The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) will increase funding to Holocaust survivors by $114 million following negotiations with the German Federal Ministry, the organization announced on Wednesday. The increased budget - amounting to a total of $972.5 million over the next two years - will allow for improved social welfare services.
The Claims Conference is a nonprofit organization that works to secure material compensation for Holocaust survivors and to return Jewish property stolen during the Holocaust. The Claims Conference has successfully acquired $90 billion in indemnification to victims of Nazi persecution from the German government since 1952 due to continuous negotiations. This is disseminated to 200,000 survivors.
The Executive Vice President of the Claims Conference, Greg Schneider, spoke of the need for increased welfare provisions given the advanced age of most Holocaust survivors.
“We must ensure they are able to live their final years in dignity,” he said.
Unwavering commitment
Claims Conference partners with 300 social welfare services across 83 countries, including Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Poland, Romania, and many more. The help given to Holocaust survivors varies but may involve home care, food packages, transportation to medical appointments and social events.
Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, Special Negotiator for the Claims Conference Negotiations Delegation, thanked the German government for working with them to “fortify our collective commitment to survivors while also helping to ensure that the atrocities of the past are remembered and not repeated.”
The amount designated for Holocaust education will also increase by $55 million, to a projected total of $177 million over the next four years, said Claims Conference. They claim that a recent global survey showed that knowledge of the Holocaust is decreasing, but there is a strong desire for Holocaust education in schools around the world. These surveys include respondents in the United States, Canada, Austria, France, the UK and The Netherlands.
Schneider spoke of the vital role of education in the current climate: “In this time of growing Holocaust denial and distortion, it is critical that we secure a robust foundation for Holocaust education to ensure current and future generations alike have access and opportunities to truly understand the lessons of the Holocaust.
A May article in the Economist reported that 20% of respondents between 18-29 in a US poll think the Holocaust is a myth, compared with 8% of those aged 30-44.
“The commitment to this final generation of Holocaust survivors is steadfast and unfaltering,” said Gideon Taylor, President of the Claims Conference, “our sense of responsibility is unwavering.”
Part of that responsibility means ensuring that "the past is remembered and not repeated," said Schneider.