transforming your home
transforming your home into your Dreams. we’ll show you HOW. After Before If you think moving is the only way to the home of your dreams, think again. For nearly three decades, Gittleman Construction Company has been helping to make home dreams come true for families across Oakland County and beyond. From projects that require distinctive creative design, detailed planning or a complete renovation, our skilled designers and professional tradespeople are committed to your total satisfaction and enduring value. 12499 Evergreen Road Detroit, MI 48228 (313) 366-3100 So whether it’s more space for a growing family, more style for an updated look or more serenity for a peaceful environment, call me personally at 248.538.5400 to learn how you can realize your new home dreams…without leaving your home. Whether you want to renew, remodel or redo, remember Gittleman. Vera Asmar, Vice President Gittleman Construction 28580 ORCHARD LAKE RD., SUITE 102 FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334 www.gittleman.net 42 CHALDEAN NEWS AUGUST 2007
wonders await A look at the Chaldean Cultural Center Imagine stepping into an area where you could do all of the following: see what the town center of ancient Babylon was like; touch the stele on which Hammurabi’s Code of Laws were etched; walk into a sacred space and hear the Our Father prayer spoken in Aramaic as Christ would have taught it to His apostles; be transported to Telkaif or other surrounding villages in the early 20th century to witness a bride preparing for her wedding; journey to America and view the New York skyline as early pioneers would have seen it from Ellis Island; feel the pride as you stand inside a grocery store in the 1920s as a Chaldean entrepreneur establishes his place in the Detroit business community; learn what Chaldeans are doing today as they expand their professional horizons. How is all of this possible? Welcome to the Chaldean Cultural Center (CCC), which is scheduled to open in April 2008. The state-of-the-art Chaldean Cultural Center is presently being developed by a New York design team that specializes in museum work. The designers are collaborating with community members to create a center covering more than 5,000 years of Chaldean history. The CCC will be located in the BY MARY SAROKI ROMAYA CCC Executive Director Josephine Sarafa listens to Kaya Sanan of Xenon talk about computer components at a recent design meeting. eastern end of the Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield. There will be five galleries for visitors to weave through, each housing artifacts, media, sculpture, text panels, etc. to tell our story and to support that gallery’s theme. In the gallery highlighting ancient Mesopotamia, artifacts will include cylinder seals used as ownership and accounting tools. An authentic replica of the original stele of Hammurabi (Code of Laws) is being purchased from the Louvre for placement in this gallery. Among other items there will be clay tablets and sculptures of historical figures. The Faith & Church Gallery will highlight the Aramaic language used in religious ceremonies such as the Chaldean mass, baptisms and wedding rituals. Liturgical manuscripts along with vestments and other church adornments will be displayed. In Village Life, farming tools, cooking utensils and clothing can be viewed. Religious practices, village customs and dress will be used to show how the Chaldeans maintained their identity as a Christian minority within a larger Islamic culture. The Journey to America gallery will feature passports, photos, steamer trunks, tickets from passenger liners and other items used as individuals and families migrated from Iraq to America. The story of how and why the Chaldeans came to settle in Detroit will be told. Part of this exhibit will feature an early Chaldean-owned grocery store. Chaldeans Today will focus on the strength yet diversity of contemporary Chaldeans and display where Chaldeans today are located throughout the world. The Chaldean Cultural Center will honor the early pioneers who had the strength and adventure to come to a new world. The CCC will let our children, grandchildren and future generations know their legacy and instill pride in being Chaldean. It will also serve as a means to tell our unique history to the larger, non-Chaldean community. The CCC is currently in the process of designing and building donor wall panels that will be placed on the outer walls. These panels will enable community members to purchase a rectangular stone (granite/marble) in honor of a family member whose name would be engraved on the stone. There are different levels of contributions, and corporate sponsorships are also available. For further information, call the CCC at (248) 681-5050. play an active role in the chaldean community SUBSCRIBE TO THE 12-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION: I wish to subscribe to the Chaldean News for 12 issues Please fill in your name and address below: Name _________________________________________________________________________________ PLEASE MAIL THE FORM, WITH A CHECK MADE PAYABLE TO: THE CHALDEAN NEWS ATTN: SUBSCRIPTIONS 26555 EVERGREEN, SUITE 250, SOUTHFIELD, MI 48076 PHONE: 248-355-4850 EMAIL: INFO@CHALDEANNEWS.COM WEB: WWW.CHALDEANNEWS.COM Address _______________________________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________ State _____ Zip _____________________ Phone ______________________________ E-mail ________________________________ AUGUST 2007 CHALDEAN NEWS 43
