Germany Announces Funding for Holocaust Survivor Care
BERLIN – A claims organization representing Jews persecuted by the Nazis revealed on Wednesday that Germany will allocate an additional $1.076 billion (about 923.9 million euros) in the coming year to support home care services for Holocaust survivors globally.
The funding, secured through negotiations with the German Ministry of Finance, marks the largest budget ever set aside by the organization for the home care of vulnerable Holocaust survivors.
“This historic increase reflects the complicated and escalating needs of Holocaust survivors worldwide,” stated Gideon Taylor, president of the Jewish Claims Against Germany Conference, based in New York.
He emphasized that although survivors are passing away quickly, those who remain are increasingly elderly and require more support. “This budget is essential for helping them age with dignity—something taken from them in their youth,” Taylor added.
Data from the organization shows that the average age of families receiving home care through this funding has risen from 86 years in 2018 to 88.5 years in 2024. Furthermore, these families are facing more intricate health challenges, with a nearly doubling of those eligible for full-time care due to severe conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia.
Additionally, the Hardship Fund benefits, previously guaranteed until 2027, have been extended to 2028, providing €1,450 per eligible Holocaust survivor, positively affecting over 127,000 individuals worldwide.
In April, the Claims Council estimated that around 200,000 survivors are still living, primarily in Israel, the United States, and Europe but dispersed globally.
The organization also announced that non-Jewish individuals, known as Righteous Rescuers, who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust, will now qualify for home care services akin to those offered to Jewish survivors, enabling them to spend their later years with dignity at home.
Colette Avital, a Holocaust survivor and member of the negotiation team for the Conference on Claims, remarked, “It is significant that 80 years post-liberation, the German government continues to uphold its responsibilities to those who endured suffering.” She added, “Every survivor and rescuer deserves to live with dignity, being seen, heard, and cared for.”
The funding for Holocaust education will also continue until 2029, totaling 175 million euros. This comes at a crucial time as awareness of the Holocaust is diminishing, and anti-Semitism is growing. The organization specified that this education funding will cover teacher training, academic research, and outreach through various media formats like films and virtual reality, aimed at engaging a wider audience.
Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the Claims Council, noted, “It is critical that we invest in Holocaust education while there are still living witnesses who can share their experiences.” He asserted that this is a moral duty not just to survivors but also to the six million lives tragically taken during that period.
