HIAS Blog
Putting it in Perspective: Practicing what Judaism Teaches at HIAS Posted by Jenny Fernandez on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 14:55 pm
The Jewish High Holidays have just passed, and as a student it was frustratingly difficult to find time to be able to observe Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Hours of homework piled up, mandatory meetings were inconveniently scheduled halfway through Services, and midterms approached much more quickly than I thought they would. In general, since I began college, I haven’t been as involved with observing my Judaism as I used to be or as much as I would
Putting it in Perspective: The Iraqi Refugee Crisis Posted by Ilanit Sisso on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 14:45 pm
It is hard to believe that the war in Iraq has been going on for almost nine years. When President Obama announced that we would pull out of Iraq by the end of 2011, I felt relieved knowing that American troops would be able to return home. While it’s easy to focus on the excitement of having our soldiers back, I later realized we should also take note of what we are leaving behind. Some important questions
Putting it in Perspective: Stateless, Not Forgotten Posted by Rachel Horn on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 14:39 pm
What areas of the world do we think of when we think about human rights issues? Africa? Maybe some of us would think of nations in the former Soviet Union or countries in Asia. After the uprisings during the Arab Spring, the Middle East is on everyone’s mind as well. But few of us might be aware that Latin America, a vast region encompassing countries in South America and Central America, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the
The Gift of Hope for the Holiday Season: Darfuri Resettlement in New Jersey
Posted by Gideon Aronoff on Tue, Dec 27, 2011 at 15:16 pm
In a season when we are celebrating Chanukah and looking forward to the upcoming New Year, two essential themes have been dominating my thoughts: miracles and new beginnings. As a resident of suburban New Jersey in the MetroWest area, these themes have a particularly Judeo-Darfuri flavor.
Last week I had the opportunity as President of HIAS to visit with the staff and volunteers of the Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) of MetroWest to experience part of their tremendous work as HIAS’ flagship
Putting it in Perspective: Focusing on the Who, not the What Posted by Rachel Horn on Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 13:23 pm
On October 25, 2011, I had the privilege of attending the conference “Reaffirming Protection: Strengthening Asylum in the United States,” which commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Refugee Convention. Gathered at Georgetown Law for the occasion were representatives from the NGOs, government officials, and academics and students concerned about immigration and asylum in the United States.
The discussion focused on identifying the major challenges facing asylum seekers in the United States and on establishing a set of “pledges,”
Putting it in Perspective: Arab Spring Leaves Some Cold Posted by Ilanit Sisso on Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 12:35 pm
I followed the news closely as uprisings across the Arab world began in 2011. Image after image showed Muslims and non-Muslims standing together demanding freedom from totalitarian regimes. In Egypt, the Arab Spring resulted in the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak after almost 30 years of power. Just six months later, Mubarak stood trial and was charged with corruption and complicity in the killing of protestors. This brought hope to many across Egypt who had never dreamed
Putting it in Perspective: Investing in the American Dream Posted by Rachel Horn on Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 9:52 am
Earlier this year, Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was one of the featured speakers at the Urban Institute Forum on “Immigration and the Changing Face of Metropolitan America.” Throughout the event, Cisneros and the other speakers discussed demographic changes to the current decade’s immigrant population. Overall, the population in the United States is getting older overall, and that the only segment of the population adding to the youth (who will one day support
Putting it in Perspective: To What Were We Blind? Posted by Ilanit Sisso on Fri, Nov 18, 2011 at 15:58 pm
This year during Yom Kippur services the phrase that resonated with me the most was when the Rabbi asked: “To what were we blind to this year?” I reflected on this question for weeks. Was I “blind” to a friend when they needed my help? Was I “blind” to a family member trying to reach out to me? Was I “blind” to a stranger who was treated unfairly?
Many of us (including myself) have been “blind” to
Putting it in Perspective: A World Class Education for Resettled Refugees in the U.S. Posted by Jenny Fernandez on Fri, Nov 18, 2011 at 14:05 pm
I was recently accepted to study abroad in Madrid, Spain, for my fall semester. As a study abroad student, I worry about getting my student visa, obtaining my course equivalency list so that I get credit for my classes, and adjusting to the initial culture shock of being in a new country. My situation is temporary, as I will only be there for six months. However, refugees who are lucky enough to be resettled in the United
USA for UNHCR Gala Trains Spotlight Squarely on Refugees
Posted by Roberta Elliott on Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 15:15 pm
If an invitation to a gala stipulates “global chic” as the preferred dress, you know you’re in for a good time… And that was
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