We were strangers too...

“When strangers sojourn with you in your land, you shall not do them wrong. The strangers who dwell with you shall be to you as the natives among you, and you shall love them as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19: 33-34).

With these words of Biblical encouragement, Jewish tradition demands that we reach out to the “stranger”, “newcomer”, “outsider”, or “other” and include them in the embrace of our society. Though times and situations have certainly changed since these words were first written, and even since the time my family came here just a few generations ago - it remains our sacred obligation to provide and ensure the same opportunities to those who, like each of our families, hoped to create a better and more meaningful life in the United States.

I stand here as the proud offspring of immigrants to America, as do most among us. And I know it is my obligation to support the effort to accomplish meaningful reform to our immigration policy. As our tradition commands us to welcome the stranger - this responsibility inspires us to work to fix our broken immigration system in a manner befitting our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants. Our immigration policies must be rooted in principles of human dignity.

#Resist

(Pics: Wilhelm der Grosse, the ship that carried my grandfather to America; my young grandmother; the GPs with one of their 15 grandkids; me & grandma at my HS graduation)