Celebrating 10 Years

as a Sponsorship
Agreement Holder

Ten years ago, the Canadian government granted JIAS the authority to sponsor refugees directly through Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) status.

What followed was not a program, but a movement.

Since 2015, more than 1,000 sponsorships have been made possible. Yet the real story lies beyond the numbers—in the families who escaped war and rebuilt their lives; the volunteers who stepped forward and were forever changed; and the schools, synagogues, and neighbourhoods that found new purpose in welcoming others.

This is what it means to truly ‘Welcome the Stranger’.

Ten Stories, One Decade of Welcome

The School That Stepped Up

They met once, made a plan, and set a goal to raise $36,000 within two weeks to support a family for one year upon arrival - double chai, a symbol of life in Hebrew and good luck. No committees. No hesitation. Just momentum.

Nazer’s Fight for Truth and Freedom

When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, the first casualty wasn’t a person. It was the truth. But in the new Afghanistan, truth had no place. Journalists were arrested without charge, held without explanation, and left to die in prison.

Faisal's Promise

When Faisal was eighteen, childhood ended. His mother had already been taken by cancer. Then the Taliban took his father's life. Overnight, he became an orphan and the sole protector of four younger siblings—just 11, 14, 15, and 16 years old.

Becoming the Advocate He Once Needed

In Eritrea, Tesfazgi had never seen people speak up for themselves, let alone for others. However, in Israel, he encountered people protecting the rights of asylum seekers and learned that advocacy didn't require power—only purpose and a willingness to act.

The Family That Changed a Shul

JIAS identified the family's dire situation. However, to sponsor them, a uniquely positioned group of volunteers would be needed to provide support and assurance funds to cover the expenses for this large family. That was when JIAS approached City Shul.

A Different Ending – Together

“...Everyone deserves a second chance, and we need to see supporting refugees as giving an opportunity.” Bari’s words echo the heart of this story — a story of shared humanity, enduring connection, and mutual respect.

Aleefa’s Journey To Safety

Aleefa’s journey began in Syria, where civil war raged and ISIS extremists made daily life dangerous. While visiting their grandmother, her children heard the screams of a person who was attacked by ISIS. Aleefa knew she had to get her family out.

A Relentless Fight For Family

In 2015, during a wave of unimaginable terror in Syria, seven members of Thanaa Sarif's extended family were beheaded by ISIS extremists in their own home. Within days, her three sisters and their children fled to Turkey, escaping with nothing but the shirts on their backs.

The Wait – The Story of Samanthi

For Samanthi, freedom was a slow, relentless ticking of days that turned into decades. In 2004, while expecting her second child, life in Sri Lanka became too dangerous. She paid an agent to help her family escape to Hong Kong, where people could enter on a 30-day visa.

The List, and the Woman Behind It

Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto has a list. A simple opt-in email list. But over time, The List became a lifeline for families starting over, and a map to finding who can help within one community's unshakable commitment to supporting refugees coming to Canada with dignity.

Our work continues.

Join us in turning compassion into action- again and again.

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