From Kabul to White Plains: One Family's Journey
On Saturday, December 1, the Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle (member of the Interfaith Council for New Americans Westchester and the Westchester Refugee Initiative) invited a resettled refugee to speak to the congregation for 20 minutes during services, which was followed by a Q&A after Kiddush. Fardin and his family came to the U.S. through the SIV program and were resettled in Westchester with the help of ICNAW and HIAS. Below is an excerpt from his speech:
"Let me tell you a little about us. I am from Kabul in Afghanistan, and my wife’s family is from Herat, a northern province. For five years I worked for a subcontractor to the U.S. Army. My job was to supply materials and equipment to the soldiers across 13 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. In addition, I acted as an interpreter for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. I listened to what was being said on the radio and TV and reported the information to the Embassy. I also worked to bring Afghani soldiers closer together by teaching Pashtu those who spoke Dari, and Dari to those that spoke Pashtu.
Five years ago the Taliban labeled me a traitor for working with the U.S. Army and U.S. Embassy, and issued a death decree. For two years they hunted both me and my family.
We had to move several times as each time we moved they found out where we lived. It was difficult to live any kind of a normal life, and my wife and I were in constant fear for the lives of our children. We did not send our oldest child to school for fear that he would not make it home. Friends of mine, who had also worked for the U.S. Army, were killed by the Taliban, and I narrowly escaped death at the American University, where I was studying for a business degree. It was bombed shortly after I had left the school’s library. It was only luck that my wife wanted me home early that day.
It became clear that we could not stay in our country any longer, and so I applied for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) to come to America. The vetting process took another two years. Finally, a little over a year ago we arrived at JFK airport after a long 36-hour journey."
"We had no idea what to expect when we arrived. We did not know where we would live or how we would survive in a new country. To our surprise, we were met by Jeff Swarz and Jane Dixon at the airport and taken to a fully furnished apartment where a whole group of very happy people was waiting for us, many from this synagogue. It was incredibly emotional and we were overwhelmed with joy.
Much has happened since that day. My children are now enrolled in school and all speak English fluently. My oldest son plays soccer and flag football. My youngest goes to nursery school at Temple Israel Center. Who knew. My wife is learning English and takes a computer literacy class, and will soon be giving Afghani cooking lessons thanks to Barbara Birshtein, and I have a job with a commercial real estate firm thanks to Susan Wolman. And my children have gained dozens of aunts, uncles, and grandparents."
"More importantly, I am not afraid to open the door in the morning or walk out on the streets. I am not afraid to send my children to school. I am not always looking over my shoulder to see if someone is stalking me. It took me a few months to adjust to this new life, but I can relax and breathe again. And my children can grow and flourish.
After a few weeks I asked Jeff what I should do, how can I repay everyone who helped me and my family, and he said: “Be a good citizen, and use your new life to do good for others."
And so I will.
Shabbat Shalom.”