Claims Conference

The Mauthausen Memorial Path launch: It is in the memory of those who were killed that the Claims Conference educates about the Holocaust. Education about concentration camps is meant to ensure the lessons of those places do not fade. 87 years since Jews in Austria, Germany and the Sudetenland were victims of the anti-Jewish pogroms known as Kristallnacht, the official launch of the Mauthausen Memorial Path has begun. Piloted since August, this memorial tour was created by the Claims Conference and supported by the Austrian Federal Chancellery, the Federal Government of Austria and the City of Vienna. Collectively, the goal of the tour is to offer visitors an authentic engagement with Austria’s culture of remembrance, with a specific lens on the atrocities visited on Jews while at Mauthausen. By confronting the history of the Holocaust, the tour aims to foster a more humane civil society and combat antisemitism today and in the future. This educational bus tour, facilitated by the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, will provide information specific to the Jews who were imprisoned at the Mauthausen concentration camp during the Shoah. Learn more about the tour here: https://mauthausenpath.at/ Kristallnacht reminds us that unchecked hate leads to violence and to places such as Mauthausen. On Nov 9 and 10, 1938, Nazis unleashed a night of horror on Jews, assaulting and humiliating them as their homes, synagogues and businesses were vandalized and burned. During those two days, Jews were murdered and more than 30,000 were taken to concentration camps, marking a pivotal moment in history where words turned into violence. Mauthausen was built in 1938. In 1941, the gas chamber was added. While Jewish prisoners of the Holocaust made up only a small percentage of the concentration camp population, most of them were murdered by the end of 1943. From March through December 1944, at least 13,826 Jews arrived in Mauthausen, most of them Hungarian and Polish Jews. While Jews were less than 20 percent of the total inmates, they had a significantly higher mortality rate – the death rate for Jews at Mauthausen is estimated to be 89 percent to 95 percent. #mauthausenpath #mauthausenmemorial #HolocaustEducation Mauthausen Memorial

Thanks to negotiations with the German government, the Claims Conference has secured increased home care funding for Holocaust survivors in 2026 that will allow them to live in their homes as they age. “This budget is critical in providing each [Holocaust survivor] the opportunity to age in place, a dignity that was stolen from them in their youth” – Claims Conference President Gideon Taylor. Additionally, the German government has extended its support for Holocaust education through 2029. This investment comes as recent global Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness Surveys indicate a decline in public understanding of key Holocaust facts. Greg Schneider, EVP of the Claims Conference: “It is imperative that we invest in the future of Holocaust education while we still have living witnesses who can share their first-hand testimonies of survival. Building strong curricula, forging new partnerships and employing cutting-edge technology to preserve and share survivor testimonies will ensure the lessons of the Shoah are not forgotten. This is our moral obligation to the survivors of the Holocaust and to the six million who were murdered.” “The criticality is, despite very real budgetary constraints, the German government remains steadfast in its support for Holocaust survivors and Holocaust education. Increased funding for home care, for support for the poorest of Holocaust survivors, and for ongoing Holocaust education is crucial” - Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat, Special Negotiator for the Claims Conference Negotiations Delegation. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/e6c6sWaP #PartnersInCare #EducationAllies #HolocaustEducation

Over Sukkot, Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) hosted a group of 60 Holocaust survivors for a Sukkot luncheon at the Westchester Reform Temple, in partnership with the Claims Conference. The survivors, through their strength and radiance, reminded everyone of the true meaning of the Zman Simchateinu- the Holiday of Our Joy. Allison Danzig, Coordinator of WJCS Holocaust Support Services, who has been instrumental in organizing the event for the past few years, captured the essence of the holiday, especially its significance to survivors: “It is a holiday that recognizes abundance and rejoices in the many blessings of our lives, our families and our communities. Sukkot reminds us that joy is not only important and wanted, but joy is fulfilling, and joy is sacred. “We need joy.” The survivors celebrated the holiday with a cheerful afternoon of socializing with fellow survivors and staff from the Claims Conference. Throughout the afternoon, a two-piece band serenaded the survivors with live music as they danced the Hora and recited the Shehecheyanu blessing, marking the start of the holiday for all in attendance. Two survivors, Marguerite and Helena, who attended the luncheon, lit up at the sight of each other. They have known each other for many years and met at a previous event hosted by Westchester Jewish Community Services and expressed how wonderful it is to come together and share their experiences with other survivors. “It is emotional kind of seeing these people repeatedly, surviving, having fun,” Helena said. “And this holiday is like a rebirth and looking forward." Among the speakers were U.S. Representative George Latimer (NY-16, Westchester and Bronx Counties), New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, New York State Senator Shelley B. Mayer, Westchester Jewish Community Services Chief Executive Officer Seth Diamond and the Claims Conference’s Chief Operating Officer Michael Elkin. With 200 partner welfare organizations around the world, the Claims Conference knows that thousands of Holocaust survivors were able to enjoy events in Sukkahs. #PartnersInCare #HolocaustSurvivors

“It is up to each of us to ensure that the light does not fade again” – Christiane Reeh, Deputy Representative of the Claims Conference in Europe. At its opening ceremony at the Memorium Nuremberg Trials on July 15, 2025, the "70 years of the Luxembourg Agreement" exhibition – commemorating the 1952 agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany, the Claims Conference and the newly established State of Israel – drew guests in to reflect on a pivotal chapter of post-Holocaust reconciliation. The exhibit is staged in Room 600, the courtroom where Nazi leaders stood trial from November 1945 to October 1946 for their crimes during the Holocaust. Those international proceedings, known as the Nuremberg Trials, marked the birth of modern international criminal law with the prosecution of war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity. The courtroom's proximity to the exhibition, which runs through September 30th, showcases the legal reckoning of the Nuremberg Trials to the beginning of the reconciliation and compensation achieved by the Luxembourg Agreement. After Dr. Thomas Eser, director of the Nuremberg Municipal Museums, offered his welcome, Christiane Reeh opened by emphasizing that the Luxembourg Agreement marked the first step out of the darkness of the Holocaust and called on the audience to stay active and vigilant. Holocaust survivor Dr. Eva Umlauf, a Claims Conference Board member and President of the International Auschwitz Committee, participated in a panel discussion with Dr. Kai Wambach, a historian at the Federal Ministry of Finance. Their exchange traced the historical, political and emotional weight of the Luxembourg Agreement – an agreement not only about financial compensation, but also about acknowledgment and the dignity of Holocaust survivors. With antisemitism on the rise, the "70 years of the Luxembourg Agreement" exhibition is a reminder that we must go beyond remembering the Holocaust and use it as a cautionary tale; a continuous, collective responsibility.

“The strength of community shines brightly at our Café Europa events.” #PartnersInCare: The Claims Conference provides support to individual social services agencies worldwide, such as the Jewish Family & Children's Services of Northern NJ, to host community events called Café Europa, where Holocaust survivors meet over a meal and form community with those who have shared experiences. Café Europa enriches a survivor’s life, offering emotional strength, nourishing the soul and fostering a sense of well-being. Thank you, Evan, for sharing your experience. We know this generation of Holocaust survivors represents our final opportunity to hear their testimonies and spend time with them. These are our last years to honor them, ensure they live in dignity, and provide for their needs — nothing is more important to the Claims Conference than safeguarding their well-being. To find a Café Europa, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eWF2qWpF

“In every encounter with a [Holocaust] survivor, I see a spark of the ability to rebuild life. Our partnership with the Claims Conference allows us to turn compassion into daily action. We will visit, listen, assist and continually remind you that you are an inseparable part of the heart of the community in Netivot and the entire Gaza Envelope” - Natali Zohar, Director of the Department of Social Services in Netivot. A tribute event on Tuesday, July 22nd, at the Netivot Performing Arts Center, was attended by 300 Holocaust survivors from Netivot, Sderot, Kibbutz Saad and Ofakim. The survivors were celebrated and treated to a morning of hospitality and leisure, which featured a performance by singer and cantor Dudu Fisher. Shai Amar, Deputy and Acting Mayor of Netivot, and Yigal Peretz, Deputy Mayor, joined Ms. Zohar and the Claims Conference’s Greg Schneider (EVP) and Tziona Koenig-Yair (Associate EVP in Israel) and social workers, appointed through Claims Conference initiatives and in coordination with local authorities, to honor the survivors. Since October 7, many Holocaust survivors have faced loneliness and fear. To help alleviate these challenges, the Claims Conference has launched a series of cultural and recreational events designed to offer respite and strengthen survivors’ sense of belonging. "Since the Second Lebanon War, the Claims Conference has partnered with the government to fund the construction of shelters in four hospitals, recognizing that many of the patients are Holocaust survivors,” said Greg Schneider. “Today, 21 months into the Iron Swords War, we seek to continue this support by assessing funding needs based on a comprehensive national mapping of institutions with high concentrations of Holocaust survivors that currently lack protective infrastructure. This will enable us to ensure their safety and well-being going forward, as the challenges they face are far from over.” #PartnersInCare #HolocaustSurvivors

The Claims Conference is excited to announce a partnership with JLTV to produce REMEMBER THIS, a one-hour television program adapted from the Claims Conference’s #ISurvivedAuschwitz #RememberThis digital campaign launched in January to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The program will premiere on JLTV this week (July 21 - July 27) – find your local station at www.jltv.tv/channels. The full schedule: July 21, Monday, 9 p.m. ET and PT July 24, Thursday, 5 p.m. ET July 25, Friday, 8 p.m. ET and PT July 27, Sunday, 3 p.m. ET There are only about 1,000 Auschwitz survivors with us today. More than 80 of those commemorated the 80th anniversary of liberation with the Claims Conference by filming their answer to the question: What is the one thing you want people to remember? The responses include survivors wanting the world to remember family members, pivotal moments in their survival and communities that were changed or forever lost during World War II. This two-week social media campaign, inspired in part by Auschwitz survivor Aron Krell’s testimony about his brother, Zvi, who died from starvation after a year in the Łódź ghetto, has produced over 12 million video views - please find these important messages on the Claims Conference’s social media channels and online at https://lnkd.in/e7qAJi6x. We are grateful to the JLTV for helping us elevate and honor the voices of survivors from our campaign. We invite you to tune in to the premiere of the Remember This television program in July. Together, we can seize this opportunity to Remember This, helping to ensure that it never happens again. #HolocaustEducation

Moving stories carried by the courage of those who have experienced the unspeakable - this is the moment to hear their voices. Child of the Shoah ▶️ https://lnkd.in/gEtuT-vs #HolocaustEducation #VanishingWitnesses

Call for Entries: Claims Conference’s 2025 Emerging Filmmaker Contest: Aiming to educate and spark powerful discussions, the worldwide competition focuses on short films about the #Holocaust; the submission deadline is June 16. https://bit.ly/4iOJ1vO #ClaimsCon #ClaimsConference #ShortFilms #AnimationWorld

Applications are now open for the Claims Conference’s 2025 Emerging Filmmaker Contest. Directors (18+) can submit a screenplay or documentary treatment for a short film about the Holocaust and/or the experiences of Jewish Holocaust victims. For this global contest, the Claims Conference defines emerging filmmakers as those who have not completed more than one feature film and whose previous work has been publicly screened. Films highlight a particular aspect or story from the Holocaust, enabling viewers to connect emotionally with the victims and survivors. By learning of one family’s survival by hiding in a cave, or the triumph of a concentration camp soccer team, or the stories behind a tattooed number, even a viewer with no connection to the Holocaust will walk away with a realization that the vast numbers connected with the Shoah each represent a person, a story, a life taken away or forever changed. The deadline to apply for the Emerging Filmmaker Contest is June 16. For more information, please visit film.claimscon.org. #HolocaustEducation #FilmContest