Joachim Hirschfeld, a Holocaust survivor just celebrated his 100th birthday despite the challenging coronavirus pandemic.
Born in Germany after World War 1, Hirschfeld came from a Jewish family who managed to escape the Nazis during World War 2.
He said that he already received a postcard from the Gestapo to go to the railway station. Despite such notification, he managed to flee from the country.
Although his parents were killed in the Holocaust, Hirschfeld avoided the tragedy by walking from the country to Switzerland.
It is where he met his wife and they migrated to Australia with their family.
Heidi Kowalski, daughter of Mr. Hirschfled pointed out how her father was capable of surviving the tough times of World War 2.
She pointed out that her father eventually succeeded in founding the family despite his experiences. She also referred to his father as a mensch, a Yiddish term for an honest and highly principled individual.
Crisis halted the big bash
The coronavirus pandemic halted the family’s plan to celebrate the 100th birthday party of Mr. Hirschfeld.
Now based in Australia, the family had planned a family reunion involving all the descendants of Mr. Hirschfeld in the country.
Although previous plans had been canceled, the family just celebrated the birthday in Adelaide with a small celebration in the nursing home of Mr. Hirschfeld.
Mrs. Kowalski pointed out that the celebration should be done regardless to commemorate the significant stage of his father’s life.
The family surprised Mr. Hirschfeld with the celebration. The Queen and the Prime Minister also gave their letters of greetings to the celebrant.
Mr. Hirschfeld advised his family for a long life. He said that people should avoid any vices that could be detrimental to their own life in the long run such as smoking and drinking. He added that it is important as well to maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially during this time.
