Opinion

A MIX OF IDEAS

Dry Bones

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DARKNESS

Editorial

Beyond Historical Justice

T

he cause is just: To locate legal
heirs to Israeli assets originally
acquired by Jews who died in the
Holocaust. It's a reminder of the Jewish
community's resolve, not just a historical
footnote.
Throughout the first half of the 20th
century, hundreds of European Jews
invested in what was then Palestine. After
World War II, many of the assets remained
in limbo. These assets included untouched
plots of land, unclaimed bank accounts
and shares from the Jewish Colonial Trust,
the parent company of the Anglo-Palestine
Bank (which later became Bank Leumi),
and other Israeli financial institutions.
The Restitution of Holocaust Victims'
Assets has launched a North American
campaign to find legal heirs. The organi-
zation has compiled lists of assets and is
working to make the process of returning
the belongings to their proper beneficia-
ries as easy as possible.
Jewish newspapers and Jewish websites
will soon run advertisements that urge
heirs to step forward and apply for restitu-
tion. It is believed that many of the inves-
tors or their descendants made their way
to North America following the war.
The Restitution of Holocaust Victims'

Assets is more significant than the con-
tinuing pursuit by at least 49 countries,
dozens of nongovernmental groups and
Jewish representatives to identify and
return Nazi-looted art — noble as that
act of restitution is. That pursuit hinges
in part on the hope for an alliance that
would serve as a clearinghouse to publish
updates on, and engender support for, art
restitution initiatives.
The Nazis plundered 650,000 art and
religious objects from Jews and other vic-
tims, the Jewish Claims Conference esti-
mates. Artworks were auctioned, given to
national museums or Nazi leaders — or,
as Haaretz.com reported, stashed away for
a Fuehrer museum that Adolf Hitler was
planning to build in the Austrian town of
Linz, where he spent part of his youth.
At the end of World War II, some of
the pillaged artwork was returned, but
much of it stayed in circulation in the
international art market or remained in
museums around the globe. Holocaust art
restitution stepped up in the 1990s.
Some maintain that Nazi-looted art
should now be confined to history like
other instances of looted art, as during the
Bolshevik Revolution or the Napoleonic
wars. Others argue that Nazi-looted art

is different, bolted as
it was onto a platform
designed to target Jews
and other "undesirables"
by eliminating their pro-
fessional existence and
their possessions — and
capped by their murder.
The harsh reality is that
art museums that gained
from this footprint of
Hitler's Final Solution and
then were long sluggish
on art restitution are mor-
ally responsible to make
good on this deliberate
perpetuation of a shanda.
The Restitution of
Holocaust Victims' Assets,
meanwhile, sprung from
the desire by the State of
Israel to provide histori-
cal justice to Holocaust victims and match
the assets with legal heirs. There are 55,000
unclaimed assets on the organization's
list — a resounding number gathered in
just four years. The website Hashava.org.il
explains how to apply for restitution. Metro
Detroit is home to 1,000 survivors and
countless descendants. So spread the word.

www.DryBonesBlog.com

Restitution of Holocaust victims' assets
not only reconnects long-lost family ties,
but also symbolically affirms that the
Jewish community, which lost six mil-
lion of the 11 million people systemati-
cally slaughtered by Nazi Germany, has
no intention to let the world forget the
Holocaust and its utter contempt for non-
Aryan life.

❑

The Power Of Believing

Captain Nimrod Nathan
Special Commentary

Jerusalem

I

was honored to be hosted by the
Baker family for the Yom HaZikaron
ceremony in the Detroit Jewish
community at Hillel Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills
on April 18.The Bakers hosted me for
three days. On top of the ceremony, I had
a chance to visit the kids at Hillel. I was
told I was about to meet great people,
but still I was amazed.
I was amazed to meet kids who were
born in U.S. and before they reach
the age of 4, they know how to say in
Hebrew the prayer for food before they
start eating. I was amazed to meet Adam
Baker, who never lived in Israel, but still
knows more about this country than
most of the people I know, including
myself.

In a world where young kids blindly
adore movie stars, music bands and
other famous brands, kids in the
Jewish community
in Michigan blindly
love the soldiers of
the IDF. They love
them only because
they protect the State
of Israel, a state they
800
have been taught to
love from the day
they were born. They
wish for the day they
can visit Israel. A
6-year-old Hillel girl
told me,t "Everyone
was envious of me
because I was born in
Israel. I can't wait for
the day I will go back
to the Holy Land. I dream about it every
night."
I can't find the words to describe

the feeling to see 800 people at Hillel
singing the Israeli national anthem,
Hatikvah, with such a pride. It warms
the heart; it's an
unbelievable sight.
Hillel should be a
role model for every
school in Israel. I
never felt such pride
to wear a uniform
like I did when I vis-
ited the Hillel school
building.
Before I left Hillel,
one of the teachers
told me that I helped
Israel look better. I
believe she gave me
too much credit; but
I took it as a big com-
pliment. On the other
hand, the Jewish community in Michigan
helps Israel to be better and become
stronger because of its big support.

I can't find the words
to describe the feeling
people
to see
at Hillel singing
the Israeli national
anthem, Hatikvah,
with such a pride.

I came to Michigan to represent the
IDF. The people there showed me the
phenomena of loving Israel. With people
like Adam Baker, who believes support
for Israel is never enough, Israel will
never be left alone.
Seven-thousand miles and one big
ocean separate your great community
from Israel. But your collective heart will
always be in Israel and with the Israeli
people.
You need to be there to believe. ❑

Capt. Nathan is a company commander in
the Israel Defense Forces. He was the 12th
IDF soldier to speak at Hillel this school year.
Hillel's Head of Judaic Studies Saul Rube and

Adam Baker started a program three years
ago to bring IDF soldiers to Hillel to speak to

students. On April 19, Nathan took part in the
morning Yom Hazikaron ceremony then spoke

to students in groups. Later, he went to Adat
Shalom's preschool and met with students on
the synagogue's Farmington Hills playground.

May 6

■

2010

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