The World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) recently launched a new website—www.polishrestitution.org—renewing its calls for Poland to return private property stolen during the Holocaust and/or subsequently nationalized during the Communist era. The new website provides detailed information about the restitution of private property in Poland.

Poland stands alone as the only major country in Central or Eastern Europe that has refused to pass legislation returning private property that rightfully belongs to Holocaust survivors and their heirs, or to non-Jewish Poles. “It is well past time for Poland to return to Holocaust survivors and their heirs what is rightfully theirs,” said WJRO co-chairman Abraham Biderman. “Victims of the Shoah are entitled to live in dignity with their property.”

The WJRO works to attain restitution of private and Jewish communal property lost in the Holocaust in all countries other than Germany and Austria. The WJRO, working together with local Jewish communities, negotiates with governments to reach agreements and procure legislation concerning such restitution.

Members of the WJRO are Agudath Israel World Organization; American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Their Descendants; American Jewish Committee; American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee; B’nai B’rith International; Centre of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel; Conference of European Rabbis; Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany; European Jewish Congress/European Council of Jewish Communities; Jewish Agency for Israel; NCSJ: Advocates on Behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States & Eurasia; World Jewish Congress, and the World Zionist Organization.