Germany Extends More Than $1 Billion for Home Care of Holocaust Survivors
The German government agreed to provide an additional $1.076 billion in funding for home care services supporting Holocaust survivors around the world.
BERLIN: The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, commonly known as the Claims Conference, announced that Germany has committed an extra $1.076 billion (approximately 923.9 million euros) to support home care services for Holocaust survivors globally in the coming year.
This allocation represents the largest budget in the organization's history dedicated to caring for frail and vulnerable survivors.
Gideon Taylor, president of the New York-based Claims Conference, emphasized that this significant funding increase reflects the escalating needs of elderly survivors worldwide.
Despite the rapidly declining number of survivors each year, those remaining are older, more infirm, and in greater need of assistance than ever before.
The budget is crucial for enabling survivors to age in their own homes, a dignity many had stripped from them during their youth.
Statistics provided by the Claims Conference reveal that the average age of individuals receiving home care has risen from 86 in 2018 to 88.5 in 2024.
There's been an increase in complex health needs and disability among survivors, with nearly double the number qualifying for full-time assistance due to conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia over this period.
Additionally, the Hardship Fund Supplemental payments, guaranteed annually until 2027 to eligible survivors, have been extended through 2028.
These payments amount to €1,450 per survivor and affect more than 127,000 Holocaust survivors worldwide.
The Claims Conference estimates that approximately 200,000 survivors remain alive, with the majority living in Israel, the United States, and Europe, though they are distributed across the globe.
The organization also announced that righteous rescuers—non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust—are now eligible for home care services similar to those provided to Jewish survivors, ensuring they can spend their final years with dignity in their own homes.
Colette Avital, a Holocaust survivor and part of the Claims Conference's negotiation team, underscored the profound significance of Germany’s continued commitment to supporting survivors and rescuers 80 years after the end of the war.
She expressed that every survivor and rescuer deserves to live with dignity and receive care.
Furthermore, funding for Holocaust education has been extended through 2029, totaling €175 million.
This support comes amid declining knowledge of the Holocaust and a rise in anti-Semitism.
The funds will be allocated towards initiatives such as teacher training, academic research, film projects, gaming, and virtual reality experiences to engage a wider audience.
Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the Claims Conference, emphasized the importance of investing in Holocaust education while still having living survivors who can share their personal testimonies.
He highlighted this as a moral obligation to the survivors and the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust.
This allocation represents the largest budget in the organization's history dedicated to caring for frail and vulnerable survivors.
Gideon Taylor, president of the New York-based Claims Conference, emphasized that this significant funding increase reflects the escalating needs of elderly survivors worldwide.
Despite the rapidly declining number of survivors each year, those remaining are older, more infirm, and in greater need of assistance than ever before.
The budget is crucial for enabling survivors to age in their own homes, a dignity many had stripped from them during their youth.
Statistics provided by the Claims Conference reveal that the average age of individuals receiving home care has risen from 86 in 2018 to 88.5 in 2024.
There's been an increase in complex health needs and disability among survivors, with nearly double the number qualifying for full-time assistance due to conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia over this period.
Additionally, the Hardship Fund Supplemental payments, guaranteed annually until 2027 to eligible survivors, have been extended through 2028.
These payments amount to €1,450 per survivor and affect more than 127,000 Holocaust survivors worldwide.
The Claims Conference estimates that approximately 200,000 survivors remain alive, with the majority living in Israel, the United States, and Europe, though they are distributed across the globe.
The organization also announced that righteous rescuers—non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust—are now eligible for home care services similar to those provided to Jewish survivors, ensuring they can spend their final years with dignity in their own homes.
Colette Avital, a Holocaust survivor and part of the Claims Conference's negotiation team, underscored the profound significance of Germany’s continued commitment to supporting survivors and rescuers 80 years after the end of the war.
She expressed that every survivor and rescuer deserves to live with dignity and receive care.
Furthermore, funding for Holocaust education has been extended through 2029, totaling €175 million.
This support comes amid declining knowledge of the Holocaust and a rise in anti-Semitism.
The funds will be allocated towards initiatives such as teacher training, academic research, film projects, gaming, and virtual reality experiences to engage a wider audience.
Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the Claims Conference, emphasized the importance of investing in Holocaust education while still having living survivors who can share their personal testimonies.
He highlighted this as a moral obligation to the survivors and the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust.
