Director, Family History & Location

From when Valery Bazarov joined HIAS in 1988 through the following decade, he assisted in the arrival of more than 200,000 Jewish refugees who came to the United States under HIAS’ auspices. Since 1999, Mr. Bazarov has been in charge of the HIAS Family History & Location Service, helping immigrants of different generations to find family members and friends – often in other countries – with whom they lost contact over the years and, sometimes, decades.

He is committed to finding and honoring the heroes who rescued European Jews during the Holocaust and recently has focused his research on Jews who rescued other Jews. Mr. Bazarov also researches HIAS history and presents his findings in lectures and publications. He is a frequent lecturer at national and international Jewish genealogical seminars and conferences. He directs two permanent seminars on immigration history and genealogy for Russian- and English-speaking American Jews.

Mr. Bazarov was born in Russia in 1942. He holds two graduate degrees: from Odessa State University (1969) and Hunter College of the City University of New York (1994).