February 26–March 5, 1998
hit and run
Break the Bank
Philadelphia Holocaust survivors or their families can get some help in recovering assets looted from Swiss banks during World War II. An informational meeting on the topic is scheduled for next week.
Pennsylvania State Treasurer Barbara Hafer is one of five fiscal officers from the United States appointed in December to serve on a committee monitoring the actions of Swiss banks in their efforts to return assets to their rightful owners.
"My own position in regard to the Holocaust-era dormant asset accounts is 'Justice delayed is justice denied,'" Hafer writes in a recent letter to Philadelphia's Jewish community. Under the leadership of the World Jewish Congress and Undersecretary of State Stewart Eizenstat, she says, "this historic issue has been brought to the forefront for potential resolution." The State Treasurer's office is soliciting suggestions on how to further the recovery process, Hafer also writes. The meeting will be held Thursday, March 5, at 10 a.m., at the Klein Branch Jewish Community Center, 10100 Jamison Ave. (reservations are required, call 1-800-379-3999). The Washington, DC, representative of the World Jewish Congress, Douglas Bloomfield, will be the keynote speaker. He will give an update on efforts being made to identify other looted assets.
