Janusz Korczak - D.R. Henrik Goldshmidth

1878-1942

In 1907, fifty young orphans were settled in a house on Franchishkanska Street in Warsaw, and volunteers were sought for educational work. The first to respond was Stefania Vilchinska followed immediately by Janusz Korczak, a twenty-seven-year-old writer and doctor. Korczak worked in the children's ward at the hospital in Warsaw. He had spent a year as an intern in the clinics of Berlin, six months in Paris and a month in London. While practicing medicine, he began to take an interest in education. It was not enough for him to care for the sick child; he was fascinated by the spiritual world of the healthy child and by the processes of his development. In 1911 Korczak abandoned medicine and became superintendent of the orphanage that had been built according to his plans at 92 Krochmalna street in Warsaw. The orphanage had four stories and two large, airy and well-lit dormitories housing 56 girls and 51 boys. The large hall on the first floor, in the center of the house, served as a dining room and as the venue for parties, cultural and social events. The various rooms were used as "silent" rooms where the children studied, and there were also doll corners, rooms for practicing arts and crafts, sewing, and other activities.

Korczak's approach to education was unique in that it was based on respect for the child, for his needs and desires. Korczak believed that children are finer humans than adults are, and have a richer inner life. The children in the orphanage were responsible for running the home, and they were the ones who set the house rules.

At the start of the First World War in 1914, Korczak left for the front line. In the first year of the war, the Major-Doctor served with the Russian army and was stationed in the field in eastern Prussia. Among his few personal effects, he carried a many-paged manuscript. This was his book, "How to Love a Child". Korczak's "How to Love a Child" is a pedagogic masterpiece of the early twentieth century. Many years later, he was to supplement his philosophy with "The Child's Right to Respect", and subsequently disseminated his ideas using popular methods (amusing pedagogic etc.). But his psychological- pedagogic concept, expressed in "How to Love a Child", never changed.

In 1918 Korczak returned to the orphanage. He returned to his room on the attic, overlooking the front yard, where the children played. During his absence, the orphanage was run by Stefania Vilchinska, who took care to fulfill each and every principle of Korczak's educational doctrine. Vilchinska succeeded in overcoming the hardships of war (supplies, heating, clothing) and managed to run the big house.

In 1934 Korczak visited Palestine, staying for only three weeks, despite his rather pretentious plans: to absorb the past, to find support in reflecting on the present, and perhaps to define a path for the future.

In 1936, Korczak returned to Palestine, this time fore more extended stay. Following his return to Poland, Korczak wrote:" In Eretz Israel, one must observe the comprehensive attempt to resurrect the land, the language, the man, his destiny and his faith. When I was borne aloft in an airplane for the first time, I felt something stronger than amazement, more than bewilderness, excitement, pride and joy. Everything was dominated by the ideas: no man, none of my ancestors, I am the first to have been blessed and to have achieved this, the wish repeated every year in prayer, "Next year in Jerusalem", has now come true. Here ends the exile, this is the return after two thousand years of wandering and persecution.
I have been blessed to have achieved this".

In 1939 the Second World War broke out. The sixty-years-old Korczak awaited mobilization, but his orders did not arrive. The Nazis were already in Warsaw. Korczak organized the defense of the orphanage, guarding at night with the rest of the staff. Miraculously, the orphanage was saved, and the children unharmed. Social life continued as usual: school, work and play. Once a week, as usual, the children were measured and weighed. As if nothing had changed. But the graph depicting the children's weight moved steadily lower.

Late 1940. The many efforts were unsuccessful, as were the attempts by the "influential", and the Germans moves all residents of the orphanage to the Warsaw ghetto.

Korczak became a supplier of food, obtaining good in ways that were nothing short of miraculous.

The borders of the ghetto were redefined, making it even smaller, and the children - always together- moved to Shliska Street. Here, the conditions were even worse. It was unbearably overcrowded, as new orphans kept arriving. The food rations were such that all would starve. The number of children increased to 200, but the doll corner and "silent" corner were kept. The library operated, and there was no chaos. It was as if the children had been used to the place for years; all the activity corners functioned as designated. As always, the children had a sense of home.