Piers Morgan, Rachel Riley and TikTok among 2,500 to wish survivor Lily Ebert a happy 98th!
Thousands send cards to celebrate Auschwitz survivor Lily Ebert's birthday following appeal on social media by her 18-year-old great-grandson
More than 2,500 cards were sent to Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert as she marked her 98th birthday, including from Piers Morgan, government ministers and TikTok.
High profile figures in the world of politics and entertainment sent well wishes to the Auschwitz survivor as she celebrated the amazing landmark on Wednesday.
Her great-grandson Dov Forman, 18, organised the surprise through social media, appealing for people to help her celebrate. He has dedicated his time to sharing Lily’s testimony on social media, with over a million followers on TikTok, and thousands on Twitter.
Among those join in marking her birthday were members of the government, Grant Shapps and Nadhim Zahawi, and a member of the royal household. Many schools and communal organisations also sent cards.
From the world of entertainment, well-wishers included the Good Morning Britain team, Piers Morgan, Rachel Riley, Robert Rinder, Jeremy Vine and Andrew Neil.
Other individuals and organisations to send cards included Lord Ian Austin, AFC Bournemouth, TIKTOK UK and US, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Auschwitz Museum, and Karen Pollock, the chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust.
Dov, 18, said he was “not sure what we’re doing with the cards yet. It will take Lily a while to read them all and will then see what we can do!”
He added it was “so humbling to see so many people, from all over the world, respond to my request to surprise Lily for her birthday!
“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.”
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