About Hana's Suitcase

Hana's suitcase was loaned to the Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource Center from the Auschwitz Museum in Poland in 2000.When it arrived, it inspired much conversationamong the visitors and the Small Wings students. All we knew about her was her name, her birthday, and that she arrived in Auschwitz in October 1944 and was sent to the gas chamber on that same day.

For the next few months, students visited the suitcase and began writing stories about what Hana might have been like as a child.Their interest made us want to find out more about her life and family, so the search for information began.

Eventually, we not only found her only surviving family member, Hana's brother, George Brady, but he provided us with a glimpse of her life and her personality, as well as a collection of her photographs.Hana's suitcase has become much more than a historical artifact. It has become a bridge between a beautiful little girl named Hana and her brother George Brady, who survived Auschwitz, and the students of Japan.

In 2002, CBC Radio producer, Karen Levine wrote a children’s book, Hana’s Suitcase, which has been published in more than 40 countries. We have been inundated with so many emails, letters, artworks from children all over the world. We are so excited with their interest and enthusiasm!

Hana's Suitcase is now traveling to schools all over Japan. We have also visited Canada, US, Germany, Mexico, Australia, China, Scotland, and South Africa. (See here)

Interested in inviting

Hana's Suitcase to your school?

Study tours to Europe

We organize study tours for university students twice a year to visit Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands. As of 2024, we have accompanied 153 students in total. We have also organized tours for educators. It has been an important opportunity not only to learn about the history and memories in Europe but to look back on Japan and have open dialogue on memories in Asia.