Życie w słoiku. Ocalenie Ireny Sendler

by Jack Mayer

Życie w słoiku pokazuje zdumiewającą historię amerykańskich nastolatek, której początkiem jest odszukanie Ireny Sendlerowej, a wspaniałym dramatycznym finałem – „ocalenie ocalającej” przez przypomnienie światu o jej odwadze, nadziei i determinacji oraz wyniesienie do rangi heroicznej postaci w świecie a bohatera narodowego w Polsce. Historia Ireny Sendler stała się inspiracją sztuki teatralnej Życie w słoiku, po raz pierwszy wystawionej w szkole w Kansas. Później grano ją w środkowych stanach USA, w Nowym Jorku, Los Angeles i Montrealu, a wreszcie w Polsce. Podczas II wojny światowej Irena Sendlerowa wraz z grupą przyjaciół uratowała 2500 żydowskich dzieci od pewnej śmierci w warszawskim getcie. Niewiarygodne, ale w PRL jej heroizm, podobnie jak wielu innych, był pomijany milczeniem i przez 60 lat praktycznie pozostawał nieznany. Aż do czasu, kiedy w 1999 roku amerykańskie licealistki z Uniontown, maleńkiej mieściny w stanie Kansas liczącej zaledwie 270 mieszkańców, natknęły się na notatkę w „U.S. News and World Report”: INNI SCHINDLEROWIE POLSKA: IRENA SENDLER… przemyciła z getta w bezpieczne miejsca około 2500 żydowskich dzieci, załatwiając im tymczasowo nową tożsamość. Ażeby zapamiętać, kto jest kim, zapisywała ich prawdziwe nazwiska na kartkach papieru, które następnie zakopywała w słoikach w ogrodzie. Życie w słoiku to także pobudzająca wyobraźnię opowieść o protestanckich uczennicach z Kansas. Każda z nich miała bolesny życiorys i każda na własny sposób łączyła swoje problemy z historią Ireny, która pukała do żydowskich drzwi w getcie warszawskim i – jak sama mówiła – „próbowała namówić matki do oddania swoich dzieci”. Losy zainspirowanych przez Irenę Sendlerową młodych Amerykanek dowodzą, że siła jednej wyjątkowej osoby może spowodować wielkie zmiany w czyimś młodym życiu.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Book Club, Biography, Holocaust, World War II, Historical

432 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2005

About the author

Jack Mayer is a pediatrician and a writer. He began practicing pediatrics in 1976 in Enosburg Falls, Vermont, a small town in eastern Franklin County on the Canadian border. His was the first pediatric practice in that half of the county. He was a country doctor there for ten years, often bartering medical care for eggs, firewood, and knitted afghans. From 1987 – 1991 Dr. Mayer was a National Cancer Institute Fellow at Columbia University School of Public Health in New York City, researching the molecular biology of childhood cancer. Most of his scientific writing was done during those four years. He was also an academic pediatrician at Columbia University’s Presbyterian Medical Center.
Dr. Mayer returned to Vermont in 1991 and established Rainbow Pediatrics in Middlebury, Vermont where he continues to practice primary care pediatrics. He is an Instructor in Pediatrics at the University of Vermont School of Medicine and an advisor for pre-medical students at Middlebury College.
Throughout his career, Dr. Mayer has written short stories, poems, and essays about his years in pediatric practice and hiking The Long Trail in Vermont. He was a participant at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference in 2003 and 2005 for fiction, and in 2008 for poetry. LIFE IN A JAR: The Irena Sendler Project is his first non-fiction book.
His new book, BEFORE THE COURT OF HEAVEN is historical fiction based on a true story, about the rise of the Third Reich . (Wind Ridge Books - Fall 2016)

He lives in Middlebury.

BOOK AWARDS AND RECOGNITION FOR:

BEFORE THE COURT OF HEAVEN
a novel by Jack Mayer

2016 IndieReader Discovery Award – 1st Place - Fiction
2015 Nautilus Book Award Winner – Fiction – Silver medal
2016 Finalist – Grand Prize (Eric Hoffer Award) – Fiction
2016 First Horizon Award (Eric Hoffer Award) Finalist – Fiction
2016 Foreword Reviews INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award Finalist – Historical Fiction
2015 Mom’s Choice Award - Gold Medal – Historical Fiction
2015 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award - Best Novel - Fall 2015
2015 Beverly Hills Book Awards – Finalist – “Faction” - fiction based on true stories.
2015 A Best Indie Book – IndieReader (5-stars)
2015 Shelf Unbound – Notable Indie – 2015 Best Indie Books.


LIFE IN A JAR: THE IRENA SENDLER PROJECT
by Jack Mayer – Non-fiction (Long Trail Press, 2011)

2015 - First Horizon Award - Non-fiction (Eric Hoffer Book Award)
2015 Mom’s Choice Award – Gold Medal – Young Adult
2015 First Horizon Award - Non-fiction– Eric Hoffer Book Award
2014 Readers’ Favorite Book Award – Gold Medal - Education
2014 Benjamin Franklin Digital Award – Silver Honoree
2014 Shelf Unbound Notable Book
2012 IndieReader Discovery Award - Biography
2011 Kansas Notable Book Award
2011 da Vinci Eye (Eric Hoffer Book Award)

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always a beautiful thing to behold when a teacher inspires his or her students to overcome crippling obstacles and exalt in academic discovery and what perhaps I loved most about this extremely moving book was this theme. We never quite know who we are until we're inspired and if we're lucky enough to find an individual who provides this inspiration then the content of beauty in our lives is increased tenfold.

Kansas 1999: Liz Cambers is in 6th grade and a notorious troublemaker at school. Surly and solitary and contemptuous of learning. Her mother abandoned her when she was five and her father couldn't cope with his responsibilities. She lives with her grandfather. Then, one day, her life changes. To escape a teacher with whom she shares a mutual loathing she enrols in a new class, Creative Social Studies. Her new teacher Mr Conard tells the class they all have to research and compose a National History day project. The theme is turning points in history. Liz looks through the files of ideas prepared for the class and comes across one called "The other Schindlers." She's never heard of Schindler but her attention is arrested by a small account of a woman called Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker who, it says, persuaded mothers in the Warsaw ghetto to give up their children who she would then smuggle out. Because Liz is haunted by her own mother's abandonment of her, her interest is piqued as perhaps it has never before been by any academic assignment. However, when she googles Irena Sendler there's only one brief internet hit. She finds it hard to believe that a woman who according to the file saved 2,500 children from the gas chambers is virtually unknown in the world. Even her teacher agrees it might be a typo in the file and perhaps she only saved 250 children. Later, he hands her the telephone number of the Jewish Foundation of the Righteous, the organisation responsible for the one internet article. Liz, riddled with social insecurities, is terrified of making the call. She's relieved when she gets voice mail.

Her teacher tells her about the film Schindler's List but says he can't recommend she watches it as it's R rated. She asks her grandfather if she can watch it. He agrees but says he won't join her because those kind of films upset him. Liz breaks down in tears during the final scene when all the many relatives of people Schindler saved lay stones on his grave. It's the first time she has cried cleansing tears since her mother abandoned her. Then she realises Irena Sendler's story is even more remarkable. Unlike Schindler, she never had anything to gain but everything to lose by helping Jews.

Liz is now committed. She is joined by two other students in the project which she initially resents. A goody two shoes called Megan who is deeply religious and a girl from a very poor background called Sabina. Liz has to begin overcoming her social insecurities. Before long they discover the reason why no one has heard of Irena Sendler is because the Soviet regime in Poland after the war arrested or killed members of the Polish underground who opposed the Nazis. To sing Irena's praises would have put her in mortal danger.
As they gather more information, little by little, they decide to write and perform a short dramatization of Irena's life. Then Megan's mother contracts cancer.

The second part of this book is a narrative of Irena Sendler's wartime experiences. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll just say it was gripping and moving stuff.

The third part is the story of how the girl's dramatization of Irena Sendler's life rocked the world. Again I don't want to spoil.

I lost count of how many times this book moved me to tears. However, for me it was a crying shame the book began to drag on towards the end. It should have been a book about the three original students, their teacher and Irena. Instead it becomes about the project itself which new students join when the three original girls begin to take a backseat. It's like the author doesn't want to finish it and writes fifty odd pages that begin undermining the brilliant job he had done previously of narrating this story. The author seems to be under the misconception that the book is about the project. For me the book was about the life-transforming inspiration one individual can impart to others. In many ways the stories of Liz, Megan and Sabina, overseen by a brilliant teacher, were as moving as the story of Irena herself. "Who changes one person changes the world whole."

[John Vibber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't begin to understand why this book isn't a widely-read best seller. It should be!

If I had to pick only one book to illustrate the best and worst of humanity, this would be it. The Holocaust holds an immensely painful lesson, but one that humanity can ill-afford not to re-teach. This book balances that pain with inspiration and discovery. It is the most remarkable story of heroism I have ever read. At the same time, it is the compelling story of three wonderful Kansas teens who scoop historians to re-discover Irena Sendler and honor her in her later years. Warning: read with a box of tissues nearby.

[Beth Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those "Important Books" that reminds me that most of what I read is total fluff and unworthy of precious time. Not that I am going to stop reading my drivel but just a reminder that there are amazing people, things, lives out there that I know nothing about. While this is a true story set among Poland during the holocaust, it is not a depressing book. At least not to me, who already has read, learned, and thought a lot about that time in history so the facts and statistics were not new. Still shocking to think about, but not new.

Instead of discouraging, this book is incredibly uplifting and eye opening of the goodness of people, the miracles of God, and the importance of standing for truth and righteousness, even in a world gone mad. Irena Sendler is a Polish Christian woman who smuggled Jewish children out of the ghetto to live with Gentile families in other areas. Her story was largely unknown until 3 high school kids in Kansas started researching her for a history project.

The students asked the kind of questions I wanted to know too. How does a parent give a child away to a total stranger? What gave Irena the courage to get involved in such a thing? What would I have done? What would my children do if they lived in such a world?

The answers to these questions are poignant and very personal. The book doesn't focus on the staggering statistics, but instead on the indidual stories of one. One person, one family, one household....how was life for them. I loved the details. I liked the way the author shows the noose tightening ever so slowly against the Jews.....from name calling to singling out to personal freedoms to ability to work to ability to shop and on and on. I thought about that quote I've heard attributed to Thomas Jefferson, usually used when discussing post 9-11 Americans and their willingness to give up civil rights in the hopes of avoiding another terrorist attack.

Something about "a society that will give up their freedom for security will lose their freedom and deserve neither". At the same time I was reading this book, I saw a quote again from a holocaust museaum in Germany: "First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me." And I wondered where we are in the repeating cycle of History. Are we on our own frige of sitting back waiting until our lives are controlled by the government also?

The Irena Sendler story was great. I loved the stories of the students as they researched and worked on their project too. The book took me a long time to read because it went on about 100 pages too long. The author is incredibly detailed in everything...who was doing what, what was said at what time and where they were, etc. and this complete accurracy lost me in the correctness of it all. I didn't really care who else performed the play or traveled to Poland on the 6th time the school trip was organized or whatever. I would have liked the things that weren't part of the original kids researching or Irene Sendler to have been condenses. However, when thinking about all the "importance" of the main story and the way it enriched my life, I am able to ignore my annoyance and still give it 5 stars.

[Kate MacKinnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good read. I canot give it 5 stars as there (in my humble opinion) was too much about the 3 teens that brought this story to light where my interest lay in Irena Sendler and her story itself. I also found the teens portion "preachy" which automatically deducts a star for me.

However - do not let that diminish how much I enjoyed this book.

The book was set in three parts - the teens coming across the story and setting in motion their amazing journey, then Irena's story of her time during the Holocaust, lastly the teens meeting Irena, other rescuers, survivors and how this history project just snowballed in an international lesson in compassion & doing the right thing.

This book brings to light, for me, a truly incredible woman/person/being. It blows my mind that someone can be not only so selfless but seem to be genuinely surprised to be labeled a hero for her efforts. The constant terror she and her co-conspirators had to be working under is unfathomable. Yet, she/they did it. Daily. For years.

I found some parts left me reading with my jaw dropped, at times I was cursing aloud and was left speechless in others. Definitely got choked up on several occasions.

One part I found especially touching is in the third part of the book when the teens were performing their play and meeting other survivors / rescuers. A little old polish man in the audience remained seated after the audience had dispersed and he was grasping tightly to something in his hands. One of the teens approached the man where she learned from a polish teen that they had "adopted" this rescuer as their school idol and were telling his story, much like the teens had done for Irena.

This little old man was grasping the "Vad Yashem" medal he had been awarded (by the State of Israel to non-Jews for being "Righteous Among the Nations" and risking their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust) shortly after the war. He had kept this medal hidden in a box for over 50 years for fear of persecution by communist Poland. For over 50 years he was fearful to let anyone - even his children - know he had been recognized for protecting the Jews during the war. What should have literally be a medal of honour was made to feel like a badge of shame. He sat in the audience that day holding his medal and was finally starting to believe he could be publicly proud.

I just wanted to be able to give this old man the biggest hug ever and I'm not a hugger.

Totally worth reading - frankly, Irena and those like her deserve it.

[emma grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an amazing story, written in a really, really dull way. This book was over 350 pages, and unfortunately, it probably could have been cut down by half and you still would have gotten the story. That is alot of fluff. It was really too bad, because, as I said before, the whole Life in a Jar/Irena Sendler story was amazing and very inspiring.

[Elin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. It tells the story of a Catholic social worker (Irena Sendler) who smuggled 2500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw ghetto. She was a minor footnote in Holocaust history until three teens from a small town in Kansas decided to write a play about her for a history day project. The book also tells the story of the teens and their research.

As someone else said it's not a book to read in public as it has many parts at which one is likely to get very choked up. I was surprised to be as much or more engrossed in the story of the Kansas teens as I was in the story of Irena Sendler. Truly two incredible true stories that we all should know. I am going to read it aloud to my ten and eleven year old but would normally recommend it for teens and up. The vocabulary is a little difficult for younger readers and the subject matter definitely something to be approached carefully. I would love to see this book used in high school classes.

I would recommend it to everybody but especially those interested in teaching history, the Holocaust, and/or Polish history.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank goodness the library sent "Life in a Jar" back to me today. I'm back reading it again and continued to be totally fascinated.
Now that I've finally finished reading "Life in a Jar", I have to say I'm totally "blown away" with the story of Irena Sendler, as well as the project that the 3 High School students put together. This is one of those books which should be required reading for everyone. I encourage you to take the time and read it.

[Simone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I'm one of the few people on here who didn't love this book. To be clear, sort of like my review of The Storyteller, the middle section, which talked about Irena and the work she did in Warsaw during the Holocaust, was worthwhile. It was the approach of telling her story through the self-discovery of three high-school girls I apparently did not find as moving as everyone else did. (The creative non-fiction approach where conversations are invented, also gives the whole thing a sort of play-like feel but without the good kind of dialogue). The book does address the fact that this story only got attention because it was put together by young, white, women from the Midwest, and everyone decides that's fine because the work is getting exposure. But this perpetuates the same myth. Centering the experiences of young, white girls in this story pushes other narratives to the wayside. This isn't a story about Irena Sendler, it's a story about how Irena Sendler's heroism meant to some high school students.

The whole time I was reading this, I kept thinking of The Complete Maus, which reckons with some of the same issues, but does so in a completely different way. I guess what I'm saying here is I think you should go read Maus.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down (after I made it through Part 1 - which was a little slow).
This book is very well written and is a phenomenal true story. Irene Sendler saved more Jews than Oscar Schindler, but is not as well known.

This book is broken up into three parts: Part 1 - Three high schoolers from Kansas begin a National History Day project on an unknown Irena Sendler. Part 2 - Irena Sendler's story. Part 3 - The girls meeting Irena and the aftermath of the Irena Sendler Project.

Essentially, the story revolves around a Warszawian, Irena Sendler, who saved over 2,500 Jewish Children by smuggling them out of Warsaw's ghetto during the German occupation of WWII. The history is rich, accurate, and deeply moving (and I attribute this to a great author - it is so hard to write non-fiction novels in a compelling way, but he excelled at conveying the story in a genuine, heartfelt way).

HOWEVER, there were THREE things about this book that bothered me:
1. The incorrect spellings of many, many Polish names. In Polish there are many extra symbols (ę,ż,ź,ł - just to name a few) and none of these symbols were included in the text. Because of this, there were many names and streets which were misspelled throughout the book.
2. I never knew about the ghtetto building they were referring to on Leszna street that was still intact. When I lived in Warsaw, the only building that was still intact (and has pictures of Jewish people adorning the windows) is on Prozna street (misspelled as Prezna street in the book).
3. My husband was born in 1979, under Communism, in Poland. He graduated High School in 1998 and the following year came to America to start mission work. In 2002 he resumed his schooling at an American University. He's not a big story-teller when it comes to sharing experiences of his childhood. However, I asked him a simple question, "Michal, do you know Irena Sendler?" His response, "Oh yeah, that's the lady who saved over 2,000, or more, Jewish children in Warsaw by getting them out of the ghetto." I followed up with the question, "How did you know about her?" His response, "We learned all about her in school." So I explained to him about the book I was reading and how it mentions that Poles don't know of Irena Sendler. He said, "Well that's just silly, there's a street named after her in about every major city in Poland. I definitely learned about her growing up, I'm not sure when, but the Holocaust was definitely a part of our curriculum. Every Polish child will take a trip to Auchwitz, and we are all taught about this part of history. However, growing up - it was almost disrespectful to bring up the Holocaust because there were so many tender and hurt feelings from this dark part of History. My Grandmother, a Pole, who was 16 and at a forced labor camp, but able to live at home, hates talking about Germany Occupation. People are just so sensitive, that we don't like to share it. I don't think that until about 2005 or 2006 did the attitude in Poland change. Now people talk about it lightheartedly and too often as if they don't have reverence or respect for those who lost their lives. I just don't think that Poland had completely "healed" from it's past and wasn't ready to stop grieving until 2005 or 2006. That's probably why your book thinks that we didn't learn anything about the Holocaust." And while I loved this book, I believe what my husband says more.

My only regret in reading this book is that I didn't read it while I lived in Warsaw. It would have given so much more meaning and depth to my adventures in the city. I have found numerous, numerous plaques, buildings, fragments of the wall (not only what's listed in the book) - but also haven't been to Pawiak prison, or Treblinka. Had I had this book to read there it would have really sparked my curiosity and enhanced my learning to go and see these sites first hand. It would have created a more well-rounded education and one which would have left more of a lasting impression on me. Nevertheless, I think that's why I appreciated this book so much - is because I HAVE been to (almost all or more) many of these places which are described in the book. I have spent time at the Warsaw Rising Museum (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego), I have been to Auchwitz four times, I have been to Schindler's Factory, I have been to Anne Frank's House, I have really tried to immerse myself in my learning and understanding of the Holocaust and German Occupation, and every time I read a new book - I learn a little bit more. This book NEEDS to be shared more often, it NEEDS to be made into a Hollywood movie (not just a Hallmark movie), it NEEDS to reach more people because it is truly such a good book and one I would love to discuss with friends as they take the time to read it!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have waited to try and write a review for this book. I don't know how to really. How is it that I can have been actively reading biographies from Holocaust survivors for over fifteen years, how is it that I can still "hear" and learn things that I didn't know?
I learned of this book from an amazing and wonderful Facebook page that I recommend to everyone, A mighty girl. They had an article on Irena Sendler. I had never heard of her and went looking for the book.
This women and her handful of friends created a network that saved over 2,500 children from the Warsaw ghetto. How could this be and I had not heard of this woman!
The book is powerful and heartbreaking.

..."In sight of the wall, across from a rubble filled lot, Irena heard a faint cry-a strange mournful sound, like the mewling of a cat, muffled and hitching. A shadow moved along the wall-a woman wrapped in brown and gray rags like condensed smoke-holding a swaddled infant in the crook of her elbow. The woman stood to pick up a small rock and heaved it over the wall, then retreated to crouch into the shadows. a moment later the same rock arched back over the wall from the Aryan side, and the woman stood with intent, holding her bundle close to her chest and face. Even at this distance, Irena heard the woman suck in two deep breaths, bend forward, swing her baby in both her arms, three times, and then with blazing purpose hurl it up an arc that barely cleared the jagged glass atop the wall. No sound came back from the other side. The woman collapsed against the wall, her hands stoking the bricks, the two inches that separated her from her baby. She slunk away in the shadow of the wall.

Irena had seen many desperate acts of love-they were the core of every rescue-but what she had just witnessed was the most searing of all."

It is a painful and difficult book,
I am proud to have witnessed Irena's story.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.

The Life in a jar project has changed many lives , both the young students that started the search for who Irena was (part of the book's story) and the multitudes of children that Irena and her group saved.

Read and Witness!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHod5...

[Melody Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a freshman in High-school, we did a play on Irena Sendler, in my 2011-2012 school year. Learning and hearing more about her I got interested and went out and got this book, it's like one of those books you NEED to read.

Knowing and learning that a brave young women like Irena Sendler would go out and risk her life to save thousands of children. Reading this book out a huge opening in my heart for the love of children.

One thing she quoted was,
I was brought up to believe that a person must be rescued when drowning, regardless of religion and nationality. Irena Sendler --- no matter what the Germans thought of the Jews or any of them she still went out and saved children. I HIGHLY recommend this book, it can teach you a lot about caring, risking things, loving, and having God there by your side no matter the nationality or religion.... This book is a big eye opener, you should read it.



Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing story, both of the woman who did incredible and daring rescue work in Poland and the infamous Warsaw Ghetto, and of the three girls who brought her story to the world. Irena Sendler saved 2500 Jewish children, street orphans and from families, by smuggling them out of the ghetto, into safe houses, giving them Christian names on forged papers and sending them on to other homes, abbeys and orphanages. She saved a list of these children's identities in milk bottles buried under an apple tree in the backyard fully intending to give these Jewish babies back to their Jewish parents. The number of children is not a typo. Unfortunately, after the war, there were no Jewish parents that survived. Although the Jewish community knew of and honored this woman, just like Oskar Schindler who saved 1100 Jews, the rest of the world knew little of her story because she lived in Poland, a country that went from German occupation to Russian communism in quick succession. Polish 'rebels' became criminals and these incredible humanitarians never told their stories. The timing of this History Day project for three girls in Kansas and the events taking place in a democratic Poland created a perfect storm of revelation and healing. When you see the awards Irena Sendler receives, you'll see that they are mostly dated after the girls' 1999 project. These girls have their own stories as well and they are revealed in the beginning and end of this book. It's because of who these girls were that this 'project' took flight. So many good lessons from Irena. She lived the way her father lived and took his advice to heart: "I was brought up to believe that a person must be rescued when drowning, regardless of religion and nationality."

[Elizabeth (Literary Hoarders) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving 3 stars because Irena Sendler was truly amazing, and I'm grateful to know more about her. However, this book dulls her story terribly via lackluster writing, and an overabundance of detail that just isn't needed. This novel is clearly written for the YA category, but that doesn't seem to be noted in the details. I'm sorry to say that the book oversimplifies Irena's heroic actions, and I found myself anxious for the last page.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Like many people around me (and I asked a lot of people in my life), I had never heard of Irena Sendler, though many (but not all) have heard of Oskar Schindler, mainly because of the movie. But what makes this a remarkable story is not just Irena Sendler, but also the three Catholic girls in a rural and impoverished town who discovered her story and turned her into a universal hero, not just in Israel (where she was known and celebrated), but in Poland, where this all occurred. Since history was always my weakest subject growing up, I didn't know anything about National History Day, nor that kids compete all over the country, with the national competition taking place in my own backyard.

Two of my students this summer introduced me to this book, and in their high school, kids participate in National History Day every year as part of their history class. This book introduces them to what the project can be, and how discovering and understanding history can greatly affect your present and your future. I've read some books on the holocaust set in Poland, and while authors did their research, and I was moved by those stories (all historical fiction), this one had me amazed because Irena Sendler was a real person and she was absolutely extraordinary in her ordinariness. What she did certainly makes her a hero in anyone's book, but she never saw herself as such, and merely said that she did what had to be done and her biggest regret is that she only saved just a minute percent of all the babies.

I found the girls' stories to also be compelling, especially that they were attacked and made fun of for being "Jew lovers" (I hate this term, but it's what was used), and yet, with the help of their teacher and other critical people in their lives, they continued to do what they felt they had to do. At times, the tone of the story felt a bit preachy, and it felt like the girls would do or say certain things because it was expected of them. But I also think that was partly due to the community in which they lived.

If you have never heard of Irena Sendler or this project, I don't want to say anything else to spoil the story for you. But suffice it to say that Irena had an incredible impact on these girls' lives, not the least of which was because they were driven to share her story, and eventually create the Irena Sendler Project. I love that one of the girls eventually became a founder of this project and that the work that carries out her legacy continues to this day. A large percentage of the proceeds from this book supports the mission.

I feel that this book should be read and studied in schools everywhere. I'm happy that some of the schools in our area are reading this book. Highly recommended.

[Jennifer Swapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quote from the book can give an idea of the amazing feat accomplished by this network.
"The mathematics of rescue was severe. To save one Jewish child, 10 poles and two Jews had to risk death. To betray that same child and the family that hid him required only one informer or worse still, one blackmailer. The risk of being caught by the SS was not prison, but death- death for the entire family".

This book was a beautiful accounting of triumph over terribly painful, tragic circumstances. Most obviously, it details Polish people who valued life and risked their own and many other lives in order to try to save one Jewish child's life at a time. The most courageous people have to be the mothers and fathers who gave their children to Irena out of desperation and faith. It also accounts for the accomplishments of three young girls from an impoverished community in Kansas, whose involvement in this project helps them overcome their own very difficult circumstances.

Irena Sendler answers definitively whether we have an obligation to help those less fortunate, and to what extent we have an obligation.

I was stunned at the sad Polish history.

Even though this book deals with heart-wrenching details of WWII, it is very inspiring and motivation.g.

[Deyanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not have a holocaust shelf until entering this book. Why? I have read so many books dealing with the holocaust and I taught Night. This novel was moving in that Irena Sendlar saved 2,500 children from the Warsaw Ghetto and yet she was virtually unknown. The back of the book reads: "Unknown, that is, until three high school girls from an economically depressed, rural school district in south-east Kansas stumbled unopn a tantalizing reference to Sendler's rescues, which they fashioned into a history project, a play they called Life in a Jar. Their innocent drama was first seen in Kansas, then the Midwest, then New York, Los Angeles, Montreal and finally Poland, where they elevated Irena Sendler to a national hero, championing her legacy of tolerance and respect for all people."
Good book...especially with those familiar with the Warsaw Ghetto. I was particularly impressed with the parallel stories of the three girls involved in the "project based learning". Long an advocate of this form of research, I applaud the work of these students and the fact that 60% of the proceeds of this book are donated to the foundation created from this project.

[Meghan Pfister · Rating 5 out of 5]

When three teenagers discovered a story about the rescue of 2,500 children during the Holocaust by a Polish Catholic social worker, they were shocked to find very little information about this woman. How could someone so courageous be nothing more than a footnote in history? Almost sixty years later, a National History Day project would change their lives and bring recognition to both Irena Sendler’s work and the horrors of the Holocaust.

This book broke my heart, and I was an emotional wreck while reading it. Books about the Holocaust are horrific and infuriating, but it’s individuals like Irena that give hope that there are still good and decent people out there. She faced evil with the conviction that when someone is drowning, one should always give a helping hand to rescue them. Life in a Jar also highlights how easily history can be forgotten and because of the wonderful work of Megan, Liz, and Sabrina, Irena Sendler and her network were finally recognized for their strength, resilience, and kindness during one of the darkest periods in history.

Full review here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn7CMqsOB...

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw a blurb about this woman, Irena Sendler, floating around on Facebook several months ago. I was curious about her and after looking around I found this book. I gave this book 5 stars for the part about Irena Sendler. Hers was an AMAZING story that needs to be told. She was Polish Catholic social worker that smuggled 2500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during WW2. She placed the children with "foster" families, convents and orphanages, and kept lists of who she put where, so that she could help reunite the children with their families after the war. She buried those lists in jars in her friend's yard- thus, the title, "Life in a Jar." That story is bookended with how her unknown story was brought to light by some Kansas high school students doing a research project. Which, while interesting, ran too long. Irena's story was powerful and uplifting- showing how one person really can make a difference! FANTASTIC read!

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25. Irena Sendler was an unsung Polish heroine who rescued nearly 2500 Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto. Yet, no one had really heard of her in the 50+ years since WWII ended. In 1999, 3 Kansas students uncover her story and bring it to light through a play, Life in a Jar. The book is written in 3 parts: the first about the students learning about Irena and her heroics and performing her story in a play; the second set during WWII when Irena was smuggling children out the the ghetto; and the third is about the students meeting Irena and bringing her story to an international stage. Beautiful story of how one person can make a difference in our world.

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book on Irena Sendler recently. I guess it is quite amazing how some people just set out to do the right thing. There are hardly anyone now who really knows what went on but Irena was not Jewish but still felt it important to save as many children as she could. Many years later she said ".....understanding does not erase the regret I feel for my own insufficient efforts. I agree with Wladyslaw Bartoszewski.....'only the dead have done enough.' ".

I can't say I would be so brave; I hope I would try.

[Rhonda Ruff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing women. Amazing story. That’s all that needs to be said. Other than read it

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and 1/2 stars
Talk about meaningful, inspring literature. What a little powerhouse she was. Irena Sendler, saving 2,500 babies and feeling like she didn't do enough?
This story is emotionally tough. It reminds me of "Unbroken," so hard to get through and yet so worth it in the end. And it was neat to have the thought, "do I know any of these people?" and yes, I got to read about Jan and Antonina putting Irena up for a few nights in the Poland Zoo. We are old friends after reading, "The Zookeeper's Wife," by Diane Ackerman, so it made me feel better!

I was so interested in her father. Telling her to save someone even if they are drowning and you don't know how to swim? Would I have that kind of courage? Today we tell our kids: help someone, if you won't get hurt, if there is no danger of a law-suit!

Irena was such a devoted person. She gave up two marriages and her relationship with her Mother to save others. It was interesting how she cautioned the girls, not to risk themselves in such a way.

After reading "The Silence of God" and now this book, it really struck me how women do a lot in wars. Whether they help neighbors, or spy on them, women are deeply involved inside a war. I had never thought of it that way before.

This is a must read, an important work of heartbreaking, courageous determination.

[Susan Sherwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker with the code name Jolanta, saved 2,500 Jewish children from death during WWII in the Warsaw Ghetto by organizing a rescue network, and by being part of an underground conspiracy group ZEGOTA. She would beg Jewish mothers to relinquish their children to her so that she could bring them to safety. Why did she put herself and other at such risk when so many Poles looked the other way and refused to defy the barbaric Nazis? She explained that it was the decent thing to do and in her heart. Yet, Sendler's bravery wasn't known for many years because of Poland's pervasive anti-semitism, its Communist past, and its refusal to confront its role in WWII.

When three high school girls from a rural school district in southeast Kansas begin to research Irena Sendler's rescues for a National History Day project, their curiosity leads to their writing a play titled "Life in a Jar," aptly named because Irena buried in jars the original and the new names of the children she saved so that the children later might find their families after the war and be able to remember their Jewish heritage. What started out as a history class project, though, inspired others to recognize Irena Sendler's heroism. In Poland, Irena Sendler was elevated to a national hero and has helped Poland heal its wartime history.

This is a wonderful book!

[Terri Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though it is labeled fiction, that is only due to the fact that the author re-created conversations based on the memories of those who spoke. All of the facts and events are true. Irena Sendler was a Polish social worker from a Christian family who helped rescue and hide 2,500 Jewish people, mostly children, from the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII. She risked her life and in fact wound up in prison sentenced to death. She should have been as well known as Oskar Schindler who saved 1,000 but she was anti-Communist and when the Communists took over Poland, she had to hide what she had done. Her story remained almost unknown until 3 Kansas high school girls Liz, Megan and Sabrina signed up to do a history project for their teacher Mr. C decided to do their project on her as a group based on a lone article Liz plucked out of a folder of choices.

The book shows us the girls' own life stories and a lot of Irena's lifesaving work. As the girls develop a play about Irena, they become inflamed to learn more, enter and win competitions and are shocked to find Irena is alive. What happens when they get to meet her? Highly recommended and an amazing story.

[Dawn Emsen-Hough · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are thinking about whether or not to read this book, please ... pick up the book - you won't regret it but be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster ride! One of the highest ratings I've ever seen here on Goodreads- and for good reason. This factual account first looks at a group of school girls in Kansas investigating a holocaust hero of which there is very little known. The book then moves into the time of the holocaust where their heroine lives through the terror of war torn Warsaw, Poland saving thousands of Jewish children. The book finishes with the Kansas schoolchildren and the imcredible impact of their research project. An incredibly important piece of work, a very readable and engaging story backed with actual photos of both the schoolgirls and the period they were investigating.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly powerful story about the Polish Catholic social worker, Irena Sendler, who saved 3000 Jewish children in the Warsaw Ghetto during the holocaust, and also the story of the three Protestant teenagers from Kansas who discovered this remarkable heroic story and brought it to the world's attention. This is a harrowing history of what happened in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust and shows how ordinary people took life threatening risks to save others. The parallel story of the three teenagers who persevered in uncovering the story despite their own flawed lives and personal struggles is an example of the power of each individual to make a difference and a great example to inspire all children.

[Inga Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An impressive story about a polish woman who saved 2500 children during the 2nd world war. The other interesting aspect is how her name wasn't really known in the world until 3 girls from Kansas created a play about her and started researching more in 1999.
The book is very detailed and it describes the time in the war when Irena and her group were smuggling children out of the Jewish ghetto in Poland. I felt that the book was too long for my liking and the writing wasn't really getting me into it.
I think everyone should know about her and while I think the author did a great job capturing so many details of her story, he'd get so many more people to learn about Irena, but releasing a shorter version of this book.

[Trudy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm trying to figure out why I have never heard of Irena Sendler, and how hatred, bigotry and racism can still exist. Can anyone read this and still feel enmity for another human? This was such a difficult and depressing read, but with an important message. Through bearing witness to such atrocity, we have a chance to prevent it from happening again. When something is wrong, horribly, evilly wrong, you must act to make it stop. I loved the Native American parable of the two wolves that live inside you fighting one another: the vengeful, angry one and the forgiving and kind one. The one that lives is the one you feed.

[Cindy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

A semi-documentary story of Irena Sendler, a Polish Christian who rescued 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto, at great risk to herself. Her story was uncovered by a group of mid western high school students researching a project for their History class. Out of their research, they created a play "Life in a Jar", that they have presented all over the world. This is an inspirational story of the difference one person can make in history.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story brought to light by a very innovative history/social studies program, in a small Kansas school. I selected this book at the museum shop- the Holocaust museum in Washington, DC. The musem's slogan is 'remember what you saw', and the message is that genocide did not cease on VE Day. The story of Irena Sendler and her network came to life to three students and their teacher/advisor, and continues to inhabit them, as it does for this reader.