Lily's Promise: Holding On to Hope Through Auschwitz and Beyond—A Story for All Generations

In this life-affirming intergenerational memoir, Lily Ebert, a Holocaust survivor, and her great-grandson, Dov Forman, come together to share her story—an unforgettable tale of resilience, Jewish history, and resistance.

On Yom Kippur, 1944, fighting to stay alive as a prisoner in Auschwitz, Lily Ebert made a promise to herself. She would survive the hell she was in and tell the world her story, for everyone who couldn’t. Now, at ninety-eight, this remarkable woman—and TikTok sensation, thanks to the help of her eighteen-year-old great-grandson—fulfills that vow, relaying the details of her harrowing experiences with candor, charm, and an overflowing heart.

In these pages, she writes movingly about her happy childhood in Hungary, the death of her mother and two youngest siblings on their arrival at Auschwitz, and her determination to keep her two other sisters safe. She describes the inhumanity of the camp and the small acts of defiance that gave her strength in this true story of survival. Lily lost so much, but she built a new life for herself and her family, first in Israel and then in London.

Dov knows that it is up to younger people like him to keep Lily’s promise. He and Lily bridge the generation gap to share her experience, reminding us of the joy that accompanies the solemn responsibility of keeping the past—and our stories—alive.

This powerful memoir is a story of keeping memory alive:

• A Vow in Auschwitz: The incredible story of Lily Ebert’s promise to herself on Yom Kippur in 1944: to survive the horrors of the camp and bear witness for all those who could not.
• An Intergenerational Bond: Discover how Lily and her great-grandson Dov Forman bridged generations to share her story with the world, turning her into a TikTok sensation at ninety-eight.
• A Story of Sisterhood: A moving account of Lily’s determination to protect her two sisters after the tragic loss of their mother and youngest siblings upon arrival at Auschwitz.
• Resilience and Hope: From the depths of inhumanity, Lily’s journey to building a new life in Israel and then London is a life-affirming testament to the strength of the human spirit.