Born in Prague in 1903, Alice Herz-Sommer grew up surrounded by culture, art, and music. A prodigious classical pianist, she found her voice and refuge in the rhythms of Chopin, Beethoven, and Bach. Her love for music wasn’t just a passion—it was a core part of her identity, a light that would eventually guide her through the most unimaginable darkness.
In 1943, at the age of 39, Alice was deported to the Theresienstadt ghetto with her young son. The Nazi regime had turned the ghetto into a cruel façade—a place they used to deceive the world about the horrors of the Holocaust. Yet within those walls of sorrow and loss, Alice gave over 100 piano performances. Her music became a rare beacon of beauty and comfort amid the despair.
🎼 “I felt that this is the only way to survive,” she once said. “Music is God.” For Alice, each note played was more than sound—it was an act of resistance. Her music spoke of dignity and humanity at a time when both were being stripped away from millions. She transformed suffering into song, and fear into fragile but unbreakable hope.
Alice’s music not only gave strength to others—it kept her spirit alive. She later reflected that her ability to focus on beauty rather than hatred helped her endure. “I never hate,” she said. “Hatred brings only hatred.” Her philosophy was simple, but powerful: even in the darkest hours, we choose who we become.
After the war, Alice and her son moved to Israel, and eventually she settled in London. There, she lived independently for decades, continuing to play piano well into her 100s. Her resilience, joy, and humor inspired everyone around her, turning her into a quiet legend of survival and grace.
🎬 In 2013, her extraordinary life reached a global audience through the Oscar-winning documentary The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life. The film shared her optimism, wisdom, and enduring love for music with millions, cementing her place in history not just as a survivor, but as a teacher of life itself.
Alice Herz-Sommer passed away in 2014 at the age of 110. At the time, she was the world’s oldest Holocaust survivor. But more than her age, it was her spirit that left a lasting legacy. Through her music, compassion, and unwavering hope, Alice didn’t merely survive—she triumphed.
