Through the closing door
A handful of Syrian refugees began arriving in Boston in recent months, welcomed by volunteers from local Jewish temples. Deep uncertainties remain, and fears too, but new life is taking root. Editor’s Note: Some names have been changed to protect the subjects’ privacy.--By Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff
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The exhaused Hayani family arrived at Logan Airport on Jan. 18 and headed to baggage claim. Two-year old Ameeneh slept in her mother’s arms. A handful of Syrian refugees began arriving in Boston in recent months, welcomed by volunteers from local Jewish temples. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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A donated snowsuit hung in a closet waiting for a Syrian refugee child to wriggle in to it. This is the house where the Hayani family of Syrian refugees will live in Framingham. Some members of Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley get a house ready for a family of six from Syria. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Nermin Helaly, a lead case manager for the Jewish Family Service of Metrowest (JFS) Syrian Refugee Humanitarian Project, greeted Um Alnoor with a giant hug on Nov. 15. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Tension and stress showed on the face of JFS case manager Nermin Helaly as she filled the refrigerator on Jan. 11 for a Syrian refugee family whose arrival was suddenly postponed. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Five-year-old Alnoor had just arrived at Logan Airport from a 24-hour journey from Jordan. He and his parents are Syrian refugees, and they were the first family to be settled locally by Jewish Family Service of Metrowest. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff)
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Um Alnoor got a reassuring hug from JFS lead case manager Nermin Helaly when she became emotional at the baggage claim. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Windows were checked for safety by JFS staff member Rand Imad Chaqmaqchee on Jan. 11 in the Framingham apartment for the next Syrian refugee family. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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A young boy carried the balloons given to him as two new Syrian refugee families arrived in one night at Logan Airport on Jan. 18. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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The exhausted Hayani family arrived at Logan Airport on Jan. 18. Two-year-old Ameeneh was helped by Barbara Shapiro as the family collected their luggage. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Fifteen-year-old Samantha Shapiro, daughter of Ed and Barbara Shapiro, brought donated baby equipment into the dining room of the empty apartment on Dec. 11. Volunteers from Temple Beth Elohim, working with JFS, stocked an apartment with baby supplies for the next Syrian refugee family set to arrive in a few weeks. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Ed Shapiro greeted the Hayani family and shook the hand of Mustafa, 9, at Logan Airport. Barbara Shapiro held one of the sleeping children. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Mattresses donated by Bob’s Discount Furniture and movers donated by Mark’s Moving arrived at the house where the Hayani family will be staying, organized by some members of Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Members of Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley carried household items into the home they prepared for a family of six Syrian refugees. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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JFS staffers Nermin Helaly and Daniel Woodward went over a checklist of items to be set up, including making sure smoke detectors were installed and working. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Translator Daniel Woodward from JFS helped Abdulkader Hayani learn how to dial 911 on his cellphone the night he arrived in Framingham. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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The Hayani family arrived at their new Framingham home in the middle of the night, carrying their sleeping children inside. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Abdulkader Hayani, in the first moments of arriving at his new home in the middle of the night, put his daughter Ameeneh to bed. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Mustafa, 9, (right) and Ali, 8, Hayani saw their new bedroom for the first time. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Mustafa checked out the kitchen cabinets of his new home. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Abdulkader and his daughter Ameeneh, 2, played while a volunteer from the Temple Beth Elohim helps set up their computer. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Marc Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer at JFS, became emotional as he addressed his staff the day after the world learned of President Trump’s intent to ban all Syrian refugees. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Bonnie Rosenberg, a volunteer from Temple Beth Elohim, entertains Mustafa Hayani during a visit to his elementary school. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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Abdulkader Hayani got to work on a donated sewing machine and repaired a pair of his daughter’s pants. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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The resettlement agency staff wait for a family with stuffed animals and the fear that this family could be the last to enter the US after President Trump’s executive order on immigrants. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)
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The first Syrian refugee family to be welcomed by JFS in the MetroWest area settled into their new life. Abu and Um Alnoor walked their 5-year-old son, Alnoor, to his school bus stop. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)