Irena sendler and the children of the warsaw ghetto is a glowing example of why picture books are not just for the young. She was born in 1910 in otwock, a town some 15 miles southeast of warsaw. Wrote her a personal letter thanking her for what she did. Sixty percent 60% of the royalties of life in a jar. It is also the inspirational story of students from kansas, each carrying their own painful burden. This page is dedicated to her memory and to honour such a courageous woman. She was asked to save two children, a boy and a girl. Irena sendler is a historical public figure, and she and her friends did the things i write about in this book. It includes a firstperson description of sendlerowas arrest by the gestapo in 1943. This woman is a hero of the holocaust in poland haaretz.
Inspired by irena sendler, they are living examples of the power of one person to change the world and models for young people everywhere. In 2008, sendler was nominated for but did not win a nobel peace prize. Mother of the children of the holocaust anna mieszkowska, witold zbirohowskikoscia, alex storozynski on. The irena sendler project is the real story of irena sendler. Nationality, race, and religion do not play any role.
Mother of the children of the holocaust, by anna mieszkowska, was published in israel in 2009. The irena sendler project has won several literary prizes. The irena sendler project is his first nonfiction book. In 1942, social worker irena sendler was granted access to the warsaw ghetto as a public health specialist. A noble woman with a lofty soul, irena did not help people for material gains, for gold or diamonds. Irena saved thousands of polish children during the second world war. The story of irena sendler had a profound effect not only on those who have heard the story, but on the storytellers as well, said conard.
It was a slow read for me because i had to break it up with things that werent so serious, but im glad i read it. This nobel peace prize nominee was largely unknown in america until a group of teenagers in kansas discovered her inspiring and heartbreaking life story. Find out about the life of irena sendler, a polish social worker who. Protestant kids from rural kansas, discovered a polish catholic woman who saved jewish children. Works written about her include a oneact play entitled life in a jar 1999, written by four kansas schoolgirls, and the biography mother of the children of the holocaust. A jar book club questions the ultimate sales letter will provide you a distinctive. The irena sendler project the book by jack mayer on facebook. Irenas story, the play, and some of the 4,000 pages of primary source material collected by the students about irena are being used in schools and colleges in poland and america. Another gal hosted our group for a lively lunch and discussion. The creative nonfiction book life in a jar tells the enthralling story of irena sendler and the students who crafted a play about her life. And for the past six years, the irena sendler award has been encouraging and awarding projects aimed at teaching tolerance. I am glad that an article was written on her, her selfless acts should not go unacknowledged. This awardwinning book tells the incredible story of the catholic woman who rescued hundreds of jewish children from the warsaw ghetto as well as the kansas students who discovered her story. Irena sendler was a polish woman who along with her trusted network is credited to have saved the lives of 2,500 jewish children during the holocaust.
Sendler died of pneumonia in 2008 at the age of 98, leaving behind her legacy in mutliple ways including the life in a jar project which remember her through a play as well as a book life in a jar and also through a tv film released in 2009 named the courageous heart of irena sendler directed by john kent harrison. Irena sendler had a true vision for the work she had did, enough to take daily chances extensively, risking her life every decision she would make. Polands communist leaders did not allow her to travel to israel. The irena sendler project are donated to the irena sendlerlife in a jar foundation. In this booktalk, author marcia vaughan and illustrator ron mazellan discuss the process of creating.
It will appeal to anyone with an interest in history, as well as teachers of all subjects. At 12 noon at the woodstock norman williams public library the mezzanine about writing before the court of heaven. The girls regularly write on their homework papers notes such as, im changing the world and irenas story must be told. The parents wanted them to go but the grandparents did not. Irena s story, the play, and some of the 4,000 pages of primary source material collected by the students about irena are being used in schools and colleges in poland and america. I understand that with a father of irena sendler had the greatest influenced from her every since the beginning because she knew her father did. The book focuses on the life of irena sendler, who rescued thousands of jewish children during world war ii. The irena sendler project is a holocaust history and more. Three other students joined the group to provide assistance. She helped save so many people and even risked her own life in the process. Irena sendler and the children of the warsaw ghetto by.
Book tells story of children protected during holocaust. In the fall of 1999, four young girls from kansas began research for a. In 2010, polish historian anna mieszkowska wrote a biography irena sendler. Irena sendler, lifeline to young jews, is dead at 98 the new york. The author did extensive research about irena and drew on that research to write very readable nonfiction.
Where what when the extraordinary story of irena sendler. Read this book with ideas on how you can make a difference. In 2007 sendler was nominated for the nobel prize for peace. From october 1943 she was head of the childrens section of zegota, the polish council to aid. The children she saved were real people, who went on to have real lives and families, in most cases. The dvd is a great secondary addition to reading the life in a jar. Mother of the children of the holocaust translation by mieszkowska, anna isbn. Irena sendler biography childhood, life achievements. Only then did i realise that this was the same heroic character, who four years.
Irena sendler saved thousands of children from the warsaw ghetto during wwii and has interesting and heartbreaking stories to tell. Irena was greatly influenced by her father who was one of the first polish socialists and a doctor. Poland decorated her with the order of the white eagle and the jan karski organization awarded her with the medal of courage and heart. The story of sendler and three high school girls was also told in a moving book, life in a jar.
While life in a jar is based on a true story, it reads like a novel. She started smuggling them out of the walled district, convincing her friends and neighbors to hide them. A true story of courage, also available in a young readers edition. Most of his scientific writing was done during those four years. Irena sendler and these students chose to repair the world. Irena sendler saves jewish children from the warsaw ghetto.
Irena stanislawa sendler nee krzyzanowska, also referred to as irena sendlerowa in poland. This is a primary source and it is an interview i got from a database. While there, she reached out to the trapped jewish families, going from door to door and asking the parents to trust her with their young children. Mazzeo is the author of the new book irenas children. It is the inspirational story of protestant students from kansas, each carrying her own painful burden, each called in her own complex way to the history of a catholic woman who knocked on jewish doors in the warsaw ghetto and, in sendlers own words, tried to talk the mothers out of their children. Irena sendler, a roman catholic who created a network of rescuers in. In the fall of 1999, four young girls from kansas began research for a high school history project. She never wrote a book or published anything to pat herself on the back for her actions. The extraordinary story of the woman who saved 2,500 children from the warsaw ghetto tilar j. After the war she returned to her job as a social worker, never searching for honors or acknowledgements for her deeds. Yet irena sendler sees herself as anything but a heroine.
A new childrens book about unsung hero irena sendler. One is about irena sendler, a polish social worker who helped save 2,500 jewish children in. Irena sendlers story is so inspirational, during this time not many people would have done what she did. In 1999, 3 kansas students uncover her story and bring it to light through a play, life in a jar.
Incredibly, after the war her heroism, like that of many others, was suppressed by communist poland and remained virtually unknown for 60 years. Kansas history day holocaust and life in a jar kansas. Irena sendler, lifeline to young jews, is dead at 98 the. Mazzeo adapted for young readers by mary cronk farrell about the book irena sendler was a young polish woman living in warsaw during world war ii with an incredible story of survival and selflessness. Life in a jar the courageous story of irena sendler. The last time my book club got together we discussed the book, life in a jar. The irena sendler project by jack mayer is a powerful story of the holocaust and more. The irena sendler project is a work of creative nonfiction written by jack mayer and originally published in 2010. The irena sendler project is based on a true story, it reads like a novel.
She attributed the premature birth of her son andrzej, who did not survive, to such persecution. During world war ii, irena sendler, a polish catholic social worker, organized a rescue network of fellow social workers to save 2,500 jewish children from certain death in the warsaw ghetto. Irena anna paquin, stefan goran visnjic, janina sendler marcia gay harden, eva michelle dockery, hannah danuta stenka, karolina rebecca windheim, jasio sergei marchenko, monsignor godlewski paul freeman, rabbi rozenfeld leigh lawson. The new book is the second one that has been published in israel about sendlerowa in recent years. Irena krzyzanowska was born in otwock, in what is now poland, on feb. She eventually went to make a movie about holocaust heroine irena sendler. Mayer uses a narrative storytelling style, and he masterfully and seamlessly weaves together the personal stories of. Her tablescape irena sendler hid her list of names of the 2,500 children she saved by putting each of their names in a jar and burying the jar outside under an apple tree. It was important to my research because it talks about what irena sendler did to save the jews and how she did it. This book offers the first english translation of the compelling heroine story of irena sendler, a polish catholic who organized the rescue of more than 2,500 jewish children from the warsaw ghetto during world war ii.
Irena sendler did not trust reporters or the media. First, it is the story of the extraordinary irena sendler, the great rescuer of warsaw. Working as a nurse and a social worker, she was active in the polish undergroundthe polish resistance movement in world war iiin germanoccupied warsaw during the world war ii. In fact, using illustrated narrative to tell the story of a difficult time in history, sets the tone and helps to place the event in time through pictures, while teaching children the importance of historical events. Mazzeos other books include the widow cliquot and the secret of chanel no. Irena sendler led a secret operation to successfully smuggle jewish. The irena sendler project, tells the story of a catholic polish social worker, sendler, whose work in the warsaw ghetto during world war ii. Irenas jars of secrets is a picture book biography of irena sendler, a catholic social worker in poland during world war ii who rescued hundreds of jewish children from the warsaw ghetto. The hallmark hall of fame award winning dvd featuring anna paquin as irena sendler is now available to order. Now after 375 presentations of life in a jar, a website with huge usage and worldwide media attention, a motion picture and award winning book life in a jar the irena sendler project, irena is known to the world. Though she received the yad vashem medal for the righteous among the nations in 1965, irena sendlers story was virtually unknown. Now after 375 presentations of life in a jar, a website with huge usage and worldwide media attention, a motion picture and award winning book life in a jarthe irena sendler project, irena is known to the world. Visit life in a jar for more information about the play. About the project the courageous story of irena sendler.