Press Release: Jewish World Watch Mobilizes Activist Community to Aid Syrian Refugees

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In pre-Yom Kippur message, leading anti-Genocide organization calls for increase in the number of refugees admitted to U.S; announces creation of emergency fund for Syrian refugees

(Los Angeles) – Today, the Jewish World Watch Board of Directors issued the following statement:
“The horrific images coming out of Syria have shocked and appalled people of conscience everywhere. The Assad regime continues to torture and barrel bomb civilians. ISIS has systematically killed and enslaved entire communities. We have seen the lifeless bodies of Syrian babies wash up on European shores, as tens of thousands of refugees remain stranded in train stations and detention camps. The violence shows no signs of subsiding, with more than 200,000 Syrians killed and three million fleeing the ever-widening crisis.
During these holiest days of the Jewish year, we have issued an urgent appeal to all members of our community to take action now on behalf of the Syrian refugees fleeing grave violence and systematic persecution in their country. JWW has set up an emergency fund for Syrian refugees, which will work with credible partner organizations to provide immediate relief on the ground. At the same time, our community has begun advocating to our policymakers for a significant increase in the number of Syrian refuges that will be offered sanctuary in the United States. While we welcome President Obama’s announcement that the U.S. will increase the number of Syrian refugees it will absorb, the current numbers suggested by the Administration are simply not high enough.

As we approach the most sacred day on the Jewish calendar, the words of Deuteronomy – repeated more than any others in the Torah – call to us, “You shall love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” At this moment of crisis in Syria, our hearts must remain open, as we recall the times throughout history when the Jewish people faced imminent death and persecution, with nowhere to go.”
About Jewish World Watch (JWW): JWW is a leading organization in the fight against genocide and mass atrocities, representing 375,000 people across the United States. Since its founding in 2004, JWW has grown from a collection of Southern California synagogues into a national coalition that includes schools, churches, individuals, communities and partner organizations that share a vision of a world without genocide. The organization has raised millions of dollars to improve the lives of survivors of genocide and mass atrocities in Congo and Sudan, and educate communities across America to advocate for political change.

3 thoughts on “Press Release: Jewish World Watch Mobilizes Activist Community to Aid Syrian Refugees

  1. As a Jew, I think that this is a fine and humane idea, but it would also be fine and humane if you helped the Palestinians who are oppressed and undergoing ethnic cleansing by the Government of Israel.

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