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5519 State Park Road in Fairway, KS
Life in a Jar will present at the Old Mission United Methodist Church in Kansas City on Sunday morning,...
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Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C.
Irena Sendler is the topic of this presentation at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C. The event...
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Purdue University Calumet-Hammond, Indiana
Life in a Jar will present at Purdue University Calumet in Indiana. This presentation is part of...
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Purdue University Calumet-Hammond, Indiana
Life in a Jar will present at Purdue University Calumet in Indiana. This presentation is part of...
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Purdue University Calumet-Hammond, Indiana
Life in a Jar will present at Purdue University Calumet in Indiana. This presentation is part of...
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Seton Hall University-Walsh Library
Location: Seton Hall University, Walsh Library
Norman Conard will speak to current and past teachers...
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1200 Railroad Street in Bloomsburg, PA
Life in a Jar will present at the Bloomsburg High School Auditorium in Bloomsburg, PA. This evening...
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Bloomsburg, PA
Life in a Jar will present at the Bloomsburg High School Auditorium in Bloomsburg, PA. An all school...
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Irena Sendler, born in 1910, was raised by her Catholic parents to respect and love people regardless of their ethnicity or social status. Her father, a physician, died from typhus that he contracted during an epidemic in 1917. He was the only doctor in his town near Warsaw who would treat the poor, mostly Jewish victims of this tragic disease. As he was dying, he told 7-year-old Irena, “If you see someone drowning you must try to rescue them, even if you cannot swim.”
In 1939 the Nazis swept through Poland and imprisoned the Jews in ghettos where they were first starved to death and then systematically murdered in killing camps. Irena, by than a social worker in Warsaw, saw the Jewish people drowning and resolved to do what she could to rescue as many as possible, especially the children. Working with a network of other social workers and brave Poles, mostly women, she smuggled 2,500 children out of the Warsaw ghetto and hid them safely until the end of the war.
Sendler took great risks – obtaining forged papers for the children, disguising herself as an infection control nurse, diverting German occupation funds for the support of children in hiding. She entered the Warsaw ghetto, sometimes two and three times a day, and talked Jewish parents into giving up their children. Sendler drugged the babies with sedatives and smuggled them past Nazi guards in gunny sacks, boxes and coffins. She helped the older ones escape through the sewers, through secret openings in the wall, through the courthouse, through churches, any clever way she and her network could evade the Nazis.
Once outside the ghetto walls, Sendler gave the children false names and documents and placed them in convents, orphanages and with Polish families. In 1942 the Polish underground organization ZEGOTA recruited her to lead their Children’s Division, providing her with money and support. Her hope was that after the war she could reunite the children with surviving relatives, or at least return their Jewish identities. To that end she kept thin tissue paper lists of each child’s Jewish name, their Polish name and address. She hid the precious lists in glass jars buried under an apple tree in the back yard of one of her co-conspirators.
In 1943 Irena Sendler was arrested, tortured and sentenced to death by firing squad. She never divulged the location of the lists or her Polish underground contacts. At the last moment she was saved by ZEGOTA which bribed a guard to secure her freedom. She still bears the scars and disability of her torture.
After the war, the Communist government suppressed any recognition of the courageous anti-fascist partisans, most of whom were also anti-Communists. Irena’s story and those of other courageous Poles, were buried and forgotten. Her courage and resourcefulness were recognized by Israel in 1965 when she was awarded the Yad Vashem medal given to Righteous Gentiles who risked their own lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. In 1983 a tree was planted in her honor in Israel. But in general, the world was silent about Irena Sendler.
Silence until 1999, when three Kansas teens uncovered Irena’s story. Liz Cambers, Megan Stewart, and Sabrina Coons (a fourth, Jessica Shelton, joined later), students at rural Uniontown High School were looking for a National History Day project. Their teacher, Norm Conard gave them a short paragraph about Irena Sendler from a 1994 U.S. News and World Report story entitled “The Other Schindlers” and they decided to research her life. According to the article, Irena Sendler smuggled 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw ghetto just prior to its liquidation in 1943. (An internet search turned up only one web site that mentioned Irena Sendler. Now there are over 300,000.) With the help and inspiration of their teacher, they began to reconstruct the remarkable achievements of this forgotten hero of the Holocaust.
The three Kansas girls assumed Irena Sendler must be dead and searched for her burial site. To their surprise and delight, they discovered that she was still alive, 90-years-old, living with relatives in a small apartment in Warsaw. They created a play about her rescue efforts called Life in a Jar, which has since been performed more than 200 times in the U.S., Canada and Poland. In May 2001 they visited Irena in Warsaw and began a friendship that has inspired other Polish Righteous Gentiles to break their silence. The visit also made Irena's story known to the world, through the international press. They have visited Irena and Warsaw on four different occasions. Irena is now a Polish national hero and Poland is coming to terms with the painful legacy of the war and the Holocaust.
Irena last visited with the Life in a Jar students on May 3, 2008. She passed away on May 12, 2008, at the age of 98.
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I am from Bronson, KS. During my freshman year in high school, I asked to be in a National History Day project. We found the story of an amazing woman; our research began there. We thought the project would end after the national competition but, to our surprise, the project had taken a life of its own. The first time I met Irena I was amazed by her wisdom and grace. Her courage and love can tear down any barrier. She has challenged us to continue her story and inspire others. This is a tremendous task we will all try to achieve for the rest of our lives.
Notes: In high school Megan was named a National Coca-Cola Scholar for her community service. She was also selected to the 2nd team USAToday All-American Academic Team for 2003. Megan is a graduate of Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. She was recently nominated for the BRICK award, as one of the ten outstanding young adults in 'changing the world' from the United States.
**Megan continues to work in the project and perform in 'Life in a Jar.' She travels to each presentation, works on our Life in a Jar film, does individual presentations and stays heavily involved in the project. She has participated in over 200 Life in a Jar presentations. Megan has been married to Kenny Felt for over two years. Wedding photos are in the 'photo gallery.' Megan was very close to Irena Sendler, through visits and mail. Megan has played the role of Irena for many years. Irena passed away on May 12th, Megan's birthday.
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Elizabeth (Cambers) Hutton, age 23, has graduated with a history degree from the College of the Ozarks in Branson, MO. She is one of the original founders of the Irena Sendler project. Living 3.5 hours away from her hometown has not stopped her from continuing her involvement with the project. She is very adamant about telling Irena Sendler's story of hope and courage. She hopes to change children's lives by one day working with inner city high school students and teaching them that one person can change the world! Elizabeth took her third trip to Poland in May of 2005. Elizabeth is dedicated to changing the world and making a difference in her community. She has spent a great deal of time working on the project. In high school she received a number of awards, including the Presidential Service award. Liz was recently married. Wedding photographs can be seen in the 'photo gallery.'
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I am from Fort Scott, KS and am proud to say I attended Uniontown High School. I was born on September 11th, 1984. I feel honored to have worked on many diversity projects that have changed lives across the country, especially the Irena Sendler Project. I now have a large responsibility as road manager of the Irena Sendler Project and play the role of Irena's best friend in the play. Irena Sendler has become a major part of my life and the way that I live it. From meeting her several summers ago, I have gained the knowledge I need to cherish and share with others about how one person can change the world. When I began helping with the performance and presentations of "Life in a Jar," I realized Irena is a heroine for the entire world to believe in. She has changed me and the way I view others, given me hope in a world of sorrow, and given me inspiration to make a difference. Seeing Irena a few years ago and all the love she has for others is a life altering experience. *****(Jessica received 5th place in America at the National History Day Championships with her civil rights exhibit on an African American pioneer. She is a graduate of Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas with a degree in Psychology.
She has become the 4th founder of the project, does individual speaking and has participated in over 150 Life in a Jar presentations.) Jessica married Dallas Ripper on June 17, 2006. A wedding photo is in the photo gallery.
In August of 2007, they celebrated the birth of a baby girl, Lillian Marie.
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I am from a military family and moved almost every 2-3 years of my life, until I was a junior in high school. Right before my junior year of high school my family moved to Southeast Kansas. I attended a small high school in Uniontown, KS. Growing up I was always extremely shy and quiet because I was always the new kid, it seemed to all change after I became part of this project. I remember Mr. Conard asking me after class one day if I would be interested in working on a project for National History Day. At the time we had no idea what we were going to do for a project or how it would take on a life of its own. I have had the opportunity to visit Irena in Poland twice. As of now I play the role of Marie along with Elizabeth and Jessica.
Sabrina has graduated from Kansas State University and has finished her first year as a teacher. She has taught kindergarten this past year in Kansas. (Sabrina is a founding member of Life in a Jar) Sabrina married Jeff Murphy in June, 2006. Photos can be seen in the 'photo gallery.' Sabrina is expecting her second child in August of 2009.
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Travis is a graduate of Uniontown High School. He is the brother of student founder, Megan (Stewart) Felt. Travis plays the role of the German soldier in 'Life in a Jar' and Mr. Wos who hides children. Travis loves the Irena Sendler story and spends much time working on the project. He is also in charge of organizing the travel cases and setting up the lighting. Besides working on the project each week, Travis maintained honor roll grades and played on the football and golf team while in high school. Travis visited Irena in Poland during summer of 2005. Travis is now attending Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. He is majoring in Plastic Engineering and is also a member of PSU's Honors College.
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Jaime portrays three characters, including the blackmailer, Mrs. Rosner, and Sister Matylda Getter. She says the following, "Until a few years ago, I spent the entirety of my life in Ottawa, Kansas. I attended Sacred Heart Catholic School in my younger years and went on to graduate valedictorian from Ottawa High School. As college approached, I became frighteningly aware that I didn’t want to leave the sanctuary of my parents’ home. Though, with their support I was able to choose Pittsburg State University and attended my first semester in the Fall of 2004 as a Business Finance Major. It was an absolute blessing to have met Megan (Stewart) Felt in class one day, and I will never forget when she asked me to become a part of this project. Although I didn’t feel worthy to take on such a cause, my faith has always led me to achieve more than I think possible. My heart won me over quickly, and I joined in November of 2005. My words cannot begin to justify the emotions exuded with each performance as they are genuine and from the heart. Irena Sendler is a woman whose morale and courage I aspire to. As she has become my hero, I hope that she too will also become yours." Jaime graduated in May 2007, earning the distinction of cum laude, with a degree in business finance from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. She visited Irena in Poland in April/May of 2008, saying, "Her (Irena's) presence alone and grace especially astound me. My tears are not salty, but sweet. I cry tears of happiness, for in this life’s moment, I have lived a momentous life. It’s our message, our legacies that continue when we do not. Irena has the greatest and strongest of all. I still may not feel worthy to represent her life as I do, but I promised her I would honor her with a life of tolerance and kindness."
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Both Renata and Elzbieta were 'Hidden Children.' Renata survived in the streets of Warsaw until rescued and Bieta was taken out of the Warsaw Ghetto in a carpenter’s box at five months of age by Irena and the Underground Zegota. Bieta had a silver spoon put in the carpenter’s box by her parents, with her first name and birthdate. Bieta is active in care for Irena and both have visited Kansas and participated in ‘Life in a Jar’ presentations. Renata lives in Montreal and Bieta in Warsaw.
Bieta is the President of the Children's Survivor group in Poland and recently presented Holocaust studies to over 200 high schools in Poland. Bieta works to bring tolerance studies to schools throughout the country. She recently helped Irena plan the schedule for the Life in a Jar trip to Poland. Renata has worked with the Life in a Jar presentations and provides a powerful voice for 'repairing the world.'
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Howard and Ro Jacobson are bright lights in the 'Life in a Jar' story. They have been major friends and supporters of the project since the beginning. They are loved by the students and adults at Uniontown. Howard and Ro have both established foundations which give scholarships to worthy students. They have contributed greatly to members of the 'Life in a Jar' project.
Howard wrote this about the students,
"As I wrote you a year ago today (March 26th 2002) I feel you are all heroes because of the time and energy you have committed and continue to commit to the Irena Sendler story. You have shown your play to over 90 groups throughout the United States and in Poland and have received rave reviews from every performance. Your commitment to this project has raised Irena and her story to a new level of recognition in her city of Warsaw, her country of Poland as well as throughout the world.
Your lives will be forever changed for the better because of what you are doing with this project. The more active and committed you are, the better the results and the more you will enjoy your lives. Each of you will find that the greatest joy comes from helping others. My wife Rosalyn and I have been pleased to be travelers on your journey the last 2 years and look forward to hearing great things about each of you as you continue your journey during the next several years of college and beyond. We KNOW that most of you have very lofty goals and know that you have the determination to achieve those goals. Continue to aim high and continue to reach out and help others along the way. There are many people whose lives you have touched who are cheering for all of you!! "
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Gayle and Bruce Krigel are leaders in the Kansas City Jewish community, they are also great friends of the project. Gayle organized the Tikkun Olam banquet on March 10, 2002, which honored Irena Sendler and the students. Bruce and Gayle have hosted the students on several occasions and constantly work to repair the world. Gayle is active in many Kansas City causes and helps schedule Life in a Jar presentations in the K.C. area. Gayle was chosen 'Volunteer of the Year' in Kansas City for 2007. Gayle is also President of the Board at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education.
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