Grant Provides Life Lessons to Henry County Youth
A community grant from the Unrestricted Fund was awarded to New Castle Middle School for a convocation to educate middle school students in our community on the need for tolerance, forgiveness, and perseverance. The lesson is very unique and insightful because it is conveyed through the eyes of a Holocaust survivor, Eva Mozes Kor. Mrs. Kor travels around the world speaking about her experience and sharing the lessons she learned from the Holocaust.
Mrs. Kor, also branded prisoner #A7063, tells her story and feelings from a ten-year old perspective, growing up with a loving family, which included two older sisters, a twin sister, her mother and father. At ten, she was suddenly taken from her so-called normal life, placed on a cattle car, prodded down onto a 35’ X 85’ selection platform at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp in Poland where her father and two older sisters disappeared in the crowd never to be seen again. She mentions that no other strip of land has ever witnessed that many children being ripped from their parents.
As her mother clung to her twin daughters’ hands, a Nazi soldier yelled “Twins”. Her mother asked if that was good. The soldier replied “Yes” so she confirmed they were twins only to be pulled away from her two youngest daughters – never to be united again. The selections had been made as to who would live another moment and who would die. Because they were twins, they were subjected to a series of medical experiments that at one point left Mrs. Kor seriously ill. Mrs. Kor’s story although initially very bleak, ended triumphantly for she and her twin sister who persevered and survived the experiments performed on them by Dr. Mengele. She is one of only 200 twins to survive the Holocaust.
This presentation was in conjunction with the study of Holocaust literature such as the Diary of Anne Frank at the 8th grade level and Surviving Hitler at the 7th grade level. Mrs. Kor educates students on the lessons she learned during the Holocaust. She emphasizes tolerance, forgiveness, and tells the students “to never give up.” Her message can be carried by Henry County students for a lifetime. Her presentation was open to other county middle schools – Shenandoah and Tri attended – and to the public as well.
This 2007 grant is the second the Community Foundation has awarded for the Eva Kor presentation – the first grant was in 2005. Gregory Allen, Shenandoah Middle School Principal, wrote the following regarding the Eva Kor convocation:
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for allowing Shenandoah Middle School to attend the Eva Kor convocation. Our students and staff thoroughly enjoyed seeing Mrs. Kor again. She certainly delivers an important message and is an amazing inspiration to our students. Her story is valuable in bringing to life the horrible events of the Holocaust. It is my hope that New Castle Middle School and the Henry County Community Foundation continue to have Mrs. Kor back for years to come.
Holocaust education has been mandated by the Indiana Department of Education. The Eva Kor assembly is memorable for students because this is a rare opportunity for them to see and hear an actual survivor. Students are able to become more emotionally connected to the Holocaust and develop a better understanding of it. This presentation demonstrates the effects of discrimination and encouraged students to be more tolerant of diversity. It is also a reminder to students not to take their freedom for granted.
The Henry County Community Foundation appreciates the generosity of donors to the Unrestricted Fund for Community Grants from which this educational awareness program was funded. Earnings from the Unrestricted Fund are distributed by the Foundation Grants Committee. The Community Foundation evaluates all aspects of community well-being – arts and culture, community development, education, environment, health and human services – and awards grants to select projects twice a year during the spring and fall grant cycles.
