Irena Sendler by Clare Downes

claredownes — 2023-12-13 18:47:14 UTC

Irena Sendler in her nurses uniform.

Who was Irena Sendler?

claredownes — 2023-12-14 21:37:52 UTC

Irena Sendler was born in Warsaw, Poland on February 15, 1910. She was 29 when the war broke out. She got a job as a social worker in the Warsaw ghetto and joined the underground risistance Zetoga. She saw this as an opportunity to help the Jews. One way she helped the Jews in Warsaw was by saving their children. She used the old courthouse to smuggle children out of the ghetto. She smuggled children out of the camp using ambulances, the courthouse, and the sewer pipes. She put children in sacks of clothing, coffins, and, and bags of garbage. If a child was crying or loud, she trained a dog to bark when she told it to. After she smuggled the children, she wrote their names on slips of paper then sealed them in jars and buried them under a tree in her friends backyard. Then she gave them Christian names and found Christian families where they would be safe. She made sure that the families knew that the children had to be returned to their Jewish relatives after the war. When she was arrested she was constantly interoogated and tortured and had her legs and feet fractured. The german officers wanted the names of the Zetoga leaders. Irena gave them a fake version that her friends had came up with for when they were captured. She received a death sentence. Little did she know that the Zetoga had bribed her exotutioner and helped her escape. The day after the germans very loudly proclaimed that she had still been killed. Posters were even put up around Warsaw. Irena read them herself. During the final years of the war, she lived in hiding. Just like the children she had rescued. She was the only one who knew where the children where and where they were to be found. When the war was finally over, she dug up the jars and tried to find the children a living parent or relative. Sadly most of the rescued children's parents were executed at the Treblinka death camp.

In 1965 Irena received the Righteous Among Nations Medal

claredownes — 2023-12-14 21:41:25 UTC

The Courageous heart of Irena Sendler documentary

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The Zegota

claredownes — 2023-12-15 17:46:10 UTC

The Zegota was more known as the Council aid for Jews. They provided the Jews with false identification papers, money, and safe hiding places. Irena was one of the lead members in this underground society.

In the name of their mothers documentary

claredownes — 2023-12-15 17:47:07 UTC

Irena posing as a nurse in the Warsaw Ghetto

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The Warsaw ghetto movie about Irena

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Irena Sendler's funeral in May 2008

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Irena, if you see someone drowning you must jump in and try to save them - Dr. Stanisław Krzyżanowski

claredownes — 2023-12-15 17:59:05 UTC

This quote was made by Irena's father when he was on his deathbed. His last words gave Irena the courage to help the Jews even though it could have been death for her many times.