As Jews and Christians, we know that we are commanded to love the stranger. The Jewish and Christian Bible repeats this mandate far more than the commandment to love God or to love our neighbor. As Americans, welcoming immigrants is at the very center of what has made this nation great. People of all faiths, hold that we must welcome and love the stranger among us, be it from another city or another country. In Essex County, this practice has allowed our area to thrive, as our community has been built and sustained by immigrants for generations.