New York – Google Billionaire Aids Jewish Charity That Aided Him

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    Googles Billionaire Sergey Brin, 8, with the family dog, Boss, in Maryland, two years after the Brins left the Soviet Union for the United States. Photo: NY TimesNew York – Were it not for the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, there might be no Google.

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    Thirty years ago today, Sergey Brin, a 6-year-old Soviet boy facing an uncertain future, arrived in the United States with the help of the society.

    Now Mr. Brin, the billionaire co-founder of Google, is giving $1 million to the society, widely known as HIAS, which helped his family escape anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union and establish itself here.

    “I would have never had the kinds of opportunities I’ve had here in the Soviet Union, or even in Russia today,” Mr. Brin said in an interview. “I would like to see anyone be able to achieve their dreams, and that’s what this organization does.”

    The gift is small, given Mr. Brin’s estimated $16 billion in personal wealth, but he said it signaled a growing commitment by him and his wife, Anne Wojcicki, to engage more substantially in philanthropy.

    “We’ve given away over $30 million so far, which isn’t so tiny but obviously small in terms of our, um, theoretical wealth,” Mr. Brin said. “Our philanthropy is something I want to take my time with and develop and systematize.”

    He has already learned enough about philanthropy to add immediately: “Our foundation is not soliciting proposals. Please make sure to include that.”

    Mr. Brin noted that Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft, was widely criticized for not giving away enough money but is now known as one of the world’s leading philanthropists. “While everyone was criticizing him, he was generating a whole lot more money for his foundation, and ultimately, when he got serious about philanthropy, he did it really well,” Mr. Brin said. “I’d like to learn from that example.”

    The bulk of the money the Brins have given away has gone to the Michael J. Fox Foundation and other research organizations devoted to Parkinson’s disease. But this year, in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Brin family’s immigration to the United States, they have given gifts to several Jewish organizations that aided along the way. HIAS, which helped the family navigate the cumbersome process of leaving the Soviet Union for the United States, paid for tickets, gave them money and helped them apply for visas, received the largest amount.

    The family lived in Paris for several months while waiting for visas and then moved to Maryland, and the relationship with HIAS ended. “Although they gave us tremendous help, we didn’t stay connected with HIAS,” said Eugenia Brin, Mr. Brin’s mother. “Then a few years ago, I guess because of Google, we got a call from HIAS asking if we could help them digitize their archives.”

    Eventually, Mrs. Brin joined the HIAS board and started a social networking site, mystory.hias.org, initially to encourage Russian Jewish immigrants to post their stories and eventually to attract the stories of other immigrants.

    Gideon Aronoff, chief executive of HIAS, said the gift would be put to a variety of uses, like increasing the organization’s use of technology and supporting advocacy on immigration policy.

    “One of the most important things that Sergey Brin’s gift signifies, not just for HIAS but more importantly for the nation,” Mr. Aronoff said, “is the possibilities inherent in being a refugee. The debate over immigration has frequently become so bitter that an important element has been lost: refugees are as varied in their skills sets and contributions as the rest of us.”


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    25 Comments
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    OMG
    OMG
    14 years ago

    The HIAS helped tens of thousands of Jew relocate after world war II including my mother and father and my older brother.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Shlach Lachm’chu Al Pnei HaMoim Ki B’Roiv Haumim Timtzuany!

    Please, Mr. Brin
    Please, Mr. Brin
    14 years ago

    Mr Brin, please give tzedukah to the charities that support Jewish education and feed poor Jewish children and elderly. There are so many in Eretz Yisrael and New York. You were blessed with so much wealth. The needs are now. Please do not wait. You will be blessed so much. Thank you for listening.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Make sure to only give to those who seek to help themselves and don’t disparage good honest work!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    That is equivalent to an individual worth 1,000,000 giving about $60 to a charity and getting written up. I understand the million is significant to the recipient and Mr. Brin stated that he is in the process of establishing his trust. This was for amusement purposes only.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Tzedakkah is for those who cannot do for themselves. Always in life there are so many who need our help.

    But in this case, the inspiration for all is that this Jewish immigrant boy, like so many boys before him, came to America with nothing—-but he did not stand in line as a nebuch, or beg that other men should work long hours to support him and his children.

    Instead, he worked hard for himself. As the saying goes: he built a better mousetrap and the world recognized the value of his ideas.

    I use Google every day in my work. I deeply appreciate how this yiddische kopf transformed information with his great invention.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    There was an article a few years ago that HIAS doesn’t do much anymore since people aren’t immigrating from Russia anymore.

    how pathetic
    how pathetic
    14 years ago

    how pathetic! these people have no musagim of what tzedakah is. talk about a drop in the bucket. this guy should be giving away billions. what a kafuy tov. as he himself said, ” I would have never had the kinds of opportunities I’ve had here”…and thats how you show your appreciation? what an embarrassment.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    How pathetic! Everyone reading this article is assuming that he only gave money to one organization. We don’t know how much money he gave to other organizations. The article is about him acknowledging his connection to HIAS and thanking them by giving some money.

    I am reminded of a man who was begging for money & when given an amount that he thought was too small, started complaining about not getting more. The giver said he could always take back the money. That shut the complainer up. The bottom line, to use the old saying, is to not look a gift horse in the mouth.

    Allan
    Allan
    14 years ago

    I am regularly solicited by a reputable charity that is in NYC and feeds the hungry. The problem for me is that after reading more about them I see that they feed and then preach Christian religious values to those that come to them. I have discontinued donating to them and will now donate to Jewish run soup kitchens. My question is it it wrong to continue supporting that charity because of it’s mission of getting their version of religion to those that come since they do help feed the hungry?