As our torah and Hagaddah (Passover book) teach, “My father was a wandering Aramean.” We share our personal stories of immigration and migration as an act of tikkun (healing) and teach our children –at Sukkot and other times of the year– stories of immigration and migration.

SAJ has been engaged with HIAS since 2016, lobbying for a greater number of refugees to be allowed into this country. As a founding member of the Synagogue Coalition on Refugees and Immigrants, SAJ members lobby and protest on behalf of refugees. SAJ also participates in HIAS’ Refugee Shabbat.

Through engagement with the New Sanctuary Coalition, we have trained congregants, and the larger community, to accompany immigrants at risk of deportation to court hearings. We march in Jericho Walks and showed up as a community to protest the Zero Tolerance policy at the border. SAJ has been active in supporting immigrants in sanctuary at local churches.

Rabbi Lauren has also posted bond for immigrants in detention. In 2018, she traveled to San Diego to participate in a large-scale full-day mobilization, organized by Mijiente, a Latinx coalition, to demand an end to the policies that tear families apart and imprison those exercising the right to seek asylum.

If you would like to learn more about our refugee and immigrant advocacy, contact Rabbi Lauren or Myra Zuckerbraun.