‘Canary in a coal mine’: Great-grandson of Holocaust survivor issues antisemitism warning on Auschwitz liberation’s 80th anniversary
The great-grandson of a Holocaust survivor has warned that “antisemitism is for society what a canary is for a coal mine,” as the world marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Dov Forman, 21, has dedicated the past several years to sharing his great-grandmother Lily Ebert’s Holocaust survival story with millions of followers on social media.
Speaking to GB News ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day, Forman emphasised the importance of ensuring that the mantra of “never again” is upheld.
For 80 years, Ebert carried the weight of her harrowing experiences at Auschwitz with strength, using her voice to ensure the world never forgot the horrors of the Holocaust. In recent years, her great-grandson has echoed her testimony, bringing it to a global audience through the power of social media.
Forman, who affectionately calls his great-grandmother “Safta” — Hebrew for grandmother — reflected on her idyllic childhood in Hungary before World War II and the suffering that followed.
Born in Hungary in 1923 to an orthodox-Jewish family, Ebert enjoyed a happy and carefree childhood, playing with non-Jewish friends and remaining largely sheltered from the growing horrors of the Holocaust as it ravaged neighbouring countries.
However, 20-year-old Ebert’s life changed forever in 1944, when Jewish families in Hungary were ordered to sew yellow stars onto their clothing and forced into overcrowded ghettos with dismal conditions—all within just four months.
“Safta always said, ‘Gas chambers did not fall from the sky’,” Forman shared. “She was shocked at how quickly her non-Jewish neighbours turned on them.”
Forman described how his great-grandmother’s non-Jewish friends and neighbours stood by as Jewish families were forced into cattle trucks destined for Auschwitz. The five-day journey to the death camp was harrowing—men, women, babies, and the elderly crammed together in unbearable heat, with many dying along the way.
Upon arriving at Auschwitz, Ebert and her family were met by the infamous Dr Josef Mengele, known as the camp’s “Angel of Death”. Her mother, younger sister, and brother were sent to be murdered in the gas chambers.
Lily, however, survived. “She made a promise that if she survived, she would share her story,” Forman explained.
In 2020, when the Covid pandemic prevented Lily from sharing her story in person at schools and places of worship, her great-grandson brought her testimony to social media.
Within months, millions had listened to Lily’s journey, hearing her lessons about the dangers of hatred, the power of hope, and the importance of rebuilding.
Lily sadly passed away last October at the age of 100, but Forman continues to share her story.
“It’s the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation, and it’s the first year without her,” he said.
“Safta always said, ‘the Holocaust didn’t start with mass violence; it started with words’.
“Today, we’re hearing those same words—the dehumanisation of Jews, the scapegoating on university campuses, the normalisation of hatred at work and school. It’s incredibly difficult to see how far this has gone.”
Forman drew chilling parallels between the 1930s and today, noting how intolerance left unchecked can escalate.
“Antisemitism is for society what a canary is for a coal mine—it’s a warning of what’s to come,” he said.
“Holocaust survivors used to say, ‘Never again.’ But for many in the Jewish community, it feels like the promise of ‘Never Again’ has faltered.
“Pandora’s box was opened on October 7. Antisemitism has become so normalised that Jewish people fear what’s to come.
“However, the irony of people who spread hatred towards Zionism is that they’ve created a generation of Jews that are more Zionist than ever.”
Social media became a powerful tool for Forman and his great-grandmother to reach new audiences, but it also exposed them to “daily hateful comments”.
“If we weren’t online, Holocaust deniers and antisemites would reach young people before we did. We wanted to make sure there were voices spreading light and positivity.”
Forman said the positive responses greatly outweighed the negative. “We received thousands of messages from people who said my grandmother’s story gave them hope.”
“World leaders even reached out, but what mattered most was the regular people—those going through hardships who found strength in her resilience,” Forman said, adding that his grandmother was often stopped in the street and thanked for her courage in sharing her testimony.
Due to the immense response from social media and as a way to further share her story, Ebert and Forman co-authored her memoir “Lily’s Promise” in 2021 which became a five-time Sunday Times bestseller and a three-time New York Times bestseller.
As Holocaust survivors dwindle, Forman is committed to ensuring their stories are not lost.
“We need innovative ways to educate—through AI, holograms, and social media—so that with the passing of survivors, their testimonies don’t disappear,” he said.
Forman’s efforts have inspired other survivors and organisations to follow suit, creating a digital movement to preserve stories from the Holocaust.
“She always said, ‘No matter how difficult life gets, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel’,” Forman recalled.
“Her message to the world was simple: Appreciate each other’s differences, because no matter where we’re from, we all bleed the same colour —red.”
Forman, who reads history at university after being inspired by his great-grandmother, feels he has a responsibility to continue honouring her legacy.
“The most powerful way to honour survivors is to ensure the world learns. If the world doesn’t learn, it can lead to echoes of the past,” he said.
“For as long as I have a platform, I’ll share her testimony. I’ll make sure the names of her family members aren’t forgotten. That’s what she wanted—for the world to never forget.”