BERLIN. A recent report revealed that nearly 80 years after the Holocaust, approximately 245,000 Jewish survivors are still alive, residing in more than 90 countries. The data, disclosed on Tuesday, highlights the global distribution of survivors who have endured the atrocities of World War II.
The findings, presented by the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, known as the Claims Conference, indicate that 49% of the survivors now live in Israel, while 18% are in Western Europe, 16% in the United States, and 12% in countries formerly part of the Soviet Union.
The demographic report, titled “Holocaust Survivors Worldwide: A Demographic Overview,” provides a detailed perspective on the current state of the survivors, with a median age of 86. Notably, 20% of them are older than 90, and a majority of survivors are women (61%) compared to men (39%).
Greg Schneider, the Claims Conference’s executive vice president, emphasized the significance of recognizing the individuals behind the statistics, stating, “These are Jews who were born into a world that wanted to see them murdered. They endured the atrocities of the Holocaust in their youth and were forced to rebuild an entire life out of the ashes of the camps and ghettos that ended their families and communities.”
The report classifies 96% of survivors as “child survivors” born after 1928, providing insight into the lasting impact of the Holocaust on those who experienced it.
Six million European Jews and individuals from other minorities fell victim to the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust. The report acknowledges the difficulty in establishing the exact number of survivors, given the vast differences in pre-war and post-war Jewish populations across Europe.
In Poland, for instance, out of the 3.3 million Jews in 1939, only about 300,000 survived. Similarly, the Jewish population in Germany, which was around 560,000 in 1933, dwindled to about 15,000 by the end of World War II in 1945.
The demographic report also noted the resurgence of Germany’s Jewish community after 1990, with more than 215,000 Jewish migrants and their families arriving from the former Soviet Union, including survivors.
Today, Germany is home to 14,200 survivors, underscoring the ongoing impact of the Holocaust on the Jewish community. The Claims Conference, which manages compensation programs and advocates for survivors globally, plays a crucial role in ensuring support and acknowledgment for those who suffered during this dark chapter in history.
Gideon Taylor, the president of the Claims Conference, stressed the need for continued attention and care for the dwindling population of survivors, stating, “Now is the time to double down on our attention on this waning population. Now is when they need us the most.”
While the number of survivors diminishes with time, individuals like Ruth Winkelmann, a survivor in Berlin, persist in sharing their stories, fostering understanding, and urging future generations to unite against hatred and discrimination.
This story was first published by AP
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
