New Jersey Synagogues Seek Help in Resettling Syrian Refugees

By Andrew Silow-Carroll December 28, 2016

(JTA) — Three synagogues in New Jersey are seeking help in resettling a Syrian refugee family.

In a Facebook post to members of the South Orange and Maplewood communities, the congregations announced that they are partnering with Church World Services, the refugee assistance arm of the National Council of the Churches of Christ, the Village Green reported Tuesday.

“[O]ur partner, Church World Services, has identified a Syrian family in need of our support and we are expecting a mid-January arrival,” according to the letter shared on Facebook. “We need to quickly arrange housing and so much more before we can make this happen!”

Among the signers of the post were principals from Congregation Beth El, Oheb Shalom Congregation and Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, all of South Orange.

The partners said they are seeking volunteers, “especially to identify affordable housing, provide Arabic language support, and advocate with schools and social services.”

The United States admitted 12,587 refugees from war-torn Syria in 2016, surpassing the goal of 10,000 set last year by President Barack Obama.

Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor in chief of the New York Jewish Week and senior editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. He previously served as JTA’s editor in chief and as editor in chief and CEO of the New Jersey Jewish News.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO