97-year-old Holocaust survivor's wish of attending college comes true
Tuesday was a day to remember for a 97-year-old Holocaust survivor who got to live out her dream of going to college.
Jacqueline Kimmelstiel was quick to become popular during her first and only day at the University of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx.
She instantly became a favorite among her teachers as she took part in one-on-one lessons learning poetry and French. She also became an honorary captain for a basketball scrimmage, later jokingly admitting that sports were not her favorite.
"No, no, no, not so much. No. I mean, I'll tell you the truth, so I'm not gonna lie," she said.
Her day as a University of Mount Saint Vincent student was completed by receiving a Certificate of Achievement from Susan Burns, the school's president.
Senior facility played a huge role in Kimmelstiel's big day
Kimmelstiel was able to see her dream come true, thanks to RiverSpring Living, her home senior facility.
Wendy Steinberg, the facility's chief communications officer, said RiverSpring launched a new program called "Golden Wishes" to help many of its residents achieve or participate in things they didn't have a chance to do during their younger years.
"We ask them, what did you never have the chance to do? What did you never experience? And for Jacqueline, it has always bothered her that she only went to school until age 12. So we said, you know what? We can make this happen," Steinberg said.
College for a day turned into a family affair
Kimmelstiel was unable to continue her education due to being forced into hiding while moving throughout France. She later came to the United States in the late 1940s and worked as a seamstress.
She also ended up meeting her husband, who was at Auschwitz.
Kimmelstiel's grandchildren, Jonah Kimmelstiel and Rebecca Kevelson, joined her for her day as a college student.
"Education was always something that was very important to our grandmother. Both her sons, my father and our uncle, became medical doctors. And all of us, you know, went to college and beyond professional school," Jonah Kimmelstiel said.
For Kimmelstiel's grandchildren, being able to watch the 97-year-old achieve so much in one day was an honor.
"Having gone through the horrors of what she and our grandfather went through as Holocaust survivors, and now she has four great grandchildren and a college degree, is almost really special," Kevelson said.
Although Kimmelstiel was a student only briefly, she said she yearns to learn.
"How wonderful it is to be so well liked, and all these beautiful things. And, I know that my late husband would be so proud," she said.
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