18 June 27 • 2019
jn

Zest for Life 

Holocaust survivor turns 101 and counts his blessings.

Z

oli Rubin calls himself a 
stubborn old man. On June 
11, in the company of Rabbi 
Joseph Krakoff, Rabbi E.B. “Bunny” 
Freedman, Cantor Daniel Gross and 
nine staff members from the Jewish 
Hospice and Chaplaincy Network, he 
celebrated his 101st birthday. 
As his guests arrived, Zoli stood 
at his walker in the entryway to his 
spacious home in Farmington Hills, 
shaking hands with each person as 
they came in.
“I didn’
t expect such a beautiful 
crowd,
” he said, “or a crowd at all.
” 
Throughout much of the party, Zoli 
sat on a bench between the two rabbis 
and told stories of his fascinating life.
Zoli was born in Czechoslovakia 
as the youngest in a large family of 11 
children. He had a lovely childhood 
that came to an end in 1942, when his 
parents were taken away by the Nazis. 
Zoli obtained fake papers that allowed 
him to pass as Christian and fight for 
the Slovak Army, but he was taken 
as a prisoner of war. He eventually 
escaped the camp and immigrated to 
Canada before moving to Detroit.
Despite his accomplishment of 
reaching such an advanced age, Zoli 
doesn’
t always see it as a blessing.
“Sometimes I feel like I’
m being 
punished to bear all the horrors 
of what I’
ve been through,
” he said. 
“These things are always on my back. I 
have lost too many.
”
However, Zoli says it is a true bless-
ing that he could have a family again.
“I have children and grandchildren. I 
think the reason I survived is to build a 
family so that my family’
s history didn’
t 
disappear,
” he said.
Zoli says the one thing that kept him 
alive to this day is his stubbornness. 
“Whatever I went through, it was 
always in my mind that I was going 
to beat it. I’
m a stubborn old man,
” he 
said. “I’
m going to bother you for a 
long time yet.
”
When asked the secret to 101 years, 
Zoli gave a very touching response.
“You have to believe in a life,
” he 
said. “You have to believe that every-

thing is not bad, just the opposite. 
Everything is great. Everyone has the 
strength to get through the bad things 
because after the bad things end; there 
is a life ahead of you. If someone starts 
a life for you, you have to continue it.
”
After some music from Cantor 
Gross, a cake was brought out and dis-
tributed to guests. Zoli excused himself 
and returned with a bottle of Slivovitz 
and a bottle of Johnny Walker. 
“Who’
s going to have some?” he 
asked, which was met by laughter and 
smiles from all.
After cake and drinks, the guests 
began to leave, each giving Zoli a hug 
on their way out.
One guest, Emily Croitori, volunteer 

services supervisor at Jewish Family 
Service (JFS), is particularly fond of 
Zoli. 
“He’
s always willing to come help 
in any way he can, always with a story 
and a joke,
” she said. “He volunteered 
with JFS up until very recently.
”
Krakoff also thinks highly of Zoli.
“I’
m so inspired by his story of 
survival, will to live, perseverance 
and ability to celebrate life despite 
everything he’
s been through,
” he said. 
“He’
s a role model for living life to the 
fullest.
”
At 101, Zoli doesn’
t plan to go any-
where any time soon.
“I’
m looking forward to 102,
” he said 
with a smile. ■

jews d
in 
the

JESSIE COHEN JN INTERN 

My Story 

 

Z O L I R U B I N

A PROJECT OF

TOP: In a celebration of life, Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network staff organized a party to 

mark Zoli Rubin’
s 101st birthday. ABOVE: Zoli Rubin and 
Rabbi E.B. “Bunny” Freedman.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JEWISH HOSPICE & CHAPLAINCY NETWORK

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