Project HEART is asking for the assistance of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to inform members of their communities about Project HEART. Project HEART is a project of the Jewish Agency for Israel, funded by and in cooperation with the Government of Israel.

The first stage of Project HEART will focus on identifying individuals with potential claims regarding the following types of private property:

  1. Property that was located in countries that were controlled by the Nazi forces or Axis powers at any time during the Holocaust era; AND
  2. Property that belonged to Jewish persons as defined by Nazi and Axis racial laws; AND
  3. Private property that was confiscated, looted, or forcibly sold by the Nazi forces or Axis powers during the Holocaust era; AND
  4. No restitution was received for that property after the Holocaust era.

The ultimate goal of Project HEART is to provide the tools, strategies, and information that will enable the Government of Israel, Project HEART, and its partners to obtain some measure of justice for Jewish victims, for their eligible heirs, and for the Jewish people.

The confiscation, looting, and forced sale of Jewish property during the era of the Shoah caused immeasurable damage to Jewish individuals and communities—damage that continues to the present. Project HEART was formed as an initiative to reach out, in one comprehensive mission, to those it can assist.

The efforts of Project HEART to obtain asset restitution are a belated, yet vital step toward redressing in some measure the immense property losses suffered by Jewish victims during the era of the Shoah. Project HEART is asking for the assistance of Jewish community leaders in reaching out to those who suffered or are still suffering as a result of the crimes committed against them and their families.

To assist each community in reaching out to its members, the documents below can be downloaded from this website.

O Press release
O Individual notices and Questionnaires
O Announcement for organizational newsletters and bulletins
O Project HEART display posters
O Handout information on how to contact Project HEART
O Flyers describing how to obtain more information, to be placed in community buildings
O Letter To Nongovernmental Organizations

Additionally, you may request that documents be sent by facsimile, e-mail, or surface mail by completing the form below (please indicate the language of the documents):

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These materials have been prepared with the aim of helping every community to become aware of the process and to understand it.

Announcements will be placed in the Jewish and mainstream press regarding Project HEART. We recognize, however, that these announcements alone will not be enough. The help of community leaders is crucial. For the Project HEART process to function effectively and provide meaningful results, we need Jewish community organizations to help identify and reach out to eligible individuals and to tell them about the process. Beyond that, we need the cooperation of local and national organizations to provide personal assistance to applicants.

Working together, we can assist as many victims of the Holocaust as possible to gain some measure of justice.

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©2013-2015 Project HEART. All Rights Reserved.
Photographs: Gift of Ruth Mermelstein, Yaffa Eliach Collection donated by the Center for Holocaust Studies, Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York, U.S.A. Gift of Eric S. Morley, Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York, U.S.A. Gift of Ronnie Hamburger Burrows, Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York, U.S.A.