Urgent Afghan Evacuation

About

We’ve reached a critical and urgent moment.

With the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, the situation in the country has turned chaotic. An emergency evacuation of Afghans who worked alongside the U.S. military over the past twenty years is now taking place. These people and their families are being targeted by the Taliban, and our country has an obligation to offer them safety and refuge. Some planeloads of refugees have arrived in Fort Lee, Virginia, and this month, JFCS East Bay has already welcomed 40 people to begin their new lives in the East Bay. We are currently waiting for 23 people more people to arrive from Fort Lee, and have accepted the cases of another 33 who are still in Afghanistan. The number and pace of resettlement is like nothing we’ve seen in recent years.

JFCS East Bay is here and ready to uphold the Jewish values of welcoming the stranger and caring for the vulnerable, as our staff and volunteers work to resettle these interpreters, drivers, and other workers and their families.

Our country has not undertaken a refugee evacuation of this size since the Vietnam War. It is therefore time for JFCS East Bay to put our 144-year history of refugee resettlement into hyperdrive.

Our Refugee Services team will need a significant amount of support to pull off the demands of the next few weeks and months. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. We are one JFCS East Bay, and this is the time to come together in service to our newest community members.

About the Host

Rooted in Jewish values and historical experiences, and inspired by the strengths of the diverse communities we serve, JFCS East Bay promotes the well-being of individuals and families by providing essential mental health and social services through every stage of life.