Yisrael Kristal

Yisrael Kristal (cropped)

Yisrael Kristal
Born	Izrael Icek Kryształ (1903-09-15)September 15, 1903 Żarnów, Piotrków Governorate, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
Died	August 11, 2017(2017-08-11) (aged 113) Haifa, Israel
Nationality	Polish, Israeli
Known for	Oldest living man (2016–2017)
Spouse(s)	Chaja Feige Frucht (m. 1928; d. 1942), Batsheva (m. 1947; d. 1993)
Children	4

Yisrael Kristal (born Izrael Icek Kryształ; 15 September 1903 – 11 August 2017) was a Polish-Israeli supercentenarian and Holocaust survivor. He was recognized as the world's oldest living man by the Guinness World Records in March 2016, and he held this title until his death in August 2017.

Early life

Yisrael Kristal was born on 15 September 1903 in Żarnów, a village in the Piotrków Governorate of Congress Poland, then part of the Russian Empire. He was born into a Jewish family and received a traditional Jewish education. His father was a Torah scholar, and his mother passed away when he was young.

World War II and the Holocaust

During World War II, Kristal and his family were moved to the Łódź Ghetto following the Nazi invasion of Poland. He was later deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where his wife, Chaja Feige Frucht, and their two children perished. Kristal survived the Holocaust and was liberated by the Allied forces in 1945.

Post-war life

After the war, Kristal returned to Łódź, where he remarried and had two more children. In 1950, he emigrated to Israel with his family, settling in Haifa. In Israel, he established a successful confectionery business.

Recognition as the oldest living man

On 11 March 2016, Kristal was officially recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living man, following the death of Yasutaro Koide. At the time of his recognition, he was 112 years old. Kristal attributed his longevity to his faith in God.

Death

Yisrael Kristal passed away on 11 August 2017 in Haifa, Israel, at the age of 113, just one month shy of his 114th birthday.

See also

• List of Holocaust survivors
• List of supercentenarians
• Oldest people