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FEATURE Left: The Jarbo Family at Georgina’s wedding. Below: Sue and Bahi cooking kabobs. 7 Mile’s Kabob King A Tribute to Bahi Jarbo BY CRYSTAL KASSAB JABIRO A simple man with an extraordinary life story, Ablahad “Bahi” Jarbo left a legacy for his family and his community. Bahi was born to farmers Zingel and Gorgia Jarbo on December 10, 1947, in the village of Telkeppe, Iraq. As a young boy, he shepherded animals and cared for his hunting dog. His mother died when he was 11. His older sisters helped raise him, as did his mom’s brother, the late Ramzi Yono, who taught him how to cut hair. When he was 18, Bahi was drafted into the Iraqi Army where in between training and combat he would trim soldiers’ hair for extra money. He served six years in very difficult conditions because of ongoing conflict in the region. After he was discharged, Bahi went to Kuwait and worked for a sheik as his personal barber. Several years later he traveled to Lebanon with a friend to await their American visas. On March 18, 1976, Bahi arrived in Detroit, Michigan and was reunited with his brother Edris, his only sibling in America. He lived with him on Havana Street in a section later known as Chaldean Town because of its large Iraqi- Chaldean immigrant population. With only $50 to his name, he started working at the Big Boy factory in Warren making ketchup. After a couple of years, he became a fish salesman for a small, Chaldean-owned company and later became a butcher in a supermarket. Bahi’s older sister Mare, who was now in Detroit with her family, encouraged the then 33-year-old to settle down and start a family. He was not interested, but she insisted on him meeting Sabri Shayota’s daughter, a young and pretty brunette who lived in the house across the street on Robinwood. To appease her, he agreed to meet the girl… but he had to see what she looked like first. So he offered to cut Sabri’s hair at home! When he saw 25-year-old Sue, he thought she was beautiful. Bahi recognized her as the girl who cashed out his invoices for fish delivery at the market. She was aloof and more interested in her brother Wisam recording the haircut on his new video camera. Innovative for 1980, he had attached a cord to the TV in the other room for the family to watch the haircut live, so Sue and the rest of the kids were laughing and having fun with it. Bahi wanted to see her again and hopefully get her attention. He intentionally left his clippers there so he could go back. The next day, another suitor for Sue popped up at the Shayotas. Bahi returned later that same day without knowing that. Sabri invited him to come in for some Arak. Sue looked at Bahi and said to herself, “This man will be my husband.” When he left, she discussed the proposals with her dad. He insisted on Bahi because he knew him from the market but ultimately left the choice up to Sue. She wanted to marry Bahi, so her mom Miriam called Mare to accept the marriage proposal. They had a tanatha (promise ceremony) the next day, New Year’s Day, 1981. Four months later, Bahi and Sue got married at Sacred Heart Chaldean Catholic Church in Detroit, officiated by the late Father Jacob Yasso. They had a big party at Chateau Hall with over 700 people in attendance. The next year, their daughter Georgina was born and Bahi opened a nameless chaikhana (coffee shop) on Seven Mile and Havana, at the end of his street. Bahi started selling kabobs there, and they were so tasty that everyone in the neighborhood called them “Bahi’s kabobs.” He was honored that people craved his kabobs, but he was bombarded with orders. So in 1989, he opened Bahi’s Kabob Restaurant at Seven and Blake next to Greenfield Union Elementary School. It was the hot spot for over a decade. Bahi’s kabobs connected people in a way that was previously unseen in Chaldean Town. Even celebrities like Shaquille O’Neil and Kadim Al-Sahir loved Bahi’s food! Throughout the success of his restaurant, Bahi and Sue had three more kids: Jarvis, Genelle, and Julian. Bahi worked seven days a week all day long to provide for his family. They would wait up till midnight just to see him when he came home. Sometimes the kids would hide from him, and he would act scared when they jumped out. At holiday get-togethers, he would pretend he was talking to Santa or the Easter Bunny to get their permission to give away sweet treats and ice cream. 48 CHALDEAN NEWS AUGUST 2023
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Naoum 1815 Maplelawn Drive Troy, MI 48084 TEL 248-537-7467 MOBILE 248-219-5525 snaoum@suburbancollection.com Advertise JACQUELINE RAXTER, LMSW, LPC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAM MANAGER in our business directory section! for As little As $ 85 to place your ad, contact us today! 3601 15 Mile Road Sterling Heights, MI 48310 TEL: (586) 722-7253 FAX: (586) 722-7257 phone: 248-851-8600 fax: 248-851-1348 jacqueline.raxter@chaldeanfoundation.org 30095 Northwestern Highway, Suite 101 www.chaldeanfoundation.org Farmington Hills, MI 48334 CHALDEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 3601 15 Mile Road Sterling Heights, MI 48310 TEL: (586) 722-7253 FAX: (586) 722-7257 CHALDEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE mariam.abdalla@chaldeanfoundation.org www.chaldeanfoundation.org CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SANA NAVARRETTE DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 30095 Northwestern Highway, Suite 101 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 CELL (248) 925-7773 TEL (248) 851-1200 FAX (248) 851-1348 snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com www.chaldeanchamber.com www.chaldeanfoundation.org 3601 15 Mile Road Sterling Heights, MI 48310 TEL: (586) 722-7253 FAX: (586) 722-7257 elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org www.chaldeanfoundation.org Advertise STACY BAHRI STRATEGIC INITIATIVES MANAGER for As little As $ 85 in our business directory section! to place your ad, contact us today! 3601 15 Mile Road Sterling Heights, MI 48310 TEL: (586) 722-7253 FAX: (586) 722-7257 phone: 248-851-8600 stacy.bahri@chaldeanfoundation.org fax: 248-851-1348 30095 Northwestern Highway, www.chaldeanfoundation.org Suite 101 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 SANA NAVARRETTE MEMBERSHIP MANAGER That was his playful way. He was also fun-loving on the dance floor at family celebrations, dancing with a cup on his head, flailing his hands and even shimmying to the ground. Safety eventually became a concern in Chaldean Town. Bahi was carjacked once and endured two more attempts, and even a hold-up at the restaurant. The once-vibrant mainstay closed down in 2000. Bahi and Sue ran “Bahi’s Kabobs’’ inside three local markets in Sterling Heights for nearly two decades before they decided to retire in 2018. That is when Bahi got to experience what he missed out on all those years he labored in the kitchen. He 30850 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 200 BINGHAM FARMS, MI 48025 TEL: (248) 996-8340 CELL: (248) 925-7773 FAX: (248) 996-8342 spent time with snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com his grandkids, tended www.chaldeanchamber.com to his garden, and www.chaldeanfoundation.org barbecued for family Twitter: @ChaldeanChamber and friends, Instagram: rain or @ChaldeanAmericanChamber shine. He lost 100 pounds by watching his diet and walking three to five miles a day, even in the winter. Every single morning, he made coffee for himself and for Sue, and every single night, they would play konkan. Bahi was diagnosed with dementia in 2021. An emergency CAT scan several weeks ago at the ER revealed the last stages of pancreatic cancer. He was sent home to rest with his family where he passed away peacefully on July 18, 2023. He leaves behind a legacy rooted in family, fellowship, and food. From left: Bahi in the Iraqi Army, circa 1965; Bahi Jarbo, 1947-2023 AUGUST 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 49
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