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Happy Chanukah from the CDT Afghan Resettlement Planning Team 

11/28/2021 12:45:17 PM

Nov28

Paul Hattis

Today’s joy in celebrating the first day of Chanukah also brings with it the news that today, we are notifying the JCRC that we are now at a point with our apartment readiness to be able to be matched with an Afghan family who will come and begin their life in the Boston area.

We have learned that, family structure-wise, we are likely to be supporting a family of four, with a married couple, an infant, and a three-year-old. Though this is most likely, it is possible even at this moment, that it could change. So, for those of you who have kindly been able to respond to our request for furniture for an infant and have it on hold at your house, please know we will communicate with you about our specific needs as soon as the exact family is confirmed to us. That confirmation could come in as short as 5 to 6 days, or as long as a few months; we just don’t know. 

We have been fortunate to be connected to both other congregations who are sponsoring families and to members of Catholic Charities and JCRC, all from whom we have been able to learn from their early experiences about likely needs and resources. Also, we are blessed to have been able to secure the efforts of a small group of volunteers from our Synagogue who will be most directly connecting with and supporting the family in their first week or two at their new home. 

We are similarly fortunate that some 40 plus people (we are always open to more) have come forward to sign up as volunteers to help the family with shopping, transportation, and other tasks. Of course, many of you from our Congregation have given in a generous way financially and through in-kind support to help this family. It is our hope that with your generous support, along with federal dollars that will become available to them within about six weeks after their arrival, we will be in a good position to help this family get its basic needs met for at least six months while they transition into their new life here in the Boston area. 

Again, we thank our entire congregation for making it possible to get to this point. We look forward to working together in the next phase of this effort. 

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784