Irena Sendler (1910 – 2008) was a social worker and nurse who
served in the Polish Underground during World War II. When Germany invaded
Poland she got permission to work in the Warsaw Ghetto as a plumber. She used
her large toolbox and truck to smuggle some 2,500 Jewish infants and children to
safety. The Nazis discovered her activities, tortured her, and sentenced her to
death. She managed to evade execution. She kept the children’s names in a jar
buried in her yard so she could reunite them with their parents after the war.
Of course, most of the parents didn’t survive. A year before her death, Irena
was a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. She didn’t win. That year Al Gore
received the award for a slide show on global warming. She didn’t expect a
reward, saying, "Every child saved with my help is the justification of my
existence on this Earth, and not a title to glory."
No comments:
Post a Comment