For generations, Chaldean families have helped shape the character of Greater West Bloomfield. Now, an exhibit at the Orchard Lake Museum is preserving that story and inviting the community to become part of it.
The Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society, in collaboration with the Chaldean Cultural Center, recently unveiled a new exhibit exploring local Chaldean and Iraqi Catholic history.
Created as part of the Greater West Bloomfield Diverse History Project, the display traces the community’s migration and settlement here while highlighting its economic, religious and cultural contributions.
For Sharkey Haddad, Special Project Manager with the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, recognizing that history matters because the Chaldean story is also the story of West Bloomfield.
“For generations, Chaldean families have built businesses, raised families, contributed to local schools, supported charitable organizations, and strengthened the social and economic fabric of West Bloomfield and surrounding communities,” he says.
“This is an important opportunity for everyone to see their history, experiences, accomplishments and contributions recognized and preserved for future generations.”
The exhibit is one of three being created through the Diverse History Project, with additional displays exploring Greater West Bloomfield’s Black and Jewish history. The project is supported by an America250MI History Grant commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“This has been an exciting year,” says Anna Smith, Museum and Communications Assistant.
“The Greater West Bloomfield Diverse History Project has been a wonderful opportunity to highlight our diversity and expand our collection to better reflect the area’s more recent history.”
That collection will continue growing beyond the exhibit itself. Chaldean residents are being invited to contribute their own written or recorded memories of life in Greater West Bloomfield, creating a digital collection of personal stories for future generations.
For Haddad, the exhibit is ultimately about something larger than preserving the story of one community.
“History should not belong to one community alone,” he says. “When we preserve the history of each community, we create a more complete history of all of us.”
The Chaldean history exhibit will be on display at the Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road, through December 13. Afterward, the exhibit will travel to several community locations, including a planned stop at the West Bloomfield Township Public Library.
Visit gwbhs.org for museum hours, exhibit information and future locations.
When we preserve the history of each community, we create a more complete history of all of us.