Strangers in a Strange Land

"You shall not wrong nor oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Exodus 22:20)

My grandparents came to the United States as WWII German refugees - my grandfather escaping the Nazis, and my grandmother as a Holocaust survivor. Nobody today thinks that German Jews like my grandparents were somehow in league with the Nazis who killed their families. So I have found the national and international hostility to Syrian refugees extremely, personally distressing. People who are fleeing ISIL's violence are obviously not the same as the people trying to kill them, even if they happen to speak the same language.

The parallels with the Jews are obvious, as country after country closes its doors to Syrian refugees. We have known what it was like to be the ones that nobody wanted, even if the reasons were slightly different (Christ-killers, communists, alien customs, a drain on the public resources) than they are for the Syrian refugees (terrorists, religious extremists, alien customs, a drain on the public resources). And the ugly, racist, and increasingly fascist public dialogue around the refugees, and Muslims in general, is deeply unworthy of the American ideals that have made this country a refuge to so many.

We were strangers in the land of Egypt, and "by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm and awesome power," we are no longer. We must do the same for those who are currently wandering and suffering - otherwise the words of the Seder are just ashes in our mouths.

So, I am organizing this holiday auction to raise money for organizations that are helping the refugees! Here's how it works: donate a prize to the auction. You can make it (cookies, knitting projects, art) or buy it (gift certifications, toys) or even have it be non-corporeal (writing a song or a poem). Then everyone can bid on the prizes - you don't have to donate to bid. If you want to donate something, email me at my name at gmail.

The winner of a prize will donate the money to a refugee-helping NGO. I have researched two that would be excellent options - the International Rescue Committee (helps refugees across the globe) and HIAS (a Jewish organization that helps refugees in the US). If you don't like either of those, please select one from this Charity Navigator list: https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1523

If you have donated a prize that needs to be shipped, you are responsible for shipping it to the winner.

Also, everyone who participates should contact their elected officials and tell them how you feel about this issue. That is JUST as important as the money, if not more! I suggest your Representative, both Senators, and your governor. You can find your Congressional representatives here: https://www.opencongress.org/people/zipcodelookup

Donate directly to the Biden-Harris campaign, or to this auction's Swing Left fund:
https://swingleft.org/fundraise/biddin4biden