A $321.1 billion state budget reportedly approved by Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state legislature includes $14.5 million for the Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program.
“Of the funds appropriated in this item, $14.5 million shall be allocated on a one-time basis for the Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program to continue to provide services through the 2025-26 fiscal year and shall be available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2027,” the bill states. It requires the governor’s signature.
The Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California, which called the allocation “historic” and an “unprecedented investment,” had lobbied, along with partners and the support of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, for $36 million for the program over three years.
“This one-year, $14.5 million allocation fulfills an immediate need and provides a vital bridge to keep the program operating, even as California faces a $12 billion budget deficit,” the committee stated.
David Bocarsly, executive director of the committee, said that “as the last generation of Holocaust survivors enters their final years, we have a moral responsibility to ensure they can age with dignity and support they deserve.”
“Even in a challenging budget year, California is showing that we will not turn our backs on the survivors who have already endured so much,” he continued.
Some 8,000 Holocaust survivors live in California, many over the age of 85 and who “face unique physical, emotional and financial challenges stemming from the trauma they endured,” per the committee.
The budget also includes $10 million for the expansion of the Museum of Tolerance, a Holocaust museum in Los Angeles. According to the committee, it also contains $80 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides funds to protect houses of worship, including synagogues.
