The major portion of the assets being received from Germany by Jewish successor organizations, particularly the Jewish Restitution Successor Organization in the U.S. zone, should be used for the relief of needy Jews, especially those in Israel, the Council for the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Jews from Germany, declared last night in a resolution adopted at a public session.
The crowded session, presided over by Dr. Leo Baeck, one-time Chief Rabbi of Berlin, also urged that the Council continue its efforts to secure an adequate share of all recovered communal funds from Germany. The meeting adopted a resolution lauding the Luxemburg pact for German reparations payments to Israel and the Jewish Claims Conference, and urged speedy implementation of the legislative program for restitution pledged by the German Government in that treaty. The resolution pointed out that many surviving German Jews are old and speedy payment of compensation is their only hope of financial security during their remaining years.
The resolution also thanked the negotiators of the pact with Germany for the job they did and noted “with satisfaction” that the presidium of the Claims Conference had recognized the Council’s right to a share of the funds paid it by the Germans. It expressed the hope that this share would be sufficient to cover the costs of the social program planned by the Council. Finally, the resolution urged the Council to continue its efforts to obtain a share of unclaimed, heirless and communal property in Germany.
Prior to the public session, delegates to the Council from Israel, the United States, Belgium, Holland, France and elsewhere held a closed meeting to consider the Council’s claims to a share of heirless Jewish property in Germany and of the reparations payments made to the Claims Conference. This meeting, at which members of the Central Council of Jews in Germany were present as observers, also reviewed the position of former German Jews and discussed plans for the establishment of such social welfare projects as old age homes and other institutions.
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