The 13th annual Stride for Seminarians brought nearly 900 people to the Detroit Zoo on Sunday, September 20, 2026 despite a rainy and overcast morning. Rain or shine, the community showed up in support of Chaldean seminarians and the future of the Church.
Read MoreChaldean-owned Fresh Farms Market in Grosse Pointe finally got the attention it had been seeking from Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy after a 228-day social media campaign urging him to try its pizza. Portnoy visited the family-run grocery store, owned by brothers Steve and Larry Najjar since 1997, and gave its hand-tossed, New York-style pizza a 7.9 rating. The store makes its dough and sauce in-house, and employees are preparing for a potential surge in customers when Portnoy’s One Bite Pizza Review is released.
Read MoreMike’s Fresh Market on Detroit’s east side became the center of a community-wide act of kindness on Monday, August 31, when Fifth Third Bank and social media influencer MDMotivator paid for hundreds of shoppers’ groceries. The giveaway drew such a massive crowd that Mike’s Fresh Market had to stop admitting customers around 5 PM. Owner Jamal Abro said he was proud to help local families facing rising grocery and gas prices, emphasizing that giving back is essential to being part of the community. Fifth Third, which helped finance Mike’s Fresh Market when it opened in 2004, called the store a valued client and neighborhood institution, highlighting its more than 20-year role serving Detroit residents.
Read MoreThe Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society will host “Our Local Chaldean History Exhibit” from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road. The event, part of the Greater West Bloomfield Diverse History Project, is being presented in collaboration with the Chaldean Cultural Center and Chaldean Community Foundation and will explore the history, immigration, and growth of the Chaldean community in Metro Detroit and West Bloomfield. Mary Romaya, executive director of the Chaldean Cultural Center and Museum, will present “Who are the Chaldeans?” The free event will include two outdoor presentations at 1:30 and 3 p.m., due to limited museum capacity, along with light refreshments.
Read MoreCousins Jonny "Magic" Mansour and Julius "JuJu" Ballo each kept their undefeated records intact Saturday night at Detroit's Fox Theatre, headlining a card built to connect their San Diego Chaldean community with Detroit's, the largest Chaldean population in the country. Mansour, 26, stopped Ernest Bustos via second-round TKO in front of more than 3,200 fans, dropping him three times — a clean left hook to close the first round, then a body-shot combination that ended the fight at 1:47 of round two — to improve to 8-0 with three knockouts.
Read MoreFor more than 6,000 years of recorded history, dates have nourished civilizations and occupied a place of honor throughout the Middle East. The date palm has sustained generations with its sweet fruit and remarkable ability to thrive in some of the world’s harshest climates.
Read MoreRon Acho’s life was a testament to what can happen when perseverance is met with opportunity and when success is understood as something to be shared, not simply as something to be achieved. I had the distinct honor of interviewing Ron and his lovely wife Rita last year as he was being honored by the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce as Businessperson of the Year.
Read MoreThirteen years ago, John and Ann Mansour faced an unfathomable reality when two of their three young children, Alexander (11) and Gabrielle (6), perished in a boating accident. Their despair turned into a deep devotion towards the Chaldean seminarians after a seminary student came into the hospital to pray for 11-year-old Adriana, who was fighting for her life.
Read MoreRonia Shamona, host, anchor, and producer on Detroit’s channel FOX2, tried to be a lawyer once but her mother reminded Ronia of when she would walk around the house as a child with a hairbrush “microphone,” reporting on the news. Yes, she was meant to be on TV.
Read MoreSomewhere in nearly every family, there’s a name people stop saying out loud. In mine, it’s my brother Dave’s. Not because we don’t love him. Because loving him, and losing him the way we did, has always come tangled up with a silence nobody quite knows how to break. As a suicide loss survivor, I know that particular kind of grief—the grief of losing a sibling to suicide, and of learning, slowly, that most people around you would rather you didn’t bring it up.
Read MoreThe Telkaif (Telkeppe) Heritage House opened in the old city of Telkaif in 2025, marking the first heritage museum of its kind in the town. It stands as an initiative to preserve the city’s history and its cultural and social legacy—particularly in the wake of the hardships endured by its residents and the displacement the city witnessed in 2014.
Read MoreFor your viewing pleasure, this month we have featured some “Old School” photos—some taken in Iraq and some here in Detroit. These are not only old school photos, but they are also the type of photos that one had to wait days or even weeks to view, not knowing if the subject was in focus or even in the frame! Thanks to Mary Romaya, Executive Director of the Chaldean Cultural Center, for these shots.
Read MoreThe names of Iraq’s Christian towns and villages have ancient roots in Aramaic, Syriac, and Assyrian languages. Their meanings often reflect geographical features, agriculture, or religious traditions, preserving a rich linguistic and cultural heritage.
Read MoreThe start of a new school year is a nostalgic reminder of our days as youngsters. Those who lived in the Penrose neighborhood of Detroit, now known as Chaldean Town, and more affectionately known as “7 Mile” among Chaldeans, spent their days in the neighborhood schools, learning English, playing outside, and porch-hopping around the block.
Read MoreArtificial intelligence, or AI, is one of today’s hottest topics of conversation in tech. “Narrow AI” includes single tasks such as voice assistants and spam filters, and “Generative AI,” which is what most people think of as AI, creates new texts and images based on prompts.
Read MoreOne of CCF’s many strengths is its outreach into the community, providing opportunities that help better the lives of those it serves. One way CCF fulfills this mission is through college scholarships funded by community donors. On August 14, CCF hosted a community event celebrating this year’s winners alongside their families and donors.
Read MoreChristopher Dabish, a fourth-year medical student at Michigan State College of Human Medicine, was selected as one of the 24 medical students in the country to spend training camp with an NFL team. He may be the first Chaldean medical student to do so, and he’s taking part in a rotation with the Detroit Lions!
Read MoreAfter nearly three decades in the kitchen at Phoenicia Restaurant, Najat Shaia is beginning a new chapter—one that will include more time with her children and grandchildren, along with opportunities to travel and enjoy life outside the restaurant.
Read MoreChaldean-American writer Dominic Anton’s new book, Salim, officially debuted September 4, bringing together journal entries and poetry drawn from his experiences between Baghdad and Los Angeles. Through personal reflections on family, displacement, creativity and cultural identity, Anton examines what it means to build a life in a new place while carrying the memories and traditions of home.
Read MoreAlthough this issue tackles some heavy subjects, sharing our stories and our feelings can help us carry the emotional load. The old sayings—“A problem shared is a problem halved,” “When we share our burdens, they become lighter,” and even “Many hands make light work”—have endured for a reason: They ring true.
Read More