World Report Britain adds names to seized-assets list

LONDON (JTA) -- European Hillel is preparing to set up centers throughout Europe.

When the project is complete, Hillel centers will be active in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslavia and Hungary.

The project comes on the heels of the group's expansion throughout the former Soviet Union in the past few years.

Swiss fund will aid Righteous Gentiles

NEW YORK (JTA) -- Destitute non-Jews in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union who risked their lives to save Jews from the Holocaust are slated to receive financial assistance from a humanitarian fund set up by Switzerland.

Some 1,000 gentiles named by Israel as "Righteous Among Nations" will receive payments from the nearly $200 million fund, which has already made payments to needy survivors around the world.

Italy marks massacre amid controversy

ROME (JTA) -- Controversy stalked this year's commemoration of Italy's worst World War II massacre.

As part of the annual commemoration, Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro and Rome Mayor Francesco Rutelli marked the anniversary of the massacre on March 24, 1944 at Ardeatine Caves. Rome Chief Rabbi Elio Toaff and a Roman Catholic priest presided over the Wednesday morning ceremony.

But some Jewish and partisan groups protested posters put up by the Rome municipal government to advertise the ceremony, which marks the Nazi execution of 335 Roman men and boys -- including about 75 Jews -- south of Rome.

"Rome, city of peace, confirms its support for those who fought and died for democracy, and expresses respect and mercy for the defeated," the posters read.

An editorial in the left-wing newspaper l'Unita, which has close ties with the current government, said "respect for the Nazis is not legitimate."

Wiesenthal calls Austria to task

VIENNA (JTA) -- Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal called on Austria to make a full accounting of Nazi-era economic exploitation of its Jewish population.

"Everything must be investigated -- for historical reasons," Wiesenthal said Monday. "The history of the suffering of Jews is also Austrian history."

Spain and Austria to aid survivors

MADRID (JTA) -- Spain and Austria have agreed to contribute a total of some $10 million to a fund assisting Holocaust survivors, the countries' foreign ministers announced separately this month.

The fund, using gold the Nazis looted from the European countries they overran, but never returned by the Allies after the war, now totals about $60 million. The fund has already paid for medicines and other humanitarian needs for survivors in the former Soviet Union, according to the World Jewish Congress.