Through our network of local resettlement partners, HIAS welcomes resettled refugees and helps them build their lives in communities across the United States.
When Mohammed and his family arrived in the U.S. last year after being evacuated from Afghanistan, they were assigned to a Welcome Circle: nine volunteers from a Baltimore-area synagogue tasked with helping them settle into a new life. The experience proved to be transformational for everyone involved.
Wali Ahmadzai is building a new life — and a new business — in Florida with the help of HIAS affiliate Gulf Coast JFCS. But nearly a year after arriving in the U.S., he is one of thousands of Afghan evacuees still unsure when or how they will gain permanent legal status.
In the year since the fall of Kabul, HIAS has resettled over 4,300 Afghans through the tireless efforts of its staff, resettlement partners, and volunteers. But the work to ensure that Afghan evacuees are able to build new lives in the U.S. is not finished yet.
Good news may be on the horizon for Afghan evacuees who came to the U.S. following the Fall of Kabul nearly one year ago: the newly-introduced, bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA) would provide a clear pathway to permanent status for those still in legal limbo.
In 1985, Ken Burns interviewed two 10-year-old boys on the boardwalk in Brighton Beach for a film about the Statue of Liberty. Nearly 40 years later, those two boys, Alexander and Yevgeny Vindman are speaking out in support of refugee resettlement in a new Ken Burns/New York Times short.
Experts from HIAS and JFNA explained how individuals and communities can welcome those fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The May 23 webinar, “Welcome in Action: Jewish Community Support for Ukrainian Newcomers” also previewed the upcoming launch of HIAS Welcome Circles for Ukrainians.
After just a few months of living in the U.S., Afghans resettled by Welcome Circles are navigating how to observe Ramadan in their new homes – and Welcome Circles are learning how best to support them.