News & Updates

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ANNOUNCEMENT:

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Warsaw Conference and More

Norm will be speaking at the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust, the 23rd International Conference in Warsaw, Poland this week. On Sunday he will present on a panel dealing with Teaching the Holocaust in the classroom. He also will be sharing the stories of unsung heroes and the powerful Life in a Jar/the Irena Sendler Project.

A highlight of the week in Warsaw will be an afternoon tour on August 18th to the town of Otwock. Otwock was the town where Irena Sendler grew up and it has an orphanage where she hid children during the Holocaust. Norm will be visiting the town and orphanage with Renata Zajdman, Elzbieta Ficowska (both saved by Irena) and Dr. Mel Goldberg, who is a child survivor. We believe this is the first visit back for Dr. Goldberg. Powerful!!

The latest issue of Visions magazine has a great story on Irena Sendler and the kids from Kansas.

Our 2011 Irena Sendler Award winner from the U.S., Lee Holder of North Carolina, recently traveled to Poland and met Anna Kloza, the 2008 Irena Sendler Award winner from Poland. Lee is active in writing lesson plans on the Holocaust.

The Life in a Jar family spent Sunday afternoon at the home of our wonderful friends, Bruce and Gayle Krigel of Kansas City. The Krigels host the students and families each year and everyone has a beautiful time. Good friends, Howard and Ro Jacobson, John and Jenny Isenberg, Merilyn Berenbom and others were present to experience a time of relaxation and the sharing of projects, including the latest on the Irena Sendler project. The names listed above have been with the project for a decade.

‘Life in a Jar’ Book Receives Honor

Life in a Jar:The Irena Sendler Project has been selected as a 2011 Kansas Notable Book. This award, presented by the Kansas Center for the Book, honors 15 outstanding titles by Kansas authors or about Kansas. The book will be honored by the Governor and others in Topeka, Kansas this September.

Presentations, Survivors Conference and National History Day

Norm enjoyed sharing the Irena Sendler story, Life in a Jar and the Lowell Milken Center For Unsung Heroes in History, to a wonderful audience in West Long Branch, New Jersey. The emails from the audience were most appreciated and echoed our belief that one person can change the world. Thanks Angela Natenzon and the great group of volunteers who made the stay so enjoyable.

We have a big announcement coming(more on this later)!!!!!

We are looking forward to the World Federation of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants conference in Warsaw this August. Stefanie Seltzer, Rene Lichtman and many others are working to make this conference present a powerful statement.

Congratulations to the five Fort Scott projects that competed at the National History Day national competition this week. Three of the projects came in 4th, 7th and 10th in the nation. Life in a Jar was originally a National History Day project.

Cathy Gorn and the NHD staff continue to offer learning opportunities in this great program to close to a million students each year. The 4th place winner was based on the story of Hiram Bingham IV and his work using visas to save Jews during the Holocaust.

May News

Irena Sendler fact: Irena Sendler took the name, Klara Dambrowski, to protect her identity after her clandestine release from Pawiak prison.

Norm Conard (teacher and project director) will be giving a presentation on Irena Sendler and the Life in a Jar story Thursday night, June 2nd in Marlboro, New Jersey. The event will be sponsored by the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Monmouth County. The event location is 1213 Monmouth Road, West Long Branch, NJ and time is 6:30 PM. Contact person is Angela Natenzon- 917.608.6977- anatenz@aol.com

The World Federation of Jewish Survivors and Descendants of the Holocaust conference will be held in Warsaw, Poland, on August 19-22. The conference will be at the Marriott Hotel.

Watch for presentations involving teacher and/or students from Life in a Jar. Future Life in a Jar presentations throughout the next year will be in San Diego, Kansas City, Nashville and Naples, Florida.

We have been receiving numerous emails this morning about the tornado that hit Joplin, MO. Most everyone in Fort Scott has friends and family in the Joplin area. The parents of Life in a Jar cast member, Ellie Perrey, had major damage to their business. Our thoughts and prayers are with those in the path of this destructive storm.

3rd Anniversary of Irena’s Passing

Three years ago today, Irena Sendler passed away. Her light continues shining in the darkness. We remember her wonderful, caring personality, and her concern for people in this world. She was a giant of our time.

The Life in a Jar cast presented in Lincoln, Nebraska last week. Thanks to Nancy Intermill and many others for making these presentations possible.

We also thought you’d like to know that the Life in a Jar/the Irena Sendler Project book, won one of the Eric Hoffer Book Awards. It was one of the winners of THE DA VINCI EYE, an award given for superior cover artwork. Congratulations to Jack Mayer’s friend, book designer, Winslow Colwell.

The Play, The Street, The Book

The Life in a Jar presentation this past Saturday evening at Cottey College, in Nevada, MO, was wonderfully attended.

The audience was enthusiastic and engaged in the performance. We thank President Judy Rogers, her excellent staff, and the college students who assisted with the stage. Also, we give a special thanks Kris Korb of Cottey College. A large audience shared in the presentation by cast members: Megan Felt, Jaime Berndt, Patricia Schafer, Theresa Schafer, Joseph Fischer and Mary Fischer. Three of the four Life in a Jar founders were present at this performance, besides Megan Felt, Sabrina Murphy and Jessica Ripper were present.

Irena’s story continues to impact people worldwide and make a difference in their lives.

Yad Vashem

We salute Yad Vashem and appreciate the materials from Elzbieta Mundlak and Yad Vashem. The books and materials will be used to share Holocaust education across America. Elzbieta is a child survivor and long time friend of Life in a Jar.

Irena Sendler Story in New Jersey

What a wonderful audience in Freehold, New Jersey; those attending showed wonderful admiration for the story of Irena Sendler and Life in a Jar. The program was a part of the Jewish Women’s Day at the Freehold Jewish Community Center. The event was to celebrate the power of one person to change the world. We send out a big thank you for their hospitality to Tova Chazanow, Rabbi Chazanow and Rabbi Avraham Bernstein, plus many others.

Great New Projects

For some new and exciting unsung hero projects, see www.lowellmilkencenter.org and look in the lower left hand corner of the home page for streaming video. Five projects can be viewed. Megan and the education center continue to produce projects that make a difference, just like the Irena Sendler Project.

Yom Kippur

For our many Jewish friends, we observe Yom Kippur. This Day of Atonement is one of the most significant Jewish holidays.

ANNOUNCEMENT

BE WATCHING FOR NEW PERFORMANCES IN 2023