Effie Hercky told Rafi Reshef on his program Five with Rafi Reshef that she wanted to be a star – and she has gotten her wish.
The 81-year-old American immigrant great-grandmother headed back to the gym as soon as Israel allowed them to reopen on Sunday, and she became the Internet’s favorite octogenarian as the interview with her went viral.
The retired nurse, who still volunteers at a hospital, charmed Reshef and the Internet with her heavily accented but fluent Hebrew, mixed with bursts of English.
Reshef apologized for disturbing Hercky during her workout – she was walking on a treadmill at a gym in Ramat Gan as they spoke – but she told him it was no problem, that she was more than ready for her close-up.
Meet my new favorite person in the world. (This is an interview with an 81-year-old American immigrant to Israel about her return to the gym today, the day gyms reopened to those who either have been vaccinated or recovered from the coronavirus)pic.twitter.com/7KUT5GAQ10
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) February 21, 2021
Hercky had been working out at home while the gyms were closed due to the corona pandemic, she said, but had gotten out of shape. Asking if he wanted to see her muscles, she rolled up her sleeve and flexed her arm.
“Look at what a body I have,” she said, after Reshef said it was clear that she hadn’t worked out in a while.
Hercky said that while the gym was closed, she had been spending her time working, and playing with her four great-grandchildren.
Asked if she was vaccinated, Hercky said, “Of course! What a question!”
She had worked in a salaried job as a nurse until a year ago, but finally gave in to entreaties from her grandchildren who told her, “Bubbe – enough! Stop!”
But Hercky said she would continue to volunteer as long as she had the strength – and she would also keep hitting the gym.
Asked what she was going to do next, the great-grandmother said: “Maybe I’ll meet a young man, he’ll invite me for an orange juice or something like that,” and then in English asked Reshef if he was married.
Reshef, whose wife is pop star Nurit Galron, said he was, and Hercky responded: “What a pity.”
The two wished each other a long life, and Hertzke sent him and his viewers her love.
The clip received thousands of views on Monday, as people all over Israel and the world fell in love with the bubbe whom a lucky few in Ramat Gan get to exercise alongside.
Maybe Reshef will catch up with her again to find out if she got her orange juice – and her young man.