Irena Sendler, a Polish woman who saved thousands of Jewish children during World War II by smuggling them
out of the Warsaw Ghetto, died in the Polish capital on Monday after a long illness, local media said. Israel's Holocaust remembrance authority, Yad Vashem, said in a statement that it mourned her death.
The web portal of Poland's leading daily, Gazeta Wyborcza, said Sendler, 98, died in Plocka Street hospital early on Monday. The hospital declined to comment on the report.
The web portal of Poland's leading daily, Gazeta Wyborcza, said Sendler, 98, died in Plocka Street hospital early on Monday. The hospital declined to comment on the report.
Yad Vashem chairman Avner Shalev said: "Irena Sendler's courageous activities rescuing Jews during the Holocaust serve as a beacon of light to the world, inspiring hope and restoring faith in the innate goodness of mankind."
Using her position as a social worker, Sendler regularly entered the ghetto, smuggling around 2,500 children out in boxes, suitcases or hidden in trolleys.
Sendler was honoured with Israeli Yad Vashem Righteous Among the Nations medal in 1965 for her actions, and later made an honorary Israeli citizen.
She was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize last year but, despite her bravery, she denied she was a hero.
At a time when many turned in their Jewish neighbors and still had the audacity to call themselves Christians, this woman saved thousand and showed that she was a true Christian. The world was a better place because of her, and is lessened by her death.
4 comments:
I hate to admit that I hadn't heard of Ms. Sendler before, but at least I have now. What a wonderful example of what humanity can be. Devoting herself to saving lives, even if it meant putting hers in jeopardy.
And to think that right this minute throughout the Middle East there are young men -- and young women too -- who are devoting their lives to killing as many people as possible. And these murderers have the gall to call themselves martyrs. They haven't a clue about true humanitarianism or martyrdom.
Whether she allowed herself to be described that way or not, our noble Ms. Sendler was truly a hero.
Heroes are not made, they are born that way. There is something deep inside a hero that makes them do the remarkable.
She's a saint in my book and is dancing with the angels as I write this.
Beautiful find my friend..thanks for sharing !!
Hey Findalis -- I miss that beautiful sky-blue Israeli flag in your header --
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