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- Story Listed as: True Life For Adults
- Theme: Inspirational
- Subject: Courage / Heroism
- Published: 12/17/2020
Two Hundred Smiling Orphans
M, from Yorkshire, United Kingdom.jpeg)
On a bright and sunny morning in the early January of 1994 I stood in the tranquillity of Janusz Korczak Square within the walls of Yad Vashem, Israel's famous monument to the victims of the Holocaust, which is perfectly sited near the Jerusalem Forest on the western slope of Mount Herzl (Mount of Remembrance), Jerusalem. I gazed in awe there at a large sculptured statue portraying a bearded man embracing a dozen small children as if he was protecting them from something or someone wicked. I was, in fact, looking at a fine statue standing approximately twice life size and cast in bronze. I learned that it was sculptured in 1978/9 by Russian-Israeli artist Baruch (Boris) Saktsier (1942-2016) who named his creation 'Korczak and the Ghetto's Children'. There was just something about this intriguing statue that encouraged me to try to learn more. What was it doing there? Who was Janusz Korczak? What deeds did he perform to earn a prominent place here at Yad Vashem?
Janusz Korczak, then, was a Polish educator and doctor. He was actually born Henryk Goldszmit, in Warsaw, on July 22nd. 1878 (or maybe 1879 as he was unsure of his birth year). He was also an author of books concerning children. He had worked as a pediatrician at Warsaw's 'Bersohns and Baumans Children's Hospital' and later travelled to Germany's capital city, Berlin, in order to work for the Orphans' Society there where, in 1909, he met one Stefania Wilcznska (1886-1942) ~ or Stefa as she was affectionately known. However Dr. Korczak made up his mind to return to Poland with the intention of setting up an orphanage, the Dom Sierot, for Jewish children in Warsaw and invited Stefa to work with him there. Originally born into the Jewish faith, he became an agnostic later in his life.
Henryk Goldszmit, the author, had decided to use a pseudonym and chose the name Janusz Korczak, inspired by the title of a book that he admired, 'O Janaszu Korczaku i Pieknej Miecznikownie' (Janusz Korczak and the Pretty Swordsweeperlady) by Josef Ignacy Kraszewski.
In early August 1942, Dr. Korczak had in his care, at his orphanage, some 192 children. The establishment had earlier been relocated to the Warsaw Ghetto of a Nazi occupied Poland. On 5/6 August soldiers of the German army arrived at the orphanage to transport all of the children to Treblinka Extermination Camp. Janusz Korczak had been offered sanctuary by the Polish underground organisation, Zegota, but repeatedly refused, preferring to remain with the children to the end. The children were requested, by Dr. Korczak, to dress in their finest clothes and were each allowed a favourite book or toy as a travelling companion. Then Dr. Korczak and Stefa, accompanied by around ten other orphanage staff members, all made their way down to the railway station in five orderly lines and were never seen or heard of again. I have to ask myself, 'Would I have done the same in his place?'
A Polish contemporary of Janusz Korczak, Yiddish writer Joshua Perle (1888-1943), wrote the following words as he witnessed the group marching off (Perle ultimately suffered the same fate as them, having been transported to Auschwitz II - Birkenhau concentration camp one year later).
'Janusz Korczak was marching, his head bent forward,
holding the hand of a child, without a hat,
a leather belt around his waist, and wearing high boots.
A few nurses were followed by two hundred children,
dressed in clean and meticulously cared for clothes,
as they were being led to the altar.
Two Hundred Smiling Orphans
by Alan S Jeeves
Two hundred smiling orphans
Playing in the sun.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Jolly, having fun.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Protected by their master...
Two hundred smiling orphans
Destined for disaster.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Understanding their new ways
Two hundred smiling orphans
Enjoying happy days.
Taught by Janusz Korczak,
Father to them all,
Two hundred smiling orphans
Learning to walk tall.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Trapped within a war
Two hundred smiling orphans
Blind to what's in store.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Timid, weak and shy...
Two hundred smiling orphans
All condemned to die.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Marching down the street,
Two hundred smiling orphans
In the August heat.
Two hundred smiling orphans
In his wake like ducks,
Led by Janusz Korczak
Author of their books.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Transported far away.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Facing their last day.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Taken for a stroll,
Along with Janusz Korczak
Father of their soul.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Arrived at their new place.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Marching on apace.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Alighting from the train
Would they and Janusz Korczak
Ever smile again?
Two hundred smiling orphans
Now their dolor is told.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Their memoir to uphold.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Going on before,
For they and Janusz Korczak
Will smile for evermore.
Two Hundred Smiling Orphans(Alan S Jeeves)
On a bright and sunny morning in the early January of 1994 I stood in the tranquillity of Janusz Korczak Square within the walls of Yad Vashem, Israel's famous monument to the victims of the Holocaust, which is perfectly sited near the Jerusalem Forest on the western slope of Mount Herzl (Mount of Remembrance), Jerusalem. I gazed in awe there at a large sculptured statue portraying a bearded man embracing a dozen small children as if he was protecting them from something or someone wicked. I was, in fact, looking at a fine statue standing approximately twice life size and cast in bronze. I learned that it was sculptured in 1978/9 by Russian-Israeli artist Baruch (Boris) Saktsier (1942-2016) who named his creation 'Korczak and the Ghetto's Children'. There was just something about this intriguing statue that encouraged me to try to learn more. What was it doing there? Who was Janusz Korczak? What deeds did he perform to earn a prominent place here at Yad Vashem?
Janusz Korczak, then, was a Polish educator and doctor. He was actually born Henryk Goldszmit, in Warsaw, on July 22nd. 1878 (or maybe 1879 as he was unsure of his birth year). He was also an author of books concerning children. He had worked as a pediatrician at Warsaw's 'Bersohns and Baumans Children's Hospital' and later travelled to Germany's capital city, Berlin, in order to work for the Orphans' Society there where, in 1909, he met one Stefania Wilcznska (1886-1942) ~ or Stefa as she was affectionately known. However Dr. Korczak made up his mind to return to Poland with the intention of setting up an orphanage, the Dom Sierot, for Jewish children in Warsaw and invited Stefa to work with him there. Originally born into the Jewish faith, he became an agnostic later in his life.
Henryk Goldszmit, the author, had decided to use a pseudonym and chose the name Janusz Korczak, inspired by the title of a book that he admired, 'O Janaszu Korczaku i Pieknej Miecznikownie' (Janusz Korczak and the Pretty Swordsweeperlady) by Josef Ignacy Kraszewski.
In early August 1942, Dr. Korczak had in his care, at his orphanage, some 192 children. The establishment had earlier been relocated to the Warsaw Ghetto of a Nazi occupied Poland. On 5/6 August soldiers of the German army arrived at the orphanage to transport all of the children to Treblinka Extermination Camp. Janusz Korczak had been offered sanctuary by the Polish underground organisation, Zegota, but repeatedly refused, preferring to remain with the children to the end. The children were requested, by Dr. Korczak, to dress in their finest clothes and were each allowed a favourite book or toy as a travelling companion. Then Dr. Korczak and Stefa, accompanied by around ten other orphanage staff members, all made their way down to the railway station in five orderly lines and were never seen or heard of again. I have to ask myself, 'Would I have done the same in his place?'
A Polish contemporary of Janusz Korczak, Yiddish writer Joshua Perle (1888-1943), wrote the following words as he witnessed the group marching off (Perle ultimately suffered the same fate as them, having been transported to Auschwitz II - Birkenhau concentration camp one year later).
'Janusz Korczak was marching, his head bent forward,
holding the hand of a child, without a hat,
a leather belt around his waist, and wearing high boots.
A few nurses were followed by two hundred children,
dressed in clean and meticulously cared for clothes,
as they were being led to the altar.
Two Hundred Smiling Orphans
by Alan S Jeeves
Two hundred smiling orphans
Playing in the sun.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Jolly, having fun.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Protected by their master...
Two hundred smiling orphans
Destined for disaster.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Understanding their new ways
Two hundred smiling orphans
Enjoying happy days.
Taught by Janusz Korczak,
Father to them all,
Two hundred smiling orphans
Learning to walk tall.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Trapped within a war
Two hundred smiling orphans
Blind to what's in store.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Timid, weak and shy...
Two hundred smiling orphans
All condemned to die.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Marching down the street,
Two hundred smiling orphans
In the August heat.
Two hundred smiling orphans
In his wake like ducks,
Led by Janusz Korczak
Author of their books.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Transported far away.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Facing their last day.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Taken for a stroll,
Along with Janusz Korczak
Father of their soul.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Arrived at their new place.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Marching on apace.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Alighting from the train
Would they and Janusz Korczak
Ever smile again?
Two hundred smiling orphans
Now their dolor is told.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Their memoir to uphold.
Two hundred smiling orphans
Going on before,
For they and Janusz Korczak
Will smile for evermore.
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Sylvia Maclagan
02/16/2021Hello again, Alan. I've read your true story again with tears in my eyes. I really returned because I recently saw a movie called "The Promise", which is about the Turkish massacre of the Armenian people. Do you know anything about 12 orphans being saved by the doctor and the journalist, or is it just fiction in the movie? A French ship saves the 12 orphans and quite a lot of adults from a beach at which they arrived, many dying on the way. It's a harrowing movie. Here in Argentina the Armenians have their Remembrance Day for their own holocaust. I shall check, maybe Wikepedia to see about the movie.
Best wishes, Sylvia
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Sylvia Maclagan
02/16/2021Yes, I looked it up and it's a work of fiction. Yes, he should be Saint Janusz, you are right. Terrible times, not only drowned, but raped and tortured, at all ages. I agree that there are always compassionate people who help out in terrible times, even get killed doing it.
Thanks for setting it straight for me. Poor children, being accompanied to the "alter", it's hearbreaking.
Kind regards, Sylvia
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Alan S Jeeves
02/16/2021I think the film you refer to, Sylvia, is based on the Armenian Genocide of 1915 but is a work of fiction set during that terrible time. I know that in reality many people, including women and children, were murdered by drowning. There are reports of children being taken out to sea and thrown overboard. Amid all this horror I am sure there will be instances of heroic saving of lives by compassionate people. In Warsaw Janusz Korczac elected to accompany 'his' children all the way to 'the alter' as Joshua Perle described their pathetic journey. I often wonder why he is not Saint Janusz.
Kind regards, Alan
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Thalassa Brytaye
02/12/2021Excellently educational and so touching. Thank you for sharing this beautifully written piece. Throughout the whole reading I felt as if my heart would burst. This is the line that finally made me cry: "Two hundred smiling orphans/All condemned to die."
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Alan S Jeeves
02/13/2021A very sad poem Thalassa, but a story which needs to be told. There are a good few poems about Janusz Korczac but they all seem to be in the Polish language. Fine as they all are I felt that he and his family of orphans should be remembered in English also. It pleases me a great deal that people wish to read it and it is especially warming when someone feels they need to comment.
Kind regards, Alan
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Sylvia Maclagan
01/29/2021Yes, you're so right. The adults didn't deserve that either, but one feels more sorry for children. It must be difficult to keep a dry eye at the Remembrance Hall.
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Sylvia Maclagan
01/29/2021Hello Alan, I find your story profoundly moving, reminding me of the shocking holocaust of WWII. Indeed, lest we forget. It is so well written that it brought tears to my eyes. What dignity, courage and faith those children and adults must have had. I learned a lot, beginning with the enormous statue that first caught your attention.
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Alan S Jeeves
01/29/2021Sad but true Gracy. The remembrance Hall dedicated to the children of the Holocaust at Yad Vashem is a very moving place to be. It is difficult to believe that it ever happened ~ but it did. Whatever the adults of the time did or didn't do the children were innocent.
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JD
12/27/2020That was heartbreaking and horrifying, but also inspirational and beautifully written. Thank you for sharing this historical true story on Storystar, Alan. Happy short story STAR of the week! :-)
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Alan S Jeeves
12/28/2020Thank you Jd. A story of a sad time in world history ~ lest we forget.
A small error in the poem, stanza 6, line 7. The final word should read Korczak which is spelt wrong. Is it possible for you to correct this for me please? my spellcheck didn't pick this up in my original draft.
Thank you so much, kind regards Alan.
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COMMENTS (7)