Ed and David Miliband have honored their mother, Marion Kozak, who passed away at the age of 91. The siblings announced the death of Marion Kozak, a Holocaust survivor and activist, on Saturday. Describing her as a strong presence of life and love, they remembered her as a cherished mother, grandmother, and sister. The Miliband brothers praised her as someone who led an exceptional life filled with kindness, warmth, and generosity. Marion’s journey from surviving the Holocaust in Poland to finding safety and happiness in Britain, where she dedicated herself to teaching and advocating for justice, was highlighted by her sons. They expressed their deep sorrow at her passing but emphasized that her spirit and values would always be a part of them.
Originally named Dobra Jenta Kozak, she escaped from the Czestochowa Ghetto during the Nazi occupation in 1942 with her mother and sister. Marion found refuge with nuns and later with a neighbor of her aunt in Warsaw, surviving the war due to the kindness of strangers, as recounted by her son, Ed Miliband, at the 2012 Labour Party conference. During an official visit to Poland in 2009, David Miliband, then Foreign Secretary, acknowledged and honored those who had protected his mother during the war.
After settling in the UK post-war, Marion married Ralph Miliband, a leftist academic, and became an advocate for human rights and an early supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. In a speech at the 2012 conference, Ed Miliband humorously mentioned his mother’s probable disagreement with his political views but highlighted the influence of her wartime experiences on his beliefs. He emphasized the importance of standing up against injustice and coming together to overcome challenges, drawing inspiration from his mother’s survival story during the war.
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