Germany to offer compensations to Romanian Holocaust survivors living in Israel

The German Government recognized last week 8,000 Romanians living in Israel as Holocaust survivors. This allows them to receive retroactive compensations and a monthly pension, The Jerusalem Postreported.

They can receive a monthly compensation of up to USD 225 and retroactive payments to cover the last 20 years, The Times of Israel reported. The retroactive compensations could reach between USD 27,000 and USD 54,300 per person.

The survivors are Jews who lived in 20 cities in Romania, including Iași, Galați, Piatra Neamț, Constanța, Ștefănești and Bacău, and who were impacted by marshall Ion Antonescu’s collaboration with the Nazi regime or by the Nazis themselves.

“The financial compensation will not restore the loss and cannot cover the pain and tragedy, but it can significantly improve the welfare of thousands of survivors. […] Whether they are Romanian immigrants or those of other countries, the government of Israel has a duty and responsibility for Holocaust survivors, their welfare and the right to which they are entitled,” Gila Gamliel, Israel's Social Equality minister, said, quoted by The Jerusalem Post.

Some 380,000 – 400,000 Romanian Jews are estimated to have died during the Holocaust.

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