APRIL 4, 2025

TO RESPOND WITH A COMMENT OF YOUR OWN, PLEASE CLICK ON WHSALUM63@AOL.COM.

Hi Family of the Orange & Brown, 

Correction from Ellen Ignatoff Levine (64):

Sandra Kowaloff Zuckerman's (55) email was incorrectly printed in last week's newsletter. It should be SandraMZuckerman@gmail.com. Ellen

Carol Baer (6/63) and Lenny Wolkstein 6/59) mourn Sandy Baer (59):

My sweet brother, Dr. Stanley “Sandy” Baer (59), passed away one week ago. He died on the one-year anniversary of his wife's death. I was very fortunate to spend precious time with him these last months. He died peacefully at home as was his wish. His obituary can be accessed at Obituary for Dr. Stanley Baer.  Carol

Lenny Wolkstein (6/59)

My dear friend, Sandy Baer died peacefully on March 14th. We met at the age of 10 when Sandy was transferred from Maple Avenue School into “my” 5th grade class at Chancellor Avenue School. From then, until we graduated from Weequahic, he picked me up and dropped me off at my home on Hansbury Avenue on the way to and from school. His home was on Keer and Maple Avenues. 

We played on the same softball team, The Eagles, through grammar school and maybe into high school where we both lettered in swimming along with new lifelong friends, Neil Rothstein, Sid Friedenberg, Tom Krueger, Marty Reisberg, Dan Levy, and others. Sandy also played clarinet in the marching band. 

We both attended Rutgers University and were members of the same fraternity. Sandy then attended the University of Pennsylvania Dental School and the Boston University Dental School for post graduate studies in endodontics, after which he had a long and successful career partnership with his father, Dr. Hyman Baer and Noah Chivian, DMD (6/51). 

After his retirement due to blindness in one eye and right wrist and shoulder disability, Sandy was able to continue his with his passion for golf through the use of a Power Golf club, which he discovered on the Internet for driving and long second shots.

Sandy was the only friend that I was able to invite to my very small wedding and my wife and I were witnesses on his marriage certificate. I will miss him dearly. Lenny

WHSAA request to “Hold the Date:”

WEEQUAHIC HS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE!

SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISER

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2025

Additional details will be shared soon

Judi Moss Robinowitz (6/63) shares pic and comment on mini-reunion of WHS gals of the 60’s a few weeks ago at Capital Grille in Boca Raton:

I think they finally had to throw us out of the restaurant because we stayed so long! We had a great time catching up with each other, and we will do our next luncheon in the Aventura area and hope to attract even more all oldies but goodies! I think this is the order in which we’re seated, L to R, Bonnie Feldman (64), Lorrie Axelrad Cohen (64), me, Judy Wilson Schwartz (6/63), Arlene Ratner Blank (65), Bobbi Gerstl Berribi (62) standing, Linda Smurak Pozek (64), and Sondra Kurtz Newell (6/63). Judy

Gil Lustig (1/60) reaches out to Alumquahics with an offer of nostalgia:

I found an old video that I took of a WHS multi-year reunion from November 1990 at a hotel in Morristown. The classes were from 1961 to 1969. The video is about 17 minutes long. Being VHS tape, the quality is beginning to degrade, but is still quite good. Some of the people in this video have passed on, and seeing them again brings back some fond memories.

I also have a video for the 30th reunion of the Class of 1961 which will bring fond memories to a lot of people. This class had Barry Cohen, Gene Elson, Pug Hirsch, Janie Wildman, who all have passed away. Yet, it is heartwarming to see them alive again.

If anybody would like a copy of the videos, contact me at gillustig@gmail.com. Gil

Alan Ginter’s (64/65) recall of the Weequahic music scene of the 60s motivated several replies: 

Herman Rosenfeld (67)

I vividly remember the awesome music from “Ronnie (Scruggs 64?) and the Soul Brothers.” All of those great young musicians and singers were terrific. And, I can still hear the sounds of Bags Groove every time I think about it, and, especially, Ronnie's vibe playing. I was a lazy and lousy trumpet player, but Dave Ginsberg (65) was always growing and performing. I really appreciated having known Jeff Davis (6/64) and Alan. Really sad to hear of Jeff's passing some years ago; probably the nicest guy of the entire bunch. 

It's a shame that no one seems to have found Tina Stanford (Sanford?) who was gorgeous and had a stunning voice in all kinds of musical genres. 

Believe it or not, I started playing blues harmonica over the past 10 years or so, and now perform locally here in Toronto. There is an entire community of blue harmonica singers and players across Ontario and Northern New York State. I think that hearing that stunning music that rang through the back halls of Weequahic High helped to keep me in the groove all these years.

I would add that I also missed Frank Scocozza, the brilliant and multifaceted musical genius. I consider him the heir to a series of great musical educators at Weequahic. Like so many of the musical folks there, he was a down-earth ordinary guy in his dealings with all of us. I heard he passed away some time ago. Herman

Dave Blumgart (66)

Thanks for the memories of “outlaw rehearsals” and “Ronnie & the Soul Bros.” Just FYI, my good friend Dave Ginsberg who you mentioned in your comment, graduated WHS in June 1966. He is still a fine trumpet player to this day. Dave

Jac Toporek (6/63)

Although in the 60’s tie frame and the scene of which Alan speaks was foreign to me during my days at Weequahic, his comments certainly help revive memories of one neighbor, friend and fellow 225 Meeker Avenue area companion, Howard Tepp (6/64). As many of you might be aware, Howie later changed his name to Richard and was the lead singer with “Richard and the Young Lions.” 

I do recall that some of my neighborhood buddies spoke of a possible music career and even tried to author a song or two which remained in the confines of the lobby areas of our apartment building. If there were any vocals, they came from Howie, Rich Fertell (6/62) or my classmate Clark Lissner. I remember some vague attempt about a song highlighting “Banlon” shirts. Most of the conversations were saved for sports and Buddy Rodgers of professional wrestling fame. Yet, I seem to have an image (a fuzzy one, at best) of Howie beating on a drum in his small apartment on the ground floor a block up Elizabeth Avenue. Who knew what the future held for Howie, but, given his success, I guess his perseverance and music appreciation carried him beyond our neighborhood dalliances and what remains for me, at least, tin ears, monotone acoustics, and atonal voice.

My twin brother Norbert (“Nor”) and I had the opportunity to meet Howie for lunch at “Harold’s” in Edison shortly before he passed. Yes, he was in awe of the portions served, but we were in awe of his accomplishments. Lot of pride as to how well one of our own unassuming Meeker Avenue “home boys” turned out. That lunch conversation, by the way, was less about his music career and more about the hijinks of the guys living on the far end of the Weequahic neighborhood, the fun time across the street in Weequahic Park, the street-hockey games in the back courtyard of 225 Meeker, stick ball played in the auto lot at Koplin’s Chevrolet, shared memories as unknown athletes of the school as members of Coach Joe Nerenberg’s WHS soccer team and the time that had passed since last we met. Jac

A few more shared Bragaw Avenue School recollections:

Vivian Rosenberg (66)

In my prior comment on teachers at Bragaw, I gave the wrong name for my sixth- grade teacher. Her name was Mrs. London, not Mrs. Holland. Such a funny error! Vivian

Stanley Cotler (6/56)

There was a first-grade teacher at Bragaw when I attended, Mrs. Legge, who never should have been allowed to be near children, She was cruel and ran classes like the kids were marionets. Stanley  

Myron Borden (1/52)

Regarding Robert Dubman's (6/52) mention of the worst teachers at Bragaw Avenue School in the 1940s, the infamous Beatrice T. Callahan's behavior comes to mind. We had a half day of homeroom for English, History, etc. and a half day for activities such as penmanship, art, music, gym, etc. Miss Callahan would have the boys lined up at one wall and the girls at another to conduct an inspection of our shoes, handkerchiefs, and fingernails. Some boys would wear a suit, if they owned one, for her class, and change clothes when they went home for lunch.  

She had students reading orally (“Tom Sawyer”), and when an error was made, the student was immediately re-seated to the last desk in the last row of the class. During the activities part of the day, we moved from one room to another in a line and our behavior was judged by monitors stationed in the halls. A banner was presented each week to the class with the best rating during a school assembly. Miss Callahan's classes almost always won the banner. If not, afterwards they would hear about it from her for about a half hour.  

She had a school-wide reputation that everyone knew about. She gave out “Fs” to many students each year. Myron

The WHS NOTE is emailed to you by the WEEQUAHIC HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION for the CLASS OF 1963 ASSOCIATION and editor, Jacob Toporek.



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