Over the last three weeks, more than 2 million refugees have crossed the border from Ukraine into a neighboring country and are now in need of food, shelter, and a safe place to lay down new roots for an unknown period of time. ECJC, FSJU and HIAS invite you to join a two-day seminar on how to welcome refugees into new communities.

The Jewish community response to the mass displacement has been overwhelming. In Eastern Europe, Jewish communities overnight developed a humanitarian response that included, in most countries, building up of a presence at the border crossings, transportation to urban centers, temporary accommodation, and distribution of food and non-food items. In Western Europe, many Jewish communities already made available resources, set up coordination mechanisms, and registered members of the community interested in hosting refugees.

Whereas many European Jewish communities have their own professional social welfare service, they mostly have little or no recent experience working with refugees. In preparation of engagement in support of Ukrainian refugees this seminar will expose European Jewish social welfare services and individual communities and organizations interested in hosting Ukrainian refugees to the experience of HIAS in working with Jewish Family Services and congregations around the US in welcoming refugees.

The seminar will bring together about 60 participants from across Europe during the last week of March, and will be hosted by Fond Social Juif Unifié in Paris. The primary regional organizers are ECJC, FSJU and HIAS. In addition, other organizations may contribute and provide training expertise and resources.