8 Stories of Hope for Hanukkah

This time of the year we turn to stories of hope for every night of the Hanukkah holiday. Some are about the resilience of women entrepreneurs, the tenacity of refugee students, or the many refugees who now work for HIAS. We hope you are inspired when you read these stories.

1. With HIAS’ support in 1938, Susana’s family escaped Nazi Germany and started a new life in Argentina. Today, Susana writes to keep her family’s story alive.
2. Many of the hundreds of HIAS staff around the world were once refugees themselves. In our new series Refugees Supporting Refugees, we tell these colleagues’ stories.
3. The war in Ukraine forced Anna to leave everything behind and move to Romania. With help from HIAS she got new job skills and found employment in her adopted country.

4.  HIAS has helped 145 refugee and internally displaced students with scholarships so they could complete their university studies and pursue their dreams in Colombia and Ecuador. The program also provides students with psychological support as well as with cash and voucher assistance to cover their basic needs.

5. From chefs to entrepreneurs to activists, these women are finding hope, resilience, and courage in the most challenging circumstances. Here we celebrate the stories of refugee women who are overcoming challenges to build a new life abroad.

6. Judea Reform Congregation started out donating backpacks to refugees. Now, they are a leader in resettling and supporting displaced families and recognized for their outstanding work by HIAS.

7. Airbnb superhost Jorge helps displaced people find emergency housing. It’s also a chance to teach his children the value of helping others.

8. HIAS Kenya helped organize a soccer match for young refugees living in Nairobi. The game promoted unity and integration between young, displaced people from the DRC, Burundi, and Rwanda, and the local community.