Sabina Miller BEM 1922 – 2018
We are deeply saddened to learn that our friend, Sabina Miller BEM, passed away on Sunday 18 March. Sabina has worked closely with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) for many years, and was a true friend to the staff at HMDT.
Sabina was born in 1922 in Warsaw into a loving family. She survived the Warsaw ghetto and slave labour during the Holocaust, but her immediate family were murdered. She said that when she came to the UK, she found acceptance and kindness. She married and built a loving family with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In her later life she dedicated her time to sharing her story to warn about the dangers of hatred and share the importance of tolerance, understanding and kindness. She regularly volunteered her time with HMDT to share her story. Unassuming and modest, she often preferred to educate through informal discussions with young people and speaking to individual journalists. In 2015, Sabina played a key role in the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in HMDT’s Memory Makers project, meeting with a visually impaired illustrator, Kimberley Burrows. In the same year, Sabina received the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of her work to raise awareness of the Holocaust. She spoke to hundreds of people every year, and reached many more through her work with the media.
In 2017, Sabina’s contributions were recognised as she was awarded a BEM for services to Holocaust Education.
She will be deeply missed by everyone at HMDT.
Olivia Marks-Woldman, Chief Executive of HMDT, said: ‘Sabina was remarkably kind, warm and generous, inspiring affection in everyone she met. 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.’