Germany has announced a record-breaking commitment of over $1.2 billion in reparations for Holocaust survivors in 2026, marking the largest annual allocation for survivor care and Holocaust education in history, according to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference). The agreement, revealed on October 29, 2025, comes after intensive negotiations between the Claims Conference and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Finance, and underscores both the increasing needs of aging survivors and the persistent importance of remembrance efforts.
The bulk of the funds—nearly $1.1 billion—will go directly to home care for Holocaust survivors across the globe. This represents a $30 million increase from last year’s allocation and reflects a trend that’s been building for years. As Gideon Taylor, president of the Claims Conference, explained to eJewishPhilanthropy and the Associated Press, “This historic increase to home care funding reflects the complex and growing needs of Holocaust survivors worldwide.” He continued, “While we are losing survivors at a rapid pace each year, those who remain are older, frailer and in greater need than ever before. This budget is critical in providing each of them the opportunity to age in place, a dignity that was stolen from them in their youth.”
Indeed, the data tells a sobering story. The average age of survivors receiving home care has climbed from 86 in 2018 to 88.5 in 2024, with many now facing severe health challenges. The number of survivors qualifying for full-time assistance due to extreme disabilities—including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, and dementia—has nearly doubled over the same period, as reported by both the Claims Conference and Associated Press. Survivors who once needed only light household help now often require daily assistance with basic tasks like bathing, dressing, and mobility.
Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, the Claims Conference’s special negotiator, put the increase into perspective for eJewishPhilanthropy: “When I started…the worldwide home care budget 2009 was 34 million euros, or about $40 million. For fiscal year ‘26, it’s going to be [over] $1 billion… I mean, that’s a quantum increase, an enormous increase, and it demonstrates that the priorities of the Claims Conference changed with the changing status of survivors.”
As of April 2025, the Claims Conference estimates that approximately 200,000 Holocaust survivors are still alive worldwide, with the majority living in Israel, the United States, and Europe. A significant number are scattered in other countries as well, making the global reach of this funding especially critical. The organization notes that while the survivor population is shrinking due to age, the needs of those who remain are intensifying, and the funding is expected to rise for the next few years before dropping off as the survivor population diminishes.
In addition to home care, the German government has extended the Hardship Fund Supplemental payments—annual stipends of €1,450 (about $1,550)—through 2028. This program is expected to benefit more than 127,000 survivors globally, providing a measure of financial relief to those who endured the horrors of the Holocaust. According to the Claims Conference and Devdiscourse, these payments had previously been set to expire in 2027, so the extension marks a significant win for survivor advocacy.
For the first time, non-Jewish “Righteous Among the Nations”—those who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust—will also be eligible for home care assistance. Previously, these righteous rescuers received monthly pensions but did not qualify for home care benefits. Eizenstat told eJewishPhilanthropy, “We kept saying, ‘Look, how can you deny giving non Jewish rescuers? You wouldn’t have a Jewish survivor if it weren’t for them.’” The move is seen as a long-overdue recognition of the sacrifices made by these individuals and ensures they too can age with dignity.
Holocaust education is another major focus of the new agreement. The German government has committed to extending and increasing funding for education through 2029, with a total of €175 million (about $187 million) allocated over the next four years. That brings the total investment in Holocaust education since the program’s inception to €276 million ($295 million), according to figures reported by multiple news agencies, including Associated Press and eJewishPhilanthropy.
The education funding will support a range of initiatives, including teacher training, academic research, and the development of innovative educational tools. There’s a strong emphasis on reaching young people through modern media—film, gaming, and virtual reality experiences—reflecting an effort to combat declining Holocaust awareness and rising antisemitism. “They are trying to move into the 21st Century. So Holocaust education now includes going on TikTok, and reaching young people where they get their news,” Eizenstat said. “It’s trying to use all the modern technologies to get to younger people. It’s not a static thing at all.”
Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the Claims Conference, underscored the urgency of this work: “It is imperative that we invest in the future of Holocaust education while we still have living witnesses who can share their firsthand testimonies of survival,” he told Associated Press. “This is our moral obligation to the survivors of the Holocaust and to the 6 million who were murdered.”
Colette Avital, a Holocaust survivor and member of the Claims Conference negotiation delegation, reflected on the broader meaning of Germany’s continued commitment. “It is deeply meaningful that, 80 years after the liberation, the German government maintains its responsibility to those who suffered and survived,” she said. “Every survivor — and every rescuer — deserves to live with dignity and to be seen, heard and cared for.”
The negotiations for this historic agreement were not without their challenges. Eizenstat noted that the budget increase comes despite Germany’s own fiscal pressures, including rising energy costs and increased defense spending. Yet, the agreement stands as a testament to the enduring responsibility acknowledged by the German government. “This agreement demonstrates the German government’s enduring commitment to Holocaust survivors and Holocaust education,” Eizenstat said.
As the world marks the passage of eight decades since the end of World War II, the need to care for survivors and to remember the lessons of the Holocaust remains as pressing as ever. The record-breaking reparations package is more than just a financial transaction—it’s a reaffirmation that the dignity and stories of those who endured one of history’s darkest chapters will not be forgotten, even as time marches on.
