Assyrian Podcast

Episode 221- Bryner Agassi is a musician and producer and the son of the legendary Assyrian singer Evin Agassi. In this episode, we talked about what it was like growing up in a family where music was a way of life, Bryner's own journey as an artist, and the unique experience of preserving his father's timeless catalog through the remastering of his recordings. Along the way, Bryner shares personal stories about Evin Agassi as both a father and a musician, offering a glimpse into the man behind the voice that shaped generations of Assyrians. We also discussed the enduring impact of Evin Agassi's music, why preserving our cultural heritage matters, and the exciting projects Bryner is working on to ensure that legacy continues to inspire future generations. Whether you've been listening to Evin Agassi's music for decades or are discovering it for the first time, this conversation is a heartfelt reflection on family, music, culture, and the responsibility of carrying a legacy forward. Sponsor: This episode of the Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Get Set Tech, a Google Education partner helping schools get the most out of Google Workspace and Chrome. From security audits to Chromebooks, Gemini, and Google Voice licenses, our team is here to help you Get Set with Google. Email them at google@getsettech.com or visit getsettech.com to learn more    Instagram: officialbrynneragassi

Episode 220 – Dyana Dawood is an Assyrian football player in Iraq’s Women’s National Team. She has competed at professional levels in both the United States and Europe. Her journey reached a historic milestone when she earned a call-up to the Iraq Women’s National Football Team. As the first Assyrian woman to represent this team, she has become a powerful symbol of representation, resilience, and opportunity for young girls across Iraq and throughout the diaspora.  In this Episode we'll talk about her upbringing, her passion for the sport and her journey to the national team. We also hear about the challenges she and her teammates have faced competing abroad and what it means to inspire the next generation of girls through football. Sponsor: This episode of the Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Get Set Tech, a Google for Education partner helping schools get the most out of Google Workspace and Chrome. From security audits to Chromebooks, Gemini, and Google Voice licenses, our team is here to help you Get Set with Google. Email us at google@getsettech.com or visit getsettech.com to learn more. Instagram: @dyanadawood https://www.dd8academy.com

Episode 219 - Ano Memari is an Assyrian DJ local to the San Francisco Bay Area. Based out of Gilroy, CA, Ano does shows and sets for various weddings, parties, and other events every weekend of the year. In this episode, we learn more about his humble beginnings, memorable moments, his love for the Assyrian community, and how he found himself spinning music for the masses week in and week out.  Sponsor: This episode of the Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Get Set Tech, a Google for Education partner helping schools get the most out of Google Workspace and Chrome. From security audits to Chromebooks, Gemini, and Google Voice licenses, our team is here to help you Get Set with Google. Email us at google@getsettech.com or visit getsettech.com to learn more. Instagram: @dj.ano408Business Instagram: @epicmusic.entYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@djano408Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/9WmngA7WWUIsnkkLM3

Episode 218 – Chris Halef is an Assyrian comedian calling Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada home — and his story is one worth hearing. In this episode, we sit down with Chris to talk about how his family found their way to the East Coast, his journey into stand-up comedy, and what his heritage means to him both on and off the stage.    Sponsor: This episode of the Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Get Set Tech, a Google for Education partner helping schools get the most out of Google Workspace and Chrome. From security audits to Chromebooks, Gemini, and Google Voice licenses, our team is here to help you Get Set with Google. Email us at google@getsettech.com or visit getsettech.com to learn more.   Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chrishalefcomedy Instagram: @chrishalef  Tik Tok: chrishalef

Episode 217 Part 2 - Shamiram Urshan: The Life and Music of an Assyrian Icon Step into the world of an Assyrian legend! 🎤✨ In this episode, we explore the life and enduring legacy of the iconic Shamiram Urshan, a singer and entertainer who rose to international fame in the 1980s. Known for her vibrant style and "revolutionary" spirit, Shamiram was a performer who stayed true to her roots while connecting with audiences across the globe.   Her first-born son, Dino Pick who we met in part 1 provides an intimate look at the woman behind the music. From her childhood in Tehran to her life as a "close-knit" family anchor in Seattle, Dino shares stories of her "superpower" of forgiveness and her unique stage presence—where she was known to dance right into the middle of the crowd.   Highlights of this episode include: A Family Affair: The story of how her debut album was written entirely by her father, Daniel. The "Mom" Energy: How she balanced being a global star with her roles as a nurturing mother and grandmother. Cultural Pride: Her journey of maintaining Assyrian traditions in America and her commitment to passing that heritage to the next generation. Don't miss this heartfelt tribute to a woman who pushed the Assyrian people forward through her art and her love. 🎶❤️ 🎧 Listen now to learn about the one and only Shamiram Urshan! #ShamiramUrshan #AssyrianMusic #AssyrianPodcast #CulturalLegacy #MusicHistory

Episode 217 - Dino Pick (Part 1) In this episode of the Assyrian Podcast, we sit down with Retired U.S. Army Colonel Dino (Danial) Pick, whose life sits at the intersection of military service, diplomacy, and Assyrian identity. From commanding tanks in Desert Storm to leading special operations in northern Iraq, Dino reflects on the tension of serving as an Assyrian-American during the 2003 invasion. He shares a powerful moment when, in the middle of active combat, he used a satellite phone to reconnect an Assyrian professor with his mother in the village of Alqosh. Raised in a close-knit Assyrian home in Seattle, Dino began school speaking only his native language and went on to master Arabic, Farsi, and Dari, eventually serving as a Foreign Area Officer and Commandant of the Defense Language Institute. Beyond his 29-year military career, Dino opens up about a deeply personal calling: honoring the legacy of his mother, a legendary Assyrian singer we’ll meet in part 2. This episode explores identity, sacrifice, and what it means to carry your heritage through every stage of life. Mr. Danial Pick serves as the Director of International Graduate Programs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.  Mr. Pick previously served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD (SOLIC)). In this capacity he assisted the ASD (SOLIC) in the execution of Department-wide counterterrorism and irregular warfare policy, operational oversight, and execution of service secretary-like responsibilities over U.S. SOCOM.    Previously he served as the first Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations Policy and Programs, a position called for in bipartisan legislation as a means of strengthening civilian oversight of U.S. Special Operations Forces. In this capacity he was responsible for advising the ASD (SOLIC) and the Secretary of Defense by formulating, recommending, integrating and implementing policies and strategies on matters pertaining to the organization, training and equipping of special operations forces including oversight of the $13.4B MFP-11 Special Operations budget. Mr. Pick graduated in 1987 from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization. He also holds a Master of Military Art and Studies from the Marine Corps University, and a Master of Arts in Near Eastern studies from Princeton University. He was a National Security Affairs Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Mr. Pick served for 29 years in the US Army as a military intelligence and Middle East foreign area officer. He served with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) working with partners and allies throughout the Indo-Pacific region. His combat deployments included service with 3/66 Armor Battalion in Desert Storm in 1990-91, the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and service in Afghanistan in 2009. Mr. Pick helped develop the counterterrorism capabilities of the Iraqi and Jordanian Armed Forces while serving at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, from 2003-2006, before serving as a Policy Officer in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2006-2008 building the partner capacity of the Iraqi Security Forces. Mr. Pick commanded the Defense Language Institute from 2010-2014 providing foreign language capability to special operations forces and the intelligence community. Mr. Pick has served as a municipal government leader in the Cities of Monterey and Del Rey Oaks, California.  He currently serves as an elected official on the Monterey Peninsula Airport Board.   He speaks Assyrian, Arabic, Farsi, and Dari. He is married to Karen Pick. They have two children, Dalton (24) and Lauren (21).  Mr. Pick is a member of the Global SOF Foundation, the OSS Society, Chair of the Big Sur Marathon Foundation Board, and a member of the Rotary Club of Monterey.

Episode 216 – Assyriska Fotbollsföreningen, also known simply as Assyriska FF, is a Swedish football club based in Södertälje, Stockholm. The club, formed in 1974 by Assyrian immigrants, has advanced through the league system and is currently playing in the third highest Swedish league, Division 1. They played in the highest Swedish football league Allsvenskan in 2005 where their games were broadcast in over 80 countries The club has also played a final in Svenska Cupen. In this episode, Assyriska chairman Moussa Esa discusses how the club began, its legacy, and his aspirations for the team’s future. We also explore the history of Assyrian migration to Sweden and how Södertälje became known as the unofficial Assyrian capital of Europe. This episode of the Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by Get Set Tech, a Google for Education partner helping schools get the most out of Google Workspace and Chrome. From security audits to Chromebooks, Gemini, and Google Voice licenses, our team is here to help you Get Set with Google. Email them at google@getsettech.com or visit getsettech.com to learn more. Assyriska website: https://assyriska.se/  Moussa Esa’s contact: moussa@assyriska.se You can support the team here: https://assyriska.se/donera

Episode 215 - Dr. Shana Sara Zaia In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Shana S. Zaia, an Assistant Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and a rare Assyrian Assyriologist. We explore the rise of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, widely regarded as the world’s first true empire, and discuss the innovations, from standing armies to complex diplomacy, that allowed it to dominate the ancient world. Dr. Zaia explains how her work as a philologist allows her to "time travel" through cuneiform texts, finding human connection in everything from royal inscriptions to ancient schoolchildren’s homework. We also dive into her passion for outreach and her mission to ensure modern Assyrians feel a profound connection to their 6,000-year heritage. Thank you to Get Set Tech (www.getsettech.com), for making this conversation possible. Their support helps us continue sharing the stories and history of the Assyrian people. Highlights include: The transition of Assyrian identity from a political status to a cultural heritage. How the humanities serve as a vital tool for cultural preservation. Resources for the diaspora available at shana-zaia.com. Tune in to bridge the gap between ancient Nineveh and the living community of today. https://shanazaia.com/ https://research.vu.nl/en/persons/shana-zaia/

Episode 214 - Ramina Samuel, Christine Kochou Yousif, John Shlimon What does it take to turn a language that was once dismissed as “not possible” into a fully accredited high school course in the United States? In this episode of the Assyrian Podcast, we sit down with educators, advocates, and students behind the first accredited Assyrian language program in the U.S. Together, they give us an update on how the program is doing two years after its inception. They share the eight-year journey of persistence, collaboration, and community leadership that brought Assyrian language and culture into public schools as a recognized world language. From curriculum design and academic rigor to student identity, pride, and belonging, this conversation explores why language matters, how representation shapes confidence, and what becomes possible when a community refuses to give up. This episode is not just about education, it is about visibility, legacy, and building a future where Assyrian culture is seen, valued, and passed on. Niles Township High School District 219: https://www.niles219.org/  Instagram: @d219assyrian Facebook: D219 Suraye Books/Resources:D219 Assyrian Website - https://sites.google.com/d219.org/d219assyrian/home Textbook: Lishani by Rabi Anwar Atto

Episode 213: ChatGPT In the latest episode of the Assyrian Podcast, we sat down with ChatGPT for a unique and thought-provoking conversation. From intriguing to controversial questions, I explore how AI navigates complex topics, its perspectives on Assyrian culture, and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. Tune in for a fascinating dialogue that bridges technology and humanity!

Episode 212: Christina Salem is the director of ACS Mental Health, an author, and an entrepreneur. She is from West Bloomfield, Michigan, and is an active member of the Assyrian community in Michigan. Her hard work ethic inspires all aspiring entrepreneurs who strive to give back to their community. In this interview, Christina talks about ACS Mental Health, Salem’s Vision, and her book, this girl i met in the bathroom. Tune in to hear her insights from her experiences! ACS Mental Health website: acsmentalhealth.org  @acs.mentalhealth Website: Salemsvision.com @salemsvision @thisgirlimetinthebathroom  Also on amazon and at brilliant books in traverse city Michigan and Schuler books in west Bloomfield Michigan.

Episode 211 - Arim Hawsho is an Assyrian writer and researcher based in Stockholm, where he lives with his wife and three kids. With a passion for exploring ancient Assyrian culture through food, history, and daily life, Arim connects the past with the present. His upcoming cookbook, Table of Gods, features over 60 recipes inspired by the flavors of ancient Mesopotamia. Through his work, Arim aims to make the rich heritage of Assyria accessible and engaging for modern audiences.  Guest: Arim Hawsho Title: Table of Gods Website: https://www.tableofgods.com/Socials: @ TableofGods

Episode 210 - Diane Patheiu is an accomplished journalist and news anchor, with a career in broadcast media. From her early steps in the newsroom to becoming a trusted voice in Chicago, Diane shares her journey in broadcast media, insights on the changing landscape of journalism, and the pivotal moments that shaped her path. Plus, she opens up about deeply personal experiences, including her husband’s battle with brain cancer and navigating infertility. Tune in for a episode filled with resilience, cultural pride, and the power of storytelling.    @dianepathieu

Episode 209 - Join us as we dive into vital themes like vocation and calling, the church's role in our communities, and the unity between the Assyrian and Chaldean churches. We’ll hear from Father Peter Patros and Father Andrew Aziz about their personal ministries, the challenges they face, and contemporary issues affecting our faith. Plus, they'll share valuable advice for navigating life's complexities. Fr. Peter Patros is the youngest of six children and the only one born in the United States. Raised in San Diego, he entered Mar Abba Seminary after high school and was ordained a priest in December 2018.  After serving in San Diego, Turlock and Ceres, he currently serves as pastor at Mar Abraham Chaldean Catholic Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. Fr. Andrew Aziz was born and raised in Modesto, California on July 23, 1995. In 2006, he and his younger brother and parents moved to Arizona. He became an active member at Mar Yosip Khnanisho Parish’s Youth association, where he began studying for the diaconate in 2009 and served as the parish’s youth president for 5 years. He was ordained a priest by His Holiness Mar Awa III Catholicos-Patriarch on June 30, 2024, and serves as the Youth Overseer in the Diocese of Western USA.Tune in for insights that resonate! 🙏

Episode 208 - In this episode, two couples discuss how they found their Assyrian partner online and you’ll get to hear from a new matchmaking initiative, MesoMatchmaker, aimed at bringing Assyrian matches together in an intentional and thoughtful way. Website: https://www.mesomatchmaker.com/

Episode 207 - Dilan Adamat - In this enlightening episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Dilan Adamat, the founder of The Return—a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting returnees to Assyria.  Dilan shares the inspiring story behind The Return and its mission to preserve the ancestral heritage of Assyrians. We delve into the challenges faced by returnees—whether they're second- or third-generation young people reconnecting with their roots, families recently displaced, investors, or retirees seeking peace in their homeland. The Return offers personalized support ranging from language courses and professional networking to providing a home base for stays, making the complex journey of returning home a tangible reality. Website: https://the-return.co/ Instagram: The Return  LinkedIn: The Return

Episode 206 - Paul Elia: Is an standup comedian from Detroit, Michigan. Among the few Chaldean-Assyrians in Hollywood, the Iraqi-American artist has appeared in dozens of films and television shows including Ramy, Lady Dynamite and is perhaps best known for his recurring roles on TBS’s Conan, appearing in over a dozen sketches. With fellow comedian and collaborator Matt Rife, the duo created LowKey Comedy Show which is considered one of the top independent comedy shows today. In addition to LCS, Paul is producing Matt’s next Netflix comedy special Natural Selection while Matt is executive producing Paul’s comedy special debut Detroit Player. He has multiple viral clips and has over 60M+ views across all social media which include his stand up, sketches, and crowd work clips.

Episode 205 – Baneta, Romta and Dilan are young adults living in the homeland of Northern Iraq. They combine their various backgrounds and experiences to share with you some honest and raw insights on what it’s like to be an Assyrian living in the homeland. They dive into questions of cultural identity and heritage, the challenges faced and opportunities available for Assyrians in the homeland, their connection to the diaspora, and their aspirations for the future. They candidly describe the fatigue often felt by Assyrians in the homeland, as well as the difficult question of whether to stay or to leave.

Episode Description 204 - Dr. Sandra Solaiman was born in Abadan, Iran, and earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Urmieh in the early 70’s. She immigrated to the United States on a student visa to continue her education at UC Davis. Various life circumstances led her to the midwest then the South where she earned her PhD from University of Missouri in Animal Sciences, with a focus on goats and goat nutrition. She has received many prestigious awards throughout her career and served as an important figure in the world of goat sciences. Her textbook has been translated into many languages. In this episode, we talk about the importance of education in her life, her upbringing, and her role as a mother.

Episode 203 - Mark Michael guided DevHub.com through venture-backed Series A, A1, and completed the acquisition of Brickwork Software, adding Nike, Chanel, and David Yurman among leading Fortune 1000 companies powered through DevHub’s OEM and VAR channels. He continues to lead DevHub as CEO. Through his role as the CEO of DevHub, Mark works with multi-location brands of all sizes - from emerging brands to established franchises and portfolio brands, to help them own their digital presence. 📱 DevHub's location-based approach allows brands to easily manage and scale their platform through the core of their digital marketing strategy - their website. From corporate sites to local pages, landing pages, microsites, franchise development sites, and more, Mark and the DevHub team have partnered with 75+ technologies so that DevHub customers can integrate with their chosen providers seamlessly, scale freely, and drive growth like never before. 🚀 Join us as we dive into Mark's journey, exploring his digital leadership and the influence of his Assyrian heritage. https://www.devhub.com/  https://www.markmichael.org/  https://www.linkedin.com/company/devhub-com

Episode 202 - Emil Brikha - a former DJ, music producer, and spoken word artist turned dad. But not just any kind of dad, a stay-at-home Dad. Emil was born in Iran to Assyrian parents and raised in Sweden. He met the love of his life while living and working in Malta.  As a self-described “odd man out” Emil talks to us about the intuitive decision within his marriage to be primary caregiver and society’s response to it. We learn about his views on fatherhood, the importance of connecting with our children, and the surprising bit of parenthood that involves re-connecting with ourselves. Emil documented a lot of his early fatherhood journey as Fatherologist with a YouTube presence showing a playful and involved view of parenthood. He is the proud father of 9 year-old Ean and 5 year-old Allegra and lives in Malaga, Spain with his family.

Episode 201 - Meet Lisa Mirza Grotts, “The Golden Rules Gal,” a renowned etiquette expert, author, and public speaker. She has 25 years of experience in helping individuals navigate social situations to present themselves with confidence and poise. Lisa has gained recognition for her expertise in traditional and modern manners. She dispenses pearls of wisdom to provide guidance with civility, consideration and compassion on various aspects of etiquette such as table manners, communication skills, and professional decorum. In this episode, we explore Lisa's upbringing as an Assyrian and how the values instilled in her from a young age have been the compass to her life. We also delve into her journey toward becoming an etiquette expert and share some practical do's and don'ts for social events, ranging from weddings to housewarmings. www.lisagrotts.com

Episode 200 - Paul Elia IG & Tik Tok: @pauleliacomedy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Pauleliacomedy  Is an LA-based standup comedian from Detroit, Michigan. Among the few Chaldean-Assyrians in Hollywood, the Iraqi-American artist has appeared in dozens of films and television shows including Ramy, Lady Dynamite and is perhaps best known for his recurring roles on TBS’s Conan, appearing in over a dozen sketches. With fellow comedian and collaborator Matt Rife, the duo created LowKey Comedy Show which is considered one of the top independent comedy shows today. In addition to LCS, Paul is producing Matt’s next Netflix comedy special Natural Selection while Matt is executive producing Paul’s comedy special debut Detroit Player. He has multiple viral clips and has over 60M+ views across all social media which include his stand up, sketches, and crowd work clips.

Episode 199 - Paul Gabriel, Kristin Mar-Elia, Anthony Narsi, and Arbella Maisom have all had to experience the loss of a parent, one has lost both. In this episode, we discuss coping with the loss of a parent, and how difficult it can be. There’s no “normal” path or timeline to navigate one's life after losing their mother or father.  Everyone deals with it in their own way. But taking steps to understand your emotions and find support can make the process a little easier.

We are re-releasing Episode 191 in honor of Obelit “Obie” Yadgar who passed away on August 30th 2023. We are so thankful we had the opportunity to get to know Obie before he passed away. There was great strength and inspiration felt in every word that he spoke to us. Obie's legacy and impact on the world are profound. His radiant spirit, indomitable will, and the melodies of his voice continue to reverberate in the hearts of many. We deeply feel his absence, and he remains a beacon of inspiration and love in our memories.  Born in Baghdad and nurtured in Tehran, Obie made his journey to the U.S. in 1957, laying roots as a remarkable Assyrian-American radio voice in Glendale, Wisconsin. He etched his mark as a combat correspondent for the US Army's 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam between 1967-68. This episode invites listeners into Obie's poignant tales from Vietnam, his undying passion for music and radio, and the deeply personal stories of losing his cherished mother and wife. Additionally, we explore his distinctive views on the art of shaving.

Episode 197 - George Piro was born in Lebanon and immigrated to the United States in the 1970’s. After adjusting to life in Turlock, CA with his parents and siblings, he enlisted in the Air Force at 18 and eventually joined the FBI. He is best known for being the special agent in charge of interrogating Saddam Hussein, a process that lasted 7 months. In this episode we discuss the influence of his Assyrian upbringing, his time serving overseas, and the heavy lift of interrogating Saddam Hussein.

Episode 196 - Matthew Joudeh hosts an LGBTQ+ panel of Assyrians who openly share their unique experiences of being members of the LGBTQ+ community. Matthew leads the discussion, providing a safe space for these individuals to express their stories, challenges, and triumphs. Join us as we delve into the intersectionality of their Assyrian heritage and LGBTQ+ identities, fostering understanding, empathy, and unity within our community. This powerful episode aims to amplify voices and promote inclusivity, creating a platform for diverse narratives to be heard. Matthew Joudeh, born and raised in Turlock, Ca! Working and a full time student, at CSU Stanislaus! In this episode we discuss the importance of being an Assyrian LGBTQ ally and also the struggles that some of us have faced during the process of finding ourselves and coming out!  Rhoda Nazanin is an Assyrian Christian born in Isfahan, Iran. She immigrated to Los Angeles, CA with her family in 1993. After living in LA for 29 years, Rhoda moved to St. Louis, MO with her wife, Sarah in spring of 2022. Rhoda is a former Assembly of God pastor and congressional candidate for CA’s 27th district.  Andre Shamoon is an Assyrian catholic born and raised in Turlock Ca. He is a proud transman who loves to spend time with family and friends or go to the gym!  Yeshua (ܝܫܘܥ) is a standup comedian living in New York City. He LOVES talking about being Assyrian to anyone and everyone. He talks about being Assyrian and Gay in his standup, hoping it will bring awareness of his Assyrian culture to the world; and to Assyrians, unity within the culture. Yeshua grew up in Turlock, CA and studied at UC Berkeley. Above all else, he loves proving to anyone that the singular strongest common bond every single culture on earth shares is diversity. And, indeed, diversity is God's work, and if you protest God's work then you are saying you know better than God. And you do not. Chris is an out and proud Assyrian from Chicago who currently lives in LA. A passionate cook, everyone Chris befriends is immediately force fed dolma and rice. As an actor, he loves turning Middle Eastern stereotypes on their heads with his web series @WahabbiBobbi. He's thrilled to have participated in this conversation and to connect with other queer Assyrians.  Bernadet Yaghobian is an Assyrian, Armenian, Iranian Christian. She was born in Iran and immigrated to California in 2000. She’s a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has a private practice and also works at a non-profit, providing mental health services to unhoused population. She also has an unconditional love for elephants.

Episode 1 - Missed Opportunities is the first essay from our new podcast series, Musing with My Samovar with Obie Yadgar. In this episode, Obie recalls three individuals from his past and muses on conversations that were never had: an Assyrian man he met once who had been imprisoned in Siberia, a well-dressed stranger at the airport, and his uncle Rabi Benyamin Arsenos.

Episode 195 - Mattico David is an Assyrian-American actor born and raised in Flint, MI. He is a veteran of the stage and has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway and regional theatrical productions.A graduate of the University of Michigan’s Theatre Performance program, Mattico was a founding member of the Flint City Theatre and a regular performer at Jeff Daniel’s Purple Rose Theatre Co., in Chelsea, MI. In this episode we discuss his upbringing, the audition to rehearsal process, and what working with other Assyrian artists has meant to him.

Episode 194 – Dr. George Marano. Dr. Marano is an esteemed expert in geopolitics and a distinguished writer for the South China Morning Post, Asia's premier English-language newspaper. Throughout our conversation, Dr. Marano shares his unique insights and perspectives on the complex dynamics of geopolitics. With a focus on the Assyrian experience as a dispossessed people, we explore the historical context and contemporary implications of intersecting empires. One of the central themes we discuss is the pursuit of freedom through wealth, drawing inspiration from the empowering message of self-sufficiency and empowerment embodied by movements like the Black Panther movement. Dr. Marano highlights the importance of understanding geopolitics in our quest for personal and collective liberation. Join us as we delve into this captivating conversation, shedding light on the intricate interplay between geopolitics and the Assyrian community's plight. Don't miss out on this thought-provoking episode!

Episode 193 - Mikhail Benjamin was born in 1969 in the valley of Nahla, in northern Iraq. He is a teacher, human rights activist, and the chairman of the Alliance of Iraqi Minorities Network. He advocates for minority rights and land rights for Assyrians in Iraq. Listen to this episode to learn more about how he works torward real political participation, preservation of heritage, and implementation of educational changes in curricula to highlight the presence of Assyrians in Iraq.

Episode 192 - William D.S. Daniel can be considered an Assyrian icon in our modern day history. He was a prolific Assyrian writer, musician, and composer, credited with creating some of the earliest original Assyrian music and responsible for the artistic and cultural advancement of his people. He also created the “Epic of Kateeni Gabbara” that not only revived a dying Assyrian epic, but also exposed the beauty and potentiality of the modern Assyrian language as a medium of poetry and dramatic expression. The epic is written in three volumes and contains over 7,000 verses. In this episode, Dr. Arianne Ishaya, the author of William Daniel’s biography, “William Daniel, the Portrait of an Assyrian Icon”, takes us through the journey of his life and legacy.  About the guest:  Dr. Arianne Ishaya was born in Urmia - a town in Northwestern Iran with a large Assyrian population.  She obtained her master’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Manitoba, and her Ph.D. from UCLA in Cultural Anthropology. Her publications include: “New Lamps for Old”, which documents the remarkable history of the Assyrian colony in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada. The Assyrians were among the very first settlers of the region. The family histories in this book reveal the success story of a people who built a human chain across thousands of miles and gradually reunited separated husbands and wives, parents and offspring, and reconstituted their families.    The detailed family histories in another of her publications, “Familiar Faces in Unfamiliar Places” take the reader to the world at large from where the members of this dispersed refugee nation have come together to form the Turlock-Modesto colony in the heartland of California. It contains poignant accounts of a people who started out with modest beginnings; but whether they came as penniless hopefuls in search of farmland, or traumatized refugees from the Middle East, they worked hard and were able to establish themselves as a stable and even well-to-do part of the Turlock-Modesto community.   She wrote the biography of William Daniel titled “William Daniel, Portrait of An Assyrian Icon” published in 2015. Her most recent works are a reprint of the three volumes of “Kateeni Gabbara”, and “Discourse on the Spelling Method in The Assyrian Language” by William Daniel published in 2022. She also translated “The Last Days of Atla Kandi” by Eddie Davoud from Farsi into English published in 2022. Currently, she is working on documenting the post-World War I history of Assyrians in the two towns of Hamadan and Kermanshah, Iran.   You can connect with Dr. Arianne Ishaya at arian_ishaya@yahoo.com    To inquire about purchasing William Daniel’s poetry books, “The Epic of Kateeni Gabbara”, “William Daniel, Portrait of An Assyrian Icon”, and/or others, please reach out to info@aaasj.org.  Episode musical references:  Kubelik: Dvorak - Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"  William Daniel’s, “Spinning Wheel” sung by Lorraine Davis William Daniel’s, “Nineveh” sung by Janelle Yausif   Audio of the Epic of Kateeni Gabbara   Outro:  Tribute to William Daniel: speech by William Daniel (1986) William Daniel’s, “Marganita” sung by Albert Shahbaz William Daniel’s “Lullaby” sung by Christina (Tina) Boosahda Harrell William Daniel’s, “Shara” sung by Water Aziz  Other resources: https://www.assyrianfoundation.org/files/2003-1new.pdf  https://www.qeenatha.com/artists/WilliamDaniel/92/  https://www.assyrianfoundation.org/files/2000-3.pdf

Episode 191 - Obelit “Obie” Yadgar is an Assyrian-American radio personality from Glendale, Wisconsin. He was born in Baghdad, Iraq. Raised in Tehran, he moved to the United States in 1957. He was drafted into the US Army's 4th Infantry Division, serving as a combat correspondent in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. In this episode we talk about his time in Vietnam, his connection to music and the radio, the loss of his mom and wife, and the art of shaving.

Episode 190 - Rachel Sarah Thomas is an Assyrian American singer and songwriter hailing from the Windy City of Chicago, Illinois. Born to Assyrian parents, she was raised with a deep appreciation for her cultural roots, and grew up speaking and writing in Neo-Aramaic - a language that most people believe is extinct. Immersed in the dance, liturgical, and folk music traditions of her Assyrian family, she soon discovered her passion for music. Thomas spent years exploring her musical identity in the vibrant independent music scene of Chicago. She embarked on her electrifying pop project, KSRA, and collaborated with esteemed artists such as Thelonious Martin and NYLO, and even worked with rap legend Talib Kweli. She also produced a record with the Grammy-winning duo, Tha Bizness. Despite her success, she realized there wasn't a space where she felt fully represented. So, she created her newest project, Sheekar, a bold and dynamic collection of Assyrian folkloric and pop music from Iraq, Iran, and Syria, fused with American musical traditions such as funk, soul, and rock n' roll.Sheekar (pronounced She Cɛr) is a celebration of Rachel's blended identity, a powerful East-meets-West fusion that proudly showcases the beauty and richness of her culture. Her music is a testament to the shared experiences of people from different backgrounds, and she hopes to inspire non-Assyrian people to appreciate and enjoy her culture while also introducing Assyrian people to a fresh and exciting take on their own music. Rachel's first single, "Shara," from her upcoming EP Sheekar, is set to be released in May of 2023 IG: therealrachelsarah Spotify & FB: Rachel Sarah Thomas

Episode 189 - Attiya Gamri is a Dutch politician from the Labour party in the Netherlands. She was born in Arbo, Tur Abdin and has been involved in Assyrian causes from a young age. Attiya was one of the founding members of the Assyrian Federation of the Netherlands and was the first chairwoman of the Assyrian Confederation of Europe.

Episode 188 - Stephanie Khio is a published author and poet. She hosts monthly creative writing & somatic workshops. She has a Bachelor’s of Art in Creative Writing & Philosophy from Roosevelt University (2014) and is certified in MindBody Therapy from Embodied Philosophy.We are excited to have her on the Assyrian Podcast! In this week's episode of the Assyrian Podcast, we’ll be learning more about Stephanie, our bodies, and what it looks like to listen to our body.  Website: www.https://stephaniekhio.com/ Insta: @stephaniekhio You can also find Stephanie sharing Assyrian recipes @babasganoush

Episode 187 - This episode features Dr. Peter, Lily, Sharokina, Ninos, & Marganita who advocate for the usage of Assyrian names. You’ll hear about naming conventions and the historical context for the popularity of certain names among Assyrians during different time periods and how the naming tradition has evolved and continues to evolve to this day. You’ll also learn about a few resources aimed to help anyone looking for Assyrian names - for children, businesses, etc.  Assyrian Name Resources:  "One Thousand Assyrian Names" by Raman Bitshamoon (written in the Assyrian language) http://www.lulu.com/shop/raman-bit-shamoon/one-thousand-assyrian-names/paperback/product-20740111.html  www.brikha.net names.betkanu.com Assyrian Historical Names for Male and Female” by Michael Younan (written in Assyrian and English) http://assyrianapp.com/portfolio-items/assyrian-book-names/  Assyrian Historical Names for Male and Female by Michael Alexan Younan

Episode 186 - Ninos Dankha, professionally known by his stage name, Prince of Assyria, is a musical artist, songwriter, and producer living in Stockholm, Sweden. Born in Baghdad, Ninos and his family fled to Sweden when he was under a year old. He has released three studio albums starting with Missing Note in 2009, Changing Places in 2014, and 3rd Level in 2020. In all three, his music seamlessly fuses together the many layers of his identity and brings to life the stories that he has lived. In this episode, we talk about the face behind Prince of Assyria, the losses he has endured, and the car accident that shifted his focus; leading him on the path of making music. Website: https://princeofassyria.com/ Instagram: @princeofassyria Spotify: Prince of Assyria

Episode 185 - Katie Acuña is an Assyrian bodybuilder from the Bay Area, California. She began competing in the Spring of 2022 and went pro in October of 2022 after which she was featured on the cover of Inspire Magazine. In this episode, Katie talks about what it takes to become a bodybuilder and some of the difficulties versus rewards. Katie hopes to compete again; potentially in the fall of 2023. We discuss the importance of being active and having proper nutrition, but also having a balance, and the challenges in  putting your body through extreme training. Tune in to learn more about the day in the life of a pro bodybuilder!

Episode 184 - On this  episode of the Assyrian Podcast, Steve and Adessa take a walk down memory lane as they reflect on the past five years of the Assyrian podcasting journey. In this special episode, they delve into what worked, what could have been better, and share some fascinating stories that have helped shape the podcast's growth. As part of their celebration, they invite some of the hosts to join in the fun and share their favorite interview moments. Listeners will get to hear the unique perspectives and insights from the show's top contributors. As an added treat, the episode includes the top five most downloaded episodes, providing a glimpse into what topics and conversations resonated most with listeners. Join Steve and Adessa as they celebrate their journey and take you behind the scenes of the Assyrian Podcast.

Episode 183 - Andre David is a retired Major League Baseball player who played for the Minnesota Twins in the 1980’s. He played in 38 games and had 13 hits with 1 home run and a .245 batting average during his career. His sole home run was hit during his first official at bat in the Major Leagues. Andre currently serves as the assistant hitting coach for the Kansas City Royals.

Episode 182 - Tenise Marie is an Assyrian Canadian singer-songwriter, performer, and recording artist based in Nelson, British Columbia. She grew up in the remote community of Argenta. In this episode, we discuss her and her family’s fascinating journey in putting the pieces together of their Assyrian heritage and what the journey has been like.  Her songwriting is influenced by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Amy Winehouse, and Allison Russell. Tenise has been performing for the last ten years, touring Western Canada for the last five, playing instruments since high school, and singing for as long as she can remember.  She earned a diploma in Contemporary Music & Technology from Selkirk College, where she studied Vocal Performance. A multi-instrumentalist, but a vocalist first, Tenise primarily sings in Folk, Soul, Jazz, and Pop styles. As a young adult, she sang in two local youth choirs: Corazon and Lalin, where she first developed an affinity for vocal harmony, performed World Music, and became comfortable approaching new languages through song. More recently, Tenise joined the Assyrian Arts Institute’s vocal ensemble "Assyrian Women".  Tenise is also the Director of Human Resources at the Kaslo Jazz Etc. Festival, a music festival showcasing Jazz, Folk, Blues, and Funk performances from around the world in a scenic, mountainous outdoor venue.  Note: This episode addresses adoption trauma Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenise.marie/  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ZVSZBiHqVdAhXIevVL9dV?si=IJGBDxqOQpOcDbdkf73Gog  Website: www.tenisemariemusic.com  “Aghalare” Cover: https://youtu.be/J81annidbUU  December 3rd San Jose Assyrian Women concert: https://assyrianartsinstitute.ticketleap.com/joy-of-christmas-choral-concert/dates/Dec-03-2022_at_0700PM  Kaslo Jazz Etc. Festival: https://kaslojazzfest.com

Episode 181 - Carmen Lazar was born in Tehran, Iran and migrated to Australia in 1971. After teaching at the Assyrian School in Sydney and serving in the Assyrian Australian Association, Carmen then became the lead for the Assyrian Resource Centre (ARC), established by the Association to serve and empower Assyrians recently arrived in Australia. Carmen has worked at the ARC for over 20 years, helping thousands of Assyrian families settle in Australia. In this interview, she discusses the many rewarding moments in her work, as well as challenging topics such as domestic abuse and how she’s created opportunities for more people to feel comfortable to speak up. Socials: FB: Assyrian Resource Centre - Assyrian Australian Association | Facebook   Assyrian Resource Centre — Assyrian Australian Association

Episode 180 - Annukina Warda is a long-time policy analyst from Sydney, Australia. She explores ancestral recollection, recovery and renewal for Indigenous Peoples facing mass displacement from their traditional homelands, and cultural and linguistic erasure.  Annukina provokes a cultural re-emergence through storytelling. She grapples with the themes of memory and loss through the famous Assyrian myth “The Descent of Ishtar to the Underworld”. Annukina uses a unique combination of collective storytelling, collage, and decolonial map-making to support a redefinition of Assyrian cultural identity on her own terms.  Her passion project, the Assyrian Priestess, can be found on Instagram @the_assyrian_priestess or on Patreon: TheAssyrianPriestess Patreon: patreon.com/theassyrianpriestess/posts Instagram: @the_assyrian_priestess

Episode 179 - For Assyrians, volunteering is not just something optional but necessary to keep our communities tight knit and allow us to grow closely within our heritage. In this episode, we hear from different perspectives on the how and the whys of contributing and volunteering in the Assyrian community.  Guests: Rami Noori, Melissa Farhad, Sargon Younadim, Marna Khamis, Shemeram Khoshaba, and Rochelle Yousefian.

Episode 178 - Martin Yousif Zebari was born in Iraq and immigrated to the US in 2002. While attending Niles North High School in Skokie, IL, he began studying theater and acting, which led him to pursue acting in college, both in Illinois and abroad in England. In this episode, we talk about his upbringing, pursuit-of acting, and broader topics like intersectionality, storytelling, queerness, and his play Laylina, which opens at the Goodman in Chicago in March 2023.  martinyousifzebari.com https://www.instagram.com/martinyousifzebari  https://www.facebook.com/people/Martin-Yousif-Zebari/1435143504/

Episode 177 - Babylonia Bhugwansing is an Assyrian intercultural coach and speaker for women from the Middle East and beyond. She was born and raised in Germany and now lives in Rotterdam, Netherlands with her husband and two kids. They are a mixed family of multicultural backgrounds, Assyrian and Surinamese. During the Covid Pandemic, she quit her corporate job in order to do what she felt she was always meant to do: to work with women, helping them overcome their fears and trauma that stand in their way of feeling confident in expressing their most authentic selves.  You can contact her via Instagram: @iambabylonia_b or through her website: www.babylonia-b.world

Episode 176 - Ken Ibrahim has worked for over two decades at the emerging intersection of technology and art spanning a career in film, games, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and robotics. His career includes being a Visual FX Technical Director at numerous studios on some of the highest grossing movie franchises to date including Star Wars, Star Trek, The Matrix, Pirates of the Caribbean, Transformers and Shrek as well as being a software tool developer for games teams at SEGA on breakout hits such as SEGA Rally Championship for which he also provided the voice. Ken has a computer engineering degree and began his career in Japan where he worked as a programmer and application engineer. In his free time he has joined archaeological teams around the world performing digital scanning of ancient structures for cultural preservation, developed Assyrian-themed Snapchat and Instagram AR filters with over half a million views, created a Japanese word of the day Twitter app with 25K followers and makes electronic music in his home studio.   Twitter: @twittiamo Instagram: @awdemo Web: https://imdb.me/kenibrahim Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kenneth-ibrahim/sets/shuri-ken-tracks   Snapchat Assyrian Face Flag Filter: https://lens.snapchat.com/3586de377b734161a5577240180e6dfe?sender_web_id=6d3829f7-3f4f-43af-9ad3-4333f5ce47df&device_type=desktop&is_copy_url=true   Instagram Assyrian Face Flag Filter:https: //www.instagram.com/ar/1498809973876772/

Episode - 175 Barseen Oshana was born in Sydney, Australia and heads the Assyrian Students Association of Australia. The ASAA is an independent student-led organisation that facilitates the presence of Assyrians at universities in Australia, as well as coordinating external events to bring Assyrian students together. He also serves as a board member of the Assyrian Australian Association and has been involved in the Assyrian Football community in Australia. Barseen works in the construction sector and enjoys watching his beloved Fairfield Bulls. Socials: FB: @AustraliaASA IG: @asaaustralia   Home | Assyrian Students' Association of Australia (square.site)

Episode 174 - “O.D.”, more simply known as Oditte, is a Certified Personal Trainer in Canada. Prior to becoming a personal trainer, O.D. attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on a NCAA Division I Basketball scholarship where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. From the combined experiences of her athletic life and academic life comes her personal philosophy: to help ourselves, we must work from the inside out - in order to achieve our goals, we must train our mind first and our body second. It’s that same mentality that she brings to personal training, helping her clients combine physical and mental training to achieve their highest potential.  Before establishing her fitness brand @bodybyod, Oditte Odisho played at the highest level of College Basketball despite the obstacles in her way. Learn more about how her journey from Tel Tamer to Ontario and all over the US shaped who she is today.

Episode 173 - Dr. Emil Anton is a theologian and author living just outside Helsinki, Finland. He has published four books in Finnish with the last diving into the cultural and religious history of ancient Mesopotamia and modern day Iraq. Through his book “Kahden virran maa” (The Land Between Two Streams) and his many published articles, Emil is unearthing his own past in real time. In this episode we talk about his spiritual awakening in Poland and the many steps that led him on a path of theology and later converged with him discovering his own ancient roots.  Website: https://emilanton.com/ Instagram: @emilchristiananton Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emil.anton Twitter: @EmilAnton5 This episode is sponsored by @theoushanapartners -- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 173 - Ramina Odicho is a content creator and comedian born and raised in Chicago IL. She writes, acts, and produces comedy sketches on social media and many of her videos are inspired by Assyrian culture, traditions, and taboos. Many RaminaRated videos are either in Assyrian or a mixture of Assyrian and English. She has recently started performing stand-up comedy and has been traveling to different cities with significant Assyrian populations.  Website: RaminaRated.com TikTok: Ramina_Rated Instagram: Ramina_Rated Facebook: Ramina Rated This episode is sponsored by @theoushanapartners -- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 171 - Maria Nissan is an Assyrian Environmental Artist. Residing in Jordan, Maria’s passions in art and the environment merge as she turns Jordan’s plastic waste into art. In this episode we discuss Maria’s life and what led her to become an artist and then soon after an environmental artist.  Instagram: @marianissanart and @microplasticsjo  Facebook: @MariaNissanArt  Website:  https://www.marianissanart.com/  This episode is sponsored by @theoushanapartners -- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 170 - Dalia Ashurina is the current resident director of The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. She was born in Turlock, CA, and found her love for theater early in life. In this episode, we discuss her Assyrian upbringing, her experiences in theater, and how she hopes to write a musical that showcases the joys of her community.  https://www.instagram.com/YOUR_GAL_DAL/  https://www.daliaashurina.com/ https://twitter.com/your_gal_dal  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 169 - Henry Wooster is the U.S. Ambassador to Jordan; he also happens to be an Assyrian! In this episode, you’ll hear about his life and upbringing, his work as a diplomat, and how he and and his family have honored his mother and her legacy through the “Rita's First-Gen Scholarship”; a scholarship that is intended to change the life of a student who will be the first in their family to attend and graduate university. https://jo.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/ambassador/  https://bold.org/scholarships/rita-scholarship/  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 168 - Poulyana Pazand-Srouji is a Partner for a Healthcare Organization, Children’s Book Author and Adoption/Fertility Coach. She is a mother to a sweet little boy that she and her husband adopted when he was just a few hours old. Her struggles with fertility over the years encouraged her to be an advocate for couples who are struggling with fertility and to raise awareness around a topic so many shy away from especially within the Assyrian community. In 2020, she returned to school to work towards becoming a Psychotherapist to help support couples and women who are struggling with fertility. She is also the author of the following books; I prayed, GOD ANSWERED which is a children’s story centered around faith, hope and love and My First Assyrian Color Translation Book which offers individuals and families an opportunity to read in Assyrian with an English translation. The book will encourage the younger generation who may not have an opportunity to learn the Assyrian language instantaneously. Website: www.poulyana.com IG: poulyanapazandsrouji

Episode 167 - This week's guests all recently went on a remarkable journey :  a journey to the Assyrian homeland in Iraq. Esther, Dylan, Roxanne, Alan, Stephanie, and Sargon share their feelings and experiences traveling through their ancestral homeland and describe how this journey has changed their Assyrian identity.  This episode is sponsored by @theoushanapartners -- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 166 - Aril Brikha was born in Tehran, Iran, before migrating to Jönköping, Sweden as a child. He grew up in Sweden and inspired by his parents, Depeche Mode and a keyboard, found himself making electronic music. He got signed onto the famous Detroit techno label Fragile, associated with Detroit legend Derrick May. He found himself regularly touring in front of thousands, with a long list of future releases, remixes and productions. Despite his success in the world of electronic music, Aril remains a passionate Assyrian – and we talk about his family history, his career, and his thoughts on what his Assyrian identity means to him. Aril Brikha - Wikipedia Aril Brikha (@arilbrikha) • Instagram photos and videos Aril Brikha live @ Fuse-In Detroit - YouTube SECRET WEAPONS with ARIL BRIKHA (EB.TV) - YouTube ARIL BRIKHA ▪ FULL LIVE SET at 909 FESTIVAL 2018 | remastered audio - YouTube This episode is sponsored by @theoushanapartners -- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 165 - Evelyn Anoya was born in Baghdad, Iraq. Her parents immigrated to the United States in early 1980. She graduated from DePaul College of Law in 2001 with a Juris Doctor and Certificate in International Law. Since graduating from law school, Evelyn spent 20 years as an international civil servant employed with international tribunals in The Hague, Netherlands. She is specialized in international justice with a focus on judicial administration, capacity strengthening and governance of international organizations.  From 2017 to 2021, she led the Division of Judicial Services at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (“STL”). Ms. Anoya initially joined the STL in 2009 to serve as the Registry’s Senior Legal Adviser. Ms. Anoya worked at the United Nation’s International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (“ICTY”) since September 2001, holding various positions within the Registry. She was the Registry Court Officer at the ICTY on the Prosecutor v. Slobodan Milošević case and during the defense phase of the case was assigned as the Registry Pro se Legal Liaison Officer, acting as a conduit between the Court and the self-represented Accused. She is currently an international consultant with Axiom International Limited supporting a counter-terrorism justice project in Iraq. Due to the nature of Evelyn’s work and sensitive information, you may notice some fade outs and fade ins between her recollections. Thank you for your patience.  This episode is sponsored by @theoushanapartners -- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 164 - David A. Armstrong is an Assyrian-American cinematographer, film producer and director. He is best known for his work on the first six installments of the Saw franchise, and has also directed the films Pawn and The Assassin's Code. David is also the author of Dragons and Violins, a memoir of war and music. Dragons and Violins tells the story of his grandfather’s journey through life, which covers the Assyrian Genocide, immigrating to American, World War II, and much more.  Instagram: assyrian_memoir  Website: https://www.dragonsandviolins.com/  This episode is sponsored by @theoushanapartners -- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 163 - This week’s guests all have something in common: they’re all from different cultural backgrounds and married to Assyrians. In this episode, Nick, Atsushi, Lundi, Celia and Dylan reflect on their experiences marrying into the Assyrian culture. We discuss everything from their first impressions to their challenges and everything in between. This episode is not one to miss! This episode is sponsored by @theoushanapartners -- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 162 - Making Room for Atheism with Mathew Sharif Mathew Sharif is a first generation Assyrian-American. He was born and raised in the technologically and culturally rich city of San Jose, California. Mathew’s parents met and married in America and raised Mathew in an Assyrian household.  Even though Mathew was raised in an Assyrian church, he went the unconventional route of choosing atheism as his truth. Mathew took his questions beyond the church walls and discovered a more authentic explanation for our existence. He was able to read from like free thinkers and find like minded individuals who helped form and refine his perspective. Having taken Philosophy courses at California State University Stanislaus, Mathew’s understanding of the world continued to evolve and today he is a proud atheist.  Mathew loves traveling the world while learning about different cultures and perspectives. Mathew’s mindset is to live for today, plan for tomorrow. He hopes there will be more after this life, but he isn’t counting on it. He claims it isn’t easy to embrace life without belief in the divine, but it just makes more sense. Lastly, Mathew loves taking his dog, “Lucifer” out for long walks at the park.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 161 - Robert Noghli is a drummer who began his musical career in Iran before the Islamic Revolution. Under the tutorage of an Armenian drummer, he worked on his craft and began playing with some of the giants of Persian pop music like Ebi, Googoosh, and Dariush. After moving to the United States, he worked with various Assyrian singers like Linda George, Walter Aziz, Shamiram Urshan, and Ogen Betsamo to record some of their most legendary albums in the 1980’s, as he continued to perform and record for various Persian singers as well. In this episode we discuss how he came to play the drums, how his knowledge of Assyrian music has helped shape him into the musician he is today, and what he thinks of the current state of Assyrian music. This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com ANB SAT Documentary: https://youtu.be/ASDwHGbsaHw

Episode 157 – Nineb Toma is best known as Nineb Lamassu. Born in Kirkuk, his family and him fled to Iran in 1986 and later settled in New Zealand. His hardships as a refugee and the culture shock he experienced as an immigrant in New Zealand had a deep impact on him, inspiring him to take pen to paper and write poetry.  Poet, organic academic, politician and peace builder, Nineb’s passion is to work for the Assyrian people; a work that was recently put into question by, what Nineb calls, an attempt at character assassination. Tune in to hear more!  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 159 - Dr. Sargon Donabed is an associate professor of history at Roger Williams University. He holds a PhD in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations from the University of Toronto and a MSci from Canisius College in Anthrozoology/Animal Studies. He also serves as one of the Board of Directors for the Assyrian Studies Association.  Donabed is one of the foremost experts on the perennial history of Assyria-Mesopotamia and its heritage. His recent focus consists of indigenous and marginalized methodologies concerning the development of Assyrian Studies as an anti-orientalist and anti-colonialist field, as well as issues of cultural continuity. Currently, his studies in animal studies touch upon storytelling and folklore and issues of re-enchantment of reality through myth and panentheism. In this episode, we discuss his unique and enriching upbringing, his journey into academia, his book, “Reforging a Forgotten History”, the interesting intersection between Assyrian studies and Animal studies, and the importance of establishing the Assyrian Studies Association.  Purchase Dr. Sargon’s “Reforging a Forgotten History” here: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-reforging-a-forgotten-history.html  “Discussing Diaspora” - The Shifting Lens podcast episode featuring Dr. Sargon Donabed: https://soundcloud.com/theshiftinglens/discussing-diaspora-with-dr-sargon-donabed  The Assyrian Studies Association:  https://www.assyrianstudiesassociation.org/  This episode is sponsored by @theoushanapartners -- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 158 - Philimon Darmo has spent over 50 years volunteering for Assyrian community in Australia, whether it be teaching Assyrian, running an Assyrian radio programme or translating important announcements. Born in Iraq, Philimon migrated to Australia in the early 60s and while officially retired, still translates to this day. He recently gained wide recognition for his role in translating Government messages and advice relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in Assyrian.  How to install Assyrian keyboard: Android: Set up Gboard - Android - Gboard Help (google.com) iOS:  https://t.co/klgFG4uuKD" / Twitter 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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 157 – William Bnyameen, better known as Khlapieel, was born in 1993 in Sarsink and is one of seven children. He later studied film making in Duhok and became a documentary filmmaker, directing such films as “A Civilization Under the Rubble” and “Rise of Gilgamesh,” both short films giving an exclusive look at Khabour (Syria) and the lives of Khabour's Assyrians post-ISIS. He is currently completing a degree in Administrative Law at the Lebanese-French University, in Erbil. On top of being a documentary film-maker, Khlapieel is a writer, a civil activist and a journalist with a simple mission of highlighting injustices suffered by Assyrians and speaking up about inequalities that exist, and demanding inclusivity and equal rights in order to achieve harmonious coexistence with other ethnic groups in the homeland. I’m this episode, we discuss Khlapieel’s vision of himself as simply a “Nashet Mata,” or “village person,” his journey to becoming Khlapieel, and his work in filmmaking and activism.  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 156 - Eva Toma is an extraordinary blend of both sides of the brain—encompassing the technical and design skills sets that make her the well-rounded and hard-to-come by professional in the architecture and interior design spaces. With proven acumen in both worlds, Eva has a robust list of clients across the entire hospitality spectrum—from boutique power houses in hotel hospitality to independent, national and global restaurant brands. And when she isn’t found creating a new design concept or next iteration for one of her many longstanding clients, she can be found researching and concepting for another. Outside of architectural and interior design, Eva has successfully built or evolved several high-profile hospitality brands. That work includes complete brand identity packages and full-spectrum brand development work that encompasses everything from visual identity to collateral, to signage and menus, to holistic customer experiential programs that elevate and differentiate her clients in a dense sea of competitors. Eva also created the widely loved and popular logo for the Assyrian Podcast.  Instagram: @etoma2  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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Ep. 155 - ܩܫܝܼܫܐ ܝܘܿܚܢܢ ܒܕܠ ܦܝܼܪܘܿ - Reverend Qashisha John Badal Piro was born on February 7, 1973 in Turlock, California to his father Reverend Cor-Bishop Badal S. Piro, and Bereshwa Piro. He completed both his Bachelors of Science and Masters of Science degrees in Physiology from the University of California, Davis. In 2004, he obtained his Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of California, San Francisco. Fr. John is a long-time practicing pharmacist, which allows him the opportunity to further serve the community which he finds the most rewarding aspect of his professional career. Ordained a priest in 2017, He is currently serving St. Mary’s Mission in Sacramento, California. He recently completed his Masters in Theology from the Antiochian House of Studies.    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.    This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners - a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 154 - Brian Patto is the writer and director of a new short film, Grace. The film has been a finalist for numerous film festivals and tells the poignant story of a father attempting to keep his daughter safe in war-torn Iraq. In this episode we talked about Brian’s inspirations behind creating the film, the casting process, and the name of the movie.  Instagram for Brian Patto: @brianpatto  Instagram for Grace Film: @grace.shortfilm  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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners - a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 153 - Steve Oshana is the executive director of A Demand for Action, which advocates for the rights of minorities in the Middle East. He started his career in Washington DC as an intern and worked his way to becoming a political consultant, or lobbyist. In this episode we talk about what lobbyists do, how he manages to work with US politicians across the aisle on Assyrian issues, how he marched as a teenager with Reverand Jesse Jackson, and the first time he met former President Barack Obama in Chicago.    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.    This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 152 - Ninwa Yonan is 29 years old and the former chairwoman of the Assyrian Youth Federation in Central Europe (AJM). She currently works as a psychotherapist in training and resides in Berlin, the capital of Germany. In this episode she shares information about her case study in regards to the Sayfo (or Seyfo) Genocide and transgenerational Trauma, her upbringing, and her perspective on the “name issue” of our people. Tune in to learn more about her experiences in different movements, the work of AJM, and to find inspiration for youth work wherever you live.  Instagram: @ninwa.yonan Facebook: Ninwa Yonan 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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 151 - Eleanor Thorn is a first generation Assyrian-American, born in Chicago and currently residing in the north suburbs of Chicago. Early family tragedies didn’t prevent Eleanor from getting a college education, having a long and well-traveled career in accounting, starting her own family, and creating a legacy as the most recent steward of Lake Forest Bookstore. Tune in to learn more about her journey, her family, her book recommendations, and what she hopes is the future of small business and her own bookstore. Instagram: @if_bookstore Facebook: lakeforestbookstore 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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 150 - Dr. Ashurina Ream is a clinical psychologist who began to focus on perinatal psychology and education for women, after the birth of her son turned her world upside down. Feeling alone and experiencing postpartum depression, she began cultivating a community online that validates the experiences of other moms struggling with similar issues and educates them and their partners on how to best cope with struggles related to fertility, pregnancy loss, and postpartum. In this episode, we discussed how her page @psychedmommy came to be and discussed lots of topics like boundaries and effective communication that will apply to you, even if you are not a parent.  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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 149 - Ninus Benjamin is a first generation Assyrian American. He has a twin sister, Shamiran, and older brother, Danny Benjamin. The twins were born in Santa Clara, California. Being raised in an Assyrian home to hard-working immigrants who had to learn things from scratch set a wonderful example for them. Being bilingual has been an added advantage not only in academics, but also when it comes to learning new skills, talents, and technologies.   He found his entrance into Google in 2013 where he spent a few years learning the ropes and eventually moving towards his passion, "helping people." Recruiting came easy as he began Recruiting for engineering leadership roles at two of the largest tech companies in the world. He would eventually find his home at Facebook for almost 4 years where he has brought in an enumerable number of people into the "company of their dreams." Learning the technical requirements, understanding how to find them using exhaustive searches, closing candidates....   Email: ninusbenjamin@gmail.com IG: kneeneeb   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.    This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com.

Episode 148 - Afram Yakoub is an Assyrian born in Qamishli, Syria. He migrated to Sweden in 1989, where he has been living since. Afram has been an Assyrian activist for over 20 years; his activism leading to being President of the Assyrian Federation of Sweden. Since leaving the position, Afram has written about his experiences and learnings, with the book Vägen till Assyrien - en uppmaning till nationell förnyelse published in Sweden last year (Tigris Press ISBN: 978-9198154160), before being published in English late 2020, titled The Path to Assyria - A Call For National Renewal (Tigris Press ISBN: 978-9198154160). 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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com.

Episode 147 - Andrious Mama Jotyar, MBE was born in Iraq, grew up in Habbaniya and later moved to London to raise his family. He kept his Assyrian roots alive by establishing the Assyrian Society of Great Britain amongst his peers, starting the longest running magazine called, the Assyrian Observer, and was awarded the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, which is the third highest ranking Order of the British Empire award (excluding a knighthood/damehood) for all of his humanitarian efforts and projects he has done for the Assyrians and ethnic minorities in London, England.  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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners - a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 146 - Firas Fawzi Jatou was born in Baghdad, Iraq, leaving Iraq as a teenager, eventually emigrating to Toronto, Canada and later to the United States. Firas has been active in Assyrian affairs for over 30 years, and credits Malfono Ninos Aho and Rabi Alfred Duman for igniting his passion for Assyrians. Some of his accomplishments include publishing the first Assyrian website in 1993 Assyria Online, co-founded the Assyrian International News Agency, also known as AINA and most notably, was an early investor in the Assyrian heartland of the Nineveh Plains. Firas currently resides in Los Gatos, California and is married to Susan Nessan. Susan and Firas are the proud parents to an 11 year old boy, Tatian.  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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 145 - Sarah Bennett is the great great granddaughter of Rev. Dr. Isaac Adams - the first Assyrian to lead a mass migration of Assyrians to North America (Saskatchewan, Canada and later California, USA) from Iran in the early 1900s. In this episode, Sarah retells the great story of Dr. Adams and the other Assyrian settlers who helped to build North Battleford, Saskatchewan and later Turlock, California. This episode will help you give a glimpse into our modern Assyrian history and not one to miss!  Rev. Dr. Adams publications: Persia by a Persian: Personal Experiences, Manners, Customs, Habits, Religious and Social Life in Persia Darkness and Daybreak A special thank you to Dr. Arianne Ishaya for her book that served as a reference throughout the interview:  Familiar Faces in Unfamiliar Places: ASSYRIANS in the California Heartland 1911 - 2010.   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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 144 - Atina 'Tee' Alkhas is the founder of Tee Koffee Co - a Mesoptomaian inspired women-forward coffee retail company based in San Francisco, CA. Tee Koffee is committed to celebrating ancestral history through coffee and conversation.  Atina was born in Iran and immigrated to the US in the early '80s through Germany. Along the way,  she observed her mother honor and bring with her the Assyrian coffee culture we know as Kahve. Coffee and tea were part of her life, as many of us Assyrians experienced the same with our families. Growing up, she quickly learned that coffee, specifically Kahve, was a way to bring people together and create a sense of community. The art of making Kahve and the time-honored tradition of coffee fortune readings has long been part of her family and her Assyrian background.  She founded Tee Koffee in 2017 to bring the Kahve experience home - she created Kahve starter kits and worked with coffee roasters to craft a modern take on the Kahve blend. Four years later, Tee Koffee is relaunching with a new logo design and two new coffee blends in honor of Assyrian Queens and Atina's Assyrian background. The relaunch of Tee Koffee was inspired by Assyrian Queens and women leaders of Mesopotamia.  Atina worked with designer and artist Rabel Betshmuel based in Chicago. They collaborated to create a logo and labels that help bring the story of the brand to life.  To learn more, please visit www.teekoffee.com and follow @teekoffee 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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com.

Episode 143 - Ronnie Joudo is an award-winning country singer based in Sydney, Australia. With a musical career spanning 20 years, Ronnie released his debut single “Cruisin’ Along” in 2020, and has since become a Top 40 Country Artist in Australia. Ronnie recently won the Country Thunder 2020 New Male Artist of the Year award and has worked with prominent Australian Country singer-songwriters Allan Caswell and Ace Fender.   Instagram: @ronniejoudomusic Facebook: Ronnie.Joudo   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.    This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com.

Episode 142 - Narsai David was born in South Bend, Indiana (U.S.A) in 1936. He has had a long and successful career in the food and wine industry, from catering to the most famous Rock & Roll bands to opening the renowned Narsai’s Restaurant. He is a published author, radio and T.V. personality, and a humanitarian; raising millions for Assyrian aid through the prestigious “Narsai’s Taste of Mediterranean”event held annually by the Assyrian Aid Society. In this episode, we discuss his upbringing, his career in food and wine, and his love and connection to his Assyrian heritage. 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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 141: Shoushan Tower Shoushan Tower was the long-serving Treasurer of the Assyrian Aid Society in Australia. Born in Iraq, Shoushan migrated to Australia as a child in 1969. She grew up in Australia and studied accounting, using her acquired skills and knowledge to support the Australian fundraising arm of the Assyrian Aid Society. She has represented the AAS at high levels in the United Nations, making numerous trips to the homeland in service to recipient communities. She currently advises the Assyrian Australian Association with its financial affairs. Instagram @aas_au (Australia), @assyrianaid (America) 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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 140 - Lisa Kiorkis, a Chicago Native, is a self-proclaimed “Professional Creative” and wears many, many hats!   She is the co-owner of Gemini of Chicago Hair Salon, a self-taught Intimate Dining Chef, blog writer, recipe developer, YouTube Personality for Seven Spice Life, and a Food Network TV Personality. Listen to this week’s episode to learn more about her various experiences, New York Fashion Week, and what it was like to appear on The Food Network.  Blog: www.sevenspicelife.com  Instagram: @sevenspicelife @thehairdresserlisak  Twitter: @lafemmechef  YouTube: Seven Spice Life By Lisa K 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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Dr. Christine Yalda grew up near Flint, MI with grandparents who immigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century. She currently serves as an associate professor at Grand Valley State University, located in West Michigan, where she teaches Criminal Justice and Human Rights courses. In this episode, we spoke about her family’s journey to the United States, her experience growing up Assyrian, her faith, her coming out story, and marriage to her wife. Listen to find out about her grandmother’s incredibly challenging immigration story, her experience as an associate associate professor teaching criminal justice courses, and how her Assyrian identity has influenced everything from her faith to her wedding playlist. 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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 138 - Ramel Nasseri was born in Tehran / Iran to his parents Nathan Nasseri and Rabi Bertha Shavel Okhsar. At an early age he learned to love and cherish his Assyrian heritage and his Church by the example of his parents and the benefit of growing up at the feet of his Grandfather Rabi Ammanuel Shavel Okhsar of Urmi and his late Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, two Giants of the Assyrian Community. Like many other families, Ramel and his parents left Iran during the war time for their final destination in the United States of America. He spent 8 years in Germany before settling in Plano TX. Here he finished his High school years and attended the University of Texas in Austin and the University of North Texas in Denton, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and minors in Geology and German. Later he received a Master’s degree in Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. His work and career spans across multiple fields; An IT professional specializing in customer support, project management, process improvement, process analysis and program design. An Educational Technology specialist. Licensed Family Mediator International Mediation with a focus on ODR And his latest venture in the Film industry in Special FX. As a Texas resident of 28 years, he has been active in the Dallas Fortworth area Assyrian community and the larger Texas Assyrian community, helping establish the Saint Jacob Mission of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East in Dallas TX and serving as the Vice President of the organization. He is also a proud member of the Assyrian American Association of North Texas. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rnasseri1 Instagram: @texaswanderlust 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.  This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 137 - Warren Shabaz is the inventor of the American food staple the Pizza Puff, and head man in charge of Iltaco Food Company, which was started by his Grandfather in the 1920s. As a second generation Assyrian-American growing up in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, Warren eventually expanded his family's food empire, keeping it family owned, with his children next in line to take over the family business. Learn what it was like to be a pioneer in food, running a successful business, and being ingrained into the American identity and culture, while not forgetting your roots, at a time when assimilation was deemed a necessity.  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. This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.com

Episode 136 – Benjamin Christophe Yalda is best known as Mr. Erbil. Born a refugee in Iran in 1985, his family and him moved back to Iraq in 1991, a time when the country was at war. Benjamin’s interest in rap took flight in 2004, and he started writing poems and lyrics. His mission: to become the voice of a silenced nation, provoking an awakening through lyrics and beat. Listen to this episode to learn about his experience as Mr. Erbil, his first song about Seyfo, and the next 11 songs he wrote in Spring 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdowns.   This episode is sponsored by The Oushana Partners-- a husband and wife real estate team. Are you considering purchasing or selling a home in Arizona or California? John and Reata are available to help make your next real estate decision into a seamless transaction. Contact the Oushana’s at 209-968-9519. Get to know them a bit more by checking out their website TheOushanaPartners.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 135 - Sumer Homeh is the founder of the humanitarian aid organization “Local Aid” in Kenya. After working several years in the fashion industry in Australia, she decided to leave all that behind to dedicate her life for street children in Nairobi. Local Aid rehabilitates those children and provides them access to education and healthcare. Recently Sumer founded “Tribearth”, which is a socially conscious jewelry business that creates a community of empowered women and youth who produce handmade products in a sustainable and ethical environment. In this episode you will learn more about Sumer´s journey from Australia to Kenya and what led to this life changing decision, the world of humanitarian workers and the ups and downs Sumer went through in order to build a sustainable organization, and what it takes to truly follow your heart and not let doubts get into the way of you and your goals. Facebook: Sumer Homeh Instagram: @sumersoul Website: www.localaid.or.ke , www.tribearth.org Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by @TonyKalogerakos and the @InjuryLawyersofIllinois and New York.

Dr. Amir Harrak is a professor of Aramaic and Syriac at the University of Toronto and the President of the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies. In this episode, we discuss the importance of Syriac, Syriac Christianity, and the distinctions between Aramaic, Syriac, Neo-Aramaic, and Assyrian. If you’re a lover of language, history, and religion, this episode is for you.

Episode 133 - Qasha (Pastor) Younan Shiba was born and raised in Kirkuk, Iraq in 1964. His humble beginnings in Kirkuk, and a speech impediment at a young age, led Younan to find his own language through art. Younan received Christ as his Savior in 1990 while serving in the Iraqi army.  In 1995, Younan and Layla moved to Amman, Jordan to both obtain their seminary educations at Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS). At that time there were approximately 500,000 Iraqi refugees living in Jordan due the Persian Gulf War and the closure of borders by Syria and Turkey. While a student at the seminary, he was asked by the Alliance Mission Christian Church in Amman to consider leading a ministry to Iraqi refugees. Qasha Younan was ordained through the Assyrian Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Baghdad in 2003. After receiving four death threats in three years, and finally, a voicemail from a member of the jihad demanding money and threatening to kill his family, they were forced to flee to the United States.   He is currently a member of the Chicago (IL) Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA). He and his wife established the Family Life Development Foundation (FLDF), and through which they minister to over 120,000 Assyrians through a two-hour radio ministry every Saturday evening. They also host a worldwide satellite TV ministry that reaches thousands more. Now he serves with the Navigators Nations Within, reaching out to immigrants from his culture who haven't heard the good news of Christ. Based out of Chicago, Illinois, Qasha Younan and his wife, Layla, have been married since 1994 and together they have two daughters, Joy and Grace.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 132 - Dante is a Life Coach who is passionate about helping people who feel stuck in their jobs, master their mindset so they can get clarity about their next career move and go after it. Her lifelong obsession with all things personal development and her own experience receiving coaching services and the life changing impact it had on her, lead her to create her own coaching business. Dante loves to help people learn new mindset tools and techniques to improve their work and personal lives. She has her B.A. in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara and her M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Fresno Pacific University.  Instagram: danterosh Website: www.dantenoelle.com  Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by @TonyKalogerakos and the @InjuryLawyersofIllinois and New York.

Episode 131 - Petrus Afrem-Barsom is an Assyrian living in Duisburg (Germany). Professionally he works as a tax specialist and devotes his free time for the assyrian causes. Petrus is the chairman of the cultural association “Suryoye Ruhrgebiet” and one of the driving forces in the organization “Save Our Souls - 1915.de (SOS)”. In this episode you will not only hear about his volunteer journey, but also what led to the decision to form an activism group like “SOS”, that later also became an humanitarian aid organization, who caught the attention of many media outlets in Germany. You will also question yourself, how far you would go to bring awareness to your cause? Facebook: @1915.de Instagram: sos_1915 Website: www.1915.de Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by @TonyKalogerakos and the @InjuryLawyersofIllinois and New York.

Episode 130 - Frank Gilbart was born in Kirkuk, Iraq in the early 80s. From an early age, he realized the importance of language, civic engagement and the cultural arts scene. According to Frank, this mosaic led to a special bond amongst the Assyrian inhabitants of his hometown Kirkuk.  Frank’s life led him to study his true passion, directing, film and screenwriting. Completing studies both in Kirkuk, and continuing for another two years in Baghdad.  Fueled by a love for his nation and his childhood friend Nineb Yousif Toma, Frank began the rigorous process of filming and producing Journey of Eternity. Between gofundme, Assyrian organizations, a handful of amateur funding raising individuals, and organic donations, Frank was able to muster up roughly $300,000 to film and produce Journey of Eternity. This true story is about the three Assyrian heroes; Youbert Benyamin Shlimon, Youkhana Esho Jajo, and Yousip Toma Hermis, who were imprisoned and later hanged without a fair trial on February 3, 1985 by the Iraqi Baath regime. Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast programming 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 129 – George Rasho  George Rasho, a current Australian, grew up in Chicago, and an early memory of watching the production of Home Alone 3 near his childhood home piqued his curiosity for the creative arts and filmmaking. In this episode we talked to George about Emmanuel, the feature film he’s producing, his involvement with his Church as a deacon, and how he thinks we can move the Assyrian nation forward when it comes to the arts.  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 recognised 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. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grasho1  Emmanuel The Film: https://www.emmanuelthefilm.com/

Episode 128 - Leona Ruben or "Rubi" is a twenty years old female assyrian rapper from Germany. She writes and produces her own rap songs and has gained thousands of followers on social media and more than two million views on her music videos. She recently released her newest single "Schachmatt,” which means "Checkmate,” where she not only performs in a music video but also created the vision behind it. In this episode you will hear more about Rubi's inspiration, thoughts as a female in a men-dominated rap world, and her connection to the Assyrian community. You can listen to her music on Spotify, Youtube, and Apple Music. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LeonaRuben Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0VlrorDSkEbLK1D6VvMgd2 Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/rubi/447828145  Instagram: @dieserubi Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by @tonykalogerakos and the @injurylawyersofillinois 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 127– Robin Zirwanda is the founder and front-man of contemporary Assyrian dance-rock worldbeat band Azadoota. Robin was born in Iraq and migrated to Australia at a young age, performing as a percussionist for many notable artists, before forming Azadoota in 1996. This week, we chat about Robin’s history, why he loves music and also discuss the role of patriotism and why it is important to be Assyrian.  https://www.azadoota.com/ Instagram: @azadoota 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 recognised 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 126 - Diana Atureta is a Toronto-based businesswoman, self-taught artist, and the founder of Assyrian Circles; an online initiative where Assyrians can speak our native language together with other Assyrians around the world. Its focus is on helping our community learn and preserve the language, including all of our dialects, while utilizing as many existing tools as possible.  www.dianaatureta.com IG: @dianaatureta www.assyriancircles.com IG: @assyriancircles  Email: assyriancircles@gmail.com  Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by @tonykalogerakos and the @injurylawyersofillinois 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 125 - Dr. Ohara Aivaz. Ohara Aivaz is a proud Assyrian and a board-certified dermatologist practicing in Beverly Hills, California. She completed a combined Internal Medicine and Dermatology residency program at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, and is now double-board certified in both Dermatology and Internal Medicine. She has lectured nationally, including invitations to speak at the National Institutes of Health, and internationally and has also authored several articles in peer-reviewed journals. In this interview you’ll learn about her journey through medical school and how she came to study dermatology, her parents encouragement from an early age, the importance of Assyrian connection and community, how dermatology requires her to pay the closest attention to her patients, and that time she pulled a parasite from a skull (if you can stomach it, check out her IG post from July 13).  Insta: @oharaaivaz.md Support for this week’s episode of The Assyrian Podcast is brought to you by @tonykalogerakos and the @injurylawyersofillinois 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