News

Hundreds gather at pro-refugee rally

Jewish community organizes Mountain View demonstration

Waving signs and carrying photos of their immigrant ancestors, a crowd of demonstrators gathered in Mountain View at noon on Sunday to encourage the United States to welcome refugees. The event in Civic Center Plaza was part of the National Day of Jewish Action for Refugees, with similar events held in cities across the country.

Speakers at the Feb. 12 rally included a local high school student who is the grandson of immigrants, refugees from Hungary and Vietnam, Mountain View's vice mayor, Lenny Siegel, and Palo Alto City Council members Adrian Fine and Cory Wolbach.

Among those gathered in the crowd, estimated at several hundred people, was Santa Clara resident Irene Lefton, who carried a sign with a black-and-white photo of family members who left Poland for the United States in the early 1900s. She said she was there to speak out in support of refugees and immigrants.

Mindy Berkowitz of Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley urged the crowd to take action to help local refugees and immigrants, volunteer with resettlement agencies and continue their advocacy at local and national levels, according to Micaela Hellman-Tincher of Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos. Ishaq Pathan of the Islamic Networks Group encouraged continued partnership between Muslims and Jews, saying that the two groups would stand up for each other in times of need, Hellman-Tincher said.

Sunday's rally was the latest in a wave of protests and demonstrations in response to President Donald Trump's Jan. 27 executive order temporarily barring refugees and foreign nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. A federal district judge blocked key parts of the travel ban, a decision that was unanimously upheld on Feb. 9 by a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

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The National Day of Jewish Action for Refugees was organized by HIAS, an American Jewish charity that aids and advocates for refugees.

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Andrea Gemmet
Andrea Gemmet was born and raised in the Midpeninsula and has been with the Mountain View Voice since 2010. She became editor of The Almanac in 2020, where she had previously worked as a reporter. Read more >>

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Hundreds gather at pro-refugee rally

Jewish community organizes Mountain View demonstration

by / Mountain View Voice

Uploaded: Mon, Feb 13, 2017, 12:12 pm

Waving signs and carrying photos of their immigrant ancestors, a crowd of demonstrators gathered in Mountain View at noon on Sunday to encourage the United States to welcome refugees. The event in Civic Center Plaza was part of the National Day of Jewish Action for Refugees, with similar events held in cities across the country.

Speakers at the Feb. 12 rally included a local high school student who is the grandson of immigrants, refugees from Hungary and Vietnam, Mountain View's vice mayor, Lenny Siegel, and Palo Alto City Council members Adrian Fine and Cory Wolbach.

Among those gathered in the crowd, estimated at several hundred people, was Santa Clara resident Irene Lefton, who carried a sign with a black-and-white photo of family members who left Poland for the United States in the early 1900s. She said she was there to speak out in support of refugees and immigrants.

Mindy Berkowitz of Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley urged the crowd to take action to help local refugees and immigrants, volunteer with resettlement agencies and continue their advocacy at local and national levels, according to Micaela Hellman-Tincher of Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos. Ishaq Pathan of the Islamic Networks Group encouraged continued partnership between Muslims and Jews, saying that the two groups would stand up for each other in times of need, Hellman-Tincher said.

Sunday's rally was the latest in a wave of protests and demonstrations in response to President Donald Trump's Jan. 27 executive order temporarily barring refugees and foreign nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. A federal district judge blocked key parts of the travel ban, a decision that was unanimously upheld on Feb. 9 by a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

The National Day of Jewish Action for Refugees was organized by HIAS, an American Jewish charity that aids and advocates for refugees.

Comments

uh huh
Cuernavaca
on Feb 13, 2017 at 2:18 pm
uh huh, Cuernavaca
on Feb 13, 2017 at 2:18 pm

How many Syrian or Palestinian refugees is Israel taking in this year? Where are all the signs protesting Israeli settlements on disputed territories?


Jared Martin
Registered user
Old Mountain View
on Feb 13, 2017 at 4:37 pm
Jared Martin, Old Mountain View
Registered user
on Feb 13, 2017 at 4:37 pm

Wow, someone has really mastered whataboutism.

If you disagree with someone, disagree on the merits, not the infinite amount of other things they could be doing.

I want to thank everyone who has been protesting Trump's Muslim ban and our shameful failure to help more refugees.

To see people come together in the face of bigotry and fear, regardless of race, religion, or creed, has shown what it truly means to be American.


Hope
Registered user
Old Mountain View
on Feb 13, 2017 at 6:03 pm
Hope, Old Mountain View
Registered user
on Feb 13, 2017 at 6:03 pm

I always thought America was supposed to be the moral leader of the world. Now some complain that "little Johnny is not doing it why should I?" This thinking should have left in the playground in 7th grade. Even Superman said: Truth, Justice and the American way!

Let me be very clear: We are SUPPOSED better than most countries.


Hope
Registered user
Old Mountain View
on Feb 13, 2017 at 6:05 pm
Hope, Old Mountain View
Registered user
on Feb 13, 2017 at 6:05 pm

@uh huh

OOPS my above comment was made in response to uh huh


The Irony
Registered user
Monta Loma
on Feb 13, 2017 at 10:27 pm
The Irony, Monta Loma
Registered user
on Feb 13, 2017 at 10:27 pm

Don't these well meaning Jewish folk know that Iran paints "Death to Israel" on its medium and long range ballistic missiles that they have stated are to be used against Israel? Of course they are not criticizing the one person who accelerated the Iran path to nuclear terror = Obama. Instead it is ironic that they are protesting our new president who wants to keep them safe.


Jared Martin
Registered user
Old Mountain View
on Feb 14, 2017 at 8:39 am
Jared Martin, Old Mountain View
Registered user
on Feb 14, 2017 at 8:39 am

Hm, who do we think has a better perspective on the messages of the Holocaust and how to make sure it isn't repeated: the Jewish community, or our local Islamophobes ranting on newspaper comments sections? That's a real tough one.


Hope
Registered user
Old Mountain View
on Feb 14, 2017 at 6:58 pm
Hope, Old Mountain View
Registered user
on Feb 14, 2017 at 6:58 pm

@the Irony

What I think is the most ironic of all is the USA now has people with white suprematist and American Nazi Party ties advising trump in the white house today. Why are you not speaking out about this?
I know this doesn't fit your version of reality, but that does not make it FAKE news. Read some of breitbart on their antisemetic views!

Steve Bannon Web Link

Web Link


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