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Dear Friends,
My heart is heavy as we witness the deeply unsettling consequences of the recent executive orders affecting refugees and immigrants. These policies have led to the cancellation of flights for refugees who have already been vetted and approved to come to the U.S. – including unaccompanied minors and family members of American military personnel. These are the very individuals and families that Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley serves—people desperately waiting to be reunited with their loved ones and to find safety here in the U.S.
As we remain true to our Jewish value of welcoming the stranger, we continue to assist refugees already here in the U.S. who now face an uncertain future. JFS Silicon Valley is urgently focused on providing legal support for clients who are terrified that their right to remain here will be taken away and need support to become permanent residents or U.S. citizens.
With a growing waitlist of refugees in desperate need of services,
we have set a goal of raising $150,000.
Your generous donation to the Ruth Perkins Emergency Fund for Refugee Services will ensure that these refugees have support for legal representation, application and filing fees, medical exams not covered by insurance and other costly support expenses that often delay their ability to protect their future in this country.
Join us in this critical effort.
Together, we can offer hope and security to those who are most vulnerable.
This situation echoes a dark chapter in history. In 1939, the U.S. turned away the MS St. Louis, a ship carrying 937 passengers—mostly European Jewish refugees escaping Hitler and the Nazis. Denied entry into the U.S., the refugees were forced to return to Europe, where 254 of them were killed in the Holocaust. At that time, the Great Depression had already left millions unemployed, and fear of competition for jobs fueled widespread antisemitism, xenophobia, and isolationism.
The refugees we serve today are also fleeing violence, persecution, and death. Their only hope is to remain safely here in the U.S., where they can rebuild their lives and contribute as self-sufficient, productive members of society. Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past.
Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation and adapt our efforts accordingly. For the most up-to-date information on our work and how you can continue to help, we encourage you to visit our “Refugee and Immigration Hub” located on the “News & Updates” section on our website.
With hope and gratitude-
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