The Jewish Chronicle

Appeal to surprise Holocaust survivor and TikTok star with card for her 98th birthday

- BY ROSA DOHERTY

THE GREAT-GRANDSON of a Holocaust survivor who is turning 98 at the end of the month has appealed to the pair’s 1.4 million social media followers to send her a birthday card as a surprise.

Auschwitz survivor Lily Ebert and her great grandson Dov Forman have built up a vast audience on TikTok for their poignant — but also heartwarmi­ng — conversati­ons about her experience­s in the Holocaust.

Dov’s appeal on both TikTok and Twitter is expected to see an avalanche of cards from around the world filling Lily’s letterbox on her birthday, December 29.

Social media users have already replied to Dov’s appeal by sharing pictures of their cards addressed to the survivor, who earlier this year caught Covid-19 and recovered.

Mr Forman is one Ms Ebert’s 34 great-grandchild­ren and has documented her testimony about the Shoah.

He said: “It is so humbling to see so many people, from all over the world,

An avalanche of cards is set to fill the Auschwitz survivor’s letterbox

respond to my request to surprise Lily for her birthday!

“I have now already received thousands of kind birthday messages and received hundreds of birthday cards to surprise Lily with.

“My great-grandmothe­r has not just survived Auschwitz and the Holocaust; she has built a large and loving family with three children, 10 grandchild­ren and 34 great grandchild­ren, who all love her very much. Lily’s upcoming 98th birthday, which will now be celebrated together with millions online, is another of life’s affirmatio­ns – the Nazis, and the prejudice and hatred that they stood for, didn’t win.”

Lily’s most-watched video, which has 18.4 million views, records her showing the number that was tattooed on her arm in Auschwitz.

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 ?? ?? Special surprise on the way: Lily
Special surprise on the way: Lily

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