Dov Forman

Forman is a religious Jew of Ashkenazi descent. He is the youngest of three children, one of Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert's 38 great-grandchildren, and lives in northwest London.{{cite news |last1=Rosa |first1=Joanne |title=Auschwitz survivor and great-grandson teach TikTok about realities of Holocaust "She's a fighter," Dov Forman said of his great-grandmother, Lily Ebert. |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/auschwitz-survivor-great-grandson-teach-tiktok-realities-holocaust/story?id=82490868 |access-date=11 February 2022 |agency=ABC |publisher=ABC News |date=27 January 2022}}

In October 2024, Forman's great-grandmother, Ebert, passed away at the age of 100. He delivered a widely shared eulogy at her funeral in London and has since written and spoken about her legacy, the rise of antisemitism, and the importance of Holocaust memory in the post-October 7 world.{{cite news |last1=Salisbury |first1=Josh |title=King leads tributes to Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert after death aged 100 |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/lily-ebert-dead-holocaust-survivor-education-mbe-association-jewish-refugees-b1186799.html |access-date=7 April 2025 |work=The Standard |date=9 October 2024 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Forman |first1=Dov |title=Lily Ebert taught us how to live again |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/history/article/lily-ebert-holocaust-promise-book-zmqdhp0h8 |access-date=7 April 2025 |work=www.thetimes.com |publisher=The Sunday Times |date=12 October 2024 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Forman |first1=Dov |title=I will be dancing for Safta on Simchat Torah |url=https://www.thejc.com/opinion/this-simchat-torah-i-will-be-dancing-for-my-safta-im08ce26 |access-date=7 April 2025 |work=The Jewish Chronicle |publisher=The Jewish Chronicle |date=15 October 2024 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Forman |first1=Dov |title=OPINION: Safta saw the vow of 'never again' falter but she refused to relinquish hope |url=https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/opinion-safta-saw-the-vow-of-never-again-falter-but-she-refused-to-relinquish-hope/ |work=Jewish News |date=29 December 2024}}

Forman is currently undertaking his undergraduate studies in History and Religious Studies at University College London.{{cite web |last1=Forman |first1=Dov |title=Dov Forman - LinkedIn page |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/dov-forman-07b1a41b6/ |website=LinkedIn - Dov Forman |publisher=LinkedIn |access-date=18 October 2023}} He is employed by Conservative MP Robert Jenrick as a Senior Parliamentary researcher and previously worked as Jenrick's Campaign Coordinator and Head of Digital for his leadership bid.{{Cite web |last=Balls |first=Katy |date=2025-04-02 |title=Robert Jenrick is the talk of the Tory party |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/who-should-get-the-credit-for-the-climbdown-on-two-tier-sentencing/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=The Spectator |language=en-GB}}

At age 16, during the COVID-19 pandemic and amid a rise of antisemitism, Forman wanted to raise awareness of the Holocaust and anti-Jewish racism. He used Twitter to share his great-grandmother's story of surviving the Holocaust; his Tweets reaching over 70 million Twitter users in 2020 and 2021.{{cite news |last1=FORMAN |first1=Dov |title=The forgotten gift that led a Holocaust survivor to the US soldier who helped her 76 years ago When Lily Ebert, 97, was liberated from a work camp, a US soldier wrote a message of hope on a banknote; it restored her faith in humanity. |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/non-fiction/forgotten-gift-led-holocaust-survivor-us-soldier-helped-76-years/ |access-date=13 February 2022 |agency=The Telegraph |publisher=The Telegraph |date=27 August 2021}}

In February 2021, Forman, in addition to his work on Twitter, set up a TikTok account to raise awareness among people his own age about the Holocaust and the consequences of hate, having seen other people going viral for dancing.{{cite news |last1=Swerling |first1=Hannah |title=Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert, 97, and her great-grandson on how she became a TikTok star The Auschwitz survivor and Dov Forman discuss family, anti-semitism and the power of sharing her story online |url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/technology/article/lily-ebert-97-and-her-great-grandson-dov-forman-on-teaching-tiktok-users-about-the-holocaust-3x2pnxz6m |access-date=13 February 2022 |agency=The Times and Sunday Times |publisher=The Sunday Times Magazine - Relative Values |date=3 October 2021}}{{Cite web |last=Forman |first=Dov |date=2024-10-12 |title=Lily Ebert taught us how to live again |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/history/article/lily-ebert-holocaust-promise-book-zmqdhp0h8 |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-26 |title=From Auschwitz to TikTok: how Lily Ebert inspired millions - opinion |url=https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-839356 |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en}} Forman posted videos with his great-grandmother answering questions about the Holocaust and Judaism. In June 2021, the pair reached one million TikTok followers.{{cite news |last1=Butterworth |first1=Benjamin |title=The Holocaust survivor sharing her amazing story on TikTok, with help from her great-grandson |url=https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/people/the-holocaust-survivor-sharing-her-amazing-story-on-tiktok-with-help-from-her-great-grandson-1425087 |access-date=11 February 2022 |agency=INews |publisher=IPaper |date=27 January 2022}}

Forman has advocated in opinion pieces, speeches and in his governmental work for new ways to teach young people about the Holocaust, and worked with the LADbible Group and Twitch.Tv to bring Holocaust survivors to their platforms for the first time.{{Cite web |last=Philpot |first=Robert |date=5 November 2021 |title=Keeping a vow to tell her tale, Auschwitz survivor becomes TikTok sensation |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/keeping-a-vow-to-tell-her-tale-auschwitz-survivor-becomes-tiktok-sensation/ |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US}}

Forman was invited to speak about 'Social Media and Holocaust Commemoration' to the CEO of Google, at Oxford University and Cambridge University, and Dov has also spoken to more than 200 news outlets - including on live television and radio - in over 20 countries.{{cite book |last1=Ebert, Forman |first1=Lily, Dov |title=Lily's Promise: How I Survived Auschwitz and Found The Strength To Live |date=2 September 2021 |publisher=Pan Macmillan |pages=320}}{{cite web |last1=Oxford |first1=University |title=THE HOLOCAUST IN FILM AND LITERATURE: Social Media and Holocaust Commemoration: In Conversation with Dov Forman |url=https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/88da0bd3-b827-4b43-ad41-298ffb6e0d27/ |access-date=13 February 2022 |website=University of Oxford - Oxford talks}}{{cite web |last1=Carr |first1=Dr Jilly |date=9 December 2021 |title=Lily's Promise: An interview with Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert and her great-grandson Dov Forman |url=https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/event/lilys-promise-interview-holocaust-survivor-lily-ebert-and-her-great-grandson-dov-forman |access-date=13 February 2022 |website=University of Oxford; Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)}}

In November 2020, Forman spoke to a UK Parliamentary committee for planning, in favour of the proposed UK Holocaust Memorial to be built in Victoria Tower Gardens.{{cite web |last1=Forman |first1=Dov |title=Dov Forman speech in favour of the proposed UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre |url=https://www.westminster.gov.uk/sites/default/files/10.64_lily_ebert_and_dov_foreman_speech_11.11.20.docx |access-date=13 February 2022 |website=Westminster.gov.uk}}

Forman has worked on educational projects with several UK government departments - including the Foreign Office,{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Sabrina |title=Liz Truss commits to fighting antisemitism during Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony Foreign Secretary joined by Israel's ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely, Holocaust survivors, educators and Jewish leaders |url=https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/the-british-government-will-always-fight-antisemitism-says-truss-at-hmd-event/ |access-date=13 February 2022 |agency=Jewish News |publisher=Jewish News UK |date=27 January 2022}}{{cite web |title=Holocaust-survivor Lily Ebert shares her experience alongside great-grandson @DovForman and reminds us why we must not let history repeat itself. |url=https://twitter.com/fcdogovuk/status/1486688709911134209 |website=Twitter - Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office |publisher=UK Government; Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office |access-date=13 February 2022}} Department for Education,{{cite web |title=Lily Ebert and her great-grandson Dov Forman are teaching children the importance of tolerance, using social media to spread a message of hope. |url=https://twitter.com/educationgovuk/status/1354323258196201476 |website=Twitter - Department for Education |access-date=13 February 2022}} and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities - and international organisations, including the United Nations.{{Cite web |last=Nations |first=United |date=13 July 2022 |title=UNESCO: Half of Holocaust-related content on Telegram denies or distorts the facts |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-half-holocaust-related-content-telegram-denies-or-distorts-facts#:~:text=Press%20release-,UNESCO%3A%20Half%20of%20Holocaust%2Drelated%20content%20on%20Telegram%20denies%20or,World%20Jewish%20Congress%20(WJC). |access-date=5 August 2022 |website=UNESCO}}

In March 2022, Forman was announced as a 'young spokesperson' for the USC Shoah Foundation,{{cite web |last1=Greenbaum Fax |first1=Julie |title=New Partnership Brings Survivor Voices to Hearts and Homes |url=https://sfi.usc.edu/events/bringing-testimony-home |website=USC Shoah Foundation |access-date=18 April 2022}} the archive of Holocaust survivor testimonies initiated by Steven Spielberg in 1994. He served in the role for the designated six-month period, contributing to educational outreach and digital campaigns.{{Cite web |last=Forman |first=Dov |date=7 April 2025 |title=Dov Forman Experience: LinkedIn |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/dovforman/ |url-status=live |archive-url= |access-date=7 April 2025 |website=LinkedIn.com}}

Dov co-authored the memoir Lily's Promise: How I Survived Auschwitz and Found the Strength to Live,{{cite web |title=Macmillan 02 September 2021 9781529073409 320 pages Share this book with your friends and family Lily's Promise by Lily Ebert Dov Forman |url=https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/lily-ebert/lilys-promise/9781529073409 |website=Pan Macmillan |access-date=13 February 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Mendel |first1=Jack |title=Prince Charles to write foreword for book by Shoah survivor & her great-grandson Heir to the throne will introduce 'Lily's Promise' by 97-year-old Auschwitz survivor Lily Ebert and her 17-year-old great-grandson Dov Forman |url=https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/prince-charles-to-write-foreword-for-book-by-shoah-survivor-her-great-grandson/ |access-date=13 February 2022 |agency=Jewish News |publisher=Jewish News UK |date=28 July 2021}} published by Pan Macmillan in the UK on 2 September 2021 and by HarperCollins in the US on 10 May 2022.{{cite news |last1=Edwards |first1=Jonathan |title=A 98-year-old Holocaust survivor built a massive TikTok following to combat deniers: 'It happened' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/02/01/holocaust-survivor-lily-ebert-tiktok/ |access-date=13 February 2022 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=1 February 2022}}{{cite web |title=Lily's Promise Holding On to Hope Through Auschwitz and Beyond—A Story for All Generations |url=https://www.harpercollins.com/products/lilys-promise-lily-ebertdov-forman?variant=39664853975074 |website=HarperCollins |access-date=13 February 2022}}

Lily's Promise is a five-time Sunday Times bestseller and was the Waterstones and Daily Mail best history book of 2021. In March 2022, Lily's Promise (Lily's Belofte) became a bestseller in Holland.{{cite news |last1=Van Sadelhoff |first1=Lisanne |title=Lily (98) writes book about Auschwitz 'They even killed babies, babies!' |url=https://www.ad.nl/mezza/lily-98-schrijft-boek-over-auschwitz-ze-hebben-zelfs-babys-vermoord-babys~a321ae0c/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F |access-date=16 March 2022 |publisher=ad.nl |date=27 February 2022}}

The United States edition of Lily's Promise is a four-time New York Times bestseller, debuting at number 2 - in its first week, and was chosen as the Costco US buyers' pick for May 2022.{{Cite news |last=Egan |first=Elisabeth |date=26 May 2022 |title=Dov Forman Wants You to Know His Great-Grandmother's Holocaust Story |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/26/books/review/lilys-promise-dov-forman-lily-ebert.html |access-date=29 May 2022}}{{Cite web |last=Forman |first=Dov |date=7 April 2025 |title=Dov Forman - book: LinkedIn, Experience |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/dovforman/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 April 2025 |website=LinkedIn.com}}

In a foreword to Lily's Promise, King Charles III (known then at publication as Prince Charles of Wales) paid tribute to Forman for his "engaging and effective use of social media". He said Forman had "demonstrated a determination to share his great grandmother’s story with a global audience".{{cite news |first1=Prince Charles |last1= HRH The Prince of Wales |title=Foreword, Lily's Promise |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/08/27/must-keep-memories-holocaust-alive/ |access-date=13 February 2022 |publisher=The Telegraph |date=27 August 2021}}

Forman delivered a TED Talk, titled: ‘Anything is Possible - The Accidental Gamechanger’, in August 2022, at a TEDx event with the theme 'Game Changers and Disruptive Thinkers.'{{cite web |title=Dov Forman |url=http://tedxbolton.com/dov-forman-2/ |website=TEDXBolton |publisher=TED |access-date=5 August 2022}}

In November 2021, Forman received the Points of Light award from the UK Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street, for services to Holocaust education.{{cite news |last1=Mendel |first1=Jack |title=Prime Minister honours teen who co-wrote great-grandmother's Auschwitz memoir 'This is the signal for me and Lily to keep going, and to spread Lily's messages and Holocaust testimony even further', said Dov Forman, 17 |url=https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/prime-minister-honours-teen-who-co-wrote-great-grandmothers-auschwitz-memoir/ |access-date=13 February 2022 |agency=Jewish News |publisher=Jewish News UK |date=1 December 2021}}{{cite web |title=Lily's Promise 1800. Dov Forman Dov Forman, aged 17, from London, is the great-grandson of Auschwitz survivor, Lily Ebert, who co-authored her written testimony of the Holocaust and has reached millions of young people on social media, educating them about the horrors of the Holocaust. |url=https://www.pointsoflight.gov.uk/lilys-promise/ |website=Prime Minister's Office 10 Downing Street. Points of Light. |date=29 November 2021 |access-date=13 February 2022}}

In March 2022, Forman - alongside his great-grandmother Ebert - was presented with the Jewish Care community award by Andrew Neil at the Jewish Care Topland annual community business lunch, hosted by the Topland Group.{{cite news |last1=Frot |first1=Mathilde |title=Record turnout at Jewish Care charity lunch |url=https://www.thejc.com/news/community/record-turnout-at-jewish-care-charity-lunch-1zhGtQ5D66t2tU1rtnQit0 |access-date=16 March 2022 |agency=Jewish Chronicle |publisher=Jewish Chronicle UK |date=10 March 2022}}

In 2025, Forman was selected for the inaugural Masa Changemakers List, honouring 18 global leaders from Masa’s 200,000+ alumni. Forman was a Masa participant during his time in Israel as a Nitzavim Fellow, studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a Talmudic college in Jerusalem.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-06 |title=Meet the changemakers: Mission to share Holocaust survivor’s story reaches a billion people |url=https://www.jpost.com/aliyah/article-840967 |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-02-06 |title=First steps of a long journey |url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/02/06/first-steps-of-a-long-journey/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |language=en-US}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Twitter|DovForman}}
• [https://www.instagram.com/dovforman/ Dov Forman] on Instagram
• [https://www.tiktok.com/@lilyebert Lily Ebert & Dov Forman] on TikTok

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Category:Living people

Category:2003 births

Category:21st-century English memoirists

Category:21st-century English Jews

Category:Jewish English activists

Category:Holocaust historiography

Category:English religious writers

Category:British people of Hungarian-Jewish descent

Category:Writers on antisemitism

Category:Jewish British writers

Category:Writers from London

Category:English TikTokers

Category:English Ashkenazi Jews

Category:Alumni of University College London