Ilona and her Doll

Black-and-white photo: A girl of five or six named Ilona Kiss sits at a table. Her doll sits on the table, and Ilona leans her head against the doll’s. She wears a bow in her hair.

Photograph of Ilona Mermelstein (née Kiss) with the doll she kept while in hiding.

Ilona kept this doll with her while in hiding during the final months of the war. She had “fed” chocolate and treats to her doll at an earlier time. When food became scarce while they were in hiding, Ilona and her mother removed the doll’s head to retrieve the candy stored inside.

Donated to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre by Ilona Mermelstein. 2019.016.005

Ilona and her Doll

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