Lily Ebert survived both the Holocaust and COVID-19. Now, with the help of her great-grandson, the 97-year-old is using Tik Tok to spread awareness about the atrocities of the Holocaust.
“I know I am one of the last survivors. I promised myself, if I survive I will tell the world what really happened and I kept my promise,” Ebert said in an interview.
Ebert was the eldest of six children and was sent to Auschwitz after living in Hungarian ghettos. Her mother, younger sister and brother were all murdered. Ebert was liberated from Auschwitz in 1945.
In January of 2020, Ebert’s now 17 year-old great grandson Dov Forman began to share her experiences and inspirational messages on Twitter. In one of his tweets, he documented a bank note his great grandmother had kept with a message from one of her liberators.
Through the magic of the internet, Forman was able to track down the soldier, and although he had passed several years prior, Ebert and Forman had a virtual meeting with his children.
Ebert also survived COVID-19, and Forman documented her recovery on Twitter.
Tik Tok is their latest endeavor to educate the younger generations about the horrors of the Holocaust, combat hate and spread messages of love and tolerance. Currently, the account has over one million followers.
During Israel’s latest conflict with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, Ebert was subject to antisemitism and harassment on the platform.
Nevertheless, Ebert and Forman have continued spreading awareness and answering questions on Tik Tok.
“We will not allow this to stop us from educating about the horrors of the past, and what hatred can lead to. Hate only breeds hate.” Forman wrote in a tweet.
Since going viral on Twitter and Tik Tok, Forman and Ebert have written a book recounting Ebert’s experiences. “Lily’s Promise” can be found here.
Originally Published Jun 28, 2021 12:01AM EDT
