Piotr Gontarczyk Polish Historian Jews in Poland after the end of the Second World War
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Irena Sendlerowa at age 97 save about 2,500 Jewish children see the new restitution Questions from the Jews,
View guano's mapTaken in a place with no name (See more photos or videos here)She saved 2,500 children from the Warsaw Ghetto in WWII. (Large photo shows Irena in 2005 at age 95)
Irena Sendlerowa, a Polish social worker, was born on February 15, 1910, in Warsaw. During World War II, she was an activist of the Polish Underground and Polish anti-Holocaust resistance in Warsaw, where she helped save about 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto by providing them with false documents and finding hiding places in individual and group children houses out of the Ghetto.
During the World War II German occupation of Poland, she lived in Warsaw while working for the city's Social Welfare Department. She started helping Jews a long time before the Warsaw Ghetto was established. Helping Jews was very risky. In German-occupied Poland, all household members were punished by death if a hidden Jew was found in their house. This was the most severe legislation in occupied Europe. In December of 1942, the newly created Zegota, a council to aid Jews, nominated her to head its children's department. As an employee of the Social Welfare Department, she had a special permit to enter the Warsaw Ghetto, where she wore a Star of David as a sign of solidarity with the Jewish people and so as not to call attention to herself. Very small children she could smuggle out in a bag. Others were taught to cling tightly to her leg, and she walked out with them hidden under her skirts.
She cooperated with the Children's Section of the Municipal Administration, linked with the RGO (Central Welfare Council), a Polish Relief Organization remaining under German supervision. She organized the smuggling of Jewish children from the Ghetto, carrying them out, and placing them with either Polish families, the Warsaw orphanage of the Sisters of the Family of Mary, or Catholic convents such as the Sisters Little Servants of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Mary at Turkowice and Chotomowo. She kept lists of the names, hidden in jars buried in her garden, in order to keep track of original and new identities.
Arrested in 1943 by the Gestapo, she was severely tortured and sentenced to death. Zegota saved her by bribing the German guards on the way to her execution. Officially, she was listed on public bulletin boards as among those executed. Even in hiding, she continued her work for the Jewish children.
In 1965, she was recognized by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among the Nations, confirmed in 1983 by the Israeli Supreme Court.
In 1999 Norm Conard, a high school teacher from Pittsburg, Kansas, encouraged four students to investigate the life of Irena Sendler. As a result of their findings, the students created a play, entitled "Life in a jar", which presented the heroic acts Mrs. Sendler. As of November 2006, there were over 200 performances: at first in Kansas, then all around the United States and ultimately in Europe.
On October 10, 2003, Sendlerowa received the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest civilian decoration. She also was awarded the Commanders Cross by the Israeli Institute.
On March 14, 2007, Sendlerowa was honoured by Poland's government. At a special session, the upper house of parliament unanimously approved a resolution honouring Ms Sendlerowa for organising the "rescue of the most defenseless victims of the Nazi ideology: the Jewish children."
Polish President Lech Kacyzinski said she was a "great hero who can be justly named for the Nobel Peace Prize".
Comments
guano says:
Irena in 1943 after her escape from Pawiak prison.
"No one can ever repay Lola Herz for what she lost."
As a Polish American from Arlington VA
I have to say Mrs. Herz Please ask the government in Israel
to pay you any retribution.
Isrzeli Government did collect on you behalf Billions from German and Switzerland and Austria
go after them or go After the Soviet Union
Poland did not cause the War and we were VICTIMS as the part the polish population the Jewish people.
Why the Israeli government did not paid you from 100 billions dollars from Germany and 10 billions dollars paid by Swiss and 5 billions paid by Austria
Where is the money the Israel Government got already?
Why Poland have to pay for the Hitler's war?
We did help so many Jews during the war! And Please have a mercy for the Polish People and Poland.
Ask the Bankers in London and new York which they did not lift the finger to hell during the war and there was only one Polish Organization Zegota to help the Jews during the war
As you remember. Do not listen to the rich money hungry lawyers wants you do not for you but for them!
Poland is still poor country which help the Jews for 1000 years.
And there is no moral or legal right to ask Poland today do pay anything.
I wish you long life as Irena Sendlerowa, a Polish social worker, was born on February 15, 1910, in Warsaw. During World War II, she was an activist of the Polish Underground and Polish anti-Holocaust resistance in Warsaw, where she helped save about 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto by providing them with false documents and finding hiding places in individual and group children houses out of the Ghetto
Please all see the video and understand the situation right after the War then the Soviets were the problem and the Polish People. Poles they did help the Jews.
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Lech Alex Bajan
Polish American
Washington DC
