News Update – 30 Nov ’15

Our weekly news update on refugee issues around the world by Isobel Fraser. Hundreds of asylum seekers have been left stranded at the Greek-Macedonian border, after it was announced only Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis would be allowed to pass through. A number of refugees were reported to be on hunger strike in protest of the […]

News Update – 16 Nov ’15

Our weekly news update on refugee issues around the world by Isobel Fraser.   Refugees camped at a British air base in Cyprus have been told by British officials that they must claim asylum on the mainland or face being deported. Although the group of 114 refugees were initially brought ashore to the base after […]

Letter from Berlin

Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg is Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism UK and rabbi of New North London Synagogue. He visited Berlin with IsraAID to find out more about their work with refugees living in Germany. This piece first appeared in the Jewish Chronicle. Read it here. I’m shown a child refugee’s drawing of the journey to Europe. It’s […]

Wide Awake: A spiritual response to the collapse of compassion

This is a Rosh Hashanah sermon, written and delivered by Rabbi Sharon Brous, founding rabbi of IKAR. Delivered 14 September 2015/1 Tishri 5776. Read the original posting of this sermon here and find out more about IKAR here. Four facts: In the last 4½ years, the war in Syria has killed about 240,000 people, including 20,000 children. 6 […]

News Update – 2 Nov ’15

The first of your weekly news updates on refugee issues around the world by Isobel Fraser.  The Czech Republic has been criticised for its treatment of refugees. Reports cited by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, claim that refugees held for “administrative offences” have been strip-searched in order to retrieve […]

Keep the door open

This is a Rosh Hashanah sermon, written and delivered by Rabbi Jeremy Gordon, rabbi of New London Synagogue. Delivered 14 September 2015/1 Tishri 5776. Read the original posting of this sermon and more sermons by Rabbi Gordon here. I gave a sermon earlier this year. It was after the death of one of my heroes, Sir Nicholas […]

Indefinite Detention: ‘Happening on your doorstep’

This was a speech delivered by Souleymane of the Freed Voices group to Jewish community members who gathered at the JW3 centre on October 7 ’15 to determine how best to respond to the ongoing refugee crisis. It was first featured on Detention Action page and can be read here.   Good evening ladies and gentlemen. My […]

Refugees Welcome? Indefinite Detention in the UK

Sam Grant is Campaigns and Programme Manager for Rene Cassin, the Jewish voice for human rights. What is the issue? This year has seen the greatest refugee crisis since the Second World War. Amid heated debate about the UK’s response, the shameful truth is that Britain is the only country in Europe where asylum-seekers are […]