The idea for Wisdom of the Century was born from a simple desire: to capture the stories of people who have lived through almost an entire century of history. When my friend Sandra Coiffman first approached me with the idea of interviewing 100 people over the age of 100, I was intrigued but skeptical. I wasn’t sure we could find enough individuals in that age range, so we decided to focus on 90 people who are 90 or older. Little did we know that was the beginning of a journey that would be inspiring in every way.
Sandra’s original idea included not only the interviewees’ stories and words of wisdom but also photographs of each. Therefore, Pipe Yanguas, a talented photobiographer, joined the team. He accompanied either myself or Sandra during each interview, magically capturing the essence of the interviewees through his camera lens. Jenny Menzel, a graphic designer who had designed and formatted my two volumes of Living and Leaving My Legacy, came on board and did an incredible job creating what is now a stunning coffee table book. While I’ve worked with many teams throughout my career, I have never experienced anything as exceptional as ours. We collaborated in what turned out to be a caring team, each respecting and valuing one another’s expertise.
Our goal was to create a book that highlights the wisdom shared by those we interviewed. It wasn’t just about history; it was about the people who experienced it. We aimed to learn from those who witnessed unimaginable changes: wars, pandemics, economic shifts, and the rapid rise of technology. However, as we began this project, it became clear that these stories were more than mere historical recollections. They represented narratives of perseverance, love, and wisdom that have the power to transform how we perceive our own lives.
The Search for Stories
Sandra and I recognized the need for interviewees who represented a diverse range of experiences in Florida. So, she reached out to local community centers, churches, non-profit organizations, and retirement homes. Our aim was to find individuals who had navigated various challenges and cultural shifts, whose stories captured the rich variety of what it means to age in today’s world.
What struck me most was how openly people responded to our questions. Some had never spoken of their experiences before, while others had shared them countless times. Yet, each person had something valuable to offer. Their stories, rich with joy, struggle, love, and loss, were a profound source of wisdom—insights that could inspire and educate people of all generations.
Lessons of Resilience
What we learned through these interviews is that resilience comes in many forms. Take Eva Cutler, a woman born in Hungary. Eva’s life was drastically changed when the Nazis came to her country. Eva ended up in Bergen Belsen at the end of World War ll. She survived and came to America, where she raised a family and continued her career as a fabric artist. Rather than be defeated, Eva has dedicated her life to teaching others about the dangers of prejudice. Her story is a reminder that even in the face of adversity, we have the power to choose how we respond—and how we shape the world around us.
George Gibson’s story was equally inspiring. As a young child, he came to the United States from the Bahamas. He became the first Black Miami-Dade police officer. At one point, when the Ku Klux Klan threatened to march in Miami, George singlehandedly confronted the Grand Wizard, who backed down and left without marching. From then on, he was sent into communities of unrest, calming people down through his gentle spirit. What truly moved me was his commitment to making South Florida a more peaceful place to live.
The Power of Connection
What makes Wisdom of the Century so powerful isn’t just the wisdom shared by our interviewees, but the connections we made along the way. As we sat in the homes of these remarkable individuals, listening to their stories, we formed bonds that transcended age and experience. Their stories reminded me that no matter where we come from or how old we are, we all have a legacy to leave behind.
At the book launch, I was moved by the reactions of our interviewees as they saw their portraits hanging on the walls of the History Miami Museum, where we have installed an exhibition with all 90 photographs. When they saw the book for the first time, they were overcome with emotion, realizing they were leaving behind a legacy that would be remembered. Others beamed with pride, knowing their experiences would inspire future generations.
Continuing the Journey
The journey doesn’t end with the book. Since the launch, we’ve been working to bring the stories of Wisdom of the Century to a wider audience. Our exhibition at History Miami Museum allows people to see the portraits of these remarkable individuals and hear their stories in person. The exhibition has been an incredible success, and we’re excited to continue taking it to other locations.
As we look ahead, our goal is simple: to continue sharing these stories and learning from the incredible lives of those who have lived through it all. Each of the 90 individuals in Wisdom of the Century has shown me all that is possible when we reach our 90s and beyond. I hope their stories will inspire others to think about the legacy they want to leave and the lessons they want to pass on to future generations. Their lives remind us that it’s not just about the years we live—it’s about the lives we touch along the way.
Merle R. Saferstein
As the director of educational outreach at the Holocaust Documentation and Education Center for twenty-six years, Merle Saferstein worked closely with hundreds of Holocaust survivors, helping them pass along their Legacy of Remembrance to hundreds of thousands of students and teachers. When she retired from the Holocaust Center, she developed a course entitled Living and Leaving Your Legacy® and teaches and speaks to audiences locally, nationally, and internationally. She trains hospice staff and volunteers showing them ways to help patients leave their legacies and works closely with the patients at the end of their lives doing sacred legacy work. For many years, she has volunteered at a camp for children who experienced the death of a family member—helping them gain important tools, including journaling, to cope with their grief. Also, she conducts an all-day parent session at these camps. Merle facilitates a writing for wellness group at Gilda’s Club for women impacted by cancer. She is currently involved in Wisdom of the Century, a project that interviews individuals ninety years old and older. Since April 2020 at the start of Covid, Merle has led a weekly journaling circle. For fourteen years, she culled through her 359 journals taking excerpts according to approximately seventy topics. She has taken these excerpts and created Living and Leaving My Legacy, Vols. l and ll—each containing eleven subjects. Vol. ll is an Amazon #1 new release in two categories and is an Amazon bestseller in two additional categories. Merle is a council member of the International Association for Journal Writing, is the author of Room 732, an award-winning short story collection that pays homage to the historic Hollywood Beach Hotel, is a contributor to the Huffington Post, Medium, Authority Magazine, Women Writers, Women’s Books, and Thrive Global, and has been featured on NPR and MSN.com. As a pioneer in the field of legacy journaling, her chapter on the subject appears in The Great Book of Journaling: How Journal Writing Can Support a Life of Wellness, Creativity, Meaning and Purpose. Merle was chosen as the 2019 Greater Miami Jewish Federation Volunteer of the Year. Connect with Merle on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
