Heeding the biblical injunction to care for the stranger, Temple Sinai has engaged in significant tikkun olam in its support for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants entering the US.

Depending on their legal status, new arrivals may be entitled to entry into the United States.  For example, Afghans with Special Immigrant Visas may be allowed to enter as humanitarian parolees, as in the case of our “Afghan Allies”, following the US exit from Afghanistan.  Or they may cross the border, generally in the southern United States, and petition for asylum.  In recognition of the heightened influx of migrants crossing the southern border who are being transported to the DMV, Temple Sinai is expanding the scope of our mission to address the needs of these individuals as well.

Refugees

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.