SCRIC Meetings

Guest Speakers and Links from SCRIC Meetings

SCRIC Members: If you would like a link to a recording of any of the meetings, please contact us.

 

July 25, 2024

• Border Policy Update and What Can Be Done Going Forward, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Policy Director, American Immigration Council. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/topics/border-enforcement
• Welcome Corps: New Opportunities To Assist with Refugee Resettlement. Amy Robertson and Johnny Liesman, Hearts & Homes for Refugees. https://www.heartsandhomesforrefugees.org/

June 27, 2024

• New Biden Administration Executive Orders. Vanessa Dojaquez-Torres, HIAS Policy Counsel. https://hias.org/news/u-s-border-policies-harm-people-fleeing-danger/

May 23, 2024:

• Border Updates and Action Items. Isabel Burton, HIAS Senior Director of Community Engagement Programs and Initiatives. https://hias.org/tag/us-border-response/
• New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). Deborah Berkman, Supervising Attorney and Project Director & Founder of Shelter Advocacy Initiative. https://legalaidnyc.org/

April 25, 2024:

• Defeat of End the Border Catastrophe Act & HIAS Reorganization. Rebecca Kirzner, Senior Director, HIAS Grassroots Organizing and Advocacy. https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240415/RCP_3602_j_xml.pdf

• NYC Pilot Shelter Program & New Arrivals Strategy Team. Ruth Messinger, Social Justice Consultant. https://council.nyc.gov/press/2024/04/16/2590/

March 26, 2024:

• Educational Alliance: Response to Asylum Seekers. Rich Baum, President & CEO, Educational Alliance. https://edalliance.org/our-impact-2/asylum-seekers/
• New York Advocacy Updates. Phylisa Wisdom, Executive Director, New York Jewish Agenda (NYJA), Samir Lavingia, Campaign Coordinator, Open New York. Faith Based Affordable Housing Act; NY City Council Bill, Int 0210-2024;  NYS Access to Representation Act (S999A, A170A)

February 29, 2024:

• Early Starters International. Sarah Wilner, Co-Founder & CEO. https://www.earlystarters.org/
• New York City Council Bill Intro 210. Alex Liao, Senior Advisor & Deputy Chief of Staff to Council Member Shahana Hanif, Prime Sponsor. https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/

January 25, 2024:

• Tu B’Shvat: Impact of Climate Change on Immigration. Rachel Makleff, Romemu & SCRIC member. https://earthbill.org/, https://dayenu.org/
• Hebrew Free Loan Society. Rabbi David Rosenn, President & CEO, & Kim Kaplan, Deputy Director. https://hfls.org/

December 21, 2023:

• Opposing New Asylum Restrictions. Russ Agdern, HIAS Grassroots Campaign Manager https://childrenthriveaction.org/
• Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. Gladis Molina Alt, Executive Director, https://www.theyoungcenter.org/

November 16, 2023:

• Commonpoint Queens Refugee Resettlement and Integration. Juliette Kessler, Partnerships and Volunteer Services Program Specialist, Commonpoint Queens & Alex Caudill, Director, Commonpoint Queens. https://www.commonpointqueens.org/program/resettlement-and-integration-services
• Casa 46 Partnership & Central Synagogue. Rabbi Hilly Haber, Director of Social Justice Organizing & Education, Central Synagogue, and Katherine Adler, Central Synagogue, Social Action Committee. https://www.centralsynagogue.org/

October 26, 2023:

• Open Hearts Initiative. Candice Braun, https://mbcnyc.org/home

September 21, 2023:

• Covenant for New York’s Newest New Yorkers – Interfaith Center of New York. Ruth Messinger, Social Justice Consultant. https://interfaithcenter.org/migrant-shelter-support-initiatives/
• The Human Cost of Deportation Orders, Just and Unjust. . Ilana Wallach, Shalom Friends.

July 20, 2023:

• Make the Road New York and Make the Road Action: Assisting Migrants and Asylum Seekers. Daniel Altschuler, Co-Executive Director, Make the Road New York. https://maketheroadny.org/
• Update on Team TLC NYC & Athletes-Artists-Activists Greeting Migrants and Other Issues Facing Arriving Migrants, Ruth Messinger, Social Justice

June 22, 2023:

• Post Title 42: Updates & Actions. Russ Agdern, HIAS Grassroots Campaign Manager. https://hias.org/
• Asylee Shelter Initiative for Houses of Worship. Dr. Chloe Breyer, Executive Director, Interfaith Center of New York, and Brennan Brink, Associate Director for Migrant Outreach, Interfaith Center of New York https://interfaithcenter.org/

May 18, 2023:

• Artists-Athletes-Activists. Power Malu, Founder and Executive Director. https://artists-athletes-activists.org/
• Hotline for Refugees and Migrants. Hamutal Sadan, Resource Development Coordinator. https://hotline.org.il/en/main/

 April 20, 2023:

• Immigration Reform. Jenna Jaffe, Immigration Specialist, Office of US Representative Jerrold Nadler. https://nadler.house.gov/

March 16, 2023:

• Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2023. Dan Goldman, Congressman. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1325

February 16, 2023:

• Safe Passage Project. Angela Fernández, Executive Director. safepassageproject.org

January 19, 2023:

• Campaign for Access, Representation, and Equity (CARE) for Immigrant Families (to support passage of the NYS Access to Representation Act.) Shayna Kessler, State Advocacy Manager, Vera Institute of Justice. Kayla Kelechian, Manager, Member Engagement, New York, Immigration Coalition (NYIC), and Funmi Akinnowanu, Advocacy & Policy Manager, Immigrant Arc (I-ARC). Access to Representation Act, NY State Senate Bill 2021-S81B

• Ukraine Sponsor Support Consortium. Kathie O’Callaghan, Founder and President, Hearts and Homes for Refugees. https://www.heartsandhomesforrefugees.org/ukraine

November 17, 2022:

• Asylum Support Clinic at Rutgers Church. Basbibi Kakar, Program Officer for Immigration, Rutgers Presbyterian Church. Nancy Goldhill, Volunteer Attorney, Asylum Support Clinic, Member, Kolot Chayeinu. https://www.asylumsupportclinic.org/
• Good Counsel Services. Elizabeth Dembrowsky, Executive Director. https://goodcounselinc.org/

October 20, 2022:

• Building Immigration Momentum and Action. Hannah Weilbacher, Director of Campaigns, T’ruah. https://truah.org/issue/immigration-justice/
• NYC Adopt-A-Shelter Program. Pastor Gilford Monrose, Faith Advisor/Executive Director, NYC Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships. https://interfaithcenter.org/your-house-of-worship-can-adopt-a-shelter/

September 15, 2022:

• Response to Asylum Seekers Bussed from Texas. Ilze Thielmann, Director of Team TLCNYC. https://www.npr.org/2022/08/21/1118460747/texas-migrants-new-york-welcome-life-tough, https://www.ttlcnyc.org/

July 21, 2022:

• HIAS Advocacy Week: Information and Training. Russ Agdern, HIAS Grassroots Campaign Manager. https://hias.org/advocacy-resources/
• Systemic Refugee Employment Challenges. Nicole Kreisberg, David E. Bell, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University Center for Population and Development Studies. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/population-development/

June 23, 2022:

• Good Counsel Services. Elizabeth Dembrowsky, Founder and Executive Director, Asylum Cases and Needs
• Shalom Friends, Immigration Detention Visitation. Ilana Wallach, Co-Coordinator

May 19, 2022:

• International Rescue Committee (IRC). Avigail Ziv, IRC Executive Director, New York & New Jersey. rescue.org
• Met Council for Jewish Poverty. Hannah Lupien, Managing Director of Social Services and Aly Warhit, Associate Counsel. metcouncil.org

April 21, 2022:

• American Women’s Peace and Education Delegation to Afghanistan. Ruth Messinger, JTS-Social Justice Fellow, Meyerson JCC-Social Justice Activist-in-Residence, AJWS Global Ambassador, SAJ. https://www.unfreezeafghanistan.org/sign-the-petition/
• Emma’s Torch (Culinary Training for Refugees). Sierra Murray, Program Director. emmastorch.org

March 17, 2022:

• American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). Michael Geller, Director, Media Relations & Communications. jdc.org
• Jewish Community Centre of Krakow. Jonathan Ornstein, Executive Director. friendsofjcckrakow.org

February 17, 2022:

• Good Counsel Services, Inc. Elizabeth Dembrowsky, Executive Director & Laiba Asad, Legal Team Lead, goodcounselinc.org
• Ruth’s Refuge Apartment Set-Up Teams. Mark Levy, East End Temple, eastendtemple.org

January 20, 2022:

• Refugee Resettlement Efforts: Brownstone Brooklyn Synagogues Refugee Project, Judy Wynn; Shaaray Tefila/East End Temple – Mindy Tindel; Ansche Chesed – Batya Miller

December 2, 2021:

• Upwardly Global: Helping Immigrants and Refugees Restart Professional Careers. Rebecca Neuwirth, Executive Vice President, upwardlyglobal.org
• The Refugee Employment Partnership. Richard Fields, Founder, and David Coleman, Program Administrator, refugeeemployment.org

October 21, 2021:

• New Neighbors Partnership. Shoshana Akabas, Founder and Executive Director, newneighborspartnership.org

September 23, 2021:

• Women for Afghan Women. Sunita Viswanath – Co-Founder and Board Chair, and Naheed Samadi Bahram, US Country Director, https://womenforafghanwomen.org