HIAS 2019 Annual Report

AWARDS DINNER
2019
In November, 300 guests gathered at Manhattan’s Prince George
Ballroom for the HIAS Awards: A Night for Hope and Welcome. This
event, the first celebration dinner HIAS had hosted since 2001, was
co-chaired by Caryn Seidman-Becker and Marc Becker of New
York and Ed and Barbara Shapiro of Boston. That night, a sold-out
room gathered to recognize allies who have stood with HIAS and
honor three special guests dedicated to welcoming the stranger and
protecting the refugee: international law firm Jones Day; singer,
songwriter, and pianist Regina Spektor; and sex therapist, media
trailblazer, and cultural icon Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer.
Jones Day was recognized for partnering with HIAS to protect
refugee rights, including an innovative program to help asylum
seekers access their legal rights in Greece. Their award was presented
by Anwar Kahn, president of humanitarian organization Islamic
Relief USA, and accepted by Jones Day Partner Beth Heifetz. Dr.
Ruth, once a refugee from Nazi Germany, has built a pathbreaking
career on an ethos of openness and exemplifies the boundless
potential of refugees to enrich our society. Her award was presented
by philanthropist Elisha Wiesel, son of the late activist, author, and
Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. Regina Spektor, resettled by HIAS
as a child, uses her powerful voice to call for inclusion and justice, so
it was a special moment when she accepted the honor presented by
actor and producer Alysia Reiner and then sang a stirring original
arrangement of “Shalom Aleichem,” a traditional Sabbath welcome
song, to close the evening.
“Tonight we resume a longstanding HIAS tradition, begun in 1966
when President Harry S. Truman received our first annual ‘Liberty
Award,’ honoring individuals who personify the HIAS mission of
welcoming the stranger and protecting the refugee,” HIAS President
and CEO Mark Hetfield noted in his welcome. “In the decades
since, the global refugee crisis has dramatically worsened. What’s
remained the same is the commitment that HIAS supporters have for
welcoming the stranger. We are so grateful to Ms. Spektor, Dr. Ruth,
and our colleagues at Jones Day for their incredible partnership and
their advocacy.”
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