While listening to the incredible program that was last month’s Yom HaShoah Holocaust Commemoration 2025 at Congregation Temple Israel, I thought I had heard all the stories one could hear about surviving the Holocaust.
I was wrong.
The featured speaker, Erika Schwartz, shared a story that stunned the room into silence—a raw tale of survival, sacrifice and second chances. Her words have stayed with me—not only because of the pain they carried but because of what they said about legacy. About what it means to grow up as the child of survivors and how I knew nothing of what that meant. About how that generation’s survival isn’t the end of the story.
Which brings us to Alex Kor.
When Kor takes the stage at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum Auditorium on Sunday, June 22, he’ll carry the weight—and the hope—of two lives shaped by unimaginable trauma. The son of Holocaust survivors Michael and Eva Mozes Kor, he is the author of “A Blessing Not a Burden,” a deeply personal book about survival, forgiveness and the lessons passed from one generation to the next.
His family’s story begins in the darkest chapters of the Holocaust. His father, Michael Kor, was imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps before being liberated by U.S. troops. His mother, Eva Mozes Kor, survived Auschwitz and the medical experiments of Josef Mengele. Yet Eva became known not only for her survival—but for her controversial decision to forgive.
Why this event matters
Understanding the nuances of Eva’s message—and why her son, Kor, continues to share it—adds vital context to what you’ll hear. Her philosophy of forgiveness stirred debate in Holocaust remembrance circles. She saw forgiveness not as absolution, but as a path to healing.
“Forgiveness for my mother wasn’t about absolving the Nazis of their crimes,” Kor said. “It was about freeing herself from the weight of hatred.” In his book, he reflects on how her journey reshaped his own view of trauma and resilience.
“My mom did not actively choose to forgive. There was no preconceived formula that resulted in forgiveness,” Kor continued. “Rather, there was a series of events that happened to her, and as a result of destiny and fate, she took a journey to heal which ultimately led to forgiveness. She was freed physically on January 27, 1945, but she was not free emotionally until January 27, 1995.”
Kor describes his parents’ experiences as a gift—one that shaped his values and view of humanity. As a child, he rejected the idea of blaming an entire nation for its history. “As a child of two Holocaust survivors, if there is one thing that I have learned, it is to never discriminate against someone based on their nationality,” he said. That belief, rooted in his parents’ legacy, has guided him ever since.
Event Details:
Who: Alex Kor, author of “A Blessing Not a Burden”
What: A talk on Holocaust remembrance, resilience and his family’s legacy
When: Sunday, June 22, 2025
Where: St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum Auditorium
