Berlin, Germany – Through the sale of property Nazis stole from Jews in eastern Germany that was later signed over to the organization, the Jewish Claims Conference (JCC) which has made a profit of about 1.5 billion euros. But not all of that money has been given to Holocaust survivors. Criticism of the powerful organization is growing in Israel and many are calling for greater transparency.
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The money at the center of the controversy consists of funds the JCC collected in Germany from real estate once owned by Jews, the heirs were given until 1992 to file claims. By law, those who did not file such claims forfeited their property to the JCC. According to its own records, the JCC has earned about $2.3 billion from the sale of properties following restitution.
According to the JCC, the proceeds from these sales are used “for the benefit of Holocaust survivors.” But representatives of victim groups question whether this is true and accuse the JCC of a lack of transparency and of having accumulated enormous reserves. Documents suggest questionable business practices and of a business enterprise sitting on assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
In Israel, the venerable organization has come under public pressure. The Israeli Pensioners’ Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan calls the JCC “a gang.” The government has already taken action in response, and $620 million fund for Holocaust survivors was withheld from the JCC.
The activity in Jerusalem has reverberated in Berlin, where negotiations between the JCC and the Finance Ministry are scheduled to take place on Wednesday. The goal is to increase various compensation funds and to gain recognition of additional victim groups. But now JCC representatives fear that the course of events in Israel could obstruct the talks with the German government.
i want my house back
Holocaust Survivors Deserve-Democracy-Independence-Dignity-Respect
The Claims conference has a history of not acting in the interest of Holocaust Survivors. The Claims Conference and the institutional Jewish leadership in America have stolen our dignity, our respect, our negotiating rights, our independence and our money.
From the very beginning the CC has been a major problem for Jewish Holocaust Survivors. In the most demeaning way possible, all in the false claim of helping Holocaust Survivors, the CC has extracted hundreds of millions of dollars from the German people while exploiting and then subjugating their Jewish Holocaust Survivor brothers.
The CC and their institutional partners have hijacked our programs and our benefits leaving Survivors with crumbs. They are guilty of creating situations for Holocaust Survivors that are objectionable and reminiscent of negative treatment we encountered in Europe years ago. Why would a Jewish organization continually repeat the offences of our war time enemies? Why would a Jewish organization behave so poorly toward its own people?
As a Jewish Holocaust Survivor I am appalled by the conduct and representation of the Claims Conference and their institutional partners. They are a degrading, disrespectful and greedy embarrassment. The CC must stop meddling in our affairs, making decisions and negotiating in the name of Holocaust Survivors. Holocaust Survivors like me, my family, my relatives and other fellow Survivors want the Claims Conference out of our pockets, out of our lives and off our backs.
The Jewish leadership has given us years and years of exploitation, secrecy, double talk, hypocrisy, cronyism, subjugation, corruption, wasteful spending and misery. They have double crossed and betrayed everyone.
Shalom,