CBI Blogs

Shalom Chaverim,

Over and over in Torah we are commanded to care for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.

In Deuteronomy as the rules for the celebration of Sukkot are spelled out: “You shall rejoice in your festival, with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the [family of the] Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your communities.” (16:14)

Several verses later, as we give thanks to God for bringing us into the promised land: “When you have set aside in full the tenth part of your yield—in the third year, the year of the tithe —and have given it to the [family of the] Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat their fill in your settlements,” (26:12)

And again here, “When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf in the field, do not turn back to get it; it shall go to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow—in order that your God Adonai May bless you in all your undertakings. When you beat down the fruit of your olive trees, do not go over them again; that shall go to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not pick it over again; that shall go to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. Always remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore do I enjoin you to observe this commandment.” (Deuteronomy 24:19-22)

Because we remember what it is like to be the stranger, we will welcome those among us.

We read similar words on the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France greeting all those in search of refuge on our shores:

“Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "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 (November 2, 1883)

Alas, despite our teachings and best intentions, we find ourselves in a moment in time where welcoming the stranger is not a priority. In fact, the exact opposite is taking place on the streets of our United States. It has become illegal to apply for asylum or to be in any stage of the process as was laid out when a person first began their application.

Just last week we received the following email from Austin Jews and Partners for Refugees:

Dear Friends!

Because funds for all federally funded refugee services are either shut off or continue to be indefinitely frozen, refugee agencies in Central Texas have now been forced to furlough their staff and discontinue services to families already living here in our community.  Thousands of refugees in central Texas are now (in the last three weeks) without both promised services such as assistance finding housing and employment, and cash assistance for basic needs.   
 

Austin Jews and Partners for Refugees (AJPR, a 501c3 non-profit) is here to help fill the gap and provide volunteer services and emergency funds to support as many of our newly arrived neighbors as we can.  Although we have raised over $40,000 to help our new neighbors since July, in light of the current emergency, we need you to rally with us to exceed our current fundraising goal of $50,000 by donating to AJPR, here.   
 

We are also in urgent need of more volunteers for such needs as:

• -helping to answer the many calls that are coming in from refugees who do not know where to turn,
• -assisting with such things as resumes and employment, ESL, making and getting to medical and benefits appointments,
• -delivering food and other necessities.

You can sign up to volunteer, here. When signing up, click the tile that says 'Become an Austin Jews and Partners for Refugees Volunteer', and you will be contacted about specific opportunities. We will also be communicating with current AJPR volunteers about those opportunities.

Let’s make sure our newest neighbors feel welcomed and supported, not abandoned. 

Please forward this letter to any individuals or groups that would want to help!

“You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. “
“Pirkei Avot” 2:16

Sherry Blum, for the AJPR Board of Directors

This Shabbat, as we recognize HIAS’s 7^th Annual Refugee Shabbat, we hope that you will join us in prayer and an act of tzedakah as you consider donating to either AJPR or iACT (Interfaith Action of Central Texas) to help continue the work of welcoming the stranger.

Shabbat Shalom