After President-elect Joe Biden backed off his promise to quickly end the Trump administration’s border policies, saying current restrictions are necessary to deter large numbers of asylum seekers, Jewish groups who came together to fight those restrictions are re-emphasizing the importance of their mission. “Biden needs to address the human rights abuses created by Trump…
When we traveled with congregants to the U.S/Mexico Border over a year ago to bear witness to the brutality being perpetrated, we didn’t imagine we’d confront a strikingly modern version of our own ancient story — our religious narrative — of trying to escape degradation for a chance at dignity. But that’s precisely what we…
(JTA) — More than 1,400 Jewish clergy from across the United States have signed a letter that calls on government officials to protect the legal right to seek asylum in the United States. HIAS, an immigrant advocacy and aid group formerly known as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, organized the petition. It calls on elected officials…
Question: When is it appropriate to describe a detention center for immigrants as a concentration camp? Meta-question: Millions of Americans, including intellectuals, politicians, and religious leaders, are engaging in this discussion — what does that tell us about America? A fervent, raging discourse on this topic of naming immigrant and refugee detention camps has exploded…
“OMG CRYING!” “I literally sobbed during “Queer Eye”!” “Stop, you’re going to make me cry!” The Schmooze isn’t really interested in the commodification of tears (almost always female) as proof of profundity. But the clip that’s making the rounds of Rachel Maddow trying and failing to work through her tears as she reports on “tender…
As a member of several second-generation Holocaust survivor groups, I’ve become used to posts evoking strong reactions. The most controversial posts quickly devolve into emotional debates about who is “more Jewish” or whether Jews who fled Germany and Poland before 1939 can be called Holocaust “survivors.” But I have never seen a more mean-spirited, divisive…
A humanitarian nightmare is happening right now in our backyards — and the Jewish community needs to step up to help. The Trump Administration announced in May that it would implement a “zero-tolerance” policy at the border, meaning that it will criminally prosecute anyone attempting to enter illegally. Since children can’t be jailed, this means…
The Trump administration’s treatment of asylum seekers and immigrant communities is filling many Americans with horror and dread. During the dark days of this administration, we are seeing immigrants who have built homes, businesses and lives in America have their legal status arbitrarily revoked by refusals to extend TPS. We are hearing the screams of…
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