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The Joys and Challenges of Helping Refugees Resettle in Madison

12/15/2022 02:51:40 PM

Dec15

by Lynn Silverman and Erica Serlin

Imagine moving to a new country because of circumstances beyond your control and leaving behind your old life, your family, and your friends. You may have been living in a refugee camp for years, or war has suddenly made staying in your country dangerous. You may have experienced trauma and devastating loss. Your new country has customs and a culture that are completely different from your own, and you don’t know the language or anyone who lives there. This is the situation for many of the refugees who have been settled in Madison.

Since 2016, Jewish Social Services of Madison (JSS) has been a refugee resettlement affiliate of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS). Over just this past year, JSS has resettled over 143 people from countries as varied as Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This could not have been done without the support of Open Doors for Refugees, an all-volunteer organization that works closely with JSS to help refugees make Madison their home. Additionally, many community-based organizations, state programs, and congregations have worked together with JSS to help our new neighbors receive health care, integrate their children into the school system, get employment, learn English, and stay safe and secure. Many TBE congregants volunteer with JSS and Open Doors for Refugees to help set up homes, provide initial food and supplies, provide winter wear for new arrivals, and help with transportation to appointments. 

JSS has initiated a program called Aljirani (this word combines Arabic and Swahili and means “neighbor”), which is a six-month volunteer program that pairs a refugee or refugee family with one or two companions from the Madison community to be mentors. The purpose is to provide emotional support and practical help to enable refugees to feel welcome in the community, and to build confidence and self-sufficiency as they begin their new lives. 

We are two of the TBE volunteers who have joined this program. We have been working with an Afghan woman, meeting in her home, joined by her sister-in-law and several of their younger children. Our time together is filled with acting out various situations, including introductions and learning and using basic vocabulary as well as playing games involving new words. Sometimes our time together has been challenging, as the woman we mentor has gone through trauma and can sometimes be sad and withdrawn, but at other times is joyful, as the women laugh at us and at themselves in response to our playacting. We are learning their customs and they learn ours. We have been touched by their hospitality, offering us delicious food and drink, including such treats as homemade flatbread and sautéed spinach with onion and garlic (dodey and saag) and sweets with milk tea (shodu chay).

Anyone interested in learning more about any of these volunteer opportunities is welcome to contact Lynn Silverman or Erica Serlin. We are the co-chairs of the Immigrant and Refugee Rights Action Team and would be happy to tell you about our work.

April 19, 2024 11 Nisan 5784