Giving Compass' Take:

· Jared Feldschreiber talks with Rachel Nusbaum, an internal journalist for HIAS (formerly the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), about the work HIAS is doing to help resettle refugees and immigrants.

· What are some challenges refugees and immigrants face when resettling in a new location? 

· Here are a few things you can do to support refugees. 

In a blog post, you wrote: “protecting refugees is part of who we are as Americans.” Would you care to explain that concept?
I remember writing that since that was when I first got to HIAS. When I took this job, I was really excited to be able to join HIAS, an organization that has been doing really great work for a long time. They’re the oldest refugee resettlement organization in the country, and when I told my family I was going to work here, they were all like, “HIAS! Everyone in the Jewish community has a family member or a story about that.”

A beautiful tradition in America has been welcoming refugees, whether they were fleeing the Soviet Union and anti-Semitism or unrest and violence in Vietnam. The fact that we have this reputation — like with the image of the Statue of Liberty — of being a place where you can come and find freedom, and you won’t be persecuted for your religion or political beliefs is especially important. I think it’s a really proud legacy for us.

What have you learned about refugees in your time working there?
Refugees are incredible. They’re resilient and they’re strong. Everyone I had a chance to speak [and work with] has been through challenging things that I can’t imagine ever having to go through. Then they’ve turned it around, and taken that opportunity and just run with it.

Do you have one subject who really touched you?
I met one young man who’s living in Pennsylvania now, and he was in D.C. for a conference, and he is not only in school but acclimating [well]. He’s also organizing his community, volunteering and tutoring.

Read the full article about resettling refugees and immigrants by Jared Feldschreiber at Medium.