Immigration Working Group

Mishkan Shalom has an ongoing Immigration Committee led by members who organize and educate within the congregation, help sponsor refugee families, work on projects with HIAS and is a proud member of the New Sanctuary Movement, an interfaith, multicultural immigrant justice organization that organizes for justice, dignity and hospitality for all, regardless of immigration status.

For more information, email Rabbi Michael Ramberg.

Judith Bernstein-Baker gave a brief update on recent changes in asylum and refugee policies. Cathyrn Miller-Wilson, Esq., Executive Director of HIAS-PA, spoke briefly about the agency's programs, and how they will meet the needs of the immigrant and refugee community through growth and use of volunteers. Rabbi Shawn Zevit and Rabbi Michael Ramberg co-service leaders.

Immigration Committee Coordinator Rabbi Michael Ramberg wrote in May of 2014 when we celebrated the Romero family's winning the right to stay in the United States: "According to a Hasidic teaching, the more we retell unlikely victories in the struggle for freedom, the more able we will be to bring about even greater freedom in the future. As one of the Mishkan members who took part in our accompaniment of Pedro Romero and his family for close to two years, through our membership in the New Sanctuary Movement, I feel that I witnessed a very unlikely victory. In mid-January Pedro’s deportation was finally definitively canceled and he and his family are no longer facing the terrifying prospect of his deportation."

WHYY Story on Mishkan's Accompaniment of Pedro Romero and his Family on The Pulse: The New Sanctuary Movement was featured on Philadelphia's local public radio station WHYY-FM 90.9 Reporter Yowei Shaw's story on the mental health impact of deportation and immigration features their innovative Accompaniment Program and their work to combat the devastating emotional health impact of deportation. The New Sanctuary Movement’s Accompaniment Program pairs immigrants facing deportation with allied faith communities to build mutual relationships, keep families together and organize for immigrant justice. The radio story, featured on the radio show The Pulse, chronicles the accompaniment between member congregations Mishkan Shalom and Visitation BVM Parish.