Bet Tzedek Travels to Hungary to Fight for Holocaust Reparations

With the help of a generous donation of frequent flyer miles by a Bet Tzedek donor, Lisa Hoffman, Bet Tzedek’s Holocaust Services Advocate, traveled to Budapest in October 2007 to advocate for Holocaust survivors who have applied for reparations from the Hungarian government.  This trip represented Bet Tzedek’s latest effort on behalf of survivors whose immediate relatives were sent to forced labor camps or deported by Hungarian authorities to Nazi extermination camps during the 1940s.

In the summer of 2006, Bet Tzedek undertook the extraordinary task of filing nearly 1,300 claims for Hungarian reparations on behalf of over 300 survivors.  Bet Tzedek enlisted the help of more than 200 volunteers from 29 Los Angeles law firms and corporate legal departments to prepare the lengthy, complex applications (which had to be completed in Hungarian) within a few short weeks.  Bet Tzedek was ultimately responsible for almost 10% of all the applications submitted by Hungarian survivors from the United States.  (The final deadline to apply for Hungarian compensation was December 31, 2006.)  As one of the only agencies in the world that offers free legal assistance to Holocaust survivors, Bet Tzedek also served as a clearinghouse for social workers, survivor groups, and individuals across the country seeking guidance relating to Hungarian reparations.

Hungary finally began processing the applications in mid-2007, and numerous claims were initially denied because the applicants could not produce birth certificates or other documents proving that their parents, siblings, spouses and children were murdered during the Holocaust.  Bet Tzedek has pushed Hungary to reconsider those cases, and continues to advocate for a relaxation of the government’s onerous documentation requirements, while helping its clients to locate and obtain the evidence to support their claims. 

The Budapest office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP has provided invaluable assistance with negotiating the Hungarian administrative process and locating sources of documentation in Europe.

While in Hungary, Lisa met with government representatives to explain the many challenges that elderly survivors living in the United States face in attempting to obtain the documents necessary to prove their claims.  As a result of Bet Tzedek’s advocacy, the Hungarian reparations agency has assigned a special team of caseworkers to attend to the applications of U.S. Holocaust survivors.

Lisa also participated in the first European Pro Bono Forum, hosted in Budapest by the Public Interest Law Institute, an organization that promotes pro bono legal work in Central and Eastern Europe.

You can read more about Bet Tzedek’s Hungarian reparations project at: www.bettzedek.org/PDF/press/extraordinary_dj_12.2006.pdf >>

First Charity Poker Tournament on November 4

On Sunday, November 4th, Bet Tzedek hosts its 1st Charity Poker Tournament at Hollywood Park Casino.  Bet Tzedek expects more than 125 players, including celebrities Michael Vartan and Joshua Malina; nearly a dozen current and retired jurists; and “Hollywood’s Poker Pro” Mike Scelza (poker consultant on Rounders, Michael Clayton and The Sopranos).  The $360 buy-in includes lunch and a free poker lesson from Scelza.  For a registration form or more information, visit www.bettzedek.org/poker >>

Family Caregiver Project Wins National Award

The MetLife Foundation chose Bet Tzedek’s Family Caregiver Project as one of six national winners of its National Family Caregiver Awards.  The $25,000 prize came in recognition of "highly innovative, unique, and effective strategies to address the major problems confronting low-income, disabled, and elderly Los Angelenos and their caregivers."  Annually, the Caregiver Project trains and educates more than 3,000 social service professionals and caregivers in the rights and benefits available to caregivers and their loved ones.

“I’m thrilled that MetLife selected us for this award.  It’s a tribute to the dedication of our Project staff, and to the great work that we’ve done in this area over the last two decades,” said Janet Morris, Family Caregiver Project Director.

Advocacy Works!: Victory for Workers

Thanks to the efforts of Employment Rights Attorney Matt DeCarolis, the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has finally begun enacting regulations that will help California's workers who are owed wages by their employers. For 12 years, DIR had ignored a law requiring it to pass regulations that would impose a fee on employers the state has to track down in judgment collections.

When DIR failed to propose the regulations after a year of informal discussions with Bet Tzedek’s Employment Rights Project, Bet Tzedek and pro bono counsel Jeffrey Margulies of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. filed a lawsuit. Within a month of the suit, the state issued the proposed regulations, which are now in the process of public comment before becoming law. The fees collected from recalcitrant employers will help fund the state's effort to collect the rightfully-won wages of even more California workers, including clients of the Employment Rights Project.

Victory for Assisted Living Facility Residents

Bet Tzedek is very pleased that Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed AB 949 (D-43rd, Krekorian). Bet Tzedek and California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform co-sponsored AB 949, which protects residents of assisted living facilities that are closing down. Before AB 949, residents often did not have sufficient time or resources to find another place to live. Thank you to all of those who supported our advocacy efforts for AB 949!

Elissa Barrett New Pro Bono Director

Elissa Barrett, formerly the Director of the Sydney M. Irmas Housing Conditions Project at Bet Tzedek, was promoted to the new position of Pro Bono Director.  The new position, funded in part by Jason and Wendy Flom, the Flom Family Foundation, and the Righteous Persons Foundation, enables Bet Tzedek to extend its already prodigious volunteer program. Elissa began in September, and she's already deepening existing relationships with major law firms, bringing new firms on board, and exploring possibilities for greater participation by local law schools in our direct services clinics.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to help the most people do the most good,” said Elissa.  “Volunteers more than double Bet Tzedek’s reach, and this position will enable Bet Tzedek to reach thousands of new clients who need our assistance.” 

Elissa was featured in the October 8th Daily Journal. 

Elissa can be reached at 323-549-5810 or volunteer@bettzedek.org.

Annie Lainer Joins As NLADA Fellow

As Los Angeles faces a foreclosure crisis, Bet Tzedek is positioned to make a significant impact in the lives of low-income victims of foreclosure scams.  Annie Lainer recently won a National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) Fellowship to defend clients who suffer because of predatory lending and foreclosure scams. 

“I always admired Bet Tzedek, and I learned a tremendous amount when I clerked here in 2004,” Annie said.  “This fellowship will be a great opportunity to continue Bet Tzedek’s important work.”  Annie is a Columbia Law graduate and the daughter of Bet Tzedek President Emeritus Luis Lainer. 

She is one of eight John L. Brooks Consumer Law Fellows nationwide, and was selected from an applicant pool of more than 100 lawyers.  Annie’s work will specifically focus on people of color in South and East Los Angeles who disproportionately suffer from foreclosure scams.  Annie's project will be a national model in the protection of vulnerable homeowners and seniors.

Employment Rights Victory for Summer Law Clerk Williams

Every summer, Bet Tzedek hosts approximately 20 law clerks from the top law schools in the country.  The clerks learn from our experienced attorneys and represent clients in administrative hearings when necessary.  This summer, clerks won a number of noteworthy victories, including a case handled by Warren Williams of USC Law.

Warren Williams, a third-year USC Law student, won a fantastic decision worth more than $60,000 for an Employment Rights client. 

The young woman worked for two and one-half years as a caregiver in a residential care facility for mentally ill patients in Arcadia.  She worked a continuous weekend shift from Friday afternoon to Monday morning, and was responsible for patient care at all times of the day and night.  For much of her employment, she slept on a sofa in the same room with her patients. For this work, she was paid as little as $150 for each 64-hour shift.
Warren, a third-year student at USC Law, overcame both his client’s fear of confronting her employer and the obstacles posed by federal law, which governs the health-care industry.  In both the brief and the hearing, Warren convinced the hearing officer of the merits of his client’s case. 

The Labor Commissioner’s decision awarded the client the full amount claimed: a total of $67,564.07.  The hearing officer found our client "credible" and "forthright," and determined that the defendant had not made even a good-faith dispute about the evidence presented. This is a great victory for our client, for Bet Tzedek, and for Warren!

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California Fire Emergency Relief
If you wish to help the victims of the recent wildfires in Southern California, you can donate through The Jewish Federation's Fire Emergency Relief Fund.  Click here to donate >>

  Upcoming Events:

Bet Tzedek's First Charity Poker Tournament
Hollywood Park Casino
Sunday, November 4, 2007
More info >>

Annual Dinner Gala
Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
More Info >>

  Job Openings:

Housing Unit: Two Public Interest Attorney Positions Available
more info >>