May 12 marked the death of a 98-year-old lady named Irena.
During WWII, Irena received permission from the Nazis to work in the Warsaw ghetto as a plumbing/sewer specialist.
She had an ulterior motive...
Being Polish, she knew the Nazis' plans for the Jews and smuggled infants out in the bottom of the large tool box she carried. Larger children were placed in a burlap sack in the back of her truck. Also in the back was a dog that she had trained to bark each time the Nazi guards allowed her out of the ghetto and back in.
The soldiers, of course, wanted nothing to do with the dog, and its barking covered any noise made by the infants and small children. Irena managed to smuggle out approximately 2,500 children before she was finally caught. When she was captured, the Nazis beat her severely, breaking both her arms and her legs.
Irena kept a record of the names of all the children she smuggled out of that Warsaw ghetto and kept them in a glass jar buried under a tree in her back yard ..
After the war, she tried to locate any parents who may have survived so she might reunite the child with its family. Most, of course, did not survive the Holocaust, and the vast majority of the surviving children were placed in foster homes or adopted.
Last year Irena was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but she lost to Al Gore, who won the award for presenting a slide show on Global Warming.
Please know that this is absolutely true, and you can read about it on snopes.com
In the midst of the chaos of my day, this true story of a REAL LIFE remarkable woman, gave me pause to think beyond myself. Hmmmm....saving children and babies from the Holocaust, or.....Global Warming? Which do you think deserves the Nobel Peace Price more? And would you have had the courage to make a difference if the need arose during your life time? Doesn't something like this just make all the little petty things that irritate us SO LESS RELEVANT!?
God Bless You, Irena!
21 comments:
And it wasn't even doing anything to prevent "global warming", it was putting together a little slide show. Yeah, he risked a lot. Made me really mad when I read that the first time, and no less so now.
Do they give Nobel Peace Prizes post-humously? Maybe she'll get it next year if they do. Wonder how we could raise a big enough stink to get her considered again?
I don't understnad global warming, I don't believe in it. But so much for my thoughts on that. I have not heard of this story but I don't know, saving children and a slide show on something that can't really be quantified. Humm, not where should have the prize really have gone. Well, some things are just more political than others. Enough of my thoughts.
Bonnie - I am so glad I stopped in to check your blog tonight. I have had a pretty grueling day and have shed some tears and reading this gives me cause to shed a few more - rejoicing ones for what this woman did. This is a totally remarkable story. How do you know about her? I am 100% Polish and love to hear stories of "my" people. In my eyes she is truly a saint. I don't think we need wonder where she is now. I am sure she is with God and his angels.
Thank you for such a wonderful story. God Bless You, Bonnie.
Thanks for sharing that story. I often think how weak most of us have become. If something takes effort, even when we know we should take a stand and do something, we sit back, take the easy route and do nothing. I'm pretty sure I would not have had the courage to do what Irena did but I'm surely thankful she did.
Global Warming?? I think it's caused by hot air emitted from our politicians!
What a courageous woman she was! I applaud her! She should have received the Nobel Peace Prize hands down!!!
Many things in the world don't make sense... 8-(
What an inspirational story! This is what I call news worthy, the kind of story that makes you feel good. Too bad the morning news shows can’t focus on true hero’s like Irena; just imagine how people would feel starting each day knowing all the good that comes from ordinary people.
OMG, Al Gore is an idiot! Global Warming is a farce and this woman soooo desreved the award over the likes of him! God bless her and the difference she made in this world!
What a courageous woman she was, now here is a true hero!
This Global Warming thing, I really wonder about it all...
Bless Irena, thank you for this post..
Julia
wow...cool story. And I love judyl's comment about the source of global warming...I have a feeling we best be turnin' up the AC over the next couple of months.... :-)
Thank you for sharing this story. I agree with everyone that she should have been the choice for the Nobel Prize. It proves that, yet again, these "honors" are given by the few, not the "people of the world". Wrong focus in my opinion!
Thank you for sharing this story of a courageous woman doing what she could to help others!! Wow!
Thank you for an outstanding post!
Bonnie: What an inspiring story. Thank you for posting it. Would Al Gore have been so courageous and selfless in the same situation?? I think not. Although Irena was not rewarded by the Nobel Peace Prize in this life, I'm sure she is being rewarded now.
Louise
You know, now that she is gone and the story has come out of the wonderfully unselfish things that she did... she will receive her blessings in Heaven which are far more important that any silly award that we on Earth can give her! People will be comeing up to her in Heaven and thanking her for what she did for their loved ones! That I'm sure is more than enough thanks.... not that she didn't or doesn't deserve more. Sometimes, it's just the way it is. Al Gore... well, that's just piffel! Thanks for sharing the story with us. We need to see more of this type of stuff on the evening news!
Great story , thanks . Sadly the Nobel prize never goes to the ones who deserve it.
Global warming = politcal scam to make money for lawyers and fat polititians
The monthly electric bill at Al Gore's house is enough to power mine for 10 years ... guess he doesn't practice his own religion
wow, wonderfull story about a great woman, maybe to honor her and the things she did.... name a new "to-think-up" pattern after her? Irena's quilt of life????? just me thinking..
hugs from the Netherlands
Winda aka DutchQuilter (*ΓΌ*)
A slide show on global warming (probably prepared by someone else anyway) compared to saving babies?? Not even a close comparison!
Apparently the Carbonb offset require to make for Al Gore massive trip around the worl and the technology he used to present his show the fuel used for all the people to get to his lectures etc would be somehting like replanting 100 football fields with trees. Bet Ol Al hasn't panted one.
Angela in Aus
Al Gore and his cohorts dreamed up global warming. How can he get a Nobel Prize for what he dreamed up?Gob bless this lady. Thanks for the story.
What an incredible story! Probably the only thing I've read in a very long time that will stay in my heart.
I just read about your new sewing machine Judy and Lloyd...and well Bonnie, this may a bit of a bait for you, but don't you think you need a vintage sewing machine to name Irena. :)
Thank you for your wonderful sight and blog.
Marion
I was just cruising your blog and found this. Thanks so much for reminding me what life is all about ....
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