Religious leaders across Greater Victoria have come together to bring a Syrian Palestinian refugee family to Canada. But time is of the essence in their bid to find a new home for the family fleeing the war-torn region.
The 14-member group spans the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths, uniting to fundraise and sponsor a Syrian Palestinian widow and her two teenage children. Christ Church Cathedral and Congregation Emmanu-El Synagogue have collaborated with the group providing donations and event space.
The group unofficially refers to itself as The Gleamers, a reference to their more official campaign title 鈥淕leam of Hope.鈥�
鈥淲e're a group of people who decided, OK we're doing this, and we are doing it together,鈥� said Dahlia Beck, a Jewish woman originally from Israel. She began working with refugees in 2016 after hearing the story of Alan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian boy who drowned in the Aegean Sea when the boat carrying him and 13 other Syrian refugees sank.
鈥淚 grew up thinking that the Syrians were 鈥榯he enemy,鈥� and I thought, OK, I am called to action here, that's crap 鈥� enemy, shmenemy,鈥� Beck said.
For Beck, having multiple faiths represented in the team shows that religious differences need not be a barrier to humanitarian work.
鈥淟et's just work together to humanize whoever requires help. I think the takeaway is we can all do it, and it doesn't matter,鈥� she said.
The widow they hope to sponsor was born in Syria after her family was forcibly removed from Palestine during the Nakba in 1948. After a life in Syria, her husband was killed during the civil war and she fled with her children.
While many on the sponsorship team have years of experience working with refugees, this effort is different. Sponsorship groups typically work with the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA), which selects refugees to sponsor. However, this initiative began with a personal connection when May Shihadeh, a Muslim Palestinian herself, was approached by a refugee she had previously sponsored.
鈥淎 year or two after we finished their sponsorship agreement, the person from that country begged me to sponsor a widow with two children. He told me about their story,鈥� said Shihadeh, who then presented the idea to her team.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e still in a hidden place, and they have no access to work, education or health care. She pays her rent through donations from people who know about them. They still live in fear because they are at risk of being captured and imprisoned.鈥�
Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, a Jewish member of the team, was inspired to work with refugees by his grandparents, who fled Nazi Germany for the United Kingdom. Many of his relatives, however, were unable to escape.
鈥淚 relate to the trauma that refugees go through before they鈥檙e able to come to Canada,鈥� he said.
Oppenheimer said it is now harder than ever for sponsorship teams to bring refugees into Canada. The ICA facilitates much of the process for sponosorship groups managing funds and ensuring proper oversite, but recent funding cuts have drastically reduced the number of sponsorships it can take on.
鈥淣ormally, there would be a lot of groups working to develop sponsorships to submit to the government in the fall, but this year, they have literally a handful of slots. We were very fortunate to get one,鈥� he said.
Even after the ICA agreed to take on their sponsorship, the team is still up against the wall.
鈥淣ormally, when you do this, you have 10 months to a year to raise the funds. We were given two months,鈥� said Oppenheimer.
The Gleamers need to raise a minimum of $60,000 to bring the family to Canada. About half of that 鈥� $28,000 鈥� must be in their account by the end of March.
鈥淭hat money covers everything,鈥� Beck said. 鈥淚t means housing, furniture, A/C, kitchen accessories, a bus pass, help finding work, ESL connections 鈥� you name it 鈥� for a whole year.鈥�
Securing accommodations remains a major challenge unto itself as housing prices continue to rise in the region.
鈥淏ecause the rental cost is so high, it has been very challenging to find a place that fits within our budget,鈥� said Shihadeh.
Despite the challenges, the opportunity to help these people start a new life keeps the team members coming back.
鈥淚t's multi-layered. It's depressing, it's agonizing, but also uplifting in a way. It shows me how creative and helpful we can be,鈥� Beck said.
鈥淭o give somebody hope of living in peace and dignity without fear, to have the opportunity for employment, education and health care 鈥� it鈥檚 very rewarding for me,鈥� Shihadeh said.
Gleam of Hope will host an admission by-donation fundraising concert for the family on March 26. The event will feature an evening of Arabic, Celtic and Jewish music at Christ Church Cathedral from 7 to 9 p.m. with Middle Eastern delicacies provided at intermission.
Those interested in learning more or donating can contact Congregation Emanu-El at 250-382-0615 or Christ Church Catherdral by 250-383-2714.
