For 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 MoreThe CCF recently hosted back-to-school events in partnership with Warren Consolidated Schools (WCS) and Utica Community Schools (UCS), helping local families prepare for the upcoming school year.
Read MoreThe Chaldean Community Foundation awarded 44 students with scholarships totaling $157,000 this year thanks to the generosity of numerous community funders.
Read MoreThe Chaldean Community Foundation’s Summer Discovery Camp recently wrapped up a successful summer, serving over 140 students entering grades 3 through 6 from Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties.
Read MoreEven if you haven’t read our previous article on Jonny “Magic” Mansour (“Fighting for Heritage,” October 2025), his name should sound familiar. Mansour, who turned 26 on July 22, is a 5’10” lightweight boxer out of San Diego with a 7-0 record, including two knockouts.
Read MoreThe Hamama v. Adducci lawsuit—a landmark class-action lawsuit filed in 2017 by the ACLU of Michigan and partner organizations to block the mass deportation of Iraqi nationals—provides important protections for certain Iraqis living in the United States. The settlement applies only to Iraqi nationals who had a final order of removal between March 1, 2017, and June 24, 2017, and who were not already deported under that order. It does not apply to all Iraqi immigrants.
Read MoreAfter 39 days and 104 matches, the World Cup has come to an end—but the intense feelings of national pride and a broader sense of global unity will hopefully linger. The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the first in its 23 editions to be jointly hosted by three nations: Canada, Mexico and the United States. Opening Day on June 12 had 25 million viewers for “the planet’s largest sporting event,” according to NPR—and then the party really began.
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