Czech Republic
A Holocaust victim receives therapy at a retreat in Zelezna Ruda in the Czech Republic. Photo: Karel Cudlin.
New: Benefits Available to Holocaust Survivors Under the Czech Republic Social Security Administration
Direct compensation payments are made from the Central and Eastern European Fund (CEEF) and the Hardship Fund. Currently, CEEF payments are €336, the same as the Article 2 Fund, as a result of Claims Conference negotiations with the German government. The Claims Conference negotiates on an ongoing basis with the German government to include additional Nazi victims in compensation programs, increase payments, and provide increased funds for social services.
The Claims Conference allocates funds to the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic (FJC), an umbrella organization for 10 Jewish communities and other Jewish institutions in the country, including the Terezin Initiative. The agency provides homecare, a medical program, and case management services to Nazi victims throughout the country. Additionally, FJC funds a socialization program and provides clients with transportation and minor home modifications. The agency estimates that it assists approximately 850 Nazi victims annually.
A separate grant to the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic, specifically the Prague Jewish Community, provides supplemental emergency assistance for Hungarian Jewish Nazi victims who live in the Czech Republic.
A Café Europa program operated by Hidden Child Prague serves 250 Jewish Nazi victims. The organization holds 10 meetings per year, including lectures on Jewish tradition and culture, films, music, trips to the theater, concerts, and places connected to Jewish life.
