Max-imum HIAS

Posted by Pam Zimmerman on Wed, Oct 26, 2011 at 12:02 pm

Peter Max and HIAS go way back, he tells me. “I’ve known HIAS ever since I was a child,” he explains. We’re at the HIAS Emma Lazarus Society Reception in his Upper West Side studio. There’s a jazz-fusion-funk soundtrack punctuating the evening. Guests are laughing, trays of bruchetta are wandering, and the art on the walls is vibrating.

In an Upper West Side loft, more than a hundred HIAS fans and supporters are celebrating the 130-year history of an organization that

Putting it in Perspective: Former Refugees Living in the United States

Posted by Ilanit Sisso on Mon, Oct 17, 2011 at 14:22 pm

What does a Sudanese supermodel, an Afghan journalist, a Soviet lawyer, a Vietnamese member of the United States House of Representatives, a young Yemeni student, and a Polish Holocaust survivor have in common? They are all proud Americans and former refugees.

On August 3-4, 2011, I attended the first ever Refugee Congress in Washington, DC. Sixty former refugees representing six decades gathered in our nation’s capitol to mark the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Convention Relating to the

Putting it in Perspective: Sharing stories of refuge

Posted by Susannah Glick on Mon, Oct 17, 2011 at 10:57 am

The hardships and struggles faced by refugees never fully resonated with me until this past August, when I attended UNHCR’s first-ever Refugee Congress. During this event, I had the privilege of meeting remarkable refugees who, despite their difficult pasts, are the most inspiring individuals I have ever met.

The Refugee Congress united 60 refugees and asylees, ten for each decade of international refugee protection. From Maine to California, refugees and asylees of all backgrounds and origins came together in Washington,

A Small Victory for an East African Asylum Seeker

Posted by Bethany Orlikowski on Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 12:24 pm

With HIAS’ help, a dedicated pro bono attorney, and a strong commitment from the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a woman from East Africa was able to continue receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, her only financial lifeline preventing her from falling into destitution.

SSI provides a modest stipend of approximately $674 per month to elderly or disabled persons who are unable to support themselves. After a 2008 extension expired on September 30th, refugees and

Putting it in Perspective: Our Broken Immigration System and the 2012 Elections

Posted by Ilanit Sisso on Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 11:38 am

With concerns about the current state of the economy, healthcare, and the low unemployment rates, why should our presidential candidates care about immigration reform? Aside from the economic benefits that would flow from comprehensive immigration reform (there is wide consensus that it would boost America’s GDP, decrease unemployment rates, and increase the country’s revenue), there are two other reasons:

First, presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle should care about immigration reform for basic ethical reasons. There are over

Putting it in Perspective: Corporate Social Responsibility and Refugees

Posted by Jenny Fernandez on Wed, Sep 07, 2011 at 13:14 pm

 As a business student, I have taken several classes on the expansion of global commerce culture and the ways corporations are adapting to fit new modes of doing business. My favorite class so far, Global Corporate Citizenship, explores corporations’ responsibility to the communities they affect through legal, social, and economic channels. I believe that HIAS and other humanitarian groups can work with the business world’s commitment to corporate social responsibility in order to help refugees and displaced persons

A Step in the Right Direction

Posted by Gideon Aronoff on Fri, Aug 19, 2011 at 15:52 pm

Family is the cornerstone of Jewish history, education, and values. According to Jewish tradition, “kin and family resemble a heap of stones; if one stone is taken out of it, the whole collapses” (Genesis Rabbah). U.S. immigration law is in large measure guided by the value of family unity, and we as Jews believe that a fair and humane immigration system keeps families together.

Throughout our 130-year history, HIAS has advocated for a generous immigration system that honors both Jewish and

HIAS Lauds Introduction of SSI Extension Bill

Posted by Liza Lieberman on Tue, Aug 09, 2011 at 11:51 am

HIAS strongly supports Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s (R-FL) legislation (H.R. 2763), introduced on August 4, 2011, to ensure that elderly and disabled refugees living in the United States do not lose vital public benefits.  Under the new bill, qualified refugees who have very low or no other source of income would be eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for up to nine years before becoming citizens.

SSI provides a modest stipend of approximately $674 per month

Putting it in Perspective: DREAM Students Ask “Now What?”

Posted by Susannah Glick on Tue, Aug 09, 2011 at 9:56 am

 When I think back to my earliest memories, I recall birthdays, Hanukah celebrations, and school plays from primary school.  Everything before second grade seems to only exist in the memories and stories of my parents and relatives.  Millions of young adults entered the U.S. during this gray area of their lives and their earliest memories are of life in America.  These individuals were brought here at a young age by their parents who wanted them to have a better life.

Putting it in Perspective: The “American Dream”

Posted by Ilanit Sisso on Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 16:46 pm

A little over five years ago, I was sitting in the convention center in Miami anxiously waiting to become a United States citizen. Last week, I had the privilege of witnessing the same event through a different lens when I attended a naturalization ceremony in Washington DC as a bystander. The new citizens had all made it from different corners of the world. Thirty people from Lebanon, Peru, China and 15 other countries sat eagerly while they