Recently, the Jewish Community Alliance for Refugee Resettlement (JCARR) enlisted the aid of religious school students at Temple Emanuel in Orange (grades 4-7) and Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden (grades 4-6) to help raise funds needed to meet the needs of refugees settling in the Greater New Haven area.

While using their creative talents, the students fulfilled an important mitzvah: to welcome the stranger.

The project took off in April, when JCARR’s Lina Lawall met with the two groups of students to discuss the issue of refugees, the work that JCARR does to help resettle them, and how it all ties in to the Jewish commandment to welcome the stranger.

Then, with the guidance of artists Janet Brodie, Bobbie Friedman and Anne Eisner, the students tapped into their creative talents and set to work designing “Welcoming the Stranger” greeting cards.

After viewing the students’ captivating artwork, eight cards were selected for inclusion in the sets.

Beautifully printed by the Jewish Federation, the cards are now available for purchase at a cost of $25 per set. If three sets or more are purchased, the price drops to $20 per set. To purchase sets, residents of New Haven, Woodbridge, Milford, or Orange should contact Jean Silk at jsilk@jewishnewhaven.org; residents of Hamden, North Haven, Wallingford, Cheshire or any other town, should contact Lina Lawall at lalawall250@gmail.com.

All proceeds support JCARR’s work with refugee families.

JCAAR is a partnership of six New Haven-area synagogues and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven.