AUGUST 1, 2025

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

Hi Poets of “Poetry in W-Motion,”  

SUMMER HIATUS AHEAD. THERE WILL BE NO DELIVERY OF THE “WHS NOTE’ FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. THE NEXT PUBLICATION AND MAILING OF OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER WILL BE ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH. THANK YOU FOR BEING SUBSCRIBERS, SUPPORTERS AND COMMENT CONTRIBUTOIRS. BEST WISHES FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER TO YOU ALL.

Calvin Schwarz (6/63) eulogizes a classmate and Amy Hendry provides sad news of her mother’s passing:

A sad communique. Barry Stein passed on Saturday, July 19th. Barry and I have been close these years. He's battled everything. heart, lung, COPD, lung and other cancers; many other things, too. A true loyal son of Weequahic. We talked from his hospital a week before his passing. It wasn't good. All downhill. He's been in Florida for a long time. But funeral here in Jersey. To read my eulogy of Barry at his funeral and the obit penned by his sister Marcia Stein (67), click on the link to the PDF (Link to PDF). Cal

Jill Margot, nee Jillene Bengelsdorf-Pasternak (51), longtime classical host at WRTI, has died at 91. I am Amy, her daughter. She passed peacefully in her sleep this past Saturday, 7/26, in York, Pennsylvania where she was in nursing home care. She died of natural causes. They are running a remembrance every hour on the hour on WRTI, which you should be able to live stream on the computer. There is also a remembrance wall of memories that people have posted on the WRTI Facebook page. My mother’s story appears at Link to Story. Amy

CORRECTION:

Tony Handler, whose passing was included in last week’s “WHS Note,” graduated WHS in 1957, not “67” as incorrectly noted in the newsletter. Thank you to Rona Mark Hodes (1/63) for noting the error.

Leslie Kaplan Barry, via her mother, Esther Levine Kaplan (44), belies concept that “you cannot return:”

My mother, who will turn 100 on August 17, 2025, is a graduate of the Weequahic Class of 1944. The kids of Hawthorne Grammar school sent her an incredible greeting after we went and visited Hawthorne. School was letting out and we asked them if they were students there. They were a little guarded at first, but when she told them she went there “90” years ago, the students started asking her who her teachers were, how she liked school, and where she used to live (across the street). They were giving her “high fives.” 

It was an amazing meeting of generations. She asked them if they were going to come back in 90 years and then cheered. She said meeting and connecting gave her hope for the future. Here is the incredible greeting sent by the school kids from Hawthorne commemorating our visit. Yes, the white-haired lady is my mom, Esther.  Leslie

Ron Bruguiere (6/53) found an interesting photo of WHS program:

The class of June 1953 on stage for a Spanish Fiesta in either 1952 or 53. 

Can't recall or find in my yearbook the Spanish teacher's name. Don't know the names of the two men in the picture. Perhaps they both taught Spanish. Students in the picture were members from Spanish classes. 

Went through my yearbook in an attempt to name some. Top row far left, dark hair, Fran Posella. Next to her, Shirley Weberling. Front row; think the girl with off-the-shoulder white blouse is Barbara Miller (I may be wrong). Next to her is Lois Attles. Far back row, with only his head showing behind the guy in the Hawaiian shirt, is Siggy Haberman.

I'm in the first row, mustached with a serape over my shoulder and Aurora Bellomo sitting on my lap. We did the Mexican Hat Dance with the two girls on the left. I know we all performed other items, but my brain doesn't recall. The program was for the entire school. No food was served. Ron

Myron Sugarman (Columbia 55) and Marty Friedman (1/47) have notable recent online presence:

My interview at the Mob Museum got me talking about aspects of mob history that revealed the reality of being “In the Life.” That is the expression used when talking about mob life and culture. Here is the link to the interview, Link to Video. Myron

I had a once in a lifetime thing happen to me recently. My 25-year-old granddaughter, who has two growing Social Media Marketing businesses, recorded a video of me recently. She asked me what I did to last 96 years and look so good, why I am still working, why I enjoy my business, etc. She posted those videos on TikTok and Instagram. They went viral and one of them has reached over a million views. Heere is link to an article about our project (LINK TO PDF IZZ).

One result has been that we were contacted by a reporter from Newsweek requesting an interview from me and my daughter, so that they could do an article on success in business and the philosophy of living longer. Here is access to the article (LINK TO PDF NEWS).

BrandSource, the 4,500-member buying cooperative, posted an article in their newsletter, YSN, about me and the video going viral (LINK TO PDF YSN).

Two of the videos were about career choices and longevity. Finding the right career path, and not getting aggravated from stress were the most popular. If you have access to TikTok, the video with 1 million views can be seen at Link to Friedman Video.

My newest book, Great Opportunities by Marty Friedman, a biography about my life in the kitchen appliance business, and how to live longer and healthier, is now available on Barnes & Noble (Link to Barnes and Nobel) and from Amazon at Link to Amazon. Marty

Summer half done, but, J. Paul Blake (68) and Elaine Hersh Krusch (6/50) provide more Jersey Shore memories:

I welcomed the invitation to share recollections and memories about the Jersey Shore, and I’ve enjoyed the items submitted. My story would be a bit different, as the Jersey Shore was not a vacation getaway. It was my home until my family moved north, first to East Orange and, subsequently, several homes in Newark. Fortunately, concluding in the Weequahic Section. 

I was born in Neptune and raised in Belmar, 609 11th Avenue to be specific. Belmar’s boardwalk was my summer home when I wasn’t playing stickball in the playground at Belmar Grammar School or baseball in the park. Belmar was an idyllic community; fortunately close to other Shore communities, including Bradley Beach, Asbury Park, and even Wildwood and Atlantic City. 

Local families were well known across town. I was properly disciplined when a neighbor reported that my friend Barry and I were seen throwing rocks at the geese in a local lake. Belmar’s population grew substantially in the summer months with “northerners” and tourists from around the country. I’d love to see any alumni memories specifically about Belmar. J. Paul

We would walk to Asbury Park to see the attractions. When we started our journey, we ran through Ocean Grove. We weren’t taking any chances. Elaine

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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