What if Material Support Laws Had Existed During Nazi Terror?

Posted on Mon, Aug 21, 2006 at 13:47 pm

by Gideon Aronoff, HIAS President and CEO

In an absurd twist, America’s anti-terrorism laws are now being used to deny protection to refugees fleeing some of the most brutal regimes and violent conflicts on earth. Shockingly, under today’s laws, Jews who bravely resisted Nazi terror—and who as a result were among those who survived the war—would have faced exclusion when they sought refuge in the U.S. Under the law, any individual who has provided what the law terms “material support” to

Nearly 300 National, Regional, Local Groups Urge Congress To Preserve Lifeline to Elderly And Disabled Refugees

Posted on Mon, Oct 16, 2006 at 13:38 pm

A HIAS-led Effort

(Washington, D.C.)– Faced with the crisis that thousands of elderly and disabled refugees have lost and will continue to lose their only means of subsistence, HIAS – the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society – has led hundreds of organizations in calling on Congress to take action.

The letter was signed by 75 national organizations, including Catholic Charities USA, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and National Council on Aging, and 215 local and regional organizations from 38 states. In

Our Home Front Refugees in Crisis

Posted on Mon, Oct 16, 2006 at 13:26 pm

Jonathan M. Stein is general counsel at Community Legal Services, Inc., in Philadelphia

Gideon Aronoff is president and CEO of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in New York

“Give me...Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Shmuel Kaplan, an 80-old amputee, breathed a sigh of relief when in 1997 the United States granted him political asylum after he fled anti-Semitism in the former Soviet Union. Two years later, we similarly received the Iranian boy Rouzbeh Aliaghaei and his parents.

New Immigrant Guide to New York – researched, written and designed by Young Immigrants

Posted on Fri, Oct 27, 2006 at 13:20 pm

A Special Party to be Held Nov. 9

(New York City)- Last year, when Norman Rabinovich discovered his connection to HIAS – the agency that had helped his family migrate to America from Latvia in 1981, when he was only 3 and a half – he knew he had to become involved with the venerable, 125-year-old organization.

The graphic designer, who now lives in the East Village, contributed his design skills to the NYC Immigrant Guide 2006/7 – a book

NASA Scientist, Immigration Lawyer named to HIAS Board

Posted on Mon, Oct 30, 2006 at 13:04 pm

(New York City)– HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, has named two new members to its board of directors: Genia Brin, of Hyattsville, Md., who is a scientist at NASA, and Suzette Brooks Masters, an immigration lawyer who practices in New York. At 125, HIAS is America’s oldest international migration and refugee resettlement agency, helping facilitate the safe passage, humanitarian needs and legal documentation for refugees.

“We are delighted to have these two remarkable individuals join the HIAS Board of

America's Oldest Immigrant Rescue and Resettlement Agency Turns 125

Posted on Wed, Nov 01, 2006 at 12:59 pm

(New York City )– On Nov. 27, HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, turned 125. HIAS was founded in 1881, the year of the Russian pogroms and also the first year of the Jewish mass emigration from Eastern Europe.

“For 125 years, we have derived our mission from the teaching Kol Yisrael Arevim Ze ba Ze (all Jews are responsible, one for the other), the Torah’s injunction to welcome the stranger and the essential principle of Pidyyon Shevuyim (redeem the

1,754 Refugees Resettled by HIAS in 2006

Posted on Mon, Oct 02, 2006 at 12:50 pm

(New York City)– During the fiscal year 2006 (Oct. ’05 through Sept. ’06), HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, resettled 1,754 refugees in the United States.

HIAS, currently celebrating its 125 th anniversary, is the oldest international migration and refugee resettlement agency in the United States. Since it’s founding in 1881, the agency has rescued more then 4.5 million refugees, transporting them to America and other places of safe haven around the world.

The breakdown of HIAS arrivals by area of origin,

HIAS Announces 2007 Scholarship Competition

Posted on Tue, Dec 05, 2006 at 12:31 pm

Application Deadline is March 15, 2007
(New York)– HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, invites students to apply for its 2007 Scholarship Awards Competition. HIAS-assisted refugees who immigrated to the United States after Jan. 1, 1992 are eligible to apply.

“A HIAS scholarship recognizes your achievements and inspires you to reach your dreams,” says Alla Paskovaty, a former recipient. “Receiving this scholarship for me was so special, because it recognized my achievements as a member of this special group – Jewish

HIAS: Virginia Congressman’s Letter an Attack on American Values

Posted on Thu, Dec 28, 2006 at 12:28 pm

(New York City)– Officials at HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, are alarmed and outraged by Rep. Virgil Goode’s (R-Va.) recent remarks regarding Rep.-elect Keith Ellison’s (D-Minn.) desire to use the Koran at his private swearing-in ceremony. In a constituent letter, Rep. Goode cited Rep. Ellison’s choice to be sworn in with the Koran as an example why America should restrict immigration.

“Despite the fact that Congressman Ellison is a native-born American citizen who was raised Catholic and later converted

HIAS Names New VP for Membership and Development

Posted on Thu, Jan 04, 2007 at 12:28 pm

(New York City)– HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, has selected a seasoned fundraising professional with extensive experience in the Jewish community as its vice president for membership and development.

“We are delighted to have Susan Milamed join the HIAS team,” says Gideon Aronoff, president and CEO of HIAS. “Her background in fundraising as well as her experience in the Jewish community, make us very optimistic that we will be able to reach new goals as we face an ever-changing, uncertain