Refugee Welcome Circle
Welcoming the stranger is a central tenet of being Jewish. Throughout our teachings, stories of the importance of being welcoming and supportive of others are not only shared, they are commanded. In fact, it is mentioned 36 times in the Torah. And as we all know, Jews have also had a history of needing and receiving welcoming when fleeing persecution.
To live out this value, a group of 12 CBJ members came together last year to join the State Department’s Welcome Corps program- which is designed to pair “Welcome Circle” groups with refugee families to support their transition into our community.
The Makarcheva Family
After countless training sessions, meetings, and coordination, we were matched!
Earlier this year, the CBJ Welcome Circle met the lovely Makarcheva family—Alex and Serge and their 9 year-old son, and 6 year-old daughter. The Makarcheva’s are in the process of seeking asylum in the United States from Russia where they fled all that they knew.
After a difficult and at times harrowing journey they eventually ended up in a LifeMoves shelter in San Jose and found their way to the Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley
Finding Home
The kids were in school near the shelter in San Jose and Alex and Serge didn’t want to pull them and move to housing until the school year ended. They had already moved around enough. During the Spring, we spent a few months getting to know the family. We took them on outings to give them a chance to get away from the shelter and have some fun! We heard their stories and talked about their dreams. We came to love this family.
In parallel, we began the search for affordable housing - which everyone knows is a true challenge in our area. In June, we packed up our cars and helped them move into a 2-bedroom ADU in Redwood City belonging to one of our congregants. It was an exciting day!
We next helped the family register the kids at a Redwood CitySchool where they started this fall. Serge and Alex are working hard in ESL classes at Canada College. Generous congregants are in the process of donating a vehicle which will make the logistics of daily life much easier.
We are hopeful that Serge and Alex will receive their work permits shortly and efforts have already begun to assist in finding suitable work. This family’s journey has just begun and our support will be needed until they are on their feet and established in the community.
Join us in Tikkun Olam
Please consider donating to support this wonderful family. Simply send a gift card for Target, Safeway, Grocery Outlet, Trader Joe's, Marshalls and Uber! to Aleksandra.Makarcheva@gmail.com or drop it off at the CBJ office and it will be given to the family. You can also make a tax-deductible cash donation through the CBJ website here. Be sure to select "Refugee Welcome Circle Fundraising" from the drop-down menu, and 100% of your donation will go to the family.