Catch up with Hussain, Rehan & Shebab, three of the Pakistanis CRS resettled in 2018 – 2019 at
HIAS National Refugee Shabbat
Friday, March 4, 2022 at 6:00 PM at Erev Shabbat Services
In Person • Online
In 2018, CRS put our Jewish values into action when we worked with HIAS to resettle four Pakistani men. For us, welcoming the stranger is a fundamental tenet and more than 100 congregants participated in resettlement training provided by HIAS. Claudia Wagner and Janie Roher created a steering committee which found housing, furnished and set up the apartment, provided a welcome meal, introduced them to the sights of New York, and then focused on education, health and employment. Deep connections were formed and a number of volunteers remain in touch with Hussain, Rehan, Shabab and Zeeshan. The men are all doing well and one of them has already been able to return to Pakistan for three months to get married and visit with family. Another is returning to Pakistan in March to marry his fiancée, whom he hasn’t seen in eight years. Here are their reflections on being able to come to the United States, be assisted by HIAS and CRS and an update on where they are now.
Messages from Hussain, Rehan, and Shabab
Hussain
Read ›
Rehan
Watch ›
Shabab
Read ›
Other Ways to Help Refugees Around the World
Donate supplies for citizens of Ukraine at Rodeph Sholom School now until Friday, March 11.
More Info
HIAS Advocacy
Complete a simple form to ask the government to accept the applications of Afghans who have applied for Humanitarian Parole
Virtual Training to help Afghans apply for Humanitarian Parole and Escape Afghanistan– March 7, 7:00 – 8:30 PM.
Elizabeth Dembrowsky and Laiba Asad, of Good Counsel Services, will host a training session with B’nai Jeshurun, to learn how to assist with Humanitarian Parole applications for Afghan nationals and their families. This session is open to lawyers, law students, and anyone interested in volunteering (no legal experience needed). Information and registration is at: https://www.bj.org/event/volunteer-training-to-support-afghan-families/. Even while USCIS is delaying the processing of these applications, Good Counsel Services continues to receive requests from Afghan families in danger and who want to file for Humanitarian Parole. Please register and learn how you can become an important part of the team.
Ukraine Crisis Fund – World Union for Progressive Judaism
UJA: If you or your congregation would like to contribute, please consider supporting the Jewish community in the Ukraine by:
- Donating directly through UJA here.
- Collecting donations through your synagogue membership for the crisis in Ukraine and directing the dollars to UJA’s crisis fund.
- Organizing a collection of supplies for Afya. Please see the attached document for the humanitarian supplies that are needed. For more information, contact Mary Grace Pagaduan.
AJC: Learn how you can help Ukrainian refugees through the AJC
About HIAS National Refugee Shabbat
Refugee Shabbat 2022 is a moment for congregations, organizations, and individuals in the United States and around the world to dedicate a Shabbat experience to refugees and asylum seekers. This past year our hearts have swelled at the massive global effort to evacuate and find safe homes for Afghans fleeing for their lives; and they have broken seeing people whose lives are in danger being turned away at border crossings around the world. This is a critical moment for all of us to reaffirm and redouble our support for refugees and asylum seekers.