Pune,  Oskar Schindler - who saved the lives of many Jews during the World War II massacre - is well known. Schindler almost became a household name after the release of Steven Spielbergs film The Schindlers List across the world. Little known however - especially to the English speaking world - is Irena Sendler whose work for the Jew children was of at par in magnitude and nobler in character.

Indeed the gap will now be closed with the release of The Other Schindler : Irena Sendler, the English biography of this great social worker, published by Indian publishing house Ameya Prakashan. Written in Marathi by Abhijit Thite and translated in English by journalist and writer Priya Gokhale, the book tells Irena Sendlers inspiring lifestory.

Irena,a christian lady, was born in Poland and saved 2500 jewish children during the second world war.

The Other Schindler : Irena Sendler, was released on Gudhi Padwa in a special function organized in Jerusalem by Yad Vashem - the Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority. The institution has followed a tradition of planting trees at the hands of those who contributed to the cause of the Jews in any manner. The publishers used an imaginative method to release the book by holding the release function in the backdrop of the tree planted by Irena Sendler herself.

Presence H.E. the Polish Ambassador to Israel Ms.Agnieszka Magdziah,, Mrs. Irena Steinfeldt, Director of the Righteous Among the Nations Department, Ms.Rachel Barkai, Director of the Yad Vashem Libraries marked the function which later witnessed a seminar organised by International School for Holocaust Studies for Polish students. Ameya Prakashans Ulhas Latkar, participated in the seminar, and engaged the audience in a dialogue to bring alive the making of Irena Sendlers first biography in the English language.

Translations from English to Marathi are common but rare are translations from Marathi to English. Ameya Prakashan which has always hit upon imaginative ways to bring its publications to people did this with great aplomb in the presence of ambassador of Poland and Director of Yad Vashem,Israel, lending the function a truly international flavour.

The Other Schindler : Irena Sendler - The book

The bloody attempt to wipe out the Jew race during the World War II and atrocities and killing unleashed in the concentration camps is perhaps the cruelest stretch of the world history. While this shame was being cast on humanity, Poland born Irena Sendler saved the lives of 2500 Jew children. Little did she care that she could pay with her life for what she was doing. Her story however did not reach the world as exhaustively as it deserved. Irena Sendler died two years ago.