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70 Percent of Holocaust Survivors Worldwide Will Be Gone Within a Decade, Groundbreaking Report Reveals
Auschwitz-Birkenau survivor Janina Iwanska, 94, holds an undated photo from her return to Poland, during a Reuters session ahead of the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation, Warsaw, Poland, Jan. 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kacper Pempel
A first-of-its-kind report released on Tuesday reveals staggering numbers about the global population of Holocaust survivors, including an estimated count of how many will still be around in the next 10 or 15 years.
The report provides an in-depth population projection of Jewish Holocaust survivors and estimated mortality rates through 2040. It was published ahead of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah), which begins the evening of April 23 and marks 80 years since the end of the atrocities of World War II. The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) released the report, which is based on extensive data collected by the nonprofit organization since 1952.
The Claims Conference secures material compensation for Holocaust survivors around the world, specifically direct payments or social welfare services through ongoing negotiations between the organization and the government of Germany, according to its website. It negotiates on behalf of and disburses funds to Holocaust survivors, and fights for the return of Jewish property stolen during the Holocaust. Because of negotiations with the Claims Conference, the German government has so far paid approximately $90 billion in compensation and restitution to survivors of Nazi persecution.
In its new report – titled “Vanishing Witnesses: An Urgent Analysis of the Declining Population of Holocaust Survivors” – the Claims Conference reveals there are more than 200,000 Holocaust survivors worldwide, and that number is estimated to drop to 21,300 – almost a 90 percent decline – within 15 years.
Currently, the median age of Holocaust survivors is 87, but there are estimated to be more than 1,400 alive today around the world who are over 100 years old. Nearly 50 percent of all Holocaust survivors will die within the next six years, while 70 percent will no longer be alive within 10 years, the report notes. Mortality rates for Holocaust survivors are analyzed and divided in the report by sex, birth year, region, type of compensation received, and the level of home care that they have. For example, mortality rates are higher for men than for women.
There are some regional disparities regarding the mortality rates for survivors, meaning that in some geographical locations, survivors will die sooner, according to the report. For example, in Israel, which is home to the largest number of Holocaust survivors worldwide (110,100 survivors as of October 2024), there will be an estimated 62,900 survivors by 2030, a decline of 43 percent in five years, and 29,700 survivors by the year 2035.
The United States had 34,600 Holocaust survivors in the fall of 2024, but that population is estimated to decrease by 39 percent by 2030, dropping to 21,100 survivors.
Countries in the former Soviet Union had 25,500 survivors in October 2024, but the survivor population is projected to be at 11,800 in five years, down 54 percent by the start of 2030, according to the Claims Conference.
The highest mortality rates are among survivors in countries of the former Soviet Union, and the lowest rates are among survivors in Western Europe.
“It’s sobering to see exactly how few of us Holocaust survivors are left,” said Pinchas Gutter, one of the last Holocaust survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. “We have an important piece of history that only we hold and only we can tell. I hope in the time we have we can impart the learning from the Holocaust so that the world will never again have to endure that level of hate. I am a witness. Those of us witnesses still alive are working to make sure our testimonies are heard and preserved through any means possible. We are counting on this generation to hear us and future generations to carry our experiences forward so that the world does not forget.”
Malka Schmulovitz, a 109-year-old Holocaust survivor from Lithuania living in Florida, said, “To be one of the oldest survivors alive right now at my age tells me we are running out of time.”
“We all have a testimony that needs to be shared,” she added. “We all want to be sure that this generation of young people and the ones that come after them, hear and understand what truly happened during the Holocaust; if only so that we do not see it repeated.”
Claims Conference President Gideon Taylor said the report highlights the “urgency” in hearing testimonies from Holocaust survivors while the world still has living eyewitnesses to the worst atrocity in human history.
“Now is the time to hear first-hand testimonies from survivors, invite them to speak in our classrooms, places of worship and institutions,” he said. “It is critical, not only for our youth but for people of all generations to hear and learn directly from Holocaust survivors. This report is a stark reminder that our time is almost up, our survivors are leaving us, and this is the moment to hear their voices.”
The Claims Conference also released on Tuesday the second edition of its global demographic report on Holocaust survivors, which shows that Jewish Holocaust survivors live in more than 90 countries, mostly in Israel (50 percent) while only 18 percent reside in North America. The global population of Holocaust survivors is between 78 years old and over 100, and a majority (61 percent) are female.
The post 70 Percent of Holocaust Survivors Worldwide Will Be Gone Within a Decade, Groundbreaking Report Reveals first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Self-Defense: A Pillar of Our New Jewish Life
Elion Even-Esh, who served in an elite unit in the Israeli Defense Forces where he learned Krav Maga (an IDF-developed style of self-defense) and later served as a captain in the US Marine Corps, has made it his mission to “instill strength and confidence” in the Torah-observant communities of the United States. Photo: Courtesy.
The fact that the Jewish people are a minority brings with it unique and inherent risks. That minority status exposes us to dangers that others can afford to overlook.
The question is not whether Jewish communities need to protect themselves — the question is how.
October 8, 2023 — and every day since — has reminded many Jewish people around the world that these threats are very much a part of our modern reality. It’s not to say that violence against Jewish people is ubiquitous, but rather, it is a serious and ongoing threat that must be considered and dealt with.
Solutions applied to the 1990s do not necessarily apply today. Leaders of communities have a responsibility to prepare their constituencies for all eventualities. This includes the need to defend themselves collectively — but also individually — from physical harm. This is a very hard realization to internalize, but nonetheless, people who ignore this do so at their own peril.
A confident and healthy Jewish community — one that knows how to defend itself — is a community far less likely to be bullied.
Jewish institutions must integrate this mindset into daily life. Schools, synagogues, camps, and community centers should treat self-defense as part of Jewish education, no less important than Hebrew, history, or math.
Training in self-defense should be as normalized as attending a Shabbat service. It should be woven into the fabric of our institutions so that young Jews grow up with both a strong Jewish identity and the confidence to defend it. School principals, religious leaders, and youth group leaders are the ones with the responsibility to lead this charge.
There are four pillars of protection that every Jewish community should embrace.
First is advocacy — engaging elected officials, decision-makers, and civic leaders to ensure Jewish concerns are heard and addressed.
Second is influence — which comes through culture, media, and interpersonal relationships that shape public opinion.
Third is security — which is provided by law enforcement, private protection, and community-based security networks.
But there is a fourth pillar that is too often neglected: personal self-defense.
If and when the first three pillars fail, the fourth pillar — the pillar of self-reliance — should be strong.
Jewish people are not necessarily known for being “tough guys,” but maybe it’s time for that stereotype to change. The best way to deal with a bully is to confront them and let them know that there’s a consequence to their action.
Realism demands we confront the fact that not all threats can be reasoned with. Individuals and groups who harbor open hostility toward Jewish people will act on it when they believe they can do so with impunity. The only effective deterrent is strength — physical, communal, and psychological.
Options include firearm ownership where permitted by law, but it must also include physical preparedness — training in Krav Maga, boxing, judo, karate, or other disciplines that instill both skill and confidence.
Videos surface almost daily of Jews being harassed, attacked, or intimidated on the streets of major cities. This is not a call for radicalism or violence — but a call for level-headed realism.
New realities call for a new game plan. People learn self-defense so that they never have to use it. Moving forward, young people should walk with confidence through their lives. The great Hasidic Rabbi Nachman of Breslov once said, “The whole world is a narrow bridge and the most important thing is to not be afraid, it’s to not be afraid at all.”
Through defense education, this teaching will move from being just an inspirational saying to becoming a lived reality.
Daniel Rosen is the Co-founder of a Non-profit Technology company called Emissary4all which is an app to organize people on social media by ideology not geography. He is the Co-host of the podcast “Recalibration.” You can reach him at drosen@emissary4all.org
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The Anti-Israel Contradiction Machine: Where Every Lie Cancels the Last
Palestinian Hamas terrorists stand guard on the day of the handover of hostages held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack, as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
It’s remarkable. The same activists who shout themselves hoarse at Western protests, who flood social media with memes and reels, somehow manage to hold two (or three, or ten) contradictory claims in their heads at once without blinking.
Like Soviet propagandists or Goebbels’ Ministry of Public Enlightenment, they rely on volume, not consistency. Because in propaganda, coherence is optional — but outrage is mandatory.
As Joseph Goebbels infamously put it: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” That is the strategy: not persuasion through reasoning, but relentless repetition.
Here’s a sampling from the Hamas-friendly, Israel-hating narrative machine:
Before October 2023, Gaza was an “open-air prison” or even a “concentration camp.” But also, before October 7, it had many wonderful features — including being a “beautiful Mediterranean beachside paradise” — that Israel supposedly destroyed. Which is it? Concentration camp or paradise? Apparently both, depending on which slur works best.
Contradiction #2: Statehood or Extermination?
“Israel is a racist ethno-state.” But the same activists chant: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — and in Arabic, “Palestine will be Arab.” Destroying Israel and denying Jews the right to live on the land, in order to establish a 23rd Arab ethno-state is fine; but Jewish sovereignty in any form is racism.
Contradiction #3: Hostages? What Hostages?
“There were no hostages taken on Oct. 7.” Yet also: “Look how well Hamas treats the hostages!” So which is it — none taken, or proof of Hamas’ supposed hospitality?
Contradiction #4: Peace or Perpetual War?
“Ceasefire now!” they scream. But even in the same demonstrations: “Long live the Intifada!” and “Israel will soon be destroyed.” So, do they want peace — or endless war until Israel no longer exists?
Contradiction #5: Starvation Theater
“Israel is starving Palestinians.” Yet also: “Look how humiliating it is to make Palestinians line up for food.” And all the while, Gazan TikToks in the past few months have shown crowded restaurants, buzzing bakeries, and delicious dessert spreads.
Contradiction #6: The Civilian Shield Shuffle
“Hamas doesn’t target civilians.” Yet also: “There are no Israeli civilians — every Israeli is a settler and fair game.” Translation: all Jews, from babies to Holocaust survivors, are targets — but don’t you dare notice.
Contradiction #7: Holocaust Gaslighting
“Your Holocaust victim card expired long ago.” Then: “The Holocaust never happened.” Then: “Hitler was right.” And somehow also: “What’s happening in Gaza is worse than the Holocaust (that didn’t happen).”
Contradiction #8: October 7 — Didn’t Happen, But Totally Justified
“The October 7 massacres didn’t happen.” Or: “Israel killed its own citizens.” Yet Hamas literally filmed its murders. And when confronted: “All resistance is justified by any means.” Some even add: “Yes, but those women deserved it — they were dancing near Gaza.” Denial and justification in one grotesque package.
Contradiction #9: Weak, Strong, or Both?
“Hamas are just freedom fighters with rifles.” Yet also: “Hamas is winning the war and will wipe Israel off the map.” Powerless victims and unstoppable conquerors — simultaneously.
Contradiction #10: Hospitals or Tunnels?
“Hamas builds schools and hospitals.” Yet also: “Hamas dug 700 km of tunnels” defended as vital for defeating Israel. If they can dig almost twice the New York City subway underground, why not more trauma wards? Because tunnels are for terrorists, rockets, and hostages; hospitals are militarized props for propaganda — not places to make sure civilians get help above all else.
Contradiction #11: Genocide Math
For over 15 years, activists claimed Israel was committing genocide. Yet Gaza’s population nearly doubled during that time, and since 1967 has grown six-fold — from 400,000 to over 2.2 million. Now, post-October 7, they cry “genocide” again. Civilian deaths are tragic, but they stem from a war Hamas started, while hiding under and next to ordinary Gazans.
Yesterday’s lie ignored population growth; today’s ignores Hamas’ responsibility and the relatively low civilians to combatant casualty ratio in this war. Both are hollow slogans, not facts. There is also data strongly suggesting that the Gazan population has not decreased overall during the war. That doesn’t happen in actual genocides.
Contradiction #12: Ancient or Modern?
“Palestinians are Canaanite.” Or: “Palestinians are an ancient people.” Yet no Arab person self-identified as Palestinian before the 19th century. Palestinian culture, language, and religion are Arab, not Canaanite. Jews, by contrast, have 3,000 years of ancient coins, inscriptions, and prayers tying them to the land. And Jews have never left the land for thousands of years. Even Hamas admits this fight isn’t about Arabs being Canaanites — it says openly its goal is a global Islamic caliphate.
What These Contradictions Really Show
This dizzying list isn’t a bug — it’s the strategy. Like every totalitarian movement, Hamas and its defenders know the trick: don’t persuade, overwhelm. Flood the zone with lies faster than they can be debunked. As Goebbels taught, repeat them until they feel true.
And once you see it, the whole anti-Israel narrative collapses. It’s not a movement for peace or justice, but a noise machine of lies and contradictions. It’s not about protecting Palestinians, but about demonizing and erasing Jews — and not about truth, but about rage.
Micha Danzig is a current attorney, former IDF soldier & NYPD police officer. He currently writes for numerous publications on matters related to Israel, antisemitism & Jewish identity & is the immediate past President of StandWithUs in San Diego and a national board member of Herut.
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6 Israelis Murdered, 2 Weeks After Palestinian Authority Judge Calls to ‘Kill Them One by One’
People inspect a bus with bullet holes at the scene where a shooting terrorist attack took place at the outskirts of Jerusalem, Sept. 8, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Two weeks ago, a Palestinian Authority (PA) official called for the genocide of Jews for the seventh time in a year, as documented by Palestinian Media Watch.
On Monday morning, that call was acted upon, as two Palestinian terrorists opened fire at civilians in Jerusalem, killing six Israelis and wounding 12.
“Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality,” according to American author Earl Nightingale, who said this about keeping an optimistic outlook on life and practicing repetition of positive thinking.
The Palestinian Authority uses repetition to incite the murder of Jews.
When PA preachers in mosques repeat the call to “kill Jews one by one, and do not leave even one,” they play into the subconscious mind of their congregation and nurture a justification for murdering Jews and Israelis.
The sermons — all broadcast on official PA TV — create a dangerous reality in which Palestinians see religious value in killing Jews “one by one”:
PA Shari’ah judge Abdallah Harb: “O Allah, strengthen our stance and grant us victory over the infidels … and destroy our enemies. O Allah… strike your enemies, the enemies of the religion, and they cannot overcome You, O Allah. Allah, count them one by one, kill them one by one, and do not leave even one, O Master of the Universe.”
[Official PA TV, Aug. 22, 2025]
Official PA TV has broadcast this call for genocide of Jews by mosque preachers — who receive instructions from the PA Ministry of Religion on what to speak about in their sermons — at least seven times in the past year.
In June, two months prior to this last call, a PA Shariah judge prayed: “O Allah strike the thieving Jews, Allah count them one by one, kill them one by one, and do not leave even one.” [PA TV, June 13, 2025]
The “one-by-one” motif in these calls is particularly insidious, as it turns the murder of Jews into an easily achievable objective.
Rather than encouraging Palestinians to commit mass attacks that face logistical difficulties, killing Jews “one-by-one” presents a practical strategy for anyone and everyone.
And on Monday, Palestinian terrorists answered the PA’s call.
The author is a contributor to Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this story first appeared.