Woman who saved kids from Holocaust dies (Irena Sendler)

msnbc ^ | 5/12/2008 | Associated Press

[dfwgator]

WARSAW, Poland - Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker who helped save some 2,500 Jewish children from the Nazis by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto and giving them false identities, has died. She was 98.

[Corin Stormhands]

bookmark

[Redleg Duke]

"Another evil Catholic bites the dust./s/"

More than a Catholic, she was a true Christian!

[Logic n' Reason]

Someone who puts their life in danger to save someone else - when they could have easily done nothing and remained safe.

I am not being critical here..but I would change your definition just the slightest bit....I would add that it is someone who performs this kind of act repeatedly all the while knowing exactly what the risks are, but going ahead anyway.

The "mm" pay far too much heed to those who, in a time of incredible stress and danger, perform a selfless act of bravery when they had the option not to. I take nothing from them at all! But the use of the word "hero" really needs to be honored and reserved for those like the lady cited above.

IMO, it is the repetitive nature of the act; not the act itself.

And this lady...at least by my definition...is one hell of a HERO.

[Psycho_Bunny]

" Irena was arrested on October 20, 1943. When arrested she felt almost liberated. She was placed in the notorious Piawiak prison, where she was constantly questioned and tortured. During the questioning she had her legs and feet fractured.

The German who interrogated her was young, very stylish and spoke perfect Polish. He wanted the names of the Zegota leaders, their addresses and the names of others involved. Irena fed him the version that she and her collaborators had prepared in the event they were captured. The German held up a folder with information of places, times and persons who had informed on her. She received a death sentence. She was to be shot. Unbeknown to her, Zegota had bribed the German executioner who helped her escape. On the following day the Germans loudly proclaimed her execution. Posters were put up all over the city with the news that she was shot. Irena read the posters herself."

I've never heard of her before. I seriously doubt I could ever be half the Hero she was.

For all the horror of WWII, will we never know all of the astonishing greatness that happened during it.

[ishabibble]

Here’s the thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1910471/posts

[vetvetdoug]

What a brave woman! I wonder what the children she saved think of Obama? I am willing most of them are in Israel and are appalled that their brethren in the US that are supporting him.

[netmilsmom]

Amen!

[goodnesswins]

God knows who the heroes are....

[Loud Mime]

All Heaven will welcome this hero of life.

[Loud Mime]

Remember, she helped Jews and Arafat won the Nobel. Go figure.

[dfwgator]

Another Polish hero, Witold Pilecki

Sadly, he was not able to live many years after the end of the war, because of the other evil that invaded Poland, the Communists.

[beaversmom]

Thanks for posting. I don’t believe I’ve read about this before. Is that true, she was in the running for the NPP and they gave it to Al Gore instead? Considering all the crappy and worthless people that have received that prize, it would have probably been a dishonor had she received it.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel, WOT

..................

[353FMG]

“She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but they gave it to Al Gore. I hope she didn’t know about it.”

She didn’t need a Nobel prize to prove her worth to this world, but Algore does.

[Recovering_Democrat]

R.I.P., and God bless this woman.

[TDA2]

Knowing that maybe she would just as soon not have won it. Pretty sorry group lately has been recognized for this “honor”. You know what they say about being “known by the company you keep”.

[lizol]

And here you have another story, this time a very sad one.

Ulm - Polish family, the Righteous Among the Nations

Markowa - big villaege near Lancut, presently southern Poland. Befere the Second World War happy and loving Ulm familiy lives in this picteresque place, almost paradise - hilly landscape, idyllic countryside.

Jozef was born in 1900, his beautiful wife - Wiktoria - in 1912, they have six children. Jozef is passionate about photography, gardening, breeding bees; he is also catholic social activist, obatins many rewards for his inventions in the field of agriculture.

In 1931 Markowa has 4.442 inhabitants, among them 120 Jews.

The Second World War begins. Paradise and idyll are gone. German occupational government starts “Endlossung” (”Final Solution”), in other words - the extermination of Jews. Jozef and Wiktoria Ulm give shelter to two Jewish families. Shall family from Lancut, 5 men who manged to escape from their native town and reach Ulm’s house in Markowa. And Ulm’s neighbours - Golda and Layka Goldman with her little daughter.

21th March 1944, war is coming to the end; quiet day, evening, four carts with officials of German Gandarmerie approach the Ulm’s house. They burst into it, in the attic the kill the three Jews, the Ulm family and other Jews take outside. First they shoot two Jewish sisters and daughter one of them, after a while kill Jozef and Wiktoria, their children start crying and screaming, the policemen think what to do with small children. The German officer - Eilert Dieken - resolves to shoot them too. Stasia, Basia, Wladziu, Franus, Antos, Marysia share their parents’ fate. Later on it turns out that Wiktoria Ulm was pregnant, unborn child was also killed together with her.

Beyond a reasonable doubt someone must have denounced them to German Gandarmerie.

During one eveining and night German policemen killed 17 persons.

Poland was the only country in Europe during the Second World War where giving the shelter or any help to Jews was punished wiht death penalty. In spite of such severe punishment many Poles dared to help Jews who were sentenced to death by the German Nazis. The medals the Righteous Among the Nations awarded by Yad Vashem obtained 19 706 persons, among them 5 733 were Poles.
http://wenhrin.livejournal.com/2537.html

Pictures of the Ulma family


Jozef and Viktoria


Viktoria with a kid

[Borges]

Sendler’s List?

[The Woim]

A real hero dies unrewarded by the Nobel Prize while a proven huckster basks in glory...

Yours Truly,
The Woim

[Tabi Katz]

Irena was a true hero. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but they gave it to Al Gore. I hope she didn’t know about it.

Amen to that! Not to mention the countless people she saved, along with their progeny.