BIOGRAPHY

Pearl Berg was born on 1 October 1909 (claims 14 February 1910) in Evansville, Indiana, USA to Archie and Anna (née Gerson) Synenberg. Her parents were of Polish and Russian descent, her father was born in Canada, while her mother was born in Toledo, Ohio. Pearl was named for her father’s aunt, Pearl Finkelstein. Her family long believed she was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Valentine’s Day in 1910, which was one stop among a huge number of cities that her parents visited as itinerant photographers. It was not until the 2010s that her family discovered a 1909 birth record from Indiana, supporting how she was several months older and born in a different US State. She had two siblings, Selma (born 1913) and Robert Samuel (born 1914).

She spent her childhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. She moved to Los Angeles, California with her family in 1929-30. Less than a month later, she met her future husband, Mark Berg, an immigrant from Ukraine. They got married in November 1931. The couple had two sons, Alan, and Robert. Not many years after their marriage, her husband was diagnosed as having Addison’s Disease.

She became a member of Temple Israel in 1937 and continues to attend occasional services at the synagogue, usually during the High Holy Days. Over the years, Pearl accompanied Mark on many of his business trips. In 1961, they visited Japan. She had only one grandchild, Belinda, who was born in 1966 to her son Robert and his wife Ellen.

After her husband died in December 1989, Berg maintained a social life for herself by joining a book club, regularly attending concerts and plays, and becoming more involved with a bridge group. She drove until her mid-90s. She was active in Temple Israel’s Sisterhood and was asked to write notes to bereaved families on behalf of the temple, which she continued to do until the age of 105.

Berg currently lives in her own home in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Stefan Maglov, and validated by LongeviQuest on 18 January 2023. Following the death of Ushi Makishi on 4 July 2023, she became the 10th-oldest validated living person in the world.

ATTRIBUTION

GALLERY