For the first time in its program history, the Chaldean Community Foundation Academic Scholarship Program is expected to award more than $100,000 in scholarships to Chaldean students for the upcoming school year. Since the program’s inception in 2016, the CCF has awarded more than $350,000 in scholarships.
Read MoreRepresentatives from Oakland University visited the CCF recently to learn more about the projects and work done at the center. Open for discussion were ideas to strengthen the current strategic partnership between Oakland University and the Chaldean Community Foundation and future scholarship opportunities.
Read MoreAs a new educational offering, the Chaldean Community Foundation held traditional dance classes on June 7 and 14. Those in attendance were able to learn four different styles of dance from instructors Vinos Kassab and Raquel Orow. The diverse group included everyone from young Chaldeans trying to learn and maintain their own culture to a couple seeking to become competent at traditional dances before their wedding celebration later this year.
Read MoreAs immigrants and refugees acclimate to American life, they quickly discover that reliable transportation will majorly impact their quality of life. In most parts of the United States, especially in suburban and rural areas, a car is essential for work and school commutes as well as for everyday living, like grocery shopping. Before buying that first car, newcomers must obtain a driver’s license. Having a driver’s license from another country does not automatically allow you driving rights in the US, and every state sets their own conditions.
Read Moret’s summer and the kids are out of school; now is the perfect time to hit the road and make some memories. What better way to do that than with a family road trip? There is no shortage of ideas when it comes to choosing a destination – whether staying within Michigan or traveling to other states. The only hiccup, however, is how passengers spend their time on those long car rides – especially the younger ones. As great as an iPad and some snacks are at keeping kids occupied, the whole point of a family trip is to bond and make memories. There is no reason that you must wait until you reach your destination to do so.
Read MoreSometimes a career change can happen before a career even starts. Such was the case for Lamar Kashat, a would-be pediatrician who is now a police sergeant with aspirations to be the top cop in Sterling Heights.
Read MorePreserving our beautiful language is the responsibility of every person who has been blessed to be born into our Chaldean culture. The language is being spoken less and less in homes and is becoming exclusive to the older generation. What a shame it would be for our thriving community in Michigan to allow our language to die!
Read MoreIt was day two in Iraq. We were still jet lagged. Several in our delegation were born in Iraq but had never been back. We stepped off the van and into a tiny village that appeared to be unchanged from a couple hundred years ago. While modernity and progress had passed it by, war and destruction did not. Maybe 250 families live here, we were told. It was the Christian village located in the Nineveh Plain just a short mile from Telkaif. For this group, it was our first opportunity to see what had become of our ancestral homeland. Emotions were raw.
Read MoreConventional wisdom has it that the best way to beat inflation is to raise interest rates. It makes sense—a rapidly growing economy creates increased demand for goods and services and heightened demand strains supply. Prices increase as a result. “From an Economics 101 perspective, in the last 100 years, every time we’ve had an inflationary environment and interest rates have risen it’s supposed to slow down inflation because money becomes more expensive,” says Dan Fischer, president and chief executive officer at Citizens State Bank.
Read MoreThis month, we feature more photos of the old neighborhood. We love to see old photos; they evoke memories of a simpler time. These were submitted by CN reader Alexa Saffar.
Read MoreAdrianna “Adri” Kattoo was never in the starting lineup for the Birmingham Marian High School girls’ soccer team before this season. She never played forward for the Mustangs before; she was a center-back on defense. But the senior needed to be in the Marian starting lineup this season. And she needed to play forward.
Read MoreIt’s so easy to begin this by listing off all the accomplishments that Clarence contributed to the community around the world. Many knew him for his friendly smile, witty one-liners, or the fact that he battled stage four colon cancer behind closed doors and still managed to provide pro-bono services for the Iraqi community while they fought deportations, alongside his own determination and valor to live life to the fullest.
Read MoreThe Aramaic language reached South India long before the Christian era. According to Rev. Dr. George Kurukkoor, a philologist and professor of Sanskrit and Malayalam languages, it arrived as far back as the 7th century BC when Sumerians, Babylonians, Jews, and others from the Middle East came to India in pursuit of commercial trade. In later centuries, its importance was replaced by other languages.
Read MoreThough some women approach turning 50 with trepidation, GG Benitez is arriving at that mile marker with confidence.
With her 29-year-old daughter Alexis’s marriage a few months ago, her 19-year-old daughter Daniella completing her first year at Loyola, and her 17-year-old son Gabriel entering his senior year of high school, GG decided to fuse her public relations skills with her affection for travel.
Read MoreAlbert Einstein has been credited with saying the only constant in life is change. Accordingly, the Chaldean community is in a constant state of change, evolving on all levels– social, educational, professional, economic, and geographic. This story pertains to the latter two levels.
Read MoreJerry Yono’s story begins in the famed town of Telkeppe, Iraq, on June 7, 1940. Most were farmers back then, according to Jerry, and his father was no different. His most nascent memory is walking to and from the well to fetch water.
Read MoreRep. Slotkin, whose 7th congressional district includes Lansing and extends as far East as South Lyon, introduced the resolution to address various Christian communities and call for Iraq to create an ongoing fund dedicated to rebuilding their towns.
Read MoreChaldeans from Iraq began coming to Detroit a century ago. In the 1960s, they began pouring in, some to join their families, some to escape the persecution that this Christian minority faced over the years in their ancestral homeland. Metro Detroit now is home to an estimated 200,000 Chaldeans. Tens of thousands of them started their lives in Chaldean Town; at one point, a quarter of the area’s Chaldeans lived there.
Read MorePaul Elia burst onto the stage with a bright smile and an air of star quality. He looked out at the intimate and tightly-packed room at Detroit House of Comedy. This was his dream: to bring a successful show to his hometown, draw a sizable crowd, and return favor to the Chaldean community that raised him.
Read MoreIn the Middle East, war seems to follow you like a monster from a Stephen King novel. It’s unrelenting and always a step ahead; a story told by many Chaldeans who arrive in the bright and beautiful lands of America. The story of David Shammas is no exception.
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