(JTA) — The Orthodox Union (OU) joined an array of Jewish groups in urging the United States to “get to yes” on admitting Syrian refugees. The OU statement on Thursday, Nov. 19, came as the U.S. House of Representatives voted 289-137 for a law that would increase the stringency applied existing restrictions on the refugees. The OU represents the second major stream of Judaism to favor bringing in 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year, as proposed by the Obama administration. Earlier this week, the Union for Reform Judaism was among 81 organizations, including 11 Jewish groups, that signed a letter urging Congress members to allow the administration’s plan to proceed.

In its statement, the OU, like other Jewish groups, invoked the plight of Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe. “Just a few decades ago, refugees from the terror and violence in Hitler’s Europe sought refuge in the United States and were turned away due to suspicions about their nationality,” it said. “In fact, the Jewish immigrants that ultimately came to these shores fully adopted American values and have contributed greatly to the fabric of our great nation of immigrants.”

In a rare move, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum said America should not turn its back on Syrian refugees. “While recognizing that security concerns must be fully addressed, we should not turn our backs on the thousands of legitimate refugees,” the museum said in a statement. The museum routinely pronounces on threatened populations. However, it has striven to avoid wading into partisan issues, making the statement on the Syrian refugee crisis notable.