At the risk of stating the obvious our Pesach holiday and Seder traditions have a focus on the plight of the Jewish people while living as enslaved immigrants in Egypt. Also, obviously they had to live under the repression of a government that treated them as a second-class people. Fortunately, with the assistance of several miracles, they persevered.
My family, like many of yours, emigrated from Eastern Europe right around the turn of the century and so our grandparents and great grandparents experienced many of the trials and tribulations of being strangers in a strange land. We are thankful and grateful every day for their perseverance and determination to find a better life.
Several of our fellow congregants have been working at helping immigrants who are looking for the better life without repressive governments and corrupt violent environments. Late last year enough funds had been raised to sponsor a family looking to leave their homeland to get established in the country we know that has a history of rewarding hard work and strong communities. Working with HIAS (Hebrew Immigration Aid Society), the 100+ year old organization that assists immigrants, we were all set to welcome a Venezuelan family that had been approved for asylum and with our sponsorship and help, would find housing and employment opportunities. Unfortunately, government policies changed and the program to sponsor immigrants with asylum claims, became unavailable.
With funding from generous congregants, we have pivoted. Through our Social Action Committee, we became aware of a teenager from South America who had recently fled and crossed the border legally and was living in our area without parents or any family support, an unaccompanied minor. Seeing an opportunity to help an immigrant, we initially plan to subsidize his housing cost, allowing him to reduce his job hours so as to have more time for his high school studies. We hope in time that we can further assist him in his acclimation, studies and path to citizenship.
The Torah commands welcoming the stranger 36 times, making it a central commandment. I know we can’t solve the current immigration crisis, but we can help one person at a time, to find a home and have a life with dignity.
Bob Schwartz
RSNS, President
