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Sisterhood Shabbat Focuses on Refugee Resettlement 

03/01/2022 04:43:45 PM

Mar1

 

At our Sisterhood Shabbat on February 11, guest speaker Becca Schwartz, resettlement director at Jewish Social Services of Madison (JSS), spoke on “Refugee Resettlement, Afghan Evacuation, and Beyond.” 
 
Becca Schwartz painted a compelling picture of the struggles faced by the number of refugees who have arrived in the United States in a very short period of time and how JSS’s resettlement efforts have supported their attempts to gain asylum and a more stable life. She described how passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act can help these refugees gain a more permanent status in the United States. You can view the service and her remarks here. Her remarks begin around 57:45.

Refugee service opportunity: Since July 2021, JSS has resettled 82 children and adults from Afghanistan. Many volunteers from TBE have worked with Open Doors for Refugees to help in this resettlement process. TBE volunteers have participated in the setup of 17 households for these families, shopped for food for their first two weeks in Madison, and helped to provide them with culturally appropriate clothes and warm winter wear. We also helped families arriving from other places such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Syria.

Want to help with refugee resettlement? JSS is expecting many more refugees from all over the world in the months to come. If you are interested in welcoming our new neighbors to Madison or have questions about what we are doing to support refugees and immigrants, please contact one of the co-chairs of our Immigrant and Refugee Rights Action Team, Lynn Silverman or Erica Serlin. We will be happy to answer any questions you have. 

Join Becca Schwartz and JSS in showing our support for millions of refugees through getting involved in the many ways in which our Temple is engaged in making refugees and immigrants welcome in our community. In particular, help with Community Action for Refugee Arrival (CARA) is a great way to contribute.

March 29, 2024 19 Adar II 5784