As defined by the UNHCR, a refugee is “someone who has been forced to flee their country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.” Temple Sinai has a long history of supporting refugees. Our most recent efforts began in 2017 with the co-sponsorship of an Afghan family through the Good Neighbor Program of Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area. Our support – including rent assistance, enrolling children in school, obtaining medical care, employment searches, application for benefits and much more – continued for more than a year. In the wake of the arrival of thousands of Afghans in the United States following its departure from Afghanistan, Temple Sinai took on the co-sponsorship of another family, relying again on the generous support of many volunteers to assure the family a successful start in its new home. In addition to supporting these families, we have provided significant assistance to a variety of individual refugees, including financial aid, furnishing apartments, and assisting family members to exit Afghanistan and reach the United States.
We have recently begun assisting a young Afghan couple to secure employment commensurate with their professional skills and to aid them in such other ways as will enable them to succeed in their new country. In addition, we deploy our resources, financial and through volunteers, to address the needs of refugees that are brought to our attention by other faith institutions or non-profits we work with.
Migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border are not typically entitled to the kind of benefits other new arrivals receive, like medical care, food and lodging. They are often seeking asylum, but, as is the case with any asylum-seeker, the process can take several years.
Temple Sinai sponsored an asylum-seeker from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who was fleeing religious persecution. Our aid entailed legal assistance, housing, financial support, medical care, and arranging for English language study. Happily, his petition for asylum has been granted, and he is now on a course to obtain citizenship. We also provided comprehensive temporary assistance to his brother and family until they departed for Canada.
The transportation of vulnerable individuals crossing the southern border to the DMV continues, and the attendant burdens on the local government, non-profits and the faith community are increasing. Temple Sinai has participated in clothing drives to respond to urgent migrant needs and has provided financial support to organizations working directly with these individuals. In consultation with these organizations, we are charting a path that will enable the synagogue to aid in their relief and advocate to increase government support.
Temple Sinai has joined the Sanctuary Movement and publicly declared itself as a Sanctuary Congregation. We are committed to offering humanitarian aid to vulnerable immigrants in our community.
The synagogue also has a longstanding relationship with Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in McAllen, TX. In the past, Temple members traveled to McAllen to work with refugee families and visited immigrant detainees at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, GA.
For more information on our Refugee Asylum and Migrant Support programs, please contact Catherine Ribnick.