Son of Holocaust survivors speaking at Centenary
Dr. Alex Kor, the son of Holocaust survivors, will speak at Centenary on Thursday, November 6, at 11:10 a.m. in the Whited Room. Kor’s presentation, “My Holocaust Legacy: A Blessing, Not a Burden,” is presented as part of the College’s Van Thyn Memorial Lecture series established to honor Holocaust survivors Rose and Louis Van Thyn.
Kor’s talk is made possible by funding from the Rose and Louis Van Thyn Eminent Scholars Lectureship in Holocaust, Oppression, and Democracy. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Kor grew up in Indiana, raised by parents who survived the Holocaust and emigrated to the United States to begin a new life. Inspired by his parents’ strength and optimism in the face of discrimination and terror, Kor collaborated with Graham Honaker to publish A Blessing, Not a Burden: My Parents’ Remarkable Holocaust Story and My Fight to Keep Their Legacy Alive in 2024. Kor’s book tells the story of his parents’ lives and survival and celebrates their lifelong efforts to combat prejudice and hate through education and advocacy.
Much like Alex Kor’s parents, Rose and Louis Van Thyn dedicated themselves to retelling their stories so that people would not forget or repeat the horrors of the Holocaust. Rose Van Thyn was awarded the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at Centenary's 2002 commencement exercises in recognition of her extraordinary community service. The Van Thyn Memorial Lecture Series, established in 2009, provides educational opportunities for Centenary students and members of the surrounding community, with a goal of teaching about the history of the Holocaust, recognizing signs of intolerance, and providing a means for preventing prejudice and hatred.
The Van Thyn lecture series has brought many leading Holocaust scholars to the Centenary campus, as well as the Van Thyn’s son, Nico, whose 2021 lecture drew on his book about his parents, Survivors: 62511, 70726 – Two Holocaust stories, from Amsterdam to Auschwitz to America.
For more information on the Van Thyn Memorial Lecture series, contact Dr. Chad Fulwider at cfulwider@centenary.edu.