Helping Syrian Refugees

Helping Syrian Refugees – From Syria To Newton

The father is a skilled craftsman. Members of our congregation as well as influential leaders in the greater Boston community are helping to connect him with employment opportunities.

The mother is also a talented artisan – she knits and crochets clothing and other items. We are helping to supply her with yarn and other necessities as well as helping her to set up her own online artisan shop so she can start to help support her family here too.

The children are settling in beautifully. The oldest two began school yesterday. Both the elementary and middle school where they began welcomed them with open arms. They already have some friends, including a fluent Turkish speaker in one of their classes. Their teachers have gone out of their way to get Arabic texts for them to engage with the classroom learning.

The youngest started preschool today in a nursery school located in a partner Jewish congregation that is in walking distance from the home where they are living. We know he will learn English quickly to communicate with his peers as he is already practicing his English letters every opportunity he gets.

Many thanks to our tremendous core volunteers and our amazing host family who have been helping with all facets of their acclimation to American life!

Thanks to each of you as well. With your help, the family was not only well prepared for the snow this morning with snowsuits, boots, and all manner of warm hats and gloves, but has also been able to do their own grocery shopping, and the kids were able to select their own warm school clothes last Sunday. The kids have had wonderful games, art supplies, and language learning games, and they went off to school today with beautiful backpacks provided by you.

Additionally, the family has made some wonderful connections within the Boston Syrian community who are very much helping to ease their transition.

The mother made an intricate and delicious Syrian feast for the host family in celebration of the children’s first days of school. The family also had their first Shabbat dinner last Friday night at the host family’s home. It was a joyous evening of cultural exchange – Arabic, English, and Hebrew intermingling – with both Syrian dishes and traditional Jewish fare. All in all an amazing beginning.


Tonight: Welcoming a family of Syrian refugees

In winter 2017, our Temple Emanuel family welcomed a family of refugees from Syria – a young mother and father and their three children ages 12,9, and 4. The refugee family was hosted by generous Temple Emanuel members who were motivated by the legacy of our own people’s experience during the Holocaust when we were turned away from so many shores.

In partnership with JFS of Metrowest, a group of core volunteers was already hard at work preparing everything necessary to help this family get a good start. Many thanks to our tremendous core volunteers and our amazing host family who helped with all facets of their acclimation to American life!

Thanks to each of you as well. With your help, the family was not only well prepared for the snow with snowsuits, boots, and all manner of warm hats and gloves, but was also able to do their own grocery shopping, and the kids were able to select their own warm school clothes last. The kids have had wonderful games, art supplies, and language learning games, and they went off to school with beautiful backpacks provided by you.