More than 75,000 Jewish refugees still remain in European lands outside of the Iron Curtain countries, Samuel A. Telsey, president of HIAS, reported at the 67th annual meeting of the organization held today at the Astor Hotel and attended by more than 3,000 delegates from religious, fraternal and labor groups.
The meeting decided to raise $2,515,000 during 1952 for the work of HIAS. The decision followed Mr. Telsey’s report that the organization has determined that “its offices in Western and Central Europe must be kept functioning, to render all possible services to the Jewish refugees.”
President Truman, in a message to the meeting, lauded the work of HIAS and declared that the need for helping homeless Jews “today is no less than in years gone by.” The meeting adopted a resolution opposing passage of illiberal immigration legislation now before Congress, and urging support of legislation for the pooling of unused quota numbers.
Isaac Asofsky, executive director of the organization, reported that in 1951 HIAS offices in Europe were able to effect the emigration of more than 13,000 Jews to overseas countries. The majority of these came to the United States, the remainder to Canada, Latin America and Australia. A Scroll of Honor was presented at the meeting to U.S. Senator William Benton for rendering significant services in the field of immigration.
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.
