On eve of Holocaust Rememberance Day, Project HEART, JAFI with Isr Govt, to restore assets to Holocaust survivors.

ON THE EVE OF HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY 2011: Israeli Government and Jewish Agency to Detail New Effort Restoring Stolen Assets to Holocaust Victims and Heirs

April 26, 2011 / 22 Nissan 5771                  Jewish Agency Chair Natan Sharansky: “This is a cause which demands action on the part of our leaders. We will never shy away from the needs of the victims and their heirs.” (JERUSALEM) WHAT: On the eve of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Government of Israel, together with the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) will mark the establishment of Project HEART, the global Holocaust Era Assets Restitution Taskforce. Developed through the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Government’s Ministry of Senior Citizens and with JAFI, this new campaign is Israel’s official effort to help secure the restitution of assets to Holocaust victims and their heirs. “Ensuring the victims of the Holocaust at least a small measure of justice for the property that was brutally stolen, looted and expropriated from them under the Nazi regime is a cause that demands our utmost dedication so that these people and their heirs are properly compensated,” said Natan Sharansky, Chair of the Jewish Agency. “Representing the interests of Jews all around the world, the State of Israel views this effort as our responsibility as a nation and as a people.” Since launching to the public in February of 2011, the Project has received many thousands of requests for information from across the globe and hundreds of thousands of hits to the Project HEART website. As will be further detailed at the press conference, Project HEART will shortly be releasing a database listing over 500,000 pieces of property owned by Jews in pre-war Europe.  This database, to be made available for public search, will allow families to identify property that had belonged to loved ones before the Holocaust so that the restitution process can be effectively commenced. “Our strength and determinism comes from the heroism of the victims of the Holocaust and the survivors and their enormous influence in building the institutions of the State of Israel and the Jewish people worldwide,” said Bobby Brown, Executive Director of Project HEART. “Now is the time for us to work our hardest to give these heroes some of the compensation that has been denied them for so long.” In attendance will be: Rafi Eitan, Former Minister for Senior Citizens and key initiator of the program  MK Leah Ness, Deputy Minister for Senior Citizens Natan Sharansky, Chairman, Jewish Agency for Israel Bobby Brown, Executive Director, Project HEART Moshe Sanbar, Prominent leader of the Holocaust survivor community in Israel Special remarks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be screened. WHEN: Sunday, May 1st at 2:30 PM (1430 hrs) WHERE: Ben Gurion Hall, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Jerusalem For information and to confirm your attendance: Jeremy Wimpfheimer, Lone Star Communications jeremy@lonestar.co.il 054-659-7795

For further information contact:Michael JankelowitzSpokesman to Foreign Press Jewish Agency for Israel www.jewishagency.org mjankelowitz@gmail.com +972.52.6130220 mobile

http://jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/About/Press+Room/Press+Releases/2011/apr26?variety=hp