Helen Aronson

Helen Stella Aronson, BEM (née Chmura; born 24 April 1927) is a Polish-born Holocaust survivor from Pabianice who endured the Pabianice Ghetto and the (Łódź) Ghetto during the German occupation of Poland. She is one of approximately 750 Jews who survived the liquidation of the Łódź Ghetto out of the roughly 250,000 imprisoned there. After decades of silence, she began publicly sharing her testimony in the 1990s and has since appeared in documentaries, oral history projects, and Holocaust education programmes. Her portrait is in the Royal Collection.

Early life

Aronson was born Helen Chmura on 24 April 1927 in Pabianice, Poland, to Frania (née Katz) and Motush (Mordechai) Chmura. Her father was an accountant in a silk factory and chairman of the local Zionist movement. She had two siblings, Henry and Maryla; the latter emigrated to Palestine in 1937. Aronson later described her childhood as happy and integrated, with both Jewish and non-Jewish friends. 2019 Jewish Care's Topland Business Luncheon Award

Portraits commissioned by HRH The Prince of Wales

In 2022, Aronson was one of seven Holocaust survivors selected to have their portraits painted for a special royal commission initiated by the Prince of Wales (later King Charles III).

The project, titled Seven Portraits: Surviving the Holocaust, was conceived as a living memorial to the dwindling generation of survivors and as a tribute to their contributions to Holocaust education.

Aronson’s portrait was painted by British artist Paul Benney.

All seven completed portraits were first exhibited at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace from 27 January to 13 February 2022, coinciding with Holocaust Memorial Day (UK).

The other Holocaust survivors featured in the series were: Lily Ebert, Manfred Goldberg, Arek Hersh, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, Ruzena Levy, and Zigi Shipper.

The portraits moved to Holyrood Palace. and they have not been seen in public since that second exhibit. The portraits entered the Royal Collection and are overseen by the Royal Collection Trust. On Holocaust Memorial Day 2026, holocaust survivors and their families were invited to Buckingham Palace by King Charles III. The King was showing the portraits he had commissioned.

Legacy

Aronson is regarded as an important witness to the history of the Łódź Ghetto. Her testimony is used widely in educational programmes in the United Kingdom, and she remains active in efforts to combat antisemitism and genocide denial.