Refugee Resettlement Project

On October 17, 2018, NSCI welcomed the Mohamad Ayub Family. They are Rohingya. Annuar (33) fled Burma with her family when she was very young, and most recently, she has lived with her two children, Norizah (16) and Azizah (13), in Malaysia.

In the weeks before the family’s arrival, our community donated housewares and money for furniture, ensuring that Annuar and her daughters would be comfortable when they arrived in their new apartment in Rogers Park. The weekend before, volunteers schlepped carloads of housewares into the city and up flights of stairs to the apartment, sorted boxes of donations, cleaned and organized the closets and kitchen cabinets, caulked the bathtub and scrubbed the toilet & sink. More than decorating the apartment so that it was ready for them, we modeled our sacred obligation as Jews to welcome the stranger.

In November, Norizah and Azizah were enrolled in Chicago Public Schools and a dedicated team of NSCI volunteers has helped Norizah and Azizah with their homework every Wednesday afternoon. Other volunteers have visited with the family on Sunday afternoons, teaching Annuar important life skills like how to safely use their kitchen appliances and tips for managing the family’s finances, practicing conversational English, and treating the family to cultural experiences around the city. One of the family’s favorite outings was to ZooLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo and dinner at Lou Malnati’s!

17: NSCI’s Refugee Resettlement Project was truly a community effort, made possible because of the generosity of so many donors and volunteers who have helped support Annuar and her family on their journey to self-sufficiency here in America. Since the High Holy Days, NSCI has received more than 75 in-kind and cash donations, allowing us to furnish the family’s home and provide food and housewares they have used to thrive. More than 20 families signed up for mentor visits with the Mohamad Ayub Family and a separate group of 3 volunteers tutored Norizah and Azizah each week. So many more have regularly asked about the family, always wishing them well every step along the way.

We are excited to announce a new NSCI call to action! Once again, with the assistance of RefugeeOne, an approved UN Refugee Agency, we will help to settle a second refugee family with the goal that they will be self-reliant 6-8 months after their arrival. We won’t know the family’s origin and composition until 2 weeks before they arrive, but we do know they have completed 2-3 years of the US legal vetting process while waiting to be granted refuge in a safer place. While they are nameless and faceless at this time, we know they have fled war, persecution and terror and most likely speak no English. They are but a few of the 70 million refugees in limbo around the world, many of whom live in a temporary camp on the average of 17 years. Yes, 17 years. 

The number 17 should ring incomplete to our Jewish ear. The number 18 or chai, we know, is the Hebrew symbol for “life.” Eighteen is significant as it represents the fullness of life and our obligation as Jews to live life to its fullest. One less, 17 is substandard and incomplete. Much like the life lived in refugee camps; provisional housing that many occupy for a lifetime, or what must feel like a lifetime at least.  

There are many ways you can help with this resettlement project. We are again asking for donations of money and household items, and will soon share opportunities to volunteer.  

• In-Kind Donations: Please consider donating items from this SignUp Genius list, limiting your contribution to one or a few of the household items to allow others to participate. In-kind donations should be brought or shipped (ie: Amazon) to NSCI during normal business hours.
• Donate Money for Furniture: Please make checks out to "NSCI" and write "Refugee Resettlement Project" on the memo line. Please mail checks to NSCI, Attn: Rabbi Daniels, 1185 Sheridan Road, Glencoe, IL 60022 or click HERE to donate online.