"WHAT WOULD I TAKE
WITH ME?”
There exists an old adage: material possessions are easily replaceable. What if this were not always true? When are physical possessions more than just simply tangible objects?
At Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, Illinois, a poignant special exhibition, 'Stories of Survival: Object.Image.Memory.' answers these questions with 65 examples of belongings treasured by survivors of genocide and their families. Renowned photographer Jim Lommasson captured vivid photographs of the chosen objects, which are juxtaposed with written responses and insights about the objects from family members or the owners themselves.
The message is clear: when someone has seemingly lost everything or everyone dear to them, ordinary objects can take on extraordinary significance.
‘She lied about her birthdate’
In 2017, Richard Horn discovered that his mother was a different age than she had disclosed to her family. Irene Horn, an Auschwitz survivor, had forged a fake birth date “in order to avoid separation from her mother and sisters,” Richard Horn writes. He believes, after discovering her real birth certificate indicated she was nearly two years older than she had let on, that Irene Horn lied to preserve proximity to her family.
Illinois Holocaust Museum displays the treasured belongings of genocide survivors
The opening of the exhibition. Fot.: IHMEC
Thomas Jilk, Illinois Holocaust Museum