Seamstress from Syria

Amina and her husband, Kurdish Syrians, owned and operated a mini market in Aleppo, Syria, but when government bombs started raining down near their home, they grabbed their baby and two young children and fled on a tourist visa to the only country they could— Malaysia. Their visa expired after three months, forcing them to live underground, sharing small apartments with three and four other families, with no running water or electricity and no education for their children. Amina borrowed a sewing machine to earn money; her husband made kabobs in a restaurant, but there was no future for them there, yet the war continued in Syria. Amina’s mother and two sisters died during the war, while she couldn’t get home to be with them.

After four years, a U.N. organization helping Burmese refugees guided them in applying for refugee status in the U.S. They waited and prayed for many months for approval. In 2017, Jewish volunteers welcomed them at J.F.K. Airport, having found them a home, jobs, and support. Amina, once taught to hate Jews, was stunned that Jews would help Syrians; she was deeply moved by their kindness.