Blog

For many immigrants, applying for U.S. citizenship can seem overwhelming. Take Agnes Enriquez, a Montessori preschool teacher who immigrated nearly 20 years ago: she didn’t apply for citizenship after receiving her green card in 2008 because she was busy raising her children and worried she would not have time to study.

But recent news of valid green card holders being denied reentry into the United States after traveling out of the country gave her pause.

When HIAS Immigration & Citizenship Director Shannon Ericson wanted to provide her staff with specific training, she turned to her JCFS Chicago colleagues in the Jewish Community Services program.

They say when one door closes, another one opens. But it isn’t always that straightforward when employment specialists are helping refugees find jobs.

When members of a Wilmette synagogue struggled to gather enough manpower to help a refugee family through the HIAS Refugee Resettlement Program, they reached across faiths to a nearby church to fill their volunteer roster.

When a Central African Republic family stepped off the plane at O’Hare Airport for the first time last year, Gail Nusekabel was there to greet them. She had never met this family of four before, but she was ready to help them as they embarked on a new life in the U.S.

Along with other members of her synagogue, Sukkat Shalom, Gail volunteers as a JCFS Chicago HIAS Immigration & Citizenship mentor, helping refugee families get acclimated to living in a new country.

The plight of refugees has been a constant life theme for retired attorney and former college educator Fred Wellisch, a JCFS Chicago HIAS Immigration & Citizenship volunteer.

For her bat mitzvah project, Ava Bednyak, 13, decided to raise funds to support a young family of three who recently moved to Chicago to escape the war in Ukraine. She connected with JCFS Chicago’s HIAS Immigration & Citizenship program to get started right away.

Bikes & Music was launched in 2020. They collect used bicycles and musical instruments, refurbish them, and get them to families via various nonprofits – including HIAS Immigration & Citizenship here at JCFS Chicago.

On November 1^st, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) came together in Chicago for the General Assembly (GA). The GA brings together Jewish leaders from across the country to explore major global and domestic issues affecting Jewish communities.

In partnership with the Jewish United Fund (JUF), JCFS Chicago’s Financial Assistance Program has issued $2.2 million to people in the community since May 2020. Clients typically receive food assistance and help paying utility bills and several months of rent. However, certain cases require JCFS’ dedicated caseworkers to go above and beyond simply providing financial relief and look at additional supports that could help people get to a better place in life.