General Information:

Caritatea Foundation was established by The Federation Of The Jewish Communities In Romania together with The World Jewish Restitution Organization, as a permanent institution for the conservation, maintenance and administration of the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Jews in Romania, as an irreplaceable testimony of the human creative potential of the Romanian Jews, within the historically constituted environment on the territory of Romania, of the national and universal history and civilization.

The Foundation aims to support and improve the living conditions of the socially disadvantaged, ill and elderly Jews living in Romania or in other countries, to support studying and to promote educational programs for Jewish children.

 The Foundation has the following purpose:

  •  to file claims for the restitution of the Jewish communal properties, including those which belonged in the past to Jewish communities and public institutions and organizations and were confiscated, nationalized or forcibly transferred into the Romanian State Patrimony;
  • to acquire ownership rights, as well as to claim and own, to protect, manage and capitalize the Jewish communal real properties which will be restituted by the Romanian competent Public Authorities, to the Federation Of The Jewish Communities In Romania and/or to the Foundation, according to the Romanian laws and relevant ordinances, as well to claim, on behalf of the Federation,  as representative of all the Jewish communities in Romania, the assets that are the subject matter of the heirless inheritances, which will enter the patrimony of the Foundation;
  • to contribute to the preservation and promoting of the cultural identity of the Jewish community in Romania, to the presentation of the ancient and modern history of the Jewish people, focusing mostly on the history of the Jewish community in Romania, as well as to the maintaining of the relationships between Jews living in Romania and the Jews of Romanian origin living abroad, mostly in Israel;
  • to contribute to the improvement of the living conditions of the Romanian Jews living in Romania regardless of where they currently reside, and to provide assistance in exceptional cases to other disadvantaged persons. 

The Foundation main activities are as follows:

  • the involvement in matters related to the restitution of the Jewish communal real properties by documenting and doing the necessary research for the identification of these properties, as well as submitting restitution claims both in the name of the FEDERATION OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN ROMANIA and the FOUNDATION’s;
  • holding under ownership title, managing and capitalizing the communal Jewish real properties which have been confiscated, nationalized or forcibly taken over, that are to be restituted by the Romanian competent Public Authorities to the FEDERATION OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN ROMANIA and/or to the FOUNDATION, according to the Romanian laws;
  • supporting charitable activities for the socially disadvantaged Romanian Jews living in Romania or abroad;
  • granting scholarships for proficient young Jews;
  • providing the necessary funds for the preservation and the restoration of the Jewish religious places and cemeteries, as well as building and equipping medical centers, home for the elders, cultural and spiritual institutions.

Current Activity:

At the end of the two terms provided by the law-maker for the submitting of restitution claims (March 2nd, 2003 and January 25th, 2006), Caritatea Foundation has submitted to the Technical Secretariat of the Special Commission for Restitution a number of 1980 separate applications, out of which about 75 % were solved.

Although, following amendments to the law, there was a significant increase of restitution claims solved, as a result of the modification of the procedure provided for probation and sanctions for breaches of the laws, the pace for the determination of claims remains slow.  It is our belief that the solving rate and the difficulties encountered are based on the authorities’ intention to minimize budgetary expenses. 

With regard to the awarding of compensation for buildings for which the restitution in kind is no longer possible, were issued decisions, with “CARITATEA” Foundation as the beneficiary, which were collected partly in cash and partly in Fondul Proprietatea shares.

In July 2010, the Government issued an emergency ordinance that suspended the payment of cash compensations for a period of two years, remaining active only compensations in Fondul Proprietatea shares. After a period of five years since it was established, Fondul Proprietatea became operational in January 2011 when the shares were listed at the Bucharest Stock Exchange. 

The rest of the claims submitted by “CARITATEA” Foundation are pending analysis and supplementation with proving documents stipulated by law, and will be determined pursuant to the relevant legal provisions, after the submitting of these documents. 

The capitalization of the properties restituted to „CARITATEA” Foundation is achieved by leasing and/or selling. At the moment, from the Foundation’s patrimony are leased properties located in Bucharest and in different cities of the country.

Some real properties owned by „CARITATEA” Foundation are commissioned under bailment agreements (the Jewish State Theatre).  

According to the annual budget approved by the Board and the General Assembly of the Foundation’s members, the income from rents, sales and financial activities (interests etc.) was used for the sponsorship program. 

Note that the Sponsorship Program began partially in 2006, when FEDROM was allocated USD 50.000. Subsequently, the amounts have increased significantly. 

FEDROM used the financial resources obtained from sponsorships from “CARITATEA” Foundation to: 
• Supporting the social and medical assistance programs.

• Preservation of the Jewish Sacred Heritage (Synagogues and Cemeteries). 

• Judaic studies, Mosaic Cult and the development of Jewish cultural and historical heritage. 

Also, in Israel and in other states an extensive social activity is carried out with funds allocated by Caritatea Foundation. Thus, in Israel the socially disadvantaged persons, survivors of the Holocaust, receive a regular financial aid. 

Another area funded by CARITATEA Foundation is The Romanian Judaism Museum, from Rosh Pina – through the organization AMIR, a joint financing with Rosh Pina City Hall and the Israel Ministry of Tourism.

The Museum, built in a lively and intense tourist activity location, will reflect the achievements of the Romanian Judaism as a significant part of the Jewish people’s history as a whole. Unlike most museums that symbolize the past, the intention of those who initiated the building of this museum, is to exhibit the testimonies of the past and present, but also the ones of the future. Efforts are made to present both the past of Romanian Judaism, as well as the huge effort of the Jews of Romanian origin to build Israel.

While building the museum, the initiative to fraternize the City of Rosh Pina with the City of Moineşti was taken. It is important to emphasize that the city of Moineşti is the place the first Romanian immigrants who set up the Rosh Pina area came from. 

All sponsorship activities are approved by the Board of the Foundation and controlled by external auditors.