Tributes paid to Holocaust survivor Sabina Miller, who dies aged 95

Holocaust education and memorial groups reflect on life of ‘remarkably kind, warm and generous’ woman who inspired thousands

Holocaust educators lost a friend this week when survivor Sabina Miller passed away on Sunday.

Born in Poland in 1922, Miller lived in West Hampstead for 50 years, working closely with Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT), telling young and old alike about how she’d lived in the forest rather than be herded onto a lorry.

Miller, whose immediate family were killed, survived the Warsaw Ghetto and of working as slave labour on a farm owned by a brutal Lithuanian who would horsewhip the Jewish girls. In later years, after she had married and brought up a family of her own, she shared her experiences across the UK.

HMDT educators this week described her as “unassuming and modest,” having “dedicated her time to sharing her story to warn about the dangers of hatred and share the importance of tolerance, understanding and kindness”.

In 2015, she played a key role in the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in HMDT’s Memory Makers project, meeting visually impaired illustrator Kimberley Burrows. She later received the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of her work to raise awareness of the Holocaust.

“Sabina was remarkably kind, warm and generous, inspiring affection in everyone she met,” said HMDT chief executive Olivia Marks-Woldman.

“Her legacy will continue through the powerful impact she had on so many people. We are mourning a true friend. We send our deepest sympathies to her family and hope they can take comfort in knowing that Sabina inspired and educated people across the UK.”

Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive, Holocaust Educational Trust said: “Sabina Miller BEM was a remarkable woman. It is sad to hear the news of her passing. It is up to us to ensure her legacy and testimony lives on for future generations to understand the Holocaust for years to come.”