I don’t mean to sound negative, and certainly am not trying to undermine or belittle the accomplishments of Oskar Schindler. His efforts and achievements in saving as many Jews that he did is much more than commendable and courageous, and his actions should be embraced and considered heroic. He is deserving of every accolade received. But, there is something that bothers me, and it somewhat correlates to his humanistic actions. What is it, some of you might ask?

I dislike, that during my researching Irena Sendler, I have come across newspaper articles, blog posts, etc., that compare Irena Sendler’s actions during the Holocaust/Shoah to Oskar Schindler’s by stating that she is a “female Oskar Schindler”. Yes, she was a female, but the comparison ends there, in my opinion. Irena Sendler should be recognized in her own right, as the selfless, courageous, determined woman she was, and for the heroine that she was.

If truth be told, she saved more Jews than Oskar Schindler during the Holocaust/Shoah (I am not trying to minimize, demean or undermine his incredible efforts, or lessen them in any manner), but her story is her own, no less, no more. Irena Sendler should be applauded and commended, and given the tributes, praise and honors she deserves, as one humanitarian individual, in the sea of all of those incredible non-Jewish individuals who risked their lives to save Jews. Her illuminations were endeavors of her own ethics and mindset, her feelings and thoughts on how each person is a part of the whole. Irena Sendler’s acts of selflessness and human kindness stand alone, and should not be compared to another individual.

Each person who acted to save Jews during the Holocaust/Shoah should be praised for their individual efforts, and not equaled or paralleled to another (whether they saved one individual or thousands). That is my opinion.
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Speaking of Irena Sendler, I did watch the made for TV film, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler, last night. I thought that Anna Paquin did an excellent job of portraying the young Irena Sendler. Her story is one, in my opinion, that needed to be told on film.

There were only a few parts of the film that seemed a bit overdone or sweetened, but overall, I thought the film’s message was strong, and Irena Sendler’s actions and endeavors were shown as best as they could be for a TV film. That one woman was extremely taken to risk her own life in order to save the lives of so many, is a testament to her strength and courage under the adversity of the Holocaust/Shoah. She was a woman of immense inner power. The history behind her actions is inspiring and illuminating.

For me, the ultimate moment was when the film ended, and the actual Irena Sendler (now deceased) spoke for a few minutes. It was inspirational to see the visuals of her, and the poignancy and urgency in her words will stay with me, evermore.

Some of you may not realize that in 2007, Irena Sendler was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but the committee awarded the honor to two recipients to share: to Al Gore, and to The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It would have been courageous, indeed, of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee to have chosen her to be the recipient. People often say that to be nominated is an honor in itself, and this might be true to a certain degree. For me, though, what better individual, out of those nominated, would have best fit the criteria of the award? My answer would most definitely be Irena Sendler. Irena Sendler died May 12, 2008, at the age of 98. Let us not forget her in the time continuum.

If The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler eventually comes on DVD, I will definitely buy it to add to my collection of Jewish-related DVDs.
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I am in the middle of reading three books. I should have one finished by tomorrow and will review it shortly thereafter.

I’ve been busy with writing my family history. I had so many new pieces of information to add to it. And, this time, I have backed it up to DVD, and will not lose any information that I had written in the future. I have also saved it on an extra DVD, and put that one in my safe deposit box, along with documentation.
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There are so many individuals for me to begin remembering tonight, the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day/Yom Hashoah. From family members who perished, to those whose memoirs I have read, and individuals in the films I have seen, etc., I remember them daily. Tonight there will be added remembrance through lighting a Yahrzeit candle, reciting prayers, contemplating, etc.
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Let us never forget.
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© Copyright 2007 – All Rights Reserved – No permission is given or allowed to reuse my photography, book reviews, writings, or my poetry in any form/format without my express written consent/permission.

Monday April 20, 2009 – 26th Nisan, 5769

Irena Sendler is little known to many individuals. Her story is not only remarkable, but also an inspirational story of courage, ethics, and the determination to do the correct thing during the Holocaust. During a time of extreme adversity, she risked her own life in order to save Jewish children.

“Irena Sendler created and led a conspiracy of women who moved in and out of Warsaw’s Jewish Ghetto disguised as nurses employed by Warsaw’s Health Department. Though they worked under the guise of merely attempting to prevent and contain the spread of Typhus and Spotted Fever, Sendler and her brave cohorts emerged each time with the children of consenting Jewish parents. The children were sometimes sedated and hidden inside boxes, suitcases and coffins as a means of rescuing them from their imminent deportation to death camps. They were given new identities and placed with Polish families and in convents. Sendler kept a hidden record of their birth names and where they were placed with the hope that they would some day be reunited with their own families.” This blurb was taken off the CBS website.

Not a Jew herself, but a Polish Catholic social worker, she was a woman of great strength, and her unstoppable actions saved approximately 2,500 Jewish children. She kept their names hidden in jars, which she either buried or gave over to a trusted individual before being deported to Auschwitz. She was eventually saved from death. The jars were dug up after the war, and she was able to contact many of the children she had saved, reuniting some with their relatives. The previous sentences are just a minor blurb regarding all of her accomplishments. Her selflessness and acts of human kindness don’t go unnoticed in my memory.

CBS will be broadcasting “The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler, tonight (Sunday April 19th). I will be one of the viewers. I wouldn’t miss an opportunity to see this film about Irena Sendler, and the history behind her amazing acts of courage. The TV film is based on the book “Mother of the Children of the Holocaust: The Irena Sendler Story”. She is not only an inspiration, but a true heroine. She is one of the Righteous Among the Nations, at Yad Vashem. Irena Sendler died May 8, 2008. Her name should not be forgotten, but should be remembered through the decades to come.

To learn more about Irena Sendler, visit the Auschwitz website.

Visit the Irena Sendler Project, Life in a Jar.

Visit this link at Yad Vashem to learn more about Irena Sendler.

Visit CBS to learn more about the film, “The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler“.

Visit the Museum of the History of Polish Jews for more information.

Visit Wikipedia and read their information.

“Life in a Jar, the Irena Sendler Story“

Visit the Association of the Children of the Holocaust in Poland, for more biographical information.

I will remember her on Holocaust Remembrance Day/Yom Hashoah, beginning Monday eve.
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© Copyright 2007 – All Rights Reserved – No permission is given or allowed to reuse my photography, book reviews, writings, or my poetry in any form/format without my express written consent/permission.

Sunday April 19, 2009 – 25th of Nisan, 5769

To Die in Jerusalem, is a compelling documentary that I just finished watching on cable TV.

Two daughters died in Jerusalem, one was 17-years old, one was 18-years old. One was a Palestinian, one was an Israeli. One was a student, one was a suicide bomber. What they had in common were the mothers they left behind…grieving mothers…mothers of daughters who died in Jerusalem.

The film is a metaphor for one mother’s attempt at closure and attempt to meet the mother of the daughter who killed her daughter. They finally meet four years later. But more importantly, To Die in Jerusalem is also a metaphor for political ideals, and it illuminates the conflicts, the emotions, the physical repercussions and the loss encountered by each mother, each one from opposite sides of an ongoing situation.

Director, Hilla Medalia, brings us a film that is filled with the personal tragedy of conflict in a land divided, and a story filled with the devastating effects of suicide bombings, and the affect it has on those remaining.  The story is heart-wrenching to watch.  Yet, I couldn’t leave the sofa, and had to watch the film through to the end without getting up, it is that compelling, that emotionally-involving, that impactful.

Is there a happy ending, or was there resolution of any sort?. You decide.

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Jew Wishes…Peace to All.

Barenaked Ladies lead singer and guitarist Steven Page will be appearing on Who Do You Think You Are?, a CBS program that delves into genealogy and ancestral roots/heritage. He is one of a few Canadians participating on the show. He decided to pursue the roots of his maternal side (his mother’s side is Jewish, while his father was a Jewish convert).

The show has sparked his genealogical curiosity, and it might spark yours, also.

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Jew Wishes…Peace to You All.