site.btaHolocaust Survivor Celebrates 100th Birthday in Haskovo

Avram Niego, a survivor of the Holocaust and a participant in World War II, celebrated his 100th anniversary in Haskovo on Friday. Dozens of friends and guests attended the celebration at his home, among whom the head of the Military District, Lt. Col. Petar Petkov, and Haskovo Mayor Stanislav Dechev. Petkov presented a plaquette and diploma to Niego on behalf of the Minister of Defence, representatives of the 52 740 army unit, the Union of War Veterans in Bulgaria and the Jewish community.

“I feel good. My blood pressure is 120/80, pulse 60, I have no chronic diseases”, Niego said. According to him, there is no recipe for longevity. However, genes and lifestyle are very important. Asked about his secret, he told journalists that he tries not to get angry in life. 

He said that he had gone through several stages in his life, with the period until World War II being “the quietest and calmest”. He defined the moment when the National Defence Act against Jews was passed during World War II as the worst in his life. “However, I accepted all adversity as a temporary phenomenon”, Niego said. The best thing according to him was that afterwards he took part in the war itself and gave his contribution to save humanity. 

Asked about his daily life, Niego shared that he solves crosswords, reads newspapers and watches football matches on TV. He avoids communicating with people who talk about disease and illness.

Niego has a son and a daughter, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.