The lady who rescued 2,500 infants, Irena Sendler
During World War II, it was a extremely dangerous era for Jewish families living in German-occupied Poland. In 1942, close to 500,000 Polish Jews (30% of Warsaw’s population!) were herded into a Ghetto. The Ghetto was an area of about 1 square kilometer barricaded behind seven-foot-high walls… and behind those walls, 5,000 people died every month due to starvation and diseases.
When the Germans invaded Poland, a lady named Irena Sendler (Polish Roman Catholic) worked as a senior administrator in the Warsaw Social Welfare Department. The department was in charge of soup kitchens located in every district of the city. There, she started helping the Jews. Together with a few helpers, she forged over 3,000 documents to help Jewish families obtain welfare support… they even listed them all as typhus and tuberculosis victims to avoid any investigations. At this point, Irena and her helpers were already risking their lives, as the penalty of aiding Jews at that time was punishable by death.
Children from the Warsaw ghetto
Up till 1942, Irena continued forging fake documents. She then decided to join an underground resistant movement called Zegota (Council for Aid to Jews), where she was given the code name ‘Jolanta’. Since she was an employee of the Social Welfare Department, Irena possessed a special permit to enter the Warsaw Ghetto to check for signs of typhus. Every time she went into the Ghetto, she wore the Star of David and would smuggle in food, medicine, and cloths. However, after some time, she felt that her efforts were helping to only prolong the suffering, but nothing to save lives. It was then she and her team of 25 people, formulated plans to smuggle out as many children as they can from the Ghetto. 10 members were in charge of smuggling out the children… another 10 members were assigned to find foster families… while 5 were in charge of obtaining false documents for these children.
Irena dressed as a nurse to enter the ghetto
The team of people were always racing against time. Many many families were being transported from the Ghetto to an extermination camp on a daily basis. So they started smuggling children out several times a day!
Irena says that the most difficult thing to do was to convince parents to part with their children. As a young mother herself at the time, she could feel the pain of such parting. Up until Irena passed away in 2008 (age 97), the children’s cries haunted her dreams…
The children were often sedated and smuggled out in potatoes sacks, boxes, coffins, or body bags. Many were smuggled through sewers or underground tunnels, or through the church next to the Ghetto. Sometimes an ambulance wagon with children hidden beneath the floor board were taken through the gates by a driver accompanied by a dog trained to bark so that the children’s cries can be masked. The team found all opportunities to smuggle a child out – once an infant was smuggled out in a mechanic’s tool box!
The second biggest challenge was to find Polish families to foster these children. Although the penalty of death for harboring a Jew was not always enforced, approx. 700 people were killed because of it. Irena mainly relied on the assistance of the Church as the Sisters in the church never refused to take a child in. Irena always stressed that the goal was not to convert people to Catholicism, but to save lives. How beautiful…
Jewish children at a Polish convent in 1943
For 2 years, “Jolanta’s” covert operations was successful. She managed to save 2,500 children! In October 1943, she was discovered by Gestapo (the official secret police of Nazi Germany and German-occupied Europe). In 2 hours, eleven soldiers tore her house apart but they were unable to find any evidence of the smuggling… she had already passed the list to one of her colleagues. Even though the Gestapo had no evidence against her, Irena was taken to Pawiak prison where she was horribly tortured. Her legs and feet were broken, her body was permanently scarred and she was sentenced to death for refusing to disclose her network of helpers and the children she saved. She was saved by Zegota, for one of its members managed to bribe the prison guard to set her free.
Every child that she smuggled out of the Ghetto, she carefully kept the children’s real identity in jars buried beneath an apple tree. She hoped to reunite these children with their family and to inform them of their past. After the war, Irena did exactly that. She spent years trying to reunite children with their family… but most of the parents had been gassed at Treblinka.
Irena Sendler receiving the “In the Service of Health” medal from Poland’s Minister of Health. Warsaw, October 1958.
Irena became one of the first Righteous Gentiles to be honoured in 1965 by the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority in Jerusalem. It was not until the year 2000 that she was internationally recognized as a heroine during the holocaust. She was later awarded the Order of White Eagle, Poland’s highest distinction, in Warsaw, in 2003… and in 2007, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Irena was seven years old when her father passed away from typhus. His final words to her were, “If you see someone drowning, you must jump in and try to save them, even if you don’t know how to swim“. She managed to save the lives of 2,500 children from certain death. Her determination and integrity towards achieving something she believed in was so strong that even when faced with threats towards her life… she stood firm.
Irena received the Order of White Eagle award in 2003
Irena is an extraordinary person, and everything she did was 100% out of good faith and sincerity, which was why fame and awards meant little or nothing to her. She said, “Every child saved with my help and the help of all the wonderful secret messengers, who today are no longer living, is the justification of my existence on this earth, and not a title to glory.”
Irena’s story truly is inspiring, after all, how often do we meet people that would place their life in the line to save a total stranger from harm? I have included a video done by the Kansas teenagers whom brought her wonderful story to the world, and also a movie about her life which was filmed after her death in 2009. Do watch these videos and let me know how her deeds has inspired you.
“I only did what was normal. I could have done more. This regret will follow me to my death.” – Irena
Tsem Rinpoche
After WWII, Irena during 1949
Irena spent her older days in a nursing home in Warsaw, where she was taken care of by one of the children she saved during the holocaust.
She was well loved
Irena Sendler
Died 12 May 2008 (aged 98)
Warsaw, Poland
Life in a Jar – The Irena Sendler Project
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/LifeInAJar_TheIrenaSendlerProject.mp4
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I’m doing a history Day Project on her. This was very helpful. You can help me more if you told me where you got the photos at?
please revise this site to include the facts more fully.
1 -Irena’s maiden name was Krzyzanowska
2-her father did not just” die of Typhus”.He was a Catholic physician who sacrificed his life helping his Jewish patients during a typhus epidemic.Irena was left fatherless,and her family in a situation that you can imagine.Later on the Jewish community offered to finance her university education ,but she refused help,because she did not feel it right to be “paid “for something freely given .
3-you mention that she was part of a team of 25 .As far as I know,they were all murdered for what they did.You ,nor anyone else has ever mentioned them ,nor their names ,nor the reprecussions on their families. Why not ?
What a true inspiration. A heroine who saved so many lives. Our world needs more people like her.
Irena Sendler was definitely a hero, she dedicated most of her time in saving children. The last words her father told her must have influenced her a lot, I think that her father made her what she was, someone who was very compassionate, loving, someone who has benefited over thousands of lives. She was a very good living example for us. Thank You for sharing Rinpoche.
“I only did what was normal. I could have done more.” Irena Sendler
This last line of quote from Irena is so powerful. How she has done so much and endured so much, yet she is asking and wishing she did more?!!! Risking her life every day when she save to those children…her courage is amazing! She endured the tortures to save Jewish children that is not even her own nationality. This to me is a clear example of a real compassionate person in action.
She is a real hero and like a Boddhisattva. 2500 children’s lives were saved because she focused on them, on others. Because she made a choice and was not thinking about herself but on the children. How many of us would dare do this if we were in her position in her situation? Could we have bared the torture when captured and questioned to reveal those who helped her? Let us take this as an inspiration to move us to the next level of compassion.
If every individual follow her example, the world would be a better place to live in including all stray animals too! God Bless her soul and May her soul looks down on us all and be a light for us all!
I just read about here again, and I’m still amazed by her kindness of helping these children from a definite fate which is death.
How many people do we know that would risk their life for a stranger’s child, and at the same time putting a risk to her family? How many people would go the extra mile, risking her life everyday and find people to take these children in?
We dont even have to think that far as to who around us would do so… but just look at ourselves, and think, if we were in that situation, would we do the same? And still after so many years, regret and said “I should have done more, should have saved more lives”
If she isn’t a Bodhisattva, I don’t know what else to call her. Her compassion came without agenda, and she never even wish to be recognized. Such a lovely lady.
This is a truly inspiring real example of compassion and selfless acts shown by Irena Sendler. 2500 children were saved by Irena Sendler and this has proven that Irena has taken 2500 risks of getting herself killed during the war time. I pray to Irena that she will have good reborn in many of her lifetimes ahead. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing the true story with full of compassion from Irena Sendler.
当我读完了这一则报道以后，我感觉到原来这个世界并不是我们想像的那么残酷的。其实，现在的人都认为说自己已经都没有能力照顾好自己了，生活所带来的压力已经让人 喘不过气了，那还有力气去帮助别人。其实，我再一次克切拉香积厨的活动中，我体会到了一个rm50,竟然可以让25个无家可归的人，至少可以有食物让他们温饱肚子，这是我从来都没有想过的事。而且，帮了他们以后，自己会有一种莫名的满足感，比起自己花了钱还要满足。如果，你们不相信的话，你们可以试试参与我们的活动，我相信到时你就会体会到我所分享的快乐是什么感觉了。
Irena Sendler is truly a bodhisattva of Compassion. She is a very strong and courageous woman. She sacrificed so much and risked her life to save those children in their darkness moment and brought light to them.
She takes the crying baby into her arms, turns her back on the hysterical mother, and walks off into the night. If she’s caught, she and the baby will die.
“Promise me my child will live!” the mother cries desperately after her.
She turns for a moment. “I can’t promise that. But I can promise that if he stays with you, he will die.”
She has seen this image in her dreams countless times over the years, heard the children’s cries as they were pulled from their mothers’ grasp; each time it is another mother screaming behind her.
To the children, she seemed a merciless captor; in truth, she was the agent to save their lives.
My salutation to her for her courage and compassion!!!
I had watched “the pianist” before which talking about the world war 2,and that time to survive is already a biggest problem but Irena Sendler ‘s compassion and love has conquered all the hardship and yet saved so many children….and make me realise the truth is that our well being is dependent on our giving love.it is not about what come back;it is about what goes out~~
Irena was such a compassionate and courageous heroine. She is truly a Kuan Yin.
“Every child saved with my help and the help of all the wonderful secret messengers, who today are no longer living, is the justification of my existence on this earth, and not a title to glory.”
That statement made me think what is my justification of existence! Irena’s life is a testament that we can truly use our lives to benefit countless…besides just ourselves. She used her life and many had theirs.
Irena Sendler a lady who is so full of compassion, full of love for children even when tortured wont even reveal any things. I salute her let us learn from her kindness. Let us be kind to everyone we meet.
Irene Sendler drew inspiration from her father’s words to her as a child of seven:”If you see someone drowning, you must jump in and try to save them even if you don’t know how to swim”.She remembered these words, which must have propelled her to show such great courage in compassion towards the victims of the Holocaust.She not only rescued 2500 children, but found homes for them too.She was as concerned for their safety and well-being as any mother would be towards her child. She safeguarded their identity by burying any possible evidence that could have led to their discovery by the Nazis. After the war, she worked hard to reunite the children with their parents. Sad to say, the parents had all been killed in the Nazi concentration camps and gas chambers.
Her courage and determination helped her to withstand the terrible torture she underwent when she was caught and thrown into Pawiak prison.Fortunately for her, she was rescued before they could carry out the death sentence on her.
Irene was just an ordinary person like you and me. Yet she showed such extraordinary willpower,courage and compassion.
At age of 7,Irena’s father final words to her, “If you see someone drowning, you must jump in and try to save them, even if you don’t know how to swim“ was exactly what she did to save the lives of 2,500 children from certain death. Those words from her father created a strong imprint in her. I think it’s very important for the adults to give positive messages/advice to the kids at the young age, that will help them to define what type of person they will grow up to be.
In her attempt to save the children, she was ready to sacrifice her life in exchange for the lives of many without agenda , the ultimate act of bodhicitta. I will contemplate on her fearlessness, thoughtfulness, resourcefulness and desire to do more. She is truly an inspiration! May I and other with similar aspiration swiftly cultivate these qualities.
In time like this, normally people will only think how to save their own life and won’t be bothered much of others. But Irena Sendler is different, she did not focus on her own, instead, she risk her life to go save other lives.
“If you see someone drowning, you must jump in and try to save them, even if you don’t know how to swim“
This is the last word from her father, because she trusted her father, she went all out to fulfill her father’s last wish, her love is not selfish, she loved everyone, not only rescue them, she also organized and prepared everything so that in the future she can re-unite the children with their parents. what kind of thought she is having, and in today’s world, many people do good deeds is because it is in their convenience, further than that, sorry to speak, they will stop helping.
It is indeed very rare to find someone who can be so determine to what they believe. Irena really live up the father’s wish very well.
Irena Sendler was a living Chenrezig. A selfless and compassionate lady who put her life at risk daily to rescue those children. Even though she was tortured and sentenced to death, she never wavered and stayed firm in not disclosing information to the Germans. Her best was not good enough for her and she still felt that she could have done more. Her great act was not for glory. Irena has so much integrity. I admire her great kindness. She deserves all the respect that is bestowed upon her.
Irena Sendler is really a Bodhisattva! She is willing to sacrifice herself for the poor and destitute! Her noble act and risking her life for others is really commendable and makes me think she is really a selfless being!
I am particularly touched by this comment of hers “Every child saved with my help and the help of all the wonderful secret messengers, who today are no longer living, is the justification of my existence on this earth, and not a title to glory.”
This is truly inspiring!
Irena Sendler followed her father’s last words to her: “If you see someone drowning, you must jump in and try to save them, even if you don’t know how to swim“. She followed her father’s last instruction to the tee. The same message can be applied in dharma ie. to follow the words of the Guru.
Irene Sendler did not focus on her “self”. By saving 2,500 hopeful lives, she acted “selflessly” with no expectation of anything back. Yet the help she gave to others paid back. Some of those child survivors looked for her to repay her deeds. This is karma. She is a real unknown “bodhisattva”. May we pray to have more like her in this degenerate age.
Cant hold my tears after reading this! Irena Sendler is such a inspiring person. She shows us the quality of being selfless! Because of her faith and believes, she saved 2500 lives!! Can you imagine?? In such a terrorising periods, everyone is in fear and trying to escape from death yet this lady was thinking of all method to save the children! She is truly a hero. Her kindness and compassion Won her not only Nobel Peace Prize but a history that won everyone hearts.
The last words that her father told her before he died is totally touching!! A great father with great education and influence to his daughter. The world needs that!
I love her last words : I only did what is normal and I could have done more. This regret will follow me to my death!” this is the words of wisdom and it’s very inspiring. We must apply it to our life daily regardless you are spiritual or not. My tribute to Irena Sandler.
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful post. It’s really really inspiring! Those words that from her and her father gave me very very positive impact. Thank you Rinpoche and thank you Irena for saving 2500 lives!
What make Irena and other daily life heroes difference from others? I think it could be the sense of responsibility.
With sense of responsibility we change our working or living attitude immediately. Without this sense of responsibility, it’s similar to giving up your life. For Irena, she might have the convenience of being a welfare officer to help, but not so convenience to forge documents and organized a team to help Jews who need help by risking her life.
Her abilities are not extra ordinary compare to many of us, but she can’t bear to see others suffer (most of us do) and take one more step to put in effort/actions to reduce or stop the sufferings that make a difference.
We always have the thinking let others worry or take up the responsible that make us stop at the level of wishing others happy or have less sufferings, by not thinking you actually can do something even is a little small thing to make a difference. Every effort counts.
Irena Sendler is a truly amazing and inspiring heroine of the last century.
She has courage,compassion and determination ! And she places all these virtues into full action. Being courageous is not doing something without fear, but doing something in the face of fear. She knew how dangerous it was for her and her supporters , she knew she and supporters would be put to death if they were discovered and yet she had the determination to forge on . Her focus and passion in saving the children is so very remarkable. And her compassion is truly ‘ Divine Love in Action’. She’s a Catholic yet she transcends across the board of religions and saved these children.
We need o lot more people like Irena Sendler . What a much much better world this would be.
She is a heroine & have a good heart. In her mind during the war, she only think how to rescue the children never ever think of her own safety. This really inspires us.
Irena Sendler was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. She did not win the prize as it went to Al Gore instead, but did receive tremendous recognition and awards in support for her courageous work.
She was only a Catholic social worker employed by Warsaw’s social-welfare department, yet Irena organized the rescue of 2,500 Jewish babies and children from the Nazi-controlled Warsaw ghetto in 1942 and 1943. She was only 29 years old then. This remarkable woman defied the Nazis and saved 2,500 lives by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto. What an incredible woman and her amazing gift to mankind.
With or without her recognition by the Nobel Peace Committee, she is ‘god’s gift to the world’.
“Every child saved with my help is the justification of my existence on this Earth, and not a title to glory,” Irena Sendler once quoted….
Peace and blessings to the good spirit of Irena Sendler. It amazes me that during such dark hours, there come to birth a great soul who against all odds responds with so much of love, compassion and selflessness. They were war heroes who do not hold guns and swords but give their hearts, care and hope to whatever little life that was left. And with this glimmer of hope, new things were born.
This brought to mind the altruistic deeds of John Rabe (November 23, 1882 – January 5, 1950). He was a German businessman who was best known for his efforts to stop the atrocities of the Japanese army during the Nanking Occupation and his work to protect and help the Chinese civilians during the event. The Nanking Safety Zone, which he helped to establish, sheltered approximately 200,000 Chinese people from slaughter during the massacre. Armed only with a swastika band, he physically pulled away Japanese soldiers that were brutally injuring the civilian Chinese.
When I read this story, I thought to myself…
First there was Hitler and there was also Rabe.
_/\_
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rabe
Irena is amazing… this proves to us that people who cares goes a long way to achieve what they truly believe in, to the extent of finding various ways to save the situation and to remain firm even when faced with death threats.
Irena is truly a heroine, a highly noble person. She has very simple thoughts, thoughts generated out of pure love for those who were placed in weaker position.
Amazing great love that she has within herself, to have to risk her own life for every action that she took, the tortures and pains that she had to bear in order to safeguard the security of those whom she has saved.
While Irena was only a lady, but she certainly embodied qualities of bravery, intelligence and love.
Dear Irena Sendler ur compassion with action really touch our heart, i very respect and thankful with fold hands from the bottom of my heart. May u take a good rebirth and able to continue benefit more sentient beings…
This story really inspiring us that how come we able to do more to benefit more?? Even a lady can rescue so much life with her effort.
* “This story really inspiring us that how come we UNABLE to do more to benefit more?? Even a lady can rescue so much life with her effort.”
I remember watching “Schindler List”,and it was a businessman who owns a factory, and he hires young boys and girls to work in his factory for polishing metal ware in order to save them from the gas chamber. Irena’s effort is similar to Schindler, a hero and heroin. Her effort and deed is return by kindness from the children when she is old. Savings 5,500 lives, what a great lady. She even takes the tortures as not to disclose her team mates names and whereabouts. She actually saves more than 5,500, in fact including her team. I believe Irena has some regrets as not able o save more lives thru her effort. I believe she would saves the entire camp if she able to, If she has a magic wand. Thank you, Irena for this wonderful lesson of selfless and compassionate.
Every war has an unsung hero or heroine. It certainly needs to take faith and courage to rescue the children especially in world war II. During this time, everybody wants to get himself or herself to survive first. Besides faith and courage, a person needs to be unselfish to help and rescue those 2500 children. I salute her. I also hope those rescued children can have a good lives and fortunes in their new homes. When they grow up, I hope they can help the other people also. Of course, the most important thing is that war must be prevented. No war no tragedy.
Our world are in need of more heroes like Irena Sendler. The holocaust is one of the most terrorizing periods of human history this century. I imagine that everyone, even non-Jews lived in fear during those years. Fear of personal security. Therefore, the act of committing an act forbidden is without question a reflection of courage and compassion.
Irena’s decision and effort to save those children despite the risk she exposed herself to is very rare. Today, many of us would not even spare some change for a homeless or beggar “just in case he is a fraud and cheats me” (which is really just a few dollar at the most). Our righteousness overrides the possibility of benefiting someone and alleviating their suffering.
(* Please, do not misunderstand this as meaning: it is OK to be taken for a ride because Tsem Rinpoche teaches us that compassion must be practiced with wisdom)
This growing lack of kindness we show each other is really maddening and frightening. I pray that Dharma will flourish strongly and quickly so that the deterioration of our human to human interaction will stop and we can bring back some humanity in our way of living.