Think Again - Till 120

This week I received on my news feed the news of the passing of Rose Girone. Rose was the oldest Holocaust survivor in the world who had just celebrated her 113th birthday. She was born in Janov Poland on January 13, 1912. She was in her thirties during the war, married to Julius Manheim. Both were interned in Buchenwald and both ran and escaped on a forced March eventually fleeing and escaping to Vienna Austria. They were given Chinese visas by the righteous gentile the ambassador of China, Ho Feng -Shan (not to be confused with the other righteous gentile Colonel Sagikura of Japan) to allow for entry into the international city Shanghai. Eventually more than 18,000 Jews found sanctuary in Shanghai China under the Japanese. They remained in Chaina until 1947 when they emigrated to America and settled in Queens, New York with their daughter. Rose opened two knitting stores in Queens and continued to knit daily until she was 102. Her daughter Rechi is today 87, very much alive and well and mourned her mother’s passing through the shiva. We wish the extended Girone and Menheim family’s long life. They actually, must have very good genes.

The Torah (Bible) outlines in Genisis a changing of nature as to the life span of mankind. Genisis speaks about the longevity of early man, Adam, the first man, lived as his contemporise did for a thousand years. Suddenly, it seems because of mans wickedness God decreed that his life span shall no longer be 1000, it will now be 120. I quote the verse Genisis 6:3 “Then G-d Says - My spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh, his days shall be numbered to 120 years”. 120 years today, does not seem so farfetched. The life span of modern man seems to be increasing, and 120 years does not seem out of reach. I wish everyone, till 120! as long as you maintain health and we ask of Hashem for quality of life till 120.

My father volunteered at the Chevra Kadish for his whole life. He performed over 5000 Teharas (ritual preparation for burial). He loved the saying until 120. Members of the Chevra Kadish fast (as an atonement lest they were derelict in the performance of the ritual cleansing) on the 7th of Adar (this past Tuesday). The 7th of Adar is the anniversary of the death of Moses who lived exactly 120 years from birth to death, he passed away on his birthday. Rabbi Akiva that first century Talmudic sage passed away exactly at the age of 120. There you have it the origin of the life span of man at 120 years.

I find it incredulous that many survivors of the holocaust were blessed with longevity. Their early years were punishingly physically tortuous and abused, bodies traumatised forever, yet through some miracle of the spirit, through the shining glow of the soul they portrayed an everlasting glow of life, joy beauty and steely determination to fight for life and to live. They, the holocaust survivors taught us that life is beautiful, an awakening of that silent quiet angel that resides in every single human being.

Our synagogue is blessed with some Holocaust survivors till today. We are blessed K”EH (without evil eye) with the presence of “Little” Menny Rosenfeld, not to be confused with “Big” Menny Wassestrom. Little Menny is 98 years old a survivor of Auschwitz. I also acknowledge our other survivor John Traurig, he is in his 90’s and still loves to regale the stories of his and the extended Traurig -Vessely survival. Our synagogue is here because of them. We are survivors.

So ladies and gentleman our synagogue stands on the shoulders of Holocaust survivors. They are part of our upcoming Charidy drive, our fund raisng appeal, to make sure that our synagogue keeps on keeping on for yet many decades. We are the pillar of the light of Judaism in Coogee and Randwick. We impact every single organisation here in Sydney. The CEO of the JCA (which includes every organisation in Sydney) is one of us. This Sunday we have our annual fund raiser. Coogee Synagogue is truly a good cause, and I wish it till 120.

Till 120 - for each of us, and for our Synagogue.