Eva Kor, where do I even begin? Eva Kor is a holocaust survivor, to say the least. Eva Kor is, in my opinion, one of the bravest and most inspirational people of all time. I know that's a huge statement to make but hear me out. She has gone through the worst of the worst and is still standing strong, still smiling and making people smile.
Recently, I had the opportunity to go see her speak at my college. This was a once in a lifetime event and I was not going to miss it. I had first heard of Eva Kor by watching a video that had popped up on one of my social media pages a while back.
It was her talking about her experiences throughout the entire holocaust. Not only was it about what went on but she talked about what life was like years and years after she was free.
When I went to go see her speak, she said exactly what the video above said and a little more. But to see her in person talking about it and to see the emotion was something else. The entire time I was thinking about how incredibly strong this woman and so many others were. There were things she said that really got me thinking and that stuck with me, like her life lessons.
Listening to Eva Kor speak was so eye-opening and inspirational.
One of the things that inspired me and ended up sticking with me was her life lesson of never giving up. She taught the audience to never give up and never lose hope. If a little kid can have the will to fight and survive and make it out of Auschwitz alive then we can get through whatever life throughs at me. I was inspired by this and will now begin to work harder and not give up so easily on things I want so badly.
I was inspired to forgive all those who have ever done me wrong. I was inspired to let go of any negative feelings I may have for anyone or any situation. She said that forgiving your enemies will heal your soul and set you free.
Eva said that the cure to feeling like a victim is forgiving those who made you feel that way. She also said that you don't have to forgive them in person but as long as you feel you can say that you forgive them and mean it, you'll be healed.
Eva speaks out about what she went through not only to help people understand how bad the Holocaust really was or to help people move on from traumatic times in their lives but to prevent prejudice. She said the prejudice is pre-judging somebody.
She wants to make a change and stop that. Eva said you should only judge people for their actions and content of their character.
She taught us to love our family because you never know when you may see them again, or when the last time with them is the last time. Her entire family was ripped away from her and she never got to see them again. She never even got to bury her twin sister after she had passed.
You could tell through her emotions when she was talking about her sister that the bond they had was unbreakable, and I think that this is something that the entire audience could see and feel.
Eva also taught us to be the change, and that we all have a part to play in repairing and reshaping the world. During the Q&A, I believe, she had mentioned that schools don't include everyone in things and that isn't okay. She wants us to be the change and include and accept everyone for who and what they are.
I really felt touched by Eva's passion for her work and her devotion to helping others and by breaking the cycle of being a victim.
I was very moved when she was talking about the other victims and how they don't all support her decision to forgive the Nazi's and Josef Menegele. She had mentioned in her speech that 12 of them had come to one of her appearances and they all sat in the front row and turned their backs to her.
If Eva can go through such an awful life from such young age, lose all her family, almost lose her life and still find a way to make something good out of it, then I can find the good in the bad things that happen to me too.
After her speech I got the chance to get both of my books signed and I got the opportunity to take a picture with her, and the entire time she was meeting with people after pouring her entire heart and soul out, she was still smiling.
Eva Kor is an inspiration to so many across the globe and will continue to be long after she dies.. I believe she has a message and lesson that needs to be learned for everyone who listens to her story.
