Jewish and Chaldean community
members joined to provide
backpacks for needy students.
Jewish and Chaldean communities join for social action and fellowship.
0
n Monday evening, Aug. 18,
years, mass was not celebrated in Mosul,
about 100 Jews and Chaldeans
Iraq, which used to be heavily populated
came together for a potluck
by Chaldeans, who have now fled or
dinner and a social action project at St.
been killed. As the Chaldeans and other
Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church on
Christians fled, their possessions were
Maple Road in West Bloomfield. For the
taken from them, their villages were
fourth year, the Jewish and Chaldean
shelled and their churches were des-
communities have joined together as
ecrated.
part of the larger Jewish News
Manna mentioned the web-
and Chaldean News Building
site www.helpiraq.org and asked
Community Initiative. As part
the audience to go there to
of the initiative, the two com-
find out how to write letters or
munities reach out to each
donate to the cause. The num-
other, visit each other's holy
ber of Chaldean immigrants to
places of worship, participate in
the Detroit area, which has been
each other's cultural events and
about 200 people a month, will
bond with each other as human
most likely double or triple due
to the crisis in Iraq.
beings with similar needs,
wants and emotions.
Father Andrew Seba then
I kicked off the evening
invited everyone to join him in
Gail Katz
with a welcome and a read-
the sanctuary for a discussion
Specia I to the
ing of Naomi Levy's beautiful
about the Chaldean Catholic
Jewish News
and meaningful "Prayer for
religious practices. He explained
Tolerance:'
that St. Thomas Chaldean
Martin Manna, editor of the Chaldean
Catholic Church is the largest English-
News, then addressed the gathering with
speaking Chaldean parish in the world.
some history of the Building Community
There are five masses every weekend —
Initiative, including an annual teen forum
three in English, one in Chaldean and one
in the Walled Lake Schools that includes
in Arabic. The church serves more than
Jewish, Chaldean and African American stu-
3,000 families and uses its social hall for
dents to further understanding and reduce youth groups, socials, bingo and classes.
bullying as well as networking opportunities
Father Seba explained how the
Chaldean church differs from the Roman
for Jewish and Chaldean entrepreneurs to
meet and share business ideas.
Catholic Church. According to legend, the
Manna provided an update on the ter-
Chaldeans were converted to Christianity
rible situation in Iraq and its impact on
by the Apostle Thomas on one of his mis-
the Chaldean community. Since 2008,
sionary journeys to the East. In 1445,
the Chaldean Community Foundation in
Chaldeans were received into the Roman
Southfield has been helping thousands
Church, and they were permitted to retain
of refugees and immigrants coming from
their historic rituals and the Chaldean/
Iraq to the United States. But in the last
Aramaic language for mass and other cer-
few weeks, its phones have been ringing
emonies.
nonstop. Many Iraqi towns have been
Before leaving the sanctuary, Father Seba
run down by the terrorist group ISIS —
pointed out the beautiful ceiling with the
the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (the
image of God and the Chaldean symbol
Levant) — which is fighting to take over
below the depiction of God that included
the country.
three dots for the Trinity, the Chaldean let-
ISIS has killed thousands of Christians,
ters Y and H, which stood for the Hebrew
and the Chaldean community has suf-
word for God, and one dot below the let-
fered terribly. For the first time in 1,600
ters, which represented one God.
18 August 28 • 2014
Susan Kattula, Sandy Schwartz, Gail Katz, Barbara Kratchman and Sue Zoma
Father Andrew Seba
The ceiling of St. Thomas Chaldean
Catholic Church
Following Father Seba's remarks in
the sanctuary, all went back to the social
hall to enjoy the Chaldean and Jewish
culinary delights that everyone brought
to the potluck. People tried to sit at a
table with folks they didn't already know
so that they could make new interfaith
friendships.
The end of the evening was spent in an
assembly line, filling the many backpacks
that attendees purchased with the school
supplies that each attendee brought to the
potluck.
Wisam Brikho, refugee and immigrant
consultant for Oakland Schools, took the
backpacks to deliver to needy elementary
students when school starts in September.
Everyone left with the wonderful feel-
ing of having made new friends and
having learned something new about
Chaldean history, culture, faith and cur-
rent challenges.
Our interfaith initiative has made a
difference in the lives of our local young
students. We look forward to the next
coming together of the Jewish/Chaldean
Social Action Initiative.
❑
Gail Katz is the Jewish/Chaldean Social Action
Initiative Chair.