The book of face can be informative at times. That is how I learned about…..
Irena Sendler
Some of the information on the book of face, was not quite correct, I dug a little further and the following is just a little taste:
- Irena was in charge of the Children’s Division of Zegota (a Polish underground group to assist Jewish people).
- Irena used the old courthouse on the edge of the Warsaw Ghetto (still standing) as one of the main routes of smuggling children out.
- Irena used her papers as a Polish social worker and papers from one of the workers of the Contagious Disease Department (who was a member of the underground Zegota) to enter the Warsaw Ghetto.
- Irena and the ten who went with her into the ghetto, used many, many methods to smuggle children out.
- There were five main means of escape:
– using an ambulance a child could be taken out hidden under the stretcher.
– escape through the courthouse.
– a child could be taken out using the sewer pipes or other secret underground passages.
– A trolley could carry out children hiding in a sack, in a trunk, a suitcase or something similar.
– if a child could pretend to be sick or was actually very ill, it could be legally removed using the ambulance.
Irena did use a dog on occasion, but very few times out of the many rescues. Also, the number of babies saved was small in relation to the total number of children rescued.
You can find the full story here, it is well worth a read.
Protestant kids from rural Kansas, discovered a Polish Catholic woman who saved Jewish children. Irena Sendler and these students have tried to make the world a better place. This web site shares the legacy and life of Irena Sendler, plus her ‘discovery’ for the world. Few had heard of Irena Sendlerowa in 1999, now after hundreds of presentations of Life in a Jar, a web site with huge usage and world-wide media attention, Irena is known to the world.
Since the topic Kids was suggested for us this week by shackman, The Music King, I feel obligated to add my two penny worth. 😉
First off:
Johnny Mathis – When a Child is Born
This one takes me way back and always leaves me with a lump in my throat.
Next up:
Phil Coulter, wrote this moving tribute to his son, who was born (in the early 80’s) with Downs Syndrome and died at the tender age of four years old.
The song was pleading for tolerance and understanding of his son and the syndrome.
Now why not join me as I hop, skip and jump on to the merry go round to see what the other active kids have in store for us this week. Delirious, Maxi, Maria/Gaelikaa, Maria SilverFox, Padmum, Ramana, Shackman speaks, The Old Fossil, Will Knott.
What a hero that woman was!
And it is always sad to lose a child at age 4. Sorry he had Down’s.
gigi – Anyone who saves children is a hero in my book.
Johnny Mathis went to high school with my high school counselor. Seems he was a terrific athlete and a very nice guy besides being a great singer.
Great story too. Desperate times often lead to heroic action.
shackman – Johnny Mathis was a regular on the turntable in our vinyl days.
We have many initiatives for looking after abandoned children and run aways, and recently, I had an opportunity to interact with a remarkable institution in the South of India in Tamil Nadu. Despite my aversion to institutions run by religious establishments, I found that this one had a remarkable record of total secularism with no overt or covert attempt to convert the children. http://www.rtuindia.org/
As you know, I have a grand nephew who is afflicted with the Down’s Syndrom and I can well relate to that song. Another song that always affects me is the one by Eric Clapton – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxPj3GAYYZ0
Ramana – I found you in the spam bucket, two added links always does that! Reaching the Unreached, sounds like a project worth supporting.
Wow, I looked at her face, and then remembered I wrote a post on Irene Sendler about a year ago. Fascinating and brave woman. Dianne
Dianne – That she was.
Such courage to do what she did. I am in awe.
Grannymar! Thanks for introducing me to a real heroine! My knowledge of WW II and Poland and East Europe has been through novels written by Leon Uris!
Celia – I thought she was really amazing.
Padmini – Most of my information about WW II came from Jack, who spent time in India before he was injured in Burma.
I did read about her before GM, as well as other brave women who did so much and so quietly, risking their own lives on a daily basis. I have a passion for holocausts including our very own (the so-called Great Famine) and it had heroes too.
Great post.
XO
WWW
I love ‘Scorn Not his Simplicity’, it’s a song i can’t usually get the whole way through. Sinéad O’Connor does a beautiful version of it
WWW – There were many heroes and they did what they had to do, in a quiet way.
Barbara – it was a toss up, but I felt the honour should go to Phil.
It’s clear that there were quite a large number of people secretly smuggling out both children and adults, using all sorts of very ingenious methods. So much bravery and resistance and compassion comes to the surface at a time like that.
Nick – Yes Nick, even today there are people out there doing great work without any fanfare.
A true heroine! What better use of a life than to save many other lives!
Delores – I totally agree.