Jewish Community Advocating For Immigrants

The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society has written Washington supporting just and compassionate immigration reform. Even though the current debate doesn't affect the Jewish community very much, they are concerned about the rising bad feelings about all foreigners and that does affect them. DP

By James D. Besser - Washington Correspondent

The Jewish Week : The Jewish community has a new point person in what is shaping up to be the most explosive political issue of the year.

Gideon Aronoff, the incoming president and CEO of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, is taking over the 125-year-old immigrant rights group as the debate over differing House and Senate immigration reform bills is turning into a major flashpoint for this year’s congressional midterm elections and the 2008 presidential race.

The debate has touched off a political storm from right-wing activists, many of whom have broken with President George W. Bush by supporting a harsh House-passed bill that would criminalize illegal immigration — but it has also sparked demonstrations across the country demanding a less punitive approach.

Aronoff, a veteran of the Soviet Jewry and the immigrant rights movements who until recently served as the Jewish group’s Washington director, said Jewish interests in the intensifying fight are clear, despite the fact that Jewish immigrants and refugees, who come into this country legally in relatively small numbers, are not a factor.

“Some have argued that because of that, we should just sit on the sidelines,” he said. “But I argue that we have a series of community interests that mandate that we be part of the struggle to find a just and sensible result.”

Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.