Holocaust Survivor Eva Kor Presents the Power of Forgiveness at the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart Tonight

In addition to the importance of her account of the Holocaust from a historical perspective, Eva's life lessons and her message of survival and forgiveness touch the lives of thousands of people. In 1995, Eva chose to forgive the Nazis in her name only. She decided that they would no longer have power over her life. She describes forgiving the Nazis as an act of self-healing, self-liberation, and self-empowerment; to Eva, forgiveness is not about the perpetrator, not about forgetting. It is one step toward repairing the world by helping victims free themselves from perpetrators and remove anger and hatred.

"I am forever grateful to Shimon Peres for introducing me to Eva Kor, as she exemplifies the healing power of forgiveness," states Mike Fernandez, who came to America as a teenager after his family was forced out of Cuba. "As one of two million Cuban exiles, I have been able to learn, move forward, and free my mind from the pain of the past through forgiveness."

Eva's account of her survival of the Holocaust offers many relevant lessons on the dangers of hate speech and prejudice, and the importance of being an informed citizen. Eva's message of healing reaches around the globe and across social, economic, and cultural boundaries.

In 1995, Eva opened CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, IN, with a mission to illuminate the world with hope, healing, respect, and responsibility through education about the Holocaust. The only Holocaust museum in Indiana, CANDLES is also the only organization in the world dedicated to the memory of the twin victims and survivors of medical experimentation at Auschwitz.

Tonight Eva is speaking to an audience of over 800 people in the Fernandez and Argiz Families Wellness Center at the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami, FL. As the only all-girls school grades preK-12 in the State of Florida, Carrollton serves as the leading advocate for girls' education, believing that single gender schools provide the most powerful, transformative learning environments for students. Carrollton's tradition of excellence in all-girls' education dates back to 1801 and the founding of the first Sacred Heart School in Amiens, France. For more than 200 years Sacred Heart students have been held to the highest expectations and have been encouraged to become confident learners, critical thinkers, and self-starters. Carrollton's all-girls' environment yields rewards that last a lifetime.

The event tonight is made possible by the collaboration of Head Master Olen Kalkus, Mike Fernandez, and the great team of administrators and parents at Carrollton. Head Master Kalkus wanted to bring Eva to the school in order to share her message of survival, hope, healing, and forgiveness with the students and the community: "During these times when anger, incivility, and even violence based on retribution and retaliation seem to be on the rise and turning into the norm of political discourse in our country and the world, it is especially important to hear the message that Eva Kor shares."

For more information about Eva Kor or the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center, please contact Dorothy Chambers at 812-234-7881 or [email protected]. For more information about Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, please contact 305-446-5673.

Media Contact: 
Smilka Melgoza
305-662-2669
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SOURCE Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart