2 minute read
BETH EL SUPPORTS
When the United States pulled American troops out of Afghanistan in the fall of 2021, it created a desperate situation for many Afghanis who helped the US government—they feared for their lives. Thousands of Afghanis were airlifted to the United States, where they began a new life without resources or family support. While we can’t fix everything, we can do our small, meaningful part to help these Afghani refugees adjust to a new culture.
The families lucky enough to escape and resettle in Westchester need our help and support now. Beth El is a part of a consortium of faith organizations called ICNAW - The Interreligious Council of New Americans Westchester. Our involvement in refugee resettlement is run through HIAS - Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society - the same organization that was originally founded to help resettle so many Jewish immigrants over the last 150 years. ICNAW’s work resettling refugee families is deeply rooted in Jewish values. As Passover approaches, its core message about redemption and freedom should resonate now more than ever. Passover is a yearly reminder of the imperative to care for refugees because we, as Jews, remember when we were refugees fleeing from Egypt.
If you would like to contribute to this effort but are worried about the time commitment required, please know that there are many ways to support refugees. We are delighted to meet with anyone curious about refugee resettlement who would like to discuss what might work for your schedule, whether it’s being matched with a family to build a long-term social connection or serving on one of our many committees to help a family adjust to their new life here in America. If you are interested in volunteering with ICNAW, you can contact us and we will send you the volunteer form, which allows for you to directly indicate the areas of refugee resettlement that interest you most. (For those of you who have volunteered already--please contact us and we will resend the spreadsheet so you can confirm or add new areas in which you’d like to help).
Coordinating volunteers is a complex and iterative process. Over the past few years, we have refined the ways in which we coordinate our volunteers, including direct and consistent follow-up. So whether you are a past volunteer or are newly interested in volunteering with us, we are eager to work with you!
As two Beth El members who have been involved with several immigrant families, we encourage you to participate to feel the joy we feel.
Join us!
Joyce Wechsler 914-629-8731
Susan Wolman 914-980-5050
