Relocated Syrians' Descendants Attending Second Reunion Here; In Indianapolis Star

"Originally, written on Saterday, June 23, 1979"

When life became unbearable under the Turks around 1890, Syrians of Saidnaya began leaving their beloved little town (population 12,000) in the rocky terrain 20 miles north of Damascus.

Sadly, families said goodbye to friends and to the famous and beautiful Orthodox Patriarchal Convent of Our Lady of Saidnaya, built about 517 A.D.

This weekend, these memories will be recalled in Indianapolis, one of the four United States communities in which most of the departing Syrians chose to live. The others are Lowell, Mass; Parkersburg, W. Va.; and Grand Rapids, Mich.

THE LIST OF family names of those who chose Indianapolis includes Albert, Eid, Corey, George, Metrey, Matouk, Mesalam, Nuckel, Nasser, Osman, Ozman, Risk and Zain.

Their descendants now number more than 400.

Friendship ties were strong in the little town of Saidnaya, so last year a Saidnaya reunion was organized here. It was such a success, with more than 300 people attending, that another one is being held today and Sunday at St. George Syrian Church.

A picnic-cookout is scheduled at 4 p.m. today, followed by a sahra-hafli-disco at 8 p.m. On Sunday, Divine Liturgy will be held at 10:30 a.m. A dinner at 1 p. m. will include "suprises."

ALICE MESALAM, who initiated the organizing for the first reunion, said the Metreys will come from Charleston, W.Va.; the Courys, the Abdellas, Betres and Thomases from Parkersburg; the Nedeffs from Dayton, Ohio; the Shaheens from Miami, Fla., and at least 10 of the Maria family from Lowell. Simons, Coreys and Shaheens also will come from Grand Rapids.

Dr. Frank Maria of Lowell will be the guest speaker. He has much knowledge of the Syrian heritage and has served on many governmental committees on the Middle East.

Miss Mesalam said the children of Lewis Zaher of Lowell are sending their 83-year-old father to the reunion as a Father's Day gift.

IN TALKING over arrangements for meeting him at the airport, the Mesalams learned he was one of a group which came over with Mary Mesalam in 1913, and the two will be seeing each other for the first time since then. (The agile Zaher still can do the Syrian sword dance.)

Laila Nahas for the first time will meet the family of her godmother, the late Elizabeth Mesalam, who visited Saidnaya in 1938 and participated in Mrs. Nahas' baptism.

Mrs. Mesalam's only daughter and six granddaughters and their families will be on hand at the reunion to greet Mrs. Nahas, who has been in this country only a few months.

ALEX COREY has found the first papers of citizenship his father, Michael Corey, took out in 1896. The elder Corey helped bring many distressed families to this country.

Among items on display at the reunion will be the clothes Alice Mesalam's father wore on his wedding day more than 70 years ago and clothing her mother made for her oldest brother, who was born in Saidnaya. Her sister, Mrs. Zemurod Corey, also was born there.

Alice Mesalam said the reunions ac­complish two important purposes. The children of these "pioneer families" be­come acquainted with relatives and the children of very dear friends of their grandparents. She said the youngsters also become acquainted with their Syrian heritage.

"This article appeared in the Indianapolis Star newspaaper on Saterday, June 23, 1979, the day of the second Saidnaya reunion"