101-year-old Holocaust survivor dies in Australia

A 101-year-old Holocaust survivor died in Australia on Tuesday, New South Wales state Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive officer Darren Bark announced. 

Eddie Jaku, born in 1920 in Germany, went to multiple concentration camps during the Holocaust, including Buchenwald and Auschwitz, working as a slave laborer, The Associated Press reported. His parents and other family members were killed in the gas chambers.

Jaku authored the memoir “The Happiest Man on Earth,” released last year. 

“I do not hate anyone. Hate is a disease which may destroy your enemy, but will also destroy you,” he said in 2019. 

“Happiness does not fall from the sky. It’s in your hands. I’m doing everything I can to make this world a better place for everyone,” he added.

Australian leaders mourned the loss of Jaku, who died in Sydney. 

“He will be sadly missed, especially by our Jewish community. He was an inspiration and a joy,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, according to the AP. 

Jaku escaped Auschwitz and was found months later in hiding by U.S. troops. He got married in 1946 and moved to Australia in 1950.

Jaku spent his life sharing his story and volunteering with the Sydney Jewish Museum.

He is survived by his wife of 75 years, two sons, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.