Refugee Shabbat

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Julie Gersten was the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Refugee Action Fund, an organization that mobilizes philanthropic giving to help refugees and other forcibly displaced people achieve safety, dignity and opportunities to live productive lives. She has over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector building social change movements, including at American Jewish World Service and New Israel Fund. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors of HIAS and Laguna Beach SchoolPower. She holds a Certificate in Jewish Experiential Education from Yeshiva University, an MSc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and a BA in Political Science from Vassar College

Jackie Menter is the Director of Refugee Services at Jewish Family & Children's Service (JFCS) of Long Beach and Orange County. From 2018 to 2023, Jackie helped found and served as Executive Director of the Orange County Jewish Coalition for Refugees (OCJCR), which merged into JFCS when their joint application to the State Department to become a Refugee Resettlement Agency was approved. Jackie consulted with HIAS to establish the Welcome Circle private sponsorship initiative which served as a pre-cursor to the United States Welcome Corps refugee sponsorship program. 

Omid Salman is JFCS's Afghan Case Manager. He has a Master of Arts in Politics and Security from the prestigious OSCE Academy in Kyrgyzstan and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the American University of Afghanistan. A former employee of the US Embassy in Afghanistan and USAID in South Asia, Omid arrived in the United States in April 2023 with his wife and daughter after spending nearly two years in limbo following the American withdrawal from Afghanistan and subsequent fall of Kabul to the Taliban. 

Friday, February 14 

Congregation B’nai Tzedek
9669 Talbert Avenue in Fountain Valley at 7:00pm
Guest Speakers Anastasia Denysova, Ukrainian Case Manager for Preferred Communities, and Kaitlyn Siegel, Volunteer Coordinator for JFCS’s Refugee Program

Temple Israel of Long Beach
269 Loma Ave in Long Beach at 7pm
Guest speakers Jackie Menter, JFCS's Director of Refugee Services and Omid Salman, JFCS's Afghan Case Manager


Friday, February 28

TBESOC and Jewish Collaborative of Orange County
2A Liberty in Aliso Viejo
6:30pm Service and guest speaker HIAS Board member Julie Gernsten

University Synagogue
3400 Michelson Dr. in Irvine at 7:00pm
Guest Speaker Anastasia Denysova, Ukrainian Case Manager for Preferred Communities


Saturday, March 1
TBESOC and Jewish Collaborative of Orange County 2A Liberty in Aliso Viejo
Shabbat services - 9:15am | Lunch and Learn - 12:15pm
Guest speakers Jackie Menter, JFCS's Director of Refugee Services and Omid Salman, JFCS's Afghan Case Manager

Friday, March 21
HaNefesh OC - Zoom
 

Friday, March 28
Temple Beth Tikvah
1600 N Acacia Ave in Fullerton
Guest speakers Kaitlyn Siegel, Volunteer Coordinator for JFCS’s Refugee Program and Omid Salman, JFCS's Afghan Case Manager

Congregation Shir HaMa'alot
3652 Michelson Dr in Irvine