Vol. XVI No. 3 March, 1961 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH REFUGEES IN GREAT BRITAIN I FAIRFAX MANSIONS, Offict and Coiuulting Heurs : FINCHLEY ROAO (Cornar Fairfax Road), LONDON. N.W.3 Mondaylo Thunday 10 a.nt.—l p.m. 3—6 p.nt. Telephon*: MAIda Val* 9096'7 (e*n*ral Officel Friday 10 a.m.—I p.m. MAIda Val* 4449 (Empioymant Ag*ncy and Social S*rvic*s D*pt.| About 2,945,000 claims have been lodged under the Federal Indemnification Law (BEG) of which A WIDE RANGE OF TASKS about 1,577,000 have been settled. The payments made are about 8,731 million DM and the total expenditure to be expected about 17,200 million Report on AJR Board Meeting DM. The work would probably not be completed by the end of 1962 as visualised in the Law. ^^ore than 60 board members, including dele­ liabilities would become greater, especially in view The " Council" has proposed several improve­ gates from the provinces, attended the AJR Board of the expansion of the work for the new homes ments of the BEG which should be incorporated meeting which was held in London on January to be established. As a further and very important into a final law on indemnification (Wiedergut- ^2nd. The comprehensive reports and the vivid device of reducing the deficit, the AJR Charitable machungs-SchlussgesetzX, the enactment of which discussion reaffirmed the variety of important tasks Trust has been established which can accept pay­ was intended by the German authorities but would ".* AJR and its associated bodies have to cope ments under covenant from which the charitable probably be held over until after the election of With and the organisational strength on which part of the AJR's activities are to be financed. the new German Federal Parliament. TK **^''^'''ss ar^ based. The AJR Charitable Trust is also a suitable instru­ With regard to the Federal Restitution Law The meeting was opened by the Chairman. Mr. ment for receiving bequests. (Bundesrueckerstattungsgesetz) the speaker stated "•.Reichmann, who in his introductory remarks Mr. A. S. Dresel, Vice-Chairman, in his report that one of the decisive deficiences was the ceiling paid tribute to the memory of Dr. Emil Kramer, on Ithe Homes, jointly administered with the of 1,500 million DM. This limitation had proved ' ^oard member and former chairman of the Central British Fund, stated that altogether 133 particularly detrimental to claimants owing to t^JR Richmond Branch, who had passed away a residents are accommodated in the three existing the inclusion of certain claims in the Federal i«w months ago. Homes, Otto Schiff House (41 residents), Leo Restitution Law which were originally not meant AID '''^ report on the general activities of the Baeck House (43 residents) and Otto Hirsch House to be covered by that Law. Whilst these addi­ AJR Mr. W. Rosenstock. General Secretary, first (49 residents). About half of them pay the full tional claims were certainly also justified, they dealt with the efforts aiming at the exemption from maintenance charges, the rest pay either reduced were bound to result in a reduction of the quota taxation of the "Renten" paid for loss of life rates or come under the responsibility of the local of the original claimants as long as the ceiling and loss of career under the Federal Indemnifi­ authorities. There is a waiting-list of 3(X) appli­ was not increased or removed. cation Law. These efforts are being made in cants, of whom at least 75 are particularly After protracted negotiations, the " Council" •arious directions. In the legislative field several urgent. New applications are steadily coming in. has also succeeded in obtaining a share in the •nembers of all three parlies had moved exemption A New Old Age Home heirless property recovered in the American Zone pauses to the Finance Bill, I960, and all members To relieve the position to a certain extent a by the Jewish Restitution Successor Organisation wno participated in the debate of the clauses further property at The Bishop's Avenue, " Green- (J.R.S.O.). These funds, and also a share in the irongly pressed for an exemption. Nevertheless, trees ", has been acquired by auction to be used heirless property recovered in the British Zone b t "^Ij^^Se could be achieved on that occasion, for the erection of a fourth Old Age Home. By by the Jewish Trust Corporation, are used by the le" , ^ efforts aiming at a change of the present the conversion of the existing building and the Council's member organisations for the implemen­ sal position are still going on. In the judicial erection of a new wing, accommodation for 50 tation of constructive social schemes. ^Pnere a test case had been put forward. (See residents will become available. After the com­ Lastly, by the establishment of the "Leo announcement on page 2 of this issue.—The Ed.) pletion of the fourth Old Age Home, which will Baeck Institute", the " Council" has worked for the preservation of the cultural heritage of Ger­ rj., . Organisatioiial Strength bear the name of Heinrich Stahl, the Old Age Homes' scheme will be finalised. man Jewry. The American branch of the Dav instance of the ta.xability of compensation Institute has built up a unique collection of books, nee *"*^' '^'^ speaker stated, illustrated anew the A Home for infirm aged people, to be named periodicals and documents referring to our reari^*"^ of having a machinery which is always Osmond House after Sir Osmond d'Avigdor history. A further achievement of the Institute I 5f .'o take up the interests of our community, Goldsmid, is to be erected on the site of Leo is the publication of the Year Book under the imn respect AJR Informaiion, too, has an Baeck House. It will accommodate 37 residents editorship of Dr. Robert Weltsch; the fifth <j"P°'''ant function by putting forward the (20 in four bed-wards, 4 in double rooms and 13 Continued on page 2. column I tial ^^ °^^ community. While, as an impar- in single rooms). The building work has already wh' ^^''*'^' '' restricts jts comments to those events started. thJ are of specific relevance to our position, Unfortunately the total building programme is Association of Jewish Refugees in its •''f''^'^" ^\ '^e same time, substantially expanded so far still incomplete, as the Flatlet Scheme Great Britain a- •ntormation service on general Jewish news, has not yet materialised. One offer which 111 s '"'•"'ng to the social work of the AJR the had been under active consideration had to be a w rfi ^''^^^^^'^ that the organisation has attained turned down because planning permission for the PUBLIC MEETING Welf recognised position vis-a-vis the public number of units required was refused. Several on Tuesday, March 21, at 8 p.ni. advic"^^ l>odies and voluntary organisations. The other offers, the speaker stated, were followed up, n, ':°''y activities of the social services depart- but it was not possible to foresee the outcome oy^ ,'^o)^ered all questions with which people of at this juncture. He stressed that all those in at 51 Belsize Square, N.WJ rnp-f , ^''g'^ound are faced. Among persons in charge of the preparatory work were aware of the (between Swiss Cottage and Belsize Park the 1 "''^'^""ies, unfortunately also members of urgency of the problem and constantly tried ito Underground Stations) The ^^^ groups had now to be attended to. achieve its solution. Emni^°* also includes the services of the AJR In concluding the speaker paid tribute to the Lcrs''"ent Agencv (annually licensed by the devoted services of the staff of the Homes. DER GEGENWAERTIGE STAND nine f 'v ^^ Handicrafts Group and the run- Thanks were also due to the members of the AJR ri u '"°^' successful lending library. The House Committees. It would not have been dav f which meets at 57 Eton Avenue every possible to run the Homes smoothly and in a DER WIEDERGUTMACHUNG is nJ°^ Sunday to Thursday is attended by 30- spirit in keeping with our background, had not th£.v;°P'? *3ch dav, and by 120-150 persons at men and women from the ranks of the AJR SPEAKERS: Th^onthly functions, come forward to work for the well being of the loa"^ Revolving Fund, established for granting aged. Dr. Otto Bental still np°H''^'^^°"^ whose compensation claims are The third report at the meeting was given by Director of URO, Berlin hein ^ "'"^ ^"^^ ^ho are in need of immediate the Chairman, Mr. H. Reichmann. Dealing first aver;„ ^'^^"ed ^°^^^ of a total of £25,000 (on the with questions of restitution and compensation, Dr. F. Goldschmidt £22 Onn u"^ ^^ person), of which, up to now. he stressed that the enactment of the necessary Senior Legal Adviser of URO, London the'cla- ^^^^ repaid after the settlement of legislation was, to no mean extent, due to the constant initiative and vigilance of the AJR and Admission Free thi^',^^fards the financial position of the AJR its corresponding organisations abroad which, risen u'' ^^^^'^ ^^^^ '" '^^ '^^ income had under the auspices of the Council of Jews from Doors open at 7.15 p.m. increa^ t "^^^"'^ °^ ^^^ appeal for a voluntary Germany, had been active in this matter through­ few nip ? ^^^ subscriptions. However, quite a out the years. In the field of restitution of AJR members and their friends are cordially of the *^° *^ould also afford an adjustment identifiable property the work is practically com­ invited. Was m P^^t^ents had not responded so far. It pleted. Indemnification legislation has been as wpi,2,°5ti ^u'''"^^""^ essential' to enlist their co-operation widened and improved in the course of time, and No further notice will be given.