Romania's legislature has adopted a law to expedite property claims by Holocaust victims and by the Romanian Jewish community.
The World Jewish Restitution Organization (WRJO), of which the World Jewish Congress is a founding member, said it had negotiated with the Romanian government to speed up the processing of over 40,000 claims filed before a 2003 deadline that have yet to be dealt with.
"This law acknowledges the urgent needs of Romanian Holocaust survivors, who have waited too long to have their property claims resolved,” said Gideon Taylor, chairman of operations at the World Jewish Restitution Organization. “It also ensures that all pre-Holocaust Jewish organizations are recognized as integral parts of the vibrant pre-War Jewish life in Romania and that property that once belonged to them is returned to the Jewish community. We look forward to working with the Romanian government to ensure swift implementation of this legislation.”
"Tn the past three months, Romania, Serbia, and Latvia have each passed important restitution laws. There is momentum building as countries recognize the urgency of providing restitution during the lifetime of survivors. We encourage other countries to act now."
The new law also addresses other issues related to Jewish property claims, which include some 55 communal properties, like schools and burial societies confiscated from the pre-Holocaust Jewish community, as well as some 40 properties that the Communist regime ruling Romania until 1989 had forced the community to "donate" to the state.
At least 250,000 of the more than 300,000 Jews living in pre-war Romania were murdered during the Holocaust.
