Swiss Earmark Millions for U.S. Holocaust Survivors

Needy victims of the Holocaust have three months to apply for humanitarian aid from a Swiss fund set up specifically to help poor Jews who suffered at the hands of the Nazis, Jewish leaders said Tuesday.

The fund is separate from a $1.25-billion settlement announced by Swiss banks last week, aimed at settling claims by Jewish Holocaust victims and their heirs who were unable to claim World War II assets on deposit in Swiss banks.

Tuesday’s announcement is the culmination of plans first announced in the winter of 1997 by a group of Swiss banks, private companies and the Swiss national bank.

In all, the group has pledged a total of $185 million. Of that, $31.4 million will go to survivors in the U.S. About $22 million will go to non-Jewish victims worldwide.

To receive compensation from the Swiss Fund for Needy Victims of the Holocaust, survivors must apply before Nov. 17 and be:

* A Jew who lived in a country that was governed by Nazis or their collaborators;

* A citizen or legal resident of the United States; and

* In financial need.

Applications will be approved by an advisory committee of Holocaust survivors nationwide, which was established by the World Jewish Restitution Organization.

The amount to be given to successful applicants is dependent upon the number of approved applications, but is likely to be several hundred dollars each, said Jewish Federation officials. Each victim will receive an equal sum.

“It’s a token,” said Marcia Reines Josephy, the director of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. “It also means that Hitler didn’t win, that the Swiss recognize that they didn’t do things exactly right.”

According to Federation figures, 14,000 Jewish survivors of the Holocaust live in the Greater Los Angeles area. Of those, about 3,000 live below the poverty line.

Applications are available by calling the fund’s processing center at (800) 549-6864. In addition, the Jewish Family Service is assisting applicants at four locations:

* Valley Storefront, 12821 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood, (818) 984-1380;

* Pico-Robertson Storefront, 8838 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 271-3306;

* Freda Mohr Center, 330 N. Fairfax, Los Angeles, (213) 937-5900;

* West Hollywood Senior Center--Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 851-8202.