In his Feb. 9 letter, Lee Levin articulately challenged the premises of the many articles in the Chronicle decrying the executive order delaying (not stopping, just delaying) refugee immigration from several Muslim countries. Levin raised some simple, direct questions for the community and asked for answers, not pejoratives.
Guest columnist Dawn Aronoff (first row, far right) was a participant in the 2014 JWRP Israeli journey. Shown with her in Israel are Staci Kahn (first row, from left), Sherri Bell and Gevura Davis. Second row: Stacey Wright, Patricia Neyman, Jessica Rudnick-Kaseff, Andrea Levitan, Sue Haas and Linda Cambier.
Applications are currently being accepted for the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project’s 2017 eight-day Israeli journey, co-sponsored by the Kansas City Kollel. I had the opportunity to participate in this program in the summer of 2014. I was not seeking the trip, and no one was encouraging me to go. I randomly ran into a woman I had never met before who asked me if I wanted to go to Israel — I said sure.
I was not sad on Monday when I found out more Jewish Community Centers had received bomb threats that forced evacuations. I was not sad later that day when I found out Chessed Shel Emeth Cemetery was vandalized and over 100 stones were toppled. I was not sad.
I did some fact checking in regards to Lee Levin’s Feb. 9 letter (Muslim countries should welcome their own refugees) in support of banning Muslim refugees from entry to the U.S. The following is what my research found.
The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah loves refugees. We are committed to supporting refugees resettled in the Kansas City area, to educating the Jewish and general community about refugee resettlement, and to advocating to advance the cause of refugee resettlement and support in Kansas City and the United States.
Israeli volunteers pack winter supplies to be delivered to Syrian Refugees. Operation Human Warmth
The issue of border security and whether or not it’s safe to welcome refugees is a hot topic in the United States. It’s something Israelis have been concerned about since before the birth of the Jewish State in 1948. Today, many Israelis are concerned about the plight of Syrian refugees.
