Episode 200 - Paul Elia IG & Tik Tok: @pauleliacomedy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Pauleliacomedy  Is an LA-based standup comedian from Detroit, Michigan. Among the few Chaldean-Assyrians in Hollywood, the Iraqi-American artist has appeared in dozens of films and television shows including Ramy, Lady Dynamite and is perhaps best known for his recurring roles on TBS’s Conan, appearing in over a dozen sketches. With fellow comedian and collaborator Matt Rife, the duo created LowKey Comedy Show which is considered one of the top independent comedy shows today. In addition to LCS, Paul is producing Matt’s next Netflix comedy special Natural Selection while Matt is executive producing Paul’s comedy special debut Detroit Player. He has multiple viral clips and has over 60M+ views across all social media which include his stand up, sketches, and crowd work clips.

Episode 199 - Paul Gabriel, Kristin Mar-Elia, Anthony Narsi, and Arbella Maisom have all had to experience the loss of a parent, one has lost both. In this episode, we discuss coping with the loss of a parent, and how difficult it can be. There’s no “normal” path or timeline to navigate one's life after losing their mother or father.  Everyone deals with it in their own way. But taking steps to understand your emotions and find support can make the process a little easier.

We are re-releasing Episode 191 in honor of Obelit “Obie” Yadgar who passed away on August 30th 2023. We are so thankful we had the opportunity to get to know Obie before he passed away. There was great strength and inspiration felt in every word that he spoke to us. Obie's legacy and impact on the world are profound. His radiant spirit, indomitable will, and the melodies of his voice continue to reverberate in the hearts of many. We deeply feel his absence, and he remains a beacon of inspiration and love in our memories.  Born in Baghdad and nurtured in Tehran, Obie made his journey to the U.S. in 1957, laying roots as a remarkable Assyrian-American radio voice in Glendale, Wisconsin. He etched his mark as a combat correspondent for the US Army's 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam between 1967-68. This episode invites listeners into Obie's poignant tales from Vietnam, his undying passion for music and radio, and the deeply personal stories of losing his cherished mother and wife. Additionally, we explore his distinctive views on the art of shaving.

Episode 197 - George Piro was born in Lebanon and immigrated to the United States in the 1970’s. After adjusting to life in Turlock, CA with his parents and siblings, he enlisted in the Air Force at 18 and eventually joined the FBI. He is best known for being the special agent in charge of interrogating Saddam Hussein, a process that lasted 7 months. In this episode we discuss the influence of his Assyrian upbringing, his time serving overseas, and the heavy lift of interrogating Saddam Hussein.

Episode 196 - Matthew Joudeh hosts an LGBTQ+ panel of Assyrians who openly share their unique experiences of being members of the LGBTQ+ community. Matthew leads the discussion, providing a safe space for these individuals to express their stories, challenges, and triumphs. Join us as we delve into the intersectionality of their Assyrian heritage and LGBTQ+ identities, fostering understanding, empathy, and unity within our community. This powerful episode aims to amplify voices and promote inclusivity, creating a platform for diverse narratives to be heard. Matthew Joudeh, born and raised in Turlock, Ca! Working and a full time student, at CSU Stanislaus! In this episode we discuss the importance of being an Assyrian LGBTQ ally and also the struggles that some of us have faced during the process of finding ourselves and coming out!  Rhoda Nazanin is an Assyrian Christian born in Isfahan, Iran. She immigrated to Los Angeles, CA with her family in 1993. After living in LA for 29 years, Rhoda moved to St. Louis, MO with her wife, Sarah in spring of 2022. Rhoda is a former Assembly of God pastor and congressional candidate for CA’s 27th district.  Andre Shamoon is an Assyrian catholic born and raised in Turlock Ca. He is a proud transman who loves to spend time with family and friends or go to the gym!  Yeshua (ܝܫܘܥ) is a standup comedian living in New York City. He LOVES talking about being Assyrian to anyone and everyone. He talks about being Assyrian and Gay in his standup, hoping it will bring awareness of his Assyrian culture to the world; and to Assyrians, unity within the culture. Yeshua grew up in Turlock, CA and studied at UC Berkeley. Above all else, he loves proving to anyone that the singular strongest common bond every single culture on earth shares is diversity. And, indeed, diversity is God's work, and if you protest God's work then you are saying you know better than God. And you do not. Chris is an out and proud Assyrian from Chicago who currently lives in LA. A passionate cook, everyone Chris befriends is immediately force fed dolma and rice. As an actor, he loves turning Middle Eastern stereotypes on their heads with his web series @WahabbiBobbi. He's thrilled to have participated in this conversation and to connect with other queer Assyrians.  Bernadet Yaghobian is an Assyrian, Armenian, Iranian Christian. She was born in Iran and immigrated to California in 2000. She’s a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has a private practice and also works at a non-profit, providing mental health services to unhoused population. She also has an unconditional love for elephants.

Episode 1 - Missed Opportunities is the first essay from our new podcast series, Musing with My Samovar with Obie Yadgar. In this episode, Obie recalls three individuals from his past and muses on conversations that were never had: an Assyrian man he met once who had been imprisoned in Siberia, a well-dressed stranger at the airport, and his uncle Rabi Benyamin Arsenos.

Episode 195 - Mattico David is an Assyrian-American actor born and raised in Flint, MI. He is a veteran of the stage and has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway and regional theatrical productions.A graduate of the University of Michigan’s Theatre Performance program, Mattico was a founding member of the Flint City Theatre and a regular performer at Jeff Daniel’s Purple Rose Theatre Co., in Chelsea, MI. In this episode we discuss his upbringing, the audition to rehearsal process, and what working with other Assyrian artists has meant to him.

Episode 194 – Dr. George Marano. Dr. Marano is an esteemed expert in geopolitics and a distinguished writer for the South China Morning Post, Asia's premier English-language newspaper. Throughout our conversation, Dr. Marano shares his unique insights and perspectives on the complex dynamics of geopolitics. With a focus on the Assyrian experience as a dispossessed people, we explore the historical context and contemporary implications of intersecting empires. One of the central themes we discuss is the pursuit of freedom through wealth, drawing inspiration from the empowering message of self-sufficiency and empowerment embodied by movements like the Black Panther movement. Dr. Marano highlights the importance of understanding geopolitics in our quest for personal and collective liberation. Join us as we delve into this captivating conversation, shedding light on the intricate interplay between geopolitics and the Assyrian community's plight. Don't miss out on this thought-provoking episode!

Episode 193 - Mikhail Benjamin was born in 1969 in the valley of Nahla, in northern Iraq. He is a teacher, human rights activist, and the chairman of the Alliance of Iraqi Minorities Network. He advocates for minority rights and land rights for Assyrians in Iraq. Listen to this episode to learn more about how he works torward real political participation, preservation of heritage, and implementation of educational changes in curricula to highlight the presence of Assyrians in Iraq.

Episode 192 - William D.S. Daniel can be considered an Assyrian icon in our modern day history. He was a prolific Assyrian writer, musician, and composer, credited with creating some of the earliest original Assyrian music and responsible for the artistic and cultural advancement of his people. He also created the “Epic of Kateeni Gabbara” that not only revived a dying Assyrian epic, but also exposed the beauty and potentiality of the modern Assyrian language as a medium of poetry and dramatic expression. The epic is written in three volumes and contains over 7,000 verses. In this episode, Dr. Arianne Ishaya, the author of William Daniel’s biography, “William Daniel, the Portrait of an Assyrian Icon”, takes us through the journey of his life and legacy.  About the guest:  Dr. Arianne Ishaya was born in Urmia - a town in Northwestern Iran with a large Assyrian population.  She obtained her master’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Manitoba, and her Ph.D. from UCLA in Cultural Anthropology. Her publications include: “New Lamps for Old”, which documents the remarkable history of the Assyrian colony in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada. The Assyrians were among the very first settlers of the region. The family histories in this book reveal the success story of a people who built a human chain across thousands of miles and gradually reunited separated husbands and wives, parents and offspring, and reconstituted their families.    The detailed family histories in another of her publications, “Familiar Faces in Unfamiliar Places” take the reader to the world at large from where the members of this dispersed refugee nation have come together to form the Turlock-Modesto colony in the heartland of California. It contains poignant accounts of a people who started out with modest beginnings; but whether they came as penniless hopefuls in search of farmland, or traumatized refugees from the Middle East, they worked hard and were able to establish themselves as a stable and even well-to-do part of the Turlock-Modesto community.   She wrote the biography of William Daniel titled “William Daniel, Portrait of An Assyrian Icon” published in 2015. Her most recent works are a reprint of the three volumes of “Kateeni Gabbara”, and “Discourse on the Spelling Method in The Assyrian Language” by William Daniel published in 2022. She also translated “The Last Days of Atla Kandi” by Eddie Davoud from Farsi into English published in 2022. Currently, she is working on documenting the post-World War I history of Assyrians in the two towns of Hamadan and Kermanshah, Iran.   You can connect with Dr. Arianne Ishaya at arian_ishaya@yahoo.com    To inquire about purchasing William Daniel’s poetry books, “The Epic of Kateeni Gabbara”, “William Daniel, Portrait of An Assyrian Icon”, and/or others, please reach out to info@aaasj.org.  Episode musical references:  Kubelik: Dvorak - Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"  William Daniel’s, “Spinning Wheel” sung by Lorraine Davis William Daniel’s, “Nineveh” sung by Janelle Yausif   Audio of the Epic of Kateeni Gabbara   Outro:  Tribute to William Daniel: speech by William Daniel (1986) William Daniel’s, “Marganita” sung by Albert Shahbaz William Daniel’s “Lullaby” sung by Christina (Tina) Boosahda Harrell William Daniel’s, “Shara” sung by Water Aziz  Other resources: https://www.assyrianfoundation.org/files/2003-1new.pdf  https://www.qeenatha.com/artists/WilliamDaniel/92/  https://www.assyrianfoundation.org/files/2000-3.pdf