Welcoming the Stranger: Faith-based Migration Work in md传媒国产剧听

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Debbie Gotbetter
Jewish Family Services of MetroWest

贰诲听惭补谤补办辞惫颈迟锄
Paulist Center's Immigration Advocacy Group

Moderated by听Owen Fletcher
md传媒国产剧 College, 2025

Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Time: 12 - 1pm
Location: 24 Quincy Road, Room 101


This luncheon highlights two passionate voices in md传媒国产剧 directly involved with migration work: Debbie Gotbetter, a board member of听Jewish Family Services of MetroWest, and Ed Marakovitz, the coordinator of the Paulist Center's Immigration Advocacy Group. They will draw from their experience听supporting immigrants and refugees听through their organizations to speak on the topic of migration work in the md传媒国产剧 area, especially within a faith-based context. Moderated by undergraduate student Owen Fletcher,听this conversation will help contextualize the care and advocacy for immigrants and refugees in the greater md传媒国产剧 area, asking the question "what makes the md传媒国产剧 case specific?" Attendees will be encouraged to participate in the discussion, exploring the similarities and differences in the organizations.

headshot of Gotbetter

Debbie Gotbetter听received her BA from University of Rochester and her MSW from Smith College School for Social Work. Professionally, she is a clinical social worker in private practice, caring for older adults around the complexities of听relationships,听aging, chronic illness, loss,听depression, and anxiety.听

Gotbetter finds tremendous joy, strength, and spiritual meaning working with others who are collectively inspired to set to the work of听repairing the world.听She is听an active volunteer with and听board member of听Jewish Family Service of Metrowest听(JFS)听in Framingham, MA, a nonprofit, community-based organization focused听on immigrant and resettlement programs and support of vulnerable older adults.

Gotbetter is an engaged member of Temple Beth Elohim, a reform Jewish community in Wellesley, MA where she serves as Vice President of Development. Among the many temple initiatives she has led and been a part of over the years, she is most proud of her leadership role in the temple鈥檚 Immigration Justice Group, of which she is a founding member. Since 2016, she has volunteered as its Refugee Resettlement Volunteer Coordinator, enabling this community to welcome and resettle 13 families to the U.S. including refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Venezuela. With strong community partners, the group鈥檚 resettlement work has served as a model for other congregations and private groups听around the country听to welcome refugee families.听听

headshot of fletcher

Owen I. Fletcher is a junior in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences at md传媒国产剧 College. A student in the International Studies Program, he is also working toward minors in Hispanic Studies and Religion and Public Life. Fletcher's academic focus centers on the听complexities of听migration into the United States, and the role of the Catholic Church in the Central American context. Outside the classroom, Fletcher is an enthusiastic member of the md传媒国产剧 College Men's Rugby Club and serves as an editor for the literary and arts magazine, The Stylus.

headshot of Marakovitz

Ed Marakovitz has volunteered as the coordinator of the Paulist Center Immigrant Advocacy Group since its inception in 2017 and currently shares that position with fellow member Chris O鈥橩eefe. During the past five years, IAG鈥檚 200 members have volunteered in two church-based sanctuaries, sponsored prayer vigils for immigrants at the Suffolk County House of Correction, and conducted extensive policy advocacy. For the past 18 months, IAG has volunteered in resettling Afghan refugees, working closely with St. Cecilia鈥檚 Catholic Church, Catholic Charities, md传媒国产剧, the Islamic Center of md传媒国产剧, and the Islamic Society of North America. In 1988,听Marakovitz was the founding executive director of the Chelsea Collaborative, currently known as La Colaborativa. He retired from that position in 2006. For the following ten years, he taught community organizing, planning, administration, and fundraising at the md传媒国产剧 College School of Social Work, Salem State College School of Social Work, as well as the Hunter College School of Social Work and Touro College School of Social Work, both in New York City.听Marakovitz has an MSW degree from the md传媒国产剧 College School of Social Work, specializing in community organizing and social planning.

Cornell, Deirdre. Jesus Was a Migrant. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2014.

Handlin, Oscar. md传媒国产剧鈥檚 Immigrants: A Study in Acculturation. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1979.听

Hirschman, Charles. 鈥淭he Role of Religion in the Origins and Adaptation of Immigrant Groups in the United States.鈥 International Migration Review 38, no. 3 (2004): 1206鈥33.

鈥淚mmigrant & Resettlement Services.鈥 JFS of Metrowest, August 30, 2023. .听

Johnson, Marilynn S. The New md传媒国产剧ians: How Immigrants Have Transformed the Metro Area Since the 1960s. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2015. [Please Note: The Boisi Center held a luncheon colloquium with Marilynn Johnson on this book back in 2016. For more information, click on this link:听/肠辞苍迟别苍迟/产肠-飞别产/肠别苍迟别谤蝉/产辞颈蝉颈-肠别苍迟别谤/别惫别苍迟蝉/补谤肠丑颈惫别/蹿补濒濒-2016/迟丑别-苍别飞-产辞蝉迟辞苍颈补苍蝉.丑迟尘濒 ]

Reaves, Jayme R. Safeguarding the Stranger: An Abrahamic Theology and Ethic of Protective Hospitality. Cambridge, England: The Lutterworth Press, 2017.听

鈥淩efugee & Immigrant Services.鈥 Catholic Charities md传媒国产剧, July 5, 2022. .

鈥淪ocial Justice.鈥 The Paulist Center md传媒国产剧, June 7, 2023. .

In August 2023, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared a State of Emergency in response to the unprecedented levels of migrants entering the state. conveys the severity of the crisis, noting that over 20,000 individuals are currently in state shelters. The press release also articulates the dire need for greater federal support and reminds us that we must help our new neighbors during such challenging times.

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(Left) Owen Fletcher, (middle) Debbie Gotbetter, (right) Ed Marakovitz discussing Fletcher's year-long research project funded by the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning鈥檚 Student Internship Program.听

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Photo credits: Christopher Soldt, MTS

On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, Owen Fletcher, a junior at md传媒国产剧 College majoring in International Studies and minoring in Hispanic Studies and Religion and Public Life, led the luncheon colloquium panel titled, 鈥淲elcoming the Stranger: Faith-based Migration Work in md传媒国产剧.鈥 The conversation was inspired by Fletcher鈥檚 internship with BC鈥檚 Center for Christian-Jewish Learning, where he focused on migration and faith traditions. He moderated the panel discussion between Debbie Gotbetter, a board member of Jewish Family Service of Metrowest (JFS) and the Refugee Resettlement Volunteer Coordinator at Temple Beth Elohim, and Ed Marakovitz, the coordinator of the Paulist Center Immigrant Advocacy Group.

The luncheon began with Fletcher describing his project with the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning. He discussed how his major in international studies sparked his interest in immigration and how this internship allowed him to explore immigration through the lens of Christianity and Judaism. He talked about how many stories in the Christian and Jewish scriptures theologize immigration and allow us to understand how faith calls on us to support others. To learn how individuals鈥 faiths inspire their immigration work, Fletcher spent this past summer interviewing people in the md传媒国产剧 area about their refugee resettlement efforts. Fletcher emphasized the importance of their work in light of the state of emergency that was declared by Governor Maura Healey in August due to the significant numbers of immigrants seeking shelter and support in Massachusetts.

The conversation then transitioned to Gotbetter鈥檚 and Marakovitz鈥檚 experiences with migration support and advocacy. Gotbetter described how her work with Syrian and Afghan refugees presented enriching opportunities for interfaith dialogue, as she realized how many similarities existed between their faiths. They used these commonalities to create meaningful relationships. Gotbetter also described the challenges of facing a national immigration 鈥渃risis鈥 as there is less time and resources available to prepare for the arrival of new immigrants. In recent months, Gotbetter has been learning of immigrants鈥 arrivals only a day ahead of their arrival, whereas she used to be informed of their arrival weeks in advance. Marakovitz echoed the challenges of the current crisis, describing how many migrants from Central America are entering the United States without legal protection. He also shared that Cardinal O鈥橫alley reinforced Governor Healey鈥檚 declaration of crisis by urging parishes to help migrants and emphasizing the need for cooperative political and religious immigrant assistance.

The luncheon ended with a thought-provoking question and answer session with Fletcher, Gotbetter, Marakovitz, and the broader audience. One audience member asked how their work is being impacted by the rise of hate groups, referencing a recent event wherein a neo-Nazi group marched in front of Governor Healey鈥檚 house, chanting 鈥渒eep New England white鈥 in opposition to the state鈥檚 immigrant aid. Gotbetter and Marakovitz recognized the challenges this hatred poses to their work; they explained how their organizations have needed to add new safety measures and shift the strategies they use to protect and support immigrants and their advocates. Gotbetter acknowledged the irony of these security challenges, as their work aims to 鈥渨elcome the stranger,鈥 but practical security measures such as locking doors and having police attend events can hinder the practice of this scriptural imperative.

"Loving the Stranger: Christian and Jewish Responses to Migration in the United States"
Owen Fletcher, md传媒国产剧 College '25
Mark S. Massa, S.J., Professor of Theology and Director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, md传媒国产剧 College
November 1, 2023

Owen Fletcher and Prof. Mark Massa, S.J. discuss Owen鈥檚 year-long research project 鈥淟oving the Stranger: Christian and Jewish Responses to Migration in the United States鈥 (funded by the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning鈥檚 Student Internship Program). Prof. Massa served as the project advisor.