{

social action

Cultural
Spotlight

Chaldean women learn about
local Jewish community.

Jeannie Weiner

Contributing Writer

"What a great evening,"

said Ann Antone, a

400V

41'
Ann Antone of West Bloomfield shows a picture she had just taken to Gloria Kassa
of Farmington Hills.

Chaldean resident of West

Bloomfield, following the

second event of the Social

Action Workgroup of the

Building Community

Initiative between

Chaldeans and Jews.

All of the 40 women in

attendance measured

the event a resounding

success.

Lois Shulman of West Bloomfield listens to the speaker.

Betsy Kellman of Huntington Woods chats with Delores Atto of Bloomfield Township.

12 CHALDEAN NEWS I JEWISH NEWS December 2011

Many women signed on to par-
ticipate in upcoming social action
projects. The Workgroup has plans to
assist the Chaldean American Ladies
of Charity establish a food pantry at
its warehouse in Sterling Heights by
stocking food and building shelves.
Later, the women will work at Yad
Ezra, the kosher food bank in Berkley.
Families will be encouraged to par-
ticipate in both projects.
Several months ago, Chaldean
women addressed the Workgroup on
the culture, history and the challeng-
es they face in both Michigan and
Iraq. As a Christian minority in Iraq,
many Chaldeans are leaving their
homeland and coming to Michigan
for a safe and secure environment.
When the Social Action Workgroup
met at the Jewish Community
Center in West Bloomfield on Sept.
7, Chaldeans and Jews shared con-
versation and dinner and heard a
fascinating presentation from Ellen

Betsy Winkelman of West Bloomfield
and Janette Shallal of Beverly Hills
share a laugh.

Yashinsky-Chute, chief outreach
officer at Jewish Family Service of
Metropolitan Detroit. She spoke
about the generations of women in
the Jewish community, their values
and differences as well as the role
that women have played in the his-
tory of Detroit Jewry.
Many in attendance expressed
surprise that almost one quarter of
the Jews in the metropolitan area are
older than 65 as compared to 18 per-
cent of Jews nationally.

Valued EXCildngt

Linda Finkel, a Jewish member of
the Workgroup from Bloomfield
Hills, said: "At the end of the evening,
I spoke with four of the Chaldean
women about how much they learned
about Judaism and the Jewish com-
munity. And I learned a lot, too."
Yashinsky-Chute told the women
that for the same reasons the
Chaldeans have come to Metro
Detroit to find a safe living environ-
ment, Jews established themselves
here more than 160 years ago, living
together in the same neighborhoods
or moving to new neighborhoods
as a group. Generations of Jewish

