Assyrian Podcast

Episode 99 - Ashur Kasrani, also known as “The Great Kasrani” is formerly a magician, who has entertained royalty, oligarchs, celebrities, corporations and private clients around the world. Leaving his career behind, he returned to the homeland and now lives a simple, basic life in the valley of Nahla. He documents the valley life on his social media channels and informs and inspires thousands of people to visit the ancestral homeland and to work on the inner self. Ashur is also an experimental musician, poet and more.    Facebook: The Great Kasrani Instagram: @the_great_kasrani Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Tony Kalogerakos and the Injury Lawyers of Illinois and New York. If you know anyone that has been in a serious accident, please reach out to Tony Kalogerakos. Tony has been recognized as a Top 40 lawyer, and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Publication and has obtained multiple multi-million-dollar awards. Tony can be reached at InjuryRights.com or 847-982-9516. 

Episode 98 - Ashur Yoseph joined the Assyrian Aid Society of America (AAS-A) in 1993 as the project manager for the Lifeline Pledge Program. In 2011, with the retirement of Narsai David, Ashur Yoseph was elected as AAS-A President. During his tenure AAS-A has weathered some of its most demanding challenges, such as the rise of ISIS and the fall of Mosul, but has also seen its most successful fundraising years. Administratively, Ashur has given special focus on bringing younger professionals into leadership positions and mentoring them closely over the years to build a strong foundation for the next generation of leaders of the Assyrian Aid Society of America. Professionally, Ashur Yoseph has over 36 years of experience in design, construction, project and program management. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Sacramento State University. Ashur currently serves as a Senior Vice President for Infrastructure and Business Development for WSP USA Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Tony Kalogerakos and the Injury Lawyers of Illinois and New York. If you know anyone that has been in a serious accident, please reach out to Tony Kalogerakos. Tony has been recognized as a Top 40 lawyer, and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Publication and has obtained multiple multi-million-dollar awards. Tony can be reached at InjuryRights.com or 847-982-9516. 

Episode 97 - Samir Bahi is the creator of The Ashoor Drama Group, and he is responsible for hits like “Say No to Drugs,” “Why You Care,” and so many more legendary Assyrian comedic classics! This episode is an intimate conversation between Samir and his sons as they discuss the start of his music career, how he was inspired to write the various songs, and the music videos that became an iconic part of growing up for so many Assyrians in diaspora.  Facebook @samirbahi Instagram: @AshoorDramaGroup Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Tony Kalogerakos and the Injury Lawyers of Illinois and New York. If you know anyone that has been in a serious accident, please reach out to Tony Kalogerakos. Tony has been recognized as a Top 40 lawyer, and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Publication and has obtained multiple multi-million-dollar awards. Tony can be reached at InjuryRights.com or 847-982-9516.

Episode 96 - Dr. Ruth Kamber is a second-generation Assyrian American and the author of “Assyrians of Yonkers.” As the eldest grandchild, she inherited artifacts from her family--a collection of family stories, videos, and photographs. Her grandfather Nicolai Benjamin asked her to honor, preserve, and pass down her cultural inheritance, to "Keep it well." Her heritage and family heirlooms served as a springboard for her dissertation as a verbal monument to Assyrian Americans. In this episode you will hear about her great grandfather’s connection to the Dutch Reformed Church, an Assyrian baseball player who played for the New York Yankees, and more about the history of Assyrian Presbyterian community in Yonkers.  rkambar580@gmail.com  Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Tony Kalogerakos and the Injury Lawyers of Illinois and New York. If you know anyone that has been in a serious accident, please reach out to Tony Kalogerakos. Tony has been recognized as a Top 40 lawyer, and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Publication and has obtained multiple multi-million-dollar awards. Tony can be reached at InjuryRights.com or 847-982-9516. 

Episode 95 - Reta Ismail is a broadcast journalist based in London, Canada. She is a weekend anchor, videographer, and weather presenter for Canada's most-watched news organization, CTV news. In this episode we discuss Reta’s journey to and through her career, how she has utilized her platform to draw attention to the Assyrian community, and the realities of parenthood.  Website: www.retaismail.com Blog: https://london.ctvnews.ca/pregnancyafterloss Media Moms: Life on Air https://london.ctvnews.ca/media-moms-life-on-the-air-1.4650090?fbclid=IwAR3LFzlhAcPhBToZLEVHjStL8cgBKcdGdSU4ZXjc4oRVTWHqjed_fVwHVJI Social media: @retaismailctv Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Tony Kalogerakos and the Injury Lawyers of Illinois and New York. If you know anyone that has been in a serious accident, please reach out to Tony Kalogerakos. Tony has been recognized as a Top 40 lawyer, and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Publication and has obtained multiple multi-million-dollar awards. Tony can be reached at InjuryRights.com or 847-982-9516. 

Episode 94 - Suzan Younan has been annually traveling to Iraq since 2008. Expanding on her professional skill set in humanitarian work in the Middle East, she moved to Erbil, Iraq in early 2019. She is currently the Program Director for Access Aid Foundation in Iraq , and directly implements projects in Ninewa for the Assyrian and Yazidis to assist them in reintegrating back into their communities. In 2012, she co-founded Gishru, a 501c3 organization that coordinates educational, and cross cultural trips, to Northern Iraq and Southern Turkey, for American and other international youth. Gishru is a bridge between young professionals in the Middle East young professionals and their next generation counterparts in the West.   Along with coordinating the trips for 30+ young professionals annually, Suzan spearheads fundraising efforts and community outreach to raise the profile of the Assyrians and Yezidis in Iraq. Three months after the invasion of ISIS, Suzan and two colleagues returned to their homeland to assist in humanitarian aid and to film a documentary on the atrocities committed against the indigenous and vulnerable people of Iraq.  The 10-minute short film has been screened in front of the United Nations and the European Parliament, winning awards in several film festivals. Suzan, who is listed as the Associate Producer, made a promise to the suffering people that their voices would be heard.  Watch The Last Plight Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Tony Kalogerakos and the Injury Lawyers of Illinois and New York. If you know anyone that has been in a serious accident, please reach out to Tony Kalogerakos. Tony has been recognized as a Top 40 lawyer, and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Publication and has obtained multiple multi-million-dollar awards. Tony can be reached at InjuryRights.com or 847-982-9516.  Thank you.

Episode 93 - Dr. Yaacov Maoz is a Jewish professor residing in Jerusalem whose parents left Iraq in the 1950’s. He speaks Assyrian, identifies with his Assyrian roots, and is determined to oversee the revival of the Aramaic language in his Jewish community, create stronger bonds between Assyrians worldwide and Jewish Assyrians (or Aramit-speaking Jews), and create a coalition to support the mission of Assyrians to establish an independent state in their motherland. In this episode, we discuss social justice, biblical connections to Assyrians, and Isaiah 19.  Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Tony Kalogerakos and the Injury Lawyers of Illinois and New York. If you know anyone that has been in a serious accident, please reach out to Tony Kalogerakos. Tony has been recognized as a Top 40 lawyer, and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Publication and has obtained multiple multi-million-dollar awards. Tony can be reached at InjuryRights.com or 847-982-9516. 

Episode 92- Erin Hughes, PhD is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Sarguis Assyrian Heritage Project at California State University (CSU), Stanislaus in Turlock, California. In this episode, we discuss her work at CSU Stanislaus and takeaways from her dissertation, “An American Atra? Boundaries of Diasporic Nation-Building Amongst Assyrians and Chaldeans in the United States,” and what she considers the greatest strength of the Assyrian community.  About the Sarguis Modern Assyrian Heritage Project: Established in Fall 2017, the Sarguis Modern Assyrian Heritage Project brings new and emerging research in Assyrian studies to Stanislaus State University. Working in collaboration with the Sarguis Modern Assyrian Heritage Collection in Vasche LIbrary, the project facilitates student projects and research documenting Assyrian history and culture with a special emphasis on Assyrians in California. The Modern Assyrian Heritage project offered courses in Assyrian history, hosts Assyrian speakers on campus, supports Assyrian students on campus, and funds an annual research fellowship to drive student research into all aspects of modern Assyrian heritage. The Modern Assyrian Heritage Project is hosted by the College of the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the Department of History.  ehughes1@csustan.edu  Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Tony Kalogerakos and the Injury Lawyers of Illinois and New York. If you know anyone that has been in a serious accident, please reach out to Tony Kalogerakos. Tony has been recognized as a Top 40 lawyer, and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Publication and has obtained multiple multi-million-dollar awards. Tony can be reached at InjuryRights.com or 847-982-9516.   

Episode 91 - Nahrun Cano is a beard aficionado whose company, Sargon’s Official, specializes in beard products. Taking inspiration from ancient Assyrians and their beard culture, Sargon’s Official boasts as the royal way to get your beard in shape. In this episode, Zalgai Aho, this week’s guest host, talks to Nahrun about his company, entrepreneurship, and his advice for young business owners.  https://sargonsoriginal.de/ https://www.instagram.com/sargonsoriginal/ Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Tony Kalogerakos and the Injury Lawyers of Illinois and New York. If you know anyone that has been in a serious accident, please reach out to Tony Kalogerakos. Tony has been recognized as a Top 40 lawyer, and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Publication and has obtained multiple multi-million-dollar awards. Tony can be reached at InjuryRights.com or 847-982-9516. 

Episode 90 - In this episode you hear from four young people, who decided to return to the homeland and work as expats in Iraq. The Returnees’ Roundtable is an honest and raw discussion of what you can expect, if you decide to come back and unearth your roots. We talked about the ups and downs, the expectations and the challenges that they faced. If you are thinking of returning and need help, please reach out to our four guests. They will gladly will help you through your journey.   IG: @meli_curls FB: www.facebook.com/melinda.khubiar   IG: @jjennyyko FB: www.facebook.com/JennyKorkes    IG: @mir.zia FB: www.facebook.com/miriam.zia   IG: @suzanyounan FB: www.facebook.com/SuzieYounan    Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Tony Kalogerakos and the Injury Lawyers of Illinois and New York. If you know anyone that has been in a serious accident, please reach out to Tony Kalogerakos. Tony has been recognized as a Top 40 lawyer, and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Publication and has obtained multiple multi-million-dollar awards. Tony can be reached at InjuryRights.com or 847-982-9516.