| Simion Kenner | |
 | |
| Birth: | 18 September 1912 Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) |
| Death: | 15 May 2022 Haifa, Haifa District, Israel |
| Age: | 109 years, 239 days |
| Country: |  UKR ISR
|
| Centenarian | |
Simion Kenner [Hebrew: סימיון קנר] (18 September 1912 – 15 May 2022) was an Ukrainian-Israeli centenarian who was the oldest known living Ukrainian-born man and the second-oldest known living man in Israel (behind Morris Wioskowski) at the time of his death.
Biography[]
Early years[]
Simion Kenner was born in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) on 18 September 1912, the youngest son of Mendel and Chaika. He had two brothers, and two sisters. His parents were owned a small craft store.
His family moved to Odessa, where his father was chosen by the community to serve as the rabbi of the community. His father refused for fear of the fate of his children due to his identification as a Jewish rabbi but served unofficially in the position.
In the 1930s, he was forced to leave school and support his family in work, but returned to school, went on to study at the University of Odessa's Faculty of Economics, and completed a master's degree in economics.
World War II[]
During the World War II, his older sister and her family were murdered by the Nazis who entered Ukraine, and were buried in a mass grave.
He and his brother were drafted into the Red Army in early of the World War II. Kenner was injured twice and was even considered dead. He and his brother served in until the end of war.
Later years[]
A year later of the war, there was a suspicion that he had contracted violent cancer, but it turned out that he had pieces of metal left in his leg from German shrapnel that had caused the infection.
After the war, Kenner returned to Odessa where he started working as an economist. He married a woman called Nahuma and had two children: Raya (Raisa) and Ernie (Arkady).
In 1990 at the age of 78, he moved with his family to Haifa. In September 2012, he celebrated his 100th birthday and became a centenarian. As of October 2021, he had four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Simion Kenner died in Kiryat Eliezer neighbourhood, Haifa, Haifa District, Israel on 15 May 2022 at the age of 109 years, 239 days. His funeral was held on 17 May 2022.
Gallery[]
References[]
- מפגש מרגש: ניצול שואה בן 108 העניק תעודת הוקרה למר שמעון סבג Yadezer.org.il, 28 June 2021
- לעוד הרבה שנים טובות: סימיון קנר בן ה-109, היהודי המבוגר בעולם, חי MyNet Haifa, 24 October 2021
- סימיון קנר מחיפה, היהודי המבוגר בעולם, הלך לעולמו בגיל 110 MyNet Haifa, 17 May 2022