News & Views

Reflections on two tragedies

“We live in a strange time marred by misery
Pure hearts are taken from us daily”

Osama Herkel, one of our former clients, wrote those words after the Tree of Life Tragedy which occurred two years ago today. But before I could collect my thoughts about that tragedy, yet another one in a seemingly endless string assaulted my senses. Walter Wallace, Jr., beloved son, husband, father and brother, was shot to death by law enforcement. 

Let me say that again, shot to death by law enforcement. How can we continue to use this label for what is clearly armed and violent lawlessness? Yes, we know the police were called to the scene because of a disturbance, and we know that the victim of the shooting had a knife and we know that he was agitated, suffering, perhaps, from mental illness. And we also know that addressing the concerns raised by this young man is not simple or easy. But none of that justifies or explains killing. Members of a law enforcement squad should enforce the law, not violate it.  Until police learn that violence and lawlessness begets only violence and more lawlessness, not community or personal safety, until police recognize explicitly that their failure to recognize and treasure the humanity of the people they are killing, things will not change.

Yesterday, I returned to Osama Herkel’s poem as I thought about how to memorialize the deaths of eleven “pure hearts” taken from us when a white supremacist attacked a congregation celebrating a Refugee Shabbat, linking his anti-Semitism explicitly with his anti-immigrant sentiment. Today, I am forcibly reminded – as if I could ever forget – that lawlessness and violence begins with those we put in power and allow to define who is a “pure heart”. Black and brown lives and the lives of those who support them are under siege because those we put in power believe that those lives – and those hearts – are somehow lesser. We MUST stop pretending that this is not the case, that overly violent and lawless responses that result in death are somehow ok in the name of “law and order”. 

We must take action so that senseless deaths, whether in mass shootings or police shootings no longer happen. We must take action to ensure that those who need help are helped, especially those in mental health crises, and not demonized or killed by those who are supposed to protect.

If you haven’t yet, please vote. And if righteously protesting, make sure that those that are out there with you in order to vote, are protected, encouraged and permitted to safely vote. Our humanity depends on it. 

And after that, join us and the organizations around the country working towards an anti-racist society.  

TONIGHT (4/20) - Join us ONLINE at the 2023 Golden Door Awards!

Join us ONLINE at 6:45PM TONIGHT, Thursday, April 20th, for HIAS PA's 2023 Golden Door Awards: United for Immigrants!

Happy Passover from HIAS Pennsylvania!HIAS PA is closed in observance of the Jewish holiday of Passover

HIAS Pennsylvania will be closed in observance of the Jewish holiday of Passover from 1PM on Wednesday, April 5th through Friday, April 7th, and on Wednesday, April 12th and Thursday, April 13th.

Join us at the 2023 Golden Door Awards!United for Immigrants

The Golden Door Awards is HIAS Pennsylvania's annual fundraiser. Your generous support helps us serve low-income immigrants from all over the world as they build new lives in our community.

Building closed until further noticeHIAS PA remains open!

HIAS PA’s physical offices at 600 Chestnut Street are CLOSED until further notice due to a burst pipe in the building.

Our organization remains open, and HIAS PA staff continue to work remotely at this time.

Please call (215) 832-0900 with any questions.

Building closed until further noticeHIAS PA remains open!

HIAS PA’s physical offices at 600 Chestnut Street are CLOSED until further notice due to a burst pipe in the building.

Our organization remains open, and HIAS PA staff continue to work remotely at this time.

Please call (215) 832-0900 with any questions.

TONIGHT: Join us at the table!Join us for Thankful Together!

Thankful Together, formerly known as Refugee Thanksgiving, is happening TONIGHT at 6PM!

Register here to join us tonight: https://hiaspa1.wpengine.com/event/thankful-together-2021/

Celebrate our volunteers who make this all possible!Click here at 11:45AM to join our Annual Meeting!

Click here to join our virtual Annual Meeting!

The Annual Meeting starts at noon, but join us at 11:45AM for an informal chat before the event!

POSTPONED! Speed Advocacy: Afghanistan

Today's Speed Advocacy: Afghanistan Facebook Live event has been postponed due to a worldwide Facebook outage. We will update you as soon as possible about rescheduling the event.