A generation is disappearing: the number of Holocaust survivors in Israel is decreasing Israel today

In preparation for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which will take place this Friday, the Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors is publishing up-to-date data on Holocaust survivors in Israel.

The number of Holocaust survivors in Israel is decreasing, and today there are approximately 150,600 Holocaust survivors living there.

More than 21% of the survivors passed the age of 90 and about 1,100 of them passed the age of 100. In the past year, 15,123 Holocaust survivors died.

The data also shows that about 60% of Holocaust survivors in Israel are women, whose average age is slightly higher than the general average and stands at 85.9.

63% of Holocaust survivors were born in Europe (illustration), photo: Getty Images

Following the big wave

63% of the Holocaust survivors recognized by the Authority are born in Europe, of which, among others, 55,300 born in the former Soviet Union (37%), 17,100 born in Romania (11%) and 7,800 born in Poland (5%). Also, 37% are born Asia and North Africa, of which about 28,300 were born in Morocco and Algeria who suffered from anti-Semitic harassment and various restrictions during the Vichy regime. About 16,500 survivors are Iraqi Jews, who were exposed to the atrocities of the Farhud in Baghdad in early June 1941. About 10,200 are from Tunisia and Libya, who suffered from racial laws and were sent to forced and labor camps.

The data also refer to the arrival of Holocaust survivors to Israel, and from them it appears that more than a third immigrated to Israel starting in 1989 during the great wave of immigration from the former USSR.

Haifa is the city with the highest number of Holocaust survivors, followed by Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Netanya, Beer Sheva, Petah Tikva and Rishon Lezion.

"act quickly and sensitively"

"The data speak for themselves," said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Uri Makleb, who is in charge of the Authority.

"Tens of thousands of survivors remain who are a remnant of a previous generation. The Holocaust Survivors' Rights Authority makes every effort to provide the best service. As they matured, the services provided to the survivors became more personal, healthful and communal at the highest level. There is no way that a survivor will not receive an adequate response. Although We are not resting on this. We will continue to see how to act for further improvements and to optimize the service provided to the survivors, who are our offspring of the generation that survived the atrocities."

"During the past year, we continued to expand our activities in making services accessible to the survivors' homes, including more than 16,000 home visits," said Ronit Rosin, director of the Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors.

"We helped them to exhaust their rights from the country and the world, and our mission is clear and urgent - to act quickly and with maximum sensitivity to help the survivors live well."

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