‘We must never forget.’
Eva Mozes Kor (31/1/1934 – 4/7/2019) was ten years old when she, her parents, her two older sisters and her twin sister Miriam arrived at Auschwitz. Her parents and older sisters were taken to the gas chambers. Miriam and Eva were allocated to Dr Josef Mengele and became part of the cruel human experimentation he carried out on twins.
This is a book for young adults and focusses on Eva’s story of endurance and survival. It starts before Auschwitz, with a happy family in Romania. But antisemitic behaviour and discrimination changed all of this.
What I found particularly moving was that Ms Mozes Kor was able to publicly forgive the Nazis on her own behalf. This, she wrote, was her way of moving on:
‘Forgiveness is a seed for peace.’
While forgiveness was possible for Ms Mozes Kor, it was controversial. Not everyone can forgive such atrocities.
We must never forget these atrocities, the lives lost and destroyed. Ms Mozes Kor devoted much of her life to working for human rights and peace, and for education about the Holocaust. An amazing woman.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Tasmanian Bibliophile @Large 
Forgiveness is a rare commodity in these days of grievances long nurtured and resentments hoarded.
I think that not many people know that it can be liberating.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, Lisa. Grievances are shackles. Some shackles are easier to release than others.
LikeLike
We used to teach a social skills program at our school, simple things like learning how to ask if you can join in a game &c, and it was a very good program, but it didn’t include how to forgive someone. And when kids don’t have siblings, it’s something they don’t know how to do…
LikeLiked by 1 person