Jewish Values and History

Jewish groups across the country marked Tisha b’Av, the traditional Jewish day of mourning, with vigils and protests to demand an end to the mistreatment of immigrants and refugees.

After reading a children's book about a family of mice who are forced to leave their home, 4 ½ year old Liv Bridges-Limon, asked if the same thing ever happens to people. Her father Bryan explained that refugees, asylum seekers and homeless people sometimes receive help from others, which gave Liv an idea.

This Thursday, June 6, marks the 80th anniversary of the day the M.S. St. Louis, a German passenger ship carrying 937 people– nearly all Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany– was denied entry to the United States.

HIAS President and CEO Mark J. Hetfield shares a message for Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), when we recall what happens to people who are not allowed to make the flight for safety and freedom, and reminds us of the imperative to welcome those who flee hatred.