About us
E’rootha, the Chaldean Assyrian Syriac Youth Union, a domestic non-profit corporation, was founded on July 16th, 2008. Amid a great deal of controversy, a group of like-minded youth leaders, in an effort to promote peace and unity within a struggling community, met in confidentiality to build a new organization. It was then that they formed The Youth Declaration for Cultural Unity.
This momentous declaration was accepted by most people in the Chaldean, Assyrian, Syriac and Maronite communities who recognized our cultural likeness. E’rootha’s efforts are towards the promotion of our culture through many educational and enrichment programs, currently based in metro-Detroit, Michigan.
Membership in E’rootha is limited to persons between the age of 16 years old and 35 years old, for the sole reason of upholding the youth ‘spirit’ of the organization. Although, anyone of any age is welcome and encouraged to participate in any of E’rootha’s events, volunteer opportunities and sponsorship opportunities. Also, everyone can show their support for unification by signing the petition for cultural unity online.
E’rootha strives to rebuild an ancient empire in the hearts and minds of our people. Through all of the cultural aspects of language, education, food, dance, and family values, we can preserve our legacy and give meaning to our roots once again. E’rootha is steadily growing and expanding its programs, all of which information can be found within our website.
About our Logo
The E'rootha logo was designed by one of its founders, Wisam Naoum, and created by Detroit native, Alvin Saywa, who is a graduate of the College for Creative Studies and currently works as a designer in New York City. The dark blue represents Lapis Lazuli, which was the prized and precious blue stone mined in Afghanistan and used by Babylonian and Assyrian kings in their palaces and monuments. This use is most prominently seen in the Gate of Ishtar. The gold represents the Babylonian and Assyrian kings' constant use of the precious metal. The winged man is a modern representation of Ashur, the chief Assyrian deity in antiquity, as it is one of the most dominant symbols in Assyrian culture. The two wavy lines going through Ashur represent the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the life-blood of Mesopotamian civilization, and are duplicated as they are in the Assyrian flag. The two stars represent the Star of Ishtar, the symbol of an important goddess and prominently used in Assyrian and Babylonian culture. The Eastern Aramaic script reads "E'rootha," which is translated to mean "awakening." E'rootha was chosen as the name of the organization to represent the revitalization of Assyrian culture and community efforts in the diaspora, specifically, the Chaldean Catholic Assyrian community of metro-Detroit.
