Q1: What do you consider to be an artifact?
Q2: I’m not sure my item qualifies, what should I do?
Q3 : Does an artifact have to be beautiful, clean or in good shape?
Q4: Do I have to give you the item right away?
Q5: Will my item be on display after I donate it?
Q6: My parent was a survivor and I’ve found some items that I think may qualify, but they never told me what these items are. Are you still interested?
Q7: What are you looking for about the Skokie march?

Q1: What do you consider to be an artifact?
A: An artifact is almost anything that will help us share your story with future generations. This may include, but is not limited to:

• Original documents or high-quality copies
• Photos
• Diaries
• Travel documents such as passports, Wallenberg-issued Schutz-passes, emigration or immigration papers
• Art, music or poetry from your survival experience
• Clothing including concentration camp remnants, ghetto Jewish stars, etc.
• Religious paraphernalia including prayer books, special talmuds, European war-era “chai’s”
• Suitcases or other luggage carried during survival experience

Q2: I’m not sure my item qualifies, what should I do?
A: Please call Bethany Fleming, HMFI Registrar at 847-491-0905 and arrange for one of our experts to come to your house, look at the piece in question and evaluate whether it is appropriate for donation.

Q3: Does an artifact have to be beautiful, clean or in good shape?
A: Not necessarily. Please call Bethany Fleming, HMFI Registrar at 847-491-0905 if you have any questions.

Q4: Do I have to give you the item right away?
A: No. There are a great many ways we can accept your artifact without taking immediate possession. In some cases we can arrange for a high-quality photostat to be made. It can be used until you are ready to part with your item. Archiving and preserving your item is the primary goal. If you have any questions, call Bethany at 847-491-0905.

Q5: Will my item be on display after I donate it?
A: We don’t know. In some cases, an artifact will become part of our core collection. Others may be included in a temporary exhibit. In certain instances, your artifact will not be displayed, but it will be archived and preserved, and may be studied by scholars for years to come.

Q6: My parent was a survivor and I’ve found some items that I think may qualify, but they never told me what these items are. Are you still interested?
A: Absolutely. Because of the trauma caused by the survival experience, many survivors did not tell their stories, even to their children. But your parents may still have a chance to share their story and preserve their place in history. Please call us and let us help you determine whether the item is appropriate. Bethany can be reached at 847-491-0905.

Q7: What are you looking for about the Skokie march?
A: After the Holocaust, many survivors simply wanted to put the past behind them and did not speak of their ordeal. The only indication many of their children had was the fading number on their parents’ forearm. All that changed in 1977 when a new generation of Nazis came to Skokie to intimidate those who had survived. The shock of what happened in Skokie shook survivors throughout the world. In our area, the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois was founded in direct response to the attempted march because survivors realized that they had to speak out and to educate.

Consequently, this is a very important part of our history and we are interested in anything that may have been written that period. We recently received a donation of original protest signs drawn up in response to the Marquette Park march. We are looking for old newspapers, letters, photos, personal letters, diaries and other relevant items.