From the moment that Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, to the centuries of slavery in Egypt, to subsequent settlements in Babylonia, Europe, North Africa, America, and elsewhere, the Jewish people have been wanderers and immigrants throughout the world.  In response to this experience, Jewish law establishes protections for the ger—the sojourner whose precarious position in the community puts him or her at risk of exploitation.  In thirty-six places, the Torah repeats the command to “love the ger,” and later sources emphasize that  our own history of oppression obligates us to avoid oppressing those whose otherness makes them vulnerable.  

American Jews constitute a community of immigrants, most of whom were able to enter America as a result of the liberal immigration policies of the early twentieth century, and were able to move into the middle class largely as a result of the availability of living wage jobs and access to good public education.  We also acknowledge our own dependence on the labor of low-wage immigrant workers, who care for our children and elderly parents, clean our homes and workplaces, prepare our food, and otherwise make our own lifestyles possible.  Much like the early Jewish immigrants, these immigrants often come out of economic desperation and, in many cases, risk their lives for the opportunity to build a better life for themselves and their children. 

Today, immigrants constitute approximately 13% of the United States work force.  The estimated ten to twelve immigrants who came here illegally are forced into the shadows by an immigration system that offers no means of legalizing one’s status.  Many of these immigrants are raising children who are United States citizens, and are contributing to the economy and culture of the United States.  Over the course of a lifetime, an immigrant pays, on average, $80,000 more in taxes than she or he takes in social services, and the Social Security Administration holds approximately $420 billion in social security taxes paid by immigrants who will never be able to collect benefits.

Like the Jews of the early twentieth century, today’s immigrants find themselves subject to exploitation by employers, unable to secure social services, and afraid of the personal risks of demanding basic rights.  Within the political and public discourse, the debate about appropriate border control and visa policies often overshadows the daily reality of the estimated 12-15 million undocumented immigrants in America who are vital to the health of the US economy, but who enjoy insufficient legal protections and who are often targeted by the same hate groups that perpetuate anti-Semitism, racism, and homophobia.

Click for

Information on how JFSJ works on immigration

Jewish perspectives and resources on immigration

Background information on immigration history and policy

Updates on current immigration legislation