I am writing on behalf of my mother, a 91-year-old survivor of Auschwitz who became a widow in 1962, when my father died (“Under Pressure, Claims Conference Officials Alter Meeting Agenda,” July 5).
My mother has had numerous unpleasant conversations with the staff of the Claims Conference, which instead of helping survivors has “lost” $57.3 million in fraudulent claims. My mother was denied any reparations after my father’s untimely death. My mother appealed the decision and also applied for an increase for herself and was turned down.
I just read in an article distributed by the World Jewish Congress that Hungary released money for Hungarian survivors. This article points out that Hungary had stopped payments because of the lack of oversight by Claims Conference and only recently resumed. My mother was never informed of the $21 million for Hungarian Holocaust survivors in 2007.
The entire Jewish community needs to demand that the financial support for the survivors be given to them immediately.
Princeton, N.J.
