Bnai Keshet To Host Events For National Refugee Shabbat Weekend

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of Bnai Keshet. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The community is invited to celebrate refugees and asylum seekers at Bnai Keshet on Friday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m., with dinner and a program of speakers including a formerly detained immigrant, and Sunday, March 22 at 1 p.m. with a training session for prospective volunteers by First Friends of NY/NJ.

Bnai Keshet is located on 99 So. Fullerton Ave., Montclair.

The March 20 program will begin at 7:15 p.m. with speakers including a formerly detained friend from First Friends of NJ/NY, table discussion around issues impacting refugees and asylum seekers, and ways to get involved in current community efforts. Those who attend dinner at 6:30 p.m. must first sign up on the BK website. Dinner will be prepared by recent refugees from Syria, as part of United Tastes of America, on a sliding scale $30 to $50. Proceeds after the cost of dinner will be donated to the nonprofit First Friends to support their bond fund, which helps families of immigrants secure their release from detention pending their proceedings.

The March 22 volunteer training by First Friends, a nonprofit that serves detained immigrants and asylum seekers held in local detention centers, will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 22 at Bnai Keshet. Please register beforehand at Eventbrite here.

The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, or HIAS, launched National Refugee Shabbat several years ago relying on congregations like Bnai Keshet to dedicate sacred time and space to honor immigrants to counteract unprecedented attempts to close America’s doors to those seeking freedom from violence and persecution. Bnai Keshet’s 2020 program will touch on myriad immigration issues, reflecting Bnai Keshet’s commitment as a founding member of the Montclair Sanctuary Alliance, to providing sanctuary for and advocacy on behalf of undocumented immigrants.

For more information, call 973-746-4889, or visit www.bnaikeshet.org.

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