Throughout the country HIAS has become a major partner of Russian-speaking immigrants, helping them promote their social and political goals. We are increasing our ties within the Russian-speaking community with aggressive media relations and community activities and are proud of our results.

HIAS is the only Jewish organization with its own national Russian-language television program, HIAS Answers. The show features in-depth discussions on legislation, acculturation, and other subjects of interest to the émigré community. We produce and host a bi-weekly show, broadcast via satellite and cable to 40 cities across the country. The program reaches hundreds of thousands of households.

More than 100 grassroots Russian-speaking émigré organizations have been formed in the United States in the last 10 years. Five years ago HIAS and local Russian-speaking immigrant organizations around the country created LOREO (local Russian émigré organizations). Through LOREO we offer technical assistance, prepare materials, participate and support national events, help with leadership development, and provide an informational clearinghouse for grassroots organizations and the community at large. We now have partnerships with more than 70 major émigré organizations in cities throughout the United States.

With a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement, LOREO helps represent a unified voice for the Russian-speaking population and provide the information and skills they need to achieve social and civic integration into their new country and new communities.

The initiative includes project coordinators in New York and four regions across America, a special LOREO website (www.loreo.org) to help link communities via the Internet, a newsletter for member organizations, and the second edition of a “how-to” civic engagement and ethnic leadership manual to help members maximize their efforts.

Civic and Voter Education Initiative (CVEI) – This is a nationwide project by HIAS-LOREO program participants and the World Congress of Russian Jewry (WCRJ). In 2005, membership in CVEI grew to more than 60 Russian-speaking grass-roots and community–based organizations; more than 80,000 Russian–speaking Americans attended some 113 events. In addition, 169 voter registration drives were conducted, with more than 12,000 Russian–Americans becoming registered voters.

Other accomplishments include the development and nationwide distribution of 60,000 copies of the Handbook for the Russian American Voter – WE VOTE, a comprehensive guide to the voting process in the United States, while the CVEI website (www.wevote.us) was visited by nearly 63,000 people.