Jewish Care Victoria hosts Claims Conference CEO
Jewish Care Victoria has hosted Greg Schneider, Executive Vice-President and CEO of The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Inc., also known as The Claims Conference.
Mrs Gizella Marek meets Greg Schneider
The two-day visit, held over 15-16 August 2019, provided Jewish Care and other communal organisations an opportunity to discuss matters related to supporting Holocaust survivors and share the range of supports and services available to survivors living in the Victorian Jewish community.
During the intensive program Mr. Schneider attended briefings with Jewish Care’s Board, Executive and senior leaders working in Active Living Services, and visited partner agencies NCJWA Victorian Branch and C Care. Mr. Schneider also attended the Golden Ages Program in South Melbourne, visited the Jewish Holocaust Centre, and shared lunch with Jewish Care’s Claims Conference Advisory Committee and dinner with communal leaders.
Importantly, Mr. Schneider also visited several of the approximately 1,200 Holocaust survivors who are supported by Jewish Care and The Claims Conference to remain living in our community.
“I was delighted to spend time with Greg Schneider, visiting Holocaust survivors and explaining the supports and services Jewish Care and other communal organisations provide to survivors in Victoria. Mr. Schneider is well aware of the significance of the role played by Jewish Care in assisting the second-largest survivor community per capita in the world,” said Bill Appleby, CEO of Jewish Care Victoria.
“The extremely positive visit provided a wonderful opportunity to discuss the needs of Holocaust survivors in our community and strengthen the quality partnership we have built with The Claims Conference.”
The Claims Conference is the New York-based organisation responsible for negotiating with the German Government programs of compensation and restitution for the material damages to Jewish Holocaust survivors and to the Jewish people worldwide. As part of its role, The Claims Conference distributes funds to organisations, including Jewish Care, to assist and support eligible Holocaust survivors.
Under the leadership of Mr. Schneider, the program has grown almost fivefold in the past decade, now ensuring 147,000 Holocaust survivors living in 47 countries are able to access vital supports and services.
