Irena Sendler

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Swap Coordinator:	user6937 (contact)
Swap categories:	Art
Number of people in swap:	7
Location:	International
Type:	Type 3: Package or craft
Last day to signup/drop:	July 18, 2014
Date items must be sent by:	August 22, 2014
Number of swap partners:	1
Description:
I received yet another email today about a brave and worthy soul, and thought a piece of art from Swap-botters would help bring recognition to Irena Sendler. This is what the email states (I've edited it): During WWII, Irena received permission to work in the Warsaw ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist. Irena had an ulterior motive in her application for this job. Irena smuggled Jewish infants out of the ghetto in the bottom of the tool box she carried. She also carried a burlap sack in the back of her truck for older children. Irena kept a dog in the back of her truck who was trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers wanted nothing to do with the dog and the barking (which covered any kid noises). Doing this, she managed to smuggle out 2500 children. Wow. Ultimately, she was caught; she was beaten severely and both her legs and arms were broken. This brave woman didn't succumb to her injuries and was not dissuaded from her goal. Irena kept the names of all the children she'd smuggled out, in a glass jar she buried under a tree in her back yard. After the war, she tried to locate their parents and reunite the families. Unfortunately, most had not survived, but the kids she helped did get placed into foster family homes, or adopted. In 2007 (one year before her death), Irena was up for the Nobel Peace Prize. Sadly, she was not selected. Al Gore won, for his famous Global Warming warning. I hope you'll consider joining this swap to commemorate this strong woman. It has been a long time since WWII. But, as Remembrance Day, or Memorial Day, or whatever your country calls it, asks us to never forget the people who were caught up in something that should never have happened, lets not - by finding out, understanding, and knowing one brave person from that difficult time. We all know there are some who say the Holocaust "didn't happen". It did. If you would like to add your voice to that belief, make a piece of art to commemorate one person who tried, and succeeded, in helping protect the world, one person at a time. Irena Sendler No bashing of Germany is allowed. This happened during a bad time in the WORLD. Nobody in the western world was doing very well, and we were all desperate for somebody to lead us to a better future. Whatever piece of art you feel most comfortable working with is acceptable. ATC, postcard, notecard, art journal page - as long as it's handmade. Collage, drawing, painting, etc. No inchies, twinchies, etc. That's too small, IMHO. I went ahead and based this swap on the email I was sent, without researching the truth myself. Luckily, @rngstgstll did my job for me, and has provided links in the comments section. The truth is just as spectacular - please read it!

Discussion

hibiscus 07/ 5/2014 #

how sad it was awarded to another less worthy...what a woman...

nyanSan 07/ 5/2014 #

This is an amazing swap :). I will not be able to join it as I'm not there at the time but you are great for opening it!

kerrydwynn 07/ 6/2014 #

What a moving story AND a wonderful swap. As for Al Gore --- puhleeze!!!!!

rngstgstll 07/ 6/2014 #

It sounds like there may be some inaccuracies in the story you heard about Irena Sandler -- this web site indicated that she was a nurse and social worker, not a plumber; also that there were other mistakes in a widely-circulated email about her. Looking forward to reading more -- what a story! http://www.irenasendler.org/

rngstgstll 07/ 6/2014 #

Here's a more direct link to the facts that the Life In a Jar Project collected about Irena Sendler

rngstgstll 07/ 6/2014 #

And here is an easier to read summary of her life and work.

rngstgstll 07/ 6/2014 #

Even better written summary -- and now I promise to be done!!

user6937 07/ 6/2014 #

Thank you, @rngstgstll for these links. I should have researched it myself, instead of just "listening" to an email story. She was a hero and the truth is just as startling and interesting to read.

rngstgstll 07/ 6/2014 #

Absolutely -- I am looking forward to this swap!

Angie 07/15/2014 #

Al Gore is amazing, but I agree, Irena should have gotten the Prize.

rngstgstll 07/16/2014 #

She didn't meet the criteria because she was recognized too late. A lot of really amazing people have been overlooked because the prize has been used to support emerging/ currently active leaders, and "Big Ideas" rather than smaller acts of courage. Plus, the judges are all politicians :) Look at the 2009 NPP if you need another example of this kind of thinking. Hu Jia might have been released earlier had he been recognized, or at least China might have been embarrassed; Sina Samar has done incredible work in Afghanistan and the Big Idea of rights for women would have been supported. But the Big Idea to support world peace at the time was strengthening connections between the US/ Europe/ the "West" and the Middle East and nuclear nonproliferation, and the hope of some Norwegian ploiticians was that Obama would achieve that. As far as I can see, Rigoberta Menchu has been one of the few exceptions as an honored person who actually was grass roots. Let me know if you are aware of any others!

rngstgstll 07/16/2014 #

(I mean that politicians have politicians as heroes; we all have heroes based on who we are -- maybe if the committee were more diverse, say a teacher, a politician, a social worker, a firefighter/ rescue worker, an NGO leader, a medical professional, and engineer, and a parent, then you might have some interesting results :)

artchild 07/16/2014 #

What a great idea to honor this woman. I do not begrudge al Gore his award however and would like to see the focus on honoring this courageous woman int he best way possible at this point. Thanks so much for your attention to her life.

ladydy5 07/17/2014 #

Al Gore another Puleeze #2......But will try my best to honor this woman after I read all those links. How good of you. I just hope future swaps are not going to be political though, too touchy.

rngstgstll 07/17/2014 #

One of the coolest things about the whole story is that the kids who brought her story to light were just a group of American high school students with a very interesting teacher! How cool is that!

BeckyG56 07/19/2014 #

There is a youtube movie you can watch about her. Thank goodness people spoke up to save lives of those in harms way.

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