Matilda Cerge was born in 1929 in Belgrade, to the Kalef family, among Belgrade's oldest Sephardic Jewish families. She lived in the Dorćol neighborhood which was culturally diverse and predominantly Jewish. Her family was close-knit with deep community ties and was well situated and involved in trade. Matilda had a stable and joyful childhood before World War II. She attended a Jewish kindergarten and later the 4th Women’s Gymnasium, which she described was a structured school life with uniforms, recitations, and religious classes. Matilda had an early love for reading, especially French novels. Her family valued education and cultural engagement, and she interacted with both Jewish and non-Jewish peers in Belgrade. The family celebrated Jewish holidays—Purim was especially memorable. Her great uncle, Jakov Kalef, played a major religious and social role and she attended services and religious classes at the Jewish community center.

During World War II, Matilda’s father was arrested early during the occupation. Matilda, her mother, and sister Breda found refuge with Father Andrej Tumpej, a Slovenian Catholic priest. They pretended to be Catholic and helped with household chores, and lived in constant fear of being discovered. When Belgrade is liberated in 1945, Matilda’s family returns but faced struggles over property rights. Matilda rebuilt her life in socialist Yugoslavia and she worked, married, and raised a family in postwar Belgrade. She continued cultural traditions, even in a secular society. Matilda maintained a strong Jewish identity despite the trauma from the Holocaust. She believed that storytelling and memory were key to preserving history. She actively participated in Jewish life in Belgrade, and travelled to Israel several times, fulfilling a lifelong dream.