In a few weeks, Jews around the world will begin their Passover Seders with the words ” All who are hungry, let them enter and eat. All who are in need, let them come celebrate Pesah!
The Torah reminds us 36 times to “welcome the stranger,” to “protect the stranger,” and to “love the stranger.”
For Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Vice President, Community Engagement for HIAS, these are the Jewish values that drive her tireless efforts to mobilize the Jewish community to advance the rights and lives of refugees.
HIAS, (originally named for “Hebrew Immigrant Aide Society”) has served Jewish refugees for over a century. Today HIAS is an international Jewish organization that protects, resettles, and advocates for refugees of all backgrounds.
As Rosenn explained in a recent Times of Israel Article “This is a profoundly Jewish issue and this is an historic moment. Never before have Jews not been refugees, but rather in a position to help refugees. Jews want to respond.”
In her upcoming talk at Hebrew College on April 13, 7:30 pm “A Jewish Response to Today’s Refugees: Syria and Beyond”. Rosenn will focus on the current state of the crises in a period when there are more refugees and displaced persons than at any time since World War II. She will share grassroots efforts being taken on by Jewish communities “who know the impact we can have when we come together to speak out for the rights of vulnerable people. “
She will address the ways that fear of legitimate dangers impact the way people view refugees and on the backlash that is threatening American’s legacy as a country that welcomes refugees
Rosenn will be joined by Modjeh Rohani, the executive director of the Community Legal Services and Counseling Center in Cambridge, an organization that represents asylum seekers, torture survivors, and other vulnerable populations.
Join us for this timely conversation and call to action as we prepare to begin the “Season of our Freedom.” HIAS materials for Passover are available on-line and will be available at the event. Register here
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