Eva Mozes Kor, a Holocaust survivor who brought her message of resilience and forgiveness to countless Porter County eighth graders over the years, has died.

Kor, 85, died Thursday while visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp while with an entourage from the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center, which she founded in Terre Haute, Indiana, according to a statement on the museum’s website.

Kor and her twin, Miriam, survived inhumane experiments done on twins by Nazi doctor Josef Mengele at Auschwitz after the two were taken from their mother at age 10 when they arrived at the concentration camp.

“But rather than allowing the darkest moments of her life to define her, she moved forward headfirst into a life of purpose,” the museum statement noted.

Kor’s most recent visit to Northwest Indiana was in November, when she spoke to a standing-room-only crowd at Harre Union on the Valparaiso University campus.

At the time, she declined to comment on national events when questioned about a rise in nationalism and anti-immigration polices.

“I do not get involved in politics,” she said then to applause, later explaining herself further, citing the nonprofit status of CANDLES, which she didn’t want to jeopardize. “If I say I support or lean to one side, someone will get angry with me. I do have an opinion, and I’m entitled to keep it private.”

Kor’s visit to the university was sponsored by VU, the Valparaiso International Center, and Valparaiso’s Human Relations Council, and was meant to bring her message to an audience beyond the community’s eighth graders, said Duane Davison, founder of the international center.

Kor, said Davison, gave life to the abstract, historic concepts of World War II and the Holocaust, particularly for the eighth graders who saw her speak over the years, many of whom returned to see her at the university.

“They won’t necessarily remember a single phrase but they will remember the impact of her messages,” he said, adding bringing Kor to the university was one of the most important contributions made to the community by the international center.

Kor had a medical emergency a couple of days before her visit to VU but that didn’t slow her down during her visit.

“We spent the entire day with her and she was as feisty and relevant as ever,” Davison said, admitting he chuckled over her last tweet, on July 3, about getting chicken McNuggets at a McDonald’s near Auschwitz, because her lunch request while she was in Valparaiso was for the same.

He finds symbolism in the fact that Kor died while on a trip to Auschwitz.

“Of all the places she could’ve passed away, how interesting it was she passed there,” he said.

Heath Carter, the former chair of the Human Relations Council, also noted Kor’s lasting legacy.

“Around the world people are mourning the passing of Eva Kor because her message of enduring love and forgiveness — in the face of even the most insidious hate — speaks to us all,” he said in an email. “We in Valpo were fortunate to hear from her this past fall and will be reflecting upon her powerful legacy for years to come.”

Over time and in the different places she’s lived, Robin Damsky, rabbi at Temple Israel in Gary’s Miller neighborhood, said she’s met many Holocaust survivors, including those who, like Kor, made it their life’s work to teach and speak about their experiences.

Their numbers are dwindling over time, she said, and so is their ability to bear witness against those who deny the Holocaust ever happened.

“Every loss of a survivor is a loss of a period of that time,” she said.

Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a statement Thursday about Kor.

“Everywhere she went, Eva brought light into darkness and provided comfort to those in pain unlike anyone we’ve ever met,” he said.

“From her against all odds survival as a young girl in Auschwitz to her peace spreading message based from home in Terre Haute, Indiana, her relentless and optimistic example inspired the world. Her angelic spirit will live on in the countless souls she saved from ongoing confusion and torment.”

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.