Help return Dina Babbit's paintings

Dina Babbitt was a prisoner at Auschwitz during WWII. Her life was spared because she could draw and paint. Instead of going to the gas chambers, she was set to work painting portraits of various people the SS were conducting experiments on. Dina survived the camp and became a professional artist, living in the United States.

A few years ago, someone found six of Dina's paintings from Auschwitz. They were given to the Auschwitz Museum. The museum contacted Dina to tell them they had the paintings and asked for her help in identifying the people in them.

These paintings are deeply significant to Dina. They represent that fact that she is alive today. She has asked the museum to return the paintings to her. With everything in her life taken from her during her time at Auschwitz, these paintings are the only part of herself left behind.

The museum refuses to give back the paintings. I wrote to them asking for them to be returned to Dina and their stance seemed to be that a museum's collection is more important than the healing that the paintings could bring to any one person's life.

If this story interests you, feel free to read more details at the sites listed below, and contact the museum yourself [muzeum@auschwitz.org.pl] to see if you can help move this along. Given the purpose of the museum, you would think they could show copies of the paintings (with Dina's permission) and return the originals to her.

Dina now has terminal cancer. Her remaining days are uncertain. Imagine if she could have this last wish.

Resources
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1006/return_paintings.php3?printer_friendly
http://freedinasart.wordpress.com/
Facebook Group: Return Dina Babbitt's Paintings
There's also an excellent interview with Dina on CBC radio (search podcasts)
Also see Return Dina Babbitt's Paintings group on Facebook.