Israel’s oldest citizen turns 110

Israel’s most senior citizen marked her 110th birthday this week with a heartfelt celebration organized by the staff at Netanya’s Laniado Hospital.

Born in 1914 in Kraśnik, Poland, Tzila Cohen immigrated to pre-state Israel alone in 1936. A well-known figure in Netanya, she is celebrated as part of the city’s founding generation. In 1958, she participated in the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the Kiryat Sanz neighborhood, where Laniado Hospital now stands.

As part of the festivities, the staff surprised Cohen with a special message from Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who remarked: “It’s not every day that I have the honor of blessing a citizen of such an advanced age.”