Since he joined HIAS in 2000 Gideon Aronoff has been an integral force behind a number of key legislative successes with Congress and the White House. "Gideon has been a strong coalition-builder in the Jewish community," said HIAS Chair Jerome Teller, upon naming Aronoff president and CEO of the organization in 2006. "He has taken a leadership role bringing about joint collaboration in the community. It's what we as an organization need more than ever in a leader."

"HIAS and our Jewish community partners have championed a realistic and comprehensive approach to reforming U.S. immigration laws that will serve our humanitarian and security interests by creating a workable legal immigration system to replace the current status quo that accepts illegality and the exploitation of immigrants," says Teller.

Aronoff earned a JD degree from Cornell Law School and a BA degree in history from Brandeis University. He is a member of the board of directors of the National Immigration Forum, and has put his knowledge of Jewish community institutions, interests and community relations concerns to use throughout his career. Before joining HIAS in 2000, he worked for nearly a dozen years in Boston and Washington in policy, advocacy and leadership positions in the Soviet Jewry movement. He and his wife, Victoria, have one daughter, Dalia.