Norma Hakim (Naima Dalaly) was born to Hana and Nerme Dalaly in Telkaif, Iraq in the early 1920s. She passed to the fullness of life on January 9, 2023, surrounded by her family. Norma, one of the founders of the Chaldean American Ladies of Charity (CALC), was the loving wife of the late Karim Hakim, devoted mother to the late George (Faiza) Hakim, Joanne (late Alex) Thomas…
Read MoreEveryone knows that Chaldeans throw the best parties!
Read MoreDivision brought us to the point of near extinction. Every generation before ours focused on our differences and ignored our similarities. On December 16, 2022, we reached a turning point. Four names, four flags, and five patriarchs united under a single identity: Suraye.
Read MoreIvan Jaddou has taken anything but a traditional Chaldean path. He forged his own way, forcing himself into one of the world’s toughest industries, mainly through sheer hard work and inspired drive. At every turn, Jaddou proved that he can compete with and should be ranked among the world’s top shoe designers.
Read MoreThe psychology of love and relationships is a complex and multi-disciplinary field of study that encompasses various aspects of human behavior, emotions, and cognition. Love and relationships are influenced by a wide range of factors, including biology, genetics, social and cultural norms, and individual experiences.
Read MoreIn 1977, the medical community abandoned the biomedical model used in healthcare since its genesis for a more comprehensive one which better encapsulates the picture of health—the biopsychosocial model. Over the last half-century, countless studies have proven that overall health is dictated by more than just biology. As the name “biopsychosocial” suggests, our psychology and social lives factor in just as much.
Read MoreEevin Esho, 25, and his mother were shopping at the Dream Market Supermarket in Sterling Heights, at the corner of 15 Mile and Ryan roads, when suddenly they saw two people excitedly running outside with Iraqi flags. More people began rushing outside, cars started honking their horns, and people danced in the parking lot. Esho, too, bought a flag from the adjacent store and started celebrating with the crowd.
Read MoreAs one of the world’s most popular beverages, tea has fascinated us, stimulated us, motivated us, and calmed us for well over two thousand years. Tea, or “chai,” as we call it in Iraq, is an authentic part of the local heritage. The Iraq’s long love affair with tea is amazing and historic, although it is difficult to cultivate in Iraq because it needs special environmental conditions.
Read MoreIn 2020, the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce started the Ark Angel Fund as a way to bring the startup market to Chaldean investors. In addition, it supports emerging businesses that can make a difference in the region. The first iteration of the Ark Angel Fund succeeded in raising a total of $1 million from 32 investors. All of the funds have since invested in seven different startup companies across several different sectors. While the Fund hears all kinds of pitches, it tends to focus most of its attention on innovative companies in the technology sphere.
Read MoreMany people say that the secret to a good marriage is intimacy, commitment, and communication; however, the ingredients to a happy, healthy marriage vary across time and across cultures. With faith and family prioritized, it is no wonder that the Chaldean community has so many couples that have been married for so long. We interviewed two of those couples to discover what goes into a longtime happy marriage.
Read MoreDave Nona’s life began in Baghdad, Iraq, where he was the oldest child in a large family, having six brothers and two sisters. His father, a banker, moved the family to Amarah, in southeastern Iraq, when Dave was five. “Like most [Iraqi] cities, Amarah was predominantly Muslim,” Dave said. “There were maybe 10 or 15 Christian families, but we did have a Chaldean church and a priest there.” Dave remembers being the only Christian in his primary school.
Read MoreIt was a marketing professor at Wayne State University that lured Amanda Elias away from her private sector job to her current home as a Senior Advisor to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “The way he talked about Detroit changed how I look at the city,” said Elias. She wondered why people were spending all of their money in the suburbs and wondered if Detroit could capture these dollars.
Read MoreHappy New Year! We at the Chaldean News are excited about the coming year and the plans we have to better serve our readers. We have already added more varied voices on our Editorial Board and grown our contributor base, introducing you to new writers and bringing back some alumni writers.
Read MoreIn late November, an historic delegation of community leaders from Detroit’s Chaldean community and several U.S. legislators toured northern Iraq and took notice of the living situation of the Chaldean families remaining there. Working with many different people and organizations, the delegation has planned many programs to support the community in Iraq.
Read MoreThere was a sadness in their eyes, but they were happy to pose. When I pulled out my phone to take a picture, they stood up straight and simultaneously pulled their arms behind their backs. They stared straight at me.
Read MoreI was part of a Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) delegation that recently visited Erbil and the Christian villages in the Nineveh Plain in the land of our ancestors, Iraq. The trip was wonderful and memorable with many occasions of joy, mixed with a lot of sadness and despair about the condition of our people’s villages.
Read MoreTaken in 1901 in Aleppo by the French photographer Clément Thévenet, this photo features the family of Habib Moussalli (Jad’s great-grandfather), his wife Josephine Abdini and their children, from right César (Jad’s grandfather), Cécilia, and Nathalie.
Read MoreOn Saturday, December 3, 2022, St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church celebrated a ribbon cutting and open house with blessings from His Excellency Bishop Francis Kalabat for the new St. Thomas Montessori School. Catholic faith-based education has been desired by the faithful and clergy for many years.
Read MoreA patient recently told me that she quit smoking cigarettes because her Gen Z coworker said it showed her age. Her coworker was insinuating that the younger generation has shifted to the electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) in place of the traditional combustible cigarette. As her doctor, I took this as a win. But it does bring up an interesting topic—the vape epidemic.
Read MoreBuilt in 1814, Marth Mariam Cathedral is a Chaldean Syrian Church—the oldest church in Thrissur, a town in Kerala in southern India. This is where people from the Middle East settled long before St. Thomas arrived at its coast in 52 A.D. to spread the Gospel. They came because it was an international trade center. It was known for its natural resources, such as black pepper, which was highly in demand in the West because it was used as an antibiotic.
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