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Assyrian Cultural Foundation

The Assyrian Cultural Foundation (formerly known as AUAF) is a non-profit organization inspired by Assyrian heritage, serving as a bridge between traditions and different generations in the hopes of building a stronger, more connected community through our various programs.

YouTube Video VVVCZS1iREN2dEZLZEdQWm9RV2xjZUFRLlUtR3FCNnYyRHRv

What are the 10 essential books every Assyrian should read to understand their history, identity, and resilience?

From the rise of Ancient Assyria to the struggles of the modern Assyrian community, these works provide a powerful foundation for anyone seeking to connect with Assyrian heritage. Covering empire, faith, genocide, and survival, these books are indispensable for both scholars and everyday readers.

00:00 Introduction – Why these 10 books?
00:41 Ancient Assyria – History of Assyria by A.T. Olmstead
01:39 Ancient Assyria – The Might That Was Assyria by H.W.F. Saggs
02:39 Christianity in Asia – A History of Christianity in Asia (Vol. 1) by Samuel Hugh Moffett
03:34 Genocide period – Death of a Nation by Abraham Yohannan
04:26 Genocide period – Shall This Nation Die? by Joseph Naayem
05:05 Genocide period – The Flickering Light of Asia by Rev. Joel Werda
05:52 Genocide period – The Year of the Sword by Joseph Yacoub
06:22 Modern history – The Modern Assyrians of the Middle East by John Joseph
07:44 Modern history – Reforging a Forgotten History by Sargon Donabed
08:33 Modern Iraq – Assyrians in Modern Iraq by Alda Benjamen
09:16 Conclusion – More books to come

📚 Featured Books:

History of Assyria – A.T. Olmstead
The Might That Was Assyria – H.W.F. Saggs
A History of Christianity in Asia (Vol. 1) – Samuel Hugh Moffett
Death of a Nation – Abraham Yohannan
Shall This Nation Die? – Joseph Naayem
The Flickering Light of Asia – Rev. Joel Werda
The Year of the Sword – Joseph Yacoub
The Modern Assyrians of the Middle East – John Joseph
Reforging a Forgotten History – Sargon Donabed
Assyrians in Modern Iraq – Alda Benjamen

The Story of Assyria explored John Joseph and the Modern Assyrians.

In this lecture, we reviewed John Joseph’s work, The Modern Assyrians of the Middle East.

00:12 Intro Welcome & today’s focus: John Joseph
01:01 Sarah on Joseph’s “denomination vs. ethnicity” framing
05:02 Pierre on the term “Nestorian” and why it’s not an ethnicity
11:17 Who was John Joseph? Life, works, and influence
13:17 From dissertation (1957) to 1961 book to 2000 revision
16:20 Core thesis: “ecclesiastical history,” missions, and identity
21:03 Syria/Assyria etymology and newer evidence (Çineköy)
33:41 Missionaries’ outlook and the “Prince of Peace” passage
37:40 Asahel Grant in Hakkari: diplomacy, fallout, and critique
51:01 WWI, diaspora, and the rise of modern Assyrian nationalism
55:19 Britain, Iraq statehood, and Assyrian precariousness
57:32 Outro Assessing Joseph: required reading, contested conclusions

Taught by: Rabi Robert DeKelaita, History Instructor
Moderated by: Sarah Gawo & Pierre Younan

#Assyrian #AssyrianHistory #TheStoryofAssyria #AssyrianHistoryClass

How well do you know your Assyrian history?

Our assistants, Emily and Francesca, put festival-goers to the test at this year’s Assyrian Food Festival!
Stay tuned for part 2.

#Assyrian #AssyrianCulturalFoundation #ACFChicago #AssyrianHistory #AssyrianFoodFestival

0:11 INTRO
0:16 Eckart Frahm and his book on Assyria
1:06 Why ancient Assyrian identity matters today
3:02 Development of Assyriology over the past century
4:01 Early Biblical curiosity in Assyriology
4:31 Decipherment and philological foundations
4:56 Imperial archaeology and monumentalism
5:12 Historical synthesis Olmstead Saggs Frahm
6:00 Scientific archaeology and postcolonial reflection
7:13 Modern approaches vs early European explorers
7:50 Digital Assyriology and new perspectives
8:40 Partnerships and global history context
9:14 Role of modern Assyrians open question
9:27 Overview of Frahm’s book The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire
10:01 Early Assyrian city-state beginnings
10:33 Expansion into the Neo-Assyrian period
11:07 Last Assyrian king and the empire’s fall
11:49 Legacy of Assyria and model empire concept
12:10 Middle Assyrian state and empire formation
12:40 Neo-Assyrian period 934 BC onward
13:12 Frahm’s view Assyrian Empire lasted 120 years
13:38 Counter-argument Assyria as dominant for 700+ years
14:43 Assyria as a model for later empires
15:44 Ashur-uballit I as diplomat and empire builder
16:19 Critiques of Frahm’s narrative style
17:09 The love-hate framing of Assyria and Babylonia
18:02 Assyrians and Babylonians both valued heritage
19:02 Frahm’s claim of Assyrian minority complex
20:47 No evidence for aggressive raids based on jealousy
22:01 Diversity of southern Mesopotamian peoples
23:05 Questioning cultural immaturity claims
24:50 Ancient stereotypes of Babylonians vs Assyrians
25:50 Rebellion and freedom narrative challenged
27:01 How often Assyria and Babylon actually clashed
28:00 False dichotomy of love-hate relationship
30:24 Shared reverence for temples gods and culture
32:05 King of Babylon mourning Nineveh’s destruction
33:02 Local vs imperial identities in Babylonia
34:14 Example Babylonian appeal to Sargon II
36:36 Babylonian admiration for Assyrian rulers
37:02 Misinterpretations of gods and nationalism
38:15 Need for nuanced understanding of Mesopotamia
39:05 Frahm’s criticism of Ashurbanipal
40:22 Was Ashurbanipal truly a scholar
41:14 Ashurbanipal’s wars and accusations of cruelty
42:00 Lion hunting and accusations of sadism
44:11 Evidence of Ashurbanipal’s education
45:00 Building the Library of Nineveh
46:05 Southern scribes admiration for Ashurbanipal
46:57 Ashurbanipal’s construction projects
47:33 Labat vs Jacques de Morgan on Assyrians
49:02 Orientalist stereotypes of Assyrians
52:03 Susan Pollock’s critique of pro-Assyrian bias
53:26 Comparing Assyrians with Persians
54:05 Aramaic as the Assyrian lingua franca
55:22 Aramaic and Assyrians writing of the Assyrians
57:32 False dichotomy of Persians as tolerant vs Assyrians as cruel
59:25 RJ van der Spek on Assyrian vs Persian policies
1:01:03 Cyrus Cylinder and tolerance myth
1:03:44 Sargon II’s banquet diplomacy
1:06:00 Reassessing Assyrian brutality stereotypes
1:07:03 Overall evaluation of Frahm’s book
1:08:50 OUTRO

Join us for The Story of Assyria as we explore Eckart Frahm and Contemporary Scholarship on the Assyrians.

In this lecture, we will closely examine Eckart Frahm’s book, reviewing his assertions, analysis, and conclusions, and compare them with the work of other scholars. Some may see such scrutiny of an “authority” in Assyriology as improper, but we hold that a thinking modern Assyrian not only has the intellectual ability and the right, but indeed the duty, to critically assess what scholars like Frahm write about their ancestors.

Taught by: Rabi Robert DeKelaita, History Instructor
Moderated by: Sarah Gawo & Pierre Younan
💵 Cost: Free of charge

🔗 Registration Link (Linktree in bio): https://bit.ly/3Tr5Iwb

📆 Duration: June 26th – December 18th | Every Thursday

We invited staff from Home Care Powered by AUAF to sample delicious Assyrian dishes for the very first time, and their reactions say it all!

Don’t forget to stop by our booth at the Assyrian Food Festival tomorrow, August 23–24, to learn more about our free programs and ask any questions.

Enjoy the video? Comment below and let us know what you’d like to see in our next episode!

#Assyrian #AssyrianCulturalFoundation #ACFchicago #AssyrianFood #AssyrianFoodFestival

Assyrian Martyrs’ Day: Memory, Identity, and National Struggle

In this lecture, we reflected on the meaning and historical roots of Assyrian Martyrs’ Day — exploring how this solemn day of remembrance has shaped modern Assyrian identity, historical memory, and the ongoing national struggle.

0:00 Music
0:11 Introduction Assyrian Martyrs Day overview
0:25 Meaning of martyrdom and national remembrance
0:59 Education and symbolism of martyr’s day
1:18 Assyrian Martyrs Day as ritual of remembrance
2:21 Ancient Assyrian traditions of honoring the dead
3:47 What Assyrians should recall on Martyrs Day
4:08 Fall of Assyria and destruction of cities
6:14 Last Assyrian ruler Ashur Uballit II
6:35 Sasanian destruction of Assyrian cities
7:26 Shapur II and major Christian persecutions
9:25 Independent development of the Church of the East
10:41 Expansion and missionary zeal of the Church of the East
10:48 Early Islamic encounters and restrictions
13:10 Assyrians under Mongol Empire
14:13 Massacres of the Nineveh Plain
14:32 1310 Sack of Arbela
15:08 Further persecutions and Nader Shah in 1743
15:55 Kurdish and Ottoman pressures in the 19th century
16:53 Massacres of 1843 and 1846
18:23 Story of Malik Ismail’s bravery
20:22 Continued persecutions into the 19th century
20:29 Assyrian Genocide during World War I
21:52 Destruction of Hakkari and Urmia regions
22:27 Simele Massacre 1933
23:48 British and Iraqi involvement in persecutions
25:09 Assyrian voices during the Simele period
26:00 Nationalist framing of Assyrian suffering
27:04 Later struggles and Assyrian Democratic Movement
27:16 1985 executions of Assyrian movement leaders
28:05 ISIS destruction of Assyrian communities and ruins
28:30 The commandments of the martyrs
28:46 Choose life preserve language culture heritage
29:14 Remain together unity as resistance
29:41 Honor the oneness of the Assyrian people
30:13 Give of yourself service and sacrifice
30:32 Choose love and wisdom
31:06 Closing reflection and honoring martyrs
31:19 Sarah’s reflection on Martyrs Day
33:34 Pierre’s reflection on Martyrs Day
37:34 Final remarks on Assyrian survival and reverence
39:04 Conclusion and closing thanks
39:17 Music

Taught by: Rabi Robert DeKelaita, History Instructor
Moderated by: Sarah Gawo & Pierre Younan

#Assyrian #AssyrianHistory #TheStoryofAssyria #AssyrianHistoryClass #AssyrianMartyrsDay #August7

This Martyrs’ Day, assistants from our Nebu J. Issabey Music School Program visited the Assyrian Memorial Park to pay their respects to the countless souls who gave their lives for our nation.

As we honor our Martyrs, we are reminded that remembrance alone is not enough, we must carry their legacy forward.

At the Assyrian Cultural Foundation, we empower our youth to rise with pride, purpose, and identity. In doing so, we ensure that the sacrifices of the past become the seeds of a stronger future.

The Assyrian Memorial Park is located at Montrose Cemetery – 5400 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60630.

#Assyrian #AssyrianMartyrsDay #AssyrianYouth #NebuJIssabey #ACFChicago #AssyrianHistory #Aug7 #August7 #August7th

Rabi Ninos Nirari sits down with our Lead Instructor and Piano Instructor, Rabi Rasson Bet Yonan, to discuss the details of our Nebu J. Issabey Music School program. They cover important topics such as age requirements, class sizes, learning structure, and more.

If you're interested in enrolling or learning more, feel free to contact us:

Email: Music@acf-us.org
Phone: (224) 341-9270

#Assyrian #AssyrianMusic #NebuJIssabey #AssyrianCulturalFoundation #AssyrianEducation #MusicSchool #PianoLessons #AssyrianYouth #RassonBetYonan #ACFChicago

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Assyrian Cultural Foundation

The Assyrian Cultural Foundation (ACF) is a non-profit organization inspired by Assyrian heritage, serving as a bridge between traditions and different generations in the hopes of building a stronger, more connected community through our various programs.

Hours

Mon–Fri: 9:00am to 5:00pm
Sat: Closed Saturdays
Sun: Closed Sundays

Support our Fine Arts Program by purchasing artwork using our Fine Art America link. Click Here

Visit Us

Assyrian Cultural Foundation
4343 W. Touhy Avenue
Lincolnwood, IL 60712

Contact Us

Telephone: (773) 274-9262
Fax: (224)251-7620

General: General@acf-us.org

Art: Finearts@acf-us.org

Music: Music@acf-us.org

Tutoring: Tutoring@acf-us.org

Homecare-CCP-E-mail: info@homecare-aid.com

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