Julia Jackson, the oldest Jewish woman in Britain, recently celebrated her 108th birthday.
Her daughter Josephine Lewis told the Jewish Chronicle, "She herself is surprised by her age. A few days ago she asked, 'How old am I?' I said, '108.' She replied, 'I don't believe it.'"
Julia was born on 23 April 1918 to a mother who was a seamstress and a father who was a tailor who emigrated from Russia to England in 1874. She was the youngest of nine siblings. "My mother hardly knew her father. He died when he was 48, but her mother raised her well," Josephine said.
Her mother ran a kosher grocery in Sunderland in northeast England, where Julia grew up. In her twenties she moved to northwest London and settled with her husband Michael Jackson. In 1943 they were married at the Finchley synagogue in London, where she remains a member to this day - the oldest member of the community.
During the Second World War Julia worked as a secretary at aircraft manufacturer Handley Page, where commercial planes were converted into bombers. She signed the Official Secrets Act to keep the wartime effort confidential.
Julia, who was a concert-level pianist, still sometimes plays at the Jewish Care nursing home where she lives. She has two children, four grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. At 100 she still took the bus and shopped by herself.
"When I walk with her down the corridor, I say, 'Mother, slow down; I cannot keep up with your pace.' Her physical abilities are quite remarkable," her daughter said. What is the secret to her longevity? "Broccoli and lots of walking."
As part of the birthday celebrations, Julia will receive a greeting card from King Charles III and the Queen.
Rabbi Dr. Yoni Birnbaum, rabbi at the Finchley synagogue who visited her, said, "Julia is exceptional and a true inspiration to all of us."