December 16, 2019 Refugee Crisis in Tijuana

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We’ve all heard about the tragedy unfolding along the Mexican-USA border. This is an opportunity to hear in-person from someone who was just there.
Dr. Alan Lobovits, a Newton-based pediatrician, recently returned from 2 weeks volunteering in Tijuana, Mexico, where he was performing exams and caring for sick refugee children in makeshift facilities, including in the middle of a construction site. He’ll describe the overall situation that he witnessed in the city and how people just like us are coping with life trapped in unimaginable circumstances.

Alan was volunteering for the Regional Health Alliance, a new, all-volunteer organization of health care professionals in Southern California — doctors, nurses, acupuncturists, mental health practitioners — who cross the border to provide desperately needed medical help in this human tragedy. Alan will describe the circumstances under which this remarkable group carries out their lifesaving work.

Alan also was a regular volunteer companion with the Newton Sanctuary Collaborative, a joint initiative of twelve churches and synagogues that provided sanctuary protection for a refugee family at risk of deportation. His experience in Tijuana will add an entirely new dimension to our understanding of this man-made crisis engulfing our continent.

Co-sponsored by Hebrew College and the Newton Centre Minyan