From Irena:

I am very happy that the girls found good places to study and they are happy with their choices. Also it is a big joy for me to hear that Mama Megan (Debra Stewart) is much better. The spring must be beautiful at your place, but believe me it is also incredible here. Especially the chesnut trees are adorned with pretty white candelabras of flowers and the smell of the lilac reminds me of so many springs in my life.

Howard and Ro Jacobson did it again, providing more scholarships at the Uniontown High School Senior Awards Night.

Three Uniontown seniors received $500 scholarships for diversity projects they have completed and two students received $1,000 scholarships for diversity projects and work on the Irena Sendler Project.  One of the students was in tears, another was so proud her achievement (she had started her high school years homeless), and others shared their appreciation of what Howard and Ro have done.  The high school counselor and school Superintendent both commented last week about the loving care these scholarships display.

Howard and Ro, we salute you.

From Mr. Conard:

What a thrill to share at the National Educator’s Conference in Washington, D.C.  This conference has no equal in American Education.  The Milken Family Foundation is a life changing organization with outreach all over America and the world.  Lowell Milken is an example of one person who repairs the world through thousands of educators and millions of kids.  

Denver was fantastic.  The Holocaust Awareness Institute, headed by Melissa Spence, funded our travel and sponsored our presentations in Denver.  The Awareness Institute is involved in some powerful, world-changing programs and was wonderful to our parents and students.  Melissa Spence is doing some dynamic work as their director and was so involved with our ‘Life in a Jar’ presentations.

Lovely Irena has a message for the holidays:

The New Year is coming. It’s time to think what 2003 was like, to answer the question whether nations and peoples came to proper conclusions about how to make the world better. Unfortunately this has not been happening; quite the opposite – the world is still in a fire of tribal, racial and national wars.

Therefore, I wish for everyone that the coming year 2004 extinguish all conflicts, all flames of war that destroy entire nations, kill thousands of people, also those happenings which harm the most innocent – the children. I wish everybody in the world, everybody dear to my heart regardless of race, religion and descent, to remember during all their actions about dignity of other persons, about their sufferings and needs, to always seek the way to mutual understanding and agreement.

As we finish this year, we need to be full of faith and hope that good will prevail at last.

ANNOUNCEMENT:  THE American Center of Polish Culture founded by Dr. Kaya Mirecka-Ploss IN WASHINGTON, D.C. HAS ANNOUNCED THE 2003 WINNER OF THE JAN KARSKI AWARD OF VALOR AND COURAGE.

On the 23 October in Washington Irena Sendler was awarded the Jan Karski Prize “For Courage and Heart” which is granted by the American Centre of Polish Culture.

Many eminent personalities were present at the ceremony held in Georgetown University where Jan Karski was a lecturing professor.

Dr Kaya Mirecka-Ploss, executive director of the Centre, entertained the guests for lunch in a delightfully decorated hall.

Ms Jolanta Kwaśniewska speaking to the gathered guests remarked: “We live in difficult times fraught with great dangers, but these are beautiful times since such persons as Irena Sendler are among us”.

Those present at the ceremony included professor Zbigniew Brzeziński, president Carter’s national security adviser, who reminded that Poland was the only country in Europe where hiding Jews was punished by death, Daniel Fried – director for Europe and Eurasia in the National Security Council and Jeanne Kirkpatrick – US ambassador to the United Nations.

Norman Conard and his pupils Kathleen Meora, Sabrina Coons and Megan Stewart were welcomed enthusiastically for it was their “Irena Sendler Project” which resulted in the heroic deeds of the winner of the prize becoming known throughout the world. The children who survived thanks to Irena Sendler were represented by Stefania Seltzer of the USA – chairperson of the World Federation of Children of the Holocaust, Renata Skotnicka-Zajdman of Canada and Elżbieta Ficowska – chairperson of the Association of Children of the Holocaust in Poland. It was the latter that was honoured to receive the prize in the name of Irena Sendler.

Mr. Conard says, “”What a wonderful group of people in Des Moines last week-end.  Jody Hramits, Patsy Tobis and the people at the Jewish Community Center are beautiful.  I shared our diversity and tolerance projects and especially Life in a Jar.  Karen helped me and we met just the greatest bunch of people.  The Iowa Jewish Historical Society and the Greater Des Moines Jewish Federation do a grand work.  We were particularly impressed with the outstanding museum and a state of the art theater.  I showed the film Life in a Jar’…. The people were touched and fell in love with the students and Irena.  I must admit, as many times as I have watched the film, I still get emotional when I remember the hugs from Bieta and the beautiful pictures of Irena.  The people of Des Moines are very, very special.”

Our students at Uniontown High School cleaned up at nationals in College Park, Maryland with their diversity history projects.  700,000 students compete nationwide with the state champions going on to the National History Day nationals in Maryland.

A big thank you to all of the newspapers which wrote stories on the project and Irena.  They play a big part in sharing the beautiful story of Irena with the world.  Irena’s story and the good it brings is spreading everywhere.  Suzanne Rozdeba of the New York Daily News was especially helpful.

We are back from the summer tour and continue to be on ‘cloud nine’ about our experiences.