“You shall love the stranger for you were strangers…”(Deuteronomy 10:19). We are told 36 times in the Torah to love those who are strangers. For HIAS, welcome begins at our door and extends through our work with refugees, partners, and allies around the globe.
Who We Are
HIAS stands for a world in which refugees find welcome, safety, and opportunity.
HIAS social worker Carolina Hernandez greets a young girl at Pan de Vida Migrant Shelter in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico on December 9, 2021. (Paul Ratje for HIAS)
our mission
Drawing on our Jewish values and history, and working with host communities, HIAS provides vital services to refugees, asylum seekers, and other forcibly displaced and stateless persons around the world and advocates for their fundamental rights so they can rebuild their lives.
our history
More than one hundred years ago, the Jewish community founded HIAS (originally the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) in New York City, the immigrant gateway to America. Supporting Jews fleeing persecution and poverty in Eastern Europe, our founders were guided by the traditions, texts, and history of the Jewish people – a history of oppression, displacement, and diaspora. HIAS has since helped generations of Jews facing violence and remains committed to helping Jewish refugees anywhere in the world. Today, our clients come from diverse faiths, ethnicities, and backgrounds, as do our staff members. We bring our experience, history, and values to our work across five continents, ensuring that refugees today receive the vital services and opportunities they need to thrive.
1,000,000+
people helped annually
20+ Countries
served around the world
how we operate
HIAS is a learning community, committed to diversity and inclusion. We do our work with integrity, accountability, transparency, and a commitment to the highest ethical standards.
Our Values
We Welcome the Stranger
“Justice, justice shall you pursue.” (Deuteronomy 16:20). At HIAS, we seek justice every day. Justice demands that we act for fairness and equity for all.
We Pursue Justice
At HIAS, our clients come from diverse faiths, ethnicities, and backgrounds, and we understand that their stories are our story. We see our past and our future in their search for safety and a future for generations to come. “The stranger who resides among you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love the stranger as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:33).
We Approach our Clients with Empathy
“Two are better than one…For if one falls, the other will lift up their friend.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9). HIAS works humbly in partnership with others to create a more moral, ethical, and just world for refugees. We collaborate with organizations and institutions that share our mission. We walk side by side with refugees and all those we serve, accompanying them in their journey toward safety and opportunity.
We Believe in Changing the World through Partnership
At HIAS, we speak truth to power. We stand with courageous conviction for what is right and what will help the people we serve. The great sage Hillel challenged us to act for others and not wait a single moment to do what is right: “If not now, when?” (Pirkei Avot 1:14).
We Act with Courage to Build a Better World
"A righteous person falls down seven times and gets up." (Proverbs 24:16). We are inspired every day by the resilience of refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced people worldwide. HIAS has adapted and grown stronger as we have overcome many formidable challenges throughout our history.
We Adapt and Thrive, Continuously Demonstrating our Resilience
We Welcome the Stranger
“You shall love the stranger for you were strangers…”(Deuteronomy 10:19). We are told 36 times in the Torah to love those who are strangers. For HIAS, welcome begins at our door and extends through our work with refugees, partners, and allies around the globe.
Our Leadership
Mark Hetfield
President
Mark Hetfield
President
Mark Hetfield first joined HIAS in 1989 as a caseworker in Rome, Italy. He has worked for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a large law firm as an immigration attorney, and has held multiple roles at HIAS over the years. Since being named HIAS’ President and CEO in 2013, Mark has led the transformation of HIAS from helping refugees because they were Jewish to helping refugees because we are Jewish.
Mark is proud of HIAS’ role in assisting and resettling refugees of all faiths and ethnicities and as a major implementing partner of the United Nations Refugee Agency and the U.S. Department of State. He is a frequent commentator and writer on refugee issues on television, radio, newspapers, and other media outlets. Mark holds three degrees from Georgetown University in Washington, DC: a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service, a Masters in Business Administration, and a Juris Doctor.
