MARCH 29, 2024

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

Hi Miners of Weequahic’s Golden Memories, 

Jack Lippman (50) and Pam Scott Threets (66) bring news of alumni passing:

I was saddened by the recent passing of my long-time friend, Dr. Howard Silver (50) at age 91 in West Palm Beach. After retiring from a long career in dentistry, he became a recognized painter locally. He is survived by his wife Jayne, and a large family. Incidentally, Howard and I shared the same haftorah (Bar Mitzvah torah reading) when we became bar-mitzvah on the same day in 1945, but in different shuls (synagogues). May his memory be a blessing. Jack

Sharon Wade Spearman, Class of 65, passed away on February 27, 24. She was an English teacher in Livingston and WHS before attending Seton Hall Law School. She served as legal counsel for the U.S. Veterans Administration and for Essex Newark Legal Services. Sharon also held the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel at the Newark Housing Authority. She was appointed as a judge for the Irvington Municipal Court.

Sharon was an entrepreneur, activist, and owned the Spearman Law Firm practicing in Newark, Irvington, and East Orange. Among her additional bio highlights add Executive Director and owner of the Toddler Town Child Care Center in Irvington. She is survived by her husband, children, grandchildren ,and great grandchildren. A short announcement and photo appear at Obituary for Sharon Spearman. Pam 

Reunion Announcements:

CLASS OF JUNE 1959 - 65^th Reunion

October 19, 2024

Contact: Danny Enzer (denzer1941@gmail.com)

Albert Anouna (6/64)

Come join, reminisce, catch up and share a super-special exciting day, as we bring our classmates back together again, reminisce, “walk the halls of Weequahic” that we once did, renew and refresh old and new friendships and share this very special Class Reunion. 

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, June 15, 2024 from 12:30. The KEY to our reunion’s success is that YOU WILL BE THERE, at my home in Pittstown, NJ. RSVP as soon as possible to Gary Goss (funnyface1531@gmail.com) or me (anoufar@gmail.com) or call (908 – 391-4996). Albert

WHS CLASS OF 1984 - 40 YEAR REUNION

JUNE 21, 2024 @ GALLOPING HILL INN, UNION, NJ

FOR INFO, PLEASE CONTACT

KARIM ARNOLD - BAYVIEWAVE@AOL.COM (973 432-2961)

WHS CLASS OF 1994 – 30 YEAR REUNION

Monee Daniels (94)

I would like to extend the announcement of our 30th class reunion, “Cheers To 30 Years!” Saturday, October 19th, 2024 to be held at Created 4U Affairs 583 Central Avenue Newark, NJ 07107. There will be a meet and greet Alumni Brunch from 11:00am-3:00pm and

Nightlife Banquet from 8:00 pm-midnight.

For more info, please contact me at moe2nyce@yahoo.com or Tyisha Winston-Daniels at Winstontyisha@gmail.com. Monee

Roberta Blake Abramson (1/54) and Nate Himelstein (South Side 1/55) reach out:

Any WHS classmates of January 54 /June 48 please connect; robertaabramson@aol.com. I know there are many Weequahic folks in Boynton Beach. When visiting his sister, Barry Gruber (1/54), from CA, paid us a visit last year. He was such an inspiration doing running. Roberta

Does anyone of your readers know where I could contact Judy Law class of June 1956? She had an older sister Madeline. I believe there is an ex-brother-in-law is a Weequahic alumni; Norman Rosenfeld or Rosenbaum? Or Rosenthal?  He was a principal, or even a Superintendent of a school district in Hunterdon or Sussex County. If you have information, please write to me at gnhimel@gmail.com. Nate

Lorraine Glass Davis’s (6/64) comment on seeds used by the baker and Jac Toporek’s (6/63) inquiry of sources of “challah” (Friday night ritual bread) in the W-Hood received replies:

Steve Newmark (6/61)

I loved those bread seeds, too, but never knew their name. I still don’t know their name. I Googled them and Google said available at Nordstroms and Walmart. From the Google response, I knew that’s not the name of the seeds. My mouth is watering and waiting for the answer. Steve  

Edith Abramson Kurts (6/63)

Lorraine, I think you are referring to chornichkas, In Russian, little black things; actually, nigella seeds. Loved them on rye bread when I finally found out what they were. Edith

Ethel Benjamin Shuken ’62)

The delicious black seeds on Lorraine’s rye bread are called “Nigella Seeds.”

They are used in Middle Eastern and North African foods. Ethel

Elaine Sheitelman Furman (6/56)

The black seeds which I thought were of Russian origin turned out be from India. I was in a spice store (Penzey’s) and I asked for them. The salesperson knew exactly what I wanted, even though at that time I did not know the name. My jar is now empty and needing a refill. Driving home with a fresh baked rye bread in the trunk of my car, the perfume of the karniska infused the car. Can't get decent salt sticks or salted bagels or decent Russian rye in Jacksonville, FL Tastes that cannot be duplicated.  Elaine

Mel Ortner (6/64)

Years ago, I used to go to Pector's Bakery in Passaic to buy their giant rye breads that were covered with those wonderful black seeds. I was told they were called "Charnushka" or black caraway. I, too, was able to get a small stash from them which I put on a variety of things. Fast forward a few decades and Pector's rye bread is just a dim memory...until now. Once I read Lorraine's post, I immediately searched the web and came up with a link. I am going to order some and enjoy going back to the future. Thanks Lorraine for tip. Mel

George Rubin (6/59)

The black seeds on rye bread were called Charnushka. I also loved them and always ordered my Bergen Bakeshop rye bread with them. It was a sad day when they were out of them. George

Jack Lippman (50)

Just Google “charnushka” to find out all about those little black seeds often used in baking rye bread (Link to article about the black seeds). Or even better, explaining its use in a specific kind of Jewish rye bread (although it's a commercial site) is Link to article about chernushka rye bread Jack

Lew Kampel (60)

When I was a kid, my aunt baked a challah (she pronounced it challee) every Friday and made individual small challah katchkes (ducks) for each of the kids.

Fast forward about 25 years to when I was in the Army and stationed in a rural area of the Netherlands constantly craving any and all Jewish foods. One day, late in December, I was food shopping in the Army commissary (food store) which was heavily decorated for Christmas. In the bread section, my eyes were drawn to an item wrapped in cellophane covered by green wreaths and red berries and labelled "Holly Loaf." Inside was a braided loaf; it was a bit dry, and there were no katchkes, but we still enjoyed a nice Challah that Friday night. Lew

Nostalgic W-Notions:   

Bobbi Wigler Dinnerman 6/49

For Nate Himelstein (South Sude 1/55), it`s “Wigler’s Bakery,” not “Wrigler’s, as you noted in your recent comment. The owners were my relatives, Bobbi

Elaine Hersh Kresch (6/50)

Nate, I remember Wigler’s and Lerhoff’s from my area of Chancellor Avenue. I’m still a lover of good bread. Today, for every day, I keep the packaged Nine Grain with seeds from the supermarkets. It’s not the same, but pretty good. Elaine

Rick Friedman (65)

To Nor Toporek (6/63), I could be wrong, and often am, but I think it was the Essex County Tournament played at Seton Hall. The Newark Star Ledger sports headline the next day was something like “Boys High Put On a Dunking Exhibition Then Weequahic Showed Them How It Was Done.” All of our starters, including Moe Layton dunked the ball. Little known fact; after Moe was traded to the Knicks, he moved to my apartment building in Orange. Rick

Nor Toporek (6/63)

Rick, couldn’t have been the Essex County tournament since Boys High was a Brooklyn school and not located in Essex County. Only Essex teams invited to the tourney.  Nor

Barry Gruber (1/54)

A while back somebody mentioned the Newark Rec Center and bowling. My good friend Herb Kramer used to be a pinsetter there in the old days before machines. So, Marv Denburg (1/54) and Steve Birney and I would go there and get to go behind the scenes. We would watch Herb clear the pins, send the ball back, pull down the rack and set the pins. Kinda dangerous but fun. Barry