There have been many changes in the last couple of months, but one thing that never changes is the need to protect the most vulnerable in our society. Our Torah tells us that the ger, the stranger, is someone we must actively protect. Caring for the stranger is so fundamental to Judaism that it’s mentioned in our Torah thirty-six times (a holy number, the double of 18, which symbolizes life). In fact, the commandment to take care of the stranger is mentioned more times than any other commandment in Torah, even more than the command to love Gd (v’ahavta).
Tonight, KHN will join congregations across the country in honoring the stranger for Refugee Shabbat. Created by HIAS, Refugee Shabbat is an annual Shabbat when the Jewish community publicly expresses our solidarity with the global movement for refugee protection and welcome. Tonight, we are encouraged to pause with the rest of the Jewish world, to rest and reflect as we are commanded to do weekly on Shabbat, as well as to recommit ourselves to the creation of a more just, welcoming, and compassionate world.
Here is a message from HIAS to all participating congregations:
We hope that this year’s Refugee Shabbat will help affirm who we want to be as Jews in the world – continuing the important work we do on behalf of and in solidarity with the more than 120 million forcibly displaced people across the globe. [...] On Refugee Shabbat, we pause to acknowledge and honor the hard work of pursuing justice, and to center and strengthen this work moving forward. In a world increasingly marked by narrowing pathways for those fleeing danger, we raise our voices together as a Jewish community to say that we will welcome and protect those seeking safety from violence and persecution.
As a community of faith, we have a particularly resonant role to play in advocating for the rights of all strangers in our society. We are commanded to protect the vulnerable living among us, as the Torah lists, specifically the stranger, the widow, and the orphan.
Along with Shabbat prayers we will also be reading Maggid by Marge Piercy. As well as this reading from HIAS inspired by the words of Psalm 118, Pitchu Li:
Open for me the gates of righteousness: Open up the gates of freedom. Open them to those in need of safety and protection. Open up the gates of mercy. Open them to those who forget that we were once strangers in the land of Egypt, the narrow place. Open up the gates of justice. Open them to those who remember that we know the soul of the stranger. Open up the gates of righteousness. Open them to those who walk hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart with today’s refugees and asylum seekers. Together, we will find the path to freedom.
A big thank you to our Refugee Shabbat planning committee: Donna Arons, Laura Marshall, Julie Parker, and Betsy Stern. Thank you for all your hard work and for presenting tonight!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Janine Jankovitz
Kehilat HaNahar 85 West Mechanic St. New Hope, PA 18938
