HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR PENSION CHANGES:
INCOME LIMIT RAISED & OPEN GHETTOS

Claims Conference recent negotiations with the German government have re-
sulted in two significant changes to the Article 2 Fund, which issues monthly
pensions to eligible Holocaust survivors:

Guest Column

The Case For
Self-Expression

C

arnivals make for great
clothing that carry the potential
summer outings. My kids
of exclusivity. If we are really
enjoy the thrill rides, and
going to take inclusiveness to
I love to people watch. Say what
the highest level, perhaps school
you will about the tattooed and
boards should consider banning
the colorfully dressed, but after
the following items of apparel:
my son was recently disciplined
Sports or athletic clothing:
at his public school for
Student athletes come
wearing a shirt that was
to school wearing var-
a giveaway at his broth-
sity clothing. This may
er's 2011 bar mitzvah, I
make the non-athletes
fear the last holdout for
around them feel clumsy
self-expression through
or unsatisfied with
one's clothing is under
themselves.
those carnival lights.
Vacation T-Shirts:
With enough prod-
When kids from families
ding from friends and
who can afford plane
associates near and far,
tickets during peak
I am also investigat-
vacation time return
Stacy
ing whether a school is
from Florida wearing
Gittleman
within its legal rights to
shirts from Disneyworld,
Contributing
ban such a shirt.
it makes the pale pasty
Writer
Late in May, a
kids who didn't escape
teacher asked my fifth-
to somewhere warm
grade son to turn his T-shirt inside
feel very excluded.
out and wear it like that for the
Holiday Clothing: I will expect
remainder of the day. The teacher
that in December, no child in the
determined the shirt was "too reli- school will be permitted to wear
gious." Calls to the school admin-
anything red or green, nor any
istration reinterpreted the teach-
school administrator will be wear-
er's reasoning. The shirt was not
ing a tie with snowmen, fir trees,
banned for religious
or wear Christmas
reasons, but instead
lights or ornaments
it had the potential of
like jewelry. This has
being a distraction to
the potential to make
the school's learning
the Jewish kids feel
environment.
very excluded.
The principal said
These suggestions,
shirts given as b'nai
of course, are as
mitzvah party favors
ridiculous as this rule.
make children who
We do our kids no
were not invited to the
favors by sheltering
party feel "bad" or
them from exclusion
"excluded."
or disappointment.
No one in my son's class noticed They need to always have a tender
the shirt he wore dozens of times
heart; they might as well start
until he was forced to wear it
developing that tough skin by
inside out. Only then did he feel
adolescence. Feeling left out in life
set apart from his classmates, in
happens. With that tough skin, you
other words, excluded.
know it will hurt for a little. Then,
The T-shirt had no hateful lan-
you'll go on.
guage. It did not promote gang
The hypocrisy of this rule was
membership or drug use, as
evident and pointed out by my
indicated by the district's stated
daughter. At Bloomfield Hills High
guidelines on its website on what
School, anyone who bought a tick-
clothing cannot be worn. Only
et at $75 from the school district
after speaking with the principal
could wear a sweatshirt the next
did he forward me an addendum
school day announcing that they
to the guidelines, which mention
went to the prom.
the restriction of "party clothing."
Careful now, that sweatshirt
The view of what clothing makes
may make those wallflowers who
one feel excluded is subjective.
were not invited to the prom feel
Let's examine just a few items of
— excluded.

Income Limit Raised
Through negotiations, applicants for payments from the Article 2 Fund are
allowed a higher annual net income (now $25,000 for residents of the U.S.) to
meet the income eligibility requirement for this monthly pension. There are
numerous types of payments that are not included in calculation of income; the
list of excluded payments is included in the detailed eligibility criteria found at
www.claimscon.org/article2.

Survivors who believe that they may be eligible for Article 2 Fund payments and
did not previously apply due to the income limit should apply immediately. If you
have applied in the past but were not eligible for payment due to the income limit,
please contact the Claims Conference to re-open your case.

Eligibility is also determined by persecution-related and other criteria. Informa-
tion about the program is at www.claimscon.org/article2.

Open Ghettos
Jews who lived in certain "open ghettos" for at least 3 months may now be eligi-
ble for Article 2 Fund payments. If you believe you may be eligible, please apply.

To receive payments, applicants must meet all program criteria. Eligibility informa-
tion and applications are at www.claimscon.org/article2.

/Iv Claims Conference rnv)arin n -nln

y

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany

For more information, contact:
Claims Conference
1359 Broadway, Room 2000, New York, NY 10018
646-536-9100 Email: info@claimscon.org www.claimscon.org

The Claims Conference has an Ombudsman. To contact the Office of the Ombudsman, please email
Ombudsman@claimscon.org or write to The Ombudsman, PO Box 585, Old Chelsea Station, New York, NY 10113

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