World Refugee Day:

Many are preparing to observe the annual UN-organized World Refugee Day on June 20-when organizations and others honor the bravery of those forced to flee their countries. JUF joins them in acknowledging the plights of those, past and present, who, with courage, determination, and resilience, have sought safe harbor for themselves and their families. These refugees include more than 100,000 individuals in the State of Illinois, most in the Chicago area.

‘We have the unique opportunity to welcome others’

One family from Afghanistan recently was resettled by HIAS Immigration & Citizenship-a program of JCFS Chicago’s family of services-which provides settlement assistance like housing, and vocational, medical, and psychosocial services to 125 families annually.

According to Jessica Schaffer, Director of HIAS Immigration & Citizenship, this family was particularly concerned about how their daughter, who couldn’t read when she arrived in Chicago, would fare academically. Thanks to support provided by HIAS, she is now enrolled in a Chicago public high school, and is “thriving.” So are all the other members of her family.

The daughter is now reading, and her father and two older brothers have found employment. They recently moved to West Rogers Park, where there is a larger Afghan-American community. “They love their [HIAS] case manager,” said Schaffer, and they couldn’t be more grateful for the assistance they have received from the Jewish community.

HIAS was known as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society when it was established more than a century ago to help Jewish immigrants fleeing antisemitism and violence in Europe. Today, Schaffer said, it primarily provides aid to those who are not members of the Jewish community-those hailing from countries like Afghanistan, Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myanmar, where sectarian strife has often spilled over into violence against members of ethnic and religious minorities.

“This is the story of our Jewish community,” said Schaffer, referring to the American Jews’ familial connections to the plight of refugees. “Now,” she said, “we have the unique opportunity to welcome others.”

‘It’s a place of love’

FORA-which stands for Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America-is a JUF-funded organization launched in 2019 in West Rogers Park. Michael O’Connor, along with his wife Kathleen, co-founded FORA. The organization works with a subset of refugees: school-age children who primarily are members of the Rohingya community of Myanma. (Participants also come from Nepal, Syria, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.)

O’Connor–an attorney and former international relief worker in Madagascar and South Asia-explained that the Rohingya, a Muslim minority decimated by Myanmar’s military junta through genocide campaigns, have a native language that is non-written. When the Rohingya were stripped of their citizenship in Myanmar in 1982, they also lost the opportunity to learn their second language, Burmese, which is written. Therefore, many Rohingya come to this country unable to read or write.

“While ESL [English as a Second Language] does a great job helping students … who can read and write in their native language,” O’Connor said, Rohingya youth have no way to avail themselves of it.

That’s why the O’Connors developed an intensive, volunteer-based tutoring program that provides the 100-plus enrolled students an opportunity to spend 10 hours a week immersed in English-language acquisition. The results, O’Connor said, speak for themselves. The kids are not only becoming literate quickly, but they are helping their parents become fluent in the language as well. Three of FORA’s former students are in-or on their way to-college.

“It’s a place of love,” said FORA volunteer Rich Kaplan, a retired teacher. “The kids know I’m Jewish,” he added, but it makes no difference to them.

Celebrate World Refugee Day June 20

World Refugee Day celebrations are happening across the globe, including two in Chicago:

The Power of Refugees advocacy event at Chicago Daley Plaza, Tuesday, June 18, noon – 1 p.m.

World Refugee Day Chicago 2024 Celebration!, Foster Beach Park, Saturday, June 22, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. To learn more, visit wrdchicago.com.

Robert Nagler Miller is a journalist and editor who writes frequently about arts, and Jewish-related topics, from his home in New York.