Immigrant Justice Action at Congregation Beth Israel
"You shall love the stranger, for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt" (Deut. 10:19).
Throughout our Torah, we are commanded to welcome the stranger in our midst. Here at Congregation Beth Israel, we firmly believe that we have a sacred duty to help those seeking asylum from dangerous and troubling lives in the country of their birth, looking for a safer life in the United States. Our hearts are open to those in need, and we want to give our community an opportunity to provide support as well. Below, you will find a robust, but not entirely comprehensive list of options for assisting the immigrant community of Austin and central Texas. CBI has partnered with each of these organizations in the past and has great confidence in their integrity and abilities. In addition, many CBI members work closely with these organizations. If you have more questions, please email Rabbi Levy at klevy@bethisrael.org, or call her at 512-454-6806.
For further information, please check out our Immigrant Justice Action CBI website, https://ractximmigration.weebly.com/, or email Cathy Campbell at cathybquilter@gmail.com.
Immediate Activities:
Direct Service Opportunities:
- Monetary donations accepted at:
- Refugee Services of Texas (or email CBI member Cathy Campbell at cathybquilter@gmail.com to learn about another donation opportunity)
- Grassroots Leadership
- ACLU
- Casa Marianella
- Austin Santuary Network
- HIAS
- American Gateways
- Clothing, food, and furniture donations accepted at:
- Volunteer your time with:
- Casa Marianella
- Refugee Services of Texas
- Grassroots Leadership (search the various programs to see which one you would like to help with, or contact the organizers via email to learn more)
- American Gateways (for attorneys)
- American Gateways (for non-attorneys)
- Sponsor programs and hosting opportunities found at:
- Grassroots Leadership (email klevy@bethisrael.org for more information)
- Casa Marianella
- Refugee Services of Texas *please see information below about CBI’s partnership with RST in the past
Advocacy Opportunities:
- Ongoing direct actions, protests, and more
- Austin Sanctuary Network
- Grassroots Leadership
- Religious Action Center
- RAC-TX (sign up for the newsletter to stay connected and learn more about events being hosted and co-sponsored by RAC-TX)
- Texas Impact Courts & Ports Program
- HIAS Welcome Campaign (CBI is proud to be listed as a member of the Welcome Campaign)
Education Opportunities:
*Previous work with RST:
Congregation Beth Israel sponsors a Welcome Team through Refugee Services of Texas. A Welcome Team is made up of community or faith groups, who are paired with a refugee family during their initial resettlement in Texas. Building a Welcome Team is an enriching experience that benefits recently-arrived refugees as well as those who sponsor them. At times, we work with our friends at Temple Beth Shalom to jointly help a refugee family.
Recently, we provided one of our refugee families with a washing machine and dryer and installed both of them in their apartment. We also collected and delivered school supplies for their 3 children. We provided transportation for the family, so they could get $120 worth of new school clothes for each child, at no cost to them, through the Assistance League of Austin and Target.
We also partnered with another Welcome Team to provide about a third of the items needed for their refugee family's new apartment. We are always looking for new people to join our Welcome Team. If you would like to help CBI’s Refugee Welcome Team, please contact Harold Wilensky.
