SKOKIE, IL – The haunting story of Rywka Lipszyc, a 14-year-old Jewish girl whose diary was discovered in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Camp in 1945, comes to life in the “Girl in the Diary” exhibition at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center. In cooperation with the Galicia Jewish Museum in Kraków, Poland, the exhibit will be on display at the museum’s Special Exhibitions Gallery from May 18 to September 24, 2023.
Rywka’s diary, written between October 1943 and April 1944 in the Łódz Ghetto, offers a poignant account of a young girl’s life amidst the horrors of the Holocaust. Despite losing her family, Rywka never lost hope or faith, as evident in the diary’s pages. More than 60 years after its discovery, the diary made its way to the United States, where it was translated into English, supplemented with commentaries, and published.
The “Girl in the Diary” exhibition provides a unique opportunity to explore Rywka’s story and learn about the Illinois Holocaust Museum’s work in preserving Holocaust history. The exhibit features selected excerpts from Rywka’s diary, supplemented by expert commentary from historians, doctors, psychologists, and rabbis. Original artifacts, candid photographs, interactive touch screens, and documentary videos help reconstruct Rywka’s experiences in the Łódz Ghetto and her fate after deportation to Auschwitz.
The exhibition’s opening program on May 18 will feature Jakub Nowakowski, Director of the Galicia Jewish Museum, who will discuss the museum’s work, the creation of the exhibition, and the incredible discovery that inspired it. Registration for the opening program is free but required, and can be done at https://ihm.ec/girlinthediaryopening.
Don’t miss this powerful exhibition, made possible with generous support from the Golder Family Foundation and Mark and Lisa Pinsky. Join the Illinois Holocaust Museum in honoring the memory of Rywka Lipszyc and all those who suffered during the Holocaust. For more information about the “Girl in the Diary” exhibit, visit https://ihm.ec/girlinthediary.
