Dear Members,
As you may know, Beth Jacob Synagogue has formed a Syrian Refugee Committee, which is a sub-committee of the Social Justice Committee, and reports to the shul Board. The purpose of the Committee is to take concrete action, on behalf of the shul, toward alleviating the Syrian refugee crisis. After conducting preliminary discussions and research, the Committee has decided to sponsor (bring to Hamilton and settle) a refugee family of 7 that has fled war-torn Syria. We believe that this is a worthy project that fulfills the Torah precept of showing kindness to strangers and the oppressed. In this letter, we explain our reasons for undertaking this project; the organizations we are working with to carry it out; the safety considerations that have been taken into account; and the connection between the Syrian refugee crisis and Israel’s security. We also list the numerous Jewish organizations that have called on the community to participate in the effort to resettle Syrian refugees. Synagogue members are invited to contact the Syrian Refugee Committee if they would like to learn more about the project or take part in it.
Why are we helping Syrian refugees?
The Syrian refugee crisis is a major humanitarian emergency. There are presently over 4 million Syrian refugees (i.e. Syrians who have fled Syria for other countries in the Middle East and Europe), and millions more who are displaced within Syria. These millions of people have risked their lives to escape oppression, war, and catastrophic poverty.
It wasn’t too long ago that Jews who were fleeing Hitler’s Europe, were turned away from Canada and the United States due to fear and suspicion of our ethnicity.At that time, we were regarded as an alien race, unable to assimilate into the Canadian (or American) way of life. This governmental rejection of Jewish immigrants was driven by ignorance, prejudice, and rejection of the ‘other.’ These attitudes are antithetical to what our heritage teaches.
Our heritage should inform the way that we respond to the current migrant crisis. What does the Jewish tradition ask of us regarding those forced from their homes? As Jews, we are charged with the mandate of rectifying wrongs in the world (tikun olam). The Torah obligates us to help those who are vulnerable, even if they might have oppressed us in the past: “You shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in that land” (Deuteronomy 23:8). “You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:20).
The Rabbinical Assembly, the spiritual leadership body of Conservative Judaism--the movement with which Beth Jacob is affiliated--has issued a statement reminding Conservative Jews that we must, while protecting our countries’ national security, find a way to welcome Syrian refugees: “We must be mindful not to blame all for the sins of the relative few. We cannot turn our backs on innocent individuals fleeing the violence that is tearing apart their homeland.”( respond is the correct thing to do not onlyfrom a moral perspective, but also Jewishly. As HIAS President Mark Hetfield puts it, “We are an agency motivated by Jewish values in order to protect refugees. Meaning, we protect them because we are Jewish, not because they are Jewish” ( the aftermath of the Paris attacks, it is easy to bow to ignorance and prejudice, but that would be acting like those who sought to keep Jewish refugees out of Canada and the US. Now is the time for us to be courageous, and act in accordance with our Jewish values.
Who are the organizations we’re working with?
We will be working with two organizations: Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Canada (JIAS) and Immigrants Working Centre (IWC).
a)JIASJIAS, founded in 1922, is the oldest chartered not-for-profit settlement organization in Canada. JIAS has a mandate to welcome and support refugees seeking refuge in Canada. In the US, JIAS operates under the name HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society). JIAS will be our Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH). This means that JIAS has already signed a sponsorship agreement with the Canadian Government to help support refugees. Because JIAS has already been vetted by the federal authorities, Beth Jacob, as a potential sponsor of refugees, will not need to be audited by the government to determine eligibility. JIAS will act as our guarantor, and its wealth of experience will guide us through the application process.
b)IWCIWC is one of the main settlement services in Hamilton. For over 25 years, it has helped deliver in-person and online services in 16 languages at four locations in Hamilton. IWC will assist us with the concrete issues related to settling the family we will be helping, including: orientation, language classes, housing, and employment-related services.
What about safety and security?
Safety and security are real concerns, and Beth Jacob’s Board and Syrian Refugee Committee do not take them lightly. We share our congregation’s–and the broader community’s–insistence that no support, even inadvertent, be given to those who seek to do us harm.
How are these concerns being addressed? First and foremost, it is important to note that the government’s focus is family reunification. Approximately 40,000 individuals of Syrian descent live in Canada, many of whom have relatives who are refugees. The settlement organizations will give precedence to reuniting Syrian residents of Canada with refugee family members abroad. This is the case with the family we plan to bring in: the wife’s brother already lives in Hamilton.
The process really begins when the family arrives. Our Committee’s mandate is to work with the sponsored family for one year, helping them integrate into the Canadian way of life. We hope that the relationship that will develop between us will turn into a long-lasting friendship.
Secondly, there is a rigorous security process in place. The steps involved include:
a)Identifying Syrian Refugees to come to Canada–
- Canada will work with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to identify people in Jordan and Lebanon, where they have an extensive list of registered refugees. Priority is given to vulnerable refugees who are a low security risk, such as women at risk and complete families.
- As refugees in Jordan and Lebanon are identified, the UNHCR will be contacting them by SMS (text message) to determine if they are interested in being resettled to Canada. Those who express interest will be referred to Canadian officials for processing, following confirmation of their identity by the UNHCR using an iris scan.
- Canada will work with the Government of Turkey, where refugees are registered with the state and not the UNHCR on a similar process
b)Selecting and processing Syrian Refugees overseas –
- Interested refugees will be scheduled for processing in dedicated visa offices.
- An interview will be scheduled with professional, experienced officers who will collect information to facilitate issuing visas. Not all applicants interviewed will be selected as part of this initiative.
- Immigration processing will be completed overseas. This includes full immigration medical examination, including screening for communicable diseases such as tuberculosis. Security screening will include collecting biographical information and biometrics such as fingerprints and digital photos, which will be checked against immigration, law enforcement and security databases
- Upon completion of the screening, refugees will be given permanent resident visas, and preparations will be made for the transportation to Canada.
c)Arrival in Canada –
- Upon arrival in Canada, all refugees will be welcomed and processed by Border Services Officers (BSOs) for admission in Canada. This will include final verification of identity. All refugees will be screened for signs of illness when they arrive in Canada, as per the Quarantine Act, and treatment will be available if anyone is ill upon arrival.
(Source: Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants. See also )
Our government has already demonstrated competence in vetting refugees from all over the world, including Syrian refugees.
Last year, Canada accepted 260,000 landed immigrants. That’s 5,000 people a week, every week. About 10 per cent of them were refugees. Canada has been taking in these numbers for decades, and the process has become so smooth and banal, and so much part of the underlying hum of the country, that it’s barely noticed. (Editorial, Globe and Mail, Nov. 20. 2015)
In other words, although immigration to Canada might seem to be a routine process, it is in fact rigorous and highly-monitored. Because immigrants are subject to extensive security checks, whereas tourists are given only cursory scrutiny, immigrants pose a far smaller—in fact, almost negligible--security risk.
What about the tensions between Syria and Israel?
Ongoing tension between Israel and Syria has been a constant since Israel’s founding in 1948. Although the current political and military situation in Syria has heightened Israel’s security concerns, these concerns focus on hostilities and shifting alliances between various national, paramilitary, terrorist, and ideological forces hostile to Israel. The threats to Israel’s security are not posed by the plight of families who have been uprooted due to the chaos, fighting, and terror campaigns carried out by pro- and anti-Assad forces.
Those who have been displaced and driven out are ordinary citizens, not members of subversive militias. Sponsoring a Syrian refugee family that has been vetted by the Canadian government will not exacerbate the tension between Israel and Syria, which is military in nature, and does not reflect considerations pertaining to the displaced civilian populace. Rather, it is an opportunity for us to improve relationships between Jews and Arabs. How can we hope to achieve change if the ‘other’ is always to remain ‘other’?
It is true that the Syrian media, being state-controlled, is often anti-Israel (and anti-Semitic); similarly, school textbooks and lessons reflect anti-Israel government propaganda. We acknowledge that Syrian refugees coming to North America may therefore be biased against Israel or Jews. Once here, however, exposure to different views, education, and the Canadian ethos, will enable these new immigrants to form less-biased views. Reaching out and assisting them can contribute to this educational process. We can also clarify misunderstandings more directly through personal relationships established with our sponsored family.
What other Jewish organizations support aiding and resettling Syrian refugees?
In addition to numerous synagogues from across Canada that have stepped forward to help resettle Syrian Refugees, the following organizations have spoken outin support of this process:
Holocaust Memorial Museum
Orthodox Union
American Jewish Committee (AJC)
Anti-Defamation League
Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
Habonim Dror North America
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Labor Committee
National Council of Jewish Women
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
Union for Reform Judaism
Workmen’s Circle
Rabbinical Assembly
Jewish World Watch
World Jewish Relief
Ve’ahavta
Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief
Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA)
We should be proud to be a part of a larger group of faith-based organizations,includingchurches, synagogues, mosques, and temples of other faiths, thatare responding to this crisis.
How can I help?
We would love your help! Right now we’re collecting names of those who wish to volunteer. This is a long-term volunteer project, and much needs to be done to help the sponsored family integrate into their new community, and build a new life.
Beth Jacob Syrian Refugee Committee
Rabbi Hillel Lavery-Yisraeli
Elissa Press (chair)
Dennis Beecroft
Mary Louise Beecroft
Jerome Bergart
Ralph Bloch
Judi Caplan
Marvin Caplan
Benson Honig
Dena Honig
Laura Ludwin
Yael Reznick
Cindy Richter
Please email us at to let us know how you would like to help. Suggestions are welcome.
Thank you! We look forward to working with you on this project.
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