King Charles has paid tribute to the “extraordinary resilience and courage” of the Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert, who has died at the age of 100.
Ebert was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, where her mother and two younger siblings were sent immediately to the gas chambers. Ebert and two other sisters survived the Nazi death camp in German-occupied Poland.
On Wednesday, Ebert’s great-grandson said she had died peacefully at home surrounded by members of her family.
In a statement, King Charles said he had heard of Ebert’s death with the “greatest sadness”, adding that he was “proud that she later found a home in Britain where she continued to tell the world of the horrendous atrocities she had witnessed”.
The king said Ebert’s stories were a “permanent reminder for our generation – and, indeed, for future generations – of the depths of depravity and evil to which humankind can fall, when reason, compassion and truth are abandoned.
“Alongside other Holocaust survivors she became an integral part of the fabric of our nation; her extraordinary resilience and courage an example to us all, which will never be forgotten,” he said.
In a post on X, her great-grandson, Dov Forman, said the family’s “beloved matriarch”, known as Safta, would be hugely missed. He wrote: “Over the years, Safta’s story touched hundreds of millions worldwide, reminding us of the resilience of the human spirit and the dangers of unchecked hatred. She taught us the power of tolerance and faith, the importance of speaking out, and the need to stand against prejudice.
“Safta was the queen of our large, loving family. With a surviving daughter and son – remembering a daughter who pre-deceased her – 10 grandchildren, 38 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, she focused on what could be rebuilt from the ashes, and her positivity continues to guide us through these difficult times.”
Forman and Ebert co-authored a bestselling book, Lily’s Promise, describing the life she built for herself after the Holocaust. The king contributed a foreword. The pair also educated young people on the horrors of the Holocaust through TikTok videos that gained billions of views.
Ebert was freed from Auschwitz at the age of 20, lived in Switzerland and Israel, and moved to the UK in 1967 with her husband. In January 2023, she was recognised with an MBE for her services to Holocaust education.
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Michael Newman, the chief executive of the Association of Jewish Refugees, said she was “a trailblazing advocate for Holocaust education” who had “helped to bridge the generation gap and reach millions of people through social media”.
“As we approach the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz this Holocaust Memorial Day, Lily’s zest for life will burn brightly in our thoughts.”
Karen Pollock, the chief executive of Holocaust Educational Trust, described Ebert as “the epitome of strength and determination” who will be remembered for her “incredible story, her unparalleled tenacity and her zest for life”.
Ebert’s family said she will be buried in Israel alongside her husband, after a ceremony in London on Wednesday.