Irena Sendler

Saving the lives of 2,500 children should put someone into the history books instead of being forgotten for almost two decades.  However this is exactly happened to one courageous woman: Irena Sendler.  Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker, was born on February 15, 1910.  Living in Warsaw, Poland for most of her life, she helped the Jews living there during World War II.  Sendler saved 2,500 Jewish children by smuggling them out in various ways from the ghetto where they were forced to live.  Most of their parents left behind died.  In the aftermath of the war, the world forgot about her, until her story was rediscovered about 20 years later in 1965. She passed away on May 12, 2008 in Warsaw.  Irena Sendler needs to be recognized as a hero for her compassion, humility, and bravery shown through her stupendous work during World War II.

During her heroic efforts to save Jewish children, Irena Sendler was driven by one main thing: compassion.  When the war began, she immediately felt compassion for the Jews in danger. "A Polish Catholic who could have kept to herself quietly out of the way, away from the German soldiers who occupied the city after 1939.  But she was drawn to the Jewish ghetto. Nearly half a million Jews were forced to live there, at the time the most densely populated place on Earth"(Remembering Irena Sendler: A Humble Heroine). Even though Irena could have easily avoided all this conflict, she felt that she needed to help.  Instead of looking the other way, Irena went to the ghetto, helping the people awaiting death there.  She indeed felt true compassion for these people and helped them however she could.  The children in the ghetto were at the center of her sympathy and because of that she was their guardian angel.  She originally helped just by checking for disease, but moved by love and humanity, Sendler started to smuggle children out by whatever means.  "She and her team of 20 entered the ghetto under the pretence of checking for a typhoid outbreak.  The team then tried to convince parents to let them take their children away from a certain death.  While the Nazis were destroying the ghetto in 1943, she and her team smuggled out children and babies in whatever ways they could find, including in a mechanic's box, in coffins, and disguised as parcels" (Mickel).  This tenderheartedness was what drove Sendler through all of her efforts helping the Jews.  Her actions and support for the children in the Warsaw Ghetto can been seen by anyone only as true compassion.

Even though Irena Sendler had saved over two thousand children, she was still a humble person. In an interview with Weekend All Things Considered, she recalled her response to her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.  "The Polish Senate nominated Irena Sendler for the Nobel Peace Prize last year. They held a celebration in her honor but she was too frail to attend, so she sent letter, once again, asking why so much fuss over a simple old lady" (Remembering Irena Sendler).  Sendler knew she had saved many lives as a result of her actions, but she still refused to draw attention to herself.  She insisted that she did not deserve the attention or visits from the journalists.  She was humble to the end of her life.  "Sendler often said her actions were 'a normal thing to do' and did not like the description of herself as a 'hero', saying 'the opposite is true -- I continue to have qualms of conscience that I did so little. I could have done more. This regret will follow me to my death'" (Mickel).  Sendler insisted she had not done much, which may be true compared to the millions of lives that needed to be saved, but she had made a difference to 2,500 children as well as their families.  She was humble about her achievements in the war efforts.  In a world like today, a person who saves even three people is likely to boast and receive attention.  Irena Sendler saved 2,500 children and remained as unassuming and humble as ever.

To be able to save someone, or even more to put your life in danger for them, takes great courage and bravery, and that is exactly what Sendler had.  As she smuggled children, she had to live not knowing what was going to happen next.  "Those scenes over whether to give a child away were heart-rending. Sometimes, they would not give me the child. Their first question was, 'What guarantee is there that the child will live?' I said, 'None, I don't even know if I will get out of the ghetto alive today.' I still have nightmares about it" (DuBord).  Despite the fact that she was putting her life in danger, Irena showed her bravery by helping the Jews. Every night, she didn't know whether she would sleep in her own bed, or in a jail cell. She did not know if she was going to make it out of the ghetto without being discovered, but nonetheless she continued her work.  As she worked for the cause, Irena had to be brave and prepared to face the consequences if she was caught.  Which is exactly what eventually happened.  "The Nazis discovered her role in Zegota. On October 20, 1943, Irena was arrested and taken to the notorious Pawiak Prison.  Interrogated and tortured to the point of suffering fractures to her legs and feet that would permanently hinder her ability to walk, Irena nonetheless steadfastly refused to divulge the names of Zegota members or the children she had saved.  She was sentenced to death... whisked away into hiding, assuming the false identity of Klara Dambrowski for the remainder of the war and ironically finding herself in the same situation she had arranged for so many others.  Irena herself saw the posters declaring that she had been killed, though her escape was eventually found out.  Even from hiding, Irena/Klara continued to help smuggle children out of danger" (DuBord). Sendler was constantly at risk of capture and death, but even after this hero was caught and escaped she did not slow down her efforts to save the children.  She would not give up but continued her great work.  Her bravery is one of the many things that are truly outstanding.  Irena Sendler had shown bravery through all her actions, and despite some harrowing circumstances she continued.  She never gave up under any circumstance. 

By expressing compassion, humility, and bravery, Irena Sendler is a true hero.  Irena has showed compassion for the Jewish children she saved.  She was humble when others praised her. She also looked death in the face in order to save others, showing bravery.  This is why Irena Sendler is an inspiration to me and to others.  She demonstrated traits that we today could use much more of in this world.  She is a light to the world.  She not only saved 2,500 children, but also their future children and the following generations to come. Irena Sendler was driven by compassion, she was full of bravery, and she was humble to the core.