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.

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,

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

32 Californian Immigrants from Around the World Will Receive HIAS Scholarships in AUG. 22 ceremony

Posted on Wed, Aug 16, 2006 at 13:50 pm

Awards are a “Mitzvah” from donors

(Los Angeles)– Thirty-two immigrant students from all over the world now living in California will be awarded HIAS scholarships in an Aug. 22nd ceremony at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.

HIAS – the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society – will award the scholarships to recognize the students’ academic achievements, financial need and community involvement. In all, HIAS will award $225,000 – all of it from private donations – at ceremonies in Los Angeles and New

CVEI PUBLIC FORUM IN BRIGHTON BEACH AUG. 25

Posted on Fri, Aug 04, 2006 at 13:52 pm

(New York City)– Hoping to help their fellow immigrants to ease the process of integration into American society, representatives of more than 40 Russian-speaking grass roots organizations are expected at a public forum August 25 in Brighton Beach.

The forum, “Semiannual Report of Civic and Voter Education Initiative,” is free and open to the public, and is scheduled for Friday, August 25, at 11:30 a.m. at Restaurant National, 273 Brighton Beach Avenue.

Civic and Voter Education Initiative (CVEI), is an ambitious educational

Religious Leaders to Discuss Immigration Reform at Interfaith Conference

Posted on Tue, Jul 11, 2006 at 13:57 pm

Set for Wed., July 12 in Washington

Hundreds of national religious leaders will converge on Capitol Hill Wed., July 12, to discuss the impact of faith perspectives on the immigration policy debate. “Faith and Migration: Diverse Perspectives from Religious Leaders” will examine the bipartisan, religious grounds for comprehensive immigration reform. Speakers include Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, Reverend Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, and Rabbi Steve Gutow, of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

The conference continues the momentum of

Letter from the CEO

Posted on Fri, Jul 07, 2006 at 14:03 pm

by Gideon Aronoff, HIAS President and CEO

In 2006 we celebrated our quasquicentennial – that’s 125 years of rescue, resettlement, and reunion. One hundred and twenty-five is a remarkable milestone for any organization, but for HIAS and the American Jewish community, it was an accomplishment of which we were immensely proud.

We 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

Seasoned Immigration, Refugee Policy Expert Re-Joins HIAS Staff

Posted on Tue, Jun 06, 2006 at 14:49 pm

(New York City)– HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, has tapped Mark Hetfield to serve as senior vice president for policy and programs. Hetfield will oversee HIAS’ Washington, D.C., office as well as the organization’s domestic and international program operations. He was named to his new post by Gideon Aronoff, who became HIAS’ new president and CEO earlier this spring.

“ Mark Hetfield has been and will be an invaluable asset to HIAS,” says Aronoff. “His work with us in the

Senator Lieberman To Receive HIAS Liberty Award For Peace And Freedom

Posted on Wed, May 31, 2006 at 14:46 pm

A Strong Advocate for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

(New York City)- Recognizing Joseph I. Lieberman’s (D-Conn.) tremendous efforts on behalf of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, will present him with its highest honor, the Liberty Award, at a ceremony in Washington May 23.

The award honors an individual “who has made a substantial contribution to the furtherance of peace and freedom.”

Senator Lieberman has been leading the push to ensure that Comprehensive Immigration Reform improves the