A bar mitzvah ceremony held in September 2016 marked a milestone delayed by exactly one century due to the outbreak of World War I. At 113 years of age, Yisrael Kristal finally celebrated this religious rite, an event that highlighted the immense passage of time framing a life defined by professional resilience and survival.
Early Development and Industrial Shifts
Born Izrael Icek Kryształ on 15 September 1903, he spent his formative years in the region of Congress Poland, then part of the Russian Empire. His childhood was marked by rigorous religious study under the guidance of his father, a Torah scholar. By age six, he had already mastered the Mishnah. The onset of the First World War disrupted his education and environment, leading to his father's death following military service. By 1920, the teenager relocated to Łódź, transitioning from early work as a metalworker to the professional culinary trade that would define his career.
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In Łódź, Kristal refined his skills as an expert candy-maker, eventually opening a retail store alongside his uncle. His career path was interrupted by the German occupation of Poland during the Second World War. Throughout the duration of the Łódź Ghetto, he continued to manufacture confectionery, at times with the support of the ghetto administration. The era resulted in the loss of his first wife and their two children, while Kristal was deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944. Despite enduring severe physical decline as a forced laborer, he survived until the liberation by the Red Army.
Post-War Reconstruction and Israeli Industry
Following the war, Kristal returned to Łódź to rebuild his life, remarrying in 1947 to Batsheva. The family relocated to Israel in 1950 via the ship Komemiyut. Settling in Haifa, he initially provided technical expertise at the Palata candy factory, where he established a new production line of sweets. He later founded his own boutique operation, producing items such as chocolate-covered orange peels, carob jam, and chocolate liquor bottles. In 1952, he launched the Sar and Kristal Factory on Shivat Zion Street, which operated until 1970.
Longevity and Verification
In his final decades, Kristal attained international recognition for his age. Following the death of Yasutaro Koide on 18 January 2016, he was acknowledged as the oldest living man. Guinness World Records officially verified his status on 11 March 2016 after researchers discovered essential birth documentation in Poland. Kristal remained in Haifa for the remainder of his life, passing away on 11 August 2017 at the age of 113. He is interred at the Sde Yehoshua (Kfar Samir) cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 15 September 1903
- Died: 11 August 2017
- Place of Birth: Żarnów
- Place of Death: Haifa
- Primary Occupations: Entrepreneur, Pastry Chef
- Citizenships: Russian Empire, Second Polish Republic, Polish People's Republic, Israel
- Languages: Polish, Yiddish, Hebrew
- Final Resting Place: Sde Yehoshua cemetery
Questions readers ask
Was Yisrael Kristal recognized as the oldest Holocaust survivor?
Yes, he was recognized as the oldest known living Holocaust survivor starting in 2014.
What kind of candy did Kristal produce in Haifa?
His boutique output included chocolate-covered orange peels, carob jam, and chocolate liquor bottles wrapped in colored foil.
Achievements
- Worked as entrepreneur and pastry chef
