The drawing was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2005 by Izak and Dr. Roza Rozenwasser, the brother and sister-in-law of Hela Rozenwasser.
Hela Chaja Rozenwasser was the daughter of Chaim and Rajzl Rosensaft Rozenwasser. She was born in Łódź, Poland, in 1924. She had two older brothers, Szmul and Izak, who was born on July 15, 1921. In September 1939, the Germans invaded Poland. By September 7, they had occupied Łódź. The Rozenwasser family, and all other Jewish residents, were forcibly relocated into a ghetto. Her father died there on June 7, 1942. A few months later, her mother was deported during the Gehsperre action of September 5-12 1942. This deportation action resulted in the transport of over 15,000 Jews, mostly children under the age of 10, the elderly, and the infirm to their death in the Chelmno killing center. Hela was a gifted artist and she continued to create art in the ghetto. She died, age 19, of tuberculosis, on May 11, 1943. Her older brother, Szmul, died on July 19, 1943. Her brother, Izak, was deported on February 4, 1944, to serve as slave labor in the Hasag ammunition factory in Czestochowa. He was liberated there by the Soviet Army on January 16, 1945, and immediately returned to Łódź. Izak was the only family member to survive the Holocaust. Izak Rozenwasser is the son of Chaim and Rajzl Rosensaft Rozenwasser. He was born in Łódź, Poland, on July 15, 1921. He finished middle school in June 1939. The Germans invaded Poland that September and by September 7, they had occupied Łódź. Izak and his family were forced into the ghetto. Izak graduated from the ghetto high school in September 1941, just before the schools were shut down. He worked in different workshops, including two weeks in Bakery number 16, an especially awarding opportunity because it meant he was able to provide a little extra food for his family. His father died in the ghetto on June 7, 1942. A few months later, his mother was deported, then killed, during the Gehsperre action of September 5-12 1942. This deportation action resulted in the transport of over 15,000 Jews, mostly children under the age of 10, the elderly, and the infirm to their death in the Chelmno killing center. His younger sister, Hela, died at age 19, of tuberculosis, on May 11, 1943. His older brother, Szmul, died on July 19, 1943. Izak was deported on February 4, 1944, to serve as slave labor in the Hasag ammunition factory in Czestochowa. He was liberated there by the Soviet Army on January 16, 1945, and immediately returned to Łódź. He married a fellow Łódź survivor, Roza Ryba, who was a medical doctor. They emigrated to Israel in March 1957. Their daughter Miriam was born in Israel that year. Izak and Rosa Rozenwasser resided in Rishon L'Zion, Israel, where Izak died in 2010.
Small rectangular drawing of a young woman, not yet 20, done in pencil on a scrap of paper clipped from a magazine. She has short, wavy hair that falls to her chin and wears a collared shirt, with a short zippered v-neck. On the back is a section of a printed image.
No restrictions on access
No restrictions on use
overall: Height: 3.060 inches (7.772 cm) | Width: 2.440 inches (6.198 cm)
Self-portrait by Hela Rozenwasser, done from a photograph, when she was about 18 years old and living in the Jewish ghetto in Łódź, Poland. She was imprisoned there, with her family, in September 1940, following the German occupation of Poland. In June, 1942, her father, Chaim, died. That September, her mother, Rajzl, was deported to the Chelmno killing center. Hela died of tuberculosis on May 11, 1943; her older brother, Szmul, would die 2 months later. Only her brother, Izak, age 24, who was deported to Hasag to serve as slave labor in February 1944, survived the Holocaust.
Pencil drawing of a young woman done in the Łódź ghetto