As you may already be aware, the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act was signed into law earlier this year. This bill included a new section, advocated for by The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and The Association of Jewish Family and Children's Agencies (AJFCA), titled "Section 10 - Guidance on Serving Holocaust Survivors." Section 10 instructs the Assistant Secretary for Aging to issue guidance to states on serving the unique needs of Holocaust survivors and, in developing this guidance, to consult with experts and organizations that serve survivors.

On June 22nd, the U.S. Administration on Community Living (ACL) announced that it is seeking comments on whether the guidance it has drafted regarding targeting of two new communities - Holocaust survivors and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender older adults - is sufficient. These comments are due by August 22nd. You can view the draft guidance here (references to survivors can be found on pages 5-6 and 10).

JFNA and AJFCA plan to submit in-depth suggestions to ACL via the comment process, but we need your input. We are asking service providers and communities that know the Holocaust survivor population best to offer recommendations by filling out a data-collection form here. All information provided will be considered for inclusion in our comments to ACL. Additionally, we will use this information to create a template for communities to submit their own comments.

To be considered for inclusion in our comments, all recommendations must be submitted to us by July 31st.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to serving Holocaust survivors and raising awareness about their critical needs. Should you want to share more information or have questions regarding this effort, please contact Liz Leibowitz, JFNA and AJFCA's Director of Government Affairs, at elizabeth.leibowitz@jewishfederations.org or at 202-736-5878.

Sincerely,