Latest news with #CANDLES
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lighting the way: 30 years of CANDLES and Eva Kor's legacy
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — In a small building off South Third Street in Terre Haute, the legacy of Holocaust survivors continues to echo. This year, the CANDLES Holocaust Museum marks three decades since Eva Kor turned her trauma into a mission for education and healing. 'It hasn't been easy over the past thirty years, when you have a fire bombing in 2003, Eva passing away in 2019 and COVID, those types of things make a small non profit challenging but that's what great about being here in the Wabash Valley and being in Terre Haute,' Troy Fears, Executive Director of CANDLES Holocaust Museum said. 'Each time those things have happened, people have rallied around the museum.' Kor, a survivor of the Auschwitz death camp and of the inhumane experiments of Dr. Josef Mengele, founded the museum. The doors were opened on April 30, 1995. The museum became a rare space in Indiana focusing on the Holocaust and her personal journey of forgiveness as Indiana's only Holocaust Museum. 'Eva obviously went through some atrocities during the Holocaust, but she persevered,' Fears said. 'And to be able to tell that story with hope and peace as the elements of that is pretty powerful and still as powerful today as it was thirty years ago,' he added. From student field trips to educational trips to Auschwitz, CANDLES has evolved with the time, reimagining and creating new exhibits like 'Dimensions in Testimony,' where visitors can speak directly to 12 Holocaust survivors, including Eva. WTWO Reporter Jen Thompson sat across from a digital version of Eva Kor while visiting the museum. There she could ask Eva thousands of questions. It's one of the ways the museum keeps Eva's voice and her message alive.' Eva passed away in 2019, but her presence is felt in every corner of the space. From the artifacts she preserved to the stories still being told. 'We're hopeful that for the next thirty years we can continue to evolve and continue to tell her story, and not just her story, but other survivors' stories, so people never forget what happened during the Holocaust,' Fears said. Speaking to Eva through the 'Dimensions in Testimony,' Jen asked, 'What would you like us to learn from your experience?: 'Forgive your worst enemy. Forgive everybody who has ever hurt you. It will heal your soul and set you free,' the recorded voice of Eva Kor said. Thirty years later, CANDLES continues to light the way, one visitor, one story, one lesson at a time. To commemorate the anniversary Candles Holocaust Museum & Education Center is offering 'free' or 'pay as you wish days.' Those dates are Thursday, May 1, Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3 during regular museum hours. The museum is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The late Eva Kor's son, Dr. Alex Kor, will be a guest speaker on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Alex Kor, CANDLES contingent, at 80th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation
Jan. 30—Alex Kor, son of Auschwitz survivor Eva Kor, and Troy Fears, executive director of CANDLES Holocaust Museum, were among those attending a ceremony in Poland Monday marking the 80th anniversary of the death camp's liberation by Soviet troops. "As the son of two Holocaust survivors, Eva and Mickey Kor, of blessed memory, today's ceremony is a strong reminder that unfortunately every day, every month, etc. we lose another Holocaust survivor," Alex Kor said in an email. "And, unfortunately, their voices are even more important now than ever," he said. "Thus, I urge all second, third and fourth generations to continue to tell these stories so the world will never forget." A contingent of 45 people representing CANDLES attended the memorial program, Fears said. Eva Kor founded the Terre Haute CANDLES Holocaust Museum, which opened in 1995. Fears wrote, "Being on the grounds at Auschwitz for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation, we are reminded of the importance of remembrance and education, ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten. Together, CANDLES reaffirms our commitment to fighting antisemitism, bigotry, and hatred in all its forms and to carry Eva Kor's mission of building a world rooted in understanding, compassion, and peace." The memorial event took place under a large tent set up over a gate and railway tracks at the site of the former death camp.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
CANDLES Holocaust Museum observes Holocaust Remembrance Day
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Holocaust Remembrance Day is tomorrow, and the CANDLES museum is doing some special things to honor those. CANDLES is a Holocaust Museum in Terre Haute that was founded by a Holocaust survivor, Eva Kor. After being liberated from Auschwitz and immigrating to the United States, Kor started the museum to preserve the memory of what her, along with countless others, endured. Every year, January 27th is Holocaust Remembrance Day, as the date in 1945 was the liberation of Auschwitz. This will be the 80th anniversary of that liberation and CANDLES is sending representatives to Poland to participate in the International Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony. Back here at home, CANDLES Operations Director Trent Andrews said the day is significant because the museum wouldn't exist without it. Liberation Day is monumentous for us because that is what marked the survival of our founder Eva', Andrews said. 'Liberation Day, on January 27th, is what gave Eva her freedom. Without that Liberation Day happening, this museum would never exist here in Terre Haute.' On Monday, CANDLES is hosting a private tour for a group looking to learn more about the Holocaust. The event will end with a candlelight ceremony. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
