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Life in a jar
When Norman Conard's history class at Uniontown, Kan., began an extra-curricular project in 1999, they discovered an incredible story that has led to worldwide exposure. Jessica Ripper and Megan Felt told that story at the Vernon County Historical meeting Oct. 11, at the Bushwhacker Museum, titled, "Life in a Jar".
The teacher had a small clipping that said Irena Sendler had rescued 2,500 children from a ghetto in Warsaw, Poland during World War II. They could find nothing much on her by searching her name on the Internet, but wondered why a story like that was not well known. They dug up information every place they could find it. Irena became the administrator of the welfare program in Warsaw. When the Nazis drove a half-million Jews into the ghetto and cut off food and basic health care, she was responsible for controlling tuberculosis. She could go where she wanted. She used this time to rescue people. She was able to help some older people, but concentrated on the children. She convinced parents that their children would die if they stayed in the ghetto. She told the parents that she was not sure she could get the children out, but would give her life trying. She told them she would try and return them after the war.
Sendler rescued children by carrying them out in burlap sacks over her shoulders, even though she was less than 5 feet tall. She got a dog and trained it to bark when she stepped on its paw. When she was questioned by the Gestapo about what she had, she stepped on the dog's paw so it barked and covered any noise the child might make, and told that the child had died and she was disposing of the remains.
Each child that she rescued, she placed its name and identity on a slip of cigarette paper and buried it in a jar under an apple tree across the street from the German barracks. She carried some children out in tool boxes. When the Nazi stopped her coming in as a social worker, she used her nurse's training and came in as a nurse.
Some she sedated and placed the children in coffins then placed the coffin beside her in an ambulance and smuggled them out.
Finally, someone told on her and she was captured and brutally tortured. The Gestapo beat her with a wooden club and broke her feet and legs then threw her in prison. A guard helped her escape and she hid until the war was over. Immediately, she went back and dug up the jars containing the papers and tried to reconnect the children with their families.
Sadly, most of the parents had been killed in Treblinka Death Camp. Some were so young when they were rescued that they bonded with their new families and moved never to be located. When Irena was in a nursing home when she was 94, she was cared for by a woman who she had smuggled out in a tool box. Even now, some are being located as the story unfolds.
Sendler was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, but the prize was won by Al Gore. Sendler died May 12, 2008; just seven days after Jessica and Megan were able to visit her.
There were 36 students involved in the project at Uniontown School. They developed a pageant to tell Sendler's story. The story was picked up by Hallmark of Fame and they did a great production of it. Four of the girls appeared on the Today Show.
When the four girls that played the major parts in the pageant found out that Irena was still alive, they wrote her a letter telling of their project. They waited anxiously and when a letter finally came, it was written in Polish! They had to get an interpreter from the University of Kansas.
The letter began; "To My Dear Beloved Girls Close to my Heart." They made a trip to Poland in 2007 and met her. When asked how she had the courage to do what she did, Sendler said, "I didn't do anything special. Father taught us that if you saw someone drowning, you have to try and help them. I saw the Jewish religion was drowning."
Sendler taught them you cannot judge people supported on race or creed. Norman Conrad and some of his history students made five trips to Poland.
The two young women that gave the presentation at the Historical meeting are the last of the original cast. They are dedicating their life to preserving Irena's story. They have understudies who are stepping in to help. The young women have both married since they graduated from Uniontown in 2003, but they say they will continue to share Sendler's story. "It is our passion."
They give six to eight large presentations each year including one in Canada and Poland and 8 to 15 other presentations. They receive no money and take time off from their jobs and families. All money they receive goes to help those still suffering from the effects of the holocaust in Poland.
Felt is the director of the Lowell Milken Center in Fort Scott, Kan., which sponsors projects such as this.
They have started a prestigious teacher's award each year for a teacher that helps spread the story of the holocaust and teaches tolerance by sharing the story. They welcome nominations.
The center is located at 4 South Main and the telephone number is (620) 443-9991.
For more information on the Irena Sendler project and other projects, log on to: www.irenasendler.org or e-mail nconard@terraworld.net