Esther Lustgarten was born in Poland in 1918 and immigrated to Israel with her family in 1924
Tel Aviv’s oldest woman, Esther Lustgarten, died peacefully Wednesday morning at the age of 104, surrounded by her loved ones. Lustgarten was born in Poland in 1918 and immigrated to Israel with her family in 1924. She then moved to Venezuela with her husband and children in 1951, before returning to Israel in 1975.
Her granddaughter, theater actress Lilian Barreto, spoke of the bond they shared: “I was an only child of a single mother, so my grandparents were like my second parent. My grandmother changed a lot in her lifetime. She was always looking for constructive criticism and asking where she needed to improve. She was an inspiring and optimistic woman.”
Lustgarten did not start celebrating its birthday until it was 93 years old. Until then, she didn’t know exactly when her birthday was. She was the fifth child of a religious family and her parents might not remember the exact date of her birth. Her granddaughter then went to Poland and found her grandmother’s birth certificate, indicating the date of her birth: August 8, 1918. Since then, the family has made a point of celebrate every birthday, until she becomes the oldest living woman in Tel Aviv.
Despite her advanced age, Ms Barreto says her grandmother remained lucid until the end. “Until she was 100, I didn’t even think she was getting old. She was always curious and took every suggestion I gave her to heart, including when I suggested she take painting lessons. and pottery. She kept in shape all her life and exercised four times a day. She taught me all regarding family, love, determination and connection, which is very dear to our eyes.”
