Upper West Side Synagogue Hosts Christmas Party For Asylum Seekers

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — An Upper West Side synagogue helped spread some holiday cheer on Sunday by hosting a Christmas party for asylum seekers from South America.

Organized and hosted by the SAJ Synagogue at 15 W. 86th St., more than 100 asylum seeker families spent their Christmas opening presents, listening to music, talking with Santa, and enjoying food in the Upper West Side house of worship.

"Another important element of this party is most of the people in this room do not have access to hot food. They're staying in shelters," Allison Spitz of SAJ Synagogue told ABC7. "They're staying in with their whole family in a hotel room ad they're getting an amazing home cooked meal."

The majority of the families in attendance were from Venezuela and Ecuador.

Team TLC, which helps migrants settle into the city once they get off the bus at Port Authority, also played in part in organizing and hosting the event.

Upper West Side Council Member Gale Brewer and former Manhattan Borough President and Upper West Side Council Member Ruth Messinger were also in attendence.

“When none of the churches could be available on Christmas, well, the synagogues naturally stepped up, since we don’t celebrate Christmas,” Messinger told The New York Times.

There were dozens of volunteers working the event.

You can check out a variety of great photos from the Christmas party on the New York Time's website.