Happy 100th Birthday to Holocaust Survivor Joe Rubinstein
What a tremendous privilege it was to be able to celebrate Joe’s 100th birthday earlier this week. It was a spectacular Colorado day in Fort Collins, full of blue skies and bright sunshine…just the kind of day Joe loves. As his family and a few friends gathered outside (due to COVID), the Mayor of Fort Collins was there on behalf of the City of Fort Collins to proclaim: September 16, 2020, Joe Rubinstein Day.
Joe, and his beautiful wife Irene, married now nearly 73 years, had a great time. Joe said over and over, “I’m so grateful to God to be here. I love life and I love people! I can’t believe I’m still here!” For those of us who know Joe’s story, and all he endured, we can’t believe it either.
The beautiful outdoor setting was the perfect setting to celebrate Joe’s beautiful life. I was grateful to the many people, most I have never met, who answered a call to “shower” Joe with birthday cards. I had the cards mailed to my home in Kansas, and they started arriving from around the world. To present the cards, we covered a box with the hand-drawn sketches Joe had done of shoes he designed years ago when he was a leading shoe designer in New York City.
Joe’s son and daughter-in-law read the cards to Joe after the guests left. His son thanked everyone for their loving and kind words. He said, “They made an old man feel great.” Joe also loved the white chocolate shoes designed by Hazel Hill in Topeka, Kansas to look like a pair of shoes Joe designed for the Herbert Levine, Inc. shoe company decades ago. The chocolate shoes were so beautiful, they were hard to distinguish from the originals. We encouraged Joe to eat one after we were gone, and he did! He took a bite out of the heel and exclaimed, “It’s delicious!”
Joe’s family did a wonderful job in their planning of this birthday party for this special man.
I was grateful to my niece, Madeline, and her husband Matt Shugert who were able to share their musical talents in signing to Joe. One of the songs they sang was Keep on the Sunny Side (of life) which describes Joe best. Keeping on the sunny side is something he has always done best, which is even more remarkable, given that he is someone who has seen the worst of humanity, yet believes the best.
I thank God for the beautiful life of Joe Rubinstein, born 100 years ago in Radom, Poland. Joe is an example to us all of how to live in grace and courage, no matter what. For more information about Joe’s remarkable and inspirational life read: Auschwitz #34207 - The Joe Rubinstein Story or visit: www.nancygeise.com
Click through for more photos of the wonderful celebration
