Today marks an extraordinary milestone in Miami-Dade County.
Malka (Mollie) Horwitz, a Holocaust Survivor and longtime client of Jewish Community Services of South Florida (JCS), turns 110 years old today, making her the oldest living Holocaust Survivor in Miami-Dade County, and possibly in Florida and even the United States.
Malka’s life is a powerful story of resilience and survival. At just 25 years old, she endured four years in the Vilna ghetto during World War II, separated from her young son and living in hiding to survive. In one of her most poignant memories, Malka shared that she once placed a letter for her son inside his baby bottle in case she did not live to see him again.
After the war, Malka escaped Europe, first finding refuge in Cuba, and later immigrating to the United States with her two children and just $20, where she rebuilt her life.
Today, JCS supports more than 400 Holocaust Survivors across Miami-Dade County, providing food, homecare, and critical services so they can age with dignity and independence.