Consider the children here at Escola Municipal Janusz Korczak. This school shares a name with a man who dedicated his life to children. Janusz Korczak was more than just a name. He was a Polish Jewish pediatrician an educator and a children’s author. He was known as Pan Doktor or Mr. Doctor.
Korczak was a true champion of children’s rights. He even drafted a children’s constitution in 1919. Imagine a world where children’s voices are enshrined in law. That was Korczak’s vision. This vision makes Escola Municipal Janusz Korczak more than just a school.
Born Henryk Goldszmit in Warsaw in 1878 or 1879 he later adopted the pen name Janusz Korczak. He was unsure of his exact birth date. This was because his father didn’t promptly register his birth. His father was a respected lawyer.
Korczak studied medicine at the University of Warsaw from 1898 to 1904. He became a pediatrician after graduating. He worked at Bersohns and Baumans Children’s Hospital in Warsaw. Later he served as a military doctor during the Russo-Japanese War.
In 1911 Korczak became the director of Dom Sierot in Warsaw. It was an orphanage he designed for Jewish children. He created a children’s republic with its own parliament court and newspaper. This shows his commitment to giving children a voice.
During World War I Korczak served as a military doctor in the Russian Army. Later he served in the Polish Army during the Polish-Soviet War. After the war he continued his medical practice. He defined three basic rights of the child in his 1919 book How to Love a Child. These rights were the right of today the right over their own death and the right to be themselves.
In 1926 Korczak helped the children at Dom Sierot start their own newspaper. It was called the Mały Przegląd or Little Review. During the 1930s he had a radio program where he promoted children’s rights.
When World War II broke out Korczak volunteered for duty but was refused. When the Warsaw Ghetto was created his orphanage was forced to move there. He moved with them.
In 1942 the orphans and staff were sent to the Treblinka extermination camp. Korczak refused sanctuary choosing to stay with his children. He said You do not leave a sick child in the night. He wouldn’t leave them at a time like this.
The children were dressed in their best clothes. Each carried a blue knapsack and a favorite book or toy. Witnesses described Korczak leading them through the ghetto a symbol of love and sacrifice.
Escola Municipal Janusz Korczak stands as a reminder of his legacy. It is a place where children’s rights and well-being should be paramount. Let us carry forward Janusz Korczak’s vision. Let us strive to create a world where every child is respected loved and empowered.