Until One Hundred and Twenty Years | May You Live Until 120

In the Jewish tradition, as in many others, old age is considered a sign of blessing and wisdom. The ancient biblical command reminds us that respecting an older person is not merely a matter of social respect, but a spiritual duty that binds us all. The elderly are not just witnesses to the past – they are the bearers of a memory that shapes our present and opens up the future. The traditional Jewish birthday wish, “May you live to be 120!” symbolises the ideal of longevity, the fulfilment of one’s life’s purpose, and the culmination of human existence. This publication, which you hold in your hands, transforms this ideal into a pictorial and textual testimony. Jindřich Buxbaum’s photographs capture men and women who have lived beyond the age of one hundred and whose lives have been linked to the tragic experience of the Shoah. Each one is living proof that even in the face of unimaginable suffering, a person can retain their inner dignity and become a beacon of hope.

Old age is viewed as a sign of blessing and wisdom both in the Jewish tradition and elsewhere. The ancient biblical message reminds us that honouring an older person is not only a question of social respect and gratefulness, but also a spiritual responsibility which we are all bound by. Older people are witnesses of the past, bearers of memory who form our present reality and open up the future. The traditional Jewish birthday wish “may you live until 120! ” symbolizes the ideal of longevity, fulfilment of life’s work and the culmination of human existence. The publication which you are holding in your hands attempts to reshape this ideal in the form of a pictorial and textual testimony. The photographs of Jindřich Buxbaum depict men and women who have surpassed the age of one hundred and whose life has been linked with the tragic experience of the Shoah. Each of them is living proof that a person can preserve their inner dignity and become a bearer of hope even face to face with unimaginable suffering.