Through a sponsorship that defies interfaith barriers, a Victoria synagogue and church hope to welcome to the community a Muslim refugee family that previously fled danger and destruction in Syria.

Robert Oppenheimer, Heshi Olson and Rabbi Harry Brechner from the Congregation Emanu-El synagogue, Sherry Coughlin and Rev. Lyndon Sayers of Lutheran Church of the Cross and about 15 others from the two communities have raised thousands of dollars to sponsor the group of six, which includes four kids from eight months to seven years old.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e very happy in Canada to be able to help a family like this,B次元官网网址� said committee chair Oppenheimer, noting the family cannot be identified out of fears of further endangering them. B次元官网网址淭he neighbourhood they were living in in Syria was being shelled.B次元官网网址�

Not only was their apartment building bombarded, their car was blown up and the father targeted. They initially relocated to Southeast Asia, where they scraped by for several years, but as UNHCR-registered refugees, the family is now looking to move to Canada.

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The synagogueB次元官网网址檚 Refugee Family Project aims to support the familyB次元官网网址檚 settlement in Victoria, through the Inter-cultural Association of Greater Victoria, with funding to cover their expenses for the first year.

B次元官网网址淭his part of the sponsorship is really giving them some hope,B次元官网网址� Oppenheimer said.

The project has already raised $25,000, but Oppenheimer stressed another $15,000 is needed to hit the federally set goal and the clock is ticking. B次元官网网址淔or a family of this size, we have to raise $40,000 by the end of October.B次元官网网址�

OppenheimerB次元官网网址檚 father and aunt came to Canada as refugees from Nazi Germany, so the drive to help people fleeing conflict comes naturally.

The process began in May 2021, when his cousin in the U.S. approached him about Syrian friends whoB次元官网网址檇 tried unsuccessfully to sponsor relatives.

Both Congregation Emanu-El and the Lutheran Church actively combat prejudice against Muslims in particular and aim to collaborate as Jews and Christians to assist the family.

B次元官网网址淭he opportunity to join with our Jewish neighbours to support the sponsorship of a Muslim family is a witness to multifaith cooperation and shared work that continues to grow in Victoria,B次元官网网址� Rev. Lyle McKenzie of Lutheran Church said in a release.

It helps that the two congregations already have friendly relations; Oppenheimer has known Sayers, whoB次元官网网址檚 also good friends with Brechner, for years. And itB次元官网网址檚 not the first time either group has worked to bring people abroad to safety.

B次元官网网址淏etween our two congregations, we have a number of people who have experience working with refugees,B次元官网网址� Oppenheimer said, adding, B次元官网网址渢here are dozens of sponsorship groups in Victoria thatB次元官网网址檝e helped refugee groups over the years.B次元官网网址�

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If the fundraising does not reach $40,000, theyB次元官网网址檒l lose the sponsorship spot for this year and it will go to other refugees. With armed conflict also raging in countries like Ukraine and Afghanistan, Oppenheimer recognized people may feel torn over where to direct their attention and support.

B次元官网网址淚t can be overwhelming for people, the number of crises that are going on right now.B次元官网网址�

Still, the work and funds people have contributed so far speak volumes about their compassion and generosity, he said. B次元官网网址淥n a personal level, itB次元官网网址檚 really been very important to me how invested people in the community are in this.B次元官网网址�

He hopes more people come to recognize Victoria as a safe haven for refugees.

B次元官网网址淚 find it poignant that when we strip away politics and worldviews that are based on fear, we realize that Syrians, Muslims, and Arabs are not our enemy but in fact our siblings,B次元官网网址� Brechner said in a release, adding that it likely relieves and supports the family to know people in Western Canada are working to bring them somewhere else they can call home.

Email cee.refugee@gmail.com or visit to donate or help. Alternatively, donations made through the Inter-cultural Association of Greater Victoria should include B次元官网网址淐G-173-22B次元官网网址� in the comment box.

Do you have a story tip? Email: evert.lindquist@blackpress.ca.

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