If you’re reading this, odds are you’ve just learned all about The Sunday Studio—a virtual workshop series that partners creativity with a seriously wonderful cause. My hope is that the meaningful, high-quality classes and conversations you’ll find within the program will keep you learning, dreaming, and creating all summer long, and that they’ll make a real difference in the lives of people around the world, too.
You can learn more about the Studio itself right here, and sign up for all of the workshops over here. On this page, I’ll be talking a little bit more about HIAS—the incredible non-profit to which I’ll be donating all of the workshop funds.
This organization is near and dear to my heart for so many reasons, one of which is personal. In 1927, HIAS intervened and rescued my own grandfather when he came close to being rejected at Ellis Island. Members of the organization advocated on his behalf, saved him from being sent back to Europe, and went on to escort him safely to what would be his new home in Brooklyn. Without their help and incredible compassion, not only would my entire family not have the luxury of living in this country today, but my grandfather would surely have perished in the Holocaust.
As we all focus on the COVID-19 outbreak and the changes in our daily lives, the world’s asylum seekers still deserve and desperately need our attention. That’s why, in memory of my grandfather, I’m dedicating this entire summer on the blog to this amazing organization. Over 90 years later, HIAS is still working around the world to protect refugees who have been forced to flee their homelands simply because of who they are. And as countries seal borders and travel restrictions grow, the nonprofit hasn’t given up. They continue to find ways to reach displaced populations—equipping refugee communities with critical information about COVID-19, educating them on how to access their rights to medical care, providing one-on-one counseling, and so, so much more.
If you’re interested in learning more about HIAS, here are a few places to start:
- This New York Times piece, published after the Tree of Life shooting in 2018. “When Mazen Hasan had to flee his native Iraq because his work for the American military had drawn threats on his life, it was a Jewish refugee resettlement agency called HIAS that helped him and his family to settle in Pittsburgh...”
- A blog post by the organization’s president and CEO, looking back on the same Pittsburgh attack. “I have spent the last year hating hate…”
- HIAS helps both Jews and non-Jews, but this piece—which examines the ties between nativism and anti-semitism—is also incredibly eye-opening. “This hateful anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant mind-set links all Jews together, conflating them wherever they are and whatever they do…”