"For You Were Strangers in the Land of Egypt"
Peoplehood Papers 19 set out to explore the Jewish responsibility to refugees in the 21st century in the context of Jewish history, legacy and commitment to Torah and Jewish values. We very intentionally explored the issue through the eternal yet very present Jewish lens: "For you were strangers in the land of Egypt".
We divided the publication into three chapters. In the first we asked: Why should Jews in particular care for refugees? Our second chapter highlights what Jews around the world are actually doing about the issue. This is not meant as a thorough representation of what is happening on the ground, but rather to provide examples of current Jewish activism in the service of refugees. In the concluding chapter, we asked: What should we do differently in regard to refugees and challenges in Israel?
The intent of this publication, created in collaboration with HIAS was to initiate a public conversation on Jewish responsibility to refugees and the nature of the 21st century Peoplehood. The 15 articles provide a testament that this topic is indeed on the Jewish people's mind. We hope it will help change the reality on the ground as well.