The group was concerned about the "demonizing" of immigrants when it decided to reach out to the newly arrived Syrian families living in Elizabeth
MONTCLAIR -- It was a traditional Jewish Christmas dinner -- Chinese food. But the guests at the synagogue in Montclair were neither Jewish nor Christian. They were recently arrived Muslim Syrian refugees.
Feeling concern over the "demonizing of immigrants," members of Bnai Keshet, a Reconstructionist congregation, invited 10 refugee families in Elizabeth to join them Friday night--which also happens to be the start of the Jewish Sabbath.
"They were very enthusiastic," said Kate McCaffrey of Maplewood. "We really have no idea what their experiences with Jews are or what their feelings are. They accepted the invitation overwhelmingly."
The event came about because "members of our congregation and people throughout the Jewish community have really felt called to help the refugees," said Rabbi Elliott Tepperman, the leader of Bnai Keshet.
"As Jews, we all come from refugee families and we know in our bones what it's like to have hateful rhetoric directed toward us," Tepperman said. "Many of our parents were Holocaust refugees."
To make sure everyone's dietary restrictions were met, the meal included vegetarian food catered by Woxx, a Kosher Asian restaurant in West Orange.
Because it is Friday evening, the start of the Jewish Sabbath, the meal started with blessings over candles and challah bread.
And despite the political hostilities between Jews and Muslims in the Middle East, that did not arise as an issue when the Syrians were invited, said the event's organizers. In addition to the 10 families living in Elizabeth, a Syrian refugee family living in Paterson also accepted the congregation's invitation.
In Paterson, where there are many Muslims, that family has been settling in comfortably. But the newly arrived refugees are having "more trouble" in Elizabeth, where there aren't as many Muslims and the schools are less capable of dealing with Arabic-speaking students, McCaffrey said.
The congregation's link to the Syrians in Elizabeth was Rana Shanawani, a woman of Syrian descent living in Short Hills who has been helping the refugees get settled in Elizabeth.
Shanawani said she found it "wonderful" and "amazing" when the Jewish group approached her with an emailed request to arrange an invitation for the refugees. "We reached out to the families and asked how they felt about it," she said, admitting she was "nervous" and didn't know what to expect.
But the reaction "was very favorable," she said. "Everyone agreed to go."
One family had visitors from out of town, and two days ago, they decided they couldn't attend the dinner, but their children complained so vigorously that they decided to go, Shanawani said.
She said the Syrians have been "strategizing on how to give as good an impression as possible. They're bringing flowers and trying to be as harmonious as possible."
"It's so wonderful, I'm so happy there is so much enthusiasm on both sides," Shanawani said.
While there has been some growing anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant sentiment in the country, Shanawani said the pendulum has swung the other way for a lot of people.
"They want to show their support, they want to show that they don't feel that way," she said.
And although some have cautioned that even asylum seekers might have terrorist sympathies, McCaffrey said, "We're trying to show a positive model of sharing, of breaking bread."
She said the event would be just the start of an ongoing relationship between the congregation and the refugees.
"We really intend this as solidarity, not charity," she said.
Ben Horowitz may be reached at bhorowitz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @HorowitzBen. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
