Despite her fears, Irena continued to boldly rescue thousands of children—some, only months old. She kept a list of those she saved and stashed it safely in cans, buried in her neighbor’s garden.
“My hatred of the German occupiers was stronger than my fear. In addition, my father had taught me that if you see a man drowning, you must try to save him even if you cannot swim. At that time, it was Poland that was drowning,” Irena said.
Her work was seamless—until one day she was caught.
After discovering what she was actually doing within the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto, the Nazis threw Irena in prison. She was tortured, beaten and broken by the Gestapo, but through it all, Irena refused to tell them any information about the Jewish children or families she’d helped.
She was sentenced to death.
But before fate could step in, some of Irena’s colleagues were able to bribe a Nazi prison soldier, prompting her escape.
For the rest of her long and full life, Irena lived under a false name and identity. She got married, had three children and lived the rest of her life doing what she’d always done—helping people.
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Years later, once the war had ended, Irena handed all of her records of the families and children over to an organization that helped to reunite Jewish families.
“The reason why I rescued children was because of the way I grew up. I was brought up to believe that a person must be rescued when drowning, regardless of religion and nationality,” Irena explained.
A hero to many, Irena was recognized on multiple occasions for her bravery and selflessness. In 1964, she received the Israeli honorary title of “Polish Righteous among the Nations,” and in 1997, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Irena lived to be 98 years old, but her work will live on through the lives she touched for generations to come.
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We are called to be the Lord’s hands and feet—to serve others as the body of Christ. Irena’s life was a beautiful reflection of just that.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13
