Restitution for Holocaust Survivors

Community Support Services Through Holocaust Community Services

While growing older poses new challenges and opportunities for individuals, Holocaust Survivors suffer additional complications during the aging process including experiencing feelings of loss of control and reliving painful memories. Our community is committed to providing a range of services to Holocaust Survivors to support their independence. Since 2000, Holocaust Community Services, a collaborative effort of JCFS, CJE SeniorLife and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, in partnership with HIAS Chicago, has provided supportive services to the Chicago Holocaust survivor community and their families.

HIAS Chicago works as part of the coalition of Holocaust Community Services to fully enhance the lives of Holocaust Survivors. When appropriate, referrals are made to other members of the coalition team to provide help with home services, group or individual counseling and support, or financial assistance.

Assistance in applying for reparations from Germany

In the past several years, some new programs have been developed to compensate victims of the Holocaust for a variety of losses they experienced, including bank accounts, insurance policies, art and the loss of their labor without compensation. HIAS Chicago staff has stayed informed and involved with each of the programs as they have become active, and provides direct assistance to individuals who are eligible to apply for new programs.

For a complete listing of programs available to Holocaust Survivors and more detailed explanation of the criteria for the programs mentioned above, visit www.claimscon.org.

HIAS Chicago staff can assist those in the Russian speaking community who believe they are eligible for either the Claims Conference Hardship Fund and/or the Claims Conference Article 2 Fund to complete the required applications, and guide them in gathering the required documentation of their suffering at the hands of the Nazis.

For assistance, in English or Russian, please contact HIAS Chicago at 312.357.4666 or Holocaust Community Services at 847.745.5409