The day of Irena's death-feedback

The day of Irena’s death and burial – feedback It was Monday 12.05.2008. That day was really happy, because the first school in Poland received the patronage of Irena Sendler. We were really excited when we were going to this ceremony. We knew that it was important day and special event. To the 23rd Secondary School in Warsaw came all friends of Irena and almost every person connected with Jewish Commune (The Polish Rabbi Michael Schudrih and many others) or some Jewish organizations(representatives of Association of “Children of the Holocaust” or chairman of Shalom Foundation – Gołda Tancer). This ceremony couldn’t take place without such important people like Sendler’s Jewish children rescued from The Warsaw Ghetto and of course young people – students from Warsaw schools. It was 11 o’clock when we came into the building we saw a big photography of Irena Sendler, but something was wrong - on the corner of this picture we saw a black sash – the sign of mourning. We couldn’t believe that she died, but when we saw Rabbi giving an interview for some TV channel we understood that that’s truth. It was something really strange for all of as. We didn't know if this ceremony will be. Director of this school said, that she thing that Irena didn't want to cancel ocasion like this. And it started with one minute of silent to hounor Irena's life. This ceremony was without any applause. This school was very good prepared to this ocasion: a few girls presents "Life in a Jar". And others student have painted her beautifull portrait. It was amazing. One day Irena have said: "I don't need to have a Nobel. I already have Nobel, because I'm a patronage of Polisch school. For me, its the best award"
I'm sure that we won't forget about Irena Sendler and that we will pass on her history for next generations. We belive, she will be with us during ours whole live. Even that she is with God already she is still living. In our hearts.

The funeral Mass will take place on Thursday, 15th May at 12.00 o'clock in church under the patronate of St. Karol Boromeusz in Warsaw.
She will be buried in a family grave in the Powązki cemetery.

Today (12.05.2008) Irena Sendler died at 8:45 in a Warsaw hospital on Płocka Street because of pneumonia.

She was 98 years old.

We will always have her in our hearts.

Pawiak is a prison built in 1835. During World War II in 1939 it was turned into a German Gestapo prison and then it became part of the Warsaw concentration camp. There were 100000 men and 20000 women. They were living in revolting and terrible conditions. Every day people could eat only something about 750 calories. Because of it most of them were ill and sometimes they were dying of hunger.
Gestapo were employing tortures on prisoners and they were shooting them.



Irena Sendler was also prisoner of Pawiak during World War II. She was undergoing torturesand than convicted for death. Fortunately, Żegota managed to rescue her.

ELŻBIETA FICOWSKA - SURVIVOR

Elżbieta Ficowska is the most famous survivor rescued by Irena Sendler during the WW II. Elżbieta (sometimes called Bieta) Ficowska is one of 2500 children who Irena Sendler took out from the Warsaw Ghetto. She was born in 1942 in the ghetto. The rescue action took place when Elżbieta was a baby. A man who cooperated with ŻEGOTA did the transport of children to the other side of the ghetto wall, put a small, sleeping Elżbieta into a box hidden in bricks in a track. The Jewish (biological), mother of Elżbieta gave a child to Irena and add a small silver spoon with a written name of this baby and the date of her birthday on the bottom side.
That spoon was some kind of ID and the only document about the child. This spoon makes her story unusual and nowadays is a kind of symbol connected with this sad event. That time Elzbieta’s mother said goodbye to her daughter for ever.
The Polish television made a documentary about Elżbieta’s life story, called “A spoon of life”.
Now Elzbieta is a chairperson in the association of “Children of the Holocaust”.
She has never met her biological mother again, but she always says that she has got 3mothers : Jewish one, Irena Sendler who rescued her and the Polish one-Stanisława Bussoldowa- who took care of her outside the ghetto.
Elżbieta Ficowska has been still searching the information about her Jewish parents and her Jewish roots.

Order of the White Eagle for Irena Sendlerowa

'For heroism, unusual courage and particular merits in saving human life’.With these words of the then president of Poland- Aleksander Kwaśniewski in October of 2003 handed the Order of the White Eagle (it is Poland's highest decoration awarded to both civilians and the military for their merits) to Irena Sendlerowa. ‘We are very proud that Madame Irena is among us, the lady who saved over 2,500 lives of Jewish children from the ghetto. Thanks to people like you, we believe that good still can win. We believe that a fragile woman is able to defeat even the strongest tyrants, that it is possible to behave bravely and decently and in consistence with human dignity and at the same time do so much’, the president said.
Irena Sendlerowa said that every saved life of Jewish child was excuse of her existence. Then she added that she dedicated this Order to collaborates and victims of Holocaust.

Awards, Honours

Irena Sendler said that every saved life of a Jewish child was an excuse for her existence. Then she added that she dedicated this Order to her co-workers and the victims of the Holocaust. Irena Sendler has got a lot of awards for her courage and dedication during World War II. She was given her first honour by the Israeli Institute Yad Vashem:the Righteous Among the Nations. It was in 1965. Yad Vashem gave Irena a medal with a sentence from the Talmud: "Who is saving one life, is saving the whole world". In 2003 she got an Order of the White Eagle which is Poland's highest decoration awarded to both civilians and military for their merits. At the end of 2007, thanks to Polish president, Lech Kaczyński, Norman Conrad,American history teacher and the premier of Israel, Ehudem Olmertem, she was a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2008 thanks to the president of Poland she was a nominee one more time. Mrs Sendler got also the Order of Smile,an international award given to adults distinguished for their love, care and aid to children. Irena Sendler was pleasantly suprised because of that. She said that this medal was the most important distinction after a letter from Pope John Paul II and the title of the Righteous Among The Nations.

Our interviev with Irena Sendler- feedback

In July 2007 we had an honour to meet and talk to Irena Sendler.
It was an amazing meeting . Our conversation was short, but we are sure we will remember it all our lives.
We started asking her questions and she was answering and relating what she had done during World War II. We know that her life was really difficult and hard. She saw a lot tragic events and views but nonetheless now she is happy. The warmth of her feelings could be seen on her face.
At the end of our meeting she said something, because of what we started to weep.
She said:"I love you young generation, I love you"

First book about Irena Sendler “Matka dzieci holocaustu. Historia Ireny Sendler”

First book about Irena Sendler “Matka dzieci holocaustu. Historia Ireny Sendler”

In literal translating (“ Mother of theHolocaust Children. The history of Irena Sendler”)

In 2004 the first biographical book about Irena Sendler was published. A polish writer Anna Mieszkowska described a history of Irena Sendler life. This book shows us a reality in Warsaw during the WW2 and brave attitude of people who had been helping a defenceless and suffering people – especially about Irena Sendler.

This book was translated in Hebrew and German.