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Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) recently introduced H. Con. Res. 361, a resolution to honor the life and heroism of Irena Sendler who passed away on May 12, 2008 at the age of 98. Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker, repeatedly risked her own life to save 2,500 Jewish children during the Holocaust. The bipartisan resolution was introduced with 34 original cosponsors.
“I introduced this resolution with the hope that Irena Sendler’s legacy would help inspire people to fight for human rights and social justice,” said U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). “Irena’s heroic story reminds us that the actions of one person can make a huge difference in this world. As the Talmud teaches, ‘whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.’ There is no higher act of selflessness than to protect people that can not defend themselves. This resolution will not only commemorate Irena’s amazing life, but it will also remind the rest of us to stand up against oppression and to fight for those without a voice.”
Irena Sendler began her rescue efforts in 1940 when she disguised herself as a nurse to deliver food, clothes and medicine to Jews in the Warsaw ghetto. In 1942, Sendler joined the Polish underground organization Zegota, which provided safe passage for Jews who were facing disease, execution, or deportation to concentration camps. Sendler became one of Zegota’s most successful workers and took charge of the children’s division. Sendler logged the original names of every child she saved and buried a jar with the names in a friend’s garden. In 1943, Sendler was arrested by the Gestapo and sentenced to death by a firing squad. Despite being tortured, Sendler never revealed the details of her rescue efforts or the names of the children she rescued. Sendler eventually escaped from prison and continued her invaluable work with Zegota. After the war, Sendler unearthed the jar to retrieve the names to reunite the 2,500 children with their families.
In 1965, Yad Vashem recognized Irena Sendler as “Righteous Among the Nations,” an honor given to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during Nazi rule. However, it would take another 38 years before her own country recognized her heroic efforts. In 2003, Sendler finally received the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest civilian decoration. Sendler also received a personal letter from Pope John Paul II applauding her for her rescue efforts. Sender’s life was chronicled in a documentary film and a play entitled “Life in a Jar.” In 2006, Sendler was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
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