Survivors Apply for Reparations
In 1939, Nazis began forming ghettos in sections of European cities to isolate and control the Jewish population. Inside the borders of more than 1,000 ghettos, Jews lived and worked in grim conditions.
With the generosity of attorneys at Goodwin Procter LLP, JF&CS is hosting clinics to help Holocaust survivors who worked in these ghettos apply for reparations from a new fund established by the German government. Goodwin Procter attorneys will interview survivors, help them complete the forms, and submit them to the German government.
Daryl Wiesen, Partner, Goodwin Procter LLP, said, “Sitting down with survivors and hearing their stories really brings home the importance of this project. The German government has set up a program that acknowledges the persecution of these individuals because of their religion, and provides some small compensation. To be able to help these survivors successfully complete the application is one of the most rewarding things I have done during my time as a lawyer.”
Victims of Nazi persecution are able to obtain a one-time payment of $3,000 for “unforced work” in the ghettos — work in which one was not threatened with the application of physical force to complete. Most of this work was heavy physical labor like digging ditches, cleaning homes and streets, making food, collecting coal, and repairing damage done by Allied bombers.
To qualify, survivors must complete a detailed seven-page application form that asks them to describe their persecution history and dates and places they worked, an onerous and emotional task for fragile seniors.
Debbie Schwartz, LICSW, who is case manager of the JF&CS Hakalah Program, notified 85 clients about the clinics and to date 50 people have called in. Debbie said, “Applying for any reparations is very difficult because of the trauma they endured.”
It is a little known fact that more than 25% of survivors in the U.S., most of whom are in their 80s and 90s, live in extreme poverty. The one-time $3,000 payment is essential in helping them meet basic living expenses like rent, food, and medication.
Senior Paralegal Maria DeAndrade said, “For most of the people we will be meeting with $3,000 is a substantial amount, especially in these economic times. Learn More.