FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1/30/2016

Contact: Justin Shaw

JCRC Advocacy Engagement Manager

Jewish Federation of Columbus

614-559-3205 | jshaw@tcjf.org

JCRC Opposes Executive Order Banning Entry of Refugees

The Jewish Community Relations Committee of Columbus (JCRC) opposes the President's Executive Order to ban entry of refugees into the United States from a number of majority Muslim nations. While the United States must always be concerned with protecting its own citizens and borders, our country’s national security interests can be compatible with a compassionate policy regarding those who are in desperate need of refuge. Many Jewish Americans know first-hand the difficulties their relatives endured in trying to escape religious and political persecution abroad and resettle their families to a place where they could live in safety. We know the tragic stories of those who were denied access to the United States due to immigration bans of Jewish refugees in the 1930s and 1940s. We believe the United States has a moral and historical obligation to create a welcoming environment for individuals and families looking to start a new life after suffering atrocities in their native countries. We, as a community, have welcomed refugees from many nationalities and different religious backgrounds with open arms. We are proud of the work that our Jewish Family Services has done to assist these children, women, and men pursue the American dream. Laws that target specific religious groups, implicitly or explicitly, must be avoided and we stand with our friends and neighbors in our community who are concerned about the effect this ban will have on refugees suffering oppression abroad.

Jonathan Feibel, M.D. Vice Chair, Jewish Federation of Columbus

Chair, Jewish Community Relations Committee

Bob Lane

Vice President - Jewish Community Relations Committee

Jewish Federation of Columbus

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