Retired Judge Dalia Dorner
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Survivors on belated benefits: Better late than never
Holocaust survivors to receive additional pension in accordance with Dorner Report just before Rosh Hashana. 'Many survivors are smelling flowers from roots by now,' says one survivor
After a much-prolonged waiting period and no small number of political battles, thousands of Holocaust survivors are scheduled to be rewarded on Thursday with an increased pension, which will contain the deficits that have piled up since the beginning of this year.
The increase in the survivors' monthly pensions was one of the recommendations made by retired Judge Dalia Dorner in the report published by the committee she headed.
Dorner Report
Yael Barnovsky
In investigative debate about Claims Conference retired judge criticizes organization, State, says 'funds transferred by conference don't go directly to survivors; I don't think claims money should be used as State's petty cash bank'
In accordance with the Dorner Report, 37,298 Holocaust survivors will receive benefits granted by the Nazi Persecution Law, which will be equal to 75% of the German dividend received by survivors that immigrated to Israel after 1953.
The survivors were relieved at the additional funds, but also complained of their delayed arrival. Shmuel Reinish, chairman of the Romanian Holocaust survivors in Haifa, told Ynet that "it is without a doubt too late, because many survivors are already smelling the flowers from the roots, but better late than never."
Reinish said the survivors had been regaled by unfulfilled promises. "I will believe it only when I see the money in the bank, because we have already received too many promises," he said. "In any case we will continue to fight for every survivor living in poverty."
