Assyrian Podcast

https://feed.podbean.com/assyrianpodcast/feed.xml

Dive deep into the soul of Assyria. Interviews with influential Assyrians from around the globe.

Episodes

Tuesday Aug 04, 2020

Dr. Ramina Jajoo-Frindrich

Tuesday Aug 04, 2020

Episode 111 - Dr. Ramina Jajoo-Frindrich is a retired Rheumatologist residing in Phoenix where she has been a partner at Arizona Arthritis and Rheumatology Associates, She is currently serving as a strategic consultant and Chairwoman of Seyfo Center, Arizona Chapter where she and her team worked tirelessly to help pass the Assyrian Genocide Rememberence Day Proclamation in the House of Representatives for the state of Arizona. In this episode, you’ll hear about her upbringing in Tehran, her med school experience in Australia, and her involvement with various Assyrian organizations in Boston and her current home state of Arizona.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ramina.jajoo

Email: rjajoo@seyfocenteraz.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.

Tuesday Jul 28, 2020

Shlimon Betshmuel

Tuesday Jul 28, 2020

Episode 110 - Shlimon Betshmuel is a singer, composer, and songwriter who began his singing career at an early age. He sought refuge in Iran when he was in his early 20’s, after singing a patriotic Assyrian song about Simele caused the Iraqi government to be displeased with his work. In Iran, he recorded his first album and continued to perform until he moved to the United States at the start of the Iranian Revolution. In this episode, we discussed his love for books and literature, took a deep dive into 4 of his most famous songs, and learned about the Mesopotamian origins of the piano. https://shlimonbetshmuel.com

Tuesday Jul 21, 2020

John Badal

Tuesday Jul 21, 2020

Episode 109 - John Badal A third generation Assyrian-Chicagoan, John Badal has never had a full connection with the Assyrian community, but that doesn’t mean he’s never known his roots. Just like his Grandfather before him, John is leaving his culinary footprint @northbranchgourmet in a city that prides itself heavily on their world famous food scene.

IG: @jbadal4 @northbranchgourmet @northbranchfriedchicken

https://chicago.eater.com/2019/10/17/20919053/urbanspace-loop-north-branch-gourmet-barbece-john-badal

Tuesday Jul 14, 2020

Dr. Ashor Sworesho

Tuesday Jul 14, 2020

Episode 108- Dr. Ashor Sworesho is a Chiropractor and business owner in Hamilton, Ontario. Outside of his work, he has dedicated his life to serving and advancing the Assyrian community in Hamilton through a multitude of areas; all with an emphasis on professionalizing efforts. In this episode, you’ll gain a greater awareness of those efforts, as well as his family’s life in Malta before settling in Canada, and finally, his academic journey that has led him to where he is today.

Email: ashor4488@gmail.com

Tuesday Jul 07, 2020

Scott Christian Sava

Tuesday Jul 07, 2020

Episode 107 - Scott Christian Sava is an animator, illustrator, director, writer, producer and an all around awesome Assyrian! Over the last twenty years, Scott Christian Sava's work has brought some of the world's most beloved characters to life in film, television, comics, and games. From Casper the Friendly Ghost to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to Star Trek and Spider-Man. Scott's unique talents and vision have been called upon by Disney, Universal Studios, Nickelodeon, and more. In 2000 he founded Blue Dream Studios, which has produced work for Star Wars, X-Files, Aliens vs. Predator, Spider-Man, and other franchises, in addition to creating its own original content. The studio's first feature film, Animal Crackers, is now in full production. Scott is currently "living the dream" in his hometown of Franklin, TN. Scott’s mission, simply put, is to make “the world a kinder, gentler place, one story at a time.” The world needs a lot more filmmakers like Scott.

Instagram: @theanimalcrackersmovie, @ssava32, @ssavaart

Netflix.com/title/81191856

https://ssava.artstation.com/

https://twitter.com/ssava

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1762349/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

Tuesday May 26, 2020

Yosip Bet Yosip

Tuesday May 26, 2020

Episode 106 – Yosip Bet Yosip was born in 1942 to Rabi Korush Bet Yosip and Anna Khoshaba Bet
Yosip in the village of Zumalan, a suburb of Urmieh, Iran. Early in his youth Yosip learned about the Assyrian culture through listening to Assyrian folk songs, poetry, and story telling (ܛܲܐܲܠܝܵܬܹ̈ܐ) conducted by the local elders. This is when his love for the Assyrian culture and heritage was originated. In 1968, Yosip, a selected member of the Shooshata Umtanaia; was introduced to the political aspects of the Assyrian history and witnessed the birth of an international political organization to oversee the well- being of his beloved Assyrian nation, the 'Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA).

He joined several Assyrian organizations:
- The Society of Assyrian National Progress (Assyrian youth organization ): Shooshata
Umtanaia
- He assisted Shooshata Umtanaia in assembling the first and largest library of Assyrian books
ever collected in modern Assyrian history.
- Nineveh Choir group (1960- Tehran, Iran)
- Nineveh Choir group conducted by maestro Nebu Issabey in Tahran, Iran.
- Assyrian Youth Cultural Society: Sita Sapreyta

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.

Yosip Bet Yosip on Qeenatha: https://www.qeenatha.com/artists/YousipBetYousip/474/

Tuesday May 19, 2020

Awkar Ruel

Tuesday May 19, 2020

Episode 105 – Awkar arrived in Australia in 2012, as a 16-year old refugee from Iraq via Syria. Not knowing much English, Awkar was subjected to bullying at school, but instead of succumb to the 'haters', Awkar studied intensely and pursued his passion for architecture, inspired by a visit to the iconic Sydney Opera House upon his arrival to Australia.

In two years, Awkar graduated from high school as School Captain and went to study architecture at university. He won a Jørn Utzon scholarship in Copenhagen (named after the Danish architect of the Opera House), had work experience in Copenhagen and now works for Grimshaw, a prestigious Architectural firm in Sydney.

https://www.awkarruel.com

Instagram: @awkar.ruel

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.

Tuesday May 12, 2020

Emmanuel Samano

Tuesday May 12, 2020

Episode 104 - Emmanuel Samano is a British Assyrian who moved to London, England, from Iraq, in 1972. Born and raised in Kirkuk, he later moved to Baghdad, where he worked as an actor on the
radio and the screen for the Iraqi Media Corporation. After the Ba’ath regime tried to pressure
him to join their party several times, he fled to London, where he eventually became an
Interpreter for the United Kingdom Home Office, interpreting for many Assyrian refugees upon
their entry and application for residence in the UK.

Facebook: @EmmanuelLSamano
Email: e_samano41@hotmail.com

Tuesday May 05, 2020

Joe Snell

Tuesday May 05, 2020

Episode 103 - Joe Snell is a reporter based in Washington, D.C. On track to work in TV development in Hollywood, Joe left the entertainment industry in 2016 to pursue his passion for reporting on the Middle East. Since then, his reporting has taken him from a local newsroom in Texas to across the world from Germany, Paris, Brussels and Iraq. He eventually founded The Assyrian Journal and Assyrian Stories. This year, he launched the Middle East Minute video series. Currently a master's journalism candidate at Northwestern University specializing in Foreign Affairs coverage, Joe most recently completed a reporting practicum at Al-Monitor in Washington.

Instagram: @assyrianstories, @theassyrianjournal, @joesnell03

Websites: www.theassyrianjournal.com

Tuesday Apr 28, 2020

Zalgai Aho

Tuesday Apr 28, 2020

Episode 102 - Zalgai Aho is a fashion designer, world traveler, and the daughter of a revered oomtanaya, the late Malfono Ninos Aho. In this episode, you’ll learn about the western dialect of Assyrian, a glimpse of life in Södertälje, Sweden, the places Zalgai has lived - including the U.S. Virgin Islands, her life in fashion, loss, and how she has continued her father’s legacy of nationalistic work in her own way.

Instagram: @__zalgai__

Websites: www.zalgai.com, www.ninosaho.com

Tuesday Apr 21, 2020

RC Samo

Tuesday Apr 21, 2020

Episode 101: R.C. or Robert Samo began his journalism career in 1996 as a college freshman. He has been published everywhere from Pro Wrestling Illustrated to the Oakland Tribune and Orange County Register. He is the creator of Fanboy and FangirlNation. His vision for both was to return a sense of traditional journalism to a world full of sensationalism and geek rage. If you hadn't noticed, R.C. really hates taking selfies, but loves comics, animation, films and MMA.

Instagram: @rcsamo

Website: www.fanboynation.com

Tuesday Apr 14, 2020

AP Team

Tuesday Apr 14, 2020

Episode 100: Join us on this milestone episode as the voices that bring you the Assyrian Podcast week after week and the social media crew behind it discuss their motivation behind joining AP, their favorite episodes from the past year, what has surprised them the most working on the Assyrian Podcast, and how it has impacted their view of themselves as Assyrians in this roundtable discussion.

Tuesday Apr 07, 2020

Ashur Kasrani

Tuesday Apr 07, 2020

Episode 99 - Ashur Kasrani, also known as “The Great Kasrani” is formerly a magician, who has entertained royalty, oligarchs, celebrities, corporations and private clients around the world. Leaving his career behind, he returned to the homeland and now lives a simple, basic life in the valley of Nahla. He documents the valley life on his social media channels and informs and inspires thousands of people to visit the ancestral homeland and to work on the inner self. Ashur is also an experimental musician, poet and more.

Facebook: The Great Kasrani

Instagram: @the_great_kasrani

Tuesday Mar 31, 2020

Ashur Yoseph

Tuesday Mar 31, 2020

Episode 98 - Ashur Yoseph joined the Assyrian Aid Society of America (AAS-A) in 1993 as the project manager for the Lifeline Pledge Program. In 2011, with the retirement of Narsai David, Ashur Yoseph was elected as AAS-A President. During his tenure AAS-A has weathered some of its most demanding challenges, such as the rise of ISIS and the fall of Mosul, but has also seen its most successful fundraising years. Administratively, Ashur has given special focus on bringing younger professionals into leadership positions and mentoring them closely over the years to build a strong foundation for the next generation of leaders of the Assyrian Aid Society of America.

Professionally, Ashur Yoseph has over 36 years of experience in design, construction, project and program management. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Sacramento State University. Ashur currently serves as a Senior Vice President for Infrastructure and Business Development for WSP USA

Tuesday Mar 24, 2020

Samir Bahi

Tuesday Mar 24, 2020

Episode 97 - Samir Bahi is the creator of The Ashoor Drama Group, and he is responsible for hits like “Say No to Drugs,” “Why You Care,” and so many more legendary Assyrian comedic classics! This episode is an intimate conversation between Samir and his sons as they discuss the start of his music career, how he was inspired to write the various songs, and the music videos that became an iconic part of growing up for so many Assyrians in diaspora.

Facebook @samirbahi

Instagram: @AshoorDramaGroup

Tuesday Mar 17, 2020

Dr. Ruth Kambar

Tuesday Mar 17, 2020

Episode 96 - Dr. Ruth Kamber is a second-generation Assyrian American and the author of “Assyrians of Yonkers.” As the eldest grandchild, she inherited artifacts from her family--a collection of family stories, videos, and photographs. Her grandfather Nicolai Benjamin asked her to honor, preserve, and pass down her cultural inheritance, to "Keep it well." Her heritage and family heirlooms served as a springboard for her dissertation as a verbal monument to Assyrian Americans. In this episode you will hear about her great grandfather’s connection to the Dutch Reformed Church, an Assyrian baseball player who played for the New York Yankees, and more about the history of Assyrian Presbyterian community in Yonkers.

rkambar580@gmail.com

Tuesday Mar 10, 2020

Reta Ismail

Tuesday Mar 10, 2020

Episode 95 - Reta Ismail is a broadcast journalist based in London, Canada. She is a weekend anchor, videographer, and weather presenter for Canada's most-watched news organization, CTV news. In this episode we discuss Reta’s journey to and through her career, how she has utilized her platform to draw attention to the Assyrian community, and the realities of parenthood.

Website: www.retaismail.com

Blog: https://london.ctvnews.ca/pregnancyafterloss

Media Moms: Life on Air https://london.ctvnews.ca/media-moms-life-on-the-air-1.4650090?fbclid=IwAR3LFzlhAcPhBToZLEVHjStL8cgBKcdGdSU4ZXjc4oRVTWHqjed_fVwHVJI

Social media: @retaismailctv

Tuesday Mar 03, 2020

Suzan Younan

Tuesday Mar 03, 2020

Episode 94 - Suzan Younan has been annually traveling to Iraq since 2008. Expanding on her professional skill set in humanitarian work in the Middle East, she moved to Erbil, Iraq in early 2019.

She is currently the Program Director for Access Aid Foundation in Iraq , and directly implements projects in Ninewa for the Assyrian and Yazidis to assist them in reintegrating back into their communities. In 2012, she co-founded Gishru, a 501c3 organization that coordinates educational, and cross cultural trips, to Northern Iraq and Southern Turkey, for American and other international youth. Gishru is a bridge between young professionals in the Middle East young professionals and their next generation counterparts in the West.

Along with coordinating the trips for 30+ young professionals annually, Suzan spearheads fundraising efforts and community outreach to raise the profile of the Assyrians and Yezidis in Iraq.

Three months after the invasion of ISIS, Suzan and two colleagues returned to their homeland to assist in humanitarian aid and to film a documentary on the atrocities committed against the indigenous and vulnerable people of Iraq. The 10-minute short film has been screened in front of the United Nations and the European Parliament, winning awards in several film festivals. Suzan, who is listed as the Associate Producer, made a promise to the suffering people that their voices would be heard.

Watch The Last Plight

Thank you.

Tuesday Feb 25, 2020

Dr. Yaacov Maoz

Tuesday Feb 25, 2020

Episode 93 - Dr. Yaacov Maoz is a Jewish professor residing in Jerusalem whose parents left Iraq in the 1950’s. He speaks Assyrian, identifies with his Assyrian roots, and is determined to oversee the revival of the Aramaic language in his Jewish community, create stronger bonds between Assyrians worldwide and Jewish Assyrians (or Aramit-speaking Jews), and create a coalition to support the mission of Assyrians to establish an independent state in their motherland. In this episode, we discuss social justice, biblical connections to Assyrians, and Isaiah 19.

Tuesday Feb 18, 2020

Dr. Erin Hughes

Tuesday Feb 18, 2020

Episode 92- Erin Hughes, PhD is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Sarguis Assyrian Heritage Project at California State University (CSU), Stanislaus in Turlock, California. In this episode, we discuss her work at CSU Stanislaus and takeaways from her dissertation, “An American Atra? Boundaries of Diasporic Nation-Building Amongst Assyrians and Chaldeans in the United States,” and what she considers the greatest strength of the Assyrian community.

About the Sarguis Modern Assyrian Heritage Project:

Established in Fall 2017, the Sarguis Modern Assyrian Heritage Project brings new and emerging research in Assyrian studies to Stanislaus State University. Working in collaboration with the Sarguis Modern Assyrian Heritage Collection in Vasche LIbrary, the project facilitates student projects and research documenting Assyrian history and culture with a special emphasis on Assyrians in California. The Modern Assyrian Heritage project offered courses in Assyrian history, hosts Assyrian speakers on campus, supports Assyrian students on campus, and funds an annual research fellowship to drive student research into all aspects of modern Assyrian heritage. The Modern Assyrian Heritage Project is hosted by the College of the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the Department of History.

ehughes1@csustan.edu

Tuesday Feb 11, 2020

Nahrun Cano

Tuesday Feb 11, 2020

Episode 91 - Nahrun Cano is a beard aficionado whose company, Sargon’s Official, specializes in beard products. Taking inspiration from ancient Assyrians and their beard culture, Sargon’s Official boasts as the royal way to get your beard in shape. In this episode, Zalgai Aho, this week’s guest host, talks to Nahrun about his company, entrepreneurship, and his advice for young business owners.

https://sargonsoriginal.de/

https://www.instagram.com/sargonsoriginal/

Tuesday Feb 04, 2020

Iraq Returnees Roundtable

Tuesday Feb 04, 2020

Episode 90 - In this episode you hear from four young people, who decided to return to the homeland and work as expats in Iraq. The Returnees’ Roundtable is an honest and raw discussion of what you can expect, if you decide to come back and unearth your roots. We talked about the ups and downs, the expectations and the challenges that they faced. If you are thinking of returning and need help, please reach out to our four guests. They will gladly will help you through your journey.

IG: @meli_curls
FB: www.facebook.com/melinda.khubiar

IG: @jjennyyko

FB: www.facebook.com/JennyKorkes

IG: @mir.zia

FB: www.facebook.com/miriam.zia

IG: @suzanyounan

FB: www.facebook.com/SuzieYounan

Tuesday Nov 26, 2019

Roseanne Rofaeel

Tuesday Nov 26, 2019

Episode 89 - Roseanne Rofaeel, Founder and CEO – Christmas on the Streets

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia to refugee parents, Roseanne says she has been privileged to have experienced a safe childhood, a healthy upbringing and a comfortable life. Inspired by Mother Teresa, she thought she would complete her studies and travel to live with the “poorest of the poor” forever.

She began to donate her birthdays to build water wells instead. From 2013 through to 2015, she donated her 17th, 18th and 19th birthdays to build two water wells for communities in Cambodia, a water well in Ethiopia and a water well in Mozambique. In 2016, Christmas on the Streets was born…accidentally. What seemed like a one-off event, grew to be the not-for-profit organisation known as COTS today. Since the establishment of COTS, the organisation has been involved in projects that she once could only dream of. This includes partnering with charities all around the country to helping build a school for children in Nepal.

Tuesday Nov 19, 2019

Lincoln Malik

Tuesday Nov 19, 2019

Episode 88 - Lincoln Malik, the founder of Assyrian Aid Society, was born in Baghdad, Iraq and obtained his education in California, attending UC Berkeley and Stanford. His passion for social and political justice led him to becoming an activist and protesting against the Vietnam war and joining the Black Student Union and championing the Palestinian cause. Tune in to hear about his upbringing, family, and how he directed his passion for activism towards his Assyrian community.

Show Notes - articles written by Lincoln Malik

Strategy for leadership: A progressive and pragmatic program by Dr. Lincoln Malik
https://www.atour.com/adm/docs/strategy.htm

The Stanford Daily - Panel Discusses Value of Lenin
https://stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford19700414-01.2.7&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------

Revolution: Only Logical Conclusion

http://www.a3mreunion.org/archive/1968-1969/68-69_april_third/files_68-69_april_third_movement/A3M_Revolution_Logical_Conclusion.pdf

Tuesday Nov 12, 2019

Julia Sorisho Rodgers

Tuesday Nov 12, 2019

Episode 87 - Julia Sorisho Rodgers is the author and illustrator of two Assyrian/English children’s books, “Farm Animals” and “My Assyrian Language Alphabet.” As a mother of three, she found a need for children’s sturdy board books for the Assyrian community, so she sought out professionals and used her artistic talent to write and illustrate her board books as a way to teach children the Assyrian language. Tune in to hear about how she became inspired to create for her culture.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julessrod

Support is also brought to you by John Oushana, John is a Real Estate professional in Arizona and California. Whether you are thinking about buying or selling Real Estate in Arizona or California, put John's proven track record to work. John’s focus is residential, multi-units and commercial properties. Check John out on Facebook.com/johnoushanarealtor or Instagram @John.oushana. Contact him today at (209) 968-9519

Tuesday Nov 05, 2019

Benjamin Aziz

Tuesday Nov 05, 2019

Episode 86 - Benjamin, is an Assyrian-American sports business executive and entrepreneur focused on massive sports projects with transformative economic and community impact.

Benjamin played a key role in two highly-publicized public-private projects in Sacramento, California. He most recently helped manage Sacramento Republic FC’s successful bid for a Major League Soccer expansion team. As the son of singer/songwriter Walter Aziz, Benjamin’s creativity is inspired by the universal language of music and his father’s dedication to the Assyrian community.

Facebook: Benyamin Aziz

Instagram: bennyaziz, lecourt.co

Tuesday Oct 29, 2019

Nora Betyousef Lacey

Tuesday Oct 29, 2019

Episode 85 - Nora Betyousef Lacey is an accomplished biotech entrepreneur and philanthropist. She founded the company, Cell Marque, which she later sold in 2014, is the co-inventor of two registered US patents, the founder of the non-profit organization Assyrian Arts Institute (AAI), and will be making Assyrian Studies at UC Berkeley in 2020 possible thanks to her generous gift to the university.

Website: www.assyrianartsinstitute.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AssyrianArtsInstitute/

Instagram: @assyrianartsinstitute

Lastly, are you looking for an Assyrian dictionary? You can search for anything on SargonSays.com. Things like, “How are you?” “Good morning” and “Will you marry me?” Search for “Assyrian Podcast” on SargonSays.com for a surprise! Sargonsays.com is a proud sponsor of this week’s episode of the Assyrian Podcast.

Tuesday Oct 22, 2019

Rosie Malek-Yonan

Tuesday Oct 22, 2019

Episode 84 - Rosie Malek-Yonan is an Assyrian-American actress, author, director, public figure and activist. Malek-Yonan became a noted pianist at an early age. Having graduated from the University of Cambridge, she settled in the United States, where she pursued a career in music and dramatic arts. As an actress she appeared in well over 30 films and television series, including Up Close & Personal (1996) and Rendition (2007), as well as, among others, Dynasty, CSI: Miami, JAG, ER and Babylon 5. She also authored The Crimson Field, a historical novel set in the times of the Assyrian genocide during World War I; the book is one of the most popular pieces of prose among Assyrians today.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosieMalekYonan

Website: https://rosiemalek-yonan.com

Book: https://www.thecrimsonfield.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RosieMalekYonanPage

Tuesday Oct 15, 2019

Kinda Haroun

Tuesday Oct 15, 2019

Episode 83 - Kinda Haroun and her family left Syria in 2015 and settled in Melbourne, Australia. Kinda has quickly become a volunteer superstar making headway in helping many Assyrians settle in Melbourne following the Syrian war. She won Melbourne’s citizen of the month award. Listen to this episode to learn more about how Kinda helped women and children who fled ISIS and how she has introduced Assyrians to different communities in Melbourne.

Kindaharoun7@outlook.com

Tuesday Oct 08, 2019

Marc Stevens

Tuesday Oct 08, 2019

Marc “Stevens” Afshar is a communicator, minister & rapper. Marc has been leading a ministry for university students for the past ten years. He often speaks at youth camps, conferences, churches, college students, athletes and many more platforms. Marc is also a hip-hop artist and has recently released his debut EP “Marc Stevie Wonder” under his artist name Marc Stevens. Marc is originally from San Jose, CA & currently resides in Sacramento with his wife and two boys.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1fmn2V2H1bqmwk9SCdnuCd?si=xji4DtAmTiWEQFkfZ-Fp5w

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcstevensmusic/

Instagram: @marc.stevie

Twitter: @marc_stevie

Tuesday Oct 01, 2019

Juliana Taimoorazy

Tuesday Oct 01, 2019

Episode 81 - Juliana Taimoorazy is a leading international advocate, speaker and writer advancing awareness of persecution of Christians in the Middle East. She is the founder and president of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council and a senior fellow of the Philos Project.

In 2007, Juliana founded the Iraqi Christian Relief Council to shine a light on the plight of Iraqi Christians and raise funds to deliver food, shelter and medicine to Iraq. Her own unique story as a refugee has made her a strong leader and an unshakable voice for Christians in Iraq today.

She has been featured on FOX News, BBC, Wall Street Journal Live, Newsmax, Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA), and Christian radio programs including CBN.

In 2016, Taimoorazy was nominated for the prestigious Nansen Award through the United Nations Higher Commission on Refugees (UNHCR).

Tuesday Sep 24, 2019

Jordan Jonas

Tuesday Sep 24, 2019

Episode 80 - Jordan Jonas is the winner of History Channel’s, “Alone in the Arctic” season 6. Jordan grew up on a farm in Idaho and spent his 20s living a nomadic life with the Evenki in Siberia herding reindeer. His skills of hunting, trapping, fishing, and his Assyrian family’s background allowed him to survive 77 days in the Arctic. In this episode you will hear how Jordan killed a moose, battled a wolverine, and now lives to tell about this arctic adventure.

Instagram: hobojordo
Facebook: Jordan Jonas - Alone

YouTube: hobojordo

Website: www.jordanjonas.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.

Whether you are thinking about buying or selling Real Estate in Arizona or California, put John's proven track record to work. John’s focus is residential, multi-units and commercial properties. Check John out on Facebook.com/johnoushanarealtor or Instagram @John.oushana. Contact him today at (209) 968-9519.

Tuesday Sep 17, 2019

Robert Oshana

Tuesday Sep 17, 2019

Episode 79 - Robert Oshana is the creator of www.learnassyrian.com, a website that serves as a resource for those interested in learning the Assyrian language through creative avenues like the translation of Assyrians songs as a way to build vocabulary and much more! Listen to learn about how Robert combines his background in Computer Science with his love for the Assyrian language to produce resources that are easy to absorb and learn from.

Email: robertoshana@outlook.com

Resources:

www.learnassyrian.com

www.assyrianlibrary.com

Youtube channel: Loop oo Malip

Tuesday Sep 10, 2019

Michael Badal

Tuesday Sep 10, 2019

Episode 78 - In 2007, 17-year-old Michael Badal first saw success in dance music when he was discovered by Tiesto, whose support of the single, “Colours” established Michael as a serious contender early in his career. He has since had the honor of officially remixing for Grammy nominated artists such as Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, The Chainsmokers, Kaskade, Timbaland, Kelly Rowland, Nadia Ali, Above & Beyond, and many others. In 2015, Michael released his debut artist album, “Now That We’re Human” on Tiesto’s label, which spawned Michael's first headlining USA tour. The album also saw him tie for a Grammy nomination that year for Best Electronic/Dance Album. Over the years, Michael has had the opportunity to play across the country at festivals and clubs, including EDC Las Vegas and Kaskade’s Sun Soaked festival.

Most recently, Michael co-founded a record label with YouTube star and entrepreneur, Matthias. Unlike other record labels, Chill Records brings together traditional music business practices, while also innovating how fans interact with the artists they love.

Instagram: @michaelbadal

Twitter: @michaelbadal

Tuesday Sep 03, 2019

Nardin Sarkis and Akadina Yadegar

Tuesday Sep 03, 2019

Episode 77

Nardin Sarkis and Akadina Yadegar co-curated Diaspora in Bloom, an art exhibit featuring the work of contemporary Assyrian artists who focus on bringing Assyrian art into the modern times. In this episode we hear from them about how this exhibition came into fruition. We also discuss art, digital content, and what it means to be an Assyrian in diaspora with Nardin.

Tuesday Aug 27, 2019

Paul and Sargon Benjamin

Tuesday Aug 27, 2019

Episode 76 - Paul and Sargon Benjamin are brothers and founders of Base 2 Applications, a start-up that created mobile applications and led to partnerships with companies like Google, Verizon, AT&T, and more. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley, they fully immerse themselves as leaders in the tech world! In this episode, you’ll learn about their upbringing and entrepreneurial spirit, how they have taken their talents and invested them back into the community with Assyrian apps and search engines like SargonSays.com, as well as their active lifestyles that include triathlons and Spartan races.

Bonus: tune in to the end to hear a surprise musical performance!

www.assyrianapp.com

Tuesday Aug 20, 2019

Ashor Chamoun

Tuesday Aug 20, 2019

Episode 75 - Ashor Chamoun is the current Western Regional Director for Assyrian American National Federation. He has previously served as the Vice President of AANF, and he has been involved in various national and local Assyrian organizations from Detroit, MI to his current hometown of Phoenix, AZ. In this episode he talks about what activism means to him, the loss of his father, and bridging the gap between the older and younger generation of Assyrian activists.

Tuesday Aug 13, 2019

Lilea Eshoo Takvorian

Tuesday Aug 13, 2019

Episode 74 - Lilea Eshoo Takvorian helps run her family’s wholesale bakery known as California Lavash (soon to be Atoria’s Family Bakery) in Gilroy, California. Through lavash, Lilea and her family share a piece of their Assyrian heritage with consumers across the United States. In this episode, you’ll learn about the lineage of inventors, what led her family to bake lavash for the masses, Lilea’s life as a new mother, and her hopes for her daughter.

https://www.californialavash.com/atoriasfamilybakery

Tuesday Aug 06, 2019

Wilfred Bet-Alkhas

Tuesday Aug 06, 2019

Episode 73 - Wilfred Bet-Alkhas is an Assyrian activist, political observer, and a lecturer of the Assyrian language and history at San Jose State University. He was born in Tehran, Iran and moved to the United States in 1979. He joined the Assyrian American Association of San Jose when his family moved from Connecticut to San Jose in 1982. It was here when he met his Assyrian mentors "Dr. Ashur Moradkhan" and "Raabi William Daniel".

Wilfred was a founding member of the Cultural Wave of Nisibin in 1985 and served on the executive committee of the AAA of San Jose. Between 1990 and 1994 he was twice appointed as the Assyrian American National Federation's Secretary of Education.

Episode 73- In 1994 Wilfred founded the online newsletter ZINDA, which by 2005 was enjoyed by over 30,000 subscribers from 45 countries. The last issue of Zinda Magazine was published in 2009. Since August 2015 Wilfred has been teaching the Assyrian language and history class at San Jose State Univ.

Wilfred is a Director of HR Operations at a high-tech start-up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He and his wife, Nina and two children, Inanna and Enlil, live in Sacramento, California.

Tuesday Jul 30, 2019

Joseph Danavi

Tuesday Jul 30, 2019

Episode 72 -

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Joseph Danavi is the Director at GISHRU where he is responsible for steering the operations of the organization. He has been active in the Assyrian community since his undergraduate years when he co-founded the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Student Movement based in Chicago.

Since then, he has held a variety of leadership roles for Assyrian organizations and events including the current chair of education programming for the annual Assyrian American National Convention.

Through GISHRU, Dr. Danavi envisions the rising generation in the Diaspora to not only be tangibly connected with the Assyrian ancestral homeland and become effective leaders for Assyrian advocacy, but also one day reside there.

We’ll talk about his personal connection to the Assyrian Genocide of 1915, his thoughts on Assyrian advocacy and community empowerment. But what struck me the most were his closing remarks to all of you listeners around the globe.

Tuesday Jul 23, 2019

Atorina Zomaya

Tuesday Jul 23, 2019

Episode 71 - Atorina Zomaya is the founder of Assyrian Kitchen. Through food, art, language, and family style settings, Assyrian Kitchen displays so much of our culture for people who are unaware, and offers the familiarity and comfort Assyrians have grown up knowing. Listen to how Atorina got this wonderful idea started, and evolved it into what it is today.

Web: AssyrianKitchen.com

FB: Assyrian Kitchen

IG: @AssyrianKitchen

Tuesday Jul 16, 2019

Dr. Ashurina Ream & Nicole Shamon

Tuesday Jul 16, 2019

Episode 70 - The topic of drug addiction is a stigma in our community, but there are people coming together to change that. Dr. Ashurina Ream is a licensed psychologist and Nicole Shamon is an affected family member of drug addiction. Together, they join us in this week’s episode to talk about the opioid epidemic and how to help a loved one that is battling with drug addiction.

Dr. Ashurina Ream

Instagram: psychedmommy

Nicole Shamon

Instagram: WoodUBMineDesigns

Drug Addiction Hotline:

WWW.SAMHSA.GOV

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Tuesday Jul 09, 2019

Akkad Saadi

Tuesday Jul 09, 2019

Episode 69 – Akkad Saadi is a software engineer and lives in Qamishly, Syria. He is the president of BET KANU, an organization that aims to build a foundation to advance the endangered dialects of the Syriac language, by creating all types of media products.

In this podcast Akkad talks about life in Syria and the difficulties our people face in the Syrian conflict. He also explains why he returned back to Syria from the US and how important the existence of an organization like BET KANU is for the people in the homeland.

Social Media: BET KANU
YouTube Channel: BET KANU
Website: www.betkanu.com

Tuesday Jul 02, 2019

Sargis Sangari

Tuesday Jul 02, 2019

Episode 68 - Lt. Col. Sargis Sangari turned a twenty-plus year US military career into his own project, the Near East Center for Strategic Engagement (NEC-SE). Listen and find out what motivated him to enlist, and what drives him to work for a free and independent Assyrian nation.

Website: https://nec-se.com/about/ceo-biography/

Tuesday Jun 11, 2019

Francis Dinha

Tuesday Jun 11, 2019

Episode 67 - Francis Dinha

This week we meet a highly accomplished visionary Executive with domestic and international experience in operations, P&L management, strategic product positioning, technology development, business planning, and fundraising with both startup and growth organizations! Francis Dinha is a decisive leader with proven success in new market identification, strategic thinking, and problem solving. Proven track record of syndication, joint ventures, product development, and exploring new markets and business opportunities. Tendency to thrive in dynamic and fluid environments while remaining pragmatic and focused.

www.openvpn.net

pr@openvpn.net

Tuesday Jun 04, 2019

Andrew Nosrati

Tuesday Jun 04, 2019

Episode 66 - This week we meet Andrew Nosrati. He grew up in Turlock, CA and after living in Los Angeles and New York City, he decided to move back to Turlock and get involved in local politics. He was elected as a council member in November of 2018 for a four year term. In this episode, he talks about his decision to run for office, politics, governing, leadership, and where he thinks humanity is headed.

Tuesday May 28, 2019

Dr. Georges and Gary Daniels

Tuesday May 28, 2019

Episode 65 - Dr. Ramon Georges is the son on Murassa Daniels - the first Assyrian to produce a record in 1929. Born in 1931 in Chicago, Illinois, he along with his cousin Gary E. Daniels join us to retell the story of their family’s journey starting from Iran, fleeing to the British internment camp of "Baaquba" in Iraq, travelling by boat with stops all over, before finally settling in the U.S.

Family history:https://www.geni.com/people/Murassa-Georges/6000000007273176756

Murassa’s music: https://www.qeenatha.com/artists/MurassaUrshanDaniels/3872/

Tuesday May 21, 2019

Yasmeen

Tuesday May 21, 2019

Episode 64 - Yasmeen is a rising singer-songwriter currently living in Los Angeles, CA. Her powerful vocal range and impressive songwriting have been on display with the release of her first 5 singles. She has been featured prominently on multiple Spotify Curated playlists and her current single Half of Me (Acoustic) is fast approaching 2 Million Streams on Spotify. She has also garnered great press during the past year including Earmilk, MissInfo, Vibe Magazine, Singers-Room, TIDAL, and Huffington Post. Apple Music has also proven to be a fan featuring her on Ebro’s Discovered on Beats1 Radio as well as their Chart Extra Show with Brooke Reese. Grammy winning superstar Ne-Yo took notice of Yasmeen, posting a video of Yasmeen to his Facebook page garnering over 500k views.

Facebook: Yasmeen

Instagram: yasmeen_music

YouTube: Yameen Music

Website: www.yasmeenonline.com

Email: info@YasmeenOnline.com

Tuesday May 14, 2019

Marian Kaanon

Tuesday May 14, 2019

Episode 63 - This week, we feature Marian Kaanon, President & Chief Executive Officer, of the Stanislaus Community Foundation. A first generation Assyrian-American, Marian Kaanon grew up in Modesto, California and graduated from UC Davis. In this episode she talks about her passion for community engagement, overcoming a language barrier and how the Assyrian nation has a call to action.

Based in Modesto, Marian joined Stanislaus Community Foundation as their CEO in 2012. Stanislaus Community Foundation is a place-based funder that provides grants and scholarships to community organizations in Stanislaus County. To date, the organization has invested nearly $15 million in local nonprofits and over $2 million in scholarships to students.

Marian’s Facebook: Marian Kaanon

Marian’s Instagram: Marian Kaanon

Email: mkaanon@stanislauscf.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/StanislausFoundation or www.stanislauscf.org

Tuesday May 07, 2019

Adrenna Alkhas

Tuesday May 07, 2019

Episode 62 - Adrenna Alkhas is an author, college professor, wife, and mom. She has recently teamed up with Maryam Shamalta of Shamiram Media to offer a talk series aimed at serving women in various cities, bringing together Maryam’s work to empower Assyrian women and Adrenna’s book aimed at empowering young women, based on her book EmpowHer. In this episode she talks about family, feminism, and her hope for the future of the Assyrian nation. 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 can be reached at InjuryRights.com or 847-982-9516.