Welcome Refugees to Their New Home
By Rabbi Ron Stern
This Shabbat, we welcome guest speaker Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Vice President of Community Engagement with HIAS. HIAS, the organization that helped many of our families settle in this country, has asked members of the Jewish community to sign a welcome letter to be translated and handed to refugees when they are newly settled. Here’s the text of the letter:
We want you to know that we welcome you
to your new country – the United States
of America.
We are so glad you are here. We are proud to be your neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and community members. We are proud to be your fellow Americans. We welcome you, and we stand with you.
As American Jews, many of our own families and ancestors came here as refugees, seeking safety from persecution and violence just as you have. When our families arrived here, most Americans welcomed us, but there were many who did not. Today we are seeing this again: the vast majority of Americans welcome newcomers; but some are afraid and say negative things.
We want you to know that we will always work to make sure you find the same safety, dignity, and freedom that our families and ancestors found in this country. We will remind all Americans that refugees are part of what makes this country great. We will continue to do all we can to create a welcoming space for refugees and to support you as you enjoy the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness which is fundamental to this country.
We welcome you to our country.
You can add your signature to the letter and voice your support for HIAS’s important work by visiting
www.hias.org/welcome-note-refugees
We hope that you will participate!
