HEBREW IMMIGRANT AID SOCIETY REGISTRATION CARD
Port of Boston
Boston, Massachusetts
7  Feb  1921
 

Many immigrants who entered countries such as the United States sought assistance upon their immigration, e.g. food, housing, etc. Aid societies, such as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, founded by Russian Jewish immigrants in New York City in 1881, often had a representative stationed at the major ports of entry, waiting to help each and every immigrant they could. The founding of HIAS was in response to the huge wave of immigration that occurred following the assassination of the Russian Czar Alexander II in 1881 and the subsequent pogroms. Many Jews were forced to flee Russia and immigrate to the United States, the majority entering via the port of New York. There, HIAS would provide food and shelter to the new immigrant, and try to find them a job. In 1911, HIAS even provided a kosher kitchen at Ellis Island and fed more than half a million meals between 1925 and 1952. What type of information does this form provide? 1. Name of ship of immigration 2. Steerage (i.e. did immigrant travel in steerage class) 3. Date of arrival 4. The full name of the immigrant 5. Their age 6. Their sex 7. Their marital status 8. Their occupation 9. Can they read? 10. Can they write? 11. Last permanent residence--Russia, Austria, Roumania, Turkey Europe, Turkey Asia __________________ 12, Released to ____________ 13. Address ___________ 14. Final destination-State 15. City or Town 16. Money brought 17. Here before in U.S.? 18. Address to relationship (Name) 19. Street No. 20. Country of birth-Russia, Austria, Roumania, Turkey Europe, Turkey Asia ____________________

	HEBREW SHELTERING AND IMMIGRANT AID SOCIETY Philadelphia Branch May 1907 The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society was created to provide meals, transportation and jobs for those who immigrated through  Ellis Island. A shelter was also established that was used to house immigrants without families, and was located on the Lower East Side. In 1889,  this shelter became known as the Hebrew Sheltering House Association. Here they housed these immigrants and created a soup kitchen and gave clothes to any Jewish immigrant who needed such clothing. In 1909, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society merged with the Hebrew Sheltering House Association and became known as HIAS. Perhaps the list shown on the left was made of all the immigrants that registered at HIAS upon their arrival in the United States, here in the port of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The information of genealogical interest listed here is:
	SURNAME GIVEN NAME SEX AGE	NATIVITY (COUNTRY OF BIRTH) SHIP  (OF IMMIGRATION) DATE (OF ARRIVAL) DESTINED TO (TOWN/STATE)