Workshops on the date of Irena Sendler’s death anniversary

Redakcja, 16 November 2016
On Irena Sendler‘s first death anniversary, on May 12th 2009, in the House of Meetings with History, Warsaw youth from schools named after Irena Sendler, celebrated the memory of this heroine by taking part in workshops “Youth - the Righteous - the Rescued”. The room was full.

Janina Rożecka and Jadwiga Gawrych, Righteous among Nations, shared their experiences from WWII. They explained why they had decided to help. “Please, don‘t call us [the Righteous] heroes, we're just human beings– Janina Rożecka appealed. – “Helping those in need is something obvious and natural. This is what I was taught since I was a child.”

The Rescued, Michał Głowiński, a literature professor , explained the meaning and ethymology of words: Holocaust, Shoah, Extermination. He also talked about his war experiences and about the friendship with Irena Sendler, to whom he owes being brought out of the Warsaw getto and ending up in Hrubieszów, under the care of the nuns.

Marta Pietrzykowska, the consultant and one of the authors of the website devoted to the Polish Righteous, talked about the ways of hiding Jews during the occupation.

 The vice-ambassador of Israel in Poland, Mr. Yahel Vilan was the guest of honor.

The meeting was prepared by: House of Meetings with History, The Irena Sendler Foundation, The Polish Righteous among Nations Program at the Museum of the History of Polish Jews and Workshops of Sociological Analyses.

A Holy Mass was a part of the celebration of the anniversary. Several dozen people met at Irena Sendler's grave with Minister Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka and Zyi Ray-Ner - Ambassador of Israel in Poland among them.