Samuel Schanzer, having survived the Great Depression, two world wars and the Holocaust, commemorated his 101st birthday last week at Metropolitan Jewish Adult Day Health Center, on the border of the Borough Park and Bensonhurst sections of Brooklyn.
Schanzer, a client at the facility, celebrated the milestone with his wife, Pola; friends; and extended family at Adult Day.
Sam and Pola attend the adult day center twice a week to receive a range of health care services, as well as to socialize with peers. At 101, Sam remains calm, cordial, humorous and very much independent. He credits his strength and alertness to his morning exercise regimen.
A native of Krakow, Poland, Sam and Pola immigrated to the Bronx in 1950 from Germany, where they resided after World War II. The couple settled in their current location of Bensonhurst in 1962.
Sam and Pola were married in 1948 and share a son, daughter and one granddaughter. They will celebrate their 61st wedding anniversary this month.
