Jewish Geography
government to secure land for a cemetery. Now, Andorra has gotten its first full-time rabbi. The Chabad-Lubavitch Ha- sidic movement announced Kuty Kalmenson’s appoint- ment in December at its annual conference for emissaries. Kal- menson and his family— his wife Rochel and their five chil- dren — had until recently been living in Ningbo, China, a city of more than 9 million south of Shanghai, but left because there were no longer Jews living or visiting there. Their arrival to Andorra in- creased the number of Jews liv- ing in that country by perhaps 10 percent. Last summer, locals told JTA that the official Jew- ish community, which operates a cultural centre in an under- ground office building to side- step the prohibition on syna- gogues, had 73 members. Kalmenson, who is taking over leadership at the cultur- al centre, told Chabad.org that he believed the actual number of Jews living in Andorra to be substantially higher — perhaps 250 among a total population of around 80,000. In addition to helping locals obtain kosher food, receive Jew- ish education, and fulfill other commandments under Jewish law, Kalmenson’s duties include serving Jewish travelers to the principality. Last year, roughly 10 million people visited Andor- ra, drawn by its luxury duty-free shopping and ski resorts. “We hope to bring everyone togeth- er,” Kalmenson said, “the vet- eran community members and those who’ve never been in- volved in Jewish life before.” JTA
POLITICS AMERICAN JEWISH GROUPS STRUGGLE TO ADDRESS SHIFTS IN IMMIGRATION POLICY by ANDREW LAPIN
THE MOOD WAS bittersweet re- cently when Rabbi Dan Kaiman headed to the local airport to welcome an Afghan refugee about to be reunited with her sister. The arrival would add to a string of happy reunions facil- itated by his synagogue, Con- gregation B’nai Emunah in Tul- sa, Oklahoma, but Kaiman also knew that the experience was likely to be the last of its kind, at least for years, as the Trump ad- ministration prepared to cut off refugee admissions. Two days later, the government indeed froze all refugee resettlement grants, which the synagogue re- lied on to fund its work. “It’s a gut-wrenching, impossible di-
rective that we’re all still trying to figure out,” Kaiman said after the order was announced. Now, Kaiman and his com- munity are regrouping to see how they can help immigrants and refugees at a time when the president has moved swift- ly against them. Mark Hetfield, the president of HIAS, the Jew- ish immigration aid and advoca- cy organization, says the speed and callousness with which Trump carried out the refugee cuts have been shocking—and placed new pressure on groups like his. “We are the ones who have to deliver the news to the families here that were wait- ing for their loved ones, who’ve
Jews For Racial and Economic Justice rallies with coalition partners at New York’s City Hall to demand New York remain a “sanctuary city” in the face of an immigration crackdown.
20 SPRING 2025
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