Working Together
Working Together Meanwhile, four Building Community workgroups charged with developing strategy and projects designed to strengthen bonds between the Chaldean and Jewish communities are taking form. The ad hoc committees and their co-chairs (Chaldean and Jewish) are: — Saad Hajjar, past chair of the Chaldean-American Chamber of Commerce and current head of its political action committee; Ron Asmar, owner of the Vineyard’s of Farmington Hills and an investor; and Howard Rosenberg, an attorney, investor and hedge fund creator; maya, who leads the push to open a Chaldean Cultural Center within Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfi eld; and Barbara Kratchman, an arts consultant who is past presi- Cultural Forum on page 38 teen cultural forum High school assembly addresses Chaldean-Jewish stereotypes. roBert SKlar eDitor | Detroit JeWiSH neWS vaneSSa DenHa-garmo eDitor | CHalDean neWS Sixth of a nine-part monthly series Building Community, the growing initiative designed to bring the Jewish and Chaldean communities of Metro Detroit closer together, will present a teen forum with the Bloomfi eld Hills School District as host. The school assembly will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at the Model High School. Event sponsors are the Detroit Jewish News and the Chaldean News, both based in Southfi eld, and the Bloomfi eld Hills Schools. The forum will include teen panelists, a teen audience and Jewish and Chaldean clergy as moderators. The setting will allow students to discuss what they perceive to be ethnic stereotypes as well as opportunities for cultural bridge building. “The Bloomfi eld Hills School District is a perfect facilitator because of its large Chaldean/Jewish populations and its awareness and support of Building Community,” said Martin Manna, Chaldean News co-publisher. Bloomfi eld Hills Schools is a demographically diverse district, with about 55 languages spoken in its homes. “We have many Chaldean and Jewish families whose children are friends and classmates in our schools,” said Betsy Erikson, communications and community-relations director. “Challenging stereotypes and increasing understanding fi ts well with our promise to provide these children and all our students a learning environment that is intellectually, emotionally and physically safe — and that encourages inquiry and selfexpression.” Erikson likes the idea of the teen forum. “When our students are challenged intellectually and have the opportunity for inquiry and self-expression, we meet part of our mission as a school district,” she said. “Moreover, the impending merger of Andover and Lahser high schools — likely by 2014 — means that this discussion will be one among many. We will be having more conversations on many levels about diversity and stereotypes and cultural understanding as we bring these two high school communities together.” Erikson applauded the Chaldean News and the Jewish News “for devoting so much time and energy to an endeavor that will increase cultural understanding among teens.” Setting The Stage The two newspapers kicked off Building Community in April. The goal is to spotlight the common roots of the Chaldean and Jewish communities and the prospects for working together to enhance the quality of life for all Metro Detroiters. Leaders from both ethnic groups help oil Southeast Michigan’s economic, philanthropic, political, cultural and religious engines. The Building Community formally ends in January. Both groups sustain an abiding hope for their ancestral homelands in the Middle East — Iraq for the Chaldean community and Israel for the Jewish community. The front lines of interaction between the two communities locally have featured young Chaldeans and Jews, especially of high school age. “Assumptions and stereotypes are often formed or shattered based on these interactions and then are shared with parents and other siblings,” said Jewish News Publisher Arthur Horwitz. “The long-term success of the Building Community initiative requires on ongoing investment in developing and nurturing relationships and understanding our children.” That’s why the planned teen forum is so important. “We are seeking sustainability — trying to make this more than a oneshot deal,” Manna said. JACOB’s Lessons Chaldean and Jewish teens formally got together once before, more than a decade ago. In the wake of tension in the corridors of Southfi eld-Lathrup and West Bloomfi eld high schools between Chaldean and Jewish students, Chaldean and Jewish leaders realized that in those hallways, the future of Metro Detroit’s ethnic harmony would be partially shaped. Those leaders sought to bring kids together, shatter the stereotypes, end the namecalling, stress shared values and, most signifi cant, build trust and inspire friendships. The bridging project they chose in 1999 was dubbed JACOB — Jewish and Chaldean Opportunity Builders. The name refl ected the shared history of these two great cultures in the Bible. JACOB was the outgrowth of the Temple Israel programming department and Jewish community members who saw the need to reach out to the new neighbors planning the Chaldean Cultural Center at Shenandoah Country Club across Walnut Lake Road, east of Drake. Early leaders of JACOB were Betsy Erikson Howard Rosenberg Rabbi Josh Bennett and member Barbara Dechter of Temple Israel in West Bloomfi eld, Father Frank Kalabat of St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church on West Maple and Manna. Over three years, youth, adult and inter-community programming yielded cultural sharing, new relationships and mitzvah projects. “In the end, we did a great job of beginning to build community,” Rabbi Bennett said back in April as he refl ected on JACOB. “Although not a long-term project, JACOB has led to open dialogue, shared physical space and much trust.” “Unfortunately, the JACOB initiative did not sustain itself,” Manna said last week. “We’re hoping Building Community does just that — builds for the future. And it is up to our youth to continue and grow the collaboration.” 36 CHALDEAN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010
Staying Alive Chaldean youth keep traditions going. By CryStal KaSSaB JaBiro In an ever-changing society, young Chaldean Americans are creating a rebirth of their culture through initiatives including E’rootha and the Chaldean American Student Association. E’rootha, Aramaic for “awakening,” was launched two years ago by college students who wished to culturally connect the Chaldean, Assyrian and Syriac communities. The three cores of their mission are cultural awareness, community service and education. E’rootha (also known as the Chaldean Assyrian Syriac Youth Union) consists of an eight-member board of directors and six executive offi cers who run the nonprofi t organization like a company in order to be effi - cient. They do not seek membership dues, but actively recruit volunteers for their services and participants for E’rootha volunteer Mike Gasso assists a child with a photo album project. Connecting On Campus From Hillels to sororities, Jewish students can keep the faith. their programs. While considered a “youth” group, the union is geared towards people ages 16-35. Matthew Kalasho, 28, joined E’rootha last year and is now the director of political affairs. He views the group as “a renaissance of our culture.” “I got involved because I saw young, committed students and professionals doing things I dreamed of doing for our community,” said Kalasho, a lawyer from Sterling Heights. One of E’rootha’s fl ourishing programs is the Modern Aramaic Language course. Students learn to read, write and speak the ancient language during a 25-week class equivalent to 12 university credits. E’rootha has agreements with Wayne State University in Detroit and the University of Detroit-Mercy to accept the course as a waiver requirement. Two-hundred students signed a petition at Oakland University in Rochester stating they would take the class if it were offered there; and they are currently in negotiations. A new session of the 0 class starts in September. Also this fall, E’rootha is launching its Dance Program with an instructional expert teaching traditional Chaldean dances like Bageeye and Shekhanee through an eight-week class at the YMCA in Royal Oak. The group also has a dance troupe that performs locally. E’rootha’s Second Annual Evening of the Arts on Oct. 16 is a fundraiser exhibit by Chaldean artists at the Birmingham Bloomfi eld Art Center. The strolling event will feature a silent auction and an opportunity to meet the artists who showcase Mesopotamian culture. “We like to do cultural events where people can get something real from it,” said Kalasho. E’rootha also maintains a thriving mentoring program in which high Staying alive on page 38 By Don CoHen Icame to campus with no intention of reconnecting with my Judaism,” said David Zemon, a senior at Michigan State University. “I thought it was kind of a requisite order that I use the opportunity to diversify myself.” But Zemon, like many of the thousands of Jews who go to Michigan colleges and universities, found it useful to connect. For Zemon, it was the campus Hillel. “It gave me a starting point, a presence and a home on campus,” he said. Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, commonly referred to as simply “Hillel,” was founded in the United States 86 years ago and is now international, providing opportunities for Jewish students at more than 500 colleges and universities. Named after a famous Jewish religious leader who lived in Jerusalem at the time of King Herod just before the common era began, religion is just one of Hillel’s touch points to get Jews involved. Each Hillel is shaped by the character of its campus, community and leadership, aiming to be pluralistic and inclusive religiously, socially and politically through its network of regional centers, campus foundations and student organizations. Hillels provide a mix of social programs, Jewish learning and study, arts and culture, sports and recreation, social activism, Shabbat (Friday night) dinners and other kosher meals as well as a range of holiday and regular religious services. In Michigan, there are Hillels at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan State University in East Lansing and Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit houses the Hillel of Metro Detroit (HMD), which serves WSU, Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, the five campuses of Oakland Community College, Oakland University in Rochester, University of Detroit Mercy and U-M Dearborn. “We’re multifaceted,” said Cindy Hughey Miriam Starkman, who has headed HMD for the past 18 years. “We provide continuity for our young Jews who come from the area; we give them the opportunity to connect with the larger Jewish community and we create a Jewish presence on each campus.” A few years ago, Hillel: The Campus Alliance of Michigan David Zemon was formed. Headed by Cindy Hughey, executive director of the MSU Hillel, she and her staff also serve Albion College, Alma College, Central Michigan University (CMU), Grand Valley State University (GVSU), Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University (WMU). “We started fi nding more and more Detroitarea Jews going to these other campuses and they deserve to have the same opportunity to create Jewish life when they do,” Hughey explained. Each independent Hillel does its own fundraising; support also comes from the Jewish Federation of Metropoli- ConneCting on page 38 SEPTEMBER 2010 CHALDEAN NEWS 37
