Project HEART’s Comprehensive Archive of Jewish Holocaust Victims’ Assets Now Contains 1.5 Million Records

JERUSALEM, July 25, 2011 -

Searchable,
user-friendly database is the largest single-source of Holocaust
era property records

Project HEART announced today that its searchable database of
Holocaust era property records now contains 1.5 million records,
making the database the largest, publically available single-source
database of lost Jewish property assets from the Holocaust
era. 

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The online database was first unveiled on May 1, 2011, at which
time, it contained over 500,000 records. Since that time, the
Project HEART database has received a record amount of hits from
users worldwide.  The records were compiled and made available
by Project HEART (Holocaust Era Asset Restitution Taskforce), an
initiative of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), in cooperation
and with the support of the Government of Israel, to help Jewish
families identify personal property confiscated by the Nazis and to
help victims seek restitution.

The 1.5 million records contained in Project HEART’s online
database consist of property addresses, lists of homeowners,
professions, lists of known confiscated properties, business
directories, insurance policies , and other archival information
that can assist potential applicants in their research.

Project HEART’s Executive Director, Bobby Brown, stated that the
addition of approximately 1 million records since the database was
first posted on May 1, 2011, demonstrates Project HEART’s
commitment to “list every piece of private property that we can
find, for which the Jewish people declare they never received
compensation.” 

“The Project HEART database will be instrumental in our struggle
towards achieving a small measure of justice for the Holocaust
victims and their heirs,” said Natan Sharansky, the Chairman of the
Jewish Agency.  Sharansky added, “The records compiled in the
Project HEART database serve as uncontroverted proof that the
Holocaust was not only the greatest murder ever committed, but the
greatest robbery in history.   We are dedicated to the
struggle to ensure that Holocaust victims and their heirs receive
compensation and are proud that Project HEART is utilizing advanced
technological tools to advance this goal.”

Leah Nass, Deputy Minister for Senior Citizens, representing the
Government of Israel, said, “Project HEART’s creation of the most
comprehensive database of Holocaust era property records to date
demonstrates our commitment to seek a measure of justice for
Holocaust victims and their heirs.” 

Launched in late February 2011, Project HEART seeks to identify
Jewish Holocaust victims and their heirs worldwide whose families
owned real estate, movable, immovable, or other intangible personal
property that was confiscated, looted, or forcibly sold in
countries governed or occupied by the Nazi forces or Axis powers
during the Holocaust era. The only limitation for application is if
restitution has been made to a victim or the victim’s heirs for
that property after the Holocaust era; then they are not eligible
for further restitution in connection with that property.

The Project HEART database was specifically created to assist
Holocaust victims and their heirs during the eligibility process.
Individuals can access the database on the Project HEART website:
href="www.heartwebsite.org/">www.heartwebsite.org. 
To participate in Project HEART, individuals only need to fill out
the Questionnaire that may be found on the website.

The online database will also serve as a powerful tool during
future efforts to achieve restitution on behalf of eligible
participants, since the records contained in the database will
complement as well as legitimize the information submitted by
Holocaust victims and their heirs.

“This is the first worldwide list of property confiscated,
looted or forcibly sold during the Holocaust era to be made
available to survivors and their heirs,” stated Anya Verkhovskaya,
Project Director, who added, “the response to the database has been
overwhelming, with approximately 100,000 hits happening each week.”
 

Since it was launched, details about Project HEART’s purpose and
the application process have been translated into 13 languages, and
a 24-hour call center is operational in all languages.  To
date, the project has received tens of thousands of requests for
additional information.  Now that the online database contains
1.5 million property records, Project HEART officials anticipate an
even greater response from Holocaust victims and their heirs.

Anya Verkhovskaya of Project HEART, +1-414-961-7418, av at heartwebsite.org