Over the weekend, a shooting incident claimed the lives of 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA. The synagogue shooting was apparently linked to the gunman’s obsession with the work of HIAS, a Jewish nonprofit that provides humanitarian assistance to refugees, and is a partner to the United States government to resettle refugees. Jina Krause-Vilmar, President & CEO of Upwardly Global, offered the following statement:
“There are no words to describe how devastated we are by the violence in Pittsburgh this weekend. Upwardly Global mourns the lives lost. We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community, our HIAS colleagues, and refugees.
Upwardly Global nurtures the potential and promise of all people, regardless of their country of origin, their racial or ethnic background, their religious beliefs. We believe that the diversity of our country is among its greatest assets, and unequivocally denounce actions rooted in violence and hatred. We will continue to work to make the American Dream—equal opportunity for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness—accessible for all people who call this country home.
HIAS has been an important partner in Upwardly Global’s work in the United States. We will continue to support their mission to help refugees find welcome, safety and freedom.”
Upwardly Global, founded in 2000, is the leading nonprofit organization in the U.S. helping work-authorized immigrants and refugees successfully translate their education, skills and previous careers into the U.S. workforce. To date, the organization has trained nearly 14,000 foreign-educated immigrants and has assisted over 5,600 individuals back into their career fields.