With hundreds of Jewish communities around the world preparing to participate in Refugee Shabbat on March 4-5, the ongoing crises in Ukraine and Afghanistan loom large.
Just days after the six month anniversary of the fall of Kabul, the last Afghan refugees who made it to America have finally left U.S. military bases. This historic moment was just part of a larger — and still ongoing — historic response by resettlement agencies and communities across the U.S., which includes HIAS and its affiliate network.
Afghan families have started to arrive at HIAS Welcome Circles, a network of synagogues and local Jewish organizations taking on the responsibility of resettling refugees in their communities.
Resettled Afghans Find New Lives and New Schools in Philadelphia By Dan Friedman Feb 10, 2022 The first day of high school is always hard. It’s doubly difficult if you are not fluent in the language and barely know where you live. That was where 15-year-old Ali Wahaj Mosakhil found himself in early December, trying […]
From Parwan Province to Ohio, Blazing a Trail By Dan Friedman Feb 10, 2022 Waisuddin Habibzai walks with his daughter Talwasa in Cleveland, OH on January 16, 2022. Waisuddin and his family recently moved to Cleveland from Afghanistan. (Maddie McGarvey for HIAS) The late ‘90s sitcom “The Drew Carey Show” was filmed in the comedian’s […]
For 17 Afghan families scattered throughout Italy, HIAS Europe and the Union of the Italian Jewish Community (UCEI) have stepped in to provide essential resources and support.
2021 may not have been much better than 2020, but HIAS remained committed to providing vital services worldwide, reaching more than 1.1 million displaced people.
When a Tulsa synagogue approached HIAS to become a resettlement partner, it didn’t make immediate sense. But this inclusive, non-denominational Tulsa community works differently from most synagogue congregations.