Prior to and during the Holocaust, members of Jewish communities throughout Europe purchased life, education, and dowry insurance policies to provide for their families. As a result of World War II, documentation relating to many policies was lost or destroyed, and most still remain unpaid. For over half a century, there has been no systematic process for identifying the status of these policies or assisting beneficiaries in obtaining payments.
That has now changed. In late 1998, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), in conjunction with several European insurance companies, representatives of Jewish organizations, and the State of Israel, established the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC). Understandably, most Holocaust victims and their heirs now have little or no documentation to establish the existence of insurance policies; they may not even know whether their relatives were insured. However, as a result of the work of the ICHEIC, individuals may nevertheless be able to recover the proceeds of their relatives' insurance policies in effect at that time.
The DC Department of Insurance & Securities Regulation is working with the ICHEIC and local Jewish organizations to establish a way to identify District residents who may have claims. Please visit the ICHEIC web site for more information.
