The Charlotte Jewish News- Janurary 2026- Page 22
Welcoming the Stranger: A New Year’ s Call to Presence, Protection, and Community
By Mara Cobe
As we enter 2026, greater Charlotte continues to experience extraordinary growth alongside new and evolving challenges. Families have been moving to the area in increasing numbers, seeking connection and stability. In recent months, U. S. Border Patrol and other federal agencies conducted immigration enforcement operations across the region, leaving many residents, including newcomers and long-time neighbors, feeling anxious and uncertain.
In moments like these, the Jewish mandate to hachnasat orchim or welcome the stranger becomes not only relevant, but essential. The Torah commands us 36 times to love, protect, and welcome the stranger or newcomer. Our sages understood those individuals on the margins are uniquely vulnerable. This Jewish responsibility is timeless, but for many community members, it has felt particularly urgent considering these events. A Timely Local Moment This activity prompted concern not only in Charlotte, N. C., but in nearby Fort Mill, SC, where numerous residents commute across the state line for work and school. While immigration enforcement is not new, its visibility in the last months created a heightened sense of vulnerability for families, especially those with mixed or uncertain immigration statuses. For the Jewish community, which knows intimately the experience of being strangers in new lands, this has been a powerful reminder of the importance of showing up for our neighbors. How Our Neighbors Are
Bearing Witness
Across the region, residents responded with compassion, creativity, and care. Their efforts remained non-confrontational, rooted in safety, and grounded in Jewish teachings about protecting the vulnerable. Whistle Networks Some neighborhoods introduced simple whistle alerts to let families know when unfamiliar enforcement activity might be occurring nearby. The intention was not to interfere but rather to ensure no one was caught off guard, especially during schoolday routines. Recording from a Distance Following guidance from national civil rights organizations, many residents began recording interactions with federal officers from safe public distances. These videos helped to ensure transparency for all parties and provided documentation if any misunderstandings occurred.
Supporting Children at Schools and Bus Stops
The strongest community response focused on protecting children. These small acts of presence as well as kindness created powerful moments of safety and solidarity. Parents, neighbors, and teachers alike stepped forward to support families with a calm adult presence— standing watch at bus stops, accompanying children to and from school, and helping them navigate busy pickup areas.
What Jewish Tradition Teaches Us in Times Like
These
Jewish texts offer a clear, ethical roadmap for moments like these. In Sotah 14a, the Talmud teaches:“ Just as the Holy One loves the stranger … so must you love the stranger.” Our tradition is clear; hospitality is not passive; it demands movement, attention, and moral imagination. Even more striking is the teaching in Shabbat 127a:“ Welcoming guests is greater than welcoming the Divine Presence.” We measure holiness through how we treat those who feel unseen or unsafe. These are simple acts, yet they embody our deepest Jewish values. In our community, this has looked like:
• Offering companionship and practical support from giving a ride to standing with children at the bus stop.
• Checking in on neighbors who feel anxious or uncertain.
• Welcoming newcomers with hospitality, such as inviting them for Shabbat or connecting them with organizations that support arriving families.
Local Resources and Ways to Engage
Jewish Family Services of Greater Charlotte: Programs supporting newcomers, families, and mental-health needs; volunteer opportunities.
HIAS: Jewish-led refugee and immigrant support; online learning resources about the mitzvah of welcoming the stranger.
Welcoming Charlotte Resettlement Resources: Organizations offering local support, rights education, and more.
Fort Mill & Charlotte School
The People Who Shape Us
By Jonathan Shaw
Around the world, someone becomes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah every day. It’ s a milestone marking the moment when a young person steps into the responsibilities of Jewish adulthood. At Temple Kol Ami, when our young members reach this point, we make sure they truly understand the significance of the commitment they are accepting.
One of the first questions we ask is simple yet profound:“ Are you ready to take responsibility for your actions?” Stepping onto the bimah and reading from the Torah is a sacred and memorable experience. Yet as meaningful as that moment is, it is ultimately the actions we take in life that tell the real story of who we are.
To answer the question of who we are, we must first consider how we got here. Certainly, our environment and inherent traits play a role. But we cannot overlook the powerful influence of our teachers, our mentors, and most importantly our parents. Growing up Jewish means growing up curious; we learn by asking questions and by exploring. And it is the people around us who shape that exploration more than anything else.
As a parent of two, I see this every day. My children have distinct personalities and strengths. One gravitates toward art, music, and caring for young children. The other is an accomplished, competitive musician with a passion for math and science. They were raised in the same home, with the same parents and strong mentors, yet they have grown into wonderfully different individuals.
We are commanded to honor our parents. But perhaps we should also consider honoring
Communities: Countless PTOs and parent groups organized safe-walk programs and family support networks. A Call to Action in 2026 Pirkei Avot teaches:“ It is not the learning that matters, but the doing.” In the year ahead, each of us can bring this mitzvah to life by:
• Welcoming newcomers by introducing ourselves in synagogue or school and inviting them to join us for Shabbat.
• Offering steady support to neighbors who may be feeling anxious or uncertain.
• Joining volunteer efforts that meet real needs in our community.
• Studying the texts that ground this mitzvah and sharing those conversations with our children.
Welcoming the stranger has always been a core Jewish value. This year, it is also an essential practice for strengthening the fabric of our community. In a
all those who have taken the time to guide us, those who answered our questions, supported us in moments of need, and nudged us forward on our path. Ironically, it is often the people closest to us who receive the least outward appreciation. It’ s not that we lack respect for them; rather, we sometimes find it easier to argue with those we love than with a stranger. At times we may treat the cashier at the grocery store more courteously than the very people we’ re buying groceries for.
Learning and growth do not move in only one direction. As much as we teach our children and those around us, we must also remember those who have taught us. We should pause to reflect on the moments when someone offered a lesson that helped us grow, gave us guidance, set us on the right path, or simply answered the questions that mattered most. These individuals deserve our gratitude and our honor.
time of uncertainty, every act of compassion becomes a declaration: You are seen. You matter. You are not alone. And this is precisely where holiness begins.
Temple Solel is a small, inclusive Reform congregation in Fort Mill, SC. For more information, visit our website, templesolelsc. org, email info @ templesolelsc. org, or call( 803) 610-1707.
And perhaps we can also ask ourselves: Did we find them? Did they find us? Or was it part of a greater plan, something beyond us that brought us together? As we guide the next generation toward responsibility and purpose, may we also remember those who guided us. Their lessons stay with us, shaping not only who we are, but who we strive to become.