#MyPropertyStory: Cherished Possessions
As part of this year’s #MyPropertyStory campaign, WJRO is proud to partner with 80 Objects/80 Lives, a digital exhibition that brings to life the personal belongings of Holocaust survivors and refugees. These artifacts—carried, saved, or lost—serve as lasting connections to history and remembrance.
One such treasure is a powder compact belonging to Helen Aronson, who was born in 1927 in Pabianice, Poland. While living in the Litzmannstadt Ghetto (Łódź Ghetto), Helen’s brother Henry gave her this engraved compact as a birthday gift on April 24, 1944.
The compact features an image of Hansel and Gretel, a reference to the stories Helen used to tell the children in the ghetto orphanage. In her version, the house wasn’t made of sweets, but of bread—offering the children a moment of comfort and hope amid unimaginable hardship. The inscription reads: Dear Helen, the day of your birthday, from brother, Litzmannstadt Ghetto, 24.04.1944. Today, this cherished gift is a lasting reminder of resilience, love, and survival.
Join us in commemorating these treasures and the stories they tell by sharing your own family’s story. Learn more and share your story at wjro.org.il/mypropertystory
Explore the full exhibition: 80 Objects | Holocaust Testimony
Learn more: Home – AJR