What Irena Did During the Holocaust
Irena realised that she needed some help to be able to save more of these children. "Zegota" was a code name for the Council for Aid to Jews. It was formed by the Polish government. This organization gave Irena support, they gave her money and also forged documents to be given to the children to help support Irena. This gave her chances to help the Jews more. Jews had even more concern as the Holocaust started to become stronger. More and more trainloads of Jews were leaving the Ghettos for Treblinka, a concentration camp. Also many Jews were dying of starvation. I think Irena helped these children because she had compassion.
This is the Zegota Monument in Warsaw, Poland
Soon Irena started to have to try to convince parents into letting their children go into her care. Although it was hard for the parents to give up there children to a complete stranger. It was also hard for them to understand the truth about Treblinka, that it wasn't a place where relocation occurred it was a concentration camp. Another fear was that their children would lose their Jewish beliefs. This was because they would be put into a Christian home, be given a Christian name, and learn Christian beliefs.
This is a picture of Irena giving a Jewish child a new family.
"Irena carried little Elka to safety, and she kept her promise to record the true names and false identities of the children she helped on slips of paper buried in jars under an apple tree in the backyard of her friend and co-worker Janina Grabowska."
Many of the different ways she snuck the children out included having them hide in different containers including suitcases, sacks, and trunks. Another way was to legally be taken out of the ghetto by faking being severely sick. This way they were brought out of the ghetto by an ambulance, and other children were often able to hide in the ambulance somewhere.
This picture shows Irena rescuing one of the many children she has saved.