CRC, Board of Rabbis issue statement on executive order restricting entry of refugees

The following statement was made public on Jan. 31:

“The Community Relations Council (CRC) of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island steadfastly oppose the executive order issued on Friday, January 27 to restrict the entry of refugees seeking asylum from seven predominantly Muslim nations.

We are called, not only as people of faith, but from a long-standing democratic tradition to welcome all people to our country regardless of religion, color or nationality. As Americans we have a centuries-old tradition of welcoming all immigrants with open arms. As Jews, we know all too well the horrors of living in places where we are not wanted. And our Torah repeatedly commands us to accept and welcome people from strange lands, for we too were strangers.

We understand the complexities of the immigration issue. The refugee crisis is a global one. Millions of people have been forced from their homes with nowhere to go. America must do its part to provide sanctuary. This is not an option. It is an imperative.

We agree with the current post-9/11 policy which includes extensive background checks by Homeland Security as it relates to the vetting process of refugees entering our country. This notwithstanding, a reasonable and compassionate system or program that will not undermine one of our nation’s most basic core principles must be implemented. One that provides a home and shelter for those seeking refuge, while also assuring the safety of its people.

We further denounce this announcement made on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz. This is a particularly meaningful day for victims of the Holocaust, especially Jews. On this day we remember the ancestors we lost and the survivors whose lives were forever changed. We also remember the Jews seeking asylum who were turned away from the United States and other countries only to return to certain encampment and death.

Richard Glucksman

Community Relations Council, Chair 

Rabbi Sarah Mack

President, Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island

Marty Cooper

Community Relations, Director