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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 VVVCZS1iREN2dEZLZEdQWm9RV2xjZUFRLlFFbTNfQVVpczlz

After the Simele Massacre of 1933, thousands of Assyrians were displaced. In 1935, the French Mandate in Syria, working with the League of Nations, resettled them along the Khabur River Valley.

At first, 16 villages were formed, with Tel Tamr and Tal Umran as the largest. Later, they expanded to 35 villages divided between the Tyari, Tkhuma, and a third faction under Leon Dinkha Shimunaya.

Life was harsh disease, famine, locusts, and poor harvests plagued the early years. But through collectivization and government support, the Khabur became an agricultural powerhouse.

Hasakah was uniquely diverse: Assyrians, Syriacs, Armenians, and Chaldeans coexisted in a multi-faith environment. In 1957, the Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) was founded in Qamishli, uniting Assyrians across churches.

But in 2014-2015, ISIS destroyed many villages and displaced thousands, ending nearly 80 years of Assyrian life in the Khabur.

So the question remains, what would the Khabur look like if it had never been destroyed?

#Assyrian #AssyrianHistory #Khabur #Simele #TelTamr #Qamishli

In this interview, Rabi Ninos Nirari covers Assyian Poet, Emil Gharib from Australia where they cover various topics regarding writing.

What if Assyrians had settled in Brazil?

After the Simele Massacre of 1933, thousands of Assyrians were left displaced in refugee camps. The League of Nations sought a permanent home for them, and one proposal was to settle Assyrians in Paraná, Brazil.

The Brazilian government agreed under four strict conditions:
1️⃣ Assyrians must disarm
2️⃣ Brazil held no fiscal responsibility
3️⃣ Work only in agriculture
4️⃣ Settlement would be gradual

But media uproar in Brazil led to an immigration law banning Assyrians from entering. Other options followed, like British Guiana’s Rupununi Savannah, but those also failed.

In 1948, leaders like Leon Dinkha Shimunaya, Malik Daniel Ismail, Malik Loko Badawi, and Yusuf Malek revisited the Brazil idea, even meeting government officials. Yet, opposition from church leadership ended the plan.

Ultimately, Assyrians were resettled in Khabour, Syria, where they rebuilt villages and community life.

So the question remains, What if Assyrians settled in Brazil?

#Assyrian #AssyrianHistory #Simele #Brazil #Khabour

Did you know about the first Assyrian flag?

Before World War I, the Syriac Orthodox community of Tur Abdin designed the first national Assyrian flag . Purple, white, and red with three stars. Figures like Naum Faiq, Ashur Yusuf, and Farid Nazha made Tur Abdin an early hub of Assyrian nationalism.

The flag’s meaning:
🟣 Purple – Royalty and noble history of the Assyrian nation
⚪ White – Purity of the people and the land
🔴 Red – The blood of martyrs who died for faith and nation
⭐ Three stars – The Church of the East, The Syriac Orthodox, and the Chaldean Catholic

This flag was proudly carried at the Paris Peace Conference and by groups in America such as the Assyrian-American National Federation and St. Mary’s Assyrian Orthodox Church.

Later, it was succeeded in 1975 by George Bit-Atanus’s design, which many recognize today.

#Assyrian #AssyrianHistory #AssyrianFlag #NaumFaiq #TurAbdin

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

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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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