German State Gives Aid to Jewish Groups
The government of the West German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg has contributed about $1.5 million to Jewish cultural societies to help them recover from a multimillion-dollar embezzlement, a newspaper reported today.
Die Welt quoted a state government spokesman, Hartmut Reichl, as saying the leadership of the prosperous southern state considered it in the public interest to assist the religious groups. The money is to be used to build community centers.
Jewish cultural societies in the state were near economic ruin after the January, 1988, death of former Jewish leader Werner Nachmann. He has been accused of embezzling more than $15.7 million from interest earned on Jewish reparation money.
Much of the money remains unaccounted for, Die Welt said.
An investigation by the federal prosecutor’s office in Karlsruhe is nearing an end, the newspaper said.
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