Members of the Florida delegation are spearheading an effort on Capitol Hill for Germany to “fulfill its moral responsibility to Holocaust survivors and urgently provide the financial resources necessary to ensure that Survivors live in dignity and comfort in their remaining years.”
Democrat Bill Nelson in the Senate and Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Democrat Ted Deutch in the House, all from Florida, introduced the resolution last week. They were joined by Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, in the Senate. Back in 2014, Nelson and Collins held a meeting of the Senate Aging Committee focused on Holocaust survivors.
With President Barack Obama headed to Germany on Sunday, the senators and representatives urged Germany needs to do more, pointing to exchanges they had with the German Finance Ministry back in December. At that time, the German government conceded “recent experience has shown that the care financed by the German government to date is insufficient” and that “it is imperative to expand these assistance measures quickly given the advanced age of many of the affected persons." The German government is currently in talks with the Claims Conference about funding for Holocaust survivors.
“Every year, as survivors age, their needs grow,” Deutch said when the resolution was brought out last week “Tragically, more and more are falling into poverty and lack the funds to cover essential needs. Right now, we are facing a unique and critical moment in history with this high-level negotiation moving forward. Germany can make a major difference in the lives of so many Holocaust survivors who are struggling in their later years. I commend our close ally Germany for her longstanding commitment to survivors, something that I have relayed to Chancellor Merkel in person. This moment offers a dramatic opportunity for Germany to fulfill its moral obligation and commitment to the victims of the Nazis. This resolution demonstrates that the United States Congress is watching these negotiations carefully to ensure sufficient support for every single Survivor so they may live the remainder of their lives in dignity. As we prepare to observe Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, on May 5, we should honor the memory of the six million Jews and millions of others who perished by ensuring that the urgent needs of Holocaust survivors – medical care, home care, and mental health care – are fully met. That is why we introduced this resolution.”
“Today there are less than half a million survivors of humanity’s darkest period worldwide, and nearly half of those are living at or below the poverty level,” said Ros-Lehtinen. “Holocaust survivors have lived through and experienced unconscionable evil, and now, as they live out the remainder of their days, they grapple with not only the physical ailments of old age, but the enduring emotional and psychological scars inflicted upon them. And while the German government has made a commitment over the years to provide justice for Holocaust victims, it has a moral obligation to do more to ensure that all survivors get the justice and care they need and deserve. They have seen the darkest in humanity, and for many years, I’ve worked to try to help my constituents, and all survivors, see the brightest of humanity by helping them get what has long been denied them and to get the peace of mind knowing that they can live out their days in dignity. I’m pleased to join my friend and colleague, Ted, in continuing to fight for Holocaust survivors worldwide, and I look forward to working with him and with the German government to find a fair resolution without delay.”
“The needs of Holocaust victims only continue to grow with age,” Nelson said. “With thousands of victims currently living in poverty, Germany should be doing more to care for them.”
Jack Rubin, a Boynton Beach resident who survived Auschwitz and other concentration camps who currently sits on the executive committee of the Holocaust Survivors Foundation USA, praised the resolution.
“Survivors are deeply grateful for the initiative of the chief sponsors, Reps. Ros-Lehtinen and Deutch and Senators Nelson and Collins, for recognizing the emergency plight of the Holocaust survivors in need everywhere,” Rubin said. “We hope and pray that the full House and Senate will unanimously adopt this resolution. And we hope and pray that Chancellor Merkel and the German government will take the necessary steps, with the support of the German people, to once and for all assume full responsibility to provide for the full medically prescribed needs of the survivors of the Holocaust. As we all know, time is of the essence.”
