Assyrian Podcast

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 fundr...

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 par...

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 a...

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.co...

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...

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 missio...

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...

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.  ht...

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, ple...

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 don...

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, fa...

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...

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 s...

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....

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 & Pers...

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 A...

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 Sa...

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 t...

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, battl...

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 res...

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 & B...

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. Support for this wee...

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 ha...

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 th...

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...