Jewish tradition asks us to hold multiple values at once. We are called by our tradition to speak out against cruelty and to defend the dignity of every human being; to care for the ger, stranger, and vulnerable in our communities, while at the same time, affirming the importance of the rule of law—dina d’malkhuta dina, the law of the land is the law. Navigating these values together is not always simple.
We are grateful to the many clergy and congregations who have shared practical resources, community letters, Divrei Torah, and actions that were originally developed for their own communities. These materials are included below and available online to review and adapt in ways that are most appropriate for your community.
Community Contributed Resources
Please note that the RA is not qualified to offer official legal advice.
National Security Grant Program Update (NSGP) from the US Department of Homeland Security
“The provisions in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Standard Terms and Conditions requiring 'Communication and Cooperation with DHS and Immigration Officials' and the related immigration certification do not apply to NSGP awards.” Learn more in the December 2025 JCPA guidance.
Community Letters
- “Letter to Congregation,” Rabbi Michael Wolk and Cantor Shira Lissek, Temple Israel, Charlotte, NC
- “How to speak to kids about the deportation of a synagogue employee,” Rabbi Aaron Brusso, Bet Torah, Northern Westchester, NY
- Interfaith & Jewish Clergy Letter Examples from IL, MA, TX, compiled by our colleagues, Josh Ratner and David Lerner in the Strengthening Democracy Toolkit
Congregational Practices, Policy, and Employer Guides
- Recorded session: Know Your Rights Zoom Training, led by Jonathan Meyer, former General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security, Rabbinical Assembly 2025
- Hosting an immigration paperwork clinic, from a Tristate Area Synagogue
- “Immigration Enforcement—Guidance for Places of Worship,” “Know Your Rights,” ACLU
- Red Cards, ILRC
- “Guide For Employers: What to Do if Immigration Comes to Your Workplace,” “Know Your Rights (multiple languages),” NILC
Lawyers
- National Immigration Legal Services Directory: a list of low-cost or pro-bono immigration legal services providers by state, county, or detention facility
The following immigration lawyers have worked with foreign clergy on employment in the US (crowdsourced by the RA/USCJ Partnership for Congregational Rabbinic Search)
- FL, Valeria Kassandra (email, website)
- NY, Matthew Curtis (website)
- NY, Catholic Charities (website)
- TN, Greg Siskind (email, website)
- Miguel Naranjo (email, website)
Divrei Torah & Liturgy
- “Honoring the Angel in the Immigrant,” Rabbi Amy Eilberg, San Francisco, CA
- “Let the Tardoma’i See: Hanukkah Candlelighting As Resistance,” Rabbi J. B. Sacks, Congregation Beth Shalom, Palm Desert, CA
- “A Fence Around Compassion,” Rabbi Ammos Chorny, Beth Tikvah, Naples, FL
- “Prayer for Moral Mondays,” Rabbi Michael Knopf, Temple Beth El, Stamford, CT
- “Someday, Little Children,” Cantor Paula Pepperstone, Ahavath Achim, Wichita, KS
- “Seeing the Stranger as We See Ourselves,” Rabbi Susan Grossman, Beth Shalom (Emeritus), Columbia, MD
- “On the Meaning of Citizenship;” “On Categorizing Human Being Based on Immigration Status,” Rabbi Aaron Brusso, Bet Torah, Northern Westchester, NY
- “Compassion for Strangers,” Rabbi Heather Miller, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbinical Assembly Source Sheets
- Immigration and Refugee Resettlement: exploring our tradition's imperative to welcome and protect immigrants and refugees, Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg
- Governmental Authority and Protest – By RA Director of Continuing Rabbinic Education, Noam Kornsgold, exploring parashah and rabbinic sources for the ethics of distributed leadership, checks and balances, and moral vigilance.
- Refugee Torah, HIAS – Biblical and rabbinical source texts
HIAS Materials & Actions
- Refugee Shabbat, March 13-14, 2026
- Supporting Immigrants in Your City, Resources and actions for synagogues and clergy
- Refugee Torah, Biblical and rabbinical source texts
RA Resolutions on Immigration
- Birthright Citizenship (2025)
- Resolution on Immigration to the United States (2017)
- Resolution on Support for Syrian Refugees (2016)
- Resolution on United States Immigration Policy (2013)
- Immigration to the United States (2007)
- Immigration to the United States (2003)
- Immigration to Canada (2003)
- Immigration to the United States (1995)
- Immigration to Canada (1995)
- Keeping America Open to Immigration (1992)
- Kurdish Refugees (1991)
- Central American Refugees (1989)