Tenacious survivor strives to teach.
By Sue Loughlin
Terre Haute may seem like an unusual place for a Holocaust museum, but then, the city has something no other community in the world has: Eva Kor.
As an Auschwitz survivor and founder of CANDLES Holocaust Museum, Kor's tenacity, fervor and tragic experiences have made the museum a reality - not once, but twice.
She opened the first CANDLES Holocaust Museum in 1995 as a way to help eliminate hatred and prejudice from the world and educate others about the Holocaust.
"The root of all evil is prejudice and hatred," she said. "If not checked and prevented, it does, and can, and will create other world tragedies."
The museum "is a source of pride for Terre Haute," Kor said. There are only 40 Holocaust museums in the world, and Terre Haute has the only one dedicated to children, she said.
As a child in Auschwitz, Kor and her twin sister, Miriam, were selected for medical experiments by the notorious Dr. Josef Mengele.
Kor's husband, Mickey, also is a concentration camp survivor, and he provides tours of the museum and firsthand accounts of Nazi atrocities during World War II.
Through the museum, the Kors hope that the lessons of the Holocaust will continue to be taught to future generations.
The Kors had to overcome adversity again when on Nov. 18, 2003, an early morning fire gutted the museum. Authorities said the blaze was intentionally set, probably when an arsonist tossed a brick through a window and used an accelerant to start the fire.
Eva Kor vowed to rebuild, and the community overwhelmingly responded to the arsonist's act of hatred by raising more than $300,000 to build a new museum, which opened in April.
The new, 3,770-square-foot facility includes a lecture/exhibit hall and a library/conference room. It is filled with mounted posters, exhibits, art and information about the Holocaust.
The entrance has six windows that symbolize the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust. The windows have lights above them that when shining at night, appear like candles.
The building also has two sets of 11 windows, which represent the 11 million people killed during the Holocaust, including Jews and other groups. At night, the windows also look like lighted candles.
The museum attracts many visitors from the Wabash Valley, as well as beyond.
On July 12, LaJuana and Karl Nipple, and Karl's sister, Janice Iahn, visited the museum for the first time.
While the Nipples live in California, they spend a lot of time visiting Terre Haute, where Karl was born and raised.
"I think it's wonderful they built this museum," LaJuana Nipple said. "I really believe that children should be taught what has happened in the past so it won't happen again in the future."
She's surprised that Terre Haute has a Holocaust museum, which she described as a community "treasure."
Iahn of Terre Haute agreed. "This is really a special place and I'm so in awe of Mr. and Mrs. Kor," she said.
The museum carries another important message, that of forgiveness, said Ann Rider, who is on the museum board of directors. In 1995, Kor forgave the Nazis for what they did to her.
"No, you don't forget the damage done to you, but the only way you can heal is to forgive" and work hard to eliminate prejudice and intolerance, Rider said.
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Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza |
| Survivor: Eva Kor, Auschwitz survivor and founder of CANDLES Holocaust Museum. |
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CANDLES FAST FACTS
FUNDRAISING LECTURE: Eva Kor will conduct a fundraising lecture Sept. 25 to benefit the CANDLES Holocaust Museum.
The lecture event will be 4 to 6 p.m. in the Indiana Theater, Seventh and Ohio streets. Cost is $10 per person.
Kor's topic will be "Echoes from Auschwitz: My Journey to Healing."
She'll lecture for about an hour, and then the public will have opportunities to ask questions or share their personal experiences about the healing power of forgiveness.
Kor said the event is intended for families and will give parents and children an opportunity to be together when they hear her speak.
ABOUT CANDLES
Location: The CANDLES Holocaust Museum is at 1532 S. Third St.
Hours: The museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Admission: Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
Administrators: Eva Kor is the founding director, and Carole
Hollingsworth is executive assistant.
Contact: CANDLES can be reached at (812) 234-7881. It is online
at www.candles-museum.com