These past couple months have provided us with the greatest gift – time. Time to reset our priorities, lives, and relationships by forcing us to focus on what really matters. The digital world is exciting, fraught with possibility, but the digital world itself is not so exciting without the in-person connection between family, friends and even strangers.

Since our last publication in April, when we halted the presses (not literally) to bring you the cover story on coronavirus, we as human beings have faced challenges heretofore unforeseen. COVID-19 has rocked the world in a way none of us could have imagined at the beginning of the year 2020. Waaay back in the September 2019 issue of the Chaldean News, we asked our readership, “What do you want to see in the new CN?” (If you recall, we were under new ownership and were looking for input to improve.)

I joined The Chaldean News staff what seems a lifetime ago, in September of 2019. I’ve written stories about ministerial meetings, businesses, and the community. You’ve seen my byline in a few issues, and you may even have been interviewed by me. Some of you know me from the Chaldean American Chamber, where I’ve been managing events and writing the weekly enewsletter for the past two years.

As Chaldeans, we are bonded by blood and faith. Our rich and cultured history – which we have preserved and nurtured – gives the Chaldean American community a unique advantage for surviving turmoil and crisis. We have a deep and abiding faith and strong family ties. We support each other. It has already been difficult, no doubt, to refrain from spending time with extended family and attending Mass for communal prayer.

As winter slowly edges toward spring, we begin our celebration of women growing and thriving in our community. For March, we kick off a series profiling women who are breaking barriers and setting new standards. Our focus this month is attorney/mom/blogger Krystal Hermiz, who uses a deft blend of canny planning, focus on family and teamwork with her husband, Jeffery, to enjoy a thriving career and rewarding family life.

Our annual wedding guide is one of our most highly anticipated issues of the year. Readers look forward to hearing about the latest trends coming to a wedding near them. 

I have been fortunate enough to work on the Chaldean News for nearly three years. After the Chaldean Community Foundation purchased the publication, I was even more fortunate to be appointed to the Managing Editor position. Since then, I have been entrusted with helping to produce this publication each month. As much as I have enjoyed working with the amazing editorial board committee to transform the Chaldean News, the time has come for me to move on. 

While some may see New Year’s resolutions as empty promises, others find them a great way to become energized in the pursuit of progress.

As a community rooted in faith and family, we are surrounded by an immeasurable amount of love. In a special column for our religion section, Fr. John Jaddou discusses love, especially as it relates to our youth.

I continue to be amazed by the accomplishments of our Chaldean community - a community filled with individuals who are committed to the betterment of their families, their faith and the surrounding communities in which they live. From the businesses involved in the Chaldean Chamber to the amazing team facilitating the much-needed social services at the Chaldean Community Foundation, everyone in our community continues to uplift and carry us to new levels. Frankly, I do not believe there has ever been an immigrant community in the United States that has accomplished so much in such a little time.

In the last issue, we reintroduced the Chaldean News (CN) to you, our readers, under the ownership of the Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF). We outlined our vision and direction of the future of this publication with new columns while refining others. Each issue will also include sections dedicated to the numerous happenings of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce and the unbelievable community services provided at the CCF.

Since becoming the Chief Operating Officer at the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce (CACC) and the Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF), I have had the honor of working with an amazing group of dedicated people that are committed to furthering the success of our community. Every day brings new challenges, adventures and lessons. In this role, I continuously find myself taking on new projects that I would have never even thought of doing before working with the CACC and CCF. Regardless of whether we are planning a comedy show, building a mental health program or advocating for the halt of deportations, we are guided by our core values to dig deeper to obtain the best possible resolution.