;,,Tf:777=47777740Z7743 , i7e14WITTIPPaa 104 Friday, October 18, 1985 THE DETROIT. JEWISH, NEWS . "e sat,: a the- table- coneentrating; rhyttuni , cally rubbing' a small WoodenSciwire . against a jam& wooden was relaiing; sanding the 'pieces as preliminary etep:ter putting .together a woodenshoe test.: His 'thick shock "of white ,ludr, was brushed 'back. A' eOft;'Welli: manicured-white beard .frareed,',14;. face. His royal blUe •woodworking apron matched clear,' MiechieVOUs' blue eyes. //: At first . 1 thought . T heitIthe wrong man.. was`. at Borman Hall; the -Jewish :HMO/ fer./.the Aged? :te interview':a 'man': who: 'Woe::: two Months :short of :100 years: old; fore me Wee '4n. energetic, litl e, beautifully r'diessed • goitleliaii; .-Maybe in his early 80'al : * Jacob Kurti' was ',born in 1885, the .same year as m .'maternal grandfather: I couldi0;,4elp;•.netiCiiig. . : the 'sfinilarittek:-'4etWeen men Like my grandfather, who died: at 93 iri 4978, Kin:tiles a full:head of White hair, straight; whiteteeth;. and a. pleasant, smooth-lookin g. face..that' has retained its youthfUl -handgenief- ness, His voice is,meledic, with oly. a slight trace of an accent. A hearing aid rests in his left ear and he. turns it up in order to more fully „partiei; , .... pate in conversation. , , _ His hands, large and capable;.. with long; hard, curved ,nails; ,.are - active, graceful. hands;niost cOmibitf able when working on something tangible, making, a point-in ,cOnver-, 1 sation or caressing a grandchild's head Kurtz 'has a zest for life;' an. avid . . interest in Peeple, 'ands proud =work. ethic that keeps hiinforeyer Kurto now finds 'hiinselt%oldet, than he ever ',Would haVe iniagined: At ' almost . 106,. he has,,,,,come. thousands , of , thiles froni;hia, birth: place. He has outlived 'sililifigaand• frienda, Borman Mall and lie environs define'the: bOundariew 414' perional-poisessions now fit into...two:cup dresser, on one side;..Orkehai.13, hospital-like ` room the .:aecond , - Jacob Kurtz's health belie the ac a centenarian. BY .ELL'YPE FIELD , Special to The Jewish Nava - lifIV4 HEe,REW UNION COLLEGE LIBRARY — WALTER ROTH1AN, LIR CINCINNATI OH 45220 NatUre hid: been kind te,Jecel), Kurtz.. :And • he..has worked':hard :to• capitalize on his natural gifts '.an strengths I fit together the "large :pieces c his • lif .based: C I ()Sri e dcwit6thiS'ine7,7*3 4.,444,4•24.44144.744 411.2.3.= 4-1414.49441.741 • • qti . .174......77