In December 2007, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias asked banks statewide to voluntarily waive wire transfer fees on Holocaust reparation payments from the German government. The average monthly wire transfer is $350, with each transfer being assessed a fee of between $10 and $40 per wire transfer. The fee can amount to a 10% tax on reparation and restitution payments, causing unnecessary hardship to the recipients, many of whom are elderly Holocaust survivors with low to moderate fixed incomes.

Illinois is home to approximately 5,000 Holocaust survivors, an unknown number of whom receive material reparations from Germany. Since 1951, nearly one million Jews have received almost $80 billion in compensation, the greatest amount going to Jewish victims of Nazism living in Israel and the U.S. The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany has been a partner with the German government in many of the reparations, while others are based solely on German legislation.

While it is never possible to fully repay those who suffered the atrocities of the Holocaust, the simple act of waiving wire transfer fees pays homage to survivors and speaks volumes about Illinois' financial institutions commitment to the well-being of Illinois residents.

If you are a bank that would like to support this project, please read the letter and return the form posted below.

Treasurer's Letter to Financial Institutions  (pdf)

Waiver Pledge Form  (pdf)

If you receive reparations, the banks listed on this site agree to waive international wire transfer fees. You can print out your bank's pledge form by following the link below.

Pledge Forms by Bank

Should you have any questions, you can contact the Chicago Office of the American Jewish Committee at (312) 251-8800 or the Office of the State Treasurer at (312) 814-5668.