Hunter Modean’s Trip to a WWII Concentration Camp
And a chance meeting with an Auschwitz survivor
Hunter Modean is a student in my 2019 summer school U.S. History class. He is also someone who after having completed the first three weeks of the six-week course went to Poland with the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus Young Men’s Ensemble.
At one point in their travels, the Chorus visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. After having toured the camp and while walking out, the Chorus by pure luck got a chance to meet Eva Mozez Kor.
Ms. Kor is “a Romanian-born survivor of the Holocaust who, along with her twin sister, was subjected to human experimentation under the direction of Josef Mengele at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp.”
The Chorus (and Hunter) not only got a chance to chat with Ms. Kor, they also sang her two songs, one of which was in Hebrew.
In response, Ms. Kor asked the Chorus to sing “The Impossible Dream” but the Chorus was unable to respond to Ms. Kor’s wish — they just didn’t know the song well enough.
The next morning, Ms. Kor passed away.
In the days that followed, the Chorus started to learn and rehearse the song The Impossible Dream on multiple bus rides. They then actually sang the song during their last concert in Budapest.
To view the Chorus’ tribute to Eva Mozez Kor and hear them sing The Impossible Dream, click below.
