‘Tis the Season
Luckily for us, December is not just icicles and cold temperatures, or slick roads and snowstorms. December (arguably) may be the coldest month of the year, but it also includes the season we celebrate the birth of hope, our Savior Jesus Christ.
Fr. Marcus Shammami shares his words of encouragement and enlightenment in our Religion section this month, in The True Meaning of Christmas. I also take a pass at imparting the importance of giving, how we can teach our children to give, and how that in itself is a gift, in A Lesson in Giving: Better to Give.
Noteworthy shines the spotlight on two very successful community members: Jaclyn McQuaid, who was recently appointed to run GM Europe’s new mobility start-up business; and Frank Jonna, who was just inducted into Ferris State University’s Michigan Construction Hall of Fame. We congratulate them both!
In Chaldean Digest, we celebrate the ringing of a bell that hasn’t rung since ISIS took over the Church in Iraq and also report on the warning bells of Church leaders who are worried about the extinction of Christianity as we know it.
In this season of giving, we are happy to help tell the stories of Mesopotamian storytellers, who had a conference called Beth Nahrain at the Chaldean Cultural Center in November. This dovetails nicely with an art show hosted by the Chaldean Community Foundation in November, also called Beth Nahrain. (Beth Nahrain means “between two rivers” in the Syriac language.)
Dr. Miri educates us once again on culture in his article on Mesopotamian headwear, and Steve Stein reports on sports and the fabulous duo of Connor and Pierce Shaya, who play tennis for the winning Bloomfield Hills High School team.
Heather Raffo tells her story on stage at the Detroit Public Theatre; Noura will run there through December 18. It showcases the trials and tribulations of an Iraqi immigrant family and tells their tale of one particular Christmas when they are confronted with everything they’d been running from. A special day and rate has been booked by the Chaldean Cultural Center and December 9 is designated “Chaldean Night at the Theatre.” You may go to chaldeanculturalcenter.org for more information.
Cal Abbo visited the Chaldean American Student Association (CASA) at Marian High School and wrote an article about their vibrant and active group. Paul Natinsky wraps up the midterm election coverage and sets up a new story about what will happen in Michigan politics in the next four years.
We cover the Chaldean American Chamber’s Board of Directors elections on our event page and revisit the past year through three different organizations: the Chaldean Community Foundation, the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, and of course, our own publication, the Chaldean News.
We hope you enjoy this final edition of 2022 as much as we’ve enjoyed bringing it to you.
Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!