The newly established fund is designated to financially support organizations that are aiding Holocaust survivors impacted by the ramifications of the virus. The organizations help survivors get food and meet other basic and emotional needs. They also help infected survivors handle the effects of the virus.
"During these particularly difficult and uncertain times we have a responsibility towards Holocaust survivors, who have experienced a terrible trauma and tragedy in the past. We will need to invest in new forms of communication to ensure that their needs are met," said Dr. Andreas Eberhardt, CEO of Alfred Landecker Foundation.
The first four organizations to immediately benefit from the funding include Jewish Care, the largest health and social care organization serving the Jewish community in the UK, AMCHA Israel, the Central Welfare Organization for Jews in Germany and the UJA Federation New York.
The announcement came just after William Stern, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor living in the UK, died from the virus on March 23. Stern was the UK's first Holocaust survivor to pass away from coronavirus.
According to the foundation, Holocaust survivors are not only made more vulnerable to the virus due to their age, but given the trauma they've experienced are also made more susceptible to mental health issues due to prolonged isolation.
"Therapists are very often the only caregivers left for many traumatized survivors who now live alone and in fear,” said Lukas Welz, President of AMCHA Germany. “This is why we try to do everything we can to establish new communication lines over the phone and the internet so that we can make sure we give all the necessary therapy and support.”
Due to safety regulations imposed by governments around the world, Holocaust survivors are no longer able to access therapy sessions, and victims who were once imprisoned for years in concentration camps now find themselves in forced isolation again, leading to the foundation's commitment to funding organizations crucial in the effort of helping survivors through the outbreak.
The foundation estimates that there are roughly 400,000 Holocaust survivors in 2020 worldwide, some 140,000 living in Israel today.