Senate Passes Irena Sendler Resolution

September 23, 2008
Press Release
For Immediate Release:
September 23, 2008 		Contact: Peter Karafotas
(202) 226-6898

SENATE PASSES IRENA SENDLER RESOLUTION

Washington, D.C.–U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) announced that the U.S. Senate unanimously approved Senator Barack Obama's (D-IL) resolution yesterday honoring the life and heroism of Irena Sendler who passed away this year at the age of 98. Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker, repeatedly risked her own life to save 2,500 Jewish children during the Holocaust. In July, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an identical resolution offered authored by Congresswoman Schakowsky.

"Congress has now properly paid tribute to Irena Sendler's amazing life by passing this resolution in both the House and Senate. I was honored to work with my colleague and friend Senator Barack Obama to introduce and pass this resolution. Our resolution not only is intended to commemorate Irena Sendler's life, but also to help inspire people to stand up for human rights and social justice. Irena Sendler's heroic story reminds all of us how important it is to fight for what is right regardless of the consequences....

Irena Sendler began her rescue efforts in 1940 when she disguised herself as a nurse to deliver food, clothes and medicine to Jews in the Warsaw ghetto. In 1942, Sendler joined the Polish underground organization Zegota, which provided safe passage for Jews who were facing disease, execution, or deportation to concentration camps. Sendler became one of Zegota's most successful workers and took charge of the children's division. Sendler logged the original names of every child she saved and buried a jar with the names in a friend's garden. In 1943, Sendler was arrested by the Gestapo and sentenced to death by a firing squad. Despite being tortured, Sendler never revealed the details of her rescue efforts or the names of the children she rescued. Sendler eventually escaped from prison and continued her invaluable work with Zegota. After the war, Sendler unearthed the jar to retrieve the names and reunite the 2,500 children with their families.

In 1965, Yad Vashem recognized Irena Sendler as "Righteous Among the Nations,... an honor given to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during Nazi rule. In 2003, Sendler received the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest civilian decoration. Sendler also received a personal letter from Pope John Paul II applauding her for her rescue efforts. Sender's life was chronicled in a documentary film and a play entitled "Life in a Jar.... In 2006, Sendler was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.