🌐 WOMEN’S STORIES _ Irena Sendler
Amber
Karlins, The Heroine Collective
Polish
Resistance in WWII
Resistance in WWII
In the
midst of the horror of WWII, there were brave, selfless people who remind
us of the goodness that was, and is, present in the world. Irena Sendler was
one of these people. Despite the reign of terror Hitler was perpetrating on her
home country of Poland, Irena stood up for what’s right and, in doing so, saved
the lives of thousands of Jewish children.
midst of the horror of WWII, there were brave, selfless people who remind
us of the goodness that was, and is, present in the world. Irena Sendler was
one of these people. Despite the reign of terror Hitler was perpetrating on her
home country of Poland, Irena stood up for what’s right and, in doing so, saved
the lives of thousands of Jewish children.
Irena was
born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1910. Her father was a doctor who treated low-income
patients, many of whom were Jewish. When the typhus epidemic struck in 1917,
many of his coworkers refused to continue their work. Irena’s father was not
deterred however, and he continued treating his patients despite the risk.
Ultimately, this decision cost him his life, and he died of typhus that same
year. Irena was only seven years old.
born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1910. Her father was a doctor who treated low-income
patients, many of whom were Jewish. When the typhus epidemic struck in 1917,
many of his coworkers refused to continue their work. Irena’s father was not
deterred however, and he continued treating his patients despite the risk.
Ultimately, this decision cost him his life, and he died of typhus that same
year. Irena was only seven years old.
Growing
up without her father could not have been easy for Irena, especially as an only
child, but it did not stop her from following in his footsteps. When she grew
up, Jewish leaders in the community, grateful for her father’s service, helped
send her to Warsaw University, where she studied literature. However, she was
suspended from school for three years for publicly protesting the ghetto-bench
system, which was an anti-Semitic form of segregation being instituted at
several Polish universities.
up without her father could not have been easy for Irena, especially as an only
child, but it did not stop her from following in his footsteps. When she grew
up, Jewish leaders in the community, grateful for her father’s service, helped
send her to Warsaw University, where she studied literature. However, she was
suspended from school for three years for publicly protesting the ghetto-bench
system, which was an anti-Semitic form of segregation being instituted at
several Polish universities.
It should
come as no surprise, then, that as Hitler began rising to power, Irena was
unwilling to stand idly by and watch the mistreatment of the Jewish families
around her. In 1939, she began using her position as a social worker to help
Jews by offering them food and shelter. However, the following year, when the
Warsaw Ghetto was established and over 400,000 Jews were forced to live in
an area of only 1.3 square miles under terrible conditions, it became clear
that Irena was going to have to go outside of traditional channels if she was
to continue making a difference.
come as no surprise, then, that as Hitler began rising to power, Irena was
unwilling to stand idly by and watch the mistreatment of the Jewish families
around her. In 1939, she began using her position as a social worker to help
Jews by offering them food and shelter. However, the following year, when the
Warsaw Ghetto was established and over 400,000 Jews were forced to live in
an area of only 1.3 square miles under terrible conditions, it became clear
that Irena was going to have to go outside of traditional channels if she was
to continue making a difference.
As a
result, Irena joined Zegota, an underground group of Polish men and women
dedicated to helping the Jews through providing food, medicine, shelter and
often, false identities. Irena soon became the head of their Children’s
Division. She used her credentials as a social worker, and papers from a fellow
Zegota worker who was with the Contagious Disease Department, to infiltrate the
ghetto. The Nazis were fearful disease would spread beyond the ghetto and
it was Irena’s job to check inhabitants for typhus. But once inside, she
began the seemingly impossible task of rescuing orphans and convincing Jewish
parents to give her their children.
result, Irena joined Zegota, an underground group of Polish men and women
dedicated to helping the Jews through providing food, medicine, shelter and
often, false identities. Irena soon became the head of their Children’s
Division. She used her credentials as a social worker, and papers from a fellow
Zegota worker who was with the Contagious Disease Department, to infiltrate the
ghetto. The Nazis were fearful disease would spread beyond the ghetto and
it was Irena’s job to check inhabitants for typhus. But once inside, she
began the seemingly impossible task of rescuing orphans and convincing Jewish
parents to give her their children.
Knowing
what the future held for their children if they remained in the ghetto, Jewish
parents made the heart-wrenching decision to give their children over to Irena,
knowing full well that this meant they might never see them again. Irena and
her fellow Zegota members then smuggled the children out of the ghetto using
whatever means were available. Often, she would hide them under a stretcher in
an ambulance or place them inside a suitcase and carry them out on a trolley.
Other times, she would help them escape by leading them out through underground
passages or even the sewer system.
what the future held for their children if they remained in the ghetto, Jewish
parents made the heart-wrenching decision to give their children over to Irena,
knowing full well that this meant they might never see them again. Irena and
her fellow Zegota members then smuggled the children out of the ghetto using
whatever means were available. Often, she would hide them under a stretcher in
an ambulance or place them inside a suitcase and carry them out on a trolley.
Other times, she would help them escape by leading them out through underground
passages or even the sewer system.
Once
outside of the ghetto, Irena and her helpers would hide the children. They
forged Catholic birth certificates and papers and trained the children to
recite Christian prayers. From there, they were placed in convents and
orphanages outside the city where they would be safe. Irena and the other
members of the Zegota’s children division kept meticulous records so that the
children could be reunited with their parents after the war. Unfortunately,
most of the parents were soon sent to the Treblinka death camps, and, as such,
this reunion was very rarely possible.
outside of the ghetto, Irena and her helpers would hide the children. They
forged Catholic birth certificates and papers and trained the children to
recite Christian prayers. From there, they were placed in convents and
orphanages outside the city where they would be safe. Irena and the other
members of the Zegota’s children division kept meticulous records so that the
children could be reunited with their parents after the war. Unfortunately,
most of the parents were soon sent to the Treblinka death camps, and, as such,
this reunion was very rarely possible.
Irena
continued her work with the children of the Warsaw Ghetto for three years
before being captured by the Gestapo on 20 October 1943. She was imprisoned,
interrogated and tortured. They broke her legs and fractured her feet. Still,
she refused to give up information about her operation. As a result, she was
sentenced to death.
continued her work with the children of the Warsaw Ghetto for three years
before being captured by the Gestapo on 20 October 1943. She was imprisoned,
interrogated and tortured. They broke her legs and fractured her feet. Still,
she refused to give up information about her operation. As a result, she was
sentenced to death.
Thankfully,
one of Irena’s fellow Zegota members bribed a guard, and Irena was able to
escape just before her scheduled execution. She lived the rest of the war in
hiding, just like the children she rescued. Thanks to her effort and tremendous
sacrifice, more than 2,500 children were saved. Irena died in 2008, but her
legacy lives on in the lives of every child who survived because of her
tremendous strength and sacrifice.
one of Irena’s fellow Zegota members bribed a guard, and Irena was able to
escape just before her scheduled execution. She lived the rest of the war in
hiding, just like the children she rescued. Thanks to her effort and tremendous
sacrifice, more than 2,500 children were saved. Irena died in 2008, but her
legacy lives on in the lives of every child who survived because of her
tremendous strength and sacrifice.
