WWII Veteran to Celebrate Bar Mitzvah at 102 \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ World War II veteran Harold Terens, nearing 102, is preparing for a unique milestone: his first bar mitzvah at age 102, hosted at the Pentagon. After a life filled with historic moments and deep love, Terens continues to embrace joy and legacy. He credits minimizing stress—and luck—for his longevity.
Quick Looks
- Harold Terens, a 102-year-old WWII veteran, plans to have his first bar mitzvah next year at the Pentagon
- He missed the traditional Jewish rite as a child due to differing parental beliefs in their New York household
- Terens shared his plans at an early birthday celebration with family in Florida
- The bar mitzvah was arranged after a Pentagon rabbi heard him mention the idea on CNN
- Terens was part of a repair unit on D-Day, helping planes return to France
- Days later, he helped transport captured Germans and rescued Allied POWs to England
- He was honored by France in 2024 for his WWII service on the 80th anniversary of D-Day
- In a full-circle moment, he also married his wife Jeanne on Normandy’s beaches in 2023
- He recalls surviving a German rocket attack in London and a secret mission in Iran
- Widowed after 70 years, Terens found love again and praises his “fairy tale” life
- He has three children, eight grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren
- His advice for longevity: minimize stress and appreciate life’s defining moments
Deep Look
For most people, turning 102 would mark a time to slow down and reflect. For Harold Terens, it’s the moment to embrace a life milestone he never got to experience as a boy: his bar mitzvah.
Born in 1922, Terens grew up in New York City to Jewish immigrant parents—his mother from Poland, his father from Russia. Their opposing religious beliefs shaped his childhood. “My mother was a religious Jew,” Terens recalled during his early birthday celebration in Florida. “My father was anti-religious. So they compromised. One son got bar mitzvahed. The other didn’t.” That “other” son was Harold.
Now, more than nine decades later, Terens is preparing to fulfill that rite of passage—at the age of 102—and not in a synagogue, but at the Pentagon.
The opportunity came about after Terens appeared on a CNN panel with journalist Wolf Blitzer. During the conversation, he mentioned his wish to finally be bar mitzvahed. Watching at home was a rabbi—one assigned to the Pentagon—who reached out. That simple comment led to an extraordinary arrangement: a long-overdue coming-of-age ceremony, held at the heart of America’s military headquarters.
“It’s the next item on my bucket list,” Terens said with a smile. “I’m going to be bar mitzvahed in the Pentagon.”
But Terens’ journey isn’t defined just by delayed traditions—it’s the story of survival, love, and extraordinary service during one of the world’s darkest times.
At just 21 years old, Terens was part of the U.S. Army Air Forces and stationed in England on D-Day, June 6, 1944. As the Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in history on the beaches of Normandy, Terens was behind the scenes, repairing planes damaged in the battle so they could return to the fight.
“Half of the pilots from my company died that day,” he recalled solemnly.
Twelve days later, he was in France, helping transport recently liberated Allied prisoners of war and captured German soldiers back to England. His service in the European theater continued until the war’s end, with stories of narrow escapes and covert missions. One notable episode: Terens narrowly missed being killed when a German rocket destroyed a London pub he had just left.
After Germany’s surrender in May 1945, Terens continued to assist with prisoner transport before returning to the United States, where he transitioned into civilian life. He married Thelma in 1948, a French teacher with whom he shared 70 years of marriage, three children, and a lifetime of memories. After Thelma’s passing in 2018, Terens found love again with Jeanne Swerlin, a vibrant woman now 97 years old.
Their love story added a magical chapter in June 2023, when the couple married on the beaches of Normandy—almost 80 years after Terens had first set foot there during the war.
“I thought my wedding in Normandy last year was the highlight of my life,” he said. “But life isn’t about how many breaths we take—it’s about the moments that take our breath away.”
In June 2024, Terens returned to France once again—this time to be honored by the French government during the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Surrounded by world leaders, dignitaries, and fellow veterans, he was celebrated not only for his wartime contributions but for the resilience and warmth he radiates to this day.
Now, with three children, eight grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren, Terens remains deeply involved in life. He credits his longevity to a simple philosophy: stress less.
“If you can learn how to minimize stress, you’ll go a long way,” he said. “That alone can add ten years to your life. And honestly, 90% of it is just luck.”
His optimism is infectious, and his humor is ever-present. He jokes that his life has unfolded like a fairy tale—filled with wartime survival, international honors, two great loves, and soon, a bar mitzvah ceremony that’s been nearly a century in the making.
To the generations of family, admirers, and fellow veterans who look up to him, Terens is more than a witness to history—he is a living testament to the power of endurance, love, and unfinished dreams. And come early next year, at the age of 102, he will finally be called to the Torah, a full century after he was first eligible.
In a world often marred by division and despair, Harold Terens is a reminder that life, no matter how long, always has room for new beginnings.
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