Afghan Refugees Share Their Own Stories Of Loss And Resilience

RYE, NY — This weekend, a family of Afghan refugees who relocated to Westchester will tell their story at the Community Synagogue of Rye and the Jewish Community Center of Harrison.

The U.S. recently launched the Welcome Corps, a program to help Americans sponsor and resettle refugees in their communities. This is particularly welcome news for Reshad and Zulfar Ahmadi, who fled Afghanistan with their two children in 2017, after being targeted by Taliban insurgents, and built new lives in Westchester. They were supported by members of the Jewish Community Center of Harrison (JCCH), working with the nonprofit HIAS.

"It’s not easy for a refugee to leave everything behind: your homeland, your friends, your family," Zulfar Ahmadi said. "The JCCH members made our journey so much easier. Every detail was taken care of, from finding and furnishing a home to enrolling our children in school. We felt blessed to know there are good-hearted people who understand the pain a refugee feels and want to help."

SEE ALSO: Afghan Refugees Will Speak At Jewish Community Center On Saturday

The Ahmadis have rebuilt their lives in Westchester and even recently bought a home in White Plains. The family says worries about those left behind in Afghanistan, especially after the Taliban retook control in August 2021, kept them from fully enjoying the success.Then in October 2021, nine family members, Zulfar’s sister, brother-in-law and nieces and Reshad’s parents and siblings, were able to escape to a refugee camp in the United Arab Emirates.

The extended family made their way to White Plains last fall with help from HIAS and resettlement committees from JCCH and the Community Synagogue of Rye (CSR).

On Friday, Feb. 3, at 6:30 p.m., during a special service at the Community Synagogue of Rye, Reshad Ahmadi and his sister-in-law Wagma Stanikzai will share details about their escapes from Kabul and their new lives in Westchester. This event can be joined in person or through Zoom. CSR is located at 200 Forest Ave. in Rye.

On Saturday, Feb. 4, at 9:30 a.m., Zulfar Ahmadi, her sister Wagma Stanikzai, her sister-in-law Frohar Ahmadi and her mother-in-law Zakera Ahmadi will join services at the Jewish Community Center of Harrison, to talk about their journeys as refugees and their concern for women in their homeland under Taliban rule. This event can also be attended in person or through Zoom. The JCCH is located at 130 Union Ave. in Harrison.

Both weekend events are part of Refugee Shabbat 2023, a global project organized by HIAS. Hundreds of congregations and organizations around the world will be participating to raise awareness about the plight of refugees worldwide.

For more information or for Zoom links to the services, contact Barbara Gaynes through email or by calling (914) 329-9674.

Tax-deductible contributions to support the Ahmadi and Stanikzai families can be made through their GoFundMe campaign.