The policy of cooperation between the Hebrew Immigrant Aid and Sheltering Society of American Hias) and the Jewish Colonization Association (Ica) of Paris in aiding Jewish emigrants from European countries to find shelter and to facilitate their adjustment in South American countries, of immigration. has proven effective, it was reported yesterday at the nineteenth annual convention of the Hias, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid and Sheltering Society, held at Cooper Union Hall.
Notwithstanding the restrictions on immigration to the United States, 12.084 Jewish immigrants arrived in the country during 1927 and 3,932 Jews entered the country as non-immigrants. The records show an average arrival of 1,335 Jewish immigrants per month.
The recent unemployment in American cities has affected a considerable number of Jewish workers who come to New York in search of employment. Very few of these Jewish job-hunters are to be found in the municipal lodging houses and other public welfare agencies, but the Hias has, during the year, endeavored to help these workers and during the year provided 38,558 meals to transient, homeless and unemployed men and women. Eight thousand one hundred and eight nights shelter was provided. Arriving immigrants were furnished shelter amounting to 5,959 nights and 28,167 meals were given them.
For the coming year, the Hias will require a minimum budget of $400,000 to be able to continue the welfare work for the emigrants proceeding to South America and to care for those coming to these shores.
These facts were related in the annual message of Abraham Herman, president of Hias. The principal speaker at the meeting was Senator James E. Watson of Indiana, who recently introduced a bill in the Senate which would bring relief to families separated by the present immigration law.
John L. Bernstein, former president of ## organization. Rev. Z. H. Maslian## and Jacob Massel were the other ##.
The following directors were elected ## for the next three years: Morris ## Joseph Baskin, Aaron Benja## Joseph E. Eron, Louis Fabricant, ## Fischel, Samuel Goldstein, Abraham Herman, Rev. Philip Jaches, Alex## Kahn and Nathan Zvirin.
## in his message Mr. Herman declared: The Jew in middle Europe stands today ## man on a dangerous precipice. He ## turn back nor can he remain ## he is. Fires of race hatred and ## disorder make it imperative for ## to seek new homes. The gates of the ## States are practically closed. The ## is where shall these thousands ## wanderers go? It is to bring ## to this cry which comes from ## of lips that the activities of ## have been dedicated the past year.”
Referring to the work undertaken ## a year ago in conjunction with the ## organization, Ica and the United Jewish Emigration Committee of Ber## the report stated that “diligent sur## and research has been made into such ## as Argentine, Brazil, Uruguay, ## by means of interviews with government authorities and business organization, every effort was made to see ## agricultural and industrial oppor## were open to the Jew. This in## was then referred back to the ## branches in Poland, Roumania, Lat## Lithuania and other European countries where Hias, by means of classes ## languages and trades, gave in##tion in agriculture and arranged for ## passage of hundreds of these people ## new lands.”
Discusing the work in Poland the mes## disclosed that: In Poland, 53,059 ## received varied information; of ## number 20,213 were emigrants. In ## cases legal aid was provided.
In Danzig, 2,329 emigrants registered and asked for help. In Latvia, 1,152; ## Lithuania, 2,240; in Roumania, 2,093; ##, 2,649 and in Belgium, 428.
## all, 69,089 persons were served in different capacities; of which number ## were emigrants who received services of various kinds within the ## of the organization. Legal aid ## provided in 11,999 cases. In the ## sphere of transportation a saving of $21,897 was effected for the em##.
In Poland, Bessarabia and Latvia, ## in agriculture were provided ## all emigrants who contemplated following such pursuits. These courses ## given in 23 centers. In Warsaw, ## and Kishineff, emigrants were ## in technical occupations and ##courses in different languages were ##.“The great need of the present moment,” the message continued, “is the establishment of institutions in these new countries through which the Jewish wanderer may find shelter, secure employment and be given that information and that guidance which will enable him to become self-supporting. In connection therewith, it is essential that loan funds be created. Such agencies as there are must be strengthened. Where none exist, they must be created.”
The report described the work undertaken in various South American countries by Hias agencies established there for that purpose: In South American countries employment bureaus have been opened from which contracts on behalf of the immigrants are made with trade unions, employers of labor, and governments. From such bureaus representatives maintain an alert outlook for labor opportunities and arrange to secure positions for applicants.
In order that these newcomers may not be looked upon as alien in spirit to their newly found homes, or lacking in material contribution to them, efforts are made to equip the immigrants for citizenship, and to teach them the spirit and customs of their new enviornment; and to make them self-supporting at the earliest moment. The importance of this work not only to the immigrants and their families but also towards fostering a friendly and co-operative spirit towards them on the part of these governments must be manifest.
Added to this task, is the social work of receiving and caring for girls and women who travel alone and of finding work for them. With this purpose in view, tailoring establishments have been opened and are maintained so that the pitfalls which always confront women and girls struggling alone may be avoided. Thus. more than a thousand women and girls, who have migrated to South America, have been taken care of. In each case our agents were informed by cable of their departure and arrangements were made to meet them and care for them on arrival.
In Buenos Aires. 1,208 immigrants were assisted. The society in Monte-video aided 677 and in Rio de Janeiro 850, making a total of 2,735 aided since the Hias-Ica-Emigdirect began to function in this new phase of the migration probelm.
John L. Bernstein, former president, discussed the work both at home and abroad and pointed out the need for greater expansion, explaining that the work had assumed greater international proportions and that the united support of all Jewry in the fullest possible measure will be necessary to insure the success of the work.
Jacob Massel, a director of the organization, stressed the need for the establishing Hias branches in those countries where the new immigration will be heaviest and providing the equipmment which would enable the newly arrived to make a rapid adjustment, free of excessive burdens or hardships.
Rev. Z. H. Masliansky pointed out that thousands of Jews throughout the world had come to look upon Hias as an important institution in their lives and he urged those present to make possible expansion of the work.
The report states that the budget requirements for the year 1928 for work both in the United States and in other countries will be a minimum of $400,000.
“To perform the new undertakings,” the report continues, “the Hias-Ica-Emigdirect budget for 1928 provides for a total expenditure of $196,000. The cost of the work of direction and preparation in the emigration countries amounts to $49,938. covering activities in Poland, Roumania, Latvia, Lithuania, Danzig, England, Belgium, Holland, Harbin, China and Russia. A fund of $10,000 is set aside for language, agricultural and vocational training courses in many of these countries. An emergency fund for the relief of needy emigrants has also been established.
“The sum of $97,912, which we hope gradually to increase, has been assigned for work in Argentine, Brazil, Uruguay, Cuba, South Africa, Australia, and France. A loan fund with a capital of $20,000 has been set aside for these countries to enable the immigrants through loan funds to purchase tools, implements, and merchandise.”
In the field of citizenship, 8,545 applicants were aided to obtain their citizenship papers; of these 3,830 were first papers and 4,715 second papers. Hias files, verifying arrivals and landings of these very applicants, proved of inestimable value. Many classes were conducted on citizenship and civics.
In the year 1927, the Bureau of Information and Advice at the Hias headquarters in New York City served 62,567 applicants, interpreting the immigration laws, furnishing information regarding the immigration possibilities wherever surveys had been made, drafting documents, translations, proper certifications for submission to authorities, aiding in domestic relations, in detention and threatened deportations at Ellis Island, reports at the meeting showed.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
