Too old for aliyah? This centenarian Jewish couple proved age is no barrier to moving to Israel

Age is no barrier to aliyah, as demonstrated by Sandy and Rosalie Goldstein, who moved to Israel from Englewood, New Jersey, in March 2023. Sandy is set to celebrate his 105th birthday, while Rosalie will turn 101 in January. The couple is also approaching their 79th wedding anniversary next month.

They have settled in Netanya, a coastal city north of Tel Aviv, where they can spend time with their daughter and grandchildren. Despite their advanced age, the Goldsteins are actively engaged with their family and share their life stories, thoughts on Israel, and future aspirations.

Sandy, born in 1921 in Fall River, Massachusetts, grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where his parents ran a dry cleaning business. He showed entrepreneurial spirit early on, selling newspapers as a child and later working in his parents' shop. After studying accounting at City College in New York, Sandy took a civil service exam.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Sandy was called to work for the War Department in Washington D.C. He handled accounting and vouchers for a year before returning to New York to continue his work until Japan's surrender in August 1945. He later graduated from City College with an accounting degree and became a CPA.

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All of a sudden after Pearl Harbor, I would get telegrams every day saying that I was needed in Washington.