Refugee Shabbat

February 4, 2023, 9:00 am

Add to iCal | Add to Google Calendar

Refugee Shabbat is an opportunity to learn about the vital and powerful refugee resettlement work of HIAS and WJCI. It is a chance to come together as a community to learn about the experiences of refugees. Please join us and hear from our new neighbor from Ukraine speak about her experiences.

About HIAS and WJCI’s Refugee Shabbat

This past year our hearts swelled at the massive global effort to evacuate and find safe homes for refugees, including Ukrainians, Afghans, Venezuelans, and Haitians fleeing for their lives. Our hearts broke hearing these people’s stories, forced to leave their homes due to the threat of danger, and turned away at border crossings worldwide.

This year, Refugee Shabbat 2023, powered by HIAS, will take place on February 3-4 and will provide each of us with a significant opportunity to reaffirm our support for refugees, asylum seekers, and all immigrants looking for safety and a warm welcome in their new homes.

At this critical time, The Reform Temple of Rockland, a proud participant in Refugee Shabbat 2023, seeks to reaffirm its support for refugees and asylum seekers. Teaming up with HIAS, Westchester Jewish Coalition for Immigration (WJCI), and dozens of congregations across Westchester County, we have an opportunity to raise awareness in our community, recognize the work that has been and continues to be done, and reaffirm our commitment to this holy work.

Please join us on Friday, February 17 at 7:30 PM for a remarkable Refugee Shabbat full of celebration, commitment, and learning.

Here are three immediate ways for your community to step into helping refugees NOW:

• Join or form a Welcome Circle to save Ukrainian or Venezuelan refugees
• Help asylum seekers coming into NYC by greeting buses and more
• Advocate for the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants by providing scripts and having postcard-writing parties. We can provide the tools!

To get involved and learn more about these and other ways to help local, national, and global immigrant communities here, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Marilyn at marilyn@wjci.org.