Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project

Megan is the second person to join the project. Unlike Liz, Megan comes from a wealthier farming family and is considered to be a diligent, overachieving student. That said, Megan identifies with the play for her own reasons, particularly after her mother develops, and eventually passes away from, cancer. Megan is more emotional than Liz; as a result, she plays one of the mothers, Mrs. Rosner, in the play. Megan graduated from Pittsburg State University and continues to remain heavily involved in the Irena Sendler Project.

Sabrina is the last of the original trio to join the project. She’s an older student who recently moved to the area, and she is brought on by Mr. Conard in order to help guide the two younger students. Throughout the project, Sabrina’s cooler head helps to keep the peace between Liz and Megan. Sabrina has her own means of identification with the project, having grown up deeply impoverished with an ailing mother. Sabrina graduated from Kansas State University and has taught preschool and kindergarten.

Mr. Conard, colloquially known as “Mr. C.,” teaches Creative Social Studies at Uniontown High School, which emphasizes participation in National History Day as a core element of the curriculum. Mr. C. directs the project and lends as much help as he can give to it, both academically and personally, as a means of support as much as anything else. In 2007, he left the classroom to found the Lowell Milken Education Center, and he and his wife Karen still work with the original founders of the Irena Sendler Project.

Irena, the focus of the project and the book, was a World War II-era social worker in Warsaw, Poland, who helped rescue more than 2,500 Jewish children from the Nazis. Irena’s parents and grandparents were activists—her father died of typhus contracted while helping impoverished Jewish families, which Irena herself would later do—and she herself frequently encountered resistance for standing up for what was right, even before her actions during the war. Irena was a very humble person; despite her heroism, she insisted on eschewing the spotlight in favor of propping up all the people who helped her achieve her aims, and she continually expressed regret for not being able to save more children. She continued to be mindful and to prepare to help people following the war, and when older, lived modestly, donating any money she received to various charities. She passed away on May 12, 2008.

Irena Schultz, the other Irena, worked with Irena Sendler as a social worker, although Irena Schultz was her boss. Unlike Sendler, Schultz had an intimidating reputation prior to the war; like Sendler, though, she was conscientious, and she assisted her in committing fraud for the benefit of impoverished families long before Sendler began her network.

Jan was the head of the Social Welfare Department prior to the German occupation. He was strict, but secretly sympathetic toward the Irenas’ endeavors, generally turning a blind eye to their efforts and even assisting them behind the scenes. He was eventually drawn in more closely as matters progressed.

Jaga was Jan’s assistant at the Social Welfare Department; she executed the assistance that Jan provided, doing “the dirty work” for him, such as providing the Irenas with blank papers. As things progressed, Jaga became a pivotal part of Irena’s network—it was beneath her apple tree that the jars with the lists of names were hidden, and Jaga’s house was frequently the first stop for evacuated children prior to placing them with sympathetic families. Jaga was described as a more free-spirited, bohemian individual who frequented liberal, underground cafés; as a result, she had roots in these networks, as well.

Ewa was a former coworker of Irena, et al., at the Social Welfare Department; however, she was fired for being Jewish. Ewa was a perennially positive person; like Irena, she was a very conscientious, selfless person, as well, doing everything she could to help everyone she could, right up to her own deportation and execution. Irena tried repeatedly to convince Ewa to let her smuggle her out; however, Ewa repeatedly refused, insisting on staying with her family and working to help others as long as she could—her last act, knowing she was to be deported the next day, was to ask Irena instead to find children on her block to save.