Temple Israel was one of the faith communities that participated in a walk and vigil on Sunday, June 23, 2019. Here is a link to a news story about the event: https://www.wdio.com/news/migrant-policy-awareness-twin-ports-interfaith/5399983/
Various local faith community leaders were invited to share brief statements. Here is the statement that I shared:
The Torah in Exodus 12:38 reports that when the children of Israel left Egypt to journey to the Promised Land “a mixed multitude went up with them.” It’s hard not to see a parallel between the mixed multitude who wanted to join up with the Israelites in the time of the Book of Exodus and the mixed multitude of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers who want to come to the United States in our own day and who seek a path towards citizenship. Once we get past the xenophobic tweets of those who would falsely brand them as rapists, terrorists and drug smugglers, we realize that most of those who yearn to come to our country are motivated by the same forces that brought so many of our own ancestors here: The search for a safer and better life. We in the Jewish community can identify with them because we too are immigrants or the descendants of immigrants.
