Each year, the Anti-Defamation League, the Cleveland Jewish Federation, the Diocese of Cleveland and Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology sponsor a lecture on a topic of interest. The Sam Miller Catholic-Jewish Colloquium program alternates between a Catholic and a Jewish presenter. The other person responds from their faith perspective.
Rabbi Victor Uricki, president of the West Virginia Interfaith Group, was this year’s presenter. He represented the Anti-Defamation League. Responding was Sister Rita Mary Harwood, SND, who retired recently as head of the diocesan Parish Life Office. The Temple-Tifereth Israel hosted the program, and the topic this year focused on immigrants and refugees.
Rabbi Uricki shared his family’s story, noting immigration issues are a passion for him. He was born in Argentina, as was his mother. Her family fled the difficulties Jews were facing in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. His father was 4 years old when his family left Poland in 1938 as World War II loomed.
“Immigration touched my life and molded my career,” the rabbi said.
He grew up in the Portland, Oregon area. Rabbi Uricki moved to Charleston, West Virginia to minister and learned about the inspiring stories in the area. He said his partner in his interfaith work was a Catholic priest.
“Refugees, immigrants, displaced persons and the children of immigrants have influenced my entire life,” he noted. The rabbi calls his work with these people “a collective communal obligation. We must extend love to the stranger in our midst.”
He said in the Bible, there are stories about Jews needing a place of safety. “The Bible tells us that God commanded our patriarch Abraham and his wife Sarah to become refugees and immigrants. They left their homeland by choice and had to leave Canaan because of famine. They were welcomed by the pharaoh in Egypt, despite their cultural differences. The Jews remained welcome in Egypt for many years until another pharaoh came to power.
The rabbi said a theme emerged in the Hebrew Bible about welcoming the stranger. “Egypt welcomed these strangers who were in need and hungry,” he said. There also is a story about Abraham and Sarah near their tent waiting to welcome strangers.
However, that was not always the case, he said, noting sometimes strangers were disregarded, ignored or treated with hatred and contempt. Rabbi Uricki said there are places in the Hebrew Bible where the Jews are told not to forgive certain nationalities. That was not the case with Egypt, he added.
“We never forget to remember the kindness of Egypt. The moral force of loving the stranger is endless in the Torah. There are constant reminders of strangers in Jewish law and we’re reminded not to oppress the stranger. We should go beyond just treating them fairly. The stranger must be loved,” he said.
The rabbi said those who ask why they shouldn’t hate a stranger are reminded that he was once me. “It’s personal for me,” he added.
Some Christians and Islamics separated Jews from Christians and others, he said and in recent years, faith leaders have sought forgiveness for these earlier actions and tried to rectify things.
Rabbi Uricki said the West Virginia Interfaith Refugee Ministry saw the plight of Syrians a few years ago and wanted to help, asking how they could welcome these strangers. The organization planned to resettle refugees and welcome them to West Virginia. The groundwork was laid with plans to settle 100 refugees in Charleston each year. However, the number of refugees permitted to enter the United States declined drastically so they never were able to welcome them. Instead, the group began to focus more on the problems at the United States-Mexico border.
“Now we are working to welcome Ukrainian refugees. Our group has a good, unique story to tell. We were able to change minds and hearts about welcoming stranger. We moved the needle. If we can do it in West Virginia, it can be done elsewhere,” he said, pointing out how famine, war, persecution and other circumstances have shattered the lives of refugees.
Sister Harwood shared information on how the office she led began new ministries for various constituencies. The Welcoming the Stranger Committee has been meeting for more than 20 years. Most recently, she said the group is working with people from certain areas of the Middle East such as Afghanistan. There are many lenses through which to view immigrants and refugees including social, geographic and political.
“But it’s most important to look at each person through the eyes of our faith,” she added.
Sister Harwood estimated globally about 83 million people are displaced, which is about 20 million more than 20 years ago. “And realistically, that impacts all of our lives. We see it on the news daily.”
Antisemitism continues to surface and we, as Catholics, are told to reflect deeply on immigration through Scripture pages as the story continues to unfold, she said.
Sister Harwood mentioned three popes who were invested in immigration and refugee issues, Pope Leo XIII, Pope Pius XII and St. Pope John XXIII. Pope Leo addressed the impact of industrialization in the late 19th century and urged respect for the dignity of all workers. Pope Pius XII focused on migrants and refugees after World War II noting their similarity to the Holy Family when they fled to Egypt with the infant Jesus. Pope John XXIII stressed the importance of unity of all nations, emphasizing we may live in different countries but are all part of the human family.
She noted that the Church is coming to a deeper understanding of migrants and refugees and the bishops of the United States also are more aware of their needs. “People have the right to find work and opportunities in their own country,” she said. In addition, every person deserves respect.
As the diocesan Welcoming the Stranger Committee continues its work, Sister Harwood said they focus on education, advocacy and accompaniment. In addition to those arriving here from the Middle East, African and Ukrainian refugees have been finding their way to Greater Cleveland and the diocesan response continues to adapt in order to meet their needs.
“We are all pilgrims on this journey,” she added.