Jewish seniors - some who survived Holocaust and Spanish Flu - receive vaccines to beat COVID-19

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - That's it, 89-year-old Anna Lindemann gets her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine alongside her 91-year-old brother, Alfred Zydower.

"Oh I feel fine - no problem," she said.

They are among 100 seniors getting their shots  Friday, determined to survive this pandemic. They are, after all, survivors.

Zoltan Rubin's family was murdered in the holocaust.

"I had eight brothers and three sisters - we were 11 children," he said. "I was the only one to survive - I was the one who wasn't killed.

"They all were gone."

All except one brother who escaped and Rubin never saw him again. His family tragedy started in 1941, but this survivor was born into another pandemic in 1918 - when the Spanish Flu ravaged the globe - killing an estimated 20 to 50 million people around the world.

Now, having survived that pandemic, and the holocaust that killed six million Jews - he finds himself living through COVID-19.

"We should realize that we are here - only on borrowed time," Rubin said. "I'm lucky that I have my daughters, otherwise - it's very hard - it's very hard." 

At 102 years of age, Rubin says he's lucky that he has his daughters during this difficult time - and now lucky to receive the vaccine to fight this deadly virus.

"It is a tragedy for the whole world and I hope this vaccination - this will stop it," he said.

It's the hope everyone there shares - that this pandemic - can be stopped, with a shot.

"Part of our culture is taking care of each other - and we want to do that," said Missy Lewin, Jewish Family Service.

At Jewish Family Service where the vaccine clinic was taking place on Friday, they are just honored to be able to care for this aging, still amazing family of survivors.