Holocaust survivors make new lives in Israel despite war

Israel is home to 123,715 Holocaust survivors, according to the Holocaust Survivors’ Rights Authority.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, 68 Holocaust survivors have immigrated to Israel, with 50 arriving in 2024, the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration announced on Monday to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The oldest among these new arrivals is 98, while the youngest is 81.

The majority of survivors came from Russia (36), followed by France (13), Ukraine (8), the United States (6), Germany (3), and Canada (2).

Many chose to settle in the Mediterranean coastal cities of Netanya, Ashdod, Nahariya, Haifa, and Bat Yam, while others moved to locations such as Jerusalem, Karmiel, Beersheva, Ra’anana, Holon, and Rehovot.

Said Immigratin and Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer welcomed the new immigrants, stating,

“We welcome everyone who chooses to immigrate to Israel with open arms. The data on immigrants over the past year show that many Jews have decided to immigrate now, including Holocaust survivors at an advanced age,” said Immigration and Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer.

“At the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, we provide Holocaust survivors who immigrate with a full support package that includes eligibility for advancement in the waiting list for public housing, financial grants, assistance and additional benefits, which will allow them to live with dignity in the State of Israel,” Sofer added.

Israel is home to 123,715 Holocaust survivors, according to the Holocaust Survivors’ Rights Authority. This figure represents a decline from 136,989 at the end of 2023, as over 13,000 survivors passed away during 2024.

The average age of survivors is 88, with 257 individuals over the age of 100 still receiving welfare services.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorates the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland by Soviet soldiers in 1945.