Holocaust savior dies at 98

DonShula84 · May 13, 2008

Fate may have led Irena Sendler to the moment almost 70 years ago when she began to risk her life for the children of strangers. But for this humble Polish Catholic social worker, who was barely 30 when one of history's most nightmarish chapters unfolded before her, the pivotal influence was something her parents had drummed into her.

"I was taught that if you see a person drowning," she said, "you must jump into the water to save them, whether you can swim or not."

When the Nazis occupying Poland began rounding up Jews in 1940 and sending them to the Warsaw ghetto, Sendler plunged in.

With daring and ingenuity, she saved the lives of more than 2,500 Jews, most of them children, a feat that went largely unrecognized until the last years of her life.

Sendler, 98, who died of pneumonia Monday in Warsaw, has been called the female Oskar Schindler, but she saved twice as many lives as the German industrialist, who sheltered 1,200 of his Jewish workers. Unlike Schindler, whose story received international attention in the 1993 movie "Schindler's List," Sendler and her heroic actions were almost lost to history until four Kansas schoolgirls wrote a play about her nine years ago.

The lesson Sendler taught them was that "one person can make a difference," Megan Felt, one of the authors of the play, said Monday.

"Irena wasn't even 5 feet tall, but she walked into the Warsaw ghetto daily and faced certain death if she was caught. Her strength and courage showed us we can stand up for what we believe in, as well," said Felt, who is now 23 and helps raise funds for aging Holocaust rescuers.

"Every child saved with my help is the justification of my existence on this Earth," she said, "and not a title to glory."
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Sounds like a pretty amazing person.

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-sendler13-2008may13,0,7516067.story

Miamian · May 13, 2008

זיכרון לברכה

brandon27 · May 13, 2008

Great story, great read. An amazing person indeed. I coudlnt even imagine having to live through that time period

Miamian · May 13, 2008

It should be noted that her recognition came late only in Poland.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1209627064522&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

In 1965, Sendler became one of the first so-called Righteous Gentiles that the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem honored for wartime heroics. Poland's communist leaders at that time would not allow her to travel to Israel, and she collected the award only in 1983.
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JCowScot · May 13, 2008

"Every child saved with my help is the justification of my existence on this Earth," she said, "and not a title to glory."
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I think that is one of the noblest and most humble utterances I have ever read. May she rest not in peace, but in glory.

unluckyluciano · May 13, 2008

She was an example of how we wish humanity would act all of the time. May she rest in peace.

alen1 · May 13, 2008

Wow she seems an amazing person, saving 2500 people. RIP.

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Holocaust savior dies at 98

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JCowScot So funky the dead dance

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