coming soon? CCC may
coming soon? CCC may open late this summer BY JOYCE WISWELL Mary Romaya doesn’t blame the skeptics, but says the opening of the long-awaited Chaldean Community Center (CCC) really is on the horizon. “We’re hoping it will be done by the end of this summer, beginning of fall,” said the museum’s director. “There have been so many delays we can’t promise, but things are moving.” Initially slated to open in 2005, the CCC has faced one postponement after another over the past decade. Several factors are to blame for the setbacks, Romaya said. “We are new to the museum business. There was a learning curve and that slowed us down,” she admitted. “Coordinating architects, the media person, the professional writer and the fabrication company, bringing all these elements together, took longer than we anticipated.” Most significant was the heavy financial cloud hanging over the CCC’s home, Shenandoah Country Club, which came to a head in 2009 amid real fears about the future of the facility. The situation has since been resolved and the club’s finances are now secure. (Meanwhile, about million has been raised specifically for the CCC, mostly through grants, and another 0,000 is hoped for.) “Shenandoah was going through severe financial problems and we didn’t know if it would stay in Chaldean hands or not, so we stopped,” Romaya said. “We still continued to collect artifacts, but things were pretty much at a standstill because Clockwise from above: Mary Romaya shows a piece of the Ishtar Gate reproduction under which visitors will pass. This photograph shows the Sacred Heart Chaldean Church in Telkaif (Telkeppe), where Fr. Manuel Boji was baptized and served as an associate priest from 1968-1987. The church’s current status since ISIS took over the village is unclear. Dried mud “bricks” (actually made of foam) are arranged in the herringbone pattern used 5,000 years ago in building construction. we had no other location.” Once the situation at Shenandoah stabilized and it became clear it would remain a Chaldean-owned facility, work resumed on the CCC. But the designers and suppliers had already moved onto other projects, Romaya said. “We had to renegotiate contracts with the same people again, who had taken on other jobs in the meantime, and they raised their prices. We didn’t want to go to someone new because then we would lose even more time,” she said. But now, she said, it’s full steam ahead as the center begins to take shape. The space has been divided into five separate galleries, some walls and floors have been intricately textured to reflect their themes, and exhibits are being built. “It’s starting to get exciting. What has happened until now has all been intellectual – doing research, writing captions, consulting with other museums about prices – but now I can visually see what we have been working on all these years,” Romaya said. The CCC will include five galleries: Chaldeans in the Ancient World, Village Life, Faith and Church, Journey to America, and Chaldeans Today. A sculpture of a detail of the Ishtar Gate by Grand Blanc artist Sabah Selou will grace the entrance, and the sign “Chaldean Cultural Center” will be in both English and Aramaic. Highlights of the museum will include a video presentation giving a birds-eye view of the ancient city of Babylon during Nebuchadnezzar II’s reign, a detailed reproduction of a Chaldean Catholic church from a village in Northern Iraq including a baptismal font from Mar Shamoun (St. Peter) Church in Mosul, and a replica of the Code of Hammurabi 26 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2015
Attractive Retail Space For Sale or Lease! 1508-1574 N. Mitchell Rd., Cadillac, MI The Donor Wall commemorates those who made financial gifts. stele purchased from the Louvre in Paris. The stele will be explained via a touch monitor that translates some sections and shows their exact location on the stone. In the Village Life gallery, a lifesized model of a woman bakes bread while a farmer stands among his wheat and barley crops. Romaya is excited about a new acquisition, an actual WWJ radio recording of a Detroit Tigers game from the 1930s, which will play in Journey to America’s replica grocery store, just as in the days of the pioneer immigrant storeowners. “Unfortunately it’s not the voice of Ernie Harwell,” Romaya said of the legendary Detroit announcer, “but that would have been the wrong era.” The store is modeled after one on Woodward Avenue owned by Jack Najor and will include food packages and other goods authentic to the time. Romaya promises to hang around a while once the CCC opens but is hoping a new director will take the reins before too long. “I want to make sure all the exhibits and media are working correctly,” she said. “My focus has been on getting this built, while the new director will primarily work on programming. A few have expressed interest but we’re still in the process of trying to find the right person.” She is confident community members will be impressed with their cultural center, despite the delays. “I never thought it would take this long and understand people’s frustrations because I share that frustration; I get it,” she said. “I think people will be very happy with what we have done. Overall, we have done a good job – it just simply took too long.” As the situation in Iraq deteriorates for Christians, the cultural center is increasingly vital, Romaya said. “With ISIS destroying things, to us the museum is even more important now,” she said. Perhaps no one will be happier than Romaya to see the CCC finally open. “I’m ready for anyone to buy me a drink when this is all over,” she laughed. “And I promise it won’t be more than one glass of wine.” CCC Seeks Director The Chaldean Cultural Center is seeking a full-time Executive Director. The ideal candidate is fluent in English and Chaldean/Aramaic with an understanding of the Chaldean community, Chaldean history and its past and present contributions to society, and the plight of Iraqi Christians. The director collaborates closely with the Board of Directors to refine, develop, and implement a progressive program for the CCC’s fundraising, exhibitions, collections management, educational activities and community outreach. Email judy.jonna18@gmail.com for a complete job description. • Join J.C. Penny and other fine retailers at Cadillac Michigan’s premier retail corridor • Prime commercial exposure with signage on Mitchell Road • Close to many restaurants and other retail amenities • 11,000 - 13,200 SF Available For more information, call Brad Margolis 248 351 4367 • bmargolis@farbman.com www.naifarbman.com You don’t have to pay top dollar for Class “A” office space! 18000 W. 9 Mile Rd., Southfield, MI • Opportunity for corporate signage on the most strategically located building in Metro Detroit • Located at M-10 and 39, it offers your company the ultimate exposure and the best lease terms • Professionally owned and managed • Restaurant, building conference center, 24/7 security and abundant parking For more information, call Lesley Gutman 248 351 4383 • lgutman@farbman.com www.naifarbman.com JUNE 2015 CHALDEAN NEWS 27
