Assyrian Podcast

Episode 28 - Tony Kalogerakos is a lawyer at the Injury Lawyers of Illinois, and President of the Assyrian-American Bar Association which he helped co-found in 2017. His desire to work in the legal world came early on in life, and provided the perfect platform for him to give back and help the Assyrian community. He works to cultivate more Assyrian lawyers through the Assyrian-American Bar Association, to better represent the needs of the Assyrian community.

Episode 27 --Meet Noor Matti -- one of the founders of Shlama Foundation and a former Michigan resident, who in 2008, looking for purpose, direction, and happiness, left his life in the suburbs of Detroit and found it all in Ankawa, Iraq, where he currently resides.  

Episode 26 - This week we hear from Tatiyana Shaba of Sydney, Australia. Tatiyana is a HUGE soccer fan, and amongst other things, is a presenter for COPA90, a media platform dedicated to celebrating soccer and its fans. We also discuss twitter as a means to connecting the Assyrian diaspora and much more! You can connect with Tatiyana at @tatiyanayitat.

Episode 25 - Simo Parpola, Professor Emeritus of Assyriology at the University of Helsinki. Dr. Parpola received his PhD in Assyriology from the University of Helsinki in 1971. The main focus of his research has been on the study of the Neo-Assyrian Empire in all its aspects, but he has contributed to a number of studies, including that of modern Assyrian identity. He also taught at the University of Chicago, and contributed to the university's Chicago Assyrian Dictionary project until its completion. ​Dr. Parpola is internationally recognized as one of the foremost scholars on ancient Assyria, and has a long and impressive list of publications on various topics in Assyriology and Assyrian identity.

Episode 24 - In this episode, we hear from two long time Flint, Michigan residents, Alice Abraham and Liz Baley, whose parents were an integral part of growing the community in Flint starting in the 1930’s. Alice and Liz talk about various memories of Assyrians in Flint during the Great Depression and beyond and what became of the once flourishing Assyrian community.

Episode 23 - Reine Hanna is a Co-Founder and Director of the Assyrian Policy Institute. Together with a dedicated team at the policy institute, Reine helps raise awareness of Assyrian issues, and advocates for the Assyrian homeland by guiding and influencing U.S policy. Much of that advocacy began when Reine co-authored the human rights report “Erasing Assyrians,” which catalogued -  in detail - her trip to Iraq in 2016 and 2017. In May, 2018 the first ever Assyrian Policy Conference took place in Washington D.C. Reine now splits her time between her hometown of Skokie, IL and working with policy makers in Washington D.C. https://www.assyrianpolicy.org Twitter: @AssyrianPolicy Instagram: @AssyrianPolicy Facebook: Assyrian Policy Institute

Episode 22 - This week we hear from Dr. Nicholas Al-Jeloo, the founder of The Assyria Institute (www.facebook.com/AssyriaInstitute). You’ll learn about his journey in pursuing a PhD in Syriac Studies at the University of Sydney, what The Assyria Institute aims to do, as well as his findings and experiences in traveling to the Middle East and documenting precious parts of Assyrian history. You can connect with him at nicholas.aljeloo@gmail.com

Episode 21 - Ben Eil Dariush! The Assyrian Lion, Beneil Khobier Dariush is an Iranian-born Assyrian-American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Dariush began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 2007, earning his black belt in just five years. He was a highly decorated competitor, becoming a no gi world champion as a blue, purple and brown belt. During the first three and a half years of his career, he went undefeated with six wins and no losses. He finished all but one of those wins.   http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Beneil-Dariush-56583 https://twitter.com/beneildariush?lang=en https://www.instagram.com/beneildariush/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/beneildariushmma/

Episode 20 - This week we hear from Reni Stephan, an Assyrian artist, from the Metro Detroit area. Reni focuses on sculptures and oil paintings and he is responsible for the art work displayed inside Ishtar Restaurant in Sterling Heights, MI. You’ll hear Reni talk about his inspirations, past projects, and dreams for the Assyrian arts and the community of artists in this episode. You can learn more about his work via his Facebook page www.facebook.com/reni.stephan Finally, a thank you to our sponsor John Oushana from HomeSmart. Whether you are thinking about purchasing or selling your home either in Arizona or California, contact John Oushana Real Estate Professional at 209-968-9519, on Facebook @JohnOushanaRealtor, or @John.Oushana on Instagram.

Episode 19 - This week we hear from Dr. Evette Haddad, the president of the Bet Nahrain Assyrian Heritage Centre (www.betnahrainahc.com). You'll learn about her PhD research, her work in the Assyrian community, and her experience raising a bicultural family. You can connect with Evette at evette@betnahrainahc.com.