On Thursday, March 9, HERC partnered with The Challenger Learning Center and WFSU-TV to show a documentary about Eva Moses Kor, a remarkable Holocaust survivor. Eva and her twin sister, Miriam, were 10 years-old when their tranquil life in Romania ended. Along with thousands of other Jews, they were captured by the conquering Nazi troops and carried in cattle cars to the Auschwitz concentration camp in German occupied Poland. As soon as they arrived, Eva’s mother, father, and two older sisters were murdered in the gas chambers.

The film focused on Eva’s incredible story of survival with her twin sister, both of whom were subjects of medical experimentation under SS Doctor Josef Mengele at Auschwitz. After World War II, Eva coped with the pain, trauma, and tragedy of her struggle to survive the horrors of Auschwitz, by making her mission to identify fellow survivors of the eugenics experiments and to tell their collective story.

The process was transformational for Eva, who became a nationally recognized Holocaust survivor and activist for Holocaust remembrance throughout her life. After moving to the United States with her husband, Eva formed CANDLES, the Holocaust Museum and Education Center in small Terre Haute, Indiana. Her goal was to contribute to the empowerment of the world through hope, healing, respect, and responsibility and to shine a light on her story of the Holocaust, the Mengele twins, and other survivors.

The documentary film “Eva: A-7063” won seven regional Emmy awards in various categories. The shortened, 56-minute version was specifically designed for youth, Eva’s target audience during her 40 years of lectures to 1.5 million people worldwide. In the introductory letter for the film’s curriculum guide, Eva wrote: “Above all, I want those who hear my story to always remember and try to live by four important life lessons: 1) Never give up on yourself or your dreams; 2) Treat all people with respect and fairness; 3) Forgive your worst enemy and everyone who has hurt you, it will heal your soul and set you free; and 4) Think of one thing you can do to make the world better.” Eva Kor passed away on July 4, 2019. Her words are timeless and an inspiration for us all.

At the end of the showing, an additional treat for the audience was to hear via Zoom from Eva’s son, Alex Kor. He echoed the messages his mother would have wanted to leave us. He added a message from his father, also a Holocaust survivor: to Have a Sense of Humor about Life. Alex invited us to visit CANDLES, if we ever travel to Terre Haute, Indiana.

This film should be required viewing for all our young people today. Not only because it illuminates one amazing woman’s personal experience surviving the worst human tragedy of all time, but also because it powerfully reminds us that we can never forget it.

I serve on the HERC Board because I am committed to building hope and stopping hate and fulfilling HERC’s mission to educate teachers, students, and the community about the Holocaust. In today’s world, where political cultures can attempt to mandate selective memory at an alarming rate, Eva’s story gains new importance. Now, more than ever, we need more Evas to continue her fight.

Betty Jensen, HERC Board Member