Auschwitz survivor Lily Ebert has been awarded an MBE by King Charles for services to Holocaust education.
99-year-old Ebert, who along with her great-grandson Dov Forman, helps educate people about the Holocaust through books and social media content was given the award at Windsor Castle earlier today.
Lily, who was accompanied to Windsor Castle by four generations of her family: her daughter, son-in-law, her granddaughter, and Dov said to the King: “I was in the hell, Auschwitz. How special it is to be here today, with The King, in the Palace!”.
Dov Forman, her great-grandson recited the Bracha for when you see royalty, to which King Charles responded - “it’s a beautiful tradition”.
Dov told the JC: “I walked up with Lily. We spoke to him for quite a few minutes. Usually, it's just a very short conversation but I shared a few words with him.
“I said, this is the first time I've met you since you've been King, as we met before - which he knows. Could I please say the Jewish blessing? And he was more than happy, he kind of bowed his head, but not entirely, and listened as I said the Bracha. He turned around and said ‘I've heard that tradition a few times’. It was really special.”
Mazel Tov to our dear friend, Lily Ebert, on receiving her MBE from His Majesty The King! pic.twitter.com/2sKvNL1ZJQ
— Israel in the UK 🇮🇱🤝🇬🇧 (@IsraelinUK) January 31, 2023
Dov shared that “just seeing my great grandmother speaking today, with tears running down her face saying how she never thought she'd ever make it, was really, really special and that MBE means so much to her.”
During their meeting with the King, they were able to thank him for all of his advice and support for the foreword to their book, Lily’s Promise. “It was really special just to see him again. He always says to me how it's so important to continue to ask my great grandma questions about these stories.”
This time last year, when Dov attended Buckingham Palace, the King told him how much he hopes to be able to go and visit the grave of his grandmother Princess Alice of Battenberg a Righteous Among the Nations who is buried on the Mount of Olives.
Forman also told the JC that his great-grandmother is still determined to continue working, adding: "She's really humbled, really honoured and I think, very inspired to continue doing work.
"She knows that she has support from all around the world from hundreds, if not millions of people. And she hopes to be able to continue to share this message.”
Also among this year's honours, was Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who received a Knighthood as Commander of the British Empire, television presenter Rachel Riley and Julian Lewis MP.
