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A great personal hero has passed away
May. 12th, 2008 06:27 pmIrena Sendler has passed away, 98 years old. Ever since I heard about her, in the 80's, she's been my number 1 hero, even though she herself never wanted the title "hero" to be used about her.
She saved thousands of lives, she risked her own life numerous times, she got her hands dirty, she organized, she was captured and tortured but prevailed - and perhaps the most humbling fact of all, after she escaped she went back to work directly, continuing just as bravely as before her torture.
After WWII she married a fellow resistance worker and lead a quite life, but still struggling to re-unite all the saved children with their families.
Chindler got a film, and international acclaim
Al Gore got the Noble peace prize (Irena Sendler was nominated the same year)
Sendler was unnoticed for decades after the war, except by Jewish organizations and of course by the people she had saved.
In the 80's, for various reasons she came into the spotlight, without having sought it herself, and eventually I heard of her.
Whenever an anti-feminist claims that there is no female bravery on the same level as male bravery, I point to Sendler, with the addition that she was very humble and unnoticed in her deeds, and perhaps that's the "female" part. And I also, silently remember, that in a different society, completely devoid of feminism, it is very doubtful that Irena Sendler could have become a social worker in the 1940's and done what she did. She would probably still have been a good human being, but with no means of acting, because of her gender.
In any case, I take my cap off for you, great lady.
Links on Irena Sendler:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080512/ap_on_re_eu/obit_sendler
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1950450/Irena-Sendler.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_Sendler
She saved thousands of lives, she risked her own life numerous times, she got her hands dirty, she organized, she was captured and tortured but prevailed - and perhaps the most humbling fact of all, after she escaped she went back to work directly, continuing just as bravely as before her torture.
After WWII she married a fellow resistance worker and lead a quite life, but still struggling to re-unite all the saved children with their families.
Chindler got a film, and international acclaim
Al Gore got the Noble peace prize (Irena Sendler was nominated the same year)
Sendler was unnoticed for decades after the war, except by Jewish organizations and of course by the people she had saved.
In the 80's, for various reasons she came into the spotlight, without having sought it herself, and eventually I heard of her.
Whenever an anti-feminist claims that there is no female bravery on the same level as male bravery, I point to Sendler, with the addition that she was very humble and unnoticed in her deeds, and perhaps that's the "female" part. And I also, silently remember, that in a different society, completely devoid of feminism, it is very doubtful that Irena Sendler could have become a social worker in the 1940's and done what she did. She would probably still have been a good human being, but with no means of acting, because of her gender.
In any case, I take my cap off for you, great lady.
Links on Irena Sendler:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080512/ap_on_re_eu/obit_sendler
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1950450/Irena-Sendler.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_Sendler
