A great grandmother who is a “remarkable living history” of the past century celebrated turning 100.

Selma Arwas, who lives at Jewish Care’s Ella and Ridley Jacobs Home in Hendon, toasted her birthday with her granddaughter and her two great grandsons.

Mrs Arwas was born in Cairo on May 7, 1915 to Russian parents and grew up in Egypt where she married her husband, Elli, who lived to 102 before he died in 2007.

The couple had one son, Maurice, but they were forced to flee Cairo in 1956 under President Nasser’s hostile regime.

When Selma arrived in London she spoke Arabic, Italian, Greek and French and the family received support from the Jewish Board of Guardians.

They lived in Holland Park, Stamford Hill and Golders Green.

Selma said: “I enjoyed watching films and going to the theatre, I looked after my family and I liked to cook, make rugs and sew and today I love to see my family.”

Jewish Care Living well programme coordinator Pawel Moczulewski said, “It was wonderful to celebrate Selma’s party with her family and the presentation of the birthday card from Her Majesty the Queen by the Mayor of Barnet made the occasion even more of a landmark.

“She has seen so much across the continents, including two world wars in her lifetime and is a remarkable living history of the past century.”