2025-08-13 6:14 PM <br/> Tags: #organization #KeyOrganizations #AmericanJewry #RedPill #LeftwingJewry ![[image-76.png|556x163]] # Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) - HIAS is an American Jewish nonprofit which was founded to aid Jewish refugees and immigrants. - HIAS, still with a main focus on Jewish refugees, has since become an overall left wing pro-refugee pro-immigrant organization. #### HIAS Early History (Pre Israel) - HIAS was founded in 1881 to facilitate Russian-Jewish refugees into the United States. - It was formed as a merger of a loose collective of active Jewish refugee groups in NYC. - HIAS became the middleman for Jews entering through Ellis Island. - HIAS provided the fee money, translations, and quasi legal representation to assure the entrance of Jewish refugees. - In 1904 HIAS opened a bureau on Ellis Island for its increasing activities. - HIAS provided kosher meals and Judaic religious services for the majority religious refugees. - HIAS facilitated Jewish refugees into Manhattan's Lower East Side. *HIAS essentially turned the Lower East Side into the Jewish stronghold it is.* - HIAS joined forces with the [[Palestine Jewish Colonization Association (PICA)]] to form HIAS's international wing "HICEM." - HICEM aided Jewish immigration to countries besides the US including British Mandatory Palestine, South America, Western Europe etc. - HICEM was active from 1927-1945 (through WWII). - HIAS helped to relocate ~150,000 Jews in displaced persons camps in post war Europe to the US, Canada, Australia, South America. #### HIAS and Religious Judaism *As noted above HIAS provided religious serviced to new refugees at Ellis Island and the broader NY area upon a Jew's arrival.* - In 1939 HIAS was involved in bringing [[Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn]], the sixth Rebbe of the [[Chabad Lubavitch]] [[Hasidic Judaism]] dynasty to the United States. - The US State Department, under pressure from Supreme Court justice [[Louis Brandeis]] and the [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)]] among others, asked Nazi Germany to find and assist the safe passage of the Rebbe. - Nazi Germany agreed. - The Nazis, located the Rebbe in Poland, and brought him to Berlin. They gave him diplomatic immunity and facilitated his safe passage out of Europe at the onset of WWII. *This is just bizarre. Nazi Germany rescues the leader of an ultra orthodox Jewish sect after a simple diplomatic overture by an unrelated country(USA)?* - After WWII HIAS was involved in transporting whole religious and Hasidic communities out of Europe to New York primarily. - During the mass exodus of Soviet Jews at the end of the USSR, HIAS in partnership with [[Chabad Lubavitch]] and other religious groups aided resettlement in the US and Israel. #### HIAS in the United States - HIAS lobbied against nativist immigration quotas of the 1920s with little success. - HIAS lobbied for leniency regarding displaced Jews after WWII. - In 1954 HIAS merged with the United Service for New Americans, and the [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)|JDC]] migration department to form the United HIAS Service. - HIAS lobbied hard with the [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)]] in support of the Refugee Act of 1980. - The 1980 Refugee Act opened the doors to near limitless third world "refugees" given permanent residency in the US. - The Refugee Act of 1980 was also lobbied for by the [[Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA)]]. *Much more is written about the 1980 immigration legislation on the JCPA page.* - HIAS lobbied for the 1990 enactment of the Lautenberg Amendment. - The Lautenberg Amendment was created to allow Soviet-Jewish emigres to more easily qualify for refugee status in the US. It also facilitates chain migration for immigrants already in the United States. - The [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)]] was involved in lobbying the amendment as well. - The amendment was introduced by Jewish New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg. - The amendment allows refugees to qualify just by claiming credible persecution. - HIAS is a member of the [[Conference of Presidents]]. - HIAS has worked with: - [[American Jewish Committee (AJC)]] - [[ADL]] - [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)]] - [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)]] - [[AIPAC]] - [[Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC)]] - HIAS works with a network of Jewish refugee centers and support organizations in many major US cities to flood asylum seekers and refugees into our cities. - The HIAS Welcome Campaign is a network of 430+ synagogues working to settle refugees in the United States. - HIAS has repeatedly used legal action against Donald Trump's immigration policies. - In 2017 HIAS filed a suit against Trump's 'Muslim travel ban' executive order *(EO 13,769)*. - That same year, HIAS organized a "National Rabbinic Letter," signed by 2,000+ rabbis in support of more refugees and more immigration to the US. - In 2019 HIAS sued the Trump administration against an executive order *(EO 13,888)* giving states the right to consent or reject refugee resettlement in their state or locality. - HIAS was joined by the [[ADL]] among others in their eventually successful challenge of the EO. - HIAS lobbies for left wing pro-immigrant legislation. - Ex. the NO BAN Act, which limits the Presidents authority in restricting immigration on an ethnic basis. The bill was first introduced in 2019 and again in 2021 but is yet to pass Congress. - HIAS's current president [[Mark Hetfield]], has oriented HIAS as a far left Jewish pro-immigration enterprise. - HIAS under Hetfield works to facilitate mass illegal immigration to the United States under the guise of "asylum seeking." - HIAS operates a network of pro bono attorneys giving legal assistance to illegal immigrant "asylum seekers" at the US southern border. - This network aids a quarter million illegals a year. - HIAS under Hetfield praised Joe Biden's catastrophic immigration crisis. - Hetfield is a critic of nativism stating that America being open to foreigners has been good for the Jews, and for that reason the "golden door" must remain open. - Hetfield boasts of regular HIAS-[[AIPAC]] partnering. - Hetfield boasts of the "100% Jewish" HIAS board of directors in both religious and ethnic makeup. - HIAS in modern times resettles over 90% non-Jewish refugees. ![[image-85.png|666x393]] *This is the front page of the HIAS refugee center page as I am writing this (August 2025).* > [!NOTE] Tree of Life Shooting - On October 27, 2018, a shooter killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. - The shooter explicitly named HIAS as a catalyst for his action. - He drew conclusions not far from the ones drawn in this project. - The shooting prompted Jewish organizations to push for stronger censorship. - HIAS, and organized Jewry more broadly raised millions of dollars following the shooting. - I'm noting this as a place to remind everyone: *Do not engage in violence ever. What the shooter did was evil and unproductive. Violence results from a lack of ingenuity; personal short fallings which get applied to entire movements. Never resort to violence. Instead, learn everything, use what you learn, become useful. #### HIAS in Israel - HIAS calls itself a Zionist organization. - HIAS has an office in Tel Aviv. - Once Israel was formed in 1948 HIAS Jewish immigration to Israel (Aliyah). - HIAS worked with the [[Jewish Agency]] and Israeli government to facilitate refugees. - In the refugee fallout of the Syrian Civil War 2011-2024 (and still ongoing) HIAS facilitated Syrian refugees in Jordan. - Israel refused the Syrian refugees so HIAS facilitated their resettlement in Jordan. - Jordan has been a dumping ground for the refugees of the Middle East since the declaration of the state of Israel. - In 2018 HIAS and the [[ADL]] released a letter in opposition to Benjamin Netanyahu's planned deportation of African asylum seekers. *This is to point out HIAS is a left wing organization which opposes aspects of the Israeli right.* - In the aftermath of the [[October 7th]] attack in Israel, HIAS has been active on the ground providing aid. - During the [[Gaza War]] HIAS had designated $300,000 to aid Palestinians in Gaza. However, the funds were never distributed due to internal rejection of supplying aid to the Palestinians. *Your left wing Jew sir.* #### HIAS and Israeli Intel - HIAS and the Israeli [[Mossad]] worked together during Operation Yachin from 1961-64. - HIAS paid Morocco's King Hassan II for each Jew smuggled out of the country. - Over 90,000 Jews left Morocco in the operation. - ~$50 million was paid by HIAS *HIAS directly funded Operation Yachin.* - HIAS was also involved in similar Mossad operations involving the covert emigration of Jews out of hostile countries. - Operation Moses - 1984 - Operation Solomon - 1991 #### Notable Leaders - [[Mark Hetfield]] is the current President and CEO. - Hetfield joined HIAS as a caseworker in Rome, Italy. - Hetfield became President and CEO in 2013. - Tamar Newberger is the current chair of the board. - She is married to former Obama Czech Republic ambassador Andrew Schapiro. - Newberger was involved in many tech firms/startups from the 90s-2010s. - Newberger was the Midwest Finance Co-Chair for Kamala Harris' 2024 Presidential campaign. #### HIAS US Government Funding - Beginning in the 1970s the US government began giving grants to HIAS. - HIAS was granted ~$300 per Soviet Jewish refugee facilitated by HIAS. - This number could get as high as $1000 per refugee. - HIAS facilitated ~400,000 Soviet Jewish refugees. - That equates to a minimum of ~$120 million in federal grants in the 70s-90s during Soviet emigration. - From 2021-2022 HIAS received ~$248 million in federal grants. - Federal grants made up 64% of HIAS revenue in 2023. - These grants come from the State Dept, HHS, USAID. - The cited purpose given for some of these recent US grants: - 2022 - $24,999 - To provide critical legal protection and assistance to LGBTQI+ asylum seekers individuals in Israel, enabling them to access rights and services. - 2023 - $2,000,000 -  Vulnerable Venezuelan refugees, asylum seekers and migrants (vram) and host community in Aruba, Curacao, and Guyana access high-quality services that ensure and support local integration, social cohesion, economic inclusion and protection. - 2022- $2,300,000 - To enhance the protection and inclusion of vulnerable refugees including LGBTQI persons and the host community in Nairobi, Kenya through community based interventions. #### HIAS Notable Donors *This list is by no means exhaustive, check the citations for the HIAS donor roles.* - By the mid 1900s the [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)]] was the largest private benefactor of HIAS. - [[Sergey Brin]] - Google co-founder - Mackenzie Scott (Jeff Bezos ex wife) - [[Edgar Bronfman Sr.]] - [[George Soros]]' [[Open Society Foundations]] - [[Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation]] - [[UJA-Federation of New York]] - [[Crown Family Philanthropies]] - [[Steven Spielberg]]'s [[Righteous Persons Foundation]] - [[Genesis Prize]] - [[Scooter Braun]] - [[Tali Farhadian Weinstein]] and [[Boaz Weinstein]] - [[Dianne Lob]] - [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)]] - Bill and Melinda Gates (2018) #### References - InfluenceWatch. “HIAS.” InfluenceWatch, accessed August 17, 2025. [https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/hias/](https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/hias/). - Fred A. Lazin, _Refugee Resettlement and “Freedom of Choice”: The Case of Soviet Jewry_ (Center for Immigration Studies, July 2005), accessed August 17, 2025, [https://cis.org/Report/Refugee-Resettlement-and-Freedom-Choice-Case-Soviet-Jewry](https://cis.org/Report/Refugee-Resettlement-and-Freedom-Choice-Case-Soviet-Jewry). - Wikipedia, _“HIAS,”_ last modified July 21, 2025, accessed August 17, 2025. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIAS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIAS). - Cornwell, Alexander. “Jewish American Group Helping Refugees Scrambles after Trump Aid Cuts.” _Reuters_, February 19, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/jewish-american-group-helping-refugees-scrambles-after-trump-aid-cuts-2025-02-19. - HIAS. “HIAS Joins Lawsuit Challenging Halt on Foreign Assistance Funding.” _HIAS_, February 12, 2025. https://hias.org/statements/hias-joins-lawsuit-challenging-halt-foreign-assistance-funding. - Randoland. “Refugee Revenue: HIAS $248 Million in Grants under Biden.” _Randoland.us_. Accessed August 2025. https://randoland.us/bill_breakdowns/refugee-revenue-hias-248-million-in-grants-under-biden. - Righteous Persons Foundation. 2017. _HIAS._ Righteous Persons Foundation. Accessed August 17, 2025. [https://www.righteouspersons.org/grant/hias/](https://www.righteouspersons.org/grant/hias/). - “Tali Farhadian Weinstein.” _Wikipedia._ Last modified 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tali_Farhadian_Weinstein. - Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. “Dianne Lob.” Leadership bio. https://conferenceofpresidents.org/leadership/dianne-lob. - Gordon Thomas, _Gideon’s Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad_, (New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2015). - Wikipedia. 2025. s.v. _“Operation Yachin.”_ Last modified July 18. Accessed August 18. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Yachin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Yachin). - United Jewish Appeal. _Annual Reports_, 1948–1980. - Jewish Virtual Library. “HIAS and the Soviet Jewry Movement.” Accessed August 17, 2025. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hias-and-soviet-jews. - Fishkoff, Sue. _The Rebbe’s Army: Inside the World of Chabad-Lubavitch_. New York: Schocken, 2003. - Jewish Virtual Library. “Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS).” Accessed August 17, 2025. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hias. - UNHCR. “Implementing Partners: HIAS.” Accessed August 17, 2025. https://www.unhcr.org. - Forward. “HIAS, Gaza Aid, and Internal Conflict after Oct 7.” January 2024. > [!NOTE] Financial Sources - **HIAS.** _Annual Report 2018._ Silver Spring, MD: HIAS, 2019, 31. ([hias.org](https://hias.org/wp-content/uploads/10.19_-_hias_ar2019_layoutoptions_v35_web.pdf)) - HIAS. 2020. _HIAS 2020 Annual Report._ Silver Spring, MD: HIAS. PDF file. Accessed August 17, 2025. [https://hias.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/11.21_-_hias_ar2020_v18_final-web.pdf](https://hias.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/11.21_-_hias_ar2020_v18_final-web.pdf). - HIAS, _HIAS 2021/2022 Impact Report: Facing Crises with Resilience_ (Silver Spring, MD: HIAS, 2022), PDF file, accessed August 17, 2025, [https://hias.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/HIAS-2021-Annual-Report.pdf](https://hias.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/HIAS-2021-Annual-Report.pdf). - HIAS, _HIAS Annual Report 2022_ (Silver Spring, MD: HIAS, 2022), PDF file, accessed August 17, 2025, [https://hias.org/wp-content/uploads/HIAS-Annual-Report-2022.pdf](https://hias.org/wp-content/uploads/HIAS-Annual-Report-2022.pdf). - HIAS. _HIAS Annual Report 2023._ Silver Spring, MD: HIAS, 2023. PDF file. Accessed August 17, 2025. [https://hias.org/wp-content/uploads/HIAS-Annual-Report-2023-Digital-Layout.pdf](https://hias.org/wp-content/uploads/HIAS-Annual-Report-2023-Digital-Layout.pdf).