Auschwitz survivor who was honoured by King Charles dies aged 100

A 100-year-old Holocaust survivor who has been honoured by King Charles has died.

Lily Ebert’s grandson Dov Forman announced her ‘peaceful passing’ today, while surrounded by her family.

Lily arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau on July 9, 1944 and her mother, younger sister, and brother were murdered in the gas chambers.

She survived to tell her story, written by her grandson Dov, which became an international bestseller.

Lily ran a TikTok account alongside her grandson, where she told stories about her experiences living under the Nazis during the Holocaust and giving insight into Jewish life and culture.

In a statement shared on social media, Lily’s family said: ‘We are heartbroken to announce the peaceful passing of our beloved matriarch, Lily Ebert, Mummy, Safta, who died at home surrounded by her loving family.

‘On July 9 1944, Safta and her family arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Her mother, younger sister, and brother were murdered in the gas chambers.

‘In the face of 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 honour those who did not.

‘Never has a promise been so profoundly fulfilled as hers.

‘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 live, 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.

‘As we mourn our beloved Mummu, Safta, we also celebrate her extraordinary life.

‘A light that shone so brightly has gone dark. She was our hero. and her absence leaves an unimaginable void in our lives.’

She celebrated her 99th birthday with the gift of receiving an MBE from King Charles – something she says proves that ‘the Nazis did not win’.

But following the war between Israel and Hamas which sparked on October 7 of last year, she began to receive death, rape and torture threats as she was accused of lying about the Holocaust ‘on behalf of the Israeli government’.

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