Dewalt Jr., Minra 

Joseph 

8. Assistant Principal 

Dr. Zena Najor, Sophia 

Shamoon, Lisa Mansour 

9. Mixing and mingling 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 7 8 

keys grace 

ribbon cutting 


Keys Grace Academy, the first charter school 

to offer Chaldean/Assyrian/Syriac language, 

culture and history, held its grand opening on 

August 6 in Madison Heights. 

9

event 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

project bismutha 

walk-a-thon 

1. Lukman Gyosif 2. Ayad, Sara, Miriam, Clara and Helena 

Abrou 3. Dr. Musib Gappy, Joanne Shamoun, Dr. Nahid Elyas 

and Patrick Alexander 4. Ashley Zaitouna, Irene Zaitouna, 

Jennifer Shamoun and Olivia Gabrail 5. Eva and Sal Jajjo 

6. Holly Romaya 7. Timothy Somero, Andy Gappy and Martin 

Manna 8. Haifa Kirma and Maysem Abbou 9. Lisa Kejbou, 

Sharon Hannawa, Idan Hannawa and Mae Hannawa 

10 and 11. Scenes from the day 

11 


Hundreds came out to Camp Chaldean on August 2 for the 

Third Annual Project Bismutha Walk-a-Thon. Participants 

enjoyed a stroll, lunch and a mass celebrated by Bishop 

Francis. More than $18,000 was raised to supply medications 

to displaced refugees inside Iraq. 


Kroger is proud to serve 

THE MANY 

CUSTOMERS 

that make up our 

THRIVING 

AND DIVERSE 

communities. 

© 2015 The Kroger Co. 

We strive to offer products and services throughout 

our stores that meet the unique and changing needs 

of local families. 

We’re also committed to giving back through the 

support of hunger relief programs, health organizations 

and education initiatives that help improve the lives of 

those living in our Michigan communities and beyond. 

The Kroger promise – to help our 

communities grow and prosper.

40 YEARS OF 

SERVICE 

FOUR GREAT 

BRANDS 

SERVICE IS OUR 

#1 PRIORITY 

PORSCHE OF THE MOTOR CITY 

24717 Gratiot Ave. 

Eastpointe, MI 48021 

Sales: Ray Crawford 

866-981-3878 

www.porscheofthemotorcity.com 

MOTOR CITY MINI 

29929 Telegraph Road 


Sales: John Nazzal 

877-207-7281 

www.motorcitymini.com 

AUDI OF ROCHESTER HILLS 

45441 Dequindre Rd 

Rochester Hills, MI 48307 

Sales: Elie Daher 

888-524-8551 

www.audiofrochesterhills.com 

BMW OF ROCHESTER HILLS 

45550 Dequindre Rd 

Shelby Township/Rochester, MI 48317 

Sales: Sammi Naoum 

248-237-3832 

www.bmwofrochesterhills.com 

ONE STANDARD 

OF EXCELLENCE

SEPTEMBER 2015

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