“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Emma Lazarus (1849-1887)

Inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, these words have been, for countless Jewish immigrants — indeed, for immigrants and refugees of every religion, race and nationality — the credo of a land of freedom, opportunity, and justice. Building our greatness on a foundation of extraordinary diversity, America has aspired to recognize the inherent value and dignity of every citizen and immigrant alike, asking us all to join as one in the building of a nation that celebrates every variety of belief, opinion, and creed, even as we unite to affirm and achieve our democratic ideals.

Because our parents and grandparents were immigrants; because they fled from persecution in their birth lands; because our forebears flocked to America’s shores and embraced the vision of freedom embodied in our unique democratic ideals; because we are partners in the continuing realization of our nation’s greatness; and because our Torah calls upon our Jewish people to be a moral light unto the nations, we feel it necessary to voice our profound protest to the President’s recent executive order that has the effect of banning people from certain Muslim majority countries, as well as all refugees for a period of 120 days, from entry into this nation. This action is particularly concerning to us as Jews since we are acutely aware of the dangers of imposing religious tests for immigrants and of what closing our doors to refugees can mean for those most vulnerable.

Let there be no doubt: the safety of the American homeland is imperative and the security of our nation is paramount. We support all legal and moral efforts and policies that seek to protect this country and, at the same time, uphold America’s core values.

As clergy of Stephen Wise Temple, a congregation founded by a rabbi known for his ability to build bridges and make people feel included and bearing the name of a rabbi devoted to realizing the Jewish call for justice in our world, we proudly commit ourselves to advocating for a society that embodies the teaching of our Torah: “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love the stranger as yourself for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Leviticus 19:34)

We invite you to take action with us by visiting our partners at HIAS.

In love,

Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback
Cantor Nathan Lam
Rabbi David Woznica
Rabbi Ron Stern
Rabbi Josh Knobel
Cantor Emma Lutz
Rabbi Eli Herscher
Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin