A Holocaust survivor from Westbury celebrated his 100th birthday Sunday.

Max Fontak says during the Holocaust, he ate very little while forced to work long hours in the cold, digging army trenches while in a concentration camp.

Fontak says a friend told him his theory as to why he lived a long life.

"My friend, a doctor,  said the reason you lived is because your arteries got so empty of food,” he says.

MORE: See the article from Newsday

His daughter, Gloria Jacobson, says she's glad her father lived this long, but not just because she loves him.

"I wish that the Holocaust survivors could live forever so their stories could be told,” she says.

But as long as he has told and retold his stories, he gets upset that some deny the Holocaust.

"How could you deny a thing like this? I'm a witness to it,” he says.

Fontak says he's glad to not only have survived the Holocaust, but to survive life so far.

To achieve longevity, he says it’s important to be nice to people, exercise, eat a little less and don't indulge in alcohol and sugar.