Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project

Very very interesting! Truth is always stranger than fiction…a gripping story that makes you feel good about people reacting to a terrible time in history. Can’t say enough good things about all the people involved. Humanity can win in the end!

I have been almost obsessed with reading books about the Holocaust over the past year or so and have read many good ones. This book was captivating. I could not put it down. I remembered Irena’s story from the Hallmark movie several years ago so when I saw her name mentioned for this book I had to read it. I had no idea that three young girls from Kansas and their teacher were responsible for bringing her story to life. The effects that her story had on the lives of these young people, their teacher and their families was no less than amazing. How something so extraordinary could come from a teacher encouraging three young girls to dig deeper and find the whole story based on a simple paragraph they read about a young Catholic social worker who was said to have saved 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto.As a mother and grandmother, I cannot fathom the heartache that the parents and other family members must have felt when handing their precious children over to a stranger, trusting them to keep their promise to protect their babies and reunite them after the war if at all possible.Most surprising to me in the book was learning that Irena always felt that she did not do enough. This petite woman who risked her life and the lives of her family, her friends and colleagues and their families as well, always felt she should have done more. After enduring excruciating physical and mental torture and facing the threat of death every day, many times wishing death would come so the pain would end, who never gave up the name of a single co-conspirator, who miraculously escaped a firing squad at literally the last minute, still felt she had not done enough. This hero who was not recognized until nearly 50 years later for her work in saving so many, still felt guilt that she was unable to save more. And when her story finally came to light, she insisted that all of the people who helped in the “network” to save the children be recognized as well. The love and kindness she showed to these young Americans and their teacher in the last years of her life and the beautiful affect it had on their lives was nothing short of miraculous. What an amazing life she had. Her love will live on for many generations to come.

II have read a number of WWII memoirs and Irena Sendler's story checks out from eyewitnesses, for the most part. She definitely helped to save Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto, something of infinite value. Yet, I wonder about the reality of "the lists". She was saved on account of the lists. However, the jars were not there. Glass jars do not disintegrate for 100s of years. She admits the tree looked undisturbed. She also admits no one else living after the war had ever seen them. It seems quite likely she made their presence up, fearful for her own life. None of her other comrades who became imprisoned were ever rescued, so did she make these lists up to save her own life? Unfortunately, the evidence I find isn't in her favor.

I like reading about brave people like Irena—always wondering could I be so brave.Also I like reading true stories .This book has a lot about the students as well as Irena. At first I didn’t know if I liked that or not but came to really appreciate that aspect.

The true story of the three high schoolers who discovered a “hidden” hero of the Holocaust in Poland. Very well researched. I know this is true as I am a history buff and the Holocaust is one I’ve studied for years. To endanger ones life for 2500 Jewish Children, over time, right under the nose of Nazi guards was quite an endeavor. Irena is truly a hero! Most amazing, along with Irenas beyond imagination rescues, is the three young women who did hours, days, weeks, months of research to find the unsung heroine and write her story. This book was excellent!

I loved this book despite some shortfalls. The middle portion of the book that details Irena's story is gripping, raw and very informative. However, I agree with other reviewers that said that a big portion of the book is taken up by the people in Kansas who were interested in Irena Sendler's story and did a great job at bringing it to light, but a lot of their personal lives is detailed in the book and I feel that information is irrelevant to the story being told here. I enjoyed the last section of the book when they go to Warsaw and relive all the historical places that were at the center of Irena's story. But I have to say that Irena seemed such a humble person compared to a certain self aggrandizement that I detected in the Kansas people, it left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Irene saved over 2,500 children and she was humble to the end, there was no need for the Americans to say "they rescued the rescuer". I wish there had been more information about what happened to the rescued children after the war, but I can understand with Communism and Soviet oppression that information may have been difficult or near impossible to come by. Great book, I recommend it highly if you can overlook the style in some sections.

Read books of the subject

This book is really a two-in-one special story of 3 High School girls who were not acquainted with each other, how they developed their friendship and stick-to-it task as they picked an unsung hero as their class (and National US competition) project. Chosen was Irena Sendler from a one paragraph mention in Newsweek Magazine. Their instructor cautioned that it might be difficult to find information since there was virtually little in the Magazine about her, other than her name and that she'd saved some Polish Jewish children in WWII. What a story that develops!!! If you are interested in heroism in action, you won't be disappointed on either side of the story as the girls begin to flesh out who the woman was and how she did what she did.

I stumbled across this book by accident and it has affected me deeply.In today’s ‘me first’ world I read with growing astonishment of the incredible bravery of Irena Sendler and so many other people in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation in World War Two who risked everything for strangers often against seemingly insurmountable odds.As a grown man of 64 I’m not ashamed to admit I wept openly on many occasions as I read this book.The three Kansas schoolgirls whose journey of discovery forms the backbone of the book are to be commended for their work in bringing this incredible story to public attention. However, the central character of Irena Sendler dominates this book with her astonishing bravery, selflessness and humility which she displayed to her dying day.Irena Sendler would not want any praise lavished on her personally but would rather you read her story and it made you aware that down to this day similar atrocities are being carried out across our planet, with, as always, children being the main victims.Please read this book to your children and your children’s children in the hope that the lessons of The Holocaust are never forgotten and that they too may aspire to do altruistic acts on both a small and large scale to make this world a better place.

My interest was sparked by a Facebook post with a black & white photo. The book starts in 1999 in Kansas with a high school project by 3 girls from very different backgrounds. They have only a paragraph about Irena & begin looking for more information. It then jumps back to 1939 & charts the changes in Warsaw & the setting up of the Jewish ghetto through the eyes of Irena, a Polish, Catholic, social worker. Incredibly moving, gripping, inspirational & traumatic story of courage challenging cruelty & hatred. It inspires changes in the lives of the girls & causes waves of positive change across different parts of the world. An amazing book & with profound effects.

I read a little about Irena Sendler on the net and was really keen to read the book. Irena's story is compelling, amazing and heartbreaking and one that everyone should know about. I found the format of the book a bit frustrating - it is split into three sections, two of which heavily focus on the lives of the students and is more about 'their play' and subsequent events. I also felt the authors tried to cram in every piece of information of what they did and buy the time I had finished the very long third section I had almost forgotten the extreme emotion and tears experienced when reading Ireana's story in the middle. One other thing that bugged me is I felt there was a lot of American ownership going on and talking about 9/11 etc but like it says in the book (several times ++)we would know about this amazing lady otherwise. I've given 4 stars as I feel this is reflective on the writing style and authors as opposed to the story but I would definately recommend reading it.

The bravery of Irena Sendler and what she and her friends endured is incomprehensible but only part of the book is devoted to this. More than half is the story of the Kansas schoolgirls who wrote and performed the play about it. Perhaps I should have read the description of the book more carefully but I was hoping for something more biographical.

This is one of those wonderful books that is well written, a piece of history, and thought provoking. The horrors of the Warsaw ghetto are vividly portrayed, making one question human nature at its core. When the chips are down, man will do anything to survive. The picture painted of wealthy Jews versus poor Jews within the ghetto is both fascinating and sad. The treatment of Jews generally by the Nazis is horrifying, a repetition of other stories with the same bottom line :survival of the fittest in its broadest sense. Throw in the toss of a die with regards to random exterminations, and life becomes extremely fragile.Through all this depravity, there is a shining beacon of light. Good versus evil, against all odds of success.This book is truly compelling. I couldn't put it down. From the Kansas school children! to Irena herself, this book is not to be missed!