Grow to Change

By Paul Jonna

Life is all about growth. Even during a pandemic, we grow, we learn, we change, or we stagnate – stuck in our old ways of doing things. There isn’t really a choice anymore. The COVID-19 outbreak of the early twenty-first century will be remembered as the greatest disruption of everyday life in human history. It has changed the way we communicate, socialize, do business, and get together with family. It affects the way we shop, work, and live. Everything has changed. Every single person on the planet has felt the impact of the “lost year.”

We are celebrating our graduates in the story Class of 2021; they have worked hard and not given up, although it may have been tempting. The struggle is real. Isolation changes us – the way we operate and the way we think. It might have been easy to say, “I’ll just wait until next year and hope it gets better,” but they decided to stay the course. They deserve every single accolade they receive.

Another award that we are marking in Noteworthy is Najah “Jimmie” Atisha’s Spirit of Detroit Award, bestowed upon him by the Detroit City Council. Jimmie is an individual who has greatly benefited the community in which he has worked for more than 40 years, and that community came out to celebrate his retirement. They are not happy he’s sold Chalmers Garden Food Market or that he’s retiring, but rather want to celebrate with him the years of steadfast service and his “above and beyond” actions that have earned him the love and faithfulness of an entire neighborhood.

Love and faithfulness are sentiments that resound within our coverage of Fouad Manna (Abu Gibran) in A Journalist’s Journey. Dr. Miri takes us through Manna’s trek to America and the various newspaper publications he was a part of. One thing they all had in common was intelligence and integrity. The personalities and the characters really shine through in the second part of our story.

Dr. Miri gives us more history in his article on the Jewish community in Iraq. The first part of this two-part series outlines the many ways in which the Jewish community and the Chaldean community are intertwined. A shared history and shared geography make for many connections.

The MEET at Stellantis article introduces us to the team at Chrysler made up of individuals of Middle Eastern descent. Encompassing the entire region, the group has Palestinians, Israelis, Muslims, and Christians all working together for a common goal. It is encouraging to say the least.

Also encouraging were the visits from our clergy, Archbishop Warda and Bishop Yaldo. Both expressed gratitude for the work being done here in the US on behalf of the Iraqi people. Both hold out hope for a safer and more secure future Iraq, one that will see the tide of immigration turn and have Christian families resettling in the region. Many people doubted that Pope Francis would actually visit there. His successful trip awakened hope in so many hearts.

Awakening hope is something our children do for us. Every parent hopes for better for their children. This month, Family Time is all about preventing the “summer slide,” worse this year than ever. With kids not getting the social interaction they require and the fine motor skill refinement they normally get in school, there are things we as parents can do and Danielle Alexander lays them out for us.

We also cover some community members running for office, the new rules concerning wearing of face masks, what to expect when returning to work, and we meet Macomb County’s newest prosecutor. All in all, sometimes change is good for everyone. It gives us a chance to grow.

With gratitude,
Paul Jonna
Acting Editor in Chief

Paul Jonna, Acting Editor-in-Chief