N.Y. UNVEILS HOLOCAUST AWARDS:

New York Governor George E. Pataki revealed that $2.3 million in offers have been made to Holocaust survivors and their heirs for insurance policies held with companies that were either liquidated or nationalized after World War II. The offers went to 128 claimants worldwide and were issued through the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC). “While money cannot compensate for the wrongs inflicted upon these individuals and their families during the Holocaust, we are pleased that these long-overdue payments have been secured,” Pataki said. “We created the Holocaust Claims Processing Office so that legitimate claims would be provided to people who have suffered so much, and these offers represent another step towards ensuring that people get what is rightfully theirs.” The potential beneficiaries include residents of New York, California, Florida, New Jersey, and Texas as well as those residing in the Czech Republic, many of whom originally filed claims through the New York State Holocaust Claims Processing Office (HCPO).