US Jewish Federations on Monday urged Congress to extend the "Lautenberg Amendment" and approve supplemental funding for Ukraine.
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The Lautenberg Amendment is a family reunification program that allows some individuals legally residing in the United States to bring in family members who are persecuted minorities from abroad.
Over 30 years ago, the North American Jewish community stood with Senator Lautenberg when he passed the landmark legislation that allowed 400,000 Jews and others fleeing religious persecution in the Soviet Union to reunite with families in the United States.
"With over 1.5 million refugees already fleeing Ukraine, the scale of the humanitarian crisis is overwhelming, and we must do everything in our power to help alleviate this suffering," said Elana Broitman, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs for the Jewish Federations of North America. "The Jewish community has a proud history of helping in emergencies and supporting refugees, and we are once again asking Congress to ensure that we are doing our part to provide relief."
Federations have also embarked on a $20 million emergency fundraising campaign and allocated the first $8 million to partners working on the ground in and around Ukraine, providing immediate relief and direct services to vulnerable populations and maintaining basic service delivery.
