Murray I. Gurfein, president of United Hias Service, reviewing today migration highlights during the past 10 years, said that the agency had during that period provided services “to more than 500,000 Jewish men, women and children, including about 100,000 who were assisted to resettle in Western countries.”
Speaking before more than 1,200 members and delegates at the organization’s 83rd annual meeting at the Hotel Roosevelt, the leader of the worldwide Jewish migration agency declared: “The statement by USSR Premier Alexei N. Kosygin, regarding the right of emigration of Soviet Jews for family reunion has encouraged Jews throughout the world. United Hias always stands ready to counsel and assist relatives who seek to locate their loved ones and to help their reunion through emigration.”
Gaynor I. Jacobson, United Hias executive director, reported 8,800 refugees and migrants were resettled last year by the agency in the United States and in other free countries. “More than 4,700 of these people came from North Africa, close to 3,000 from Europe, 600 from the Middle East and more than 400 from Cuba. Those who were resettled in this country found new homes in more than 70 different communities located in 27 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, ” he said.
Referring to the exodus from Cuba, Mr. Jacobson told of 400 Cuban children entrusted to United Hias by their parents who were unable to leave the island. “Our agency placed the children on a temporary basis with relatives or in foster homes throughout the U.S. We are happy to report that the problem was resolved last year when the last of these children was reunited with his parents.”
A resolution adopted at the meeting, called upon the Soviet Union to implement “fully, completely and with utmost speed” Premier Kosygin’s statement with reference to the emigration of Soviet Jews. Another resolution urged Congress to relax the restrictions of labor certification in the present immigration law.
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