Gurwin Jewish ~ Fay J. Lindner Residences Inducts Eleven Residents into the Gurwin Centenarian Society's Inaugural Class

Commack, NY— In what is believed to be the largest gathering of centenarians at a senior assisted living facility on Long Island ever, eleven women residing at Gurwin Jewish~Fay J. Lindner Residences were inducted into the inaugural class of the “Gurwin Centenarians Society.” Ranging in age from 100 to 106 years young, the inductees received citations from both Senator John Flanagan’s and Assemblyman Andrew Raia’s offices acknowledging the extraordinary event.

“We all hear about the graying of society, and over 85 is the fastest growing segment of the population,” said Herbert H. Friedman, Executive Vice President/CEO of Gurwin. “But to have so many who have reached the centenarian milestone in one building is remarkable. The members of The Gurwin Centenarian Society are a vibrant part of our assisted living community. We are honored to celebrate the lives of these extraordinary women. They are an inspiration to us all.”

Many of the centenarians’ family members were on hand for the occasion, which was held during National Older Americans Month, presenting the opportunity for them to share reflections on the past century. Each has seen 19 presidents, dating back to William Howard Taft. They were born around the same time as the creation of mass-produced automobiles, and have witnessed the invention of the jet engine, the electric razor and the ballpoint pen. They lived through the Great Depression, World Wars I & II and other conflicts, saw the invention of antibiotics and watched men land on the moon.

Each of the eleven centenarians has a unique life story:

• One grew up in Manhattan and remembers horse-drawn fire wagons.
• Another said goodbye to her father at age four, when he left his family in post-World War I Poland to start a life in America. She reunited with him in Boston when she was 13, just before the start of the Great Depression.
• Two attended PS 109 in Brooklyn at the same time. They connected and discovered their shared history when they became residents years later at Gurwin’s assisted living community.

Together, the new Gurwin Centenarian Society inductees are:

• Grace Lerner, 104

• Golda Thaw, 100
• Helen Stemple, 104
• Helen Smith, 101
• Beatrice Halperin, 100
• Doris Goldenberg, 99
• Ethel Silverman, 100
• Jeannette Stelzer, 100
• Frieda Norotsky, 102
• Fannie Wicentowski, 103
• Minnie Hutter, 100+

Many of the centenarians took their remarkable milestone in stride, with such comments as:

“It just crept up on me! I never told anyone my age until I turned 100; now it doesn’t matter if people know. I think it just might be in my genes – my great grandmother in Poland lived to 96, and this was before modern medicine,” said Golda Thaw, 100.

“It feels ordinary. I don’t think of age, I just think of living. Age really is just a number,” said Helen Stemple, 104.

“I just try to do the best with what I’ve got! Traveling helps you live longer. Makes you feel good,” said Minnie Hutter, 100+.

Photos of the event and a specially-produced video highlighting the centenarians are available via Dropbox at: http://bit.ly/2qzNVX3 .

About Gurwin

Founded in 1988 in Commack, NY as a skilled nursing care facility, Gurwin has expanded to include a full-range of health care options, such as long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, ventilator-dependent care, hospice and palliative care, memory care, on-site dialysis, an award-winning adult day health program and two home care programs. The Gurwin family also includes a 201-apartment assisted living community -- Gurwin Jewish~ Fay J. Lindner Residences -- and a proposed independent living community to be built on the Commack campus. For more information, visit www.gurwin.org.

Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

68 Hauppauge Road, Commack, NY 11725 | (631) 715-2562 www.gurwin.org

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