Long Beach, NY – 113 Years and Going Strong: Long Beach Jewish Resident Celebrates a Milestone Birthday

Long Beach, NY – Goldie Steinberg, the woman who is reported to be the world’s oldest living Jew, was the center of attention today at Grandell Rehabilitation and Nursing Center today in Long Beach.

The occasion? Her 113th birthday.

Mrs. Steinberg is verified to be the 14th oldest living super-centenarian in the world, the 7th oldest in the United States and the 2nd oldest in New York. According to Moishe Heller, Grandell’s administrator, Mrs. Steinberg, who walks with a walker, is as lucid as ever.

“I don’t know if the other 13 people who are ahead of her with their arichus yomim have minds that are as sharp as hers,” Heller told VIN News.

Hurricane Sandy caused Mrs. Steinberg’s party to be postponed until January last year and the guest of honor was slightly under the weather for her 112th birthday party. This year, however, circumstances were very different, with Mrs. Steinberg chatting amiably with family members, friends, reporters and the elected officials who were in attendance.

“This year at 113, she was like the Energizer Bunny,” observed Heller.

Mrs. Steinberg insisted on having her hair done in honor of the milestone event and the green flowered dress she selected was one that the former seamstress had sewn herself years ago.

Heller described Mrs. Steinberg as extremely giving.

“She will sit in the dining room and make sure everyone has a bib and is always so concerned for everyone. One night a while ago, her 90 year old roommate woke up coughing and instead of calling one of the staff, Goldie got up herself, took her walker and brought her roommate a cough drop, telling her that if she sucked on it, she would feel better.”

Mrs. Steinberg is the mother of two, the grandmother of four and the great-grandmother of seven.

“It is a real blessing that she is still with us,” said great-grandson Peter Kutner, who visits Grandell several times a month. “She is always positive and always strong willed. She is just Goldie.”

A group of girls from the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach’s Bikur Cholim Club were on hand to sing Happy Birthday to Mrs. Steinberg.

“Some of our eighth graders who are 13 were marveling at the fact that she is 100 years older than they are,” remarked Mrs. Yael Axelrod, director of student life. “They are so impressed with the way the family respects her so much and her amazing midos have made a big impression on them.”

Mrs. Steinberg’s birthday cake was decorated with the picture of the birthday girl herself, taken 84 years ago.

“As we were wheeling her out of the party, she asked us to make sure we saved a piece of cake for her granddaughter,” said Heller.

Asked for the secret of her longevity, Mrs. Steinberg commented, “My father was always an honest and giving person and that is how I lived my whole life.”