7 Great Women in Modern History Part 1: Irena Sendler

Common Traits of Great Women in Modern History:

March is Women’s History Month:

This is Part 1 of seven on Great women in modern history. This blog article takes on a global perspective. All great women in modern history are mission-driven, courageous, and humanitarian. They have definite purpose that is very expansive. Their Why in life is larger than about their concern for themselves and their immediate family. They have made a great impact in the world.

First part of 7 celebrates and honors a Polish woman, Irena Sendler. She saved lives of 2500 Jewish children from the German occupied Poland during WW II.

In America there are about 9 million people who are of Jewish religion or people who are descendant of Jewish ethnicity. They have had very important role in American history.

Often not well known:

Courageous women in history are often not well known. They are not celebrated and honored as men are.

Acts of courage and humanitarian missions do not discriminate against gender. Whether it is a man or woman, it is uplifting to hear about a courageous story by a person. Yet, when a woman hears another woman’s story of overcoming enormous difficulties and accomplishing daring tasks, and risking her life, it is very inspiring.

The Universe’s energy synchronizes with you as a woman. Vibrates throughout your body cells. Stories of powerful women make a big impact on other women.

a Network of Active Resisters:

Irena Sandler was born on February 15, 1910.
Poland was the only nation in Europe that as a whole united to resist the Nazis and attempted to save the Jews. It would have been nearly impossible for Irena Sendler to save 2500 Jewish children if the collaboration of the Polish activists were not there.

She was the head of Zegota, an underground organization of Polish resistance during the WW II. The Polish Council to Aid Jews was made up of Polish Catholic activists. The systematic killing of Jews began those Jews in the ghetto.

Germany under Hitler invaded Poland in 1939. Seeing murder, violence and terror among the Jews accelerated by the brutal forces of the Nazis, Irena became active in Zegota. By 1942, the Nazis confined hundreds of thousands of Jews in a 16 block area, became known as the Warsaw Ghetto.

Her Ability to Work with Others:

She was a Senior Administrator of the Warsaw Social Welfare Department. Using this position and title, she obtained an official pass to enter the Warsaw Ghetto and brought food, medicine and clothing but thousands were dying daily. Sandler decided to save the children.

She recruited other women from all Centers of the Social Welfare Dept. They helped to forge birth certificates for the children. Priests and high officials forged their signature on the paper.

She was able to win over the active help from the church. She knew she could trust and count on the Sisters and sent most of the Jewish children to religious establishments.
The rescue and smuggling of the children was very ingenious, outwitting the Gestapo.

Gunnysacks, body bags, potato sacks and coffins were used to carry out the children. Many children entered from the Ghetto side of the entrance to the church and existed into the Aryan, Nazi side of Warsaw as Catholic children. A baby was rescued and carried in a carpenter’s tool box. A baby was placed with a polish family by Irena Sendler. She logged the baby’s name and parents’ names and addresses.

The children also escaped through the sewage of Warsaw to the country side. Zegota with the help of the Polish Resistance managed to place the Jewish children to 200 convents and orphanages in Warsaw and went beyond the city into the countryside.

Courage to Appeal to the Parents:

By 1942 the Nazis were sending thousands of Jews to die at the Treblinka death camp. Naturally some parents held on to their kids. Irena Sendler began to appeal to the Jewish parents to let them escape. There was no assurance that the kids would be brought to safety. But staying at the Ghetto meant death.

The Jewish parents didn’t want their children to be exposed to Catholicism. She argued with them. Some did not make up their mind soon enough. When Irena returned to speak to them again, they had been sent to the death camp.

Of all the resistance activities, hiding a Jew was the most dangerous one. It was like hiding a time bomb. If you were found out, the Gestapo would have killed you, your family and of course the Jew you were hiding. Sometimes the parents refused to give up their child to Sendler. There were many narrow escapes running on the street with a child under her arms.

Organized Planning:

The Jewish children were given Catholic names. They had to rehearse their new names. The Gestapo was always on the lookout and interrogated to see if the child was Jewish or not. The children were also taught Catholic prayers and they had to recite and practice them. Some of the children had conflicts.

I have heard many stories of religious persecutions. In most case many adult of persecuted faith would rather die than to dishonor their God or certain practices. And they were killed. But Sendler’s mission was to keep the children alive. Save their lives.

She was also determined to reunite the families after the war. Sandler kept meticulous records of the parents and the children’ names. Coded in certain ways. She kept them in two jars and buried them under an apple tree in her friend’s yard.

Strong Commitments and Burning Desire:

Eventually the Gestapo captured her. Irena was tortured. She never broke. She never never gave
her co-workers’ names. She did not reveal the information about the Resistance. No matter how she was tortured she did not break down. The children’s names and the locations were kept safe in the jars under the tree.

Her co-workers managed to arrange her escape. She was able to escape while being led to her execution.

After the war, she dug up the jar and attempted to reunite the families. Most of the parents either sent to the death camp and killed or died at the ghetto. The only 1 % of the Jewish population in the Warsaw Ghetto survived.

The Universe Rewarded Her:

For decades the Communists Government of Poland suppressed Irena’s story. But American audiences found out via interviews, film footage and recreation photos. When her photos appeared in the media, these children she helped to save, grown-up adults began to contact her. They only knew her code name. But they recognized her face.

Those Jewish children, who knew her, came to visit her and related to her as their surrogate mother.

The high school students made a play about Irena and won Kansas State history competition.
A business man raised money so that the students could visit Irena in Poland.
These students made five trips to Poland and performed their play in schools.
They were committed to spread her story and her humanitarian work.

In a letter to these American high school students she wrote:
“My parents taught me that if a man is drowning, it is irrelevant what his religion or nationality. One must help.” Her father was a physician and helped many impoverished Jews suffering forma typhus epidemic.

Now the world began to recognize her courageous humanitarian mission. Irena received many high honor awards and recognitions.
She was nominated for a Nobel Prize. But she did not win.

In her interview, she said that her only regret was she could not save more children’s lives. She cared for 2,500 of the 9,000 Jewish children smuggled out of the Warsaw Ghetto.

Several Common Characteristics of Successful Women in History that Irena definitely Shared:

Great examples of humanitarian parents to follow: If a successful person didn’t have this in her early age, she usually found a surrogate parent or a mentor to follow.
Clarity of her purpose and mission: She was set to help those who needed to be helped. In her time and location, that meant saving the Jews from the Nazis and focused on saving the children from their almost inescapable death.

Network and collaboration of like minded people: She worked with the Polish Resistance Activists.
Reached out to the Religious leaders and the Sisters. She also worked with women from the Social Services. Polish Catholic churches, Polish orphanages and Polish families.

Organized Planning: She and her collaborators have planned all the steps carefully. Forging papers, Training them. Nurturing them. Finding willing polish families to adapt them.

Consistent Daily Action: While the Gestapo herded thousands of the Jews to the death camp,
Irena could only work with a few children at a time to rescue them to their safety.

What is for 2015:

We live now in a New Era of Internet, digital communication. If someone believes in something and communicates and network with other like-minded people, this has become much easier.

I am left to wonder what resources Irena had during German occupation. Without financial resources, it is very difficult carry out your mission.

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If you are looking to be more successful and achieve your financial goal and be able to make a difference in the world in your own chosen way, continue to watch the Free Presentation.