Yusur Al Janabi laughed in gentle astonishment, as if the scene itself ought to be answer enough. She was standing in a lobby outside a federal courtroom in downtown Syracuse, holding her 22-day-old infant Helene in her arms. Al Janabi’s husband, Ibraheem Al Mahdi, was at her side while Kate H olmes, a friend who helped with the entire citizenship process, entertained their curious 2-year-old, Mariam, who casually goes 100 miles a minute. Like any couple with tiny children, Al Janabi and Al Mahdi knew they had only a moment or two before their kids would again need their full attention, so I hurried toward what might seem like an obvious question: During last Thursday’s naturalization ceremony at the Federal Building, which peaked when Al Janabi and 33 others recited an oath of allegiance — the centerpiece of a ceremony in which they all officially became U.S. citizens — was there any one moment she found most emotional of all? Al Janabi thought about it for a few seconds, before she said: The song. She was referring to a specific offering by the Natural Katz, an arm of the Harmony Katz, a volunteer acapella organization from Central New York whose civic performances typically raise money to feed the hungry throughout the community. Ibraheem Al Mahdi soothes his young daughter as they wait just outside a federal naturalization ceremony Thursday in downtown Syracuse. Credit: Sean Kirst | Central Current The Natural Katz are a subset of that larger group, created specifically to perform at naturalization ceremonies. Thursday, directed by Lisa Carentz — whose husband Pete is a co-founder of the entire organization — the members did a magnificent version of the National Anthem and closed with a cover of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from “The Lion King,” which in an aching way was exactly the right song to play in that place, at that time. Still, that was not the song Al Janabi referenced. She was thinking of “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor,” put to music by Irving Berlin in 1949, drawn from the sonnet by Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus,” that is enshrined upon the base of the Statue of Liberty. The song is relatively new in the group’s repertoire: Pete Carentz said the Natural Katz had just finished performing at a naturalization ceremony last February when federal Magistrate Judge Mitchell J. Katz approached the singers, with a suggestion. He asked, specifically, if they could add the Berlin number when they do naturalizations. Pete loved the idea. He feels the power in the words: His own great-grandfather came through Ellis Island from Germany and would have seen the statue offering welcome at the gateway to New York City, and Pete had a swift reaction to the judge’s request: “It’s perfect.” So the Natural Katz added it to their selections. They performed it Thursday while Judge Katz looked on from the bench, though — as the judge noted to laughter from the packed courtroom — despite the Katz and Katz coincidence, they are not related. Except if you count the love of the theme. Katz — as in the judge — told the new citizens they now become a living and welcome part of “a never-to-be-completed” American tapestry. That is really the essence of the Lazarus poem about the statue, which describes how the “Mother of Exiles” offers refuge for those who are “tempest-tost” — which is certainly what Al Janabi and Al Mahdi understand about their family story. The other question about intense emotion involved the judge himself, since both Lisa Carentz and Kate Holmes, director of post-refugee resettlement for Catholic Charities of Onondaga County, said they cheerfully wondered about the same thing, beforehand: Could Judge Katz get through this ceremony without choking up? They were pleased to see, as it goes with all naturalization ceremonies they’ve watched Katz oversee, the answer was: No way. Katz, as they predicted, showed multiple flashes of emotion, particularly in his passionate concluding address to the new citizens — a copy of which, as provided by the court, we attach in full at the finale of this piece. Kate Holmes of Catholic Charities of Onondaga County, with an Afghan refugee who helped her when she traveled to a refugee camp in Qatar — an artist who sent her home with a painting that represented the journey from that camp to Syracuse. Credit: Courtesy Kate Holmes The judge told his audience how the Natural Katz added the song on his request. He reflected on how these ceremonies always have great personal meaning, since his own ancestors were part of an immigrant collective that “made good through hard work and pulling together as a community.” He spoke as well to the painful and sometimes conflicted history of national ideals. He described the generational suffering of Africans brought here in chains and to the way Indigenous people were often treated without “dignity and respect” on their own lands. The power and hope of the American experiment, he said, is that “through a sad but true accounting of our history,” we all become a vital part of a “work in progress. We always have been.” Opportunities to elevate the nation “are all around us,” Katz said, and he called upon these new citizens to participate in full. He told them he is “in awe of their courage,” for all they left behind and the uncertainties they face. He spoke of the national imperative for “truthful and thoughtful discussion” – how there is “a lot to gain by simply talking to each other” – thanks to a Constitution that allows for “the right to speak out minds,” but always with a “requirement that we do so peacefully.” Katz concluded — and by now, as Holmes and Carentz had predicted, his voice was cracking and he sometimes had to pause — by quoting from the last speech delivered as president by Ronald Reagan, before he left office in 1989: “We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people — our strength — from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so, we continuously renew and enrich our nation. While other countries cling to the stale past, here in America we breathe life into dreams. We create the future, and the world follows us into tomorrow.” The passion in the judge’s delivery was of no surprise to Holmes, who was joined at the ceremony by Roula Jneid, a colleague and a fellow Catholic Charities director for refugee services. Holmes often attends naturalization ceremonies, simply to see if any of the thousands of people she has helped over the years happen to be there to take the oath, and she is a frequent witness to just how much Katz feels the whole event. Thursday, she was also there out of concern, after hearing how federal immigration authorities had halted or postponed other naturalization ceremonies — and how in some cases, candidates who had already completed a lengthy qualifying process were barred from taking the oath, at the last minute, because of their countries of origin. Holmes is intensely familiar with the amount of sheer work it takes to become a citizen, and she is protective of the families that come through the Northside CYO, where Catholic Charities immigration workers have offices. Many of us, Holmes said, would struggle to pass the detailed nature of the citizenship test. Thinking of all of it, she wanted to be sure eligible and scheduled candidates did not face any obstacles Thursday when it was time to take the oath. Once at the courthouse, once Katz began the ceremony and everything was rolling, she settled back to appreciate the meaning of the gathering. The jubilation and relief of the 34 new citizens served as affirmation of what Holmes and Jneid experience every day at their job — how these new Americans, circumstances often shaped by unimaginable tragedy, swiftly become grateful and diligent members of their new communities. The program from Thursday’s naturalization ceremony, in Syracuse. Credit: Sean Kirst | Central Current “It’s awesome,” Holmes said. She reacted with particular surprise and joy upon seeing Al Janabi, whom Holmes had not realized part of that morning’s celebration. She knows the family well: Holmes helped Al Janabi’s husband, Al Mahdi, as he went through the family reunification applications that allowed his wife to travel from Iraq and settle in Syracuse. As for Al Mahdi, he arrived almost a decade ago as a refugee, displaced by the long war in Iraq. Today, he is an American citizen, and he was waiting at Syracuse Hancock International Airport four years ago when his wife touched down at her new home, weary after her long journey from Iraq. “He had flowers,” said Al Janabi, who does not forget that moment. During the ceremony, Al Mahdi stayed busy just outside the courtroom, stuffed elephant dangling from his belt as he patiently circled the lobby behind 2-year-old Mariam — a tireless child in a flowered dress. At one point, she delighted the entire crowd by sprinting into the courtroom, past the television cameras, to study all these towering grownups in the courtroom — knowing her mom was in there somewhere. After catching up with his daughter, Al Mahdi held up his phone from the back of the crowd to try and capture images as best he could — especially when his wife and 33 others from 19 countries, including several active-duty American soldiers in uniform, recited a naturalization oath of allegiance. Once it all ended, he waited in the suddenly crowded lobby — where Katz made himself available, for a long time, for photos with new citizens — until Al Janabi found her way to him, their infant daughter in her arms. Ibraheem Al Mahdi captures family images, his daughter in one arm, as federal surrogates Judge Mitchell Katz speaks in Thursday’s naturalization ceremony. Credit: Sean Kirst | Central Current Al Mahdi works two jobs, as a chef — his passion and specialty — and at Amazon. Al Janabi has a degree in engineering, but she said for now she is simply focusing on being a mom to their young children. Her husband, emotional after watching her become a citizen, expressed relief about their new lives in Syracuse — a “beautiful place” and “a quiet city,” he said, reflecting on everything he saw destroyed during the war. Holmes swooped in to snuggle tiny Helene while Al-Janabi, again and again, expressed appreciation. She thanked Holmes and Jneid and all the Catholic Charities staff at the CYO for the many ways in which she said those workers helped her family, and she made a point of saying she is particularly grateful for a welcoming community, for the “many opportunities” that will open up for her young children in Syracuse. She felt all of that in a wave as she listened to the Irving Berlin song, in which the symbolic voice of Liberty offers welcome. The words evoke so many parents and grandparents and children that Holmes and Jneid greet each day at the CYO, which Jneid — moved by the warmth, solace and sheer humanity inside those rooms — describes as one of the most extraordinary buildings in Syracuse. For a moment, within the joyous tumult of the lobby, all of them — a mom and dad, joined by these Catholic Charities workers who were so vital in helping to bring everything together — paused to contemplate the magnitude of what Al Janabi had just achieved. Yet Mariam, almost instantly, was on the go again, headed for some cookies laid out on a table, and this new American family decided it was time to celebrate: They left for Olive Garden after saying goodbye to Holmes and Jneid, who gave the children farewell hugs and went straight back to work. This is the address given by Magistrate Judge Mitchell J. Katz, at the Dec. 18 naturalization ceremony for 34 new American citizens, in Syracuse: Thank you very much … This (song) was added to the repertoire by the Harmony Katz at my request. What they just sang to you is part of a sonnet, it was called “The New Colossus” and it’s a sonnet by American poet Emma Lazarus, who died in 1887. She wrote the poem in 1883 to raise money for the construction of a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. In 1903 the poem was cast onto a bronze plaque and mounted inside the pedestal’s lower level. And for those of you who entered the United States in New York City, you would have seen the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, where it welcomed hundreds and hundreds of thousands of immigrants over the past hundred years or more. If you have not seen the statue or been on Liberty Island, I encourage you to do so. And thank you very much, gentlemen (to the ‘Natural Katz’) for bringing that to us. Federal Magistrate Judge Mitchell Katz: Image released by the Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association upon his appointment as judge, 2023 My fellow citizens, I am so pleased to be able to address you with those words now that you have taken the oath of citizenship. It is my privilege to congratulate you as you begin this new chapter in your lives. I am honored to be in your company. What you have accomplished by getting here today is truly remarkable. I commend and salute you for making the effort to become legal citizens of the United States. I acknowledge the struggles and hardships that were necessary for so many of you to make this day possible. It took great courage and sacrifice to leave your homeland and to say goodbye to loved ones and friends. You have traveled great distances to make a new life here in the United States. I hope that your struggles and achievements will also be sources of great pride and satisfaction to you and your families. I am in awe of your courage. The ability to make your dream of a better life a reality is what makes the United States so unique as a nation. Most of us, myself included, have family stories of ancestors who came to the United States and made good through hard work and pulling together as a community. Most of us are descendents of immigrants, but there were people here long before the explorers of old found their way to our shores. We honor the indigenous peoples of this land by recalling their contributions to our nation, and by also recalling that we did not treat them with the dignity and respect that they deserved. We must also remember that there were many who were brought here against their will as slaves. We honor their pain and suffering by acknowledging our history and calling out that their pain and suffering helped build this nation. These are a sad but true accounting of our history, which we still struggle to acknowledge and address. We are a work in progress. We always have been. We must persevere in the face of our mistakes to never repeat the mistakes of our past and to be a collective force of good, notwithstanding them. Remember, too, the oath that you took today only means that you no longer swear allegiance to the government of another country. It does not mean you must give up your love for the land where you were born or forsake the people with whom you lived. It does not mean that you should forget or deny your own history and culture. America is still a melting pot of philosophies, ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. While you learn about America, I encourage you to share your customs and culture. The best of your native culture is the best of ours, and your traditions enrich not only your family, they also enrich all of us. As Americans, we must draw upon the strength our diversity provides. As human beings, we tend to fear what we don’t know. By living and working together and sharing our life experiences and cultures, we bring that extraordinary wealth of ideas and richness to the United States of America.  Knowledge also allows us to diminish our fears. America is incomplete and a never-to-be-completed tapestry to which we each add a thread by contributing our hopes, aspirations, skills, heritages, music, culture, art and literature and food. The American tapestry is now yours. Please add to it. No matter where you came from, no matter your religion or your politics, you are truly welcome here. The step you are taking today represents your commitment to Democracy. With this step, you agree to support and defend the principles upon which this nation was built: Liberty, equality, and justice for all. Truth, diversity, tolerance, dignity, respect, and the rule of law are among the core values that were incorporated into the vision that the Founders of this nation set out for us. We share a responsibility to each other and to future Americans to preserve these ideals. It takes hard work and vigilance to keep these democratic values alive and  well. We must teach each other and our children to understand, celebrate, and accept our differences, knowing that we are all equal under the laws of our nation. We should help one another to address the challenges that affect our communities and our nation.  Opportunities to enhance the American experiment are all around us. We need only recognize and share them. The design of the American experiment requires us to engage in truthful and thoughtful discussion. This is critical to building strong and tolerant communities and is necessary for each of us to realize our potential as people, make us better citizens, and make us a better country. There is a lot we gain by simply talking to each other. Our Democracy works best when we engage in open, compassionate, and civil encounters with our fellow Americans. You have the opportunity to make a difference in your communities. If you can, volunteer, find work, pay your taxes, learn English if you have not yet done so. If you have children, get involved in their schools. Participate in the public life of this country by voting in every single election, whether it be for local or national office. When you leave here today, please take action to register as a voter. It is easy. Be informed, be open minded. Listen and teach. The legal rights of individuals are often determined in a courtroom like this one, and often by a jury that consists of other citizens. As judges, we rely upon facts and the law. The truth does indeed matter. And the consideration of the facts is part of the role of the jury. The jury is an essential element of our justice system. Someday you may receive a summons that will call you to jury duty in this court, or a state or local court. Your participation is essential and if you have the privilege to sit on a jury, please know that you will play an important role in the administration of justice under our laws. Our Constitution starts with the words, “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union.” (Katz repeats:) “We the People.” We elect the people who serve in government, from the local school board to the Congress and the White House. It is through the act of voting that the power of the People is exercised, which is why it is so important that you pay attention to what is going on, and why you must be an informed and engaged voter. It is your duty as a citizen. The right to vote is a privilege that you have earned by becoming a citizen. Please exercise that right.  Our nation is governed by our Constitution and the laws made by our elected officials. Each of us is obligated to follow them. The laws are intended to make sure that everyone is safe, that no one hurts another or violates another’s civil rights. While we each have the right to speak our minds, we must do so peacefully. Violence and words that call for violence are completely unacceptable. We must reject this kind of behavior no matter how passionate we are about an issue, an idea, or an event. Reject violence  and the words that call for it, for your children’s sake and the future of our country. We are welcome to disagree with each other. It is your right as a citizen and is protected by the First Amendment to our Constitution. But we must do so respectfully.  On the last day of his presidency, January 19, 1989, in his last speech, President Ronald Reagan recalled what someone had once written to him. “You can go live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the earth, can come to live in America and become an American.” He continued, “We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people — our strength — from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so, we continuously renew and enrich our nation. While other countries cling to the stale past, here in America we breathe life into dreams. We create the future, and the world follows us into tomorrow. Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next  frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation.  If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.” Said Ronald Reagan, in 1989. With all of these – this country’s challenges – we must nevertheless reflect upon just how fortunate we really are to live in the United States of America, and to call this country our home. Our ongoing struggles are proof of the Founders’ expectations that we always strive to become a more perfect union. Please reflect with gratitude for all that we have in this country. Please be tolerant of our differences. Practice peace and kindness in your words and deeds. I wish you great success as new American citizens, and I hope that you will measure your own success not in terms of how much property you have or the things you own, but according to how you preserve and share this American dream while staying connected to your heritage and culture. Today you become part of an ongoing experiment — the United States of America — and today, because of you, the tapestry becomes more beautiful and America becomes better, and more complete, as we continue our journey together to be a more perfect union. Citizens of the United States of America, welcome, and congratulations. Best wishes for your journeys ahead, may God bless you all, and may God bless the United States of America. The post Sean Kirst: For 34 new citizens, a judge who sees their dreams given voice by the ‘Mother of Exiles’ appeared first on Central Current. ...read more read less