Irena Sendler and the Children of Warsaw Ghetto

Irena Sendler and The Children of the Warsaw Ghetto
By Susan Goldman Rubin
Published at Holiday House

About the Book

Irena Sendler was a diminutive Polish social worker who helped spirit more than four hundred children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II.

Using toolboxes, ambulances, and other ingenious measures, Irena Sendler defied the Nazis and risked her own life by saving and then hiding Jewish children. Her secret list of the children's real identities was kept safe, buried in two jars under a tree in war-torn Warsaw. An inspiring story of courage and compassion, this biography includes a list of resources, source notes, and an index.

My Thoughts

I didn’t know the story or Irena Sendler and how she was able to save numerous Jewish children during the 2nd World War.   Discovering this book was very informative for me.    The story is accompanied by breathtaking painting illustrating the events of the life of an extraordinary woman.

This young lady has taken amazing risks to save the life of many young Jews during a time when her city was occupied by Nazis.   She would stop at nothing to find ways to take the children out of the Ghetto and put them in protective custody – even a baby.   The children would move frequently to protect them.   She would keep a list of the children and even was able to hide it from the Nazis when she got arrested.   Eventually, she hid the list under a tree in front of a Nazis building.    Jews were even hid inside the animal cages of the Warsaw Zoo.  

More than four hundred children were brought to safety thanks to the efforts of Irena Sendler.  Even after the war, the story remained a secret because of the presence of the Soviets in Poland.    The Communists regarded Irena as a traitor.    The story finally came to light in 1989 when the regime was disintegrated.   Since then her work during the 2nd World War has been recognized.

Holiday House also has a teaching guide that goes with the book.  You can access it at http://holidayhouse.com/docs/IrenSendGuide.pdf.

The story of Irena Sendler is worth reading for everyone.  It is a good reminder that when injustice happens, it is important to stand up against it and do everything you can to help the ones who are mistreated, even if it means you are putting  your own life at risk.

Irena Sendler and The Children of the Warsaw Ghetto is available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.