Irena Sendler was an influential figure in the Jewish community. In 1942 and 1943 he saved the lives of more than two thousand Jewish teenagers. “In Poland she is affectionately known as the “mother of the children of the Holocaust”. She was a Polish, Roman Catholic nurse and social worker. Even though she was not Jewish, she felt obligated to help them escape. He once said, "If you see a man drowning, you must try to save him, even if you can't swim." He believed that Hilter's actions were inhumane. Irena Sendler was born on February 15, 1910. She was born as Irena Krzyzanowska. His parents were Stanislaw Krzyzanowski and Janina Kryzanowska. She was born in Otwock, a small town about fifteen miles from the Warsaw Ghetto. His great act of heroism was greatly influenced by his father. He was a Polish socialist. His patients were mainly poor Jews. When the Nazis, ruled by Hitler, built the Warsaw Ghetto, many Poles ignored the fact that senseless killings were taking place in their community. Some even praised Hitler for this. Although the actions of the Nazis did not directly affect Irena Sendler and her family, she still defied the Nazis and saved over two thousand Jewish teenagers. He succeeded by clandestinely taking the children out of the ghetto in which they found themselves. Over the course of a year, he found non-Jewish families to adopt the children and safe havens where they would not be found. “At the time, Irena was a senior administrator in the Warsaw Social Welfare Department, managing canteens in every district of the city.” The soup kitchens provided clothing, medicine and money for the children. In order to remain in the cafeterias, children had to register under... middle of paper... Irena Sendler was honored for her courage many years later. She was honored by national Jewish organizations in Jerusalem and was even awarded Poland's highest award, the Order of the White Eagle in Warsaw. Irena Sendler was an extraordinary woman, endowed with extraordinary strength, courage and selflessness. Without her those 2,500 children would most likely have been killed. Irena Sendler died on May 12, 2008, at the age of ninety-eight. She will always be remembered as a heroine. Works Cited "Irena Sendler". Moral Heroes RSS. Np, nd Web. December 12, 2013. "Quotes About Life in a Jar." By Jack Mayer. Np, nd Web. 12 December 2013. "Irena Sendler." House. Np, nd Web. 11 December. 2013.