Posted on November 8, 2009

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Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Receives $1 Million From Google Co-Founder

The New York City-based Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society has announced a $1 million gift from Google co-founder Sergey Brin to support the organization's efforts to rescue and protect Jewish and other refugees and migrants.

The unrestricted gift will be used to expand HIAS's capacity to offer refugees and migrants legal protection, help those fleeing persecution to resettle and integrate into welcoming communities, inspire a new generation to advocate for just and humane immigration legislation, and reconnect American Jews to their immigrant forbears and migration history. HIAS works in partnership with the U.S. government, the United Nations, and NGOs in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Vienna, Russia, and the United States.

Since it was founded in 1881, HIAS has assisted more than 4.5 million refugees and migrants, including more than 400,000 Jewish refugees who fled the Soviet Union. Among the Soviet Jewish immigrants HIAS assisted was Brin, whose family fled the country when he was six years old. Brin's gift coincides with the thirtieth anniversary of his arrival in the United States.

"As a refugee himself, Sergey Brin knows better than most the value of living freely in a country that allows people to dream and — through vision, creativity, and hard work — fulfill those dreams," said HIAS chairman Michael B. Rukin. "He and his family were able to build a new life in the United States, and as a result he was able to create a new industry by changing the way we process and use information. His contributions literally have changed the world."

“HIAS Receives $1 Million Gift From Sergey Brin, Co-Founder of Google and Former HIAS-Assisted Refugee.” Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Press Release 10/25/09.

Primary Subject: Human Services
Location(s): Africa, International, Latin America, Middle East, National, New York, New York City, Russia, Vienna

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