Members of the Six and Twenty Book Club met at the First Christian Church on March 25.

The program was presented by Mrs. Patti Cook, who selected “Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project” by Dr. Jack Mayer, a writer and pediatrician from Vermont.

During World War ll, Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker from Warsaw, Poland, organized a rescue network of fellow social workers that together saved 2,500 Jewish children from certain death from the infamous Warsaw ghetto.

This book is both the story of Sendler who did incredible and daring rescue work, and also of three high school girls from Uniontown, Kansas, who found her long lost story in 1999 and developed a play to tell the world Irena’s story for a National History Day competition. The project and play was called “Life in a Jar” — as the names of the 2,500 Jewish children that Irena rescued were secretly documented on tissue paper and hidden in jars buried under an apple tree.

Irena fully intended to give these Jewish babies back to their Jewish parents. The jars were aptly called “Jars of Hope.” Unfortunately, after the war, there were very few Jewish parents that survived.

Dr. Mayer’s book not only gives us a history lesson, but also a powerful life lesson about how one person can impact the lives of many.

We were honored to receive an email message from the book author of recognition to the Six and Twenty members for being, “The most ancient book club I have ever heard of!”

Mrs. Cook had shared with the author that the Six and Twenty book club dates back to 1898. Dr. Mayer shared his backstory with us and what propelled him to write this most profoundly beautiful story. He stated he has always been compelled by stories of “rescuers.”

Ms. Karen Buckley, hostess for the meeting, served beautifully decorated cupcakes for the members to take home and enjoy after the meeting.