arts&life

TOP: A panoramic view of the
Ancient Mesopotamia Gallery,
which takes the visitor back
more than 5,000 years. The mural
on the far wall is a depiction of
the Processional Way and Ishtar
Gate built during the reign of
Nebuchadnezzar, 5300 B.C. Toward
the end of this gallery, there are
Jewish references from the Book
of Daniel as well as an image of
a Jewish Ostracon with Aramaic
writing on it. BOTTOM RIGHT:
A village life tableau displays a
Chaldean woman rolling out dough
for lughma 'd rekki, a thin, crispy
bread. BOTTOM CENTER: An inter-
active display shows the 22 letters
of the Aramaic alphabet. When
a letter is touched, visitors hear
the sound of the letter, its mean-
ing and then how it would look in
Phoenician, Chaldean (Aramaic),
Hebrew, Arabic and Latin.
BOTTOM LEFT: Barbara Kratchman
and Mary Romaya stand by a
replica of the Ishtar Gate that led
into the city of Babylon. In the fore-
ground, a replica of Hammurabi’s
stele, or Code of Laws, inscribed
in the Akkadian language using
cuneiform script. This replica was
purchased by the Chaldean Cultural
Center from the Louvre Museum
in France.

continued from page 29

In the ”Why Detroit: Immigrant Entrepreneurs” exhibit is
a replica of what a Chaldean-owned Detroit grocery store
would have looked like in the 1930s, with a period phone,
radio, Toledo scale, register and packaging. “Like many
second-generation children born in Detroit of Chaldean
immigrant parents, I had to work in my father’s grocery
store after school, on weekends, during summer vaca-
tions,” Romaya says. “I was not unique in this — we
all did it. It was a family-owned business and we were
family. It taught us how to handle money, the value of
money, how to deal with customers and developed a very
strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit within us and
throughout the Chaldean community.”

30

November 9 • 2017

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ences, and the environment of each
gallery reflects that specific time in
history; for example, the Jerusalem
section has been built with stone.
The floors hold dates showing the
involved time frames as guests walk
through each section.”
The first gallery, “Ancient
Mesopotamia,” captures history back
to the Sumerians. Authentic replicas
and original artifacts purchased from
around the world represent the expe-
riences of that era.
The next gallery, “Faith and
Church,” explores the beginning of
the Chaldean Catholic Church of the
East. There are liturgical manuscripts
and church adornments. In a media
presentation, prayers are recited in
Aramaic so that the sounds of the
language are experienced.
“Chaldean Village Life” has life-size
mannequins shown carrying out day-
to-day activities in realistic settings.
“Journey to America” shows immigra-
tion documents and spotlights those
who became entrepreneurs. A small
replica of a Chaldean-owned grocery
store of the 1930s in Detroit shows
only American products as assimila-
tion takes hold.
In “Chaldeans Today,” a large video

presentation introduces people who
value their heritage along with their
places in America.
“I had the pleasure of watching
how this museum developed over
time,” Kratchman says. “Because of
the initiative, we found people who
are neighbors, and they became our
lasting friends. With the museum,
we can gain more insight into under-
standing our similarities.”
As Romaya was planning the
museum, she sought advice from
Stephen Goldman, then executive
director of the Holocaust Memorial
Center in Farmington Hills. She had
visited the center and was impressed
with the way personal stories were
told using a multitude of media.
“He explained the way panels
should look, and he recommended
antiquity dealers,” Romaya says.
“He told me about giving personal
tours and the importance of training
docents. There also was advice about
conducting oral histories. All of that
has been very valuable to us.”
The Chaldean Museum was
developed with the help of Saylor +
Sirola, New York exhibition designers
specializing in boutique museums.
Special effects and segments were

handled by Sana Media in New York
and LifeFormations in Cincinnati.
Funding came from individuals, orga-
nizations and businesses.
“I’ve already brought two groups of
Jewish women to see this museum,”
says Jeannie Weiner, who was at the
helm of the Social Action Committee
of the Building Bridges Initiative. “It’s
as fine a museum as you could find
anywhere. It’s sophisticated with
hands-on information.
“I think it’s important to learn
about other cultures just as I
think every group should visit the
Holocaust Memorial Center.
“I was especially fascinated by
learning about the ancient code of
laws — some laws pertinent today
and others very brutal as a reflection
of the times. I encourage everyone
to go and see all that the museum
offers.” •

details

The Chaldean Museum is open to the
public 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays at the
Shenandoah Country Club, 5600 Walnut
Lake Rd., West Bloomfield. Groups can
make appointments for other times. (248)
681-5050. Chaldeanculturalcenter.org.

