CANDLES Museum tells story of Holocaust survivors

What this episode covers

The CANDLES museum in Terre Haute celebrates its 30th anniversary this week. Founded by Holocaust survivor Eva Kor, CANDLES, or Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors, “strives to be a premier institution seeking progress in the creation of a world free from prejudice, hatred, and genocide.”  Kor and her twin sister, Miriam Zeiger, endured medical experiments by Dr. Joseph Mengele, the infamous “Angel of Death, as children at the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944, where their parents and older sister died.  "Within 30 minutes my whole family was ripped apart and all died, except for Miriam and me, who were used as human guinea pigs by Dr. Mengele," Kor said in 2017. Read more: Eva Kor’s story Kor went on to champion forgiveness for those who carried out the Holocaust atrocities. And beginning in the 1970s, she began dedicating her life to education people about the Holocaust and sharing survivors’ stories. And in 1995, she founded the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center. For more than two decades, she lectured about her experiences and guided tours at the museum. She returned to Auschwitz on numerous occasions, leading groups that could share what they had learned with their students and future generations. CANDLES still continues these trips to Auschwitz each year in honor of Kor, who died in July 2019 during an overseas trip to Poland for the museum. Read more: Holocaust Survivor, CANDLES Founder Eva Kor Dies At 85 Kor’s husband, Rachmiel “Mickey” Kor, was also a Holocaust survivor, spending four years in Nazi labor camps, including Buchenwald. He died in 2021. Their son, Dr. Alex Kor, is carrying on their legacy as a member of the board of directors at CANDLES. He recently authored the book, “A Blessing, Not a Burdan,” which details the experiences of his parents.  On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss Eva Kor’s role in sharing the stories of Holocaust survivors and founding the CANDLES museum, the importance of remembering the Holocaust, the rise of anti-semitism and more. Join us on the air by calling 812-855-0811 or toll-free at 1-877-285-9348. You can also send questions for the show to [email protected].   You can also record your questions and send them in through email.  Guests Dr. Alex Kor, son of Eva and Mickey Kor, and author of author of the book “A Blessing, Not a Burden” which documents his parents’ story. Troy Fears, Executive Director, CANDLES Museum