SUMMER- 2014 QUARTERLY MAGAZINE VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2

A Publication of Saint Andrews Assyrian Church of the East-Glenview, Illinois

Copyright 2014 by Assyrian Church of the East
Page 1
A Brief Biograph
of blessed
memory +Mar
Yousip Khnanisho
Metropolitan of
Iraq, the Church
of the East, and of
The Assyrian
Community
Many years past, it had become a
general practice, through the vicissi-
tude of time and of the general pro-
posal of the blessed Prelates of the
Holy Church and with the acceptance
of the various chieftains within the
Assyrian community, the Prelates
were selected and ordained to ser-
vice The Church from among certain
chosen families who were known for
their faith, piety, holiness and signifi-
cant sacrifices made in behalf of The
Church and of the Assyrian Christian
Community of believers.
The custom had been organized and
developed to pass on from uncle to
the first born nephew the Sacred
Episcopal Office. We, thus, recog-
nize that before +Mar Yousip was
born, according to the custom of the
Nazarites, observed by the Prelates
of The Church of the East, his mother
would abstain from the consumption
of animal flesh (meats) till his birth
and weaning. His remarkable birth
in 1893, it is declared that he was
born as a Nazarene under the Naza-
rite vow, being reared in solitude till
his rest falling asleep into the hand of
our Lord in the year 1977
+Mar Yousip of blessed memory if
descended from the well known
household or family of a Mar Khnani-
sho Metropolitan of Rustaqa. He
lived in the Village of Mar Ishoo in
the region of Shamisdan in modern
day Turkey, near the monastery of
Mar Ishoo, which had been built at
the entrance of the 5
th
century. This
particular family had risen to prom-
inence for there were 12 Metropoli-
tan Archbishops who had come
forth from this family, one following
the other. They were well regard-
ed and well know for their Christian
piety, faith, leadership skills and
faithful labor among the Christian
believers of The Holy Church.
There are five (5) tombs in the mon-
astery of Mar Ishoo, with the re-
mains of these earlier Metropoli-
tans; the other three (3) tombs are
not known, because of the changes
which had occurred on the grounds
of the monastery.
The ninth Metropolitan rested in
peace in the region of Bataan, fol-
lowing his returning journey from
the visit to Jerusalem where he vis-
ited the holy places. Subsequently
his earthly remain were interred in
the Church of Bnai Shumi in the Vil-
lage of Char-roo-khia.
The tenth (10
th
) Metropolitan rested
in the Village of Bahloolan during
his Apostolic Sojourn to the region
of Targarwar, his earthly remains
were interred in The Church of Mar
Toma Shilkha in the Village of
Bahloolan, at the request of the
faithful of The Church of that re-
gion. Till this present day his tomb
remains in peace among us. The
eleventh (11
th
) +Mar Iskhaq Khnan-
ishoo, at the time of the exodus of
Assyrian Christians from the moun-
tainous region of Hakkari; fell
asleep enroute to the City of Kar-
manshah, in Persia, his tomb re-
mains to this present day; it is a
shrine where the faithful of the re-
gion visit frequently.
The twelfth (12
th
) Metropolitan is
+Mar Yousip of blessed of memory,
while a young lad, knew fully the Office
to which he was being groomed. While
a young son of the Holy Church, he
knew all the services of the Diaconal
calling, together with that of the Priestly
Office from the depths of his heart, he
was tutored by the late Qashisha Qash-
isha +Rehanna was known for his depth
of knowledge in the Aramaic language
and the Holy Theological truths of the
Holy Church, also knowing the lan-
guages of the Turks and of the Russians
Under the tutoring of Qashisha
+Rehanna, many students were study-
ing and preparing for the Holy Priest-
hood in the Monastery of Mar Ishoo. It
was from this monastery that priests
and bishops were prepared, formed,
for the whole of the metropolitanate. It
is for this reason that +Mar Yousip had
been set aside and ordained to the Of-
fice of Deacon at the age of 12. In the
year of 1912 he was ordained to the
Sacred Office of Priest; following his
profound knowledge of Holy Doctrine,
the Theological Truths in The Church;
and that of the language of The Church;
Aramaic. In 1914, at the beginning of
World War I, +Mar Yousip was sent as a
representative of Mar +Iskhaq Khnani-
sho to the Patriarchal Cell in Qochanis,
to attend the Patriarchal Council which
was preparing for the change which
might occur in the event of the WWI
influence or disturbances in The
Church of the East and among the As-
syrian Christian believers. It was at this
time, (June 10
th
1914) while on this em-
bassy to Qochanis, he was elevated to
the Sacred Office of the Episcopacy by
+Mar Benjamin Shimun of blessed
memory. His Excellency remained in
Qochanis till 1916 as an assistant to the
Catholicos Patriarch. When the Assyri-
an Christian abandoned their home-
land, Continue on page 6
Copyright 2014 by Assyrian Church of the East Page 2
Words of an An-
cient Assyrian
Philosopher
Many have read
the quote, The
pen is mightier
than the sword
but how many
know its origin?
An ancient Assyrian philosopher
named Ahiqar wrote the first version
of the quote around 500 BC. Initially
he wrote, The word is mightier than
the sword. As someone who collects
quotes, I thought it would be benefi-
cial to share words written by Ahiqar.
Much like us Assyrians overall,
Ahiqars wisdom is virtually un-
known. Although his words are quite
ancient, his philosophy is not outdat-
ed. Ahiqar is sometimes referred to
as an Aramean. His writings were
found on an Aramaic papyrus text.
1
In
the ancient script, he writes a narra-
tive in which he communicates with
his nephew. He also mentions that he
himself is an advisor under the Assyr-
ian kings Sennacherib and Esarhad-
don. To get a better sense of his phi-
losophy I have included a few of his
sayings below:
0 my son! make thy eloquence easy to
the listener, and be not hasty to return
an answer.
0 my son! covet not outward beauty,
for it wanes and passes away, but an
honourable remembrance lasts for
aye.
0 my son! let not a silly woman deceive
thee with her speech, lest thou die the
most miserable of deaths, and she en-
tangle thee in the net till thou art en-
snared.
0 my son! cleave to wise men who fear
God and be like them, and go not near
the ignorant, lest thou become like
him and learn his ways.
0 my son! if the rich man eat a snake,
they say, "It is by his wisdom," and if a
poor man eat it, the people say, "From
his hunger."
0 my son! be content with thy daily
bread and thy goods, and covet not
what is another's.
0 my son! every sheep that wanders
from its path and its companions be-
comes food for the wolf.
0 my son! a friend who is near is better
than a more excellent brother who is
far away
0 my son! rejoice not in the death of
thine enemy, for after a little while
thou shalt be his neighbour,
0 my son! the hand which does not la-
bour and plough and (which) is
greedy and cunning shall be cut away
from its shoulder.
The advice Ahiqar gives to his neph-
ew can be applied to todays chaotic
world. Ahiqar comments on a wide
variety of topics when speaking to his
nephew, almost as if he is giving him
a lesson on how to behave as an ideal
human being. Many of Ahiqars say-
ings mirror the words found in the
Holy Bible.
2
The difficulties that exist-
ed in ancient times also exist today.
The ending of Ahiqars narrative is an
interesting one I will not reveal.
As Christians our faith in Christ al-
lows us to believe that we will be
looked after at all times, regardless
of what period of time we live in. The
Bible reminds of this reality in John
16:33 (Lamsa Aramaic Bible), In the
world you will have tribulation; but
have courage, I have conquered the
world. Likewise Philippians 4:8 tells
us, whatever is true, whatever is
honest, whatever is just, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
of good report, if there is any virtue
and if there is any praise, think about
these things. Let us be guided by
Ahiqars wise words and the words of
the living Truth. May we as humans
not only respect one another, but also
be reminded of the glorious gift of
salvation Christ bestowed upon us.
By: Ramsen Shamon
Resources
"Ahikar." THE STORY OF AHIKAR. Pseudepigra-
pha, Apocrypha and Sacred Writings, n.d.
Web. 22 May 2014. <http://
www.pseudepigrapha.com/pseudepigrapha/
ahikar.htm>.




Assyrian Church
of the East Youth
Association
(ACEYA)


Wow, time has flown by! It
seems just like yesterday that we
were starting our preparations for
this years conference, which took
place in Illinois.
At this point you may ask, What is a
Youth Conference? Well, His Holi-
ness Mar Dinkha IV, Catholicos-
Patriarch of the Holy Apostolic Assyr-
ian Church of the East established the
annual youth conference back in
1987. It is a get together of all of the
youth associations from all over the
United States. This year the confer-
ence marked its 27
th
anniversary of
this very spiritual and social event.
Every year a theme is chosen to rep-
resent the conference, this year the
theme was, Building Leaders One
Youth At A Time. The theme is the
main idea of which the bible studies
to be based upon. Our spiritual fa-
thers including priests and bishops
from all over the United States teach
every year. Workshop based classes
are implemented in these confer-
ences, which are a very involved way
of teaching the theme of Leadership.
On behalf of the whole conference
planning committee, we would like to
thank all of our sponsors and support-
ers. God willing, and as decided by
the prelates of the Church, the youth
conference next year will be in San
Diego.
Dont let anyone look down on you
because you are young, but set an
example for the believers in speech,
in conduct, in love, in faith and in
purity. 1 Timothy 4:12
By: Peter Azzo



HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST
HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST
Page 3
Copyright 2014 by Assyrian Church of the East
Jesus the Lord
The word LORD or Marah in Ara-
maic, Kyrios in Greek, and Adon
in Hebrew appears countless times in
the Old Testament as it describes God.
The Greek language was intelligible
to most Jews during the first century
AD whom some also spoke Hebrew.
As a result Kyrios and the rest of
these words were frequently used in
the Galilean Aramaic dialect to de-
scribe the Lord God.
In addition to its application to God the word Lord occu-
pied an important position in the Jewish religious language
as it was used to describe someone with power, authority
and judicial dignity. Many prayers in the Bible use LORD
to describe God. One of the prayers says Blessed art thou,
O Most High God, Lord of all the worlds, thou who art Lord
and ruler over all things. Another prayer says Thou art the
Lord of all the kings of the earth. furthermore, our father
Abraham invokes God by calling him My Lord as he con-
fesses: Thou art God Most High, my Lord. These were just
a few examples of the many times that the word Lord has
been applied to God whether descriptively or as an invoca-
tion.
The New Testament has its share of addressing Jesus Christ
as Lord innumerable times! In Mark the word Lord is used
by a Syro-Phoenician woman when responding to Jesus as
he told her that the childrens bread is not for dogs. She
said: Yes Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the
childrens crumbs. Again in Mark; Bartimeus the blind
beggar from Jericho responded: Lord, I want my sight
back., when Jesus asked him What do you want me to do
for you?
Mathew also has his share of documenting Jesuss Lordship
as he confirms that Jesus was regularly addressed by his
disciples and others as Lord. When Peter saw his master
walking on the water he requested: Lord, if it is you, tell me
to come to you over the water. When he doubted and start-
ed to sink he cried: Save me, Lord. Elsewhere in the Gos-
pels Peter asked: Lord, how often shall my brother sin
against me?
And if you read the Gospels by Luke and John, you will find
out that they werent less than the other two disciples in con-
ferring Jesus as the Lord throughout their gospels. All of this
stands to confirm the authenticity of the usage of the word
Lord and its literal application to both God and his son
Jesus Christ.
By: Mariam Amro
Source: Vermes, G. (1988). Jesus the Jew. Philadelphia:
Fortress Press.
Page 4

Some Remarks on Kayana
and Qnoma


In the
4th century
and early 5th
century: The
Greek word
physis means
kyana = )(
nature. However sometimes
the Syriac word kyana )(
renders ousi a )(
(substance) as well as physis
(nature), the same phenomenon
can be seen in the early transla-
tions of the Greek word homo-
ousious (found in the Creed) as
bar kyana ) (in Syriac. It is
essentially this understanding
of kyana as going with ousia
that is retained in the Church of
the East.
By contrast, later 5th
and 6th century, the churches in
the Roman Empire (Roman
Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Syri-
an Orthodox, Coptics,.) writ-
ers understand physis/kyana as
virtually a synonym with hypos-
tasis/qnoma. In Syrian Ortho-
dox Church by end of 5th and of
the 6the century the older ren-
dering translation homoousios
= bar kyana ) (is replaced
by translations physis/kyana as
virtually a synonym with hypo-
statsi/qnoma. Thus removing
the (now archaic) association of
kyana with ousia.
In regard to the term of
qnoma ,)(Bawai the Great
(551-628) speaks of two natures
with their qnome. In few
words, it would seem that, for
Babai, whereas kyana is gener-
ic and verges on the sense of
ousia, qnoma refers to an indi-
vidual (though not necessarily
self existent) manifestation of
that kyana.
Thus, divinely is the ky-
ana of God and humanity is the
kyana of man. In the case of
the person )(of the
incarnate Christ, his divinity is
the qnoma, or individual mani-
festation, of the kyana of the di-
vinity (God) and his humanity is
the qnoma, or individual mani-
festation of humanity. Proper-
ties idiotes = dilayata )

(in
Syriac would be one stage fur-
ther down the hierarchy, i.e.
one particular aspect of the in-
dividual manifestation of the
kyana.
The fundamental im-
portance is to be aware that
these theological terms were
used in the Roman Empire at
the same time. This is a point
to which both Babai (551-628) (

(and Isoyahb III (628-

645) )

(
themselves specifically draw
attention.
Assyrian Church of the
East Christology can be pre-
sented as follows: For the sal-
vation of mankind, the Second
Person of the Trinity, born eter-
nally from the Father, put on
our humanity by the grace of
the Holy Spirit in the womb of
the Virgin Mary, and was born
as Christ, fully human and fully
God. The incarnate Christ has
the kyana (the nature in ab-
stract sense), and the qnoma (=
the individual manifestation of
the kyana) of man, and the ky-
ana and its corresponding qno-
ma of God, which are united in
the one prosopa (= person
)of divine filiation
.)

(Christ suffered and

died for us in His humanity
which is taken from us. The
same Spirit of God formed him
in the womb of the Virgin Mary
raised him up as the first fruit of
salvation, ensuring eternal life
to all those who believe in him.
In view of the influence
of Theodore of Mopsuestia on
this Church, some scholars say
like William Macomber that its
Christology might be called
Mesopotamian rather than
Nestorian. For S. Brock, to
label this Church or its Chris-
tology Nestorian is a
lamentable misnomer. Strong
indignation against this desig-
nation is already registered by
Abdisho of Nisibin (d. 1318).
Hence, the qnoma of di-
vinity is God the Word, the per-
fect God, and the qnoma of hu-
manity is the Man, which is
never thought of as having any
separate pre-existence. Ac-
cording to Assyrian Church ter-
minology, the man means an
individual human being (in the
abstract sense only) and not a
specific person. Thus the
phrase he puts on the man of
the 6th century Assyrian writers
corresponds to early Syriac ex-
pressions like he put on Adam/
our humanity/ or our body.

By Father William Toma
HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST
Copyright 2014 by Assyrian Church of the East
Upcoming Church Event:
In honor of the 38th An-
niversary of Consecra-
tion of His Holiness
Mar-Dinkha IV Catholi-
cos Patriarch of the As-
syrian Church of the
East. Sunday October
19th, 2014, 5:00PM at
White Eagle Banquets.
6839 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Niles, IL. 60714.
HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST
Page 5
The mission.

Honor and glorify God the father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit and make Him known. Preach His word (The
Gospel) through the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian
Church of the East, established by the teachings of our
Lords Disciples and the Churchs Saints, Patriarchs,
Bishops and Priests, as the source of the good news.
Teach the Assyrian Language (Neo-Aramaic), one of
our Lords main Languages, to our Children and edu-
cate them on the importance of speaking and preserv-
ing it.

Saint Andrews Church Committee
Copyright 2014 by Assyrian Church of the East


Saint Andrews Committees:


Church Senior Pastor Father George Toma.
Deacons: Norman Israel, Elbron Odisho, Adnan David,
Sargon Kesso, Edison Youkhana, George Antar, Yousef Mikhael,
Sabir, George Baezo, Thompson Esho, Alfret Shamoun, Elie Antar.
Committees Chairman (David Arkis).
Building Director/Manager (Interim-David Arkis): Younes Zaia,
Namrood Khamis, Louzan Odisho, Rema Shamoun, Elona Bahram,
Paul Rehana, Peter Amaden, Ray Kando, Youkhana Youkhana,
Zaya Youkhana, Saliba Abraham, Anwar Haido, George
Co-Chairman (Jack Youna).
Secretary (Ban Youna).
Treasurer Chairman (Gilbert Khosrabowdi): Sargon Yosip, Mariam Lazar, Najla Mikhail, Bushra yalda, Edna Allhaverdi, Diana
Shamoun, Karolin Moshi
Accountant (Julie Kako).
Memorial wall: Al Puccinelli, Nadia Warda.
Youth President (Peter Azzo)
Ladies Auxiliary Chairwoman (Catrina Khamou): Doreen Haider, Sonia Khammo, Layla Youkhana, Bassima Sorisho, Magie Zaya, Jane
Hana, Jenny, Nada Younan, Mariam.
Choir Chairwoman (Najat Marcos): Saad Yalda, Elie Antar, Jena Kena.
Education-Jennifer Younan, Deacon Adnan David, Souad Timatyos, Nirona Shino, Dr. Michael, Juliana Thomas, Mike Micho, Deacon
Adnan David, Youbert Bahram, Helen Yousif, Nwyia Garmo, Bronica Amrahi, Josephine Youhana, Mardin Shinoo, Connie Shakro,
Kristy Andrews, Queen Ishay, Raquel Youkhana, Stephanie Andrews, Claudia Shakro, Neeran Shmoel, Regina Younan., Hewi Arkis,
Rami Gorges.
Youth Choir- Rachel Thomas, Jena Kena, Sargon Yalda.
Sports (Vacant).
Public Relations (Vacant).
Ushers Chairman (Michael Michael): Albert Youel, Youkhana Youkhana, Ramzi Odich, George Danyel, Gilbert Gewargis, Abrahim
Lazar, Robert Thomas, Zaya.
Visitation Chairman (Deacon Norman Israel): Anderious Youkhana.
Special Events Chairperson (Vacant): Suzana Yalda, Nirona Shinoo, Julie Kako, Hewi Adaay, Diala Joseph, Sargon Yalda, Neeran
Shmoel, Aida Joseph, Tanya Khamo, Doreen Haider, Diana Esho.
Maintenance Chairman (Musa Moshy): William Younan, Anderious Youkhana, Ashor Tamo (IT), Manny Yalda (IT), Yalda Kako (IT),
Ashor Khoshaba (Sound System), Tony Atou (Sound System), Mounir Shamoon (Sound System).
Media Chairman (Billy George): Hani Shawel, Robert Thomas, Hewi Arkis, Dani Shamoun, Ramsin George, Amer Kasso, Albert Lazar,
Benyamin Odisho, Saliba Abraham.
Page 6
...Continue from page 1
owing to the difficulties of war, seek-
ing a save haven elsewhere, Metro-
politan Yousip took a great number of
believers of The Holy Church back
toward the City of Baqooba. It was to
the rank of Metropolitan the young
bishop +Mar Yousip was elevated, in
the City of Baghdad by Mar +Polos
Shimun Catholicos Patriarch of
blessed memory on 2
nd
December
1918.
In 1933 at the time when Mar +Eshai
Shimun was ordered by governmen-
tal authorities to leave the Kingdom
of Iraq and was subsequently exiled
to Cyprus; it was Mar +Yousip
Khnaninisho
who led the whole Church in Iraq and
all of the Middle East. His Excellency
Mar +Yousip Khnaninisho entered
into the joys of eternal life leaving
behind the suffering of this temporal
life on 3
rd
July 1977, the Commemora-
tion of St Thomas the Apostle, a 1:10
P.M. The Service of Commemoration
of His Excellency was celebrated on
Wednesday 6
th
July 1977; in the Par-
ish Church of Mar Gewargis Sahda, in
Dura, Baghdad, Iraq by His Excellen-
cy Mar Narsai of Lebanon, and Bishop
Mar Daniel of Kirkuk, and a great
number of priests and deacons and a
great number of believers who at-
tended from throughout the various
cities of Iraq, as 12,000 Christian
souls participated in this celebrated
Christian life of blessed memory Mar
+Yousip.
His earthly remains were escorted to
the place of his final rest, in St Mary
the Virgin, Baghdad. All those who
had loved and respected Mar
+Yousip Khnanishoo from the various
Christian communities attended the
memorial service offered before God
in his behalf. Many of the Moslem
community and leaders who respect-
ed and honored him, together with
the representative of His Holiness
Paul VI of Rome, the Chaldean Patri-
arch Paul Chikko, Mar Sankhero Zak-
kai of the Syrian Orthodox Church,
and Mar Andrious Senna, the head of
the Syrian Language Council of Bagh-
dad, the Iraqi governmental officials,
the representative of the President
Iraq Ahmed Hassan al-Bakker.
The memorial service was celebrated
with profound depths of grief ex-
pressed in sighs, tears, and out
bursts of weeping of those, etc. by all
who had gathered in the Church of
Mar Gewargis.
At 10:00 A.M. the casket which held
the body of Mar +Yousip Khnanishoo
carried upon the shoulders of priests
and deacons and together with the
singing of the happy sad songs of
hope ringing forth from the voices of
the faithful of The Church, till reach-
ing the hearse which would transport
the remains to its final resting place
in Mart Maryam Church in Naeriah.

The youths of The Church were car-
rying flowers, enshrining the pictures
of His Excellency. The faithful were
present awaiting the arrival of the
remains of His Excellency.
Following the concluding of Rite of
the Christian Burial, according to the
Liturgy of the Church of the East, all
who had gathered there paid their
final respects and farewell to this
great shepherd who leaves behind
his faithful flock; leaving to The
Church his legacy of Christian ser-
vice. The relics of this sainted man
brings among us heavenly aids; es-
pecially to all those who approach
with faith and trust.
Mar +Yousip Khnanisho of blessed
memory, as a copiest, hand wrote
many, many prayer-books, and spir-
itual works, such as: Kashkul, the
hymnal of the Church, the Turgama,
the Taqsa Siameeda, and the Taqsa
dRaza. Mar +Yousip had written
many hymns for the feast days, and
some of which have been subse-
quently incorporated into our prayer-
books. In a a hymn for the Feast of
the Ascension of our Lord, he had
written an anagram from his name,
identifying his humility, his faith in
Jesus Christ, and the deep love for his
people and The Church.
At the conclusion of the celebration of
the saintly life, Mr. Rowel, the young-
er brother of Mar +Yousip delivered
HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST
Copyright 2014 by Assyrian Church of the East
a thanksgiving speech, in which he
offered thanks to the prelates, cler-
gy, the faithful, and the officials of
government and those responsible
for the motorcade. A sister of Mar
+Yousip of blessed memory was
called by the name Anseemos,
known as Sempto, was known as a
Nazarite, too, choosing a solitary life
as a nun, together with her brother
Mar +Yousip. Looking unto our wor-
shipful God we beseech Him to grant
rest unto His faithful servant in His
Heavenly kingdom together with all
the righteous ones; and that his com-
memoration be to us for blessed
memory.
Written by Rowel bet Matran.
Translated by Revd Dr. George Toma
...
Matthew 10:39 whoever finds
their life will lose it, and whoever
loses their life for my sake will
find it.

Matthew 10:22 You will be hated
by everyone because of me, but
the one who stands firm to the
end will be saved.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all
you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST
Page 7
Assyrian Church of the East, Eastern Dio-
cese, Executive council (Mutwa)
Some of 2014 projects:
Funeral Fund program
Taxes exempt the Saint Andrews Northbrook land
Develop ideas for Saint Andrews Northbrook land.
Saint Andrews loan refinance
Saint Andrews Daycare
Saint George Water bill exemption
Saint George House Tax exemption
Saint George House development
Saint George Parishioners bus
Saint Marys Classes project
501c3 application processing
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Copyright 2014 by Assyrian Church of the East
Standing L-R: Rafik Ishaya, Ashor Shamas, Youssef Namroud,
Albert Malik, Walton Mirza, Ossie Toma, David Arkis.
Sitting L-R: Nineveh Gewargis, Grace Abraham, Hani Khiziran
(VP), Youkhana, Youabb (P), Joe Jacobs, Flora Haji, Julie Kako
2 Samuel 22:3-4 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge
and my savior-- from violent men you save me. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.
Page 8
Assyrians you should know!

An Interview (Q
& A) with an As-
syrian pioneer
Sam Khamou, a
publisher and an
E n g l i s h -
Assyrian Dic-
tionary writer.

Q: When did
you, or others, call you a lexicogra-
pher? At what age? How long did it
take you to complete the first edi-
tion?
A: During the 90s of the last Century,
at my Company KS Graphics, I was
around 45 years of age and my co-
author was over 55, we were pleased
and proud to receive an order to
translation a number of documents
from English into Assyrian. We
looked for English/Assyrian diction-
aries to help us with the translation.
There was almost no reliable diction-
ary. Although there was a dictionary
by Alexander Joseph Oraham which
was of little use because it was an
Assyrian/English dictionary. We
needed an English/Assyrian diction-
ary. That desperate need urged us to
think of creating an English/Assyrian
dictionary of our own.
The creation of the dictionary took
me over five years of hard work to
accomplish. I was assisted by my co-
author Mr. Odisho Y. Odisho, may he
rest in peace. The manuscript stayed
on my desk for more than a decade
without being published for lack of
funds, until an Assyrian national
sponsor decided to help, as ex-
plained later.

Q: Describe your dictionary in a
few words.
A: The dictionary is made of 612 pag-
es containing around 270,00 expres-
sions. It is the most extensive diction-
ary of its kind. It is a practical unique
dictionary. This dictionary will serve,
mostly, translators involved in trans-
lating from English into Assyrian.
Ive been getting positive feedbacks
from a lot of users, even from far
places as far as Australia.

Q: Do you favor certain translation
over others?
A: I am a translator by profession. I
don't like translating topic that are
outside my specialization. My favorite
subjects are poetry, literature, legal
topic, and political issues. I seldom
express my own opinions. I always
translate works of others.

Q: What technology, method, and
resources do you use when writing
a dictionary?
A: for translation I use CAD programs
such as Trados and MemSource to
help organize my translation process.
I also use an extensive library of dic-
tionaries in different fields.

A: How do you feel when someone
disagrees with the accuracy of
something you have written?
A: I am very glad you asked this
question. There's no perfect writer/
translator. Actually, the most brilliant
writers pass their work to editors for
checking. I always welcome criti-
cism. Because I am not perfect and
sometimes I commit terrible mis-
takes. I always pass my work to
somebody else to edit and proofread.
If I tell you I can produce a perfect
peace of written work, you should
know I am not telling the truth.

Q: What is the difference between
Akkadian, Assyrian and Aramaic
languages?
A: This is a serious questions. It re-
quires extensive answers by special-
ized linguists. It is beyond my
knowledge. At present, Akkadian is
most probably not used by any group
of people. Aramaic is only used in
certain Syrian towns such as Maalola.
Assyrian is kept alive and thriving by
us Assyrians and by our brethren
Syriacs of Tur Abdeen who use a spe-
cial dialect and written typestyle
called Serto.

Q: Do you have knowledge in the
cuneiform language?
A: Not much. Cuneiform is an ancient
form of writing. It was used by Sume-
rians, Babylonians, Akkadians and
Assyrians. The library of the Assyrian
King Assure Banipal has the credit of
saving the written treasures of the
past like the epic of Gilgamesh, the
story of creation "Enuma Elish", the
Deluge. Etc.

Q: We have several different dia-
lects in the Assyrian Language, is
that being considered when writing
a dictionary?
A: No. A dialect is a language spoken
by certain group of people. It is a sort
of modified form of the standard lan-
guage. Almost everyone knows the
story of the Assyrian teacher who was
teaching Assyrian children of differ-
ent dialect backgrounds. He was
teaching them how to spell and pro-
nounce the word "chicken" in stand-
ard Assyrian. He asked them to re-
peat after him the term "ktaita". Each
of them spelled the word correctly,
but pronounced it differently accord-
ing to his dialect background. One of
them said "ktia" another repeated
"ktaisha", etc. So the answer to that
question is No. Dialects won't
work in a standard Assyrian diction-
ary.

Q: How would your dictionary con-
tribute to strengthening the Assyri-
an language?
A: It could be used to help translate
books of knowledge from English
into Assyrian. The way it is helping
me doing that.

Q: Can someone who doesnt read,
write, or speak Assyrian still use
and benefit from your dictionary?
A: The answer is yes, although in an
indirect way. A person who wants to
find the meaning of an English term
in Assyrian, can use the dictionary to
find the English term, then he can ask
a relative or friend who can read As-
syrian to explain to him the Assyrian
term. Actually, this has happened in
reality. A friend of mine who was not
lucky enough to have the chance to
learn his mother language purchased
my dictionary because he was proud
to own one.

..Continue on next page
HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST
Copyright 2014 by Assyrian Church of the East
HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST
Page 9
Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian
Church of the East Churches and
Parishes in the world

Eastern Diocese of United
States, Bishop Mar Paulus Benja-
min: 9 Churches, 9 Parishes, 10
Priests.
Western Diocese of United
States, California-Bishop Mar Awa
Royel: 7 Churches, 8 Parishes, 8
Priests.
Western Diocese of United
States, Arizona/Nevada-Bishop
Mar Aprim Khamis: 5 Churches, 8
Parishes, 8 Priests.
Canada, Bishop Mar Emmanu-
el Yosip: 4 Churches, 5 Parishes, 5
Priests.
Europe, Bishop Mar Odisho
Oraham: 3 Churches, 16 Parishes,
12 Priests.
Australia & Lebanon, Metropol-
itan Mar Meelis Zaia: 10 Churches,
12 Parishes, 14 Priests. 2 Elemen-
tary, 1 High school & 1 Retirement
Home.
Inida & UAE, Metropolitan Mar
Aprem Mooken, Bishop Mar Yo-
hannan Yoseph, & Bishop Mar Aw-
gin Koriakose : 31 Churches, 30
Parishes, 49 Priests.
Syria, Bishop Mar Aprem Nath-
niel: 32 Churches, 32 Parishes, 11
Priests. 1 Elementary School.
Iran, Bishop Mar Narsai Ben-
yamin: 84 Churches, 4 Parishes, 2
Priests.
Iraq, Baghdad & Erbil, Mar
Gewargis Sliwa: 16 Churches, 14
Parishes, 13 Priests, 3 Schools.
Iraq-Dohuk, Mar Isaac Yosip:
40 Churches, 8 Parishes, 8 Priests.
Russia, Metropolitan Mar
Gewargis Sliwa: 7 Churches, 3 Par-
ishes, 3 Priests.

Translated & Compiled by:
David Arkis
Copyright 2014 by Assyrian Church of the East
Also he was eager to learn Assyrian. From time to time he used to ask me the
meaning of a certain word, I was glad to explain it to him. But to make full use of
the dictionary, basic term in Assyrian. knowledge of the Assyrian language is
needed to use it independently.

Q: In your view and opinion what could the Assyrians do to keep the Assyri-
an language alive and strong?
A: The key to that answer is to create a need for the use of the Assyrian lan-
guage and fill that need. In other words, it is to create jobs that would be filled
only by Assyrian people who can read and write in Assyrian. If you establish a
school teaching Assyrian language you need to employ Assyrian teachers.
Assyrian organizations should sponsor works written by Assyrian writers. With-
out the help of Assyrian Organization, my dictionary would not have seen light.
Therefore, perhaps a different Assyrian organizations can play a big role in ad-
vancing the Assyrian language by sponsoring Assyrian written work, for there
are Assyrian written work waiting for help to be published. Also, the well finan-
cially capable Assyrians can create or sponsor the creation of publications in
Assyrian such as newspapers, magazines, journals etc. which would create jobs
for Assyrians with knowledge in the Assyrian language. The Holy Apostolic
Catholic Saint Andrews Assyrian Church of the East is doing an excellent job of
running Assyrian classes for the young and old. More work of this kind is need-
ed.

Q: Is your dictionary available in the market?
A: Yes, it is sold at the Ittikal Bookstore, in Chicago and it is available at Saint
Andrews Church Gift shop.
Interview conducted by David Arkis

Saint Andrews Summer Camp 2014
Saint Andrews Assyrian Church of the East started the Sum-
mer Camp Program in 2006, then, by Shamasha Sargon
Kesso and, the departed with the lord, Abby Zoudo and the
full support from father George toma. A few years later, the
idea was introduced and implemented successfully to our
sister church, Mar Gewargis of Chicago. Through out the
last eight years, Saint Andrews summer camp (SASC) has
grown from about twenty Children to averaging over one
hundred kids for the last couple years! Children spend
close to 250 hours throughout six weeks duration period of
the camp in a church environment in which they
can learn: the Assyrian language and Assyrian her-
itage, read the Holy Bible, learn arts and crafts. ed-
ucational as well as fun filled field trips, but also
most importantly know the love of the Lord through
the warm Church loving atmosphere. Suzana Yalda
has been a dedicated camp director for the past six
years, she has truly committed her summer to help
organize and run the program. Special thanks to all
the parents and guardians for bringing their children to the camp every day and
to Cor-Bishop Gewargis Toma, our spiritual father, who has guided us with love
and passion throughout all the past years.

David Arkis-St.Andrews Committee Chairman
St. Andrews Education Department
After a record high
enrollment this school
year, we are reviewing
our successes and
planning for adjust-
ments in the programs
offered at St. Andrews
Church. This year, we
have added dry erase boards in the
classrooms to assist teachers in the in-
struction of language and bible. We
have also budgeted for technology de-
velopments. Classrooms have projec-
tors with pull down screens for power
point presentations and bible movies.
We are developing presentations under
close supervision of clergy to unify the
message of the church and keep our stu-
dents informed of the teachings of the
Assyrian Church of the East.
During the summer, our teachers
worked on new instructional techniques.
We have committees working on new
teaching and assessment materials for
language instruction. As part of the de-
velopment of teaching materials, we will
be moving to Google accounts for all
education staff so that we can share doc-
uments more effectively. We will be
piloting Google accounts in an attempt
to unify communication within our de-
partment, also, well be able to share
calendar information and coordinate
building use. St. Andrews is a busy
church with a wide range of activities
every week. Space and resources are
often shared. Communication is essen-
tial to the harmony of the many volun-
teers in our building.
We have a strong focus on Youth Pro-
gram Development this summer. We
will be meeting with both youth groups
on Fridays to help establish new direc-
tions with our Youth.
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Page 10
HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST
Copyright 2014 by Assyrian Church of the East
Our goal is to strengthen the communication level and identify areas of
interest to increase and maintain group attendance in the upcoming
school year. We have a Youth Team planning retreats in the fall to launch
the new school year. We welcome your support and volunteerism. Re-
member that Summer Sunday School is running as usual and we welcome
all children to join us for year round Christian Education. If you have a
child with special needs, we would like to invite you to join us. Specific
paperwork will be required to provide the best service possible. Ask us
about our plans to meet your needs. We will have some new openings in
the fall for teaching staff due to changes in family needs. Let us know if
you are interested in working with the St. Andrews Education Depart-
ment. by Jennifer Younan
Living Bridges

People who live in Cherrapunji, India have developed
a unique way to get across the many rivers and
streams in their land. They grow bridges from the
roots of rubber trees. These living bridges take be-
tween 10 to 15 years to mature. But once they are es-
tablished, they are extremely stable and last for hun-
dreds of years.
The bible compares a person who trusts in God to a
tree planted by the water, which spreads out its roots
by the river: (Jer. 17:8). Because its roots are well
nourished, this river survives soaring temperatures. And during the
drought it continues to yield fruit.
Like a firmly rooted tree, people who rely on God have a sense of stability
and vitality despite the worst circumstances. In contrast, people who
place their trust in other humans often live with a sense of instability. The
Bible compares them to desert shrubs that are frequently malnourished
and stand alone (v.6). So, it is with the spiritual lives of people who for-
sake God.
Where are our roots? Are we rooted in Jesus? (Col. 2:7). Are we a bridge
that leads others to Him? If we know Christ, we can testify to this truth:
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord (Jer. 17:7).
Selected by: Catrina Khamou
Upcoming Church events.
Friday, November 7th, 2014 evening
In honor of all Assyrian Collage graduates, including those who
have graduated and received a certificate blessing from His Holi-
ness Mar Dinkha IV in the past 20 years, you are all invited to be
our guest on this day. Reunion dinner, lets get together, food, mu-
sic, and just casual evening. Please contact Julie Kako 773-317-
6974, Tina Youabb 773-885-7572, Vivian Mikhail 224-388-9220



HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST
Copyright 2014 by Assyrian Church of the East
1 .

2 . .

Created by Hewi S. Arkis


Published by Saint Andrews As-
syrian Church of the East. 901 N.
Milwaukee Ave. Glenview, Illi-
nois.
Articles reflect point of view of
writers in a positive encouraging
way. Editing staff reserve the
right to reject any article that
dont represent the view of the
Church.
Edited by: Hewi S. Arkis
Printed by: Niles Express Copy &
Printing, 7542 W. Oakton, Niles,
IL.
For more information, comments
or suggestions email us at:
info@standrewsassyrianchurch.com
If you want to sponsor seeds of
faith, please stop by Saint An-
drews Church office, or email us
at:
info@standrewsassyrianchurch.com
This edition sponsors
Page 12
Copyright 2014 by Assyrian Church of the East
St . J ohn s Chur ch
1421 W. Lawr ence
Chi cago, I L 60640
Ph. ( 773) 271 - 1116
Fax ( 773) 271 - 1489
St . Mar y s Chur ch
660 Lar son Lane
Rosel l e, I L 60172
Ph. ( 630) 295 - 5977
Fax ( 630) 295 - 5978
Mar Sar gi s Chur ch
1850 W. Cuyl er
Chi cago, I L 60613
Ph. ( 773) 248 - 0052
Fax ( 773) 248 - 7094
St . Andr ew s Chur ch
901 N. Mi l waukee
Gl envi ew, I L 60025
Ph. ( 847) 486 - 7522
Fax ( 847) 486 - 7528
Mar Gewar gi s Chur ch
7201 N. Ashl and
Chi cago, I L 60626
Ph. ( 773) 465 - 4777
Fax ( 773) 973 - 2311
Multiple fundraiser events took
place at Saint Andrews Church rais-
ing to sent to our bothers and sisters
back home suffering from the unrest
in northern Iraq. If you like more in-
formation on how to donated email
us: info@standrewsassyrianchurch.com
Are you in High School or College and want to join youth?
If so, join us every Friday at 8:30 PM in Saint Andrews Sanctuary. Clas-
ses will be lead by Cor-Bishop Dr. Gewargis Toma.
Register your Child at St. Andrews
the Apostle School Assyrian Lan-
guage and Bible study classes for all
ages on Friday at 7:00 p.m. and Sun-
days at 9:00 a.m.
Email us info@standrewsassyrianchurch.com