2005 Annual Spring Benefit for
Selfhelp's Nazi Victim Services Program

This year's annual Spring Event to benefit Selfhelp's Nazi Victim Services Program will be a screening of the documentary, "The Ritchie Boys," a film about Jewish refugees who enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as American intelligence officers in Europe, during World War II. This uplifting film celebrates the bravery and contributions of this unique group of heroes. The event, scheduled for Thursday, June 16th, at the Center for Jewish History on West 16th Street, will kick-off with a reception at 5:30 and continue with a screening of the film and discussion beginning at 6:30. The discussion will be led by guest of honor, Fred Howard, a Ritchie Boy who appears in the film. Ticket prices are $50 and $100. To purchase tickets please call (212) 971-7764.

Selfhelp and the growing need for Nazi victim services

When Selfhelp was established in 1936 to assist refugees from Nazi persecution, our founders promised to serve as the "last surviving relative" for the devastated men and women arriving in the United States without family or funds, and pledged to provide them with the comprehensive services, personal attention, and compassionate care they needed to rebuild their lives.

Selfhelp has kept that promise for more than six decades. Today we operate the largest program of services for Holocaust survivors and Nazi victims in North America. Over the past six years, Selfhelp has experienced a 50 percent increase in the number of survivors requesting assistance, and last year served nearly 10% of the 55,000 Nazi victims who are estimated to live in the greater New York area.

Sadly the need for Nazi victim services has begun to outpace our current funding and the gap will widen as greater numbers of survivors reach their 80's and 90's and need more extensive services to maintain their dignity and independence.

Given the age and projected longevity of this vulnerable group*, they will need the compassionate support of our community through at least the year 2020. The advanced age of this group, as well as their fragile physical, emotional, and mental health, lend a special urgency to the crisis.

* According to the Year 2000 Planning Report of the Conference on Material Claims Against Germany, the majority of Nazi victims are between the ages of 65 - 74. In 2005, the report estimates that the majority of Nazi victims will be between the ages of 75 - 84 and that only by 2015 will the majority of Nazi victims be over the age of 85.

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