Edith Eva Eger, a Holocaust survivor who became a renowned clinical psychologist and author, died on April 27 at her home in La Jolla, California. She was 98. Her experiences as a teenager in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, shaped her life’s work helping patients confront trauma, grief and emotional suffering.

Deported in 1944, she survived the murder of her parents, forced labor and a death march before being liberated in 1945 while gravely ill and near death. For years she remained silent about her ordeal, eventually learning to release hatred and forgive herself for surviving. Reading Viktor Frankl’s work on meaning and choice profoundly influenced her belief that freedom lies in choosing one’s response to suffering.

After immigrating to the United States, she raised a family and later earned advanced degrees in psychology, beginning her clinical career in her 50s. She worked with cancer patients and military service members coping with trauma, emphasizing compassion, personal responsibility and the power of choice. Her memoir, 'The Choice: Embrace the Possible,' became a best seller and introduced her story to a wide audience.

Eger continued writing and speaking into her 90s, returning to former sites of persecution as a symbol of resilience. She is survived by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, leaving behind a legacy centered on healing, hope and the enduring capacity for human freedom.