Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 17 December 2003 — Page 4

IN 4 December 11. 2003

JDC aids Jews in former USSR

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, hundreds of thousands of elderly Jews were suddenly impoverished. And hundreds of Jewish children were orphaned or abandoned by families too poor to care for them. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), headquartered in New York City, along with its funders from around the world, created the largest care and feeding relief program carried out for Jews since the displaced persons camps of the late 1940s, post-Holocaust. Federations, individuals.

and foundations work as a team to feed and provide medical assistance to victims of Communism and Holocaust survivors. “Although we focus yearround on the challenges faced by impoverished people in the former Soviet Union, the season of light and hope, Hanukkah and Christmas, is an especially significant time to reflect on our Judeo-Christian partnerships," says Asher Ostrin, director of JDC's program in the former Soviet Union. "We are especially thankful for the support of Rabbi Yechiel

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Eckstein, JDC board member and president and founder of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews." Based in Chicago and Jerusalem under the leadership of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, the Fellowship is governed by a board of distinguished Christians and Jews and has contributed close to $100 million toward international social welfare services. Funded primarily by Christians, the not-for-profit organization promotes a greater understanding between Jews and Christians and builds Christian support for Israel and other shared concerns. "Rabbi Eckstein communicates the message that there are Christians who care about Jews and are willing to contribute toward Jews in need," Ostrin continues. "The Fellowship is

an important partner in JDC's efforts to provide critical welfare assistance for the young and the elderly throughout the former Soviet Union." "Since the fall of Communism and the collapse of human services infrastructure in the former Soviet Union, we have contributed millions of dollars through JDC toward the needs of the poor and hungry elderly," Rabbi Eckstein says. "We recently expanded our outreach to provide much-needed food, housing, medicine, and clothing to that society's youngest victims." In addition to the Fellowship, JDC works in partnership with United Jewish Communities and the Federations of North America, Swiss Banks Settlement Fund, individuals and foundations in the United

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States and around the world, and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference). JDC's support of Jewish people in the former Soviet Union began in 1991 and currently serves more than 250,000 individuals. "For the past eight years the Claims Conference has been JDC's major partner in providing these welfare services, especially to those regions that have a substantial number of victims of Nazi persecution," explains JDC's Ostrin. "The funds come from the proceeds from the sales of unclaimed and heirless restituted Jewish properties in the former East Germany. We acknowledge this tremendous support and express our deepest gratitude to the Claims Conference." Over the past 50 years the mission of the Claims Conference has been to secure a small measure of justice for Jewish victims of Nazi persecution through negotiations, disbursing funds, and seeking the return of Jewish property lost during the Holocaust. Julius Berman, Claims Conference chairman, explains, "Aging Nazi victims in the former Soviet Union are among the neediest Jews in

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