As part of the ongoing Jewish response to the global refugee crisis, HIAS created new visual resources for congregations and families to print and hang in their sukkahs. The visuals provided an educational component to the familiar sukkot tradition, a reminder that today, 65 million refugees and displaced people still wander the earth in search of a safe place to call home.
In recognition of the more than 65 million refugees and displaced people still wandering the earth in search of a safe place to call home, synagogues and families are “inviting” five individuals into their sukkah this year as they recreate the huts in which our Israelite ancestors found refuge.
UPDATE: HIAS Joins 70 Texas Rabbis in Urging Gov. Abbott to Continue Welcoming Refugees Sep 21, 2016 WASHINGTON—Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced his intention to withdraw from the United States refugee resettlement program, although Texas has welcomed more refugees in recent years than any other state. In response to the governor’s decision, HIAS—one of nine refugee […]
HIAS “has become known as the U.S. Jewish community’s voice on refugee issues,” mobilizing the Jewish community around the refugee crisis, writes the Jerusalem Post.
Ahead of this week's refugee summits, HIAS President and CEO Mark Hetfield took to the pages of USA Today to argue that, “now is the time for the world to recommit to the ideals and promises of the Refugee Convention.”
50+ Synagogues and Jewish Organizations Hold #JewsforRefugees Assembly in New York Sep 15, 2016 NEW YORK -- On Wednesday evening, more than 50 synagogues and communal organizations and over 200 individuals representing New York’s Jewish community came together in support of refugees. Participants in the #JewsforRefugees Assembly called on the United States delegation to the […]
At 6 p.m. on Thursday evening, Karen Green is abuzz with last minute preparations. In just a few hours, she’ll be at Reagan National airport to meet the Syrian refugee family her congregation has spent the last 10 days anxiously preparing for.
"Against a backdrop of increased fear and unease about refugees, the American Jewish community has stepped up to the challenge, because we understand what’s at stake. Synagogues in places as varied as Albany, Chicago, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Philadelphia, St. Louis and San Francisco are helping newly-arrived families rebuild their lives in the United States," writes Rabbi Jennie Rosenn.
