DETROIT
JEWISH NEW S

October 21, 2010 / 13 Cheshvan 5771

finding common ground

building
community

teen forum
works to dispel
stereotypes
of Jews and
Chaldeans
and to begin
the building
of community.

by Rachel Gorosh

)!'Mils Mit.*

Orortni:4

Panelists Rabbi Josh Bennett of

Temple Israel, students Mari!

Siegel, Thomas Sandlha, Josh

Morof and Angelic Gasso and

Father Anthony Kathawa of

Mother of God Chaldean Church

e've all heard the stereo- audience were more than 100 students jokes can be hurtful.
"I think there a lot of Jewish stereo-
types: Jews are "wealthy from all different religions and races.
business people" and For the most part, Jews sat with Jews types and jokes that are thrown out
there all the time; even in a school
Chaldeans own "gas stations and party and Chaldeans with other Chaldeans.
At the outset, Mojo stated that "by with so many Jews and Chaldeans,
stores."
But on Oct. 6, Jewish and Chal- the end of this day, there will be certain they're still out there," Morof said.
"Everyone says something; they
dean teens from Bloomfield Hills high terminologies or thoughts that will be
could
either mean it as ajoke or it could
schools Andover, Lahser and Model completely dispelled and we will have
joined together with a common goal a different understanding about our be direct," Sandiha said.
Jewish student panelist Marli Siegel
— to begin to eliminate these stereo- neighbors."
Bennett, who grew up in Chicago shared from her own experiences.
types, build community and to better
"I was walking out of school one
and had not met or even heard of a
understand each other.
The program featuring a Jewish/ Chaldean before he moved to Michigan day and it was the day before a Jewish
Chaldean panel was sponsored by the 16 years ago, said, "If we don't figure holiday ... I heard someone say, 'The
Detroit Jewish News and the Chaldean out a way to not always separate our- only reason that I love Jews is because
News, both based in Southfield, as part selves [Jews and Chaldeans], then there of these days [off]," she said. "And it
just kind of made me think like they
of their Building Community initiative really is no solution."
"The only way that we're actually don't know me personally ... It's not
that began in April. Radio personal-
ity Mojo from 95.5-FM's "Mojo in the going to get along is if we come to un- fair to anyone to have that happen."
Similarly, student panelist Angelic
Morning" show hosted the teen forum derstand each other," said Kathawa,
who grew up on Detroit's east side Gasso, a Chaldean senior at Lahser,
held at Model High School.
Panelists were Rabbi Josh Ben- learning about Jews only from nega- says she has been mistreated because
nett of Temple Israel in West Bloom- tive stereotypes he had heard — until of her religion, mostly because she
looks more "American" than typically
13 field, Father Anthony Kathawa of he met Bennett earlier that week.
Jewish student panelist Josh Morof Chaldean.
c'6 Southfield's Mother of God Chaldean
"No one actually ever knows that
and
Chaldean student panelist Thomas
Church and four high school students,
two Jewish and two Chaldean. In the Sandiha expressed how derogatory I'm Chaldean ... my friends don't re-

alize it either. They'll say something
about Chaldeans and I'm standing
right there ... I don't want to deal with
the situation so I don't confront it."
When asked about dating people
who were not of the same religion,
some students on both sides said their
parents would be OK with it; one
Chaldean boy said he only dates Chal-
deans.
And most teens agreed that the lin-
gering stereotypes stem from genera-
tions before theirs.
Bennett shared that "when push
comes to shove, both of our communi-
ties are from exactly the same place ...
literally, there are no differences [be-
tween us] other than religion."
As a member of the Jewish commu-
nity, I came away with the understand-
ing that if we as Jews and our Chaldean
neighbors can get past the stereotypes,
we can come to realize how similar our
cultures actually are. This realization
will lead to closer community ties and
a better understanding of each other.

Finding Common Ground on page TT4

teen2teen October 21.2010 TT1