Take Action on National Refugee Shabbat
National Refugee Shabbat 5780, which will take place on March 20-21, 2020, is a moment for congregations, organizations, and individuals around the country to dedicate a Shabbat experience to refugees and asylum seekers.
Register: Learn more about how your community or group can participate at hias.org/nrs – it’s not too late!
There are also many ways individuals can take action for refugees and asylum seekers in the week leading up to National Refugee Shabbat, as well as on the actual Shabbat itself (in accordance with individual Shabbat practice). Feel free to share the list below widely with family and friends.
12 WAYS TO TAKE ACTION THIS NATIONAL REFUGEE SHABBAT
1. Advocate – Call your Member of Congress to ask them to stand for the rights, safety and dignity of refugees and asylum seekers.
2. Get Involved in the Election – Research the candidates running in local elections in your area, and let them know that the rights of refugees and asylum seekers are among your top priority issues this year.
3. Update Your Facebook Photo Frame – Show your support for refugees by updating your Facebook profile picture with the HIAS #JewsforRefugees frame. Click here for directions.
4. Join the “Jews for Refugees” Facebook Group – Joining this group is a great way to connect with thousands of other committed individuals across the country, access up-to-the-minute information about the Jewish response to the refugee crisis, and share the actions that you are taking. Click here to join.
5. Donate Your Miles to Asylum Seekers – HIAS has partnered with Miles4Migrants (M4M), a nonprofit charity dedicated to using donated frequent flyer miles and money for the relocation of refugees and those seeking asylum – including families recently separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. HIAS and Miles4Migrants (M4M) will work to identify refugees and asylum seekers who need assistance purchasing airfare to reunite with their families. Donate your frequent flyer miles here the week of National Refugee Shabbat.
6. Buy Refugee-Produced Goods – Support refugees and asylum seekers around the world and in your local community by buying refugee-produced goods and/or researching refugee-owned restaurants in your community and having a meal there. Check out this website to purchase goods made by a collective of African asylum-seeking women living in Tel Aviv, Israel.
7. Give Life to Refugees and Asylum Seekers – In the week leading up to National Refugee Shabbat, set up a Facebook fundraiser to benefit HIAS’ work.
8. Scholarships for Displaced Students – Research whether your local universities and colleges offer scholarships to refugees and asylum seekers. If not, reach out and ask them to consider starting such a program. Check out Columbia University’s program for an example.
9. Have A Difficult Conversation – Using the HIAS Conversational Guide for How to Talk About Refugees with Family and Friends, commit to having at least one conversation with someone in your life who has expressed concern about welcoming refugees to the United States or even someone who has made disparaging remarks about refugees or asylum seekers.
10. Light Shabbat Candles with Intention – As you welcome Shabbat on March 20, use this reading before lighting Shabbat candles to set an intention to stand with refugees and asylum seekers around the globe.
11. Host A Gathering In Your Home – Invite a small group of friends over to your home for Shabbat dinner or lunch or a havdallah (the ceremony for closing Shabbat) wine and cheese gathering. At the gathering, consider using the HIAS National Refugee Shabbat 5780-2020 Programming Content Resource. Use the text study on page 6 of this guide as a jumping off point for conversation, take a look at and discuss the refugee art on page 13 of this guide, or screen the movie suggested on page 14 and 15 of this guide.
12. Start A Book Club – Start a book club – for adults or young people – to read books by and about refugees and asylum seekers. Use this list as a jumping off point for suggestions or search google for even more ideas.
Global Online Release
INNER CLIMATE CHANGE documentary
Friday 24th April 2020
Watch the trailer
About INNER CLIMATE CHANGE
How do we navigate the intensity of emotions and reactions stirred up by climate change, or COVID-19 for that matter? How do we come to a place of peace, compassion, forgiveness and life-affirming action?
Both leading edge science and ancient wisdom traditions point us inwards for the answer.
In this documentary you will go with us on a journey to see how our inner climate relates to the topic of climate change. And how changing from within will create the change we need.
The INNER CLIMATE CHANGE documentary focuses on the very personal experiences, insights and responses to the climate crisis, of people who participated in the Climate Change and Consciousness conference (CCC19) held in 2019 at the Findhorn Ecovillage in the northeast of Scotland. Conference participants included 350 youngers and elders of multiple ethnicities and diverse genders from 45 countries.
Watch Parties and Sharing Circles via Zoom
We invite you to join us to watch the film together (60 minutes) followed by a post film sharing with break out groups to explore your inner response evoked by the film. Experience yourself in – and offer your listening to – a community of like-minded people all around the world.
Submit your email address to receive a reminder when the film is released and the Zoom link through which you can access the Watch Party and Sharing Circle of your choice.
You can also contact us by post:
Visitors Centre
Findhorn Foundation
The Park
Findhorn
Forres, IV36 3TZ
Scotland, UK
For general enquiries tel: +44 (0)1309 690311
Email: enquiries@findhorn.org
There are three opportunities to join a viewing party and 100 places available on each. You need to sign up to receive the Zoom link. You will be able to enter the Zoom room later if you have seen the film already before and don’t want to watch it twice.
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- 24th April 2020 6pm-8.30pm BST
Hosted by Robin Alfred and Kosha Joubert, hosts of the CCC19 conference
7pm CET / 1pm EDT / 10am PDT / 3am AET (25th)
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- 25th April 2020 10am-12.30am BST
Hosted by Sue Miles, long term community member of the Findhorn Foundation.
11am CET / 5am EDT / 2am PDT / 7pm AET
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- 25th April 2020 7pm-9.30pm BST
Hosted by the film director Lorenz Gramann and Lucy Thomas: Findhorn community member and facilitator
8pm CET / 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 4am AET (26th)
About the filmmaker
The man behind the INNER CLIMATE CHANGE documentary is the independent filmmaker Lorenz Gramann. This is Lorenz’s third feature-length documentary. His last one A New Story for Humanity has been seen over 200.000 times.
Lorenz’s background includes a variety of healing and psychotherapy modalities. He brings the sensitivity garnered in these fields to his film making. Since 2014 he has offered his skills in the northeast of Scotland and currently lives in the Findhorn Foundation Community.
Select a date and time
This weekly call is for those of us who are terrified of the climate emergency and determined to be part of a movement to claw back our future from the jaws of extinction.
You will learn about The Climate Mobilization’s strategy for transforming our economy in the next ten years, and how you can take action locally and be part of this plan.
You will make contact with an excellent team of organizers who will offer support and coaching in your journey to push back and win a just and inclusive future.
- In 2020, the climate emergency threatens to take our future away from us.
- YOU
- The solution is to organize.
- YOU
- This session is designed to show you how.
The session is open to anyone, whether you are part of an organization or not, whether you have experience of organizing or not. We support over 100 different campaigns!
To Join the Call:
SIGN UP HERE –> https://secure.everyaction.com/dSlTBlrtZUWt8okpc256ig
You will learn:
- What YOU can do to respond to the Climate Emergency
- How to get plugged in to a team or a Climate Emergency campaign in YOUR community
- How we’re planning to make the Climate Emergency the key issue of the 2020 election