Dancing for the Devil: Dr. Edith Eger on Surviving the Holocaust and Turning Trauma Into Purpose

Edith Eger was only 16 years old when the Nazis invaded Hungary during World War II. Her future was ripped from her when she and her family were imprisoned at Auschwitz concentration camp. Edith’s parents were sent to the gas chambers immediately – but Edith survived, forced to entertain Dr Mengele – known as the Angel of Death – until she survived the death march. For many years after, Edith struggled with her past, rife with horror and trauma. It was only after reading Viktor Frankl's Man’s Search for Meaning that Edith stopped running from her trauma and faced it head on. When we interviewed her, Dr. Edith Eger was a 93-year-old clinician, speaker and author who is so full of wisdom and light, we could’ve done ten episodes with her. She passed away on April 27th, 2026, but her light, her words, and her impact will live on forever. You can buy Dr. Eger’s book, “The Gift,” from our Bookshop.org storefront or wherever you like to shop books. Watch us on YouTube here! Get this episode ad-free here! Listen to Geoffrey’s album on Spotify and Apple! Check out Nora’s Instagram here! Check out Nora’s TikTok here! Check out Nora’s Facebook here! Check out Nora’s LinkedIn here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices