HIAS was founded as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in 1881 to assist Jews fleeing pogroms in Russia and Eastern Europe. In each generation, HIAS continued to serve Jews from all parts of the world flee persecution and settle into a new home. For the past 20+ years, HIAS has expanded their mission to serve not non-Jewish refugees as well, and has been doing exceptional work on the front lines of humanitarian conflicts and in our local communities as well. We believe deeply in the Judaism's many lessons around immigration ("you shall love [the stranger] as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt”), and are inspired by HIAS' legacy of mitzvot.