2,382,000 Jews Entered U.S. in Half Century of Hias

A total of 2,382,093 Jewish immigrants have entered the United States during the last fifty years, it was disclosed by Abraham Herman, president of the HIAS, in a graphic and dramatic story which he gave of the existence of this organization.

Addressing an audience of several thousand at the Astor Hotel Sunday, during the annual meeting of HIAS, Mr. Herman reviewed the activities of this organization for the fifty years of its existence and dwelt especially on the aid given by HIAS to Jewish immigrants in the post-war period, in reuniting families and in seeking new countries of immigration.

REFUGEE WORK

Turning to the activities for 1934, Mr. Herman pointed out that the German Jewish situation, with special reference to refugees, occupied first place in that year. The work among the refugees was carried on through the central office in Paris, in France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Spain, Luxembourg, Portugal and other European countries to which refugees fled.

Refugees were permanently settled in European countries such as France, Spain, England, Holland, Soviet Russia and others were repatriated to their respective native lands. They went to the United States, Canada, Central America, South Africa, Argentine, Brazil, Chile and other South American countries, China, and of course, to Palestine in which the largest number settled. In respect to the last mentioned country, the HICEM offices in agreement with the Palestine office in every country, served the 25,000 Jews from Eastern Europe who migrated to Palestine in 1934.

WORK IN 28 COUNTRIES

The report of Isaac L. Asofsky, the General Manager, showed that the society is functioning, exclusive of the United States, in twenty-seven foreign countries as follows: Argentine, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, England, France, Danzig, Germany, Holland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Paraguay, Persia, Poland, Rumania, Spain, South Africa. Istamboul (Turkey), Uruguay, Czecho-Slovakia, Guate nala and Mexico.

Referring to the work in the United States Mr. Asofsky reported that 9,107 Jews arrived in this country in 1934, being 3,379 more than in 1933. A total of 4,298 of the Jewish immigrants permitted to land were discharged in the custody of HIAS representatives who met 636 steamers carrying them. Of the above mentioned number, 2,026 were Jewish refugees from Germany. The Ellis Island Bureau attended to 6,709 inquiries, and the Washington office had 5,140 requests for advice and information. In addition to these, the Washington office took up 1,340 individual cases, representing them before various governmental departments dealing with immigration.

THE INFORMATION BUREAU

The Bureau of Information rendered service to 116,213 persons, an increase of 29,817 above the previous year. The Citizenship Bureau aided 5,084 applicants for naturalization to become citizens. The International Service received 7,747 requests from all parts of the world to locate relatives in the United States. The Affidavit Division drew up 5,324 affidavits and petitions for the relatives of prospective immigrants. The Department of Shelter provided 391,855 meals and 54,388 nights’ shelter to Jewish unemployed and homeless. The Remittance Bureau forwarded 50,263 money remittances totalling $856,072.06 on behalf of Jews in this country to their relatives and friends in Poland, Russia, Rumania, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and other countries. Every department, he pointed out, reported increased activity, and to a very large extent this was due to the German-Jewish situation, the relatives of German Jews in this country applying to the Society for aid.

As to the work in foreign countries, Mr. Asofsky stated that upwards of 300,000 individuals were the beneficiaries of the services rendered by HIAS and its affiliated organizations in emigration, immigration and transit countries.