(Romania) Claims Conference Negotiates to Get Compensation For Survivors of Iasi Death Trains, Pogroms and Ghettos #romania
Jan Meisels Allen
Until now, the German government paid compensation only to Jews who were
held in ghettos or concentration camps. While Germany accepts deaths on the
death trains were a war crime until now they had not believed they should
compensate the survivors. This changed this week when The Conference on
Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (AKA Claims Conference) negotiated
with Germany to compensate, for the first time, the survivors of the Iasi
ghetto, pogroms and death trains. At the start of World War ll, Iasi had a
population that included 100,000 Jews. Between 13,000 and 15,000 Jews were
murdered in the Iasi pogrom-June 1941 or died on the death trains.
Iasi Pogrom
In 1940 Romania became an ally of Nazi Germany. On June 29 police and
soldiers started to round-up Iasi's Jews, claiming Jews were 5th columnists
helping Russians against German and Romanian armies. 8,000 Jews were shot
and beaten to death. 5,000 were murdered on the public square. Survivors
(7,000) were loaded onto trains where most died of heat and overcrowding.
Bodies were thrown >from the trains. Only a few thousand passengers survived.
Survivors were forced to live in a ghetto.
According to the Jerusalem Post, negotiations were for an increase in home
care and other services in its programs around the world. Additional funds
will be used in part to provide pensions to Iasi survivors who do not
currently receive one. The German government also agreed to increase the
in-home services budget for 2018 to be allocated to social service welfare
agencies that are Claims Conference grantees. The Hardship Fund is now open
to those who previously received a onetime payment that is less than the
amount paid today. To read the Jerusalem Post article see:
http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Iasi-Holocaust-survivors-to-receive-first-ever
-compensation-pensions-499538
NBC News also has an article where it states the survivors of the Iasi
Pogrom will receive $400 a month and are eligible for home care services.
See:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/germany-agrees-pensions-iasi-romania-hol
ocaust-survivors-n781991
No press release was found on the Claims Conference website at the time of
writing this posting http://www.claimscon.org/. Please check there for
further information and do not contact me as I only have what is included in
the news article.
Jan Meisels Allen
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee
held in ghettos or concentration camps. While Germany accepts deaths on the
death trains were a war crime until now they had not believed they should
compensate the survivors. This changed this week when The Conference on
Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (AKA Claims Conference) negotiated
with Germany to compensate, for the first time, the survivors of the Iasi
ghetto, pogroms and death trains. At the start of World War ll, Iasi had a
population that included 100,000 Jews. Between 13,000 and 15,000 Jews were
murdered in the Iasi pogrom-June 1941 or died on the death trains.
Iasi Pogrom
In 1940 Romania became an ally of Nazi Germany. On June 29 police and
soldiers started to round-up Iasi's Jews, claiming Jews were 5th columnists
helping Russians against German and Romanian armies. 8,000 Jews were shot
and beaten to death. 5,000 were murdered on the public square. Survivors
(7,000) were loaded onto trains where most died of heat and overcrowding.
Bodies were thrown >from the trains. Only a few thousand passengers survived.
Survivors were forced to live in a ghetto.
According to the Jerusalem Post, negotiations were for an increase in home
care and other services in its programs around the world. Additional funds
will be used in part to provide pensions to Iasi survivors who do not
currently receive one. The German government also agreed to increase the
in-home services budget for 2018 to be allocated to social service welfare
agencies that are Claims Conference grantees. The Hardship Fund is now open
to those who previously received a onetime payment that is less than the
amount paid today. To read the Jerusalem Post article see:
http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Iasi-Holocaust-survivors-to-receive-first-ever
-compensation-pensions-499538
NBC News also has an article where it states the survivors of the Iasi
Pogrom will receive $400 a month and are eligible for home care services.
See:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/germany-agrees-pensions-iasi-romania-hol
ocaust-survivors-n781991
No press release was found on the Claims Conference website at the time of
writing this posting http://www.claimscon.org/. Please check there for
further information and do not contact me as I only have what is included in
the news article.
Jan Meisels Allen
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee