By Carl Selkin, SJC Co-Chair
Chag Purim sameach!
The February 5th Social Justice Bagel Breakfast drew 85 PJTC congregants and guests to acknowledge the first anniversary of the arrival to Pasadena of the Z family. As Joe Widman thanked the individuals and organizations that made possible the family’s transition from Afghanistan to their new home, it brought into sharp focus that it really does take a dedicated village to provide the necessary generous support, friendship, and expertise. Those of us involved in this journey, whether as members of the Welcome Circle or as occasional volunteers, share our pride in the PJTC community. We were among the first to step up and among the most successful welcoming groups under HIAS auspices. Our experience has been incredibly rewarding, and Tarina and Abdul are deeply appreciative of this community effort. Indeed, they speak about this gathering as one of the best days in their lives. Tarina’s thank you speech in heartfelt English is a tribute to her and the family’s strength and accomplishments. Thanks, too, to Jason Lyon, their City Council representative, for presenting a certificate and acknowledging that he, Maryam, and Hoda share a passion—for ice cream.
The presentation by HIAS Senior Vice President of Programs, Raphael Marcus, and Joe Goldman, HIAS Western Region Community engagement Director, made clear that there is so much more resettlement work to be done. Wars, climate change, political instability have driven millions into dangerous and difficult journeys. Thousands die as they flee unbearable conditions in their home countries, and the bottlenecks and obstacles on routes to safety mean the vast majority will not succeed in finding a new life or reconnecting with family.
For an audio recording of the event, click HIAS Audio Here.
At the last Social Justice Committee meeting we began a discussion of the new U.S. government welcome program for private/ individual sponsorship of refugees. We are researching what it takes to participate in this resettlement program. When we find out more information, we will let the PJTC community know the details.
We are discussing a new possible initiative for SJC—offering each upcoming b’nei mitzvah candidate a gift book from a menu of titles. We are developing a book list from different sources run by professional educators. We need to standardize the process for creating the list, consult with various PJTC office-holders, staff etc., and decide the best way to implement this idea.
SJC Meetings in March: 3/12 and 3/26 at 10:00 a.m. in person at PJTC
