by Temple Beth El of Williamsburg
On March 15-17, 2024, Temple Beth El of Williamsburg will be celebrating HIAS’ 6th Annual Refugee Shabbat with a Scholar-in-Residence program. We invite members of your congregation to join us as we express solidarity with the global Jewish movement for refugee protection and welcome. People seeking asylum are being turned away at borders around the world. The number of forcibly displaced people has grown to over 110 million. The growing impact of climate change exacerbates the effects of violence, conflict, and economic instability on already vulnerable populations. This is a critical moment for all of us to reaffirm and redouble our support for refugees, asylum seekers, and the forcibly displaced, and an opportunity to step back, reflect, and celebrate the work that has already been done.
Our Scholars for the weekend include Stacy Kern-Scheerer, Director of the Immigration Clinic at William & Mary Law School, who will speak on Friday, March 15, following an abbreviated Shabbat service that begins at 7:30 p.m. There will be an oneg (refreshments) following Ms. Kern-Scheerer’s overview of refugee and asylum-seeker issues and a Q&A.
On Sunday, March 17, at 2 p.m., we welcome Jessica Sapalio, coordinator of the national Unitarian Universalist Association’s Congregational Accompaniment Project for Asylum-Seekers and its local iteration titled Journey to Asylum. She will be followed by Humaira Razuli, an Afghan refugee who will speak of her experiences and the goals of the organization she has founded, Women for Justice, to support the rights of women in Afghanistan.
We hope you will join us for some engaging and stimulating discussion about this important topic.