Janusz+Korczak

toc = = =//__Identity Card__//=


 * Full Name:** Janusz Korczak
 * Parent's Names:** Jozef Goldszmit
 * Year of Birth:** 1878
 * Where Born:** Warsew, Poland
 * Year of Death:** 1942
 * Where Died:** Treblinka, Poland
 * Profession:** doctor, educator, author
 * What he is famous for:** he established a Jewish orphanage in Warsaw, during World War 2.

=//__Rationale__//=

We chose to do our project about Janusz Korczak because he was a great role model. Korczak took care of poor and unfortunate children and adults, and by doing so he showed us how to be considerate of the society around us. We heard about Korczak many times, and because of our estimation to him we decide to learn about him more and eventually to do our project about him.

=//__Article__//=

Janusz Korczak was a doctor, educator and author. He also work at the Polish radio station. His original name was Henrik Goldszmit. Korczak was borne to a wealthy Jewish family, citizens of Warsaw.
 * Janusz Korczak**

When Korczak was 11 years old, his father, Jozef Goldszmit, who was a lawyer, became mentally ill, and was taken to the hospital, where he never came back from. His house was empty for 7 years. His family's economic situation was very difficult. Since then Korczak devoted his time to his studies and to private tutoring lessons that he gave in order to support his family. When he was 18 years old, his father passed away.

Janusz Korczak changed his name from Henrik Goldszmit. Its happened in 1898 after Korczak finish his studies in the Russian school. He decided to take a part in a competition for a play that was written by young people. His creation got an excellent grade. Because of the anonymity of the competition he chose to himself the nickname: "Janash Korczak". Because of mistake of the responsible "Janash" change to "Janusz". Eventually he took that name and turned into his literary name.

Korczak learned in the University of Warsaw. When he was a student, he lived in a poor neighborhood because he past no money to leave somewhere else. There he past to the poor people, the handicapped people, drunks. From then he stared to interested in society. During his studies he also worked in the children's department of the hospital. At the hospital he met children from poor backgrounds because he lived in bad neighborhoods, where poor children lived. He continued to work with children and help them in is adulthood. Korczak learn to be a doctor at a European university. But his thought was that the best way to learn to be a good educator is to live and work with the children, and mostly watch them play, learn and the way they talk to one another.

In 1912, Korczak established a Jewish orphanage, Dom Sierot. There were Jewish children between the ages of seven and fourteen, that didn’t have families. Korczak believed that they could become one family all together, in one building, which he designed to advance his progressive educational theories; He envisioned a world in which children structured their own world and became experts in their own matters. The most famous and great thing that he succeed to build was the court of justice that the children was managed themselves. Every week all the complains and argument, of the children and the staff, were collected. The judges were 5 children who where chosen by the children in the orphanage. This judges judged according to a book of rules that Korczak wrote. The court of justice was used to protect the weak from the bullies, and created a just and equal society.

Most of the time Korczak did not give punishment to the children that judged, his purpose was to educate the children. There were only a few things that children were punished for. Korczak believed that the teachers need to focus on the chilled themselves. To love him and accept them as they are. He believed education has to be done with the cooperation of the child and the educator together. It can't happen that the education will be done without a cooperation of the child. It's necessary to work with the child in all the education process. In edition, the educator must protect the child and his rights.

Korczak was an author. He mostly wrote for children. His first book called "In the Summer Camp", describe the experience of poor Jewish children in a summer camp. He also wrote for newspapers for adults, where he criticized the society and the wayit related to the poor and the weak. Moreover, he was editor of a children's magazine, which only children wrote for. In is orphanage he organized a magazine that the children there wrote.

Unfortunately, the Germans occupied Poland in September 1939. The Warsaw ghetto was established in November 1940, and the orphanage was moved inside the ghetto. Korczak received many offers to be smuggled out of the ghetto, but he refused to escape by himself because he did not want to abandon the children. On August 5, 1942, Korczak joined nearly 200 children and the orphanage staff members that were rounded up for deportation to Treblinka where they were all put to death.

=//__Interview__//=

When I was 11 years old, my father became mentally ill, and he was taken to hospital from were he never retuned. During 7 years my house was empty. Our economic situation was very difficult. Sine then I had to divide my life to two: one to my studies, and second to privet lessons I gave, in order to support and help my family. When I was a little, the idea that I am a son of a crazy man, was very bothering me.
 * 1. When did your father leave you? How did it influence on your life?**

Mostly I wrote for children. My first book called "In the Summer Camp" – It is describe the experience of poor Jewish children in a summer camp. Also I was editor of a children magazine. Is that which only children wrote for.
 * 2. What kind of book did you write?**

In 1898 I finished my studies in the Russian secondary school, I decided to take part in a competition in the name of the pianist Eginazi Phadrbski for a play that was written by young people. My creation got an excellent grade! Because of the anonymity of the competition I chose the nickname: "Janash Korzak" for myself. Because of mistake of the responsible, "Janash" change to " Janusz ". Eventually I took that name and turn it to my literary name.
 * 3. How do you get your name: Janusz Korczak?**

I studied a little in some university in Europe. But I think that the best and trueles way to learn to be an educator is to live and be with the children, and most to watch them playing, learning and the way they talking one to and another. I hung around with poor people and children in slums a lot of time before I opened the orphanage that gave me the ability to understand those children.
 * 4. How do you learn to be an educator?**

I establish ed the orphanage in 1912. There were Jewish children between the ages of seven and fourteen, that didn’t have families; I believed they could become one family all together.
 * 5. When did you establish your Jewish orphanage? And who were the children there?**

I think that we need to focus in the chilled himself. We need to love him and accept him as he is. The education has to be done with cooperation of the chilled and the educator together! We have to protect the respect of the chilled and his rights. We have to be there for the children when they need us. We must not forget that the chilled us in the center.
 * 6. How do you think teach your staff to treat the children?**

I see children as little adults, I believe they have to learn to build a society of there own. They have to be responsible to judge and punish, with out the interference of the adult. The children became experts in their own matters.
 * 7. How do you teach your children?**

Every week we assembled all the complains and argument, of the children and the staff, that accumulate during the week. Then, all the complaints were brought in front of 5 jogs who were chosen by the children and included one teacher. This judges discos in all the complains and judge according to the book of rules that I wrote. The court of justice was use to protect of the weakers from the boils, and created a jested and equal society.
 * 8. How does the court of justice work?**

I was a doctor and author. Once I worked at the Polish radio station. I also was a docent at the Polish university.
 * 9. What did you do other then being the principle of the orphanage?**

In 1933 after the Nazis was in the rule, I join to the activities of the Jewish Agency in Poland. In 20 century, I visit in Israel two times, in 1934 and 1936. I was influenced by the kibbutz movement, I was hosted in "ein charod". Following my trips, I was convinced that all Jews should move to Palestine (Israel).
 * 10. When? Where? And what did you do in** **Israel****?**

I believe that all the world have to live together. All the people with no different of religion, nation or stem. Since I was a chilled I believed that, and I thought of thing that cold fix the world. My grand mother was the almost only person that listens to me.
 * 11. What do you think that the world needs now more then everything?**

=__//Speech//__=

"Many people may wander why a man like me, who could be a doctor or a writer or a professor, has chosen to work with poor and neglected children who have no hope for greatness, well I should tell you, which it is not about greatness it's about love. I love those children and I feel responsible to do what I can for society. I have a offer for you ladies and gentlemen. Try to go out from your fancy neighborhood one day and go to the poor side of Warsaw and see these people sitting in the street totally drunk. You will probably look at them in contempt and think how their drunks and they live from your money and probably neglect their wives and children. Well, it's not right. His drunkenness is caused by his deep sadness because he can't help his wife and child. Could you look at this poor child and not feel pity for him? Well, I can't. I can't walk near this child and not help him. I didn’t arrive accidentally (To the chip side of Warsaw). After my father's death I needed to provide for my family alone and we were very poor. When I wanted to learn in the university I needed to hire a little corner of room in a poor laborer is apartment in the slum area. I lived among men like I described before and I tried to help them as much as I could. I organized educational activities for the children to keep them away from crime and keep them busy with useful activities. During my study I started to work as a doctor in the Jewish children's hospital in memory of Berson-Bawnan in Shliska street I think that this job clause me to the child world. In the years 1902-1903, I worked as a guide in a summer camp for Jewish children. There I think the idea of building a children-institute that work by my dreams and ideals was. In 1908 I joined the Jewish association "orphan aid", I start to work sometimes in the orphanage of the association, where I met my excellent work partner Stefania Vilchinska. This is the moment to thank Stefania for her devoted work, tolerance and patience for my unusual ideas. In 1910, the association decided to build a new building for the orphanage, Stefania and I moved to the orphanage and lived with the children. In that orphanage I implemented my educational theories. I have been asked to talk about my educational ideas. Well, it's not easy to me. It's like summarizing many years of work, but I'll try. First and most important in education are the educators themselves, they always to educate themselves. They always have to watch the child, understand his soul, his problems. You can't be an educator by only academic studying or reading books. You need to live the education, to observe the children and from them learn to be an educator. My educational principles were realized in the way I built the orphanage. I believe that if you want to educate children you have to share the process with them and I realized that in three institutes: "the children parliament"- ten children for year that been chosen by the children and speak for them, "the friends court of justice" there the children could judge one another, their teachers and even themselves, "the polls" that occur sometimes in the orphanage on the situation in the orphanage. Last and most important thin I wish to tell you is the child isn’t the future adult, he is little adult now, he is a person now, never forgot it!"

= = =__Reflection - shahar__=

In my work on Janusz Korczak, I learned a lot about him. I learned about his wonderful and special character. I really appreciate his sacrifice, that he gave himself to society and helped try to change it. Korczak changed people’s attitude to children. He believed in the child, and his ability. He thought that it was necessary to have the child take part in decisions and not to push him off only because he is a child.

I really enjoyed writing the project. It's taught me a lot of things. Not only by Janusz Korczak, but work with a partner, this was sometimes hard but now I can say that it helped to the project be better. Also I learned how to search a substance of one person, and that helped me to improve my English.

I learn a lot from doing the project and I liked that. Janusz Korczak is a great man that every body can learn from him.

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