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This organization hired asylum seekers to pack Passover goods for Jews in need
(New York Jewish Week) — At a warehouse in Borough Park, thousands of apples were waiting to be taken off two 18-wheelers, as dozens of volunteers were hard at work putting groceries into bags.
The scene was one part of a massive $1.5 million operation undertaken every year by Masbia, an Orthodox organization that helps provide kosher food for low-income people, to distribute food for Passover to 10,000 families.
But this week, the Passover initiative differed from those of previous years. That’s because most of the people in the warehouse were migrants, the majority of whom were bused to New York from Texas during the past year. Because they are undocumented, they lack work permits, and for many of them, working in Masbia’s warehouse is their first job in the city.
Masbia was one of many organizations to welcome migrants who came from Texas when they arrived at the Port Authority last year, providing them with new shoes to replace pairs that may have broken down during long treks through jungles and other dangerous areas. The group’s executive director, Alex Rappaport, sees employing a group of migrants as another way to help them find their footing in the city.
“Sometimes, you need to turn over every stone to find a way to help people,” Rappaport told the New York Jewish Week.
Passover is the busiest time for Masbia, with hundreds of pallets of food coming in daily to the organization’s three warehouses in Brooklyn and Queens. At Masbia’s Borough Park location, boxes of potatoes and onions lined the sidewalk and stretched down the block. Inside the garage were piles of other Passover goods, stacked two stories high. Volunteers were busy picking produce off the shelves and putting it into bags for delivery drivers who were waiting near the entrance. The operation starts in December, and food distribution begins two weeks before Passover, which starts next Wednesday night.
“These people should have been given work permits,” Rappaport said. “They’re here, ready, willing and able to do beautiful work.”
Masbia CEO Alex Rappaport in front of a truck full of apples in Borough Park, Brooklyn on March 29, 2023. (Jacob Henry)
Rappaport combined the work with a touch of advocacy: Some of the volunteers working alongside the migrants were Jewish high school students, and Rappaport overheard one of them say that “illegal immigrants” were working there. He gathered high schoolers together and began to hold court.
“These people who are working are asylum seekers,” Rappaport told the teens. “They are fully designated as an asylum seeker, meaning to say, they are fully legal, because they have a day in court.”
Rappaport went on to discuss how if a person jaywalks, they are technically breaking the law, but are not referred to as “an illegal.”
“There’s never a person that turns into ‘an illegal,’” Rappaport said. “The term is just a very bad term. A person might not have documents, but these are people coming from the border who are looking for a new future. It’s an opportunity. They asked for asylum.”
The opportunity Masbia is providing comes via a partnership with La Colmena, a nonprofit that helps find jobs for day laborers, domestic workers and low-wage immigrant workers in from Staten Island.
Kimberly Vega, the workforce manager of La Colmena, told the New York Jewish Week that the group saw “an influx of asylum seekers” that began in August and is still ongoing. Vega has a list of 190 workers looking for jobs. Masbia provided work for 15.
“We’re facing this crisis at the moment,” Vega said. “We have the amount of workers, but we don’t have the jobs. They face all these challenges because they don’t have a permit or any documentation, so we’re very thankful for this opportunity that came up through Masbia.”
Vega added that many of the workers are staying in homeless shelters provided by the city in Staten Island. Many of the workers drop their kids off at school in the morning, then come to Brooklyn to work throughout the day. “They got shipped on a bus, arrived here and were transported to a shelter,” Vega said.
According to NPR, it’s estimated that up to 50,000 migrants were moved to New York over the past year by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, called Abbott’s actions “inhumane.”
In a New York Post op-ed published last August, Abbott wrote that Adams was hypocritical for calling New York a sanctuary city, then complained about the new arrivals.
On Twitter, Adams’ press secretary Fabian Levy wrote that the mayor is “welcoming asylum seekers with open arms.”
Vega said the migrants working at the Masbia warehouse were being paid based on a law that has been used to help undocumented workers earn income. According to the State Department of Labor, nonprofits may give volunteers stipends or reimbursements. Therefore, Vega said, even though a migrant worker is only a volunteer, they can still be paid by a nonprofit organization. Masbia and La Colmena would not disclose how much the workers were being paid.
Asylum seekers working at a Masbia warehouse in Brooklyn on March 29, 2023. (Jacob Henry)
Gledys, 30, a migrant working at the warehouse, told the New York Jewish Week that she came to New York from Venezuela after being bussed here from Texas last October.
Gledys, who did not give her full name for fear of her family being harmed, said through a translator that when she was living in Venezuela, “There’s a certain political view that everyone has to have.”
“If you even think differently, you can’t even speak amongst your community, because then they will turn on you,” Gledys said. “My husband was a police officer there, and because of that reason, we had to leave.”
When she arrived in New York, Gledys said she was “hit with the reality that it’s hard to find a job because you need certain permits.”
“I’m working really hard [at Masbia] and hoping this will open my doors,” Gledys said. “They’ll be able to see that I’m a hard worker and [I will] gain experience for more opportunities to open up.”
She added that she was thankful that her children were able to begin attending public school only a few days after she arrived. The city also helped provide daycare for her.
“No other country has done that,” Gledys said. “It’s more than enough. I’m not suffering, and I’m grateful. I’m definitely very hopeful because now I can see a different future for my children, a different future for myself.”
Another worker named Moises, 39, who likewise did not provide his full name due to fear for his family’s safety, said he came to New York from Venezuela via Texas in January after entering immigration custody.
“During those days, we were still cuffed and I was separated from my family,” Moises said. His wife and children eventually made it to New York, and they were reunited.
He said that in Venezuela, inflation was so rampant that he was only making $7 to $10 a week.
“People are really struggling,” Moises said. “There are also a lot of political issues as well. If the community tries to step up and do a protest, you have the military stepping in and shooting directly at civilians. We’re really running away, because we were so scared.”
He said he was worried about how he was going to feed his family, but was also thankful for the help they received when they first arrived, including finding a place to stay in a shelter, and now the job at Masbia.
“I want to feel independent,” Moises said. “With a job like this, I can be more independent. I understand it’s a temporary job, but hopefully in the next couple of months, I can find something that is no longer temporary.”
Rappaport feels that there’s a connection between the migrants’ stories and the holiday they’re helping prepare for because the Jewish people were also strangers in Egypt. “The Bible says, ‘You should love the stranger, the newcomer,’” Rappaport said. “There is that idea of people making a long journey to a promised land. These people went through the jungle.”
He added, “It’s beautiful to connect the Jewish story of Exodus to this story of the challenge of the asylum seekers.
“People take their whole family and go for thousands of miles through very dangerous terrain,” Rapport said. “They must be running from something. It’s not utopia yet, but we’re celebrating some freedom. And they’re still in the middle of their story.”
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The post This organization hired asylum seekers to pack Passover goods for Jews in need appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Congressional Hopeful Michael Blake Seeks to Erase AIPAC Support, Misleads on Past Trips to Israel
Former New York State Assemblyman Michael Blake is running for US Congress in the Democratic primary in New York’s 15th Congressional District. Photo: Screenshot
Michael Blake, a progressive Democrat running for US Congress in New York City, appeared to have recently made misleading statements about the nature of his previous trips to Israel and relationship with AIPAC, the country’s foremost pro-Israel lobbying group.
In Instagram comments, Blake characterized one of his visits to Israel as being done in his capacity as a reverend. Blake visited Israel in 2014 with the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and in 2017 with the AIPAC-affiliated American Israel Education Foundation.
“I attended a trip and spoke at previous events about my faith as an ordained reverend and about the Black & Jewish relationship but haven’t been involved in years,” he posted when asked to clarify his ties to AIPAC, which seeks to foster bipartisan support for the US-Israel alliance.
Blake, a former New York state assemblyman, is running an insurgent left-wing campaign to unseat incumbent US Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres, a staunch supporter of Israel, in the state’s 15th congressional district.
Regarding previous support from AIPAC, Blake said, “Donations would have been minimal in the past.”
Social media screenshot
However, Blake’s social media comments contradict previous documentation about the nature of his trip to Israel and relationship with AIPAC. Although Blake asserted that he visited Israel with an AIPAC-linked group as a reverend, reports indicate that he attended AIPAC events through 2019 and only became ordained as a reverend following his 2020 Democratic primary defeat to Torres.
“The Bronx Democrat then gave up his Assembly seat to fall to Ritchie Torres in a 2020 congressional race. Since then, he’s run his public affairs firm, backed Maya Wiley’s 2021 run for mayor, and got ordained as a reverend,” Politico reported in 2024 in an article on Blake considering a bid at the time for New York City mayor.
Contrary to Blake’s assertions that he only participated with AIPAC as a reverend, the politician participated in multiple AIPAC events, including its annual policy conference in 2017 while serving as vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Skeptics have suggested that Blake invoked religion to minimize progressive blowback over his connections to AIPAC.
Last year, the New York Post first reported that Blake deleted several past social media posts touting his attendance at AIPAC events.
Since announcing his campaign to unseat Torres, Blake has lurched farther left on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in an apparent attempt to court progressive voters. Blake has issued blistering statements condemning Israel of committing a so-called “genocide” in Gaza and vowed to vote against any military aid to the Jewish state.
“I am ready to fight for you and lower your cost of living while Ritchie fights for a Genocide. I will focus on Affordable Housing and Books as Ritchie will only focus on AIPAC and Bibi,” Blake posted on X in a statement last year announcing his candidacy, referencing Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In May 2025, however, during his failed campaign for mayor, Blake walked back his accusations of “genocide” against Israel, claiming that he regretted using the term to characterize the war in Gaza.
“It was wrong language to use,” Blake said, referencing his October 2023 post which accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. He apparently again reversed his stance when launching his congressional bid in New York’s 15th district.
Despite his efforts, Blake’s previous trips to Israel and history of praising the Jewish state have elicited skepticism among left-wing voters in New York City. Progressive critics have pointed to his 2017 speech at the annual AIPAC conference in which he lavished praise on Israel. In 2020, while speaking with Jewish Insider, he compared his experience as an African American to the struggles of Jewish people in Israel.
As the relationship between the Democratic Party and Israel continues to deteriorate following the breakout of the Israel-Hamas war, liberal politicians have continued to recalibrate their approach to Middle Eastern geopolitics. Many ambitious Democratic candidates have staked out positions on Israel more aligned with the far-left, progressive flank of the party, accusing the Jewish state of “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing” while vowing to oppose any arms sales to Jerusalem.
Despite his aggressive overtures to progressives, Blake’s campaign to unseat Torres still remains a longshot. The 15th district encompasses Riverdale, a heavily Jewish and affluent community and hub of pro-Israel activism. Polling suggests that Torres maintains heavy levels of support in his district, placing him among the most popular politicians in the state of New York.
Blake’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
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Indiana University Discloses Institutional Ties to Hamas-Linked Group
Indiana University campus on Dec. 2, 2025. Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters Connect
Indiana University disclosed the results of an internal investigation this week into a controversial partnership with the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, confirming reports that the organization maintains ties to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
In a letter dated April 3 to Indiana state lawmakers, university officials said the inquiry was launched after concerns were raised about the organization’s coordination with the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The review focused on the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative’s connections with the nonprofit group United Mission Relief and Development as well as entities linked with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a militant group from northwest Syria.
Formerly an al-Qaeda affiliate, HTS was proscribed by the US government until last year, when it’s designation as a foreign terrorist group was revoked.
Indiana University’s Muslim Philanthropy Initiative (MPI) operates as part of the school’s philanthropy school. MPI focuses on research, education, and professional training related to Muslim philanthropic traditions, an area it describes as historically underexamined in academic and nonprofit sectors.
The initiative offers workshops on fundraising and philanthropic leadership, with an emphasis on Islamic and Muslim charitable practices. Since its founding, MPI says it has trained more than 3,500 nonprofit professionals across more than 30 countries, disseminating programming which includes webinars and an annual symposium dedicated to contemporary Muslim philanthropy and civil society. The initiative’s stated mission is to equip nonprofit leaders, organizations, and communities with research and practical tools to better understand and develop Muslim philanthropy.
According to the university’s findings, the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative worked in 2025 with United Mission for Relief and Development to organize training sessions in Istanbul and Indonesia. That organization recommended Hayat Yolu as a local partner. At the time, according to the university, staff relied on assurances that the group was legitimate and conducted its own limited vetting.
However, on March 12, the US Treasury Department designated Hayat Yolu, effectively barring Americans from engaging in transactions with the organization. The designation raised alarm about the university’s prior involvement, even though the trainings occurred months earlier. The department also issued a statement describing Hayat Yolu as one of three Turkish nonprofit organizations that “have provided significant material support to Hamas.”
According to the statement, overseas “sham charities” such as Hayat Yolu are a “key element” in how Hamas fundraises. The department added that the group provides banking and financial support for the Muslim Brotherhood, some of whose branches have been designated as terrorist groups.
Indiana University stressed that its Office of the General Counsel determined no state or federal laws were violated, noting that all activity predated the Treasury prohibiting American involvement with the group. The university also stated it immediately ceased any engagement once the designation was announced and suspended related programming.
Still, the findings highlight what critics may see as a troubling lapse in judgment at a time when US institutions face increasing scrutiny over indirect links to extremist networks. Pro-Israel advocates and national security analysts have long warned that charitable and educational partnerships can be exploited by actors connected to terrorism, particularly in regions where oversight is limited.
The university itself acknowledged shortcomings in its report. Investigators found that Indiana University relied too heavily on decentralized vetting processes and government lists, rather than conducting deeper, centralized due diligence on high-risk international partnerships.
In response, Indiana University outlined a series of reforms aimed at preventing similar situations. These include expanding the authority of its Research Security Office, implementing stricter review procedures for international partnerships, and requiring additional training for faculty and staff involved in global programs.
The university is also reviewing oversight of the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative specifically, including whether to integrate its activities more closely into other institutional structures to ensure tighter control.
Indiana state Rep. Andrew Ireland spearheaded the effort to probe MPI and expressed appreciation for the university taking steps to address the issue.
BIG UPDATE: After our letter demanding answers, Indiana University confirmed its Muslim Philanthropy Initiative partnered with and accepted travel benefits from a Hamas-linked “sham charity.”
Now IU is:
halting all training activities and new partnerships
— Andrew Ireland (@AndrewIrelandIN) April 6, 2026
The episode comes amid heightened sensitivity in the United States over any institutional ties to organizations operating in conflict zones or linked to extremist groups hostile to the US, Israel and their allies. While the university maintains it acted in good faith based on the information available at the time, the case underscores how quickly reputational and security risks can emerge.
Indiana University officials said they are committed to ensuring future partnerships “demonstrate transparency and integrity.”
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Zelenskyy Marks Passover With Jewish Leaders, Receives First Ukrainian-Language Torah
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds the first-ever Ukrainian-language Torah while meeting with rabbis and Jewish community leaders to celebrate Passover, honoring the resilience of Jewish communities amid the ongoing war. Photo: Screenshot
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with rabbis and other Jewish leaders from across the country to celebrate Passover, receiving the first-ever Ukrainian-language Torah and honoring the enduring strength of Jewish communities amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
On Monday, Zelenskyy met with members of Ukraine’s Jewish community for the annual Passover celebration, the fifth held amid Russia’s ongoing invasion. He honored the holiday, which commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from Egypt, and praised the community’s courage and resilience in the face of war.
“Today, this is very important for Ukraine. Freedom is what we are fighting for as a nation, and we are grateful for your support — not only of your communities but of our people and our state. Your solidarity matters greatly,” Zelenskyy said.
On the occasion of Passover, I met with rabbis from Ukrainian cities and representatives of Jewish communities.
Passover is about the triumph of freedom. This is exactly what all of Ukraine is fighting for today. I thanked the Jewish community for standing united with us in this… pic.twitter.com/eyAzmcRR1g
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 6, 2026
Despite the immense challenges facing Ukraine, Meier Stambler, head of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU), emphasized that the country’s statehood and freedom remain intact and that the Jewish community will continue praying and working toward the nation’s ultimate victory.
“Freedom begins within each of us, and we are proud to live in Ukraine during this challenging time. It is an honor to be part of this country, having built our lives and families here, and we remain confident in a just peace and true victory,” Stambler said.
Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Asman also emphasized the nation’s resilience and hope, urging Ukrainians to stay united in the face of the ongoing war.
“The war will end, and there will be a victory for Ukraine. God bless us. All regimes must fall – and then the entire axis of evil will crumble,” Asman said.
On Passover, the FJCU, together with Chabad emissaries — religious representatives of the global Hasidic movement — provided matzah and holiday kits to over 50,000 Jewish households across Ukraine and organized dozens of large public Seders that drew large crowds.