Syrians visit Parkersburg for reunion; In Parkersburg's News and Sentinel

By Paul LaPann on July 1st 2009:

People came to Parkersburg from Canada and across the United States last weekend for the Saidnaya Reunion.

The reunion is an "extended family" gathering of those with ties to Saidnaya, Syria, a Christian holy land in the Middle East.

Serving as hosts for the reunion - the first ever held in Parkersburg - were Sohiel and Jamie Khoury of Parkersburg. Sohiel was born and raised in Saidnaya, situated in the mountains near the capital of Damascus. He and Jamie (Betres), a 1972 graduate of Parkersburg Catholic High School, met in Saidnaya and several years later married in Saidnaya. They lived there for 15 years before moving to Parkersburg. Jamie's grandparents were born in Saidnaya.

Ninety-five of the 265 people attending the reunion were from the Parkersburg/Marietta area. Families such as the Nedeffs, Thomases, Corras, Ellems, Courys, Sadies, Loftys and Abdellas have a longtime presence in the Parkersburg area after arriving from Saidnaya, Syria.

Two residents of Saidnaya arrived Friday in time for the gathering. Attendees came from Toronto, Vancouver, Massachusetts, Illinois, Vermont, Florida, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Nevada, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, South Carolina, Virginia, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Maryland, Georgia and Washington, D.C.

"As families gather annually to catch up and see one another, we do the same but we also celebrate our heritage with the cultural aspect of the Arabic food and music," Jamie Khoury said, describing the Saidnaya Reunion.

The first U.S. reunion of Saidnaya descendants - "our parents and grandparents" - occurred in 1978 in Indianapolis, where the celebration is now held every other year, Khoury said. In recent years, Saidnaya descendants - representing a "new wave of immigrants" - have met in Toronto, Chicago, Boston and other cities in off years.

The reunion is an opportunity for the younger generation to learn about the history and significance of Saidnaya and to experience the culture, Khoury said.

Saidnaya is home to the Convent of Our Lady of Saidnaya, which is a destination for Christian pilgrims in the Middle East. It is recognized as one of only three villages in Syria with a Christian majority, she said.

"Faith means so much to us," Khoury said.

The weekend began Friday with a buffet dinner and social gathering at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church parish hall. The festivities moved to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church parish hall Saturday night for a buffet dinner and hafli (party), featuring a band from Cleveland playing Middle Eastern songs and people dancing the dabke.

"The weekend of Friday and Saturday night activities gives all of us a chance to gather, socialize, catch up on news and have a good time," Khoury said. "We use it as a vacation and usually spend the daytime checking out the local sights." A large group of visitors spent Saturday on Blennerhassett Island.

Bassam Nema and members of his family arrived from Wilder, Vermont. Nema, who was born in Saidnaya and works in construction, said he was having a great time at Parkersburg's reunion. He enjoyed West Virginia's natural beauty.

The Rev. Dimtry Moamar of Vancouver, British Columbia, said this was the fifth time he has attended a Saidnaya Reunion. "I am having an excellent time here, enjoying the food and traditional dancing," he said.

Roger Nedeff of Parkersburg prepared a family tree of Saidnaya families who came to Parkersburg. He said Mike Abdella, a businessman, came here first from Syria in 1910 and was followed by other Saidnaya residents. Nedeff's father, Mose, owned a store on Swann Street in Parkersburg for years after moving to this country.

A Syrian social club was on Mary Street for many years, Nedeff said.

Three Roman Catholic priests who grew up in Parkersburg - the Revs. Edward Sadie, Pete Abdella and George Nedeff - had ancestral roots stretching back to Saidnaya.

[This article about the Saidnaya reunion that took place in Parkersburg, WV was written by Paul LaPann in Parkersburg's News and Sentinel newspapers on July 1^st 2009]