January-February 2025
“My Trip with HIAS Border Delegation”
The Torah contains several passages that emphasize the importance of treating refugees and strangers with kindness and compassion. One key verse is found in Exodus 22:21, which states, “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” This conveys a moral obligation to empathize with and support those who are vulnerable. With this mitzvah in mind, last week, our Assistant Director of Congregational Learning, Tehilah, and I had the unique opportunity to be part of the HIAS Border Delegation to the US-Mexico border. During this trip, we learned from legal experts about the complexity of the immigration process for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, and the fate of those who attempt to cross from Mexico to the US illegally.
We had many impactful experiences, including visiting a refugee shelter in Tijuana, Casa De Luz, for LGBTQ+ people fleeing persecution; witnessing people crossing the border illegally and their subsequent interactions with Border Patrol; touring a migrant detention center to bear witness to the facilities illegal migrants are sometimes held in until their legal proceedings determine whether or not they will be allowed to remain in the US; and visiting a Survivors of Torture International treatment center for the rehabilitation of asylum seekers who sustained unimaginable trauma.
I had two primary objectives as clergy participating in the border delegation. First, to learn about the immigration crisis and bear witness to the experience of people who have fled their home country, desperately seeking a safer, more sustainable life for themselves and their families in the United States. Second, to dispel the propaganda from politicians and the media and to better ascertain what the actual US political impact is on migrants, not just the challenges they faced beforehand, which are outside of our control.
I quickly learned that the process for trying to immigrate to the US legally as a refugee is incredibly confusing and seemingly deliberately challenging. As I understand it, to legally gain refugee status in the US, you must now complete what is known as a CBP1 Application. This is an app on a smartphone that enables you to submit basic information to apply for a date for an interview with Border Patrol to determine whether they feel you have a compelling case.
One of the numerous issues with this system is that many people are unaware that this app exists and will show up at a legal port of entry without having completed it. Often, they will be sent away until this application has been submitted and an interview date has been scheduled. If your application to set up a “credible fear” interview is approved, it can still take weeks or months for that meeting to occur. In the meantime, you are usually not allowed to stay in the US.
If someone is fleeing for their life, it is unlikely they will be able to safely wait the weeks or months necessary in Mexico for them to be granted this interview. The assumption that migrants seeking asylum will have access to a smartphone, Wi-Fi, and that they are literate is incredibly out of touch and naïve. Additionally, the application is only accessible in three languages: English, Spanish, and Creole. If someone doesn’t speak one of those languages fluently or have access to a translator, they will be unable to complete the application.
As a result of the bureaucratic red tape and long wait times migrants encounter when trying to enter the US legally, many opt to cross illegally instead. As our HIAS delegation stood on the US side of the border fence, we watched a group of migrants walk into “no-man’s land” – the area in between the two fences separating the US and Mexico. To my surprise, I learned that most people crossing the border illegally are not trying to get in undetected. Rather, they “voluntarily surrender” themselves to US Border Patrol. This is what I witnessed.
Once Border Patrol detected them, they opened a portion of the fence and approached the group, which included a woman and two young children. After a brief 15-minute interview, and placing their possessions in an evidence bag, the gates were opened, and they walked across the border and into the US. I learned that most refugees – particularly women and children – who have no criminal record will be released on their own recognizance. While I had assumed that most illegal immigrants are put in detention centers once discovered, I learned that nearly 80% of asylum seekers in the US are released on their own recognizance or granted some form of community supervision while their claims are processed, which could take months or, more likely, years (we were told that six years is not atypical).
Before attending this trip, I had imagined that currently seeking asylum in the US is similar to how it was for Jews during World War II when hundreds of thousands of people arrived on our shores and their ships were not even allowed to dock. Instead, they were immediately sent back to where they came from. Between 1933-1945, only about 30,000 Jewish refugees were granted asylum in the United States. While the process for seeking asylum in the US today certainly has many challenges, I was both astounded and relieved to see that if one is truly fleeing for their life and shows up unannounced at our border to surrender themselves, they will be allowed into the United States, at least temporarily, protecting them from any imminent danger in their home country. If this had been the case during World War II, perhaps millions of more Jews would be alive today.
Overall, our deeply flawed immigration system still is leaps and bounds better than it was just decades ago, and for that, I am grateful. As this new US administration comes into effect, I am under no illusions that our immigration policy will improve. My deep hope, however, is that the progress we’ve made over these past decades will not be undone. As it says in the Mishnah (Pirkei Avot 2:2), “It is not your duty to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” This text emphasizes the importance of engaging in the ongoing work of justice and righteousness, even if one cannot see the final outcome. While I’m sure far more challenges lay ahead for immigrants, we must remain steadfast in our Jewish commitment to communal and moral responsibilities.
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November-December 2024
“The American Jewish Vote”
(originally published by cityandstateny.com on Sept. 19, 2024)
As we inch closer to the 2024 election, antisemitism and US-Israel relations are at the forefront of many Jewish voters’ minds. In the aftermath of October 7th and with the explosion of antisemitism, for the first time in a generation, many American Jews — secular and religious alike —- are concerned for their safety at home and the survival of their ancestral homeland in Israel. Consequently, many Jews are contemplating changing political parties in the upcoming election. Jewish voters are increasingly concerned with US policy towards Israel. Pew’s research shows that “eight-in-ten U.S. Jews say caring about Israel is an essential or important part of what being Jewish means to them.” As the majority of Jews identify as Zionists (believing in the right of Jewish people to self-determine in their ancestral homeland), a question on their minds is: “which political party will be a better advocate for Jews at home and abroad”? Though feeling betrayed by the extreme left, American Jews would be wrong to think that a Democratic White House administration would turn a blind-eye to antisemitism or turn its back on Israel.
Historically, the majority of American Jews have identified as liberal or aligned themselves with the Democratic party. The Jewish commitment to social justice often aligned with Democrats’ focus on equality for minority groups. In the past, protecting minorities included protecting Jews. In recent years, however, the public perception of Jews has drastically changed. Jews are now largely perceived as white and rich, making them a privileged class, not a marginalized minority. Perception, however, doesn’t change reality. Jews originate from the Middle-East (Judea/modern-day Israel), they have diverse socio-economic backgrounds, and are disproportionately victims of hate and discrimination. According to the FBI and the Biden-Harris U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, as of May 2023, 63% of all religiously motivated hate crimes were against Jews, despite them comprising just over 2% of the US population.
With the surge of left-wing antisemitism, former life-long Democratic Jews are now considering voting Republican. Whether genuine or for political gain, the Republican party is successfully perpetuating the notion that they will be better allies to the Jewish people and to the State of Israel than the Democrats. Antisemitism has become a focal talking point of the Republican party. They have fear-mongered within the American Jewish community — itself an unsavory use of American Jews as a political football. Trump has declared that any Jew who votes for a Democrat is a fool, is disloyal to their people, hates Israel, and hates their religion.
While many Republicans are less openly critical of Israel than Democrats, this does not mean that they are “better” for Israel or American Jewry. Nor does it mean that a Democratic president would put the Jewish community at risk. Israel is an invaluable ally to the United States. As the only democracy in the Middle East, and a key economic and military partner, its survival is vital to American foreign-policy. It is, therefore, improbable that any American president, regardless of political party, would risk endangering that partnership. Simply put, it is not in the US’s best interest to cut ties with Israel.
Even amidst the pressure coming from far-left politicians, uncommitted voters, and those pushing for an arms embargo on Israel, Harris has not caved to these demands. There is no shortage of evidence that Kamala Harris is a friend of Israel. Here are just a few statements she has made regarding her views on Israel and antisemitism, compiled by the Zioness Action Fund:
On the US relationship with Israel: “At the core of the U.S.-Israel relationship is America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. This endures not only because it is in America’s strategic interest, but because it is the right thing to do.”
—June 7, 2023
On antisemitism: “To all the Jewish people around the world…we will fight antisemitism with the full force of the U.S. government, including through the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. We will continue to stand with the people of Israel and its right to defend itself from those that threaten its existence.”
—May 6, 2024
On October 7th: “Israel has a right to defend itself…Hamas cannot control Gaza, and the threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel must be eliminated.”
—March 3, 2024
On recent protests: [We have seen] “despicable acts by unpatriotic protestors and dangerous hate-fueled rhetoric. I condemn any individual associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews. Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation.”
—July 25, 2024
While some American Jews may find her public criticism of Netanyahu, his tactics in the war with Hamas, and his refusal to address settler violence in the West Bank unpalatable, her critiques mirror those of a majority of Israelis who, themselves, have disdain for the current Netanyahu administration. And, we must recognize that a true friend is not just one who offers unconditional support. It is one who lets you know when you’ve misstepped, encourages you to be the best version of yourself, and helps you to achieve your potential.
If American Jews can shut out the noise and divisive fear-mongering from the right, perhaps they will realize that the ironclad US-Israel relationship will not be so easily undone by a vocal anti-Israel minority within the Democratic party. They should vote for the best candidate on any number of issues, understanding that either one will support Israel in important ways.
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September-October 2024
Read Cantor Olivia’s recent opinion piece from the Jerusalem Post: “Washington Post misleads readers with anti-Israel biased headline“