Proposed Florida budget cuts to hit Holocaust survivors
By
Matthew Taylor
22 March 2017
A budget proposal under consideration in the Florida Senate would slash state aid to Holocaust survivors.
The proposed cuts are part of a larger $20 million budget cut proposed by the state’s Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee chairwoman, state Senator Anitere Flores. If passed, the cuts will primarily affect programs that fund medical research and give aid to the elderly.
South Florida is home to 345 Holocaust survivors, more than any other region in the US except New York City. Most of the survivors are in their nineties and are largely centered in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
The Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program is due to be eliminated altogether. This 20-year-old program provides $92,946 annually for the funding of home aides for survivors. Some of the services the aides provide include transportation for visits to the doctor, assistance in cooking, cleaning and other chores. At a rate of $18.50 per hour this works out to be approximately 5,000 hours a year of assistance.
If the program is cut, former beneficiaries may be forced to move into nursing homes. For survivors who continue to suffer from the psychological scars related to their experiences, the transition could have a devastating effect on their well-being.
In an interview with WPTV, Jewish Family Services President Danielle Hartmann outlined the potential consequences of the proposed cuts: “Some of the traumas affecting them during the Holocaust actually come back. So, something as simple as taking a shower for a Holocaust survivor is not a positive experience in a nursing home.”
Martin Ferst, a 93-year-old survivor and widower living in Boca Raton who is provided an aide by the program,…