Auschwitz survivor Lily Ebert has died aged 100 as her family mourns the woman whose story touched millions of people around the world.
“We are heartbroken to announce the peaceful passing of our beloved matriarch, Lily Ebert, mom, Safta, who died at home surrounded by her loving family,” read a tribute from her great-grandson in X.
Ebert was recognized for her services to Holocaust education and was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honors list last year.
“Safta was the queen of our large, loving family,” her great-grandson Dov Forman continued in his touching message.
Ebert, who became a founding member of the UK Holocaust Survivors Centre, and his grandson racked up billions of views on TikTok in an effort to educate the younger generation about the Holocaust.
Lily Ebert, Auschwitz survivor, died today at age 100
Pictured: Lily Ebert (front right) with her older brother and three younger sisters in 1943. Her younger brother is not pictured. His sister Berta, a leftist, was murdered in Auschwitz.
Lily (pictured) was recognized for her services to Holocaust education at Windsor Castle last year after being included in the New Year’s Honors list, the first overseen by King Charles since his accession to the throne . Pictured with his great-grandson Dov Forman
Continuing the heartbreaking tribute, Forman said: ‘On July 9, 1944, Safta and her family arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
‘His mother, younger sister and brother were murdered in the gas chambers.
“Faced with unimaginable loss, Safta made a promise to herself: if she survived that hell on earth, she would tell her story, not with anger, but with strength, dignity and the determination to honor those who did not.”
He went on to praise his brave great-grandmother for sharing her tragic story with millions of people around the world.
“Never has a promise been so profoundly fulfilled as hers,” he wrote.
‘Over the years, Safta’s story touched hundreds of millions of people around the world, reminding us of the resilience of the human spirit and the dangers of unbridled hatred.
“She taught us the power of tolerance and faith, the importance of speaking out and the need to oppose prejudice.”
‘With a surviving daughter and son (remembering a daughter who predeceased her), ten grandchildren, thirty-eight great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, her legacy lives on in each of us.
‘She rebuilt her life with faith and love, never asking, “Why me?” Instead, he focused on what could be rebuilt from the ashes and his positivity continues to guide us through these difficult times.
Lily Ebert, 100-year-old Auschwitz survivor, became a great-great-grandmother in April
‘As we mourn our beloved mother, Safta, we also celebrate her extraordinary life. A light that shone so brightly has gone out.
“She was our hero and her absence leaves an unimaginable void in our lives.”
After receiving his MBE at Windsor Castle, he said: ‘Not long ago, there were people who wanted to kill me for my religion, and today I received this honour. Words cannot explain how much this means to me.
“I promised myself that if I survived, I would tell the whole world what had happened to us in Auschwitz: that there were people murdered solely for their beliefs, because it was believed that we were not worthy of life.”
He said he had always tried to be a positive force in the world and encourage others to “appreciate our differences, learn from each other and be kind to everyone.”
‘Something terrible like that should never happen again. As long as I am alive I will teach the world to be tolerant,’ she added.
In April of this year, Ebert became a great-great-grandmother and emotionally declared that the Nazis “didn’t win.”
Forman, turned to X to share an emotional image of his great-grandmother with her daughters and grandchildren.
The wholesome snaps racked up more than 20,000 likes and showed Ebert beaming as she held her newborn great-great-grandson.
The caption read: “This week, my great-grandmother, Lily Ebert, a 100-year-old Auschwitz survivor, became a great-great-grandmother.”
‘I never expected to survive the Holocaust. Now I have five beautiful generations. The Nazis Didn’t Win!” From near-death at Auschwitz to five generations of Jewish life.’