Building Community

WORKGROUPS

Chaldean, Jewish communities host visits to Shenandoah, JCC.

located inside the JCC building. A coffee
and dessert reception at the JCC will
follow the JCC tour.
Building Community's Arts & Culture
Committee, chaired by Chaldean
community member Mary Romaya
of Farmington Hills and Jewish com-
munity member Barbara Kratchman
of Bloomfield Hills, is sponsoring the
tours.
"The Jewish and Chaldean people
have their religious beliefs as a core part
of their lives as well as keeping a strong
focus on family and friends:' Romaya
said. "Both have an exceptionally strong
work ethic that continues to be instilled
in their children. The Arts & Culture
Committee recognizes the similari-
ties in both communities and wants to
highlight those attributes."
Some say the two ethnic groups are
"cousins" although each, Kratchman
emphasizes, has characteristics unique
to its own community. Each group
wants to share this uniqueness.

Birmingham restaurant to
development of Building
get to know each other and
Community, a joint project
determine a vision and a
of the Chaldean News and
direction for their commit-
the Detroit Jewish News,
tee, one of four Building
both based in Southfield.
Community workgroups.
The two newspapers
"After just a few min-
kicked off Building
utes," Romaya recalled, "it
Community in April to
became obvious we had
highlight the common roots
led parallel lives growing
of the Chaldean and Jewish
up in northwest Detroit
communities in the Middle
within a few blocks of each
East (Iraq for the Chaldean
other along the Seven Mile
community and Israel for
corridor between Livernois Mary Romaya
the Jewish community) and
and Wyoming."
the prospects for working
Robert Sklar
"It was an absolutely
together to better the larger
Editor I Detroit Jewish News
delightful lunch, and it was
community locally. Leaders
amazing to hear how simi-
from both ethnic groups
Vanessa Denha-Garmo
lar our lives and upbring-
contribute to Southeast
Editor I Chaldean News
ing had been: Kratchman
Michigan's economic, phil-
added.
anthropic, political, cultural
Seventh of a nine part monthly series
The co-chairs chose a
and religious wellbeing.
diverse group of people
The initial phase of
n architectural tour spotlight-
from the Chaldean and
the Building Community
ing two landmark buildings
Jewish communities to join
Initiative winds down in
in West Bloomfield will be
their committee pursuit
January, with new collabo-
the first public event of the grassroots
'Parallel Lives'
— people who wanted to
rations and events being
workgroups that grew out of Building
Next March, the Arts & Culture
share their experiences and
planned for the balance of
Community, the 2010 initiative succeed-
Committee hopes to host another dual
Barbara Kratchman
talents while also becom-
2011. The other workgroups
ing in enabling the Chaldean and Jewish
tour — this time of a church and a
ing immersed in the rich-
and their co-chairs are:
Chaldean communities to mingle,
synagogue to discuss liturgical services
ness of co-mingling the
• Economic development
appreciate each other's culture and work
and religious art and symbolism.
two community-minded ethnic groups.
— Saad Hajjar, Ron Asmar, Howard
together to improve the quality of life in
The co-chairs, Romaya and
Other committee members are
Rosenberg;
Metro Detroit.
Kratchman, got together in a downtown
Firyal Yono of Orchard Lake, Michelle
• Social action — LeeAnn Kirma,
The Monday, Nov. 15, event will
Saroki of Birmingham, Mark Kassa
Jeannie Weiner;
begin at 6 p.m. at Shenandoah
of Northville, Dr. Sulafa Roumayah of
• Education — Vinos Kassab, Nancy
Country Club, on Walnut Lake Road,
Bloomfield Hills, Stephen Goldman of
Welber Barr.
east of Drake, with wine and hors
West Bloomfield, Dale Rubin of Royal
Under the guidance of JN publisher
d'oeuvres. Architect Victor Saroki
Oak, Mark Lit of Commerce Township,
Arthur Horwitz and CN co-publisher
of Victor Saroki & Associates in
Tour participants who pay
Mira Burack of Hamtramck and
Martin Manna, the two newspapers will
Birmingham, who designed
in advance, $10; at the door, $15.
Sharon Zimmerman of West
continue to furnish counsel, support to
Shenandoah, will lead a tour
Checks payable to the Jewish Community Center
Bloomfield.
assist the workgroups; the workgroups,
of the Chaldean-owned cen-
of Metropolitan Detroit. For information,
however, are not tied to either publica-
ter from 6:30 to 7:30.
Monika Whale at the JCC, (248) 432-5419,
What's Cooking?
tion.
Participants then
mwhale@jccdet.org , or Avita Bacall at the
Future committee-hosted
will drive to the Jewish
Chaldean Cultural Center, (248) 681-5050,
ethnic activities may include
Creative director, Deborah Schultz
Community Center at
abacall@chaldeanculturalcenter.org .
cooking demonstrations, a dis-
Senior copy editor, David Sachs
Maple and Drake. JCC
You can pre-register by phone with a MasterCard
cussion of Semitic languages
Story development editor, Keri Guten
Executive Director Mark Lit
or VISA to Monika Whale, JCC executive
such as Aramaic and Hebrew, a
Cohen
and architect Joel Smith of
administrative assistant.
display of artwork and a musical
Neumann/Smith Associates in
Mail checks to Whale in care of the
program.
Our seventh two-page monthly
Southfield will lead a tour from
Jewish Community Center, 6600 W. Maple,
The two ethnic groups share
spread, developed by the
7:45 to 8:45. His firm designed
West Bloomfield, MI 48322.
parallel patterns in geographic loca-
Farmington Hills strategic
the Frankel Jewish Academy of
tion, entrepreneurial interests and pro-
communications firm Tanner
Metropolitan Detroit and the Berman
fessional careers. Business and social
Friedman, appears on pages
Center for the Performing Arts, both
interaction have increased since the
36-37.

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October 7 • 2010