“Forgive your worse enemy. It will heal your soul,” said Eva Kor within her film. Eva was able to forgive all those involved within the Holocaust, even though she lost her whole family besides her twin sister during the genocide. She founded C.A.N.D.L.E.S., and organization for Holocaust survivors with intentions of brining survivors together. Today, many survivors are not supported of her idea of forgiveness. This was very apparent when the school that funded the twin studies during the Holocaust invited twin survivors so that the school could apologize for the past. This was heartfelt until the school official asked for forgiveness from the survivors. Personally, I do not agree with the school. They should not invite and welcome the survivors to their school so that they can apologize, and then ask something from them in return. The survivors were not happy with this request; however, Eva was not afraid to stand up and speak her mind. She had been told for a year that by forgiving means that she is forgetting. She explained that forgiveness does not mean forgetting. For Eva, forgiveness is not about others but rather about the self. By giving forgiveness, she is able to close that door in her life and move on to the next door. Many of the other survivors are not able to have that closure because they still live daily with the anger and trauma.
I live less than 30 minutes from Terre Haute, Indiana, and I had heard of her C.A.N.D.L.E.S. Museum, but I have never been there. I could not remember how I had heard about it until I watched her film. I remember the new articles regarding to burning of her museum. I never really understand the devastation of it occurring, because I was so young and I did not really grasp what all had happened during the Holocaust. It was heartbreaking to watch the newsreels of the footage because Eva had already been through so much in her life. That Museum was created in the memory of her twin sister, so seeing that building go up into flames was probably very difficult for her. I really like that she said to the news reporter that at the time of the burning she should not think of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not something that can be easily given, especially when there is not time to mourn. Having the opportunity to ruminate on the potential of forgiveness most likely helps the healing process.
I appreciate Eva’s initiative of trying to change the culture of the Jewish traditions. Traditionally, the Jewish belief for forgiveness is not opened to the forgiveness that Eva has given; however, she is working to change that aspect. It takes a lot initiative and strength to go against one’s own cultural beliefs. For myself, it is easy to understand Eva’s forgiveness, but I have tried to put myself in the shoes of her culture and see how it could be difficult to understand. I try my best to not be ethnocentric because I think that forgiveness is something that is familiar within the American culture.
Eva is a great example of assimilation as well. There would have been a huge culture shock when moving from Israel to Terre Haute, Indiana. I have been to Terre Haute many times and I can say that it is its own culture there. I have never been to Israel, but I can imagine it to be much different from Terre Haute. Eva was able to assimilate to the culture even tough the culture was not too opened to her. During Halloween, she would often have pranksters mess with her family and her house in insulting ways. She adjusted to the Terra Haute culture fairly well.
I live less than 30 minutes from Terre Haute, Indiana, and I had heard of her C.A.N.D.L.E.S. Museum, but I have never been there. I could not remember how I had heard about it until I watched her film. I remember the new articles regarding to burning of her museum. I never really understand the devastation of it occurring, because I was so young and I did not really grasp what all had happened during the Holocaust. It was heartbreaking to watch the newsreels of the footage because Eva had already been through so much in her life. That Museum was created in the memory of her twin sister, so seeing that building go up into flames was probably very difficult for her. I really like that she said to the news reporter that at the time of the burning she should not think of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not something that can be easily given, especially when there is not time to mourn. Having the opportunity to ruminate on the potential of forgiveness most likely helps the healing process.
I appreciate Eva’s initiative of trying to change the culture of the Jewish traditions. Traditionally, the Jewish belief for forgiveness is not opened to the forgiveness that Eva has given; however, she is working to change that aspect. It takes a lot initiative and strength to go against one’s own cultural beliefs. For myself, it is easy to understand Eva’s forgiveness, but I have tried to put myself in the shoes of her culture and see how it could be difficult to understand. I try my best to not be ethnocentric because I think that forgiveness is something that is familiar within the American culture.
Eva is a great example of assimilation as well. There would have been a huge culture shock when moving from Israel to Terre Haute, Indiana. I have been to Terre Haute many times and I can say that it is its own culture there. I have never been to Israel, but I can imagine it to be much different from Terre Haute. Eva was able to assimilate to the culture even tough the culture was not too opened to her. During Halloween, she would often have pranksters mess with her family and her house in insulting ways. She adjusted to the Terra Haute culture fairly well.