Irena Sendler: Holocaust Savior and Angel of the Warsaw Ghetto
Have you ever thought that you were too ordinary to make a change in the world? If so, I encourage you to reflect on the example of Irena Sendler. Irena was a simple Catholic woman who believed in social justice and decided to make a difference. She wanted to do something to help the Jews who were experiencing injustice and hatred during the Second World War. In this brief paper, we will take a look at Irena’s history and actions to paint a vivid picture of just how much of an impact little, ordinary Irena had on society. We will see just how extraordinary she actually was.
Irena Sendler was born Irena Krzyzanowska in Otwack, Poland in February of 1910. She had no siblings, …show more content…
First, she had the hard and heartbreaking task of convincing the Jewish parents and relatives to give their precious children up and say goodbye for what was usually the last time. She also had to find a way to covertly transport children out of the ghetto. To sneak them out, Irena “used such creative means as coffins and ambulances to remove children to safety” (“Irena Sendler”). It is even reported that she would use crates, toolboxes, body bags, coffins, and anything else large and or inconspicuous enough to fit a child. If a young one was successfully rescued, “Catholic birth certificates and identity papers were forged and signed by priests and high ranking officials in the Social Services Department” so that he or she could be taken to a place of safety such as a home, an orphanage, or a convent …show more content…
Sendler gained little to no attention in the United States until she was ninety years old. In 2000, four high school students uncovered Sendler’s amazing past and wrote a play about her courageous and daring acts. Their play has since been “popularized” by the media, bringing her “story to a wider public” (Bulow). However, this heroine did not like attention brought to her actions, and she often furtively dismissed awareness of her past by claiming that what she had done was normal. In fact, she admitted that even towards the end of her life, she had “qualms of conscience that [she] did so little (Mickel).” Shockingly enough, she felt very guilty that she had not been able to do more for those who had suffered during and after the war. Irena said, “I could have done more…This regret will follow me to my death”
Have you ever thought that you were too ordinary to make a change in the world? If so, I encourage you to reflect on the example of Irena Sendler. Irena was a simple Catholic woman who believed in social justice and decided to make a difference. She wanted to do something to help the Jews who were experiencing injustice and hatred during the Second World War. In this brief paper, we will take a look at Irena’s history and actions to paint a vivid picture of just how much of an impact little, ordinary Irena had on society. We will see just how extraordinary she actually was.
Irena Sendler was born Irena Krzyzanowska in Otwack, Poland in February of 1910. She had no siblings, …show more content…
First, she had the hard and heartbreaking task of convincing the Jewish parents and relatives to give their precious children up and say goodbye for what was usually the last time. She also had to find a way to covertly transport children out of the ghetto. To sneak them out, Irena “used such creative means as coffins and ambulances to remove children to safety” (“Irena Sendler”). It is even reported that she would use crates, toolboxes, body bags, coffins, and anything else large and or inconspicuous enough to fit a child. If a young one was successfully rescued, “Catholic birth certificates and identity papers were forged and signed by priests and high ranking officials in the Social Services Department” so that he or she could be taken to a place of safety such as a home, an orphanage, or a convent …show more content…
Sendler gained little to no attention in the United States until she was ninety years old. In 2000, four high school students uncovered Sendler’s amazing past and wrote a play about her courageous and daring acts. Their play has since been “popularized” by the media, bringing her “story to a wider public” (Bulow). However, this heroine did not like attention brought to her actions, and she often furtively dismissed awareness of her past by claiming that what she had done was normal. In fact, she admitted that even towards the end of her life, she had “qualms of conscience that [she] did so little (Mickel).” Shockingly enough, she felt very guilty that she had not been able to do more for those who had suffered during and after the war. Irena said, “I could have done more…This regret will follow me to my death”