Bertl Selig was born in Weisenau, Germany, October 10, 1919. She was an only child born to Regina (Recha) Selig and Michael Selig who was a farmer and kosher butcher. In 1931, her father had a stroke and passed away in her arms. After Kristallnacht, she witnessed her mother take the family crystal and gold to the center of town. At age 16, she woke up to find that her bags were packed. Her mother took her to the train station and sent her to England. She moved to Baltimore several years later to live with a cousin. She was invited to New York for a seder, where she met Paul Zippert. They were married for 54 years. They had a son Michael, two grandchildren (Elizabeth and Helena) and a great-grandchild Nevae.