Book Talk: “My Holocaust Legacy: A Blessing Not a Burden”

Join us for a moderated book talk discussing Alex Kor and Graham Honaker’s A Blessing, Not a Burden, a powerful and poignant memoir that offers a unique perspective on the Holocaust and its lasting impact. Kor, the son of Holocaust survivors Mickey and Eva Kor, shares his personal journey of grappling with his unusual upbringing, his parents’ legacy, and his mother’s message of forgiveness. This program will delve into themes of intergenerational trauma, resilience, the power of reconciliation, and the ongoing importance of Holocaust education. Whether you’ve read the book or are simply interested in a meaningful discussion, this talk promises to be insightful and thought-provoking. Signed books will be available for purchase.

Originally from Terre Haute, Indiana, Dr. Alex Kor is the son of two Holocaust survivors (Michael and Eva Mozes Kor). He has a B.S. in Chemistry from Butler University and a M.S. in Exercise Physiology from Purdue University. He received his D.P.M. (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine) from the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago. Dr. Kor is a full-time podiatrist for Hendricks Regional Health in Danville , Indiana, and is a Clinical Assistant Professor for Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Knowing the importance of being the son of two Holocaust survivors who have both passed away in the last 5 1/2 years, Alex feels an obligation to tell their stories. Since 1985, he has traveled to Auschwitz more than twenty-five times with his late mother. He is a member of the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center Board of Directors and assisted in establishing an exhibit (Eva Kor from Auschwitz to Indiana) to honor his mother in downtown Indianapolis at the Indiana Historical Society. His new book, released in 2024, co-authored with Graham Honaker, “A Blessing, Not a Burden” chronicles his parents’ lives as well as how they positively impacted him.

Graham Honaker serves as Associate Athletic Director for Development and NIL Strategy at Butler University where he is in his 12th year. He has worked on various campaigns at Butler including the Campaign for Hinkle Fieldhouse and the Butler Beyond Campaign, the largest campaign in University history. He has an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and a master’s degree from Indiana University. He’s previously co-authored three books: The Cinderella Strategy: The Game Plan Behind Butler University’s Rise to Prominence, Unbracketed: Big Time College Basketball Done the Right Way, and A Blessing, Not a Burden: My Parents’ Remarkable Holocaust Story and My Fight to Keep Their Legacy Alive.

Anna Wrobel is an American historian, teacher, poet, Holocaust Studies educator and daughter of Polish Jewish refugees, a rescue partisan mother and Soviet soldier father. Her poetry and essays appear in Cafe Review, Lilith, Off the Coast and Jewish Currents. Anna has two poetry collections, Marengo Street (2012) and The Arrangement of Things (2018). Her work appeared in University of Maine’s Holocaust Human Rights Center’s art and poetry exhibit, Dilemma of Memory, and she’s presented for the Puffin Foundation on Jewish resistance.Anna is a consultant to the Jewish Partisans Educational Foundation (JPEF) and an Advanced Studies Lerner Fellow of the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR). Anna’s poetry and history teaching have been featured at the Maine Jewish Museum, Colby College, Thomas College, UMaine-Augusta, Jewish Community Alliance, USM’s OLLI classes and OLLI Sage Lecture series. Poems from her manuscript Sparrow Feathers: Second Generation/First Person are used by teachers in several U.S. states, Poland, Germany and Israel-Palestine. Anna co-hosted the long-running poetry series, Lowry’s Lodge, with musician/writer Jim Donnelly. Life experiences include theater; artisanal craft; Galilee kibbutz farming (daughter Corinna Shulamit born); Maine mountain homesteading (son Barak Azriel born); construction site foreman; refugee advocate; long-time president of a local teachers’ union; single mom.

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