As a solidarity arm of Proyecto Faro, Rockland Jews for Immigrant Justice (RJIJ) provides material and organizing support. RJIJ is a grassroots organization that aims to strengthen and widen the social safety net for vulnerable immigrants in our county. We are composed of individuals—both affiliated and unaffiliated with Jewish institutions—who are wholeheartedly committed to the core Jewish principle of Welcoming the Stranger.
Our mission:
Rockland Jews for Immigrant Justice organizes with and supports our immigrant neighbors and mobilizes our Jewish community for humane and just immigration policies. We are a grassroots project working to build a safe, diverse, and equitable community based on compassion, dignity, and respect.
Our origins:
The U.S. government’s family separation polices sparked the formation of RJIJ. A group of long-time activists, including founding member Carolyn Fish Fink (of blessed memory), met at a local rally organized by Proyecto Faro in support of immigrant rights and shared their desire to organize a “moral minyan” of Jews around this issue. They reached out to like-minded friends, colleagues and social action committee members from area synagogues to explore the formation of a group that could harness the human, social, and financial resources of Rockland’s Jewish community to stand together for justice and help immigrant neighbors in need of legal, social, logistical, and economic support. We first joined together on September 19, 2019 and continue to be driven by Carolyn’s original vision and our collective sense of obligation as a community that descends from immigrants and refugees ourselves.
How we help:
RJIJ partners with the local immigrant-led, grassroots organization, Proyecto Faro (“The Lighthouse Project”) to help cast a wider net of support for the many needs that arise from families impacted by the detention or deportation of a loved one. Issues experienced by immigrants in Rockland include: food insecurity; loss of housing; lack of appropriate legal counsel; lack of transportation to court dates or to visit family members in detention; and social isolation. We seek to show our solidarity with our immigrant neighbors by tapping into our Jewish community networks to help meet the varied, evolving needs identified by Proyecto Faro organizers.
Follow us on Facebook, and to learn more or to join our work, email Liz Roberts at lizpage12@gmail.com.