Doris Sperber

BIOGRAPHY

Sperber was born as Dora Jablonsky in Manhattan, New York, USA, on 20 January 1908. Her parents were Samuel Jablonsky (1878–1955) and Bessie Lockshevitz (1887–1967), both immigrants from Poland. As a young Orthodox woman, she worked at her parents’ tailor shop in the Boro Park neighborhood of Brooklyn.

In 1932, she married Reuben Sperber. The couple had four sons: Stephen, Joel, Frederick, and David. Shortly after getting married, she took up employment with New York Social Services. She later transitioned into the roles of a mother, homemaker, and assistant in her husband’s accounting practice.

The couple lived in Florida for 30 years, then moved to the Bay Area around 2000. Her husband passed away in November 2007, shortly after his 100th birthday. She was a dedicated member of Reform Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco, where her sons David and Fred took her every Saturday. In 2008, at the age of 100, she chose to have a bat mitzvah to honor her deep connection to her Jewish faith.

Sperber passed away in San Francisco, California, USA, on 9 May 2019, at the age of 111 years, 109 days. She was survived by her four sons, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

RECOGNITION

Her age was validated by LongeviQuest on 11 September 2023.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Doris Jablonsky Sperber” – Find A Grave

* “Doris Sperber 1908 – 2019” – Legacy

* “Doris Sperber, who became bat mitzvah at 100, dies at 111” – The Jewish News of Northern California, 21 May 2019

GALLERY

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