Building Community
Celebration!
Chaldean-Jewish initiative toasts successes
while pledging to work even harder together.
Robert Sklar
Editor I Detroit Jewish News
Vanessa Denha Garmo
-
Editor I Chaldean News
Tenth of a 10-part monthly series
or nine months, the Metro Detroit
Chaldean and Jewish communi-
ties have made a concerted effort
to get to know one another — to experi-
ence what's special to each culture, to dis-
cover the similarities, to spark respectful
working relationships and to inspire last-
ing new friendships.
The impetus has been "Building
Community" This joint initiative of the
two ethnic communities has featured net-
working, workgroups, special events and a
newspaper series tracking developments
along the way since the April 1 launch.
Organizers are now laser-focused on
sustaining the momentum into 2011.
Metro Detroit's Chaldean and Jewish corn-
munities have common roots in the Middle
East (Iraq for the Chaldeans and Israel for
the Jews). The Chaldean community's arrival
and assimilation in Metro Detroit over the
last 25 years mirrors the earlier business and
civic-minded patterns set by Detroit Jewry.
Today the two ethnic groups share
parallel patterns in geographic location,
entrepreneurial interests and professional
careers. Leaders from both ethnic groups
contribute to Southeast Michigan's eco-
nomic, philanthropic, political, cultural
and religious wellbeing.
The intent of Building Community has
been to have the communities mingle
(and mingle some more), appreciate each
other's traditions and serve as a regional
or even national model for a multicul-
tural ethnic network.
F
14 January 6 • 2011
Distinct But Partners
a region long polarized along racial and
Among those currently planning on join-
The two communities are protective of
ethnic lines."
ing the initiative are Beaumont Hospitals
their distinctive cultures and voices, but
and Hospice of Michigan.
relish the interest in their shared mission:
Financial Backing
Underscoring just how appealing Building
to tap into the best of each community,
Moving Forward
Community proved to be, backing from
drilling deep into the bedrock to find
Key elements of Phase II include a
fertile ground from which to grow pro-
lead sponsor Bank of America as well
quarterly Chaldean-Jewish Building
grams and projects that ultimately help
as co-sponsors DMC-Huron Valley Sinai
Community Initiative publication cre-
transform Southeast Michigan into an
Hospital, Wayne State University, Meijer,
ated, produced and distributed by the
Lawrence Tech, University of Michigan-
Chaldean News and the Jewish News,
energy field that yields substantial and
Dearborn, Bloomfield Hills School District
with additional distribution to churches,
enduring economic, political, educational
and social change.
and Wayne County generated more than
synagogues, community centers and reli-
$150,000 to cover initiative costs.
gious schools. There also will be a digital
Building Community is a joint
The initiative also attracted two com-
version. The anchor content of the pub-
project of the Chaldean News and the
Detroit Jewish News, both located along
munal giants within each community
lication will spotlight the areas that the
to serve as co-chairs, Michael George in
five Chaldean-Jewish workgroups have
Northwestern Highway in Southfield. The
the Chaldean community and Dr. Conrad
main drivers are CN Co-Publisher Martin
clustered around:
Manna and JN Publisher Arthur Horwitz.
Giles in the Jewish community.
• Business, Economic Development
"We have much to celebrate this eve-
"This initiative would not have been
and Entrepreneurship (Saad Hajjar,
ning — friendships, common cause
possible without the support of our spon-
Ron Asmar, Howard Rosenberg,
sors, who understood and believed in
co-chairs);
and optimism for the future of our city
and region:' Horwitz said at a dinner
the idea and the benefit of bringing our
• Arts and Culture (Mary Romaya,
two communities together;' Manna said
Barbara Kratchman, co-chairs);
gathering for 250 Building Community
• Education (Vinos Kassab, Nancy
participants on Dec. 16 at Lawrence
emphatically.
Technological University in Southfield.
Bank of America Michigan Market
Welber Barr, co-chairs);
When Building Community was
President Kieth Cockrell: "Building
• Social Action (LeeAnn Kirma, Jeannie
Community has set a model for collabo-
Weiner, co-chairs);
unveiled in April, the initial plan was to
• Health and Wellness (co-chairs to be
create similar content in the Chaldean
ration for what a partnership can really
mean."
named).
News and the Detroit Jewish News on a
"Additionally," Horwitz said, "there will
monthly basis that would educate and
Continuing and new sponsorship
support for the initiative in 2011 will
continue to be an array of networking
inform both communities and would
help assure its continuing success and
events, forums, gatherings and collabo-
introduce a series of events providing
rations that bring Chaldeans and Jews
opportunities for lively interaction.
impact. All of the current sponsors have
closer together, creating new relation-
expressed their desire to remain involved
The subsequent months saw three
ships and deepening existing ones."
social events including the dinner gather-
with the initiative, in some way, in 2011.
ing. Also, there were an entrepreneur
event at Wayne State University's
TechTown, an eye-opening teen
forum at Bloomfield Hills Schools'
Model High School and a gathering
and panel for physicians and health-
care providers hosted by the Detroit
Medical Center. Lay-led workgroups
will keep the grassroots effort and
dialogue going; a November archi-
tectural tour of key Chaldean and
Jewish structures was but one exam-
ple of a workgroup mixer.
"When we began to knock on
doors two years ago, presenting the
Building Community initiative con-
cept to potential sponsors, we were
typically met with politeness, skepti-
cism and a wait-and-see attitude,"
Horwitz said. "We came away from
these meetings with a sense that this Lawrence Tech provided the backdrop for the Building Community celebration in the
University Technology and Learning Center.
endeavor might be too quixotic for