Renowned psychologist and Auschwitz survivor Edith Eger dies at 98

May 13, 2026 - 04:44

Dr. Edith Eva Eger, a Holocaust survivor who transformed her trauma into a lifelong career as a clinical psychologist and bestselling author, has died. She was 98. Her death was confirmed by family members, who noted she passed away peacefully at her home in La Jolla, California.

Born in Hungary in 1927, Eger was a teenager when she and her family were sent to Auschwitz in 1944. Her parents were killed in the gas chambers, but Eger and her sister survived. She later recalled being forced to dance for the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele. After the war, she emigrated to the United States, where she earned a doctorate in psychology and began treating patients suffering from post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety.

Eger gained international fame later in life with her 2017 memoir, "The Choice," which became a New York Times bestseller. The book explored her philosophy of healing, rooted in the idea that while we cannot control what happens to us, we can choose how to respond. In a 1998 interview, she reflected on her journey: "I don't have time to hate. I don't forget what happened to me. I may not overcome it -- I think I came to terms with it, and I was able to integrate it."

She continued to see patients and speak publicly well into her 90s, offering a message of resilience and forgiveness. Eger is survived by her three children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her legacy endures in the lives she touched through her therapy and her words.