In many refugee crises, there is a clear divide between victims of the crisis and the humanitarian staff who help them. But in Ukraine, that line is blurred and many of the aid workers who work with the country’s enormous displaced population have themselves been uprooted by the conflict.

In this episode of Crossing Borders, HIAS’ podcast about what it’s like to be a refugee, we hear from some of these humanitarian agency workers and how they have been helping despite contending with aerial bombardment, infrastructure destruction, and freezing weather.

When Mohammed and his family arrived in the United States last year after being evacuated from Afghanistan, they were assigned to a Welcome Circle: nine volunteers from a Baltimore-area synagogue tasked with helping them settle into a new life. The experience proved to be transformational for everyone involved. In this episode of Crossing Borders, we learn more about how this remarkable bond was formed -- and why further action is needed for Mohammed and his family to continue their journey in America.

Monim Haroon escaped Sudan and thought going to Israel in 2012 would be the best way to start anew. But his life as an asylum seeker in Israel has been anything but easy. Monim was detained, imprisoned and then lived for years without any rights. There are more than 30,000 Sudanese and Eritrean asylum seekers in Israel and most live in legal limbo with little hope for a normal future. In the latest episode of Crossing Borders, the HIAS podcast, we hear Monim’s story and learn about the complicated issue of asylum in Israel.