A year ago, eight Syrian families fled the violence of their homeland and immigrated to Greater Boston. They were among the last such refugees allowed into the United States as a result of the Trump administration’s multiple efforts to ban immigrants from certain majority Muslim countries, including Syria. To smooth the transition, Jewish Family Service of Metrowest launched the Syrian Refugee Humanitarian Project, working with Jewish synagogues, Islamic centers, doctors, dentists, businesses, and an army of volunteers to provide safety, hope and a new life to these immigrants. The Globe spent the past year following the refugees’ sometimes painful, sometimes joyous journey. From their first steps on American soil, Globe photographer Suzanne Kreiter and reporter Jenna Russell documented their struggles to acclimate to the climate, both meteorological and political; their efforts to adapt to a new culture while preserving their heritage; their determination to achieve self-sufficiency; and the bonds of friendship they forged with people who practice a religion they were taught as children to hate. Photography by Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff -- read more from the series --
At Logan Airport, Nermin Helaly (holding paper), a case manager with the JFS Syrian Humanitarian Project, greeted Um Alnoor with a giant hug in November 2016. The Alnoors were the first of eight Syrian refugee families to arrive before the Trump administration enacted a ban on immigrants from certain Muslim-majority countries, including Syria. (Editor’s note: Some names in this photo gallery have been changed to protect the subjects’ privacy.) (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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