Bill punishing Holocaust denial becomes law in Hungary 11 Mar 2010
Hungary’s President Laszlo Solyom has signed into law a bill that makes the denial of the Holocaust punishable by up to three years in jail. read more »
Focus
British government honors bravery of saviors of Jews during Holocaust
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has decorated Britons who saved Jews and others from the Nazi onslaught during World War II with the new ‘Hero of the Holocaust’ medal. read more »
Hungarian parliament votes in favor of penalizing Holocaust denial
Hungary’s National Assembly has voted in favor of making the denial or belittling of the Holocaust a criminal offense, punishable by up to three years imprisonment. read more »
» Should the denial of the Holocaust be punishable under the law? 
Russia to build Holocaust museum; Israel to erect memorial to Soviet Army
Russian PM Putin has told his Israeli counterpart Netanyahu that Russia would soon build a museum dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust. Netanyahu in response said Israel would erect a memorial dedicated to the efforts of the Soviet Red Army in liberating Europe during World War II. read more »
Swedish police arrest alleged mastermind of Auschwitz sign theft
Stockholm police have arrested the former Swedish neo-Nazi leader Anders Högström, who is wanted in Poland over the theft of the ‘Arbeit macht frei" sign from Auschwitz. read more »
» Should the denial of the Holocaust be punishable under the law?
Bishop Williamson summoned to Holocaust denial trial in Germany
A court in Germany has summoned the Catholic Bishop Richard Williamson to attend a trial in April where he is to face charges of incitement for his belittling of the Holocaust, which is a crime in Germany. read more »
» Bishop Williamson refuses to pay fine for Holocaust denial
» German court fines Bishop Williamson for Holocaust denial
» Should the denial of the Holocaust be punishable under the law?
» Swedish TV interview in which Bishop Williamson denies the Holocaust 
Latest News
Germany to substantially increase funds for Holocaust survivors, Claims Conference says 11 Mar 2010
The German government is increasing its funding for home care services provided to old-age Holocaust survivors by US$ 37 million this year. read more »
British government honors bravery of saviors of Jews during Holocaust 09 Mar 2010
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has decorated Britons who saved Jews and others from the Nazi onslaught during World War II with the new ‘Hero of the Holocaust’ medal. read more »
'A profane swindle?' by Menachem Rosensaft - New York Post 06 Mar 2010
Some scams rise above the merely outrageous to the profane. Such is plainly the case with Rabbi Menachem Youlus, the DC-area Torah scribe who claims to have "rescued" more than 1,000 Holocaust-era Torah scrolls. read more »
Tensions between Turkey and US over Congress resolution on Armenian “genocide” 05 Mar 2010
Turkey's foreign minister, has warned of a breakdown in ties with Washington after a committee of the US House of Representatives approved a resolution labeling the World War I-era mass killings of Armenians a “genocide.” read more »
Demjanjuk trial extended until at least September 25 Feb 2010
The Munich trial of alleged Nazi death camp guard Ivan Demjanjuk will take months longer than had been anticipated, prosecutors said on Wednesday. read more »
Jewish cemetery in Poland returned to Jewish community 24 Feb 2010
The Polish government has ordered the municipality of Przemysl, in southeastern Poland, to return its ancient graveyard to the Jewish community. read more »
Hungarian parliament votes in favor of penalizing Holocaust denial 23 Feb 2010
Hungary’s National Assembly has voted in favor of making the denial or belittling of the Holocaust a criminal offense, punishable by up to three years imprisonment. read more »
African Jewish Congress leaders pay high-level visit to Namibia 17 Feb 2010
A delegation of the African Jewish Congress has visited the Jewish community in Nambia and also took part in commemorations of the massacres of Herero and San committed by German colonialists a century ago. read more »
Russia to build Holocaust museum; Israel to erect memorial to Soviet Army 17 Feb 2010
Russian PM Putin has told his Israeli counterpart Netanyahu that Russia would soon build a museum dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust. Netanyahu in response said Israel would erect a memorial dedicated to the efforts of the Soviet Red Army in liberating Europe during World War II. read more »
Swedish police arrest alleged mastermind of Auschwitz sign theft 12 Feb 2010
Stockholm police have arrested the former Swedish neo-Nazi leader Anders Högström, who is wanted in Poland over the theft of the ‘Arbeit macht frei" sign from Auschwitz. read more »
Holocaust survivors sue Hungarian railway company in Chicago court 11 Feb 2010
Heirs of Holocaust survivors have filed a lawsuit in Chicago against the Hungarian state railway company MAV over the latter’s alleged involvement in deporting Jews to the Nazi camps during World War II. read more »
French 'Nazi hunter' talks about Holocaust in Middle Eastern countries 09 Feb 2010
The French ‘Nazi hunter’ Serge Klarsfeld has urged Muslims and Jews to learn about their mutual suffering as a way to bring them closer, at a series of conferences on the Shoah held in several Arab countries and Israel. read more »
Demjanjuk trial again delayed as defendant feels indisposed 08 Feb 2010
The trial in Munich, Germany of Ivan Demjanjuk, 89, was adjourned for a second day running on Thursday after doctors said the defendant was feeling unwell. read more »
'A bizarre choice?' by Richard Greenberg, Washington Jewish Week 04 Feb 2010
Critics question how historian ended up serving Shoah museum read more »
Polish court: EU-wide warrant for arrest of Swedish man over Auschwitz sign theft 02 Feb 2010
A court in the Polish city of Krakow has issued a European Union-wide arrest warrant for a Swedish citizen suspected of involvement in the theft of the ‘Arbeit macht frei’ sign at former Nazi death camp Auschwitz. read more »
Diary of Nazi doctor Josef Mengele to be auctioned in Connecticut 02 Feb 2010
The post-war diary of Josef Mengele, who was in charge of the ‘selections’ at Auschwitz and conducted cruel experiments on inmates, is to be sold by a private auction house in the United States. read more »
German prosecutors consider new evidence in Nazi war crimes trials 02 Feb 2010
Prosecutors in the trials of Heinrich Boere and Ivan Demjanjuk are investigating if the defendants had any involvement in other murders during or after World War II. read more »
Shoah remembered in ceremonies around the world 27 Jan 2010
Commemorative events are underway around the world on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which coincides with the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp by Soviet troops on 27 January 1945. read more »
Claims Conference: Half of old-age Holocaust survivors live in poverty 27 Jan 2010
On International Holocaust Memorial Day, the Jewish Claims Conference has said that about half of the estimated 517,000 survivors of the Shoah who are still alive live in poverty and are struggling to get by. read more »
Materials
"The Restitution of Holocaust-Era Jewish Communal Property: An Unfinished Item on the Jewish Diplomatic Agenda" by Herbert Block
More than sixty years after the end of the Holocaust, and nearly two decades after the fall of the Iron Curtain, Jewish communities in East Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union are still struggling with the question of how to reclaim the properties which were taken from them during the Nazi and Communist regimes. download »
"Conflicting Cultures of Memory in Europe: New Borders between East and West?" by Heidemarie Uhl
Visitors entering the Terror Háza [House of Terror] in Budapest are immediately confronted with the political agenda of the public foundation that operates this popular museum - one of the most visited attractions in the Hungarian capital. download »
Vatican decree on the 'venerability' of Pius XII [Italian Language]
Vatican decree signed by Benedict XVI on the declaration of venerability 17 people, including Pius XII. The declaration of venerability starts the process of beatification of individuals. read more »
'In Days Gone By And In Our Own Time'
Reflections, from Bergen-Belsen to the White House by Menachem Z. Rosensaft read more »
Legacy of the Holocaust
Restitution
The WJC has led a number of restitution efforts over the past decades and was a founding member of the World Jewish Restitution Organisation (WJRO). However there are still some countries that have not yet adequately addressed the issue of property restitution.
Restitution and compensation are primarily about justice and not only about money. It is about honouring those who perished in the Shoah and helping those who survived unimaginable anguish in the Nazi death camps.
Negotiations should be conducted in the framework of the WJRO (which includes the Claims Conference and other international Jewish organizations) in coordination with the Israeli government and with the support of the US government and the European Union.
The distribution of any compensation monies should not be handled by the WJC. The
WJC does not seek any form of commission or gratification payments from Holocaust-era compensation or restitution agreements.
Funds destined for Holocaust survivors, or their heirs, should be transferred to them without delay.
Poland needs to urgently implement the law allowing for the return of confiscated properties, or alternatively for the payment of adequate compensation, to victims of the Holocaust or their heirs.
Bosnia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia should also engage in immediate negotiations to bring closure to this issue in the interests of all.
The German government and others need to ensure that poor survivors of the Shoah continue to have access to adequate medical and social services, and receive a decent pension.
Holocaust commemoration and education
Some countries do not adequately commemorate WWII- and Holocaust-related events. In many eastern European countries, Holocaust education is insufficient and/or inaccurate.
Initiatives by international organisations, governments, NGOs and private individuals to organise commemorative events on Holocaust related anniversaries are important and should be welcomed.
Political leaders and well-known personalities should be encouraged to participate in such events, as they serve as an important reminder for today’s generation.
Holocaust education should be included in every school curriculum, in all countries. Providing good education and information about the Holocaust becomes even more important as Shoah survivors will soon no longer be alive to tell their story.
Holocaust Denial
The denial or trivialization of the Holocaust is becoming increasingly fashionable.
Denial of the Holocaust is abhorrent. It denigrates the memory of those who suffered and died at the hands of the Nazis.
Denial of the Holocaust has become a political weapon by anti-Semites, especially in Europe. EU wide legislation bringing a unified approach to legal action against Holocaust deniers is imperative.
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