Margot Friedländer, one of the oldest Holocaust survivors in the world, was niftar this past week in her hometown of Berlin at the age of 103. Friedländer, née Bendheim, was born in Berlin in 1921 and survived the Holocaust after losing her mother and brother in Auschwitz. Her mother’s final words, “Try to make your life,” became a guiding principle for Friedländer in the decades that followed. She was captured in hiding at age 21 and deported to Theresienstadt, where she met her future husband, Adolph Friedländer, also a survivor. The couple moved to New York in 1946 and lived there for over 60 years. After her husband’s passing, she made the remarkable decision to return to Berlin in 2010 to dedicate her life to Holocaust education and remembrance. Until her final days, Friedländer delivered powerful testimony to thousands, especially German schoolchildren, often urging them with her heartfelt plea: “Be human.” Her legacy inspired countless individuals to confront the truth of the Holocaust and accept the responsibility of remembrance. “She gave our country the gift of reconciliation,” said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. “We cannot be grateful enough.” Ronald Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress, described her as “a symbol of resilience and humanity… Her words reached hearts. Her presence changed lives.” Friedländer’s dedication to preserving the truth of the Shoah earned her Germany’s highest honors, including a lifetime achievement award from the president. She remained active in public life even in her final days, attending a ceremony just two days before her petirah commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)