Abraham Herman, Hias President, Stresses Need of Immigrant Aid Work

The Board of Directors and the National Advisory Council of the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Soicet; of America (Hias) tendered a Bon Voyage Dinner Tuesday night to Mr. Abraham Herman, the President of the organization. at the headquarters. 425 Lafayette Street. New York, prior to his departure for Europe.

Mr. Herman is going to Europe in connection with the new work undertaken by Hias with the Jewish Colonization Association and the Emigdirect which has for its purpose the settling of Jewish wanderers in South American Republics and other countries.

The dinner was attended by 148 members of the organization.

Mr. Herman will confer with the leaders of the Ica. the Emigdirect and of European Jewry generally and will particularly inspect the Hias European offices in Poland Latyia. Lithuania and elsewhere. Mr. Herman will first go to Berlin. where the Hias European headquarters are located. and then proceed to Paris from which center he will begin his tour of inspection on which he will be accompanied by Dr. James Bernstein. the director of the Hias European work.

Mr. John L. Bernstein. Chairman of the Committee on Work in Foreign Countries. and former President of Hias. who was toastmaster. enlogized. Mr. Herman for his service.

Other speakers were Albert Rosenbian. Vice President of the society and President of the New York section of the United Synagogues of ####.############ And so, an agreement was ## into between Hias and the Emi?direct, which organization owes its existence to Hias, and the Jewish Colonization Association whereby assistance will be afforded to Jews who desire to go to South American Republics and to other countries where they can settle and to which they can be admitted.

“The new work consists in gathering information as regards these new immigration countries and providing intending emigrants with complete and authoritative data as to conditions in these countries and what they can do there; affording emigrants all possible protection; opening in various European centers language courses, trade courses and instruction in agricultural pursuits; organizing in the new countries local immigrant aid societies and subsidizing and establishing immigrant homes at the various ports of arrival where these immigrants can be received and sheltered until they are settled. Furthermore, employment bureaus are to be established. loan banks created to provide these immigrants with means with which to engage at their trades. etc.

“This new work has now been functioning for a little more than two months and it is very encouraging to note that in various parts of Poland, Bessarabia, Latvia and France agricultural courses are given to intending emigrants. Some are working on farms. others in vineyards. so that they will be able to find work immediately when coming to the new country. Schools for the teaching of the languages of the countries to which these emigrants are going have been opened in Poland. Lithuania. Latvia and Roumania. In Lithuania. too, certain trade courses are already being given.

“So much for the countries of emigration. Now as to the countries of immigration.

“In Uruguay an immigrant home has already been opened at Montevideo. where also a loan and savings bank is being subsidized. Furthermore, an employment bureau has been established there.

“In Buenos Aires. Argentine, an employment bureau has been opened. Special women committees have been formed in the new countries and the names of all unaccompanied female immigrants are sent to these committees who meet the newcomers on their arrival.

“A Jewish-Spanish dictionary is now in the course of preparation.

“You will see from this that the new work has great possibilities and is likely to bear excellent fruit. When it is remembered that there are tens of thousands of Jewish refugees who already have left their native countries and who had hoped to come to America but have been unable to do so, the work which we have undertaken is of far-reaching consequences and must engage our closest attention and whole-hearted support.

“I hope that as a result of my investigation in Europe we shall be enabled to give to these unhappy brethren and sisters of ours the fullest measure of aid. We have been enabled to reunite thousands of families and we look to this new work to secure for the tens of thousands of Jewish wanderers homes and peace and security in the new countries to which they are going.”