Whereas Torah commands protection of the vulnerable—especially the ger (most properly translated as immigrant)¹“You shall not oppress an immigrant” (Ex. 23:9) and “The immigrant who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens… you shall love him as yourself” (Lev. 19:33–34); and

Whereas Torah and Prophets demand truthfulness as a covenantal obligation: “Keep far from a false matter” (Ex. 23:7) ; “You shall not deal deceitfully or falsely with one another” (Lev. 19:11–12) ; and “Speak the truth to one another” (Zech. 8:16); and

Whereas Jewish tradition insists that power be bound by justice—“Justice, justice shall you pursue” (Deut. 16:20)—and that public speech which distorts reality to justify harm violates the covenant of emet (truth) and endangers innocent life.²; and 

Whereas The Rabbinical Assembly was a signatory to the “Jewish Cross-Denominational Statement Against Violent Immigration Enforcement”³ of January, 2026;

Therefore be it resolved that the Rabbinical Assembly affirms a Movement standard of Emet and Tzedek: The movement adopts a clear communal standard that Jewish public leadership must be consistent with Torah obligations toward the ger, due process, human dignity (tzelem Elohim), and truth-telling (emet), especially when state power is exercised against vulnerable populations; and 

Be it further resolved that the Rabbinical Assembly encourages colleagues to use their influence: to teach, advocate, and advise members of our communities involved in public leadership surrounding immigration policy and enforcement. Particularly to remind them of our values in treating the stranger with dignity and reminding them as well of our long history as refugees and immigrants; and 

Be it further resolved that as the moral voice of the Jewish community, we encourage colleagues to: speak publicly, write op-eds, form/join local coalitions, and gather support for immigrants, refugees, and targeted minority populations. Additionally, many in these communities are frightened, intimidated, and feel alone. They are scared to go grocery shopping, to work, to school, for medical care, to seek financial/social services, and to attend court hearings out of fear of being detained or deported without due process. Therefore, we encourage our colleagues to: help in the efforts to deliver food, accompaniment to hearings, educational access for children, and many other means of outreach and compassion; and  

Be it further resolved that the Rabbinical Assembly commits to dignified, nonviolent enforcement of this Resolution: The movement supports implementation through nonviolent, respectful communal processes—explicitly rejecting harassment, threats, doxxing, or dehumanization—so that our response models the very Jewish values we seek to defend.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/22/opinion/immigrants-religion-bible-politics.html

[2] Psalms 64:3-4; Jeremiah 9:8; Proverbs 25:18; Proverbs 12:18

[3] https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/story/jewish-cross-denominational-statement-against-violent-immigration-enforcement