Elderly woman in the south celebrates 106: "What makes me happiest is that the soldiers are coming home"
Hasia Misulovin from Omer celebrated her 106th birthday this week. She is the oldest woman in the south and one of the oldest women in Israel. A Holocaust survivor born in Lithuania, she immigrated to Israel and dedicated about 30 years to volunteering for IDF soldiers. She shares what still makes her happiest: "That the family is healthy and that the soldiers are coming home." And what is the secret to longevity? As far as she is concerned, there is no magic formula.
The oldest woman in the south celebrated her 106th birthday this week. Hasia Misulovin, a resident of Omer, marked her birthday surrounded by her family members, residents, and staff of "Ganei Omer," after more than a hundred years of life during which she survived the Holocaust, immigrated to Israel, and built her life here anew.
According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, Misulovin is the only 106-year-old appearing on the list of the oldest people in Israel whose place of residence is in the south, making her the oldest woman in the region.
Misulovin was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, and survived the Holocaust. After the war, she immigrated to Israel, and here, according to her, she found her home and her happiness. For about 30 years, she volunteered for IDF soldiers, a connection that remains significant for her even today.
When asked what makes her happy at the age of 106, the answer comes immediately:
"That the family is healthy, and that the soldiers are coming home - that is my greatest joy in life."
Even after more than a hundred years of life, the love for the country remains one of the central things for her. "The moment I came, I was happy in our country. You don't need to throw big parties and travel abroad every month. You can get by very well in the country with everything there is. Everyone will learn to get by in the country. Whoever wants to, I can still teach them," she says.
And what is the secret to longevity? Hasia has no grand answer or magic formula. "It's hard. Everything already hurts, and I can barely hear or see anymore, but that's okay, there are worse things, I believe."
Head of the Omer Local Council, Erez Badash, congratulated her and said: "Hasia's life story is a great inspiration to us all. From the ashes of the Holocaust, she chose life, immigration to Israel, and endless giving to the community. Seeing her smile at 106, the love for the country shining in her eyes, and the deep concern for IDF soldiers and the state, is an empowering reminder of the strength of our community in Omer and the Israeli spirit at its best."
Pinny Badash, director of "Ganei Omer," who has known Hasia for about 40 years, said: "She is always full of energy, smiling, with crazy humor and a love for life. Hasia's presence is our model for longevity, and we try to live by her way of life - to think positively and enjoy life."
Hasia is currently a grandmother to two grandchildren and a great-grandmother to seven great-grandchildren. At the age of 106, the oldest woman in the south continues to hold the same simple worldview that has accompanied her for decades: to love the family, to rejoice in the soldiers returning home, and to appreciate the life she built in Israel.
