HIAS
Drawing on our Jewish values and history, and working with host communities, HIAS provides vital services to refugees, asylum seekers, and other forcibly displaced people and advocates for their fundamental rights so they can rebuild their lives. As the world's oldest refugee agency, founded more than 120 years ago, HIAS stands for a world in which refugees find welcome, safety, and opportunity. We support refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced people in the United States and around the world, helping them access protection, mental health support, economic opportunity, and other vital services as they rebuild their lives. With the strength of Jewish communities beside us, we also advocate for policies and systems that uphold the rights, dignity, and safety of people who have been forced to flee.
Through our network of Jewish resettlement partner agencies and refugee assistance organizations, HIAS welcomes newly arrived refugees through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and helps them rebuild their lives in communities across the country. In Ohio, HIAS is proud to partner with JFS Columbus, May Dugan Center in Cleveland, and the Greater Toledo Newcomer Center powered by Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County.
HIAS helps refugees, asylum seekers, and other displaced people access safety, protection, and their fundamental rights through services tailored to local contexts and community needs. Our program areas include the following:
HIAS protects refugees and displaced people by offering legal support, preventing and responding to violence against women and girls, looking after children’s rights, providing safe housing, ensuring access to food, and resettling refugees. These approaches are all tailored to local contexts and are designed to strengthen communities to support people forced to flee violence and persecution.
HIAS runs community-based mental health and psychosocial support programs that promote well-being, strengthen resilience, and help displaced people heal and rebuild their lives.
HIAS promotes economic empowerment by helping refugees and displaced people access employment, develop skills, and build sustainable livelihoods so they can support themselves, their families, and their communities.
HIAS works with Jewish community groups, congregations, partner organizations, volunteers, and advocates across several countries to mobilize a powerful Jewish voice in support of the rights and safety of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Finally, advocacy is fundamental to HIAS’ work, and with the Jewish community beside us, we stand up for the rights of forcibly displaced people globally.
With more than a century of experience and a deep commitment to Jewish values, HIAS brings together expertise, partnership, and advocacy to help create a world in which refugees find welcome, safety, and opportunity.
